The Courtesan

Chapter 57

ELAYNE

Arriving in Salem, I received many shocks. The people of Zerramond had a different culture but almost all the kingdoms in the continent worshiped the same gods. More than five years ago, this was true for Zerramond too. The present day Zerramond had now accepted a single religion and worshiped a single god; Zerus, the god of Light.

According to what she heard from the caretakers, there was a cathedral located in the capital city and various temples in every city. Salem had its own temple that the people visited twice a week and offered prayers and offerings in bowls around the statue of Zerus.

They gained a steady influence in the kingdom and had power that was almost equal to the royal family. Word was the king and queen were devout worshippers. Everyone in the kingdom had the name Zerus on their lips many times a day.

There was this general sense of unease and alienation she felt every time she went to a temple. Offerings were mandated and everything felt too fake to her. But the people of Salem were extremely devout. If one didn’t go to the temple at least once a week, one would be branded a heretic and worst case scenario, burnt to death.

I witnessed it once since arriving. Kalvin settled me into a manor and had many of his trusted servants watch over me while he returned to the capital. It was getting stuffy in the manor so I requested to take a walk outside. Accompanied by an older maid, I walked through the streets of Salem. It was then I saw it.

"Burn the witch! Burn her! Let her rot in the depths of hell!"

"This is a warning to all of you who wish to perpetuate evil! In the name of Zerus, we will purge all evils!"

On the stake burning in a constantly renewed fire, I saw the figure of a small child screaming for their life.

"What are they doing?!"

"My lady, it is best not to look. This is the treatment witches get here. Let us return my lady."

Ever since then, I have questioned if it was truly the right decision to return to Zerramond. The kingdom that was filled with intelligent independent people had quickly turned into a place where extreme beliefs were acted on without reason. In a way, it was worse than Casella.

I didn’t step out of the manor again. When I felt stuffy, I practiced with a wooden pole. Geraldine taught me the bare basics and stressed how important form was. It was a pity I didn’t learn more.

“It’s almost foreign to see you hold a sword. Somehow, it doesn’t feel out of place.”

“... Kalvin. You’re back.”

“Hmm, I have returned.”

He left the wall he leaned against and walked forward. He was dressed in more casual clothes, an attempt to fit in at Salem. He reached for the wooden pole in my hands and I let him have it.

“It’s good that you’ve worked up a sweat but you’re not doing it correctly.”

“... You’re not opposed to me learning how to use a sword?”

“Of course not. Almost everyone in Zerramond is proficient in using a weapon. It would be unfair for me to protest.”

“Does that mean you’ll teach me?!”

He chuckled, swinging the pole.

“As happy as I am to see you eager, I cannot teach you.”

“Then…”

“I have my commander train you. Once your strength is sufficient, then we can train together. I’m afraid I will break you if I tried to teach you.”

“I’m not that weak!”

“Of course not my dearest. I know that more than anyone. Come on, let’s go have lunch.”

He threw the pole to a corner of the yard and led me into the manor. A servant appeared from a corner, giving him a towel he used to gently dab my face. I still flinched at his touch but he looked prepared for that, forcing me to stay still as he cleaned up my sweat.

“After lunch, I have something important to discuss with you.”

He said nothing more and we settled for lunch. I watched him more than I ate my lunch which earned me a few words from my maid. He watched with amusement as this happened and I felt embarrassed.

After we finished lunch, we were having tea when he finally started speaking.

“Lady Andrella informed me of your life as a courtesan.”

I sighed shakily. I was wondering when he would bring up the topic. It was sooner than expected but it was better to confront it sooner.

“What about it?”

“You’ve been through a lot and it would be unfair of me to rekindle our relationship with those scars. So, I have decided to court you again.”

Court me again?

“I’m sure you’re surprised and hesitant but it’ll be good for you too. I want to help you heal from those traumas so please trust me.”

“... Fine.”

“Thank you. This means a lot to me. Now, let’s go. There’s something I promised to show you.”

The manor was a second residence for Kalvin that I wasn’t aware of until recently. It seemed he tried to tell me a lot in the past but I usually ignored him when he started talking. He tended to talk a lot.

In this manor, he had a lot of things important to him, perhaps even more than the ones in the palace. He seemed a lot relaxed and he smiled sincerely. With this realization, I wondered just how bad of a wife I was.

We came to the one locked room in the manor I wasn’t allowed to enter. It wasn’t like I was interested in passing my boundaries but he freely opened the door for me to enter.

It was a weapons room but it was less orderly than the one I saw in Duke Erik’s home. There were old and new weapons tossed together, collecting dust and rust. In the middle of this rot, there was a particular rapier that stood out. It was a brilliant silver with a bronze handle and a gem in the head of the handle.

The gem has a resplendent shine but more than that, there was something attractive about it. It had a golden color and shone even in the dark room. What was more impressive was when it was brought outside and many colors and patterns were reflected on the stone walls.

“This is Iorite and this effect is called the Kaleidoscope effect. It’s very beautiful, isn’t it?”

I nodded, reaching to inspect it. He pulled it away from my grasp, shaking his head.

“It’s too dangerous for you to handle right now. Let me show you what it does.”

We walked to the yard where we first met and there was a white marble pillar which acted as a water fountain for the birds that nested in the yard. He swung the rapier high and slashed it on the pillar. I was concerned that the sword would shatter but the thing that happened next shocked me.

The rapier cut through the pillar like butter.

“This is but a little bit of the power of Iorite. This sword has been made unimaginably sharp and even the smallest nick will take your finger off. This is what everyone in the continent is fighting for.”