Just Curious About Siblings
“……I was just asking if we're siblings or not. As you can see, we're different genders, after all.”
“So what?”
“The God of Light and the War God are sisters, so if you're the son and I'm the daughter, doesn't that basically make us siblings?”
Is that right?
'Yeah, she did say they were sisters.'
But... the way Arcana talked about the God of Light, Arcti, it felt less like mentioning an older sister and more...
-My older sister?
-Yeah.
-Eh. She's a bit of a slob who loves lewd stuff.
-……Loves what?
-Lewd stuff. Doujinshi, erotic novels, that kind of trash.
-…….
-Seriously. I heard her new saintess is the same way. Like mother, like daughter.
It had the vibe of someone talking about a hopelessly immature little sister.
'……Well, whatever. She can think what she wants.'
Uh…… you shouldn't react like that.
Did I say something nice?
I couldn't help recalling the past without thinking.
-Other gods?
-Yeah.
-I beat them all up.
-……?
There are four gods in this world besides the main god.
The God of Light, Arcti.
The War God, Arcana.
The Forest God, Wigdrasil.
The Sea God, Poseidon.
Arcana, the second eldest, got treated like the normal middle child, and as a result, her daily routine became gossiping about her siblings whenever she got bored.
Her temper had mellowed out to this point, but originally, she apparently just went around causing chaos and picking fights.
-They kept looking down on me or trying to boss me around just because they were a bit older or younger. So I beat them up.
-You should hold back a little.
-I held back plenty. That's why I didn't kill them.
-You could kill them?
-Of course. I'm the strongest.
-…….
Does she know about this?
No way!
'……The emotion she's showing right now is friendly, at least.'
You never know.
What if she finds out later that I joined in on the gossip?
I grabbed both of Christina's hands tightly.
“Alright! Then let's be siblings!”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
“Yeah!”
“Uh… sure, whatever. Okay. So, wanna call me big sis now?”
“Christina nu-na!”
“……No. Just call me Christina or Saintess.”
“Why not?!”
“Ahem, ahem.”
In the end, we settled on 'Saintess' in front of people, and 'Christina' when alone or with close friends.
Why avoid 'nu-na' so much?
No way?
'Does she hate hearing it from me?'
Oh god!
Well, that could be it.
I accepted it quickly.
Christina kept glancing at me nervously, then hurriedly changed the subject—probably to cover—by picking up on one of my earlier questions.
“You asked earlier how I knew you were a priest, right?”
“Yeah.”
“It's because I'm the Saintess.”
She pointed at me with her finger.
“Even a cardinal wouldn't sense the Divine Power in you... but I can feel it a little. Up until a few hundred years ago, regular priests could easily spot each other, but since the War God's priests vanished so long ago, unless it's someone like me, they wouldn't notice. It's an unfamiliar aura, after all.”
True enough. If others could sense it, the hospital staff would've caught on ages ago.
So they just thought it was some weird mana and let it slide.
I'd been more careless than I thought. If my predecessor hadn't gone missing?
'Rumors would've spread everywhere by now.'
Thanks to the recent terrorist incident, whispers were already circulating at school anyway.
The problem was they weren't suspicious at all!
'Oh, him? Figures.'
'With that personality and power, it'd be weirder if he wasn't a War God priest.'
Those bastards, seriously!
I wanted to yell, You'd all be dead without me! But since I had to play dumb, I couldn't say shit.
“……I see.”
“So no need to worry about getting found out…… Oh, right. During that ancient monster hunt last time, there was a risk of exposure, huh?”
I nodded vigorously, and the saintess said it casually, like it was no big deal.
“I'll handle that part personally.”
“!”
I grabbed both her hands again.
“Thanks, nu-na!”
“I said don't call me nu-na!”
“……Yeah.”
“Don't look so down……”
Christina fanned herself lightly with one hand to cool off.
Her eyes darted around quickly—probably changing the subject again—before stopping at my waist.
“……Do you have a divine relic? I can sense the aura.”
“Oh, this?”
I drew the sword I'd tucked inside my priest robes.
The pitch-black blade gleamed in the sunlight.
Ziiing. The blade trembled. Like it was saying, 'I hate it here!'
'……Technically not a divine relic, but a holy artifact? Then why the rejection?'
Are you even holy?
“What's its name?”
“Something like Black Obsidian Sword. If I can't remember, I'll just call it obsidian.”
“……Black Obsidian Sword?”
“Yeah.”
At that moment, I saw it.
Christina taking a step back!
“……Could you put it away?”
What the hell's wrong with this sword now!
Wooong!
