TGPFC 10

 Chapter 10 : The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Order

— You and I went through something very big together, didn’t we? You are also proof of my miracle. My lily of the valley is a holy relic touched by my power, so it’s as if there’s a wide-open road between you and me. That’s why even a small amount of fragrance works.

“…Then.”

Prim tightened the grip of her clasped hands.

“…What if I offer an even stronger fragrance?”

— Well… if it’s a fragrance you properly created, it’s not completely impossible. But it takes power for me to convey words to Yulberon too. That guy is quite arrogant. I’ll need to push some fragrance toward him to make him even consider giving an oracle, and he’ll probably demand power from us for the act of delivering the oracle itself.

“…But punishing heretics is an enormous honor. Even so?”

— The only evidence I can present to Yulberon is my claim that I want to protect you.

Barin hesitated briefly before continuing.

— My lily of the valley, I understand your feelings and I feel sorry too… but there isn’t a proper perfumery workshop or ingredients here.

To create a fragrance of that magnitude required an organized environment and refined, high-grade materials. In a poor orphanage like this, it was impossible.

However, Prim’s clear green eyes shone brightly.

“No. There is a place where the materials are prepared.”

— Oh, Prim, my lily of the valley! Don’t tell me you mean that mad couple’s villa?

“Barin, if I offer a fragrance—and if it is enough—will you ask Yulberon for me? To send an inquisitor.”

— Of course I would! But child, calm down! Throwing yourself into danger just to save that insolent girl—how does that help our future in any way?

Barin’s voice sounded gentle and persuasive, almost tempting her.

But gods were neither merciful nor warm. To those who did not believe in them, they showed indifference—and sometimes something far crueler.

Prim briefly opened her eyes.
Looking to the side, she saw the boy murmuring an innocent prayer.

I hope there are lots of potatoes on the table today. And please let Prim pass the perfumer’s exam. I’ll work hard too…

If Logien had known—if he had known that Bianna, who had been adopted, would be murdered before even reaching adulthood—he would have done anything to stop it.

Because he was a good person.

“The baron couple left behind an incredible perfumery workshop, didn’t they? If I had that workshop now, I wouldn’t have to worry about the perfumer qualification exam.”

In truth, she had been on the verge of needing to take out a loan just to prepare for the exam, and even that wasn’t easy. Money was not something people lent to just anyone.

— Do you think that workshop will really fall into your hands? Even if Yulberon knows you had a role in this, he’s not going to give such detailed instructions like, “Children! Run to Sanbertal and punish the heretics, and give all their property to the Barin temple there.”

Barin sneered slightly.

Prim tilted her head.

“I’m going to be adopted by the Corvas couple.”

— Huh?

“Usually children inherit things, right? Property, I mean. Even if it’s the property of heretics, since there’s an innocent victim and heir, I should be able to receive it.”

— Y-yeah… that might be true… but can you inherit the property of parents you killed?

“I didn’t kill them. That’s the job of Yulberon’s inquisitors.”

— You’re the one who instigated it!

“Only Yulberon and Barin would know that. Yulberon wouldn’t give such petty instructions in an oracle like, ‘Since Prim reported her adoptive parents as heretics, she cannot inherit their property.’”

Barin fell silent for a moment.

Like all arts, perfumery dulled when one stopped practicing it. In Barin’s plans, there had never been a period where Prim’s senses would stagnate. She had to rise quickly and become recognized as the greatest perfumer.

What Prim said made sense.

But what if something went wrong?

He couldn’t take such a risk right now.
To Barin, Prim was his only stake.

If he gambled the stake and gained less than the stake itself—and worse, risked losing everything!

— B-besides! My lily of the valley! Even if you go there, how will you offer the fragrance? If you don’t come to this temple—

“I’ve already thought about that too.”

— No, wait—!

But Barin lost the chance to continue speaking.

The bouquet suddenly crumbled as if it had been dried for ten years.

Even with a wide-open road between Prim and Barin, nothing could pass through for free.

While Barin shouted unheard words in frustration, Prim finished her prayer.

“I’ll bring an even better fragrance next time, Barin.”

“Finished? Shall we go?”

Logien, who had finished his prayer long ago and had merely been watching Prim, approached and quickly lifted her onto his back.

“Logien.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Logien adjusted Prim on his back.
It was one of his habits.

Whenever Prim spoke while being carried or held, Logien would always shift her slightly before replying. Remembering that he still had that habit now made her chest ache.

“…I want to ride the swing.”

“Oh! Sure, sure!”

At that single request, Logien happily carried Prim up the hill toward the swing.

He seemed truly delighted that Prim had taken an interest in it. Prim remembered the swing she had completely ignored in her previous life and swallowed her guilt like sweet jam mixed into tea.

“The weather’s really nice, right?”

Logien said as he pushed the swing.

Prim looked up at the early morning sky where the sun had just begun to rise.

While riding the swing, they hummed choir songs together. They also reviewed chess and ancient Cuelentor, which Prim had recently insisted on learning together with Priest Marceria.

When the morning sun had fully risen, Prim spoke.

“Logien, we’re family, right?”

“Of course we are!”

Logien answered brightly.

After Prim had been cursed, she had told Logien to leave. A crippled orphan who couldn’t walk would only be a burden.

At that time, Logien had said, his entire face wet with tears, forcing a trembling smile—

—We’re… we’re like family. No, we are family, right? Right?

Their hair colors were different, and their faces shared not a single resemblance. Anyone could see they were strangers.

Yet they stayed together. Simply because there was no reason to separate.

It was Logien who had called that family.

Because they were family, he said he would never leave her behind no matter what happened.

—You protected me for that reason too…

After crying so much, his eyes red and swollen like his hair, Logien picked Prim up again.

And so the two of them had come this far.
And gone even farther.
Together.

“So even if we’re separated for a little while, we’ll meet again soon, right?”

“We don’t have to separate.”

“…Right. We don’t have to.”

But even if they did separate for a moment—

Prim said quietly,

“…Logien, I’m going to be adopted.”

The hands that had been gently pushing the swing stopped.

Prim tightened her grip on the swing’s rope.

She wanted to turn around and see Logien’s face behind her, but she forced herself not to. Instead, she continued speaking.

“The Baron and Baroness Corvas said they want to adopt me.”

“…But you hated them.”

Logien finally spoke.

His voice sounded numb, like someone with a cold.

Yet he didn’t seem surprised by the news.

Finally finding his voice, Logien hurriedly added,

“If you say you don’t want to go, the priest won’t force you. Bianna said she didn’t want to be adopted several times too.”

Because of her striking appearance, there had been people willing to adopt Bianna even from this remote orphanage. But whenever Bianna refused, Marceria always found excuses not to send her away.

“I said I would go.”

At Prim’s words, Logien rushed in front of her and faced her directly.

His deep green eyes wavered like waves.

He opened his mouth as if he were about to shout.

“Even if you’re adopted, you—!”

Prim knew what words he had swallowed.

You can’t even walk on your own.

No one knew that better than him, the one who had always carried her.

But Prim didn’t even have time to feel hurt.

Instead, Logien looked far more shocked by her decision than she was.