Klea's Secret 7
"...And that concludes the operational policy for our Radia branch going forward. Any questions?"
A few days earlier, at the Radia church. In the conference room of the Radia church, priests and nuns with managerial experience had gathered to hear from the new head of the church—the saintess, Klea.
No one in the Radia branch, except Baul, had ever truly believed Klea would become a saintess... But with the papal seal-stamped letter of appointment and the sight of her before them in resplendent saintess robes, they could no longer deny it.
On top of that, the revelation that Baul, the bishop who had worked so hard to make her a saintess, was actually a criminal who had tried to use her for personal gain. That alone was enough to shock the assembled clergy.
The lord himself had confirmed it, relaying the message directly from the king via an expensive communication device. There was no room for doubt.
But the most astonishing thing of all... was Klea's changed aura, as if she were an entirely different person, even though barely a month had passed. Under that strange atmosphere, the priests and nuns felt oppressed, wrapped in an indescribable sense of unease.
"...Klea... Saintess. Are you really going ahead with this...?"
"Yes. That's right. Father Thomas. Is there a problem?"
In the midst of that unease, one priest stared at the paper outlining the new policies, cautiously raised his hand, and asked Klea. He couldn't help it—the directives before his eyes were utterly bizarre.
For the male priests, only external dispatch duties and the kind of grueling tasks everyone dreaded had been assigned. Dispatch support against monsters and demon beasts was routine, usually distributed regardless of gender based on ability and role. But now, alongside those, the most arduous jobs were piling up on the men.
If things continued like this, the male priests would hardly have any time left inside the church...
In contrast, what about the nuns? Their duties were mostly things like conducting mass—tasks that could be done entirely within the church. On top of that, all the key 'administrative' roles related to internal operations had been handed solely to the nuns—a distribution that would surely irk the priests.
And appointing Sister Angela, still only in her late thirties, as their overall leader? That was odd too. It was as if power had been concentrated among the nuns, with someone close to her placed in charge...
"There's nothing strange about it at all, Father Thomas."
As if brushing aside his doubts, Klea shook her head firmly at the questioning priest.
"As I said, the threat of the Hero Eaters will only grow. Men stand against the danger outside, women guard the interior. Nothing unusual about that, right?"
"Ah, no, that's not—"
"Oh? Do you want the nuns—who are women—to be thrown into danger, Father Thomas?"
"N-no! Of course not!"
In Essentia, where skills and magic erased most differences in ability between men and women, outdated views still lingered due to the physical realities—women who could get pregnant, men who couldn't. When pressed with that traditional mindset, Father Thomas, unwilling to be branded as the kind of man who threw women into peril, fell silent.
Even if he knew her face, how could he argue with the saintess, second only to the pope in the goddess's church? At least their hierarchical positions remained appropriately high for the men—that was some consolation.
"...But Saintess, why won't you announce your appointment as saintess?"
Amid the men's dissatisfied glances, a nun raised her hand and asked Klea. It was Angela, the nun who had come with her from her demon-beast-ravaged hometown, treating her like a little sister.
"It's not that I'm not announcing it—I'm just planning to do so after a little time has passed."
"I don't understand. A saintess has emerged from the Radia church, and she'll be active here instead of the royal capital. We could even hold a festival, and no one would bat an eye..."
Was being a saintess an ordinary position? Even for a bishop, they'd hold a welcome ceremony during mass. Yet Klea wanted no external announcement—not even to the church or the lord. It was a question everyone had been harboring.
"As I mentioned, I plan to focus more on adventurer activities than church life. I want to finish preparations before drawing attention, then make the announcement."
"I see... But if you revealed yourself as saintess, plenty of people would help with those preparations..."
"The incidents in the royal capital make it hard to trust outsiders. Sorry for the inconvenience, Sister Angela."
"No, Saintess Klea."
The reason the clergy weren't protesting the forced assignments and policies—or Klea's altered demeanor—was precisely because of those events. The chaos in the capital: the kidnapping, threats to her life, even a Hero Eater appearing. After such ordeals, it made sense that the new saintess felt like a changed woman.
They sighed with a touch of regret that they couldn't boast about their saintess.
"Then, when will you make the announcement...?"
"Nothing's set yet. I need to hear from Lord Sema first."
