Collision
Cheryl, the aide, fiddled with the empty glass, choosing her words carefully.
"How much do you two know about the Eastern Front?"
"… I know that the Empire is at war with someone. I don't know who the opponent is, though."
Rumors had trickled even into the slums. War had broken out to the east, and they were conscripting soldiers left and right. Of course, they didn't recruit us as soldiers.
"That's not because you're ignorant, Ena. Most of the Empire's citizens don't know. Even… the soldiers fighting on the front lines don't know what they're fighting against."
"… What do you mean? They're fighting, but they don't even know who the opponent is."
To Ena's question, Cheryl lowered her voice and spoke slowly, enunciating each word carefully.
"The name of that thing is '■■'."
… I definitely heard it. Two characters, clearly.
It doesn't sink in. Like grabbing water with your hand — the sound comes in, but it passes through the brain and vanishes to the other side without a trace.
Looking sideways, Ena was also frowning, tilting her head.
"… What did you just say?"
"'■■'. … No matter how many times you hear it, it won't help. That name can't be remembered or recorded without the Goddess's blessing. That's why people don't know its existence. They can't know. That's why the soldiers die without knowing who they're fighting — same reason."
… A chill ran down my spine.
The Empire is fighting something that can't even leave a name behind. Pushing countless people into the battlefield like that…
Cheryl continued.
"We also call it 'beast' for convenience, or 'Satan'. Or 'it'… The name doesn't really matter. After all, only the saintess from 200 years ago, the previous saintess, has ever fought it properly. The current name is just reading the characters she left on the parchment."
"… What happened to the previous saintess?"
"She fulfilled her noble mission for humanity and entered eternal rest."
"The Empire could be founded thanks to her. Because she pushed 'it' to the very edge of the Eastern Front, humanity could settle on a peaceful land."
Ena, clearly displeased with the situation, asked with a sour face.
"So, does that mean I have to fight you and die?"
Cheryl avoided Ena's eyes and continued with a calm expression.
"… There is a law in this world that cannot be resisted."
Then, she picked up a candle on the windowsill and lightly snapped her fingers. The small candle grew to the size of a person's fist and began to burn fiercely.
"When light grows thick, so does darkness… A very twisted law. From the moment the Goddess's oracle descended — the moment the saintess appeared. The Eastern Front began to collapse helplessly."
"Even though the Empire's top swordmasters were there as guards… they couldn't hold the front. In just 1-2 years at most, the beast's army will reach the Empire's borders."
The candle dimmed again.
Ena took a deep breath and started shooting at Cheryl.
"I get what you're saying… but the conclusion is that because I suddenly became a saintess, I have to abandon everything — brother, everything — and go fight and die, right? It's obvious. If I die, the next saintess will have to do the same."
"No… what are you talking about…"
"Brother and I. We have never once liked the people of the Empire. We were always looked down on as lowly-born, scraping by in the garbage dump, picking out the best scraps of food. We lived like that."
"Did we live like that because we wanted to? Right. You nobles wouldn't know. You probably lived luxuriously in the temple, drinking wine and enjoying everything."
"…"
Cheryl tried to say something more but closed her mouth. Ena kept shooting.
… As if venting all her frustration from her life so far.
"Saintess or whatever… If this is the case, just tell the goddess to take me back. I don't need this power."
"Whether I die as a saintess or, because I don't have this power… I die with brother when the knights come to the slums. At least for me, the two endings are not very different."
It seemed Ena was getting emotional, so Cheryl carefully calmed her.
"… Calm down, Ena. The aide doesn't know our situation. She said that because she hasn't lived like that. Those kinds of people."
And because there was something unsatisfactory about the aide's words… I asked a question.
"… Aide, why do we have to abandon the secular world entirely? I can't live without Ena… and Ena can't live without me."
To my question, Cheryl gave a calm answer.
"If there's any worldly attachment left, you can't awaken as a perfect saintess. Whether it's sibling love or, beyond that, 'true love'… it will only be an obstacle in realizing the great cause of saving humanity as a saintess."
Ena, as if she had heard enough, shot at Cheryl one last time.
"Enough. Brother. The conversation is over."
"Hey, ajumma, no matter if I'm a saintess or whatever… I have no intention of doing that. Drop the thought. Let's go, bro…"
Cheryl smiled with a cold smile, as if all the previous expressions were acting.
"You'd better listen to me nicely, future saintess."
"… If words don't persuade you, we'll have no choice but to use 'force'. The cause of protecting humanity is hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times more important than your petty and childish love or your emotions."
Ena laughed mockingly.
