Revelation
It took half a day just to exit the forest.
When the sound of chimney smoke rising from a small village far away began to appear as we pushed through the branches, Ena suddenly let out an excited shout.
"Oppa! There's a village! A village!"
As we got closer, we saw that the village was quite large. The village was bustling as if a festival was in full swing, so outsiders like us could naturally enter.
In the center of the village, a massive pig was being slaughtered, and barbecue was in full swing. Small stalls were set up, and merchants were selling snacks—a strangely nostalgic sight.
...I had never eaten anything like this in my life. Had I ever scavenged food waste?
Meanwhile, Ena's gaze was fixed on the stall selling apples and candies. The apples looked delicious, coated in sparkling sugar like glass. Children around were all begging their moms to buy them one by one.
"Wow... I want to eat that... Oppa, we have a lot of money..."
Yeah... well... what's left is money. Right now. Carrying a fortune I hadn't touched in my life. I bought two apple candies, one for each of us, and we walked through the small village's streets. Wondering if there was a decent inn... I looked around and entered an inn that was appropriately shabby—and seemed to have quite a few people with our 'appearance'.
"Oh my, little adventurers. Welcome."
"Hello!"
"...Hello. Is there an empty room?"
"There's only one left..."
Before I could say anything, Ena jumped in.
"Yes! That's fine! We're siblings! Just give us the room!"
Then, she grabbed the room key first and rushed upstairs.
"...How much is it?"
"Normally, it should be around five gold coins, but since you're cute guests, I'll give you a discount of five coins."
"Ah, we'll prepare dinner too, so come down to the first floor when you're ready to eat."
"Thank you."
"...By the way, is it festival season these days?"
The innkeeper answered in a tone as if asking the obvious.
"Did you come from somewhere in the mountains? The goddess's oracle has descended after tens of years! The Saintess has returned."
"...Saintess?"
Although I didn't know well, it seemed like a great being. If even this village was organizing a celebration...
Of course, it had nothing to do with me. After listening to a brief story about the Saintess from the innkeeper, who kept trying to engage in small talk, I quickly fled upstairs.
"My body feels so smooth and soft... I feel good."
Just before, my sister Ena who had just bathed. For days, she hadn't been able to bathe properly, so she must have been frustrated and miserable. Seeing her like this, money really is great. Back then in the slums, there was no hot water... Here, the plumbing is fully equipped.
Yeah, I need to work hard to earn money... As I was lost in various emotions,
At that moment, a sweet piano sound came from the first floor. With the piano sound, everyone gathered and seemed to be singing together—a nostalgic and pleasant feeling. ...Is this the evening routine of an ordinary village, ordinary people?
"There's something fun downstairs! Let's go down too!"
Following Ena's hand, we went down to the first floor. In one corner of the inn's first floor—a small stage in the corner—there was a small piano, and a woman in a dress singing.
Other guests were eating their meals while listening to the song or responding, passing time.
Right as we came down, our eyes met with the innkeeper.
"The cute adventurer guests from earlier. Today's menu is delicious roast beef of the pig... How is it?"
As soon as the word "meat" was heard, Ena's eyes sparkled.
"Yes! Please! A lot, a lot of it!"
However, since there weren't enough tables, I asked permission from a guest quietly drinking alcohol in the corner and decided to share the seat.
Looking closer, he was wearing some kind of priest-like clothes... Saintess? Because of the Saintess's appearance, there were such people.
Or not, Ena was awkwardly holding a knife and starting to cut the meat diligently. But the form wasn't good at all...
"This is how you hold it, Ena."
I gently placed my hand over Ena's hand and started slicing the meat. It was high-quality meat, so the cut surface had visible grain.
It was exactly the kind of food I thought was "the nobles' prerogative"—something not seen in the back alley butcher shops or food waste dumpsters of the slums.
...But suddenly the kid got quiet. Was it because she was hungry? Or perhaps she was the type who hid her face a lot because she didn't know the person next to her. Her face was as red as a beet, maybe she was feeling hot...
