Chapter 218: Rest
Chapter 218: Rest
I opened the chapel doors with Helena, who was now properly wearing her underwear.
Creeeeeak.
The doors, which had been firmly shut until just a moment ago, yielded easily to a light touch.
As soon as we stepped outside, the first people I saw were Carla and Elisha, who had been waiting right in front of the entrance.
"Ma-Master?!"
Carla, who had been pacing in circles like an anxious puppy, came rushing over.
She began fumbling over my face, her voice thick with worry as she checked me over.
"I missed you so much! Nothing happened, right? You aren't hurt or tired, are you? Is there... is there anything I can do for you, Master?"
"Whoa, calm down, Carla. I'm fine, really. Besides, the Righteous Light wouldn't do anything to harm me, would she?"
I shrugged, recalling the puppy-cat-like behavior the goddess had shown at the end. Behind Carla, Elisha approached slowly and let out a long, deep sigh.
"Setting aside that arrogant remark about a god being on your side... you. Do you realize you've been holed up in that chapel for three days?"
"Three days...?"
I knew a fair amount of time had passed, but three whole days? I thought it had been a day or two at most.
"Oh? It seems you really didn't know. Carla had every right to be anxious, considering you were separated for three days without any idea of what was happening inside. You'd better comfort her properly."
"Yeah. I should."
Without any idea of what was happening inside, she said. Does that mean Helena’s screaming wasn't heard at all?
The goddess must have provided perfect soundproofing. As expected of the Righteous Light—she’s quite considerate for a Good God.
I wrapped one arm around Carla, who had been clinging to me and refusing to let go, and looked at Elisha.
"What about you, Elisha?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't you need some comfort too?"
"...Hmph! I am perfectly fine. But, well, I appreciate the sentiment."
Elisha turned her head away, her face flushing red. It sounded like a polite refusal to accept only the thought, but to me—having known Elisha since before my possession—it looked different.
That was her way of saying she wanted to join in but was too embarrassed because we were outside in front of others.
The proof was her habit of twirling her ringlets for no reason.
I chuckled at how cute she was and whispered softly.
"Then should I give you some 'downward' comfort?"
"...Are you actually insane?! What on earth are you saying!"
Elisha’s demure act vanished instantly. Her eyes snapped wide, and she began swatting at my back.
Well... she couldn't actually hurt me because of the Slave Imprint, so it was really just for show.
Feeling Elisha’s hands patting me with the force of a light massage, I glanced to the side.
Helena was talking to Gilbert, who had also been waiting.
When our eyes met, she placed an index finger to her lips, gave a gentle smile, and murmured.
"Shh."
"..."
I nodded silently in response. Then, I turned to Carla, who was currently burying her nose in my chest and taking deep breaths.
"Carla. Where are the others?"
"Ssshp... Hah! The others? They should be waiting in the VIP room. Since we didn't know when you'd come out, we decided to take turns waiting."
"You didn't have to go that far. You could have just sent a servant or waited in your rooms; I would have found you eventually."
"That's true, but..."
Carla hesitated for a moment, then pouted her lips in a sulky expression.
"I wanted to be the one to greet you the moment you stepped out, Master."
"...Fair enough. It did make me happy."
"Right?"
I gently stroked the head of the beaming Carla, then grabbed the arm of the still-fretting Elisha and pulled her into a somewhat forced arm-lock.
With a now-quiet Elisha tucked under one arm, I looked up.
Gilbert and Helena, who seemed to have finished their conversation, were staring blankly at us. I gave them a wide grin.
"First... shall we talk over a meal?"
Just as the fatigue had hit me when the chapel's light faded, so did the hunger.
*
The banquet was held in a meeting room that was currently out of use. Since what we were about to discuss was confidential, it was only natural.
The food was modest compared to the Academy's cafeteria, but the taste was top-notch. As I was devouring the dishes—
"Hmm... So..."
Albaor, the Pope of the Church of Light, paused his meal to stroke his snow-white beard.
"You are saying that after three days and nights of holding hands and praying, Helena became a Saintess."
"Yes. That's how it happened."
I couldn't exactly say we had been having sex for three days and nights, so I phrased it as delicately as possible.
"I see... Ah, Helena? If you wouldn't mind, could you show us the Authority of a Saintess?"
"Of course, Your Holiness."
Helena lightly wiped her mouth and brushed the back of her neck.
Flash.
Suddenly, a fluffy fur muffler appeared there as if it had always belonged. It was the exact same design as the one the Righteous Light had sneakily draped around me.
However, unlike that one, which was just a replica of the appearance, this was a true Authority imbued with power. It was the symbol of an Apostle.
Wooooom.
Light poured from the fur muffler like a waterfall, weaving itself into the shape of a cloak. Emblazoned upon it was the symbol of the Righteous Light, sculpted from pure radiance.
The moment the sun-like pattern fixed into place, the presence radiating from Helena grew significantly stronger.
"Oh... O Righteous Light..."