The sword let out a resentful hum, but with its history, who could blame her?
What the fuck did you do this time!
I don't trust you anymore!
“Why?”
“Um… well… it's just… hard to explain……”
“Okay?”
She seemed reluctant to say, so I let it slide.
Whatever. How bad could it be?
Beat up a previous saintess, punched the pope, wrecked a temple……
Hold up.
'……Why wasn't it branded heretical?'
Isn't this just a piece of shit?
-It caused so much chaos they declared it heretical for like a year, then dropped it.
Oh? It was heretical.
-Everything you just thought? It did all that.
……What the hell were you doing, you crazy predecessor!
Christina glanced at Eugene's expression.
She hoped he wasn't offended.
His face was a bit twisted… maybe angry……
-Never mess with a War God priest.
-Why?
-My great-great-grand predecessor or something... got her head chopped off for harassing one.
-?!
-And before that, she barged into the War God's Great Temple alone, calling it blasphemy against her god, and smashed everything. The repair bills were insane……
The War God's infamy was well-known even among the gods.
An opponent you absolutely shouldn't touch!
No matter how young and seemingly mild Eugene was... his essence was a War God priest.
Caution upon caution!
“U-um, Eugene?”
“Yeah?”
“You're not mad, right?”
“Oh. Yeah, I am.”
Mad?!
No way, did badmouthing his predecessor……
“I was just thinking, how much chaos did that guy cause to end up like this……”
“…….”
Ah, there.
She was slightly surprised by his unexpectedly normal reaction, but Christina quickly shook her head internally.
He's just a War God priest, an ordinary student. Judging his image like this is bad─
“But if I play my cards right, maybe I can pin my screw-ups on my predecessor too?”
……Or not? Is he really a good, no, normal student?
“…….”
Christina deliberately didn't answer Eugene's question. He didn't seem to expect one anyway, tossing out the next casually.
“By the way, do you know Duchess Neona Solari?”
Relieved internally, she answered without thinking.
“Yes, very well.”
“Does she believe in the God of Light?”
“Yes.”
Christina smiled like a proper saintess.
“No one has faith as devout as hers. She leads the Solari family without abandoning her ducal duties, yet shows exemplary devotion as a believer……”
“No one as devout as her?”
“……? Yes.”
“More than the cardinals?”
Christina's thoughts froze for a moment.
“Even as priests, they have other jobs, so shouldn't their faith be stronger than someone whose main job isn't priesthood?”
……Is that so?
She almost agreed for a second, but snapped out of it.
Agree? It's hurtful that a side gig outdoes the pros... but it could happen.
“That could be. Everyone's circumstances differ.”
……Probably!
Eugene still looked puzzled.
Any more chatting and she'd get swept into his pace.
“Anyway!”
Christina emphasized to shift topics.
“She's staying at the Great Temple temporarily for treatment after the battle.”
“Is her life in danger……?”
“No… her internal injuries are severe.”
“Wishing her a speedy recovery.”
“By the way, Duchess Neona Solari said… you cutting off his arm let her win. Is that true?”
Arm? Oh, right. The final slash when he wouldn't go down easy.
That won it for her?
Eugene felt his shoulders rise involuntarily. He forced his mouth and shoulders down, nodding.
“Yeah.”
……But Christina saw right through it!
His chest is puffed out too?!
Shoulders up, smirk, chest out, proud as hell. A textbook student.
……A bit immature!
“She said it was thanks to you she won. Can't meet her directly right now, so I'll pass on her thanks. And as a fellow saintess and her friend, mine too.”
“No big deal.”
Eugene nodded, relieved.
“It just came off when I swung.”
“…….”
Christina's face soured.
……Would've been cool without that last bit!
“What's with that look?”
“Nothing.”
Eugene and Christina returned to Sky Island.
Vanishing suddenly without explanation might stir talk.
Eugene probably didn't care, but for the saintess managing a temple and followers, it mattered.
“Ah! Hold on.”
“……?”
Eugene bolted off. Before Christina could blink, he was chatting with a girl far off.
She tried fleeing, but he grabbed her first.
Like a hunter snaring escaping prey, Eugene returned carrying a stiff-as-a-doll Jenella.
“Hyah!”
He plopped her in front of Christina.
“What the—suddenly……”
Christina and Jenella's eyes met.
“……?!”
“……?!”
Both clamped their mouths shut.
Jenella sensed the holy aura from her; Christina felt the 'Blessing' on Jenella.
Eugene pointed near Jenella's chest.
“Can you heal the curse on her?”
Curse?
……Ah, so that's how it feels to him?
“This isn't a curse. It's a blessing.”