Sema... That divine beast's name was known to everyone in Radia by now. The divine beast who had come to Radia to become an adventurer, now something of a local legend. Despite being articulate and gentlemanly, his ferocious appearance still terrified some nuns... Yet here was Klea smiling and using honorifics for him—a sight the clergy couldn't get used to.
"...Really, with that Sema...?"
"Lord Sema. Mind your honorifics, Father Thomas. That's an order from your saintess—the policy of the Radia church."
Excessive deference. But no one could object. It wasn't just her position as saintess. The divine beast who had accompanied her to the capital for support had saved her and played a key role in her ascension. Because of that, Klea trusted him excessively, even calling him a savior sent by the goddess to fend off the coming threats. She'd even granted him the title of the saintess's guardian, making it impossible to treat him as a mere outsider.
"...Yes. Will you really adventure with Lord Sema? Even just providing support would..."
"Didn't I already say? Father Thomas."
As Klea removed her saintess gloves, she revealed the mark on the back of her right hand. The clergy stared at the peculiar emblem they couldn't decipher, topped with the number 2. It was the guild mark of Beast's Paradise, the guild the divine beast had founded—proof of membership.
"I'm already part of his guild. Helping Lord Sema combat Essentia's threats is only natural for a saintess. It's the most important thing for me now, so keep that in mind, everyone."
"...Understood."
Pride rang in her voice, an eerie chill emanated from her closed-eyed face. Thomas, who had grumbled a bit, shrank back with an inexplicable fear.
"Still... after announcing you're the saintess, I hope you'll at least lead mass on weekends... It'd be odd if you're in Radia but we can't see you at mass."
"...I'll consider it. Though there may be times I can't participate, depending on the situation."
Like he'd salvaged something, Thomas let out a relieved sigh. As the strange meeting wound down, Klea looked around and said,
"Then, that's the end of today's meeting. I have separate instructions for Sister Angela, so please stay behind, Sister Angela."
Once everyone left and only Angela and Klea remained, they faced each other.
"Saintess Klea. What is it...?"
"We're alone now, so speak comfortably, Sister Angela."
Klea's expression softened, and the eerie atmosphere in the room eased a little. Feeling a glimpse of the old Klea before her sainthood, Angela spoke more casually.
"Klea. What's going on?"
"I have a job for you, sis. You're basically the second-in-command here now."
Angela gave a bittersweet smile as Klea fussed with her saintess robes in frustration.
"Speaking of which... why did you appoint me as the nuns' representative? There are others with more experience... And looking at the assignments, this is way too much for me..."
"They're all too old. You're the only one with the right age and experience."
As she loosened the collar of her robes, Klea smiled at Angela... with a strange lick of her lips.
"Plus, your looks are just right..."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
For a moment, Angela sensed an odd dissonance in Klea's expression—like a predator eyeing prey. Though it quickly returned to a normal smile, the woman before her felt like someone else entirely.
"The Radia church needs to change. Giving you so much authority is for that reason."
"But still..."
"Here. These are the tasks for you. With my permission, go ahead without worry."
Klea handed her a paper. Angela's eyes widened at the incomprehensible contents as she stared at Klea.
"...I get sorting out Bishop Baul's room, but isn't this overkill? It's practically rebuilding..."
"I don't want to see any trace of that man. Understand, sis."
That made sense, but the list went further. Furniture orders on a scale unfit for clergy—massive pieces that seemed excessive even for a saintess, despite needing some grandeur...
"Since I'll be adventuring, Lord Sema will mostly come with me to the church. This is to prepare a comfortable space for him."
"So multiple beds..."
"No. Exactly as listed, please."
Something flashed in Angela's mind at Klea's attitude, but she shook her head to dismiss it. No, Klea was a saintess now—that thought was too irreverent. Baul had turned out different from what she'd imagined, but Klea, who had a lover... with that divine beast... such a relationship...
"...Then, aside from the room, these other items... what are they...?"
Unable to voice her suspicions, Angela looked back at the paper. Bizarre instructions she couldn't fathom.
When questioned, Klea smiled chillingly at Angela.
"...Don't worry, Sister Angela."
"It's all for the Radia church to be reborn."
Reassuring her casually, as if it were nothing. After a few more questions, Angela accepted the orders with lingering doubts.
As Angela bowed to Klea and opened the door to leave...
"To be reborn... as the Beast's Church that serves its Master...♡"
Klea's true feelings, whispered softly, didn't reach Angela.