Chapter 09
The man who greeted me warmly appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties.
Light, sandy hair and pupils.
Maybe it was because he wore glasses, but he gave off an overall intellectual vibe.
“That’s correct, but… who are you?”
“Hahah! I am the sect leader of the Arte sect, the sect leader! Welcome, Saintess!”
Hmm, I take back what I said about the intellectual vibe.
Before I knew it, the sect leader had grabbed both my hands and was enthusiastically shaking them up and down. He seemed so happy that he tried to spin me around, and I had to quickly brace myself, putting strength into my feet to resist.
‘Yikes! What is this?!’
I thought it would be fine as long as it wasn’t gloomy, but this is just too bright and cheerful!
“Hahah! I’m just so happy I can’t control myself! Hahah, this way, Saintess!”
I already felt my energy draining. Even though I managed to stop him from spinning me around hand-in-hand, I still felt dizzy.
But what would make me even dizzier was just beginning.
“Where… is this place?”
Where I was standing, I could see nothing but plain white walls. Strangely, there was a single window, not on the wall, but on the floor part.
“…Huh?”
At that moment, a single hypothesis flashed through my mind. But there’s no way such architecture would exist in a romance fantasy novel, right?
Ah, no way. Shaking my head, I dismissed it as a leap in logic.
But then…
Tap, tap-tap-tap!
The sect leader passed me, stopped at a section of the wall, and tapped his foot.
Then, starting from his legs, his light-yellow hair gradually began to disappear downwards.
‘…I didn’t think the “no way” would actually happen.’
What’s with the semi-basement in this fantasy world setting?!
It felt like the worst possible conditions were pouring down on me all at once, and my head was already aching.
“It’s here. Let’s go, Saintess!”
Despite my increasingly dark expression, the sect leader was as bright as the shining sun. It was fitting for a believer of Arte…
I followed him slowly down the stairs. Fortunately, there were lanterns placed intermittently to provide light.
‘I thought they’d be living in complete darkness, but that’s a relief—’
…That thought of mine was quite narrow-minded.
*Mutter, mutter, mutter.*
“May Arte watch over us, may there be bright light in the sky…”
“Oh Arte, please bestow mercy upon us poor souls…”
*Gulp.*
Even before opening the sect’s door, I could hear the voices of people who sounded frenzied.
There was no pause in the incessant stream of words; I couldn’t even tell if they were breathing.
“Hahah, our devotees are quite passionate, aren’t they? It always makes me proud!”
Excuse me, Sect Leader! This isn’t something to be proud of!
Even I, who knows Arte is the Creator, am scared to go in; how much worse must it be for others?
After hesitating for a long while, I reluctantly grabbed the doorknob and opened it.
*Creeeeak—*
Perhaps because it was a semi-basement, a wave of humid air rushed at me as soon as I opened the door. For some reason, the air felt heavy too.
‘Why is it so dark in here?’
Unlike the stairs, there weren’t many lanterns visible inside. The few that were there were all placed near the statue at the back of the shrine.
But the appearance of the statue…
“Sect Leader? That statue, by any chance…?”
“Yes! That is Lord Arte!”
No, that wasn’t Arte.
‘For starters, you can’t even see its face!’
I don’t know why they made the sculpture with a robe draped over its head. Is it some kind of mysticism thing?
I rolled my eyes, trying to ask for an explanation with my gaze, and the sect leader answered with a bright smile.
“It’s because my training is still insufficient, so I haven’t been able to witness Lord Arte’s revered visage. But can’t you feel the presence? Hahah!”
Not even a single bit. I don’t feel a single thing!
*Ding.*
[Lord Arte has donated 1 Florin!]
[Our sect leader… don’t be too hard on him. He’s a good kid…]
In other words, that means he’s only good-natured but utterly useless, right?
‘No, wait. Being good-natured is something.’
Since the sect leader is so pure and cheerful like that, maybe he’ll listen to me well.
Having experienced it firsthand, the Arte sect definitely seemed to need change.
‘First, I should suggest changing this dark and gloomy atmosphere.’
But before I could even finish that thought…
*Murmur, murmur.*
“It’s the Saintess!”
“Ohh! Saintess! We’ve been waiting! Please bestow mercy upon us—”
“So it was true, Lord Arte. Ahh, Lord Arte!!!”
The devotees, who had been praying to the strange statue, all turned to look at me at once and began shouting with voices filled with frenzy.
Many were not only praying but also crying out, shedding tears, calling for the ‘Saintess’ or ‘Lord Arte.’
