novelraw Chapter 38: The Saintess Choir
Chapter 38: The Saintess Choir
Early the next morning, at the Fieron estate’s breakfast table, Fischer elegantly cut into a fried egg, glancing sideways at the dazed Raphaëlle.
Who knew when she actually fell asleep last night? Maybe she hadn’t slept at all. When Fischer woke up, she was already lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling with dead eyes.
"Good morning, everyone. How’s breakfast treating you?"
Nana’s gentle voice came from the doorway. She addressed the Dragonkin girls in Dragon Court language, startling Raphaëlle so badly she nearly jumped in her seat.
Dressed in a pale yellow dress, Nana’s complexion glowed with soft fairness. Raphaëlle stared at her for quite a while before awkwardly shifting her gaze, making Nana shoot her a puzzled look.
"This is tasty! Larr really likes the fried eggs and milk!"
"That’s good. The lord is having breakfast with the children in another room—he’ll be here soon. Please wait a bit, Mr. Fischer."
Fischer nodded. Nana swayed her skirt and left the dining room. Once she was gone, Fischer wiped his mouth and turned to Raphaëlle.
“So, have you decided on your strategy for our duel tonight?”
“S-Strategy? Ah—yes, strategy.” Raphaëlle blushed, her tail twitching slightly. A few seconds later, she finally caught up with what Fischer had asked. “Of course I’ve got a plan! You’ll see tonight!” Fischer raised an eyebrow just as Fieron entered through the door. He was dressed more casually today, wearing a light brown suit suitable for travel and holding a cane.
“Good morning, Mr. Fischer.”
He also nodded to the Dragonkin girls but didn’t speak further due to the language barrier.
“Morning. Any plans for the day?”
“Ah, yes. I was hoping to invite you on a walk through the city. I previously invited the Saintess Choir from Saint Nary, and they agreed to perform—but only for one day. I’ve been wondering when to schedule it. Now that you’re here, I thought—why not today?”
“Oh? You mean the Saintess Choir from the Sacred Song Opera House?”
Fischer sounded surprised. That opera house was the most prestigious in Saint Nary, frequented by royalty and high-ranking officials. Of its three performance groups, the Saintess Choir was the youngest and most renowned for its beauty.
It was hard enough to get tickets to a performance in Saint Nary—let alone bring the whole choir to the Southern Continent.
“That’s the one,” Fieron confirmed.
He looked like he wanted to wink, but his mask prevented it. So he simply smiled instead.
“Now I’m really curious how you managed it.”
“It wasn’t that hard. The church behind the Sacred Song Opera wants to partner with Cardo to build a chapel in the Southern Continent. But local cities are unwilling to fund construction. So the church had to raise money in the West and offered a performance by the Saintess Choir as a reward to donors.”
“Your finances always impress me, Lord Fieron.”
From his military strength to the development of the city, to the fundraising arrangements he’d casually mentioned—Fischer was increasingly curious where Fieron’s wealth came from.
“Well, it’s only right for a follower of the Mother Goddess to spread beauty through sacred song... So, will you join me for the performance?”
Fischer smiled."Thank you for letting me witness the Saintess Choir in person. As for Raphaëlle and the others—they don’t understand Nary. Better to let them rest here."
“Haha, of course. I’ll have the carriage arranged.” Fieron called over a maid. “Fia, look after our Dragonkin guests. If you can’t understand them, ask Nana for help.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fieron went out to prepare the carriage. Fischer walked over to Raphaëlle and gently took her hand.
“W-What are you doing?!”
She glanced at him, her gaze flickering, tail folding neatly along her skirt—maybe mimicking Nana’s posture. But beneath her clothes, her scales were already beginning to ripple again.
Fischer silently carved a one-ring sensory spell onto her palm with his cane, linking it to his own staff.
“If anything happens, crush this with your horn or activate your magic circuit. I’ll come immediately. Got it?”
He looked at her steadily. She quickly yanked her hand away, as if burned, before replying,“I got it. I’ll keep Larr and the others safe. And don’t forget our duel tonight—I’m going all out. You better watch yourself.”
Fischer nodded, patting Larr on the head as he walked out.“I’ve never gone easy on our battles. Don’t worry.”
Raphaëlle pressed her left hand to the spot where he’d carved the spell. The magic ring faded, but the warmth remained.
