I Became a Fake Priest the Saintess Is Obsessed With

43 – Blue Roses Among the Daffodils (1)

When Lesia came to her senses, she realized that she was being transported in a carriage.

Lesia was still in shock, but thanks to the strong northern spirit that her parents emphasized, she somehow managed to come to her senses.

She forgot her previous situation for a moment and calmly observed her surroundings.

It was dark because the area was surrounded by iron cages and tents, but the vibration of the rattling carriage made her know that she was being dragged somewhere.

Near her, a boy with white hair and her girls were lying in a similar situation to her.

Considering their physical characteristics and circumstances, I quickly realized that they were northern nomads just like me.

Lecia realized too late that the girl right next to her was conscious.

The girl approached Lesia.

“Hello? I’m Riley! What’s your name?”

Despite the bleak situation of being dragged away by wizards, Riley maintained a bright smile.

“Le, Lesia…”

Lesia was embarrassed by the girl and suddenly said her name.

“Lerecia? That’s an unusual name…”

“…It’s not Leresia, it’s Lesia.”

“Huh? Ah! It’s Leresia! Well, Leresia was a bit strange!”

Lesia was offended, wondering if Riley was making fun of her.

“Are you unable to understand the situation?”

“Huh? You’re being dragged away by wizards!”

“… How are you smiling when you know that?”

Riley pretends to think about it for a moment, but then she smiles and answers.

“I know a sister who said that if you think positively about anything, any situation will turn out well! Why don’t you stop being too serious and smile?”

Lesia did not understand Riley’s words.

What a foolish idea it is to change this situation just by smiling.

I know Riley has no ill intentions.

I just felt a sense of contempt at the pitiful appearance of my fellow countrymen who lacked ‘wisdom’.

The nomads of the North had strong bodies and magical powers, but they lacked ‘wisdom’ compared to other humans.

Lesia had wisdom thanks to the influence of her father, who was a researcher at the Magic Tower, but her other compatriots had no wisdom and were pitiful, having to depend on others to survive.

Resia thought that her compatriots were unable to prevent the wizards’ atrocities due to their lack of wisdom, and that they were being kidnapped like this.

“Why is your expression so crumpled? Oh, that’s right! Now, take this!”

Whether or not she knew how Lesia was feeling, Riley forced something of hers into Lesia’s hand.

“This is…”

She stretched out her hand and checked it.

In Lesia’s small hand was an even smaller white daffodil.

“I broke it before I came here! It’s a secret that I gave it to the other kids because they might get jealous!”

The appearance of the daffodil was like the sun rising in a snowstorm.

What a coincidence, daffodils were her mother’s favorite flower.

Lesia, who was staring at the daffodils blankly, soon looked at Riley.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Huh? Uh… Because you’re pretty? I heard that pretty kids like flowers! I thought this would make you feel better too!”

Pretty kids like flowers…

This is a story that Lesia has also heard.

This was a story that none other than her mother told Lesia on a certain day.

“Thank you. This flower is my favorite flower.”

“Really? Then smile! You got the one you liked the most. What’s that look like?”

Lecia liked Riley’s innocence in the flowers a little.

However, Lesia could not follow Riley’s words.

Because the situation right now was too despairing to smile.

***

A little while after the conversation with Riley.

Finally, the carriage escorting the nomads stopped somewhere.

The wizards made Lesia, Riley, and other young nomads get out of the carriage one by one.

“Wow… This place is really scary…”

The place they landed was a very dark place.

A cramped and hopeless place where even light cannot enter properly as there are no iron bars, and you have to rely on the feeble light of candles.

The children trembled with fear and shed tears.

Lesia tightened her grip as she tried to keep from crying.

“Lecia, why did the wizards bring us to a place like this? Couldn’t they have just called us to do something really great?”

“I don’t know… But at least I’m sure I wasn’t called from the Magic Tower to share wisdom like the Four Winds.”

“Huh… It’s so cold…”

Fortunately, Lesia was able to keep her cool thanks to Riley’s carefree attitude.

“Everyone is gathered.”

As we were having a meaningless conversation with Riley, a wizard wearing a robe and a middle-aged wizard appeared in front of the children.

“Who are you…? Please send me home…”

Among the children, the girl who was particularly afraid asked while sobbing.

