Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 464: The Saint’s Proxy
Before long, Viscount Musai, Duke Barriera’s eldest son and acting administrator of the territorial capital, came personally to the room where Tauro’s party was staying.
Marquis Donaissun accompanied him. The marquis was pale and visibly agitated, allowing Tauro and the others to recognize immediately that their suspicions had been correct.
“Lord Tauro! A maid delivered your message. How did you notice the problem?”
Musai skipped the greetings and went straight to the matter.
“I wasn’t the one who noticed it. This is Aeris, daughter of Marquis Van Dyne.”
Aeris gave a slight bow as Tauro introduced her.
“Then how did you notice it?”
Donaissun leaned forward impatiently.
“I possess [Barrier Master], so I can sense barriers more clearly than most people. The spell appears to combine a barrier with curse magic to create a limited seal. Its purpose is probably only to obstruct the Saint’s [Blessing], so it shouldn’t cause physical harm.”
“A sealing spell? If it’s harmless, that’s at least some relief. Can you remove it?”
Musai relaxed only slightly.
“Probably not without destroying the source, whether that source is a caster or a magic tool. The spell uses an extremely narrow and almost harmless mana pattern, so there’s no obvious counterspell. A sufficiently powerful [Blessing] could probably force its way through, but that’s all.”
“That’s precisely why we’re in trouble! The ceremony begins in only a few hours. Can we locate the caster or object before then?”
Donaissun pressed Aeris for an answer until Musai stepped between them.
“Please calm yourself, Marquis Donaissun. My people are already searching the residence for anyone suspicious.”
“The source may also be outside the grounds,” Aeris said. “Finding it in such a short time could be impossible.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
Donaissun’s frustration spilled over toward Aeris.
“I can’t use barrier magic, so I can’t prepare a direct countermeasure,” Tauro said as he moved in front of Aeris. “That leaves us with one practical option: appoint a proxy.”
“A proxy?”
“Someone who can use magic that looks like the Saint’s [Blessing].”
“If such a person existed, we wouldn’t be in this predicament!”
“Aeris can produce something close enough. She can perform the imitation during the ceremony while your people continue searching for the source.”
That explanation was deliberately misleading. Aeris could use a genuine [Blessing], and hers was more advanced than Matilda’s. Revealing that fact, however, would create an entirely different crisis, so Tauro insisted on calling it an imitation.
“Will this imitation produce the same light and make the attendees feel that their hearts have been healed?”
Donaissun looked between Tauro and Aeris.
“It’ll produce light and create an effect convincing enough for the attendees to believe they received a [Blessing].”
That too was technically a lie, since Aeris would be blessing them for real.
“Does such deceptive magic truly exist?” Musai asked. Then he shook his head. “No, this is no time to quibble. Marquis Donaissun, we should use Lord Tauro’s plan to complete the ceremony and find the culprit afterward.”
“Very well. But how can we make it appear that Matilda is the one performing it?”
“That’s simple. Aeris can wear a veil, conceal her face, and take Matilda’s place.”
“Of course. They’re nearly the same height. She can serve as a body double,” Musai said.
“But will Matilda agree…?”
“Where’s she now?” Tauro asked.
“She lost her temper and shut herself in her room,” Donaissun replied with a sigh.
“Then don’t explain anything. Let her remain shut in until the ceremony is over.”
Tauro smiled brightly. Donaissun blinked, then stared at him as though an entirely new path had opened before his eyes.
The [Blessing] Ceremony was carried out soon afterward.
Ordinarily, greetings, prayers, and elaborate staging would have extended the ceremony over half a day. This time, every unnecessary step was removed so they could finish before the real Saint realized she had been left behind and began causing a commotion.
Aeris appeared before the attendees in the magnificent ceremonial garments prepared for Matilda, her face hidden beneath a veil.
Those seeing her for the first time sighed at the mysterious dignity surrounding her.
“Her face is hidden, yet what a noble and majestic presence…”
“She must be extraordinarily beautiful beneath that veil.”
“It’s like looking at a painting.”
Aeris raised her staff toward the sky.
“To everyone gathered here, I offer my [Blessing]!”
Brilliant light swept across the venue. A warm sensation entered the bodies of the attendees, soothing pain and touching their hearts.
“Oh…!”
“This is the power of [Blessing]…!”
“Long live the Saint!”
Some people wept openly, overwhelmed by what they believed was Matilda’s miracle.
“This is supposed to be deception…? If so, deceiving the audience would indeed be easy. But how can a mere imitation move me this deeply…?”
Donaissun wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, never realizing that the supposed imitation was the real thing.