The guest on the opposite side was looking at us with a complex expression, staring at the two of us from earlier. ...A gaze too blatant, uncomfortably so. Ena noticed the gaze and immediately took a defensive stance.
"...It must be uncomfortable for you since we shared the seat. Ena, just go back to the room and eat..."
"Why are you staring so hard? Do you have interest in my brother?"
...I tried to turn the words around, but Ena threw an unmanageable bomb.
Or not, the woman slowly looked at us, then slowly opened her mouth.
"I have no interest in you. Don't misunderstand. ...Rather, I have interest in you."
The woman pointed at Ena and said she had interest.
"...I like men. Sorry, but I can't accommodate your taste."
"What do you mean? Interest."
Ena seemed to have misjudged it badly...
Probably, Ena seemed to know about her handling immense divine power. Otherwise... no reason to have interest in a shabby adventurer.
"There was a bit of a misunderstanding in the words. Allow me to introduce myself late. I am Cheryl, the direct aide to Cardinal Heath of the Imperial Church."
The woman who introduced herself as Cheryl took out a small piece of paper from her bosom. The paper had her personal information elegantly framed with gold, along with...
Just looking at the paper, one could guess what level of person she was. If even a gold-embossed identification paper for proving one's status in the Empire, she was no ordinary power holder.
"I'll speak bluntly. The name... was it Ena? Ena, you were living somewhere in the back alleys of the Chatrin Duke's territory border—
On the day the Duke of Chatrin's 'cleaning' order fell on the back alleys, you used divine power to subdue the knights who came to carry out the order. Isn't that right?"
...As expected, it was someone who had come knowing my identity. Ena stood frozen in place. I blocked the way between her and the woman, facing the woman.
"I don't understand what you're saying. We are just passing adventurer siblings."
As if excuses wouldn't work, the aide laughed lightly and continued.
"You, no, exactly Ena, the arrogant knight you defeated—one of the strongest knights in this vast Chatrin Duke's territory with no equal. A statement like 'I didn't know anything...' won't work."
"The Saintess... story, you've probably heard it many times, so I'll skip it. After synthesizing all the evidence—Ena, you are the Saintess chosen by the goddess in this generation, the savior of our humanity."
Ena was in a state of great confusion, as if she couldn't understand the situation with her head.
"Me... me...? Why... I haven't prayed to the gods..."
"...So, what do you intend to do with Ena?"
The aide sighed, answering in a tone as if asking the obvious, with a troubled expression.
"We will publicly announce that the Saintess has been discovered to the world, and she will undergo an 'ritual' in the temple and become the official Saintess. And she will do great deeds for our humanity."
"Sigh... This generation's Saintess... has a lot to teach... Well, if basic education is too lacking, she might enter the academy as a special student and study for a while..."
Ena was lost in deep thought for a while, then took my hand seriously and started talking.
"...It's awkward, but Oppa, this... doesn't seem like a bad proposal? If I'm not a witch but a real Saintess... I don't have to hide and run away anymore... Oppa can live happily by my side... A bit like feeling like a Saintess and hero together, fighting enemies..."
Just as I was about to answer, the aide cut in.
"...The Saintess must abandon all worldly things. Family, siblings, friends, lovers, and all worldly things are nothing but 'filthy things'.
There is no place for personal feelings in the sublime position that should be offered purely to the gods—to exist for the great cause of humanity..."
"Then I won't."
"...What?"
"I can't understand? Ajumma? I won't."
"Ah... Ajumma...? Me?"
"...Let's go, Oppa."
Leaving the bewildered aide behind, Ena grabbed my hand and started leading. ...Although the roast beef that had cooled down without even tasting it was a bit pitiful inside.
"Wait."
"...It's not something that can be resolved by just provocatively using your age and then roughly running away. Future Saintess."
"At least... please listen to me once about the Saintess's mission and the current crisis facing humanity."
Ena hesitated for a moment, then sat back down with many things to say—and a cold expression.
"Mission this, mission that. Try it. I have a lot to say too."