"To think Helena would truly become a Saintess..."
Albaor’s eyes widened with profound emotion, while Gilbert looked at Helena with a complicated, bittersweet expression.
Seeing their reactions, Helena gave a wry smile and toyed with the mane at her neck.
"I am glad it pleases you... but as I am still lacking, it seems I won't be able to draw out the true form of the Holy Armor for some time."
"What does that matter, Saintess? It is enough for this old man to have seen the brightest light before closing his eyes for good."
"Come to think of it, you mentioned the light in the chapel wouldn't return for a while. No, you did say that, didn't you? Did you hear anything about when the Righteous Light might awaken?"
Perhaps because of Helena’s transformed aura, Albaor and Gilbert didn't seem to doubt her for a second. They probably just wanted to be certain.
The moment they confirmed she was a Saintess, they immediately began bowing their heads and using formal honorifics.
Helena, flustered by the sudden change, waved her hands dismissively.
"Please, both of you, this is too much. Please speak to me comfortably."
"We cannot do that. Though I am the Pope, I am ultimately just an elected Cardinal. I cannot speak casually to a Saintess personally chosen by the Lord."
"I... ahem. I feel the same. No matter how much I looked after you since you were young, one must distinguish between public and private matters..."
"Public and private! That's exactly it, Uncle Gilbert! This is a private setting right now. So please, don't be so stiff. It actually makes me quite uncomfortable."
Helena eventually managed to calm the two down.
I knew this would happen. The Church of the Righteous Light... no, all the churches on the Eurelia Continent, whether they follow Good or Evil Gods, are groups of fanatics.
The only difference is whether they're crazy in a good way or a bad way.
In H&A, if you followed the priest route and were appointed as an Apostle to become a Saint or Saintess, an option would even pop up during a conversation with the Pope to inherit the papacy itself.
Even if you didn't become the Pope, they would try to do whatever the Apostle protagonist asked. Even other denominations would generally grant favors.
The reason was simple: an Apostle carries a god within them.
While a 'Descent' involves a god bringing their full body and power, an 'Apostle Appointment' involves bringing a portion of their spirit and Authority to the mortal realm.
They possess a human body and mind, but they are simultaneously a part of a god.
Naturally, a Pope or Cardinal with exceptional faith would have no choice but to serve Helena with the utmost devotion.
Even if the person in question looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment.
Helena let out a long sigh and fanned her face with her hand as if it were burning up.
"Ah, and I haven't heard anything about when the light in the chapel will return. However, the Righteous Light said she would awaken in a few days, so I expect the chapel will return to its original state around then."
"To hear the words of the Righteous Light directly...!"
"We were like that until a few days ago, but I heard other churches find it difficult to even receive an Oracle, is that right, Your Holiness?"
"That is correct, Cardinal Gilbert. Since the number of dungeons found and cleared over the last 300 years has been small, their recovery must be slow."
Seeing the two nodding with deeply moved expressions, Helena sighed again and turned toward me.
She likely realized that no matter what she said to Albaor and Gilbert, she’d get an over-the-top reaction, so she was trying to change the subject.
And she was probably right.
"Brother. It seems it is my turn to claim my rightful due."
"Pardon? Ah, the bet? When would you like? It's a bit far from here, but it's within range of Professor Iona’s teleportation, so anytime is fine. I'll match your schedule, Helena."
"I'd like to say right now... but if possible, I think it would be better after the Righteous Light awakens."
"Aha? Do you want to test out your Saintess powers? Sounds good. Just let me know whenever. A day is plenty of time for me to prepare."
I nodded, and we continued with some idle chatter.
Later, we discussed what Helena would do now that she had become a Saintess.
The conclusion was that while she would engage in public activities, she would focus more on clearing dungeons and subjugating cultists with me rather than standing at the forefront as a mere symbol of the Church.
I also received a promise of full support from the Church of Justice through Helena. Since I wasn't short on money, I decided to receive support in the form of items that only the Church could produce, such as Holy Water and Relics.
If I gave them to Fay, she’d find a way to use them. If not, I could just use them as they were.
In return, I donated 50,000 gold to strengthen the defenses of the Great Temple and the power of the Holy Knights.
It was a significant amount of money, but not enough to be a burden, and above all, it was a value well worth paying.
Whether they were clergy or not, everything required money. Besides, there was no way these fanatics would embezzle money meant for the Church, so I could donate with peace of mind.
Since I had successfully made Helena an Apostle in my stead, all that remained was to block the concentrated attacks from those cultist bastards that would eventually come.
I couldn't afford to slip up after coming this far.
We talked about this and that for a while longer.
The conversation had wound down, and since the meal had ended long ago and I was on my several-th bowl of dessert, I stood up to take my leave.
Suddenly, Gilbert, who had been keeping quiet as if he felt it wasn't his place to speak until now, opened his mouth.
"By the way, when do you plan to hold the wedding, Lord Yandel?"
"Uh, well..."
They caught me.