TLS 02

Chapter 2

As Noah looked closely, she realized that Gabriel was holding out his hand with his palm facing upward.

Apparently, she had remembered the etiquette incorrectly.

Noah politely took Gabriel’s hand in both of hers, kissed his palm, and stammered,

“I touch the hand of grace.”

That was probably how the greeting went, but she hoped she had not gotten it wrong.

The moment Noah’s lips touched his palm, Gabriel’s hand stiffened.

At the same moment, Noah’s hands began to tremble.

She must have broken another rule of etiquette.

If only she had looked through a book on etiquette beforehand! No, even reviewing the book she had received at the training center would have been enough!

“Ahem!”

Gabriel deliberately cleared his throat.

Noah’s face naturally turned miserable.

When she cautiously raised her head, Gabriel’s face was red, and he was avoiding her gaze.

“I wasn’t asking you to show me respect. I was trying to escort you.”

“Ah.”

Several Holy Knights coughed.

They were probably trying to hold back their laughter.

Noah’s face became so red that it seemed impossible for it to get any redder.

She already wanted to go home.

Led by Gabriel’s hand, Noah was guided to her accommodation while barely aware of what was happening.

A low-ranking country priest like her was being escorted all the way to her lodging by a cardinal.

‘Hahaha. Is this a dream or reality……?’

“Noah. Ah, this is a little awkward. May I call you by your name?”

“Yes, of course, Your Eminence!”

“You may also call me by my name.”

Ah, I don’t think that will be easy.

Instead of answering, Noah covered it up with an awkward smile.

“What kind of ability do you have, Noah?”

Even Gabriel’s voice was elegant.

Trying not to show how nervous she was, Noah answered in a quiet voice.

“It’s nothing special. I can calm down someone who is extremely angry, for example…… Just a little. Very, very little.”

Noah continued hesitantly.

She was afraid that this great man might be displeased after hearing about her insignificant ability.

“Or I can help someone fall asleep more easily…… Things like that.”

But the great man was apparently just as kind-hearted as he was impressive, because he answered warmly without showing any disappointment.

“That is quite impressive.”

“Is, is it?”

“Yes. Unlike most people, you have awakened several abilities.”

Noah did not know what to do with Gabriel’s praise.

Honestly, compared to other types of divine power, a Controller’s abilities were very modest.

So when someone said they had awakened as a Controller, most people assumed they were only capable enough to graduate from the Divine Power Training Center with an average score.

But no one knew how hard Noah had worked to make the most of her small amount of divine power.

Thanks to that effort, she had learned to use her abilities in several different ways.

That was the part of herself Noah was most proud of.

Of course, compared to someone who had been extraordinary from birth, her talent was so insignificant that it barely stood out. And compared to Gabriel, the strongest Controller, it was almost embarrassing to even make a comparison.

Still, being acknowledged by someone as great as him made her feel a little proud.

Noah was deeply grateful that Gabriel, who had risen all the way to the position of cardinal, was not arrogant and still took the time to care about someone as insignificant as her.

“Thank you, Your Eminence. My abilities may be insignificant, but I will do my best here as well.”

It took Noah a great deal of courage to say that.

Gabriel smiled warmly and continued.

“There are very few Controllers in the entire world.”

“……Yes.”

“And if an ability is that rare, it naturally means there are many hidden secrets surrounding it. I have studied this matter extensively and looked through old records for a long time.”

“……”

“That was when I discovered something. Controllers are not as unimpressive as people believe. Their abilities are actually far greater than anyone knows.”

Gabriel stopped walking for a moment.

Without realizing it, Noah looked at him.

“After deeply researching the hidden powers of Controllers, I became convinced that we could successfully complete the Urbas subjugation this time. That is why we invited so many Controller priests.”

“I-I see!”

Noah nodded without even realizing it, completely drawn in by Gabriel’s words.

“This is an opportunity to bring immeasurable glory to our god, Elohim. I trust that you will also give it your very best, Noah.”

“I’ll work hard.”

She almost sounded as if she were about to swear an oath of loyalty on the spot.

Anyone would have felt the same if they had seen Gabriel Schulmann’s smile at that moment.

“I have especially high expectations for you, Noah.”

“Pardon?”

“Not only have you awakened various talents……”

Gabriel closed his mouth midway, choosing not to say more. Then he began leading Noah again.

“You know that talented people from various fields have been selected for this subjugation, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Gabriel smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly, and Noah found herself smiling back.

“The Kingdom of Entria is sending a princess who is a mage to join this subjugation. You know that as well, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Noah had heard about her too.

Quite a few mages had volunteered for this subjugation, and Princess Kyria, one of the Kingdom of Entria’s outstanding mages, was among them.

Princess Kyria was a beautiful woman with striking deep green eyes and golden hair that looked as though it had been made by melting gold. Rumor had it that she possessed such fatal charm that anyone who saw her would inevitably fall in love.

