CH 115

After a while, I left the main building and walked as far as I could in the darkest places.

In fact, as soon as I left the room, I regretted it. Why am I wearing this? This must be the trick of the Gods.

Isn’t it not only the God of Lies that has the effect of bewitching people, but the Gods of my oracle also have a bit of a persuasion effect passively?

“But everyone is really dressed up like peacocks, right?”

I asked Daisy to check. Daisy was also wearing more fancy clothes than her usual priestess clothes.

“Of course. Saintess. However, the Saintess will be the most splendid and beautiful one.”

“Splattering isn’t allowed. I’ll just buy some glass snacks.”

I couldn’t forget the taste of the glass snacks we bought at the night market during the temple’s Rose Festival the other day.

If they have it today, I should buy a lot.

“Let’s go this way. This side is quieter.”

“Saintess, my goodness. Then it’s too roundabout.”

Ignoring Daisy’s words, I took the most deserted route.

Today, instead of using my own carriage, I planned to use a carriage that is sparsely set up like a taxi for the transportation of the believers.

‘Because if I get on the exclusive carriage and run into Reihausd, he can send a Paladin with me.’

Fortunately, there were many priests dispatched to help the poor during the festival, thus the atmosphere in the temple was quiet.

“The carriage is over there. Let’s go.”

“Wait a minute. Saintess! Behind you…!”

I stopped at Daisy’s words and looked back. And I found a face I didn’t want to face right now.

[The God of Art, Mond, is pleased.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, is curious about Reihausd’s reaction.]

I barely took a step that didn’t make myself fall and looked back at him.

“…Sir Reihausd.”

I saw beautiful blonde hair and bright golden eyes.

Soon he walked towards me step by step.

He stared at me for a moment and then parted his lips. Yet for a long time, nothing came out of his lips. As if time has stopped for a moment.

“Mast…No, Saintess. What brings you here…?”

After a while, he sighed and was taken aback. Reihausd’s face seemed to turn red for a moment.

“Ah, I’m going to the festival with Daisy.”

I replied, looking at his simmering dark golden eyes.

“I was… praying.”

He said, looking the other way.

At Reihausd’s words, I nodded.

“I was praying to Mond, yet I suddenly felt like I had to go out and see something… I came out as if possessed by something, but…”

[The God of Art, Mond, loves Reihaud’s prayer.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is pleased with Reihausd’s prayer.]

He continued.

“Am I still possessed, or is the Saintess… different today, I wonder”

The gaze from his uneasy eyes scanned my splendid appearance.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is very satisfied with Reihausd’s decadent gaze.]

After all, it was a bit embarrassing to show a different than usual side of myself.

I hesitated, not knowing how to answer.

“It’s a festival, that’s why I’m wearing something like this for the first time in a while. Is it a bit strange after all?”

He didn’t even say it was weird, but it was just an excuse for myself.

A warm wind blew between us. The wind rustled Reihausd’s blonde hair and rustled the lace at the hem of my dress.

“…It suits you. Saintess. As much as it’s hard to put into words.”

At his words, I awkwardly twitched the muscles around my mouth.

“T-Thank you.”

Again, his sunlight-like gaze poured down. Somehow, my mouth was dry.

Reihausd’s voice came again.

“But you’re not going out alone with the priestess, are you?”

These were the words I expected to hear the moment I met Reihausd.

“You know. I don’t need an escort.”

Even after all this, I had beaten Reihausd who was strangling me with his hands. And I didn’t want to show it too much, but I also gave him a glimpse of my only weapon.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is pleased to see his whip.]

…I can only hope that there will be no use for that.

Seeing the whip, Reihausd’ face seemed to become even more red.

“But I’ll have to attach Dwayne. If you leave like this, I’m sure the bad guys will ask you to hit them… No, they’ll follow you.”

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, shakes his head at the generalization of Reihausd’s taste.]

“Sir Dwayne went on a business trip today to clean up the Temple of Raid.”

“Then, even the other Paladins…”

“Sir Reihausd…”

I called out his name firmly.

When he heard that the two of us were going out alone, Reihas was staring at me with a restless expression.

“Do you want me to be happy in the temple?”

At my words, Reihas looked at me for a long time. Then he licked his lips with a bitter expression.

“…I hope that you will consider this place your house.”

“A house is a house where one can always come and go as one pleases. How is it different from prison if a guard follows me every time I go out?”

I could see Reihausd’s shoulders flinch at the rather radical use of the word ‘prison’.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, agrees with you.]

[The God of Art, Mond, asks why the desire to protect is called a prison.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, and the God of Art, Mond, grab each other by the collar and shake each other.]

[The other Gods come with corn snacks and watch the fight with interest.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, bets on Hessed.]

RumbleㅡBANG!

It seems like I heard the sound of dry lightning striking somewhere.

After a while, Reihausd pursed his lips.

“I see. Master… may feel that way.”

I think I just heard something wrong…?