The opera house was just outside the manor. From the outside, it wasn’t overly extravagant. Posters of traditional Saint Nary plays lined the walls—mostly love stories, though The Prince’s Revenge stood out.
Fischer noticed the ticket prices were much cheaper than those in Saint Nary. It was open to the public, and a comedy poster up front read: Saintess Choir Performance – 300 O credits. ID required.
Fischer glanced at the crowd lined up for entry and teased,"A private Saintess Choir performance, and you’re sharing it with the public?"
While technically permitted, most nobles would have kept such a performance private. To Fischer, a 300-O ticket was practically giving the experience away.
“Haha, the stage is for all to see. Their presence doesn’t block our view. Why not let them enjoy it too?”
Fieron’s tone was calm and magnetic, his mask hiding any expression.
“Fair point… Isn’t Miss Nana coming?”
“Oh, her…” Fieron tapped his mask, looking a bit troubled. “Seems you found out about us, Mr. Fischer.”
Fischer didn’t mention how loud they’d been last night—it had felt disturbingly immersive. He just nodded.
“When I first met Nana, her horns had been sawed off. She was lying in the wilderness like a corpse. You know how vital horns are to Minotaurs, right?”
“Yes.”
“But I saw a fire in her eyes—the will to live. It moved me deeply. She’s helped me a lot since. Still, in the eyes of most humans, she’s just another demi-human. She knows that too, which is why she rarely steps outside the inner manor.”
“By the way,” Fieron added, “I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s your purpose in taking those Dragonkin girls with you? I noticed the red one’s slave mark has been removed.”
Fischer couldn’t keep up the “research subject” lie with Fieron—Raphaëlle may have bought it, but Fieron wouldn’t.
“She’s unruly, sure—but by human standards, Raphaëlle is undeniably beautiful…”
Fischer gazed out the window and spun a new lie—framing his agreement with Raphaëlle for a duel as an infatuated gentleman's misguided attempt to tame a wild girl.
“I see… So tonight’s your third duel with her? Fascinating. There’s a steam testing arena in my inner city—feel free to use it. But do be careful. Dragonkin are born warriors. Don’t get yourself killed.”
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll be careful.”
Fischer smiled, appreciating the concern.
By now, the crowd had nearly finished entering. Fischer and Fieron waited at the gate for the Saintess Choir to arrive. They had only just reached Fieron City and would be traveling farther south after this.
"Mr. Fischer—they’re here."
Fieron pointed down the street. Two knights in silver-white armor stood at the front, holding long spears. Behind them were three ornate carriages.
Fischer caught the silver gleam of enchanted magic from their armor and the intricate white rings on their weapons. Anyone from Saint Nary would recognize them instantly.
The Church’s Holy Knights.
“They’re here to ensure the choir’s safety. The Church would never have deployed two Holy Knights if this were in the West.”
Fieron stepped down from the carriage with his cane. Fischer followed.
“The Southern Continent isn’t exactly peaceful. Their caution’s justified.”
The carriages stopped in front of the opera house. The knights stepped aside, revealing the girls inside.
The lead figure couldn’t be called a “girl” exactly—she wore a pure black ceremonial robe and greeted them with a blank expression.
“One last confirmation, Lord Fieron. Are you sure you want the choir to perform here—for these... citizens?”
She clearly wasn’t thrilled about performing for commoners.
“I’m sure, Priestess Karyu.”
With Fieron’s nod, she gave no further comment, simply instructing the girls to disembark.
The Saintess Choir consisted of girls under eighteen, dressed in soft white gowns and golden ceremonial crowns. All looked graceful and pure.
They bowed respectfully, then filed into the opera house behind the knights.
But as the last girl stepped off the carriage, she winked at Fischer, catching his attention.
Beneath her golden crown, the black-haired girl smiled knowingly at him.
“Teacher, do you still remember me?”
“You’re…”
Something about her looked familiar—especially that title. It reminded him of his tutoring days in Saint Nary.
“Milika!”
Just as Fischer was about to speak, the black-robed Karyu priestess interrupted sharply.
The girl named Milika stuck her tongue out at Fischer and whispered,“See you back in Saint Nary, Mr. Fischer…”
A second later, her expression returned to devout serenity, and she followed the others silently into the theater.