The girl’s body, trembling like a thorn tree, looked very dangerous.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can let you go home. You are a tool that will improve my performance by participating in the battle against the Demon King’s army.”

Lesia realized their situation from a single sentence from the wizard.

War is very miserable, but it is an opportunity for certain people.

Like doctors who advance medical technology through living experiments, or soldiers who are rewarded for their achievements.

And I could see at a glance that that evil wizard was using the war as a stepping stone to use young nomads to achieve success.

“I don’t know… Where’s mom…”

Unlike Lesia, the girl had absolutely no grasp of the current situation.

They don’t know that those scum that see humans as tools can harm them at any time.

“Hmm… Soldiers going to war shouldn’t be crybabies. Let’s set an example and show what an antagonist looks like.”

As expected, the wizard was glaring at the child as if he were going to kill him.

Someone had to step up to protect that child.

But Lesia could not come forward easily.

I couldn’t move because I didn’t know what would happen if I stepped forward, or if I would be killed along with that crying child.

“No way, Crest! We’re going on a great journey, don’t cry!”

When everyone was struggling to come forward, Riley wrapped her arms around the girl and shouted so loudly that the wizard could hear her.

When Lesia saw the girl named Crest, she was looking at Riley with her bewildered eyes.

From that reaction, I was able to tell that the two were not acquaintances.

“What is it, kid? Do you know that kid?”

“Yes! This guy is called Crest! I’ve always been a crybaby and timid, so I guess I was a little scared when I heard the wizard’s plan!”

But Riley pretended that he really knew the boy.

“… Really, kid? Do you know this kid? At least tell me his name.”

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The wizard asked Crest.

Crest looked at the wizard and Riley with trembling eyes.

Riley looked confused for a moment, then she gestured to the girl and pointed to the daffodils in Resia’s hand.

“Daffodils, daffodils!”

The girl who hesitated loudly shouted the name Daffodil to the wizard.

“…Is your name really Daffodil?”

“Yes! Riley Daffodil! That’s my name!”

Riley’s lies were too much to bear.

The wizard lowered his head.

Then he started splitting the thread.

Judging from the reaction, it seemed like they quickly figured out the extent of Riley’s lie.

What does a wizard do?

Wouldn’t he ruthlessly trample on Riley who lied to him?

However, the wizard behaved differently than expected.

“It’s a really fun friendship. Okay, I’ll just move on without saying anything this time. And Daffodil! You are the leader of this group. Lead the children from now on.”

“It’s an honor, wizard!”

Ga Riley seemed to be satisfied with something and shouted with a smile.

Then continued the explanation from earlier.

“You will undergo simple training for the next month and then immediately deploy to the battlefield.”

“Well, isn’t that too fast, Wizard? You should give it at least a few years…”

“I heard that you northern people are strong enough to hunt werewolves from a young age, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then you are monsters. You who wear human masks and have the power of something other than human are just monsters. Throw away your personality and go to the battlefield to hunt demons and demons. That’s how much a monster can show its own worth. Because it’s a way to prove it.”

It was a ridiculous statement.

They treat you like a monster just because you have strong power.

It was so simple and ignorant that Resia’s hatred for magicians boiled inside her.

“…But.”

“Don’t talk back, Narcissus. I didn’t give you the title of captain to go against what I say. You simply listen to me and let these monsters carry it out.”

Soon Riley lowered his head.

“Okay… I will take responsibility and send the children to the front lines within a month.”

“Good. Look forward to it, Captain Daffodil.”

The wizards went out with satisfied expressions.

When they left, Riley sat down like a helpless wooden doll.

“Whoa… I thought something really big was going to happen.”

“Hey, hey… Are you okay?”

“Huh? Ah! Of course! This is nothing, Crest!”

“I-I’m not Crest, I’m Baekcheonghwan…”

“… Really? … I’ll just call it Crest from now on.”

“Uh, yes.”

The children gathered around Riley, who showed bravery.

All the children shouted out the names Daffodil and Crest.

Lesia was far away and she looked at it.

As Riley said and left with a smile, the situation took a positive turn.

I thought that perhaps it was because of that child that I was able to solve this problem.

So Lecia decided to trust Riley.

Even Lesia, who had wisdom, did not know where the power of positivity and purity would lead them.

‘…And if you kill the wizard, there will be no need to go to battle.’

But on the other hand, while preparing to assassinate the wizards, Lesia sharpened the sword of her heart.