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is satisfied with Reihausd’s attitude to serve you.]

His golden eyes sank as if a dark shadow had cast them.

“I didn’t think of that. I apologize.”

A somber light hung over his face. I felt bad, but even so, it was something I had to once.

From now on, I had to live in the temple all the time, but it was too annoying to have people follow me wherever I went.

“Please return carefully.”

His lips were in a faint smile, yet his eyes were full of melancholy and sorrow.

“The blessings of the Eight Gods to Sir Reihausd.”

After greeting him, I turned around and started walking again.

“Saintess, are you okay?”

Daisy’s worried voice came from behind.

“Hm? What?”

“The Saintess said the right thing, yet somehow it feels like we were wrong.”

Recalling Reihausd’s shaky eyes, Daisy’s words made sense. His holy appearance, as if a male god was incarnated, makes me forget the sense of reality.

‘Yeah, how could a man like that do anything wrong? It’s all my fault.’

“It’s alright, don’t mind.”

I shook my head and brushed off his glare from my mind.

[The God of Art, Mond, won the dogfight against Hessed.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, complains about how he bit him.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, shows affinity to Mond.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, is in a bad mood because he lost money.]

***

Fortunately, as Daisy said, the streets were crowded with people wearing fancy clothes.

There were a lot of people who came out and put on beautiful and nice clothes. There were also people who were determined to wear funny clothes.

“Pfft…”

A human sunflower and a human fish passed by, and I burst into laughter.

Exciting music was coming from all over the place, and there were many delicious food on the street vendors.

“Daisy, let’s have some glass snacks.”

“Oh! I’d love to, Saintess.”

I was about to hand out the money, yet Daisy did it first.

“This time, I’m buying it for the Saintess.”

I smiled at Daisy with the bag of glass snacks.

“Thanks. Daisy is the best.”

But then, out of nowhere, people started talking about me.

“I still can’t believe Saintess Camilla was a demon.”

“I know. There was a fuss about her saving dead birds.”

My hand, which was about to enter the snack bag, hesitated.

“To be honest, I doubted Saintess Ariel. She locked herself in the temple on important days and never came out…”

“That’s right. It has been several years. I couldn’t believe the news that the stone was purified during the Hunting Festival, or that the gate of the Demon Realm was blocked single-handedly. In fact, I feel so even right now.”

“What I meant. Anyway, Saintess Ariel, feels very uncomfortable and I don’t feel good about it.”

Daisy whispered to me.

“Some of the people have a lot of doubts and dissatisfaction, so let’s go.”

I had no intention of interfering in a noisy situation and arguing with them anyway.

However, the moment I tried to move my feet.

“Don’t talk about the Saintess like that!”

I heard the voice of a familiar young boy.

Looking back, I saw a boy holding a white puppy.

‘That kid…’

“Saintess Ariel saved our dying Harry!”

The boy picked up the white puppy and showed it to the people.

“It was out of breath because it ate rat poison, but the Saintess saved it!”

At those words, a drunkard rebuked him.

“The Saintess has no time to pay attention to a little dog in the alley.”

The person who had been complaining earlier agreed.

“That’s right! She’ll use the noble holy power on nobles and members of the Imperial Family. Little boy, are you dreaming?”

The boy was in denial.

“I didn’t know it at first, but… the person who saved our Harry was definitely the Saintess!”

I could see the people who were watching this situation buzzing. and someone said

“There aren’t many people who have seen the Saintess take away the little boy from the Thief Guild who was hit by Alberto Mikhael’s carriage.”

“Besides, many people have seen him walking around the streets unharmed.”

“The Saintess is different! Don’t talk about the Saintess that way!”

“My sons came back safely from Ares because the Saintess blocked the gate of the Demon Realm. You damn brats. Be careful with your words!!”

In an instant, the buzz grew and people began to add word by word. Then I saw that the people who were openly doubting and gossiping about me were embarrassed.

The child holding a puppy added words.

“Did you hear that, uncles? That’s why, don’t speak disrespectfully of the Saintess!”

The men couldn’t say a word anymore and ran away as if they were escaping, crouching down.

“Tsk, tsk. People who don’t even know anything talk about something like that.”

I heard an old woman clicking her tongue.

Daisy looked at me and grinned.

“The story of the Saintess’s good deeds is being talked about all over the country.”

“…Let’s go, Daisy.”

I felt a fever rise in my cheeks for no reason, so I hurriedly took Daisy’s hand.

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, applauds you.]

I didn’t have a purpose to increase my reputation, but the good deeds I did without attaching any meaning were now following my name.

There were times when I felt like a stranger. Yet now I felt like I belonged here more than ever before.

“It’s delicious. The glass snacks.”

[The God of Love, Odyssey, smacks his lips as he alternately looks at his corn snacks and your glass snacks.]

I smiled as I ate the glass snacks, and Daisy laughed too.

It was a calm and pleasant day.