CHAPTER 159………………………………………..
Beads of sweat formed on the foreheads of the priestesses of Mount Fidelio as they continued their all-night prayer vigil.
How many hours had it been already? Since it was something they had chosen of their own accord, it carried even more meaning as a test of themselves.
Now and then, seats became empty as a few quietly rose and returned to their quarters.
“There is no need to push yourselves. The god Enes does not desire suffering. You may return and rest at any time.”
At the high priestess’s gentle admonition, several more left.
One by one they withdrew, until in the end, the only one remaining was not even an official priestess, but a volunteer kneeling in the farthest, most secluded corner.
“Lady Yuliana.”
“…….”
“My, it seems you have truly immersed yourself in prayer. Open your eyes.”
Though she was merely a volunteer, no one could match the reverence and solemnity of her posture.
Noella—still kneeling stubbornly on the floor rather than sitting—only looked up when the high priestess placed a hand upon her shoulder.
“……I apologize, High Priestess. I didn’t realize so much time had passed.”
“Oh? It seems you were genuinely moved by the words of Enes.”
The high priestess smiled warmly as she glanced at the prayer book lying before her.
After Sister Rebecca had gone down to the count’s estate, the high priestess had worried discipline might falter. Yet the one who rose earliest and slept latest on Mount Fidelio was this very Noella—no, Yuliana.
Prayer, and nothing but prayer.
In every moment she opened or closed her eyes, she willingly embraced hardship, as if she could not endure the day otherwise. Even while peeling potatoes or washing dishes, her lips endlessly murmured sacred verses.
Some priests even joked that with such devotion, she might awaken divine power that hadn’t existed before, and they bowed to her in respect.
And on top of that, she possessed an angelic beauty.
One should not judge by appearances, but she looked like a living icon of prayer itself.
At the high priestess’s praise, Noella flushed slightly and quietly traced the sign of the cross.
“It seems there was a passage that especially resonated with you, Lady Yuliana.”
“N-no, not at all.”
“Tell me honestly. Which verse moved your heart so deeply? My blessing may surely help you.”
At the tip of the high priestess’s fingers, a golden light gathered as she touched Noella’s forehead. As if responding, Noella clasped her hands together and spoke softly.
“Battles of the Gods, Chapter 1, Verse 4:
‘The hardship endured to avenge your shame and enemy brings only joy. O pain of the flesh, be extinguished.’”
“…….”
“That is the word which reached deep into my bones, High Priestess.”
Her eyes, as she extended her hands toward the statue at the front of the prayer hall, burned with yearning for something higher.
Without even investigating her lineage, one could tell at a glance whose younger sister she was.
“…….”
What was it that I had hoped for?
The high priestess could say nothing, only pressed her lips together. Yet the blessing already formed at her fingertips began to glow softly, seeping from Noella’s forehead down into the volunteer’s insignia hanging at her neck.
It was impossible to take back a blessing once given, especially with the dignity of her position. And it was true that Noella was adapting well here.
“In any case, you have worked hard today as well, Lady Yuliana.”
“It is only thanks to the grace of Enes, who brings the great sun’s light down upon the earth.”
Even her gentle speech flowed like clear water.
She had no intention of finding fault, but this was devotion no less than that of a formal priestess—though its source seemed slightly different. Still, as high priestess, she could not judge someone for such things.
Encouragingly, she placed a hand upon Noella’s shoulder.
“The moon is very bright tonight. I suspect that soon, the light you have been waiting for may also shine upon your path.”
“Ah……”
“You should return and rest now.”
Noella could not afford to miss even a passing word from the high priestess. At her kindly, almost prophetic voice, tears welled in her eyes.
“Ah, I am in awe of the great god’s mercy.”
She tended to be a bit dramatic, but the sincerity in the tears shining in her blue eyes could not be doubted.
At her earnest longing, the high priestess smiled gently in reply.
Even the way she walked out of the prayer hall was so graceful that the head sister waiting outside could only stare, unable to look away.
“……High Priestess, forgive me for saying so, but her adaptability seems even greater than her sister Agnes’s.”
“Hm? In what way?”
As the head sister spoke cautiously, the high priestess narrowed her eyes with quiet regret. Her transcendent presence was itself a symbol of compassion.
“Well… Lady Agnes was lively and full of energy, and her goal was always clear.”
“And can anyone say Lady Yuliana’s goal is any less clear?”
“Pardon? But she hardly interacts with anyone, and she is so quiet that I cannot read her heart. I only worry that the blessings you grant so often may become a problem…”
The head sister revealed the concern she had been holding back. A blessing from the high priestess was not a trivial matter—it was something worth staking one’s life upon.
If Rebecca, the maiden of salvation, healed outward wounds, then the high priestess’s blessing went further, reaching into the depths of the human soul.
“Head Sister. What is our mission?”
“Ah… of course, to spread the words of Enes and guide even one more soul to enlightenment.”
“Exactly. Salvation Scripture, Chapter 3, Verse 10:
‘More important than ten righteous people believing in God is even a single demon repenting.’”
And judging by the aura she carried, it was not merely ten. By presence alone, she seemed capable of saving the entire empire. A true sinkhole of conversion, one might say.
At the high priestess’s gospel-like words, the head sister bent her knee.
“Ah, High Priestess. My thoughts were shallow.”
“I cannot know the future with my meager power, but I do believe the blessings I have bestowed will one day reveal their worth.”
Turning slowly, the high priestess guided the head sister toward the window.
“Truly… is this not the perfect day to welcome a guest?”
