Published at 18th of January 2020 10:53 pm

Volume 5, The Priestess of the Green God Thinks on Her Work and Her Friend

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It had long been Sylvia's dream to visit Vassilios.

Latina didn't talk much about her old home, but thanks to Sylvia's intense, curiosity-driven pestering, she ended up discussing the matter bit by bit. It was just fragmentary information, but since it was all about a world completely unknown to her, it was enough to make Sylvia decide she wanted to see it with her own two eyes someday.

Sylvia had been granted a room for her personal use in the temple in Vassilios. Normally it would be a clean, simply furnished room, but it was currently buried under a jumble of documents. Though it had given a plain impression, in the Vassilios style, it wasn't as if she wasn't being properly welcomed as a guest. And to start with, as a highly rational priestess of Akhdar, as long as she had what she needed, no more and no less, then she couldn't want for anything.

Thinking back on it, Latina said she was raised in the depths of this temple... and that she didn't know much of the outside world... Sylvia thought to herself, her hands working away all the while.

In her breaks between carrying out her role of acting as Laband's contact there, Sylvia worked towards her primary goal: putting together a report on things like Vassilios's climate and state of affairs. She didn't overwork herself, but when strolling through town, she couldn't help but pull out her traveler's journal and write away in it.

She then dispatched this to the temple of Akhdar. The information would later serve as a guide for her fellow priests and priestesses, as well as a great many travelers and adventurers visiting this country. It was a jumble of information, but Sylvia was aware that there were those in the temple back home that were like starving hyenas, desperate for any information, no matter how trivial.

Well... for Latina, talking about her old home meant talking about her sister... so I guess she was right not to do so, Sylvia mentally muttered to herself.

She recalled when she first met Chrysos. Though she'd had some expectations based on the information she had gathered beforehand, she was frankly shocked.

She really does look just like Latina...

When Vint, who was recognized as Latina's loyal servant, returned to the temple, Sylvia had been riding on his back. Faced with such an unforeseen incident, Chrysos had left the interior and come out to the courtyard to meet with the soaring wolf.

From the stationing of the people around her, Sylvia had sensed that Chrysos was in some sort of high-ranking position, but back then, she had no idea that this girl was the "king." She could never have imagined that the ruler of a nation would personally greet a suspicious visitor.

Later, when Sylvia learned that Chrysos was the ruler known as the Golden King, she thought, Ah. She really is Latina's sister. She really did give the impression of being naturally aloof.

Since demon lords could only be harmed by heroes, she didn't need to be overly concerned about intruders. Since it was known that the Second Demon Lord and the Platinum Hero were in another country, the security around Chrysos was relatively lax. Therefore, Sylvia's thoughts regarding Chrysos were rather regrettable.

Sylvia's first impression of Chrysos was that she had a more chic, stylish appearance than even Latina. Latina lacked this sort of majesty, which silenced those around her.

Latina most certainly did possess something that could be called charisma. In fact, knowing the extraordinary way that her friend had ardent fans amongst the burly adventurers and guards of Kreuz and had even subdued mythical beasts with her natural virtue and skills, Sylvia couldn't think of any other word to describe it.

On the other hand, Chrysos had a feel about her more akin to that of a "monarch." Even the physique of this slender young girl wasn't enough to weaken the impression. She had a different sort of charisma than Latina.

She most certainly wasn't the cute, absentminded type that Latina was. She had gold and silver decorations hanging from her beautiful black horns and the outfit she wore was simple, but her stylishness still overwhelmed those around her. Perhaps it was thanks to the responsibility she shouldered that it felt more fitting to call her a beautiful queen more than a princess.

However, those were all thoughts that Sylvia had later. Even her "second impression" of Chrysos wasn't something that should ever be said to the woman herself.

In turn, Chrysos and Sylvia came to become conversation partners, having many chats. Chrysos had wanted to learn Western Continental, the language of humans, but another big reason had been that Sylvia and Latina were childhood friends.

Chrysos had wanted to hear about Latina. She'd been concerned for her sister, whose whereabouts were unknown to her after the girl's exile, so hearing that Latina had been living happily and peacefully in a foreign nation brought Chrysos great joy. Sylvia soon picked up on that fact and reminisced about her friend as the Golden King had wished.

"So Platina lives together with a hero...?" Chrysos asked Sylvia, looking surprised, after hearing about Dale. As a member of the information- gathering Akhdar temple, it was only natural that Sylvia was aware that Dale was a hero with divine protection from Quirmizi and Azraq.

"That's right."

"What sort of person is he?"

"Hmm, let's see..." Sylvia then told Chrysos everything she knew about the harmonious relationship between Latina and Dale. By visiting the Ocelot many times before she left for Vassilios, she had learned that Latina used rather indirect expressions when it came to speaking about Dale. The truth far exceeded Latina's words and proved rather ominous.

As she listened to Sylvia's words, Chrysos's expression steadily grew strained.

"Um, Your Majesty...?"

Even Sylvia wasn't willing to refer to the ruler of a country by her first name, instead calling Chrysos "Your Majesty."

"Are such actions considered normal in human nations?"

"No, that's definitely not normal," Sylvia bluntly asserted, only for Chrysos to make a face like she'd swallowed something terribly bitter.