“To be honest, Princess Kyria is somewhat troublesome from our perspective. Some of her people have even begun treating her like a divine being. That is why someone talented like you is truly important, Noah.”

Noah could not understand even half of what Gabriel was saying.

Part of it was because she was nervous, and part of it was because Gabriel had a habit of speaking in such indirect ways.

The only thing she vaguely understood was, ‘Is he praising me right now?’

“You also received an excellent evaluation at the Divine Power Training Center, so you have caught our attention.”

“Ah, I, um……”

Someone was overestimating her insignificant abilities this much.

Noah’s head naturally lowered.

“But now that I have met you today, I see that your abilities are not the only impressive thing about you. You even possess grace and dignity. I believe you are exactly the kind of person who fits the respectable image of our religious order.”

“……Thank you.”

Noah answered quietly, her face turning red.

The praise felt excessive enough to make her want to scratch the wall. She liked hearing it, but at the same time, it made her feel strangely ticklish.

“This is your room, Noah.”

After exchanging all sorts of embarrassing but pleasant words, they had arrived at her accommodation before she knew it.

Gabriel handed Noah the key to her room and said,

“If you need anything, pull the bell cord beside the bedroom. A priest assigned to assist you will bring you whatever you need. I will see you tomorrow after lunch, along with the others.”

“Yes.”

“Then, please rest comfortably.”

Gabriel gave a slight bow and left.

Noah politely returned the greeting and watched his back for a brief moment.

He was strangely dignified and impressive.

‘As expected, not just anyone can become a cardinal.’

Noah nodded and entered her room.

The room was neat and beautiful beyond comparison to the one she had stayed in at the Soal Academy.

‘Wow, the furniture against the pure white walls is so beautiful. It looks so luxurious…… How can the color of the wood be this pretty? This is nothing like the academy.’

There was even a separate bathroom.

She had once heard rumors that warm water was available in the Imperial Palace through the use of magic stones.

And now she was actually seeing a magnificent water system that produced warm water.

Noah was deeply moved.

As expected, the religious buildings belonging to the Imperial Palace were on another level.

After unpacking her things for a while and clearing her dazed mind, Noah began thinking carefully about what Gabriel had said.

He was such an important person that she had not been able to think deeply about his words earlier because he had personally escorted her.

But ‘someone who fits the respectable image of our religious order’……

When she thought about it, didn’t it sound as if she was expected to participate in the Urbas subjugation for the sake of the religious order’s image?

“Hahaha. I’m thinking way too much.”

Noah shook her head and pushed away her unnecessary thoughts.

The cardinal was probably simply good at praising people and making them feel important, she told herself, trying her best to calm her mind.

After finishing the accommodation arrangements for the last Controller to arrive, Noah Kaplan, Gabriel walked toward his own quarters.

In truth, Gabriel had felt a strange sense of déjà vu the moment he saw Noah’s pink hair.

No, to be more precise, Noah was the priest Gabriel had been waiting for.

From the moment he had seen her name in the documents until now.

‘Yes. I’ve been waiting.’

She would be quite useful during this subjugation.

‘Especially in front of Princess Kyria……’

As he continued thinking to himself, a pale green dress caught his eye.

“Greetings, Your Eminence.”

“Yes. Greetings.”

The person who greeted him was Lady Anat Dubinchik, daughter of Count Dubinchik.

She was one of the women Gabriel had often encountered discreetly since his days as a priest. Her cousin was the Crown Princess.

“What brings Lady Dubinchik here?”

“I have something important to tell you.”

“Was there no apprentice priest who could deliver your message?”

“The matter is urgent and important, so I came to see you personally.”

Anat looked at Gabriel with an earnest expression.

Gabriel was annoyed by the fact that Anat had come all the way near his quarters and waited for him, but he forced a smile and tried to guide her toward the reception room.

“Your Eminence, could you come with me to the room where I am staying?”

“Is something troubling you?”

“Well…… You will understand once you come with me.”

Gabriel let out a short sigh inwardly and followed Anat’s request.

“The room is a little too small for a Holy Knight to come inside as well……”

Anat looked troubled as she stood before the door.

“Then I will wait outside.”

The Holy Knight accompanying Gabriel stepped back from the doorway.

Gabriel entered the room, thinking inwardly that—even though there was no reason for it—if Anat tried to assassinate him, he would probably still be able to overpower her by force.

“Where is the inconvenience in the room……?”

Gabriel looked around the room before trailing off.

A believer who came to pray at the religious order and even reserved a room to stay in would normally have an assigned apprentice priest.

Although his current position had been given to him suddenly because of the Urbas Demon Dragon subjugation, Gabriel was still a cardinal.

If someone had gone so far as to call him here, the matter had to be truly important.

“Please sit down first and have some tea.”

Gabriel looked around the room a little more before sitting in the chair Anat offered him.

A faint memory of the situations he had often experienced during his days as a priest came to mind.

‘Surely not…….’