CHAPTER 74…………………………………………….
The place I arrived at late at night was a small shrine.
Even though I had used teleportation, the distance was still too far, so I had to ride the carriage for another day.
On pilgrimages, it was common to spend the night at other shrines along the way.
As I glanced at the shrine through a haze of memories, I noticed priests approaching from our direction.
A high-ranking priest had already come up to me and bowed.
“Greetings to the Saintess and Your Grace. I am Harmon Collin of the Berche Shrine.”
The cardinals looked around with indifferent expressions at his greeting.
“Saint Melissa, I am Shalen Melissa.”
“Was your journey difficult? Please, take a moment to rest.”
“Then I shall accept your kindness.”
“Oh, kindness? It is nothing. It is our honor that the Saintess visits our shrine.”
“Haha. Naturally. There is no greater honor than the Saintess staying at the shrine.”
It was what a cardinal said as he looked around the shrine building.
“Of course. That is correct, Your Grace.”
I forced a composed expression and spoke to the priest.
“Don’t speak so formally. This is the place where we first enshrined Gloria, isn’t it?”
It was the only piece of information I could recall from the vague memories of this place.
“At that time, it could hardly be called a shrine. Haha.”
“Does it matter when honoring the divine? I am honored to come to Berche, with its long history.”
The priest looked at me with an expression of awe.
“To hear you say that…”
I, feeling slightly embarrassed, averted his gaze and changed the subject.
“Others should also rest by now. I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“Oh, you must be tired. Let me guide you. This way, please.”
I stepped forward, and as I did, Amy immediately moved, holding the luggage she had been carrying.
“Amy, you should get some rest today too.”
“What? Ah, no! It is my duty to serve the Saintess.”
“You rode the carriage for a long time. You must be tired. You can rest today.”
Though Amy tried to refuse with a wave of her hand, the priest interjected.
“As the Saintess says, Sister, you should rest as well. Sisters who serve the Saintess are waiting for you.”
I patted Amy’s hand, and she nodded, pouting slightly.
“Today, you should rest properly too.”
“Yes…”
I left her behind and followed the priest.
“I’ve heard about your second pilgrimage.”
I tilted my head at his words. The priest glanced back before continuing.
“You went to the boundary where monsters dwell. Did the shrine recommend it?”
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. When I didn’t answer, the priest quickly added.
“I heard it was a dangerous place, so I was concerned. Haha.”
Turning the corner, the Melissa people were no longer in sight.
I stopped and looked up at the sky.
The moon wasn’t visible, but stars sparkled across the dark sky.
“Saintess?”
The priest following me looked back. The sense of déjà vu became clear, and I spoke.
“It was my choice.”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t it strange? When a place is dangerous, it needs a Saintess. I go where I am needed, yet people seem puzzled by it.”
“……”
“People don’t seek me out first where I am needed.”
Of course, in areas with monsters, knights might be more necessary than I am.
But fortunately, there was something I could do there.
I could heal the villagers and even defeat the monsters.
The priest silently stared at me, so I let out a faint smile.
“Isn’t it a place that requires risking danger? Otherwise, how would one protect people?”
As I stepped closer to the priest, he snapped back to attention.
“I shall serve you.”
“Yes.”
Though the shrine wasn’t large, my lodging was in the innermost area.
The building was small, showing traces of age.
Inside, it was well-maintained and tidy.
Further down the long corridor were two doors.
“Is this a prayer room?”
“Oh, this is where the scriptures are kept.”
As I kept my gaze fixed, the priest spoke first.
“You may enter anytime.”
“Really?”
“Haha. You are the daughter of God, after all. Of course.”
“Thank you.”
“The sisters will be waiting if you go this way.”
I nodded at another door.
“Oh, and there is a garden behind the building. It isn’t large, but it’s sufficient for a walk.”
Had he said this to me in the past as well? I couldn’t remember.
It was natural I couldn’t recall such fine details after all these years.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“It’s nothing.”
He bowed politely before turning and walking away.
When his footsteps faded, I opened the door in front of me.
“Greetings to the Saintess.”
“Greetings to the Saintess.”
“Greetings to the Saintess.”
I bowed in return to those who greeted me formally.
“I am Shalen Melissa. Please take care of me.”
I glanced up briefly before lowering my head again and stepped closer to them.
“You don’t have to go so far out of your way.”
The three exchanged glances, then hesitantly raised their heads.
“It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
They looked at me and bit their lips in awe.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Shalen Melissa.”
“I’m Marsha. It’s an honor to meet you, Saintess.”
“I’m Lisa! I’m honored to serve the Saintess.”
Finally, the youngest looked at me with a bright smile.
“I’m Luna, Saintess! Please take care of me!”
‘I am Luna, who will serve the lady. Please take care of me!’
The familiar name made my gaze linger on her longer than I intended before dropping.
The three resembled each other closely. Perhaps because of their similar hair color and eyes.
Seeing hair as dark green as Philip’s strangely put me at ease.
A very simple reason.
Reading my expression, Marsha put her hand near her chest and spoke.
“We three are sisters. Lisa and I are twins, and Luna is the youngest.”
“Oh, I thought you looked alike; so you are sisters.”
Meanwhile, Luna kept glancing at me, blushing.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah, s-sorry. It’s just that it’s my first time meeting the Saintess, so I didn’t realize.”
Hearing that made me smile softly at her cuteness.
Marsha helped me change clothes, then suddenly remembered something and spoke.
“Saintess, how would you like your meals prepared?”
A meal with the Melissa people.
“I’d like to eat quietly in my room. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
Even in this brief conversation, I could tell from her tone and gestures that Marsha was the eldest.
When Marsha looked at Luna, she nodded energetically.
“Then I’ll prepare the meals!”
As Luna left the room, Lisa finished tidying up my clothes.
“This way, Saintess.”
Marsha guided me to the bathroom. I slowly sank into a fairly large round tub.
Steam rose gently, like a fog. I stirred the water lightly and asked,
“Is this holy water?”
“Yes, we prepared it with holy water.”
Lisa, who had entered late, widened her eyes as she responded.
“Does holy water feel different?”
“A little. You didn’t have to go to such lengths.”
“But the Saintess has come! We wanted you to be as comfortable as possible!”
Lisa stared at the rippling water in the tub, seemingly unsure if I could tell the difference.
It felt strange to be helped by anyone other than Amy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“Do the Melissa sisters stay in a different building?”
“Yes. The others are in a separate building.”
Was this also a special consideration for me?
The answer became clear quickly.