While Latina slumbered away, knowing nothing of what was going on, her

Dale in Kreuz. At the same time, that was precisely when Chrysos learned that the champion known as the Platinum Hero, whom she hadn't even met yet, was in actuality an absolute doting idiot.

"...But I could also clearly tell that Latina was happy," Sylvia tried to add that follow-up, but Chrysos responded with distant, slightly dead-looking eyes, saying, "I see..."

When Chrysos later heard more from Rose, that still didn't wipe away that impression of Dale. Rather, hearing Rose speak ambiguously with a smile on her face seemed to only make things worse.

It was with such preconceptions that Chrysos had directly faced off with Dale. After meeting him, she felt his aura as a battle-hardened warrior and one who could easily give off terrifying bloodlust, and in turn she was left with the impression that he really was in essence a "deplorable hero."

That may have also been one reason why even though Dale had almost killed Chrysos, she wasn't overly fixated on the matter.

†

With a ring, Sylvia's journey through her past memories was interrupted.

In Vassilios, there weren't often doors dividing each room, and there was no custom of knocking. She had only heard of the custom of ringing a bell set up near the entrance of a personal room before entering after she had come to Vassilios. It also wasn't easy to recognize that the bell served that function at a glance. It differed in appearance from any that she had seen in Laband.

"Yes?" Sylvia called out in the language of the devils.

"Sylvia, it's me," said a voice back in Western Continental. "Can I come in?"

"Go ahead."

With that light response, Latina's head popped into view.

"Is it alright for you to be up and walking around already, Latina?"

"I won't heal up properly if I just keep doing nothing but sleep. I'm just sticking to the temple, but I'm taking walks now to get my body accustomed to moving again, bit by bit."

Sylvia cast a quick sidelong glance towards the entrance and saw an attendant, who was apparently waiting on Latina. Noticing Sylvia's line of sight, Latina gave a troubled laugh. "To be honest, it's pretty bothersome, but... I can't be thinking that way..."

"So do the attendants handle your changing and bathing and everything?" Sylvia asked with a laugh.

"I firmly refuse their help in the bath," Latina responded with a natural smile. "It's troublesome, getting dressed and stuff, but I want to do it myself... But it's also their job, and I don't want to infringe on that because of my selfishness..."

"But how do you really feel?"

"It's a bother... so I at least wanted to be able to relax in the bath..."

Sylvia felt like she understood what Latina was saying, but looking at her friend, who hadn't even been able to move properly until a few days ago, her concern took priority. "That's all well and good, but are you feeling alright?"

"I sank under once... but then I came to, so it was alright." "I think you probably shouldn't call that 'alright.'"

This girl really was just too much of an airhead.

Latina looked with great interest at the documents and material scattered about. Sylvia felt like she could understand that too, as there was hardly anything to serve as entertainment in this place, since it was a temple. Latina could borrow reading material the same way Sylvia had, but she couldn't read the devil language. And since she didn't have any duties to carry out or a job to perform like Sylvia, Latina was left completely and utterly bored.

It was then that Sylvia remembered that matter she'd just been thinking about, and she stared straight at Latina.

"What is it?" "Hmm..."

As Latina tilted her head, her platinum hair and the delicate veil she was wearing both swayed.

"Nothing... It's just that you and the king really look alike. You're twins, right?"

"Yeah. Our eye colors are different because Chrysos is the only one who was born with a mana trait."

"Yours are grey, but the king's are golden, yeah?" Sylvia said, and Latina smiled back. From what Sylvia could see, that wasn't the only difference

How should I put it...? Latina's more of... a beauty, I guess.

As a friend, those were her honest feelings.

In terms of what she had to work with, Latina certainly wasn't lacking, but that wasn't all. Having fallen for an older man back when she was young, combined with her low self-evaluation, she'd put in more effort than anyone else.

You really did work hard, Latina...

Latina had learned all sorts of things from the knowledgeable Sylvia— though that occasionally proved fruitless—and she had also received fashion lectures from Chloe. She proactively moved around for her job, and apparently did exercises she heard were good for one's beauty as part of her daily routine. She kept her diet balanced and healthy, and on top of that, she actively made sure to include foods that were said to be good for beauty.

Latina had put in so much effort to become the sort of woman that would make the man she loved turn around and look at her that, as a fellow woman, Sylvia couldn't help but admire her.

"So as twins, your base specs should be the same, right...?" "Hmm?"

"I already knew that you worked really hard, Latina..." "Hmm?"

While her friend tilted her head in confusion, not really understanding, Sylvia made a face a bit like she was looking at something far-off in the distance.

"Latina... it's bugged me for a while..." "Hmm?"

The second impression Sylvia had of Chrysos...

Ah. She really is just like Latina was...

Was that she was completely flat.

Currently, Latina had feminine curves. In comparison, Chrysos was reminiscent of how Latina used to be a while ago, with a somewhat childish appearance about her.

The difference in their lifestyles, with Chrysos being waited on by a chamberlain, while Latina was always running about, had a big effect there. And their eating habits likely were significant, too.

There were some things that Sylvia didn't understand about that matter, but also some that did. Latina's efforts really were tied to it.

"Good for you, Latina."

"Hmm?" Latina repeated, not understanding what her friend was saying, and then tilted her head.

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