Elder Vilda, wearing a ram horn hat, sat on a chair beside the bed. The Magic Potion Merchant had been injured for too long, and even with his injuries suppressed, he had not immediately awakened.
The old man had a pipe between his lips, though the tobacco within was unlit:
"There will always be a solution for the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival, Harald. Even without you, the three Eleventh Ring priests can have Claire fill in. Isn't Claire Eleventh Ring as well?"
The witch stood quietly to one side, tacitly accepting their arrangement. When she had argued with her grandfather and left home, there had never been any irreconcilable conflict between them. Now that the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival lacked its most important High Priestess, even if no one asked her, she had to step in.
"Although the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival is important, we still have some time to prepare. But the matter of that Demon Sword must be handled as soon as possible. Judging from what Mr. Watson has concluded, that sword likely has the ability to transform the wounded into swords. Of the seven Demon Swords you saw, only one should have been the Demon Sword's main body. The other six were all transformed from living people."
"Elder, the Church has taken that sword away now, correct?"
Claire asked. Elder Vilda nodded:
"We could not deal with such a troublesome thing if it remained in the village. Besides, who knows whether the other Demon Swords might reappear and seize it again? Claire, I'm afraid you'll have to work hard these next few days. You understand the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival, but the High Priestess has different duties from everyone else. You need to study carefully under Harald.
"And as for that sword, although the Church says they