‘Wha, what is this? It’s scary here! I want to leave!’
For someone who died and came back to life, this place was still a frightening world.
Without realizing it, I flinched and stepped back, but the sect leader quickly grabbed my hand again.
“I don’t know how grateful I am that the Saintess has visited our sect! *Sob*, the days have truly been miserable!”
Arte only sends one character of divine revelation per year, and after being silent for the past few years, the revelation that came all at once was so cryptic that it caused debates among the devotees, apparently.
What was it…?
“*Sniff*, trying to interpret ‘Saintess Jonbeo’ all this time was so difficult! If He hadn’t sent down the character ‘Om’ today, I would have given up!”
“…It must have been really hard for you.”
Right. Using the word ‘Jonbeo’ without even explaining its meaning, how could people possibly know it!
*Ding.*
[Lord Arte has donated 10 Florins!]
[But there was no other word to shorten the phrase “Don’t give up, just hold on”! Tehehe (∗ᵒ̶̶̷̀ω˂̶́∗)੭₎₎̊₊♡]
*Sigh,* no using cute emoticons!
‘Do you think I’ll fall for that?’
What exactly is wrong with this god?!
“*Sniff*, but how fortunate that you’ve come to find us like this. *Sob, sob*, our sect has been treated like frauds for so long!”
As if remembering the difficult times, the sect leader buried his face in my arm and began crying.
‘Crying is fine, but Sect Leader…’
“So it really is the Saintess! It’s the Saintess!!!”
“*Sob*, it’s the real Saintess!!!!”
“Ahh, merciful Saintess, please do not abandon us—”
Can’t you do something about those people?!
At first, the devotees treated me like a rare object that shouldn’t be touched carelessly, but now they were starting to slowly creep closer.
If it were just one person, I could handle it, but with an uncountable number of people approaching from the shadows, I wanted to run away immediately.
‘Ugh, no! I, I have to endure!’
After all, I am now the Saintess of this sect.
But a status window that shook my resolve appeared.
*Ding.*
[Lord Arte has donated 1 Florin!]
[Gasp! Ciela! I think you need to go home right now?!]
It clearly looked like an urgent situation.
‘Why, why? What’s going on?’
Even if my family were looking for me, that’s something I could explain later, even if I got home late.
But as expected, that didn’t seem to be the issue. Arte kept making donations and popping up status windows.
*Ding.*
[The High Priest came to see you, Ciela?]
[With water-colored hair and green eyes… Gasp, it’s the High Priest of Envinae!]
[Shine Adiel!]
‘Shine Adiel?’
It was a name both familiar and unexpected, making my head go numb on its own.
Shine Adiel. He came to my house, and to see me, no less.
I don’t know how Arte, who was stuck to me, managed to catch that news, but that wasn’t important right now.
He was the ‘High Priest,’ holding the highest position in this world where there is no Pope.
‘At the same time, he is the High Priest of the God of Water and Benevolence sect, to which I belong.’
If someone who didn’t even come when I died is visiting so suddenly, it means there’s a reason.
‘…Lucian must have told him!’
It’s still a guess, but it seems he came to check my divine power.
Personally, I wanted to pretend not to know and ignore that fact, but…
*Ding.*
[Gasp! He says he’ll wait until you return to the mansion!]
Upon seeing Arte’s subsequent status window, I snapped back to my senses.
‘I need to get back quickly!’
From what I’ve learned over the years, Shine Adiel is someone who tenaciously keeps his word.
“Sect Leader. Something urgent has come up, so I think I need to go for today.”
I spoke to the sect leader, who had by now mostly stopped crying, with apology in my voice.
Fortunately, the sect leader didn’t mind and let me go immediately.
“Sniff, yes, yes! If the Saintess wishes it, you should go right away! You must, absolutely… come again, okay?”
“…Of course.”
Even if I don’t want to come, it’s a matter of life and death, so I have to come even if I’m forced to, right?
But the sect leader, unaware of my situation, repeatedly urged me.
Reassuring him, I got into the carriage.
“Sob! You must, absolutely come! We pinky promised! Okay?!!!”
“Yeees~ Of course~ I prooomise~”
I waved towards the sect leader, who was enthusiastically waving a white handkerchief.
Even though I hadn’t accomplished anything, I decided to find meaning in the fact that it was our first meeting.
“Next time I come, I’ll have to tear off those gloomy curtains first.”
Moreover, I had gained my first goal, so it was a fairly meaningful meeting!
