The Bewilderment of the Sacrificial Second Princess

Chapter 64: The way back with Hillian

“Hey, why is it that the priest of the Azure Dragon of the Four Gods is considered the same as the Sun God of the Dragnate Kingdom?”

“Are you going to talk about that now…”

I and Hillian, who had a good night’s sleep in our respective rooms at the luxurious hotel, were in the carriage being rocked while carrying the important stones, and were about to leave the Dragnate Kingdom soon. In other words, it was a conversation in the morning when we got into the carriage.

As on the way to the destination, two guards were running alongside the carriage, but they were not running fast (because on the way back, we have the stones that should not be broken), so they are following us at a brisk pace.

I thought that I had become quite familiar with Hillian, but he still seemed somewhat secretive, especially when it comes to religion. But since he showed me the most mysterious thing that should be kept secret in front of me, I feel like it’s okay.

Or maybe it’s because he’s weak in the morning, or because he’s still tired from yesterday, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood.

“Honestly, I don’t think you’ll be able to understand even if I talk about it now, so would you like to check your prior knowledge first?”

“Oh, that’s fine. What I want to know is about Hillian, my work partner. So if you don’t want me to mention religion, maybe you could tell me why you work in the Baratonia Kingdom, or if you dislike me.”

Actually, I’d like to know about religion in detail, (because most religions are compiled as scriptures in each country and there are no scriptures in the Faithnum Empire), but as I said, my main interest is Hillian himself.

If Lord Balk can’t accompany me in the future, I think Hillian will come as a substitute. This time, it was an important business deal, so if Lord Balk didn’t come, that must be the reason.

In the future, when I go to Seanapse as an envoy, it will probably be Hillian as well. The purchasing should also be more suitable for Hillian than for me.

“Talking about me… it would be better to talk about the four gods.”

“Do you dislike me that much…?”

Saying it with a slightly hurt tone, Hillian looked away with an uncomfortable look on his face.

“It’s not so much that I dislike it…, well, my aversion has weakened a bit, but please understand my immature feelings.

When it’s said in a voice that seems a bit troubled, I can’t force myself to dive in. After all, I used to be the princess of the sovereign nation, so it’s not surprising that he would dislike me. But I don’t think that is the main reason. I feel like there is some distance between Hillian and me in some other way.

“Okay, well, let’s go over some background information, shall we?”

I felt that delving any deeper would be like an act with power, so I redirected the conversation.

“First… How much do you know about celestial bodies (astronomy)?”

“Celestial bodies?”

“The stars that shine in the night sky. This earth we are standing on is also a celestial body, one of the many stars in the heavenly bodies.”

Actually, I haven’t really reached out to that kind of knowledge. The reason is that there is no ‘accurate and reliable information’ about those things.

I have acquired knowledge and books on determining direction from the position of stars, or telling time from the position of the sun and the way shadows fall. However, I couldn’t find any supporting materials on the meaning of constellations or the arrangement of stars, or that stars are moving and there is such an arrangement even though they are invisible, so I gave up on those topics quickly.

Maybe if I had read sacred texts from various countries, I might have found some satisfying reasons. But it didn’t make sense to spend time on uncertain knowledge when there were so many books and materials with certain conclusions to verify.

So, I may have seen or heard the word “celestial body” once or twice, but this is the first time I heard it again and said it out loud.

“…Unfortunately, I can’t explain it now. I can’t talk without writing. It’s not that I don’t understand, but it’s a waste of time.”

“… Then, after all, it’s the same as going…”

“In my home country, they say that silence is gold. Let’s return quietly.”

It seems like it won’t be possible to spend a long time talking with Hillian.

Anyway, to be able to marry into a country without religion, and to touch upon religion in such a place, I think life is quite interesting.

Since there was no choice, I passed the time silently, looking at the endless fields and far ridges through the window of the carriage, on my way to the capital.