"Go ahead and try. Ajumma. …At least right now, I seem much stronger than you."
Cheryl sighed deeply and continued.
"… I don't intend to fight half-heartedly here. The future saintess — Ena, I have accurately confirmed your will."
And then, in a small voice.
"Today… rejecting this proposal, and daring to call me 'ajumma'. You'll regret it for the rest of your life. See you again, future saintess."
As soon as the words ended, the woman's figure dispersed like particles and vanished without a trace.
… Was she a clone from the beginning?
Ena, clearly not liking the woman, grumbled even after her figure disappeared.
"Annoying. Unlucky ajumma… She's old and sends lewd, sticky glances at brother. She talks about the cause like she doesn't know what it is…"
"… Just go up, bro. I'm tired…"
Looking out the window, the night had already grown deep. Ena had passed her usual bedtime, so she'd sleep soon. I led Ena's hand upstairs. Some people nearby glanced at us suspiciously, having heard the previous conversation… but I ignored them.
I carefully laid Ena on the bed and prepared to put her to sleep — Ena cautiously grabbed my sleeve.
"… Brother… you can't go… anywhere…"
"… I'm not going. Don't worry."
Slowly, I stroked Ena's forehead and sang her a lullaby, and soon Ena fell asleep with a peaceful expression.
… Suddenly, I had such a thought.
A feeling of being swept away by a great current that neither of us could handle.
… Like a bad feeling that we would end up parting forever… and face catastrophe.
Probably, it's wrong to live with head held high. Yeah… That's how it is for someone from the slums. Compared to nobles with smooth, flat lives. At dawn, far, far away — I have to run. No one… not even that aide, can find us.
So, I spent the particularly long night with my eyes open. When I closed my eyes… I was afraid Ena would really disappear. I was scared.
---
"Yawn… What? Bro… you didn't sleep? Squatting on the floor uncomfortably… Uhh… uhh…"
… What? Did I doze off for a moment? The sparrows chirping outside suggested it was already morning. Usually, I wake Ena… but today Ena woke me.
"… Just in case that aide… or someone else comes looking."
Ena laughed lightly and patted my back with her palm.
"Anyway, you worry about unnecessary things."
Then, posing as if shaking her hair, she answered.
"You heard yesterday, right? I became a saintess, a saintess. I crushed Fredrick or whoever with one hand… Well, what's the big deal?"
"… So, don't worry too much, bro. …I will never abandon you alone."
"… Thank you."
"If you're grateful, be good to me. Ehehe…"
After getting up — tidying the few belongings — and coming downstairs, the innkeeper greeted us with a bright smile.
"Oh, cute adventurer siblings. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Thanks to you, we slept well."
When I told them we were leaving this place, the innkeeper made a feigned disappointed expression.
"… It wasn't a connection deep enough to call it disappointing… but since you're leaving, it feels lonely seeing our kids go. Our kids went out as adventurers… and then were drafted to the Eastern Front. Who knows when they'll return…"
Probably… it would be better not to tell the truth.
"… We'll be back soon. Safely."
"Oh! My mind… Here, take this too."
The innkeeper suddenly handed over a large caramel-coated apple.
"Before, when a merchant from the Western Regions came, I gave it as a service… They said this is the best for adventurers' stamina recovery. You two will be doing a lot of fighting, right? …Just giving it because you look like our kids. Don't refuse and take it."
"… Thank you."
Receiving the apple that smelled sweet, we set off again with Ena, far beyond the horizon.
… Hoping this peace would last, last, and last.
---
The innkeeper waved at the two young people for a long time, and when they disappeared from sight, he withdrew his hand and went back into the inn. The noisy atmosphere from yesterday was in vain; there was no one left in the inn.
Now — in the inn, instead of the kind-looking innkeeper auntie, there was a cardinal in white robes from the church.
The cardinal sat by the window, sipping tea as usual, and murmured.
"I didn't want to use such a method… I'm glad the saintess siblings are innocent. Right? Cheryl?"
From the empty air where nothing was, the aide hiding in the shadows revealed herself and answered.
"… It's reckless. Using bad words to an elder."
The cardinal laughed as if amused and continued.
"It's because Cheryl and I are opposites that it's more interesting. Anyway. … Cheryl. Prepare for the inauguration of the new saintess and the rituals. It won't take more than a day or two, at most three days even if you push hard. Well."
"… Yes, Cardinal."
The cardinal raised the teacup to the sky and concluded.
"… It's pitiful. I don't have a hobby of trampling on a girl's purity and ruining it… but isn't our job like that anyway. Goddess, please forgive your lowly creations for committing such ugly sins. Amen."
"… Amen."