The Saint's Nostalgic Memories and a Sweet Greeting
After Reina and Ludwig left, they stayed with Estelle a little longer, playing around a bit longer, and only when the night had grown quite late did they finally decide to head out.
“Unnie, shall we go?”
“Yeah, I think we should go now. I don’t want to leave Estelle behind… sob.”
Reina played the part of a crying girl, and Estelle gripped her hand tightly as she said, “Don’t cry.”
“Oh my… you’re looking out for me, right, Abel?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s so cute! What am I supposed to do? Estelle, do you want to be your unnie’s daughter?”
“Don’t say weird things.”
Reina laughed with a huhuh and gently stroked Estelle’s head. Then she turned to Katarina and said, “Sister, please take good care of Estelle.”
“Yes, Holy Saint. Don’t worry.”
After leaving the promise that they would come back again, Reina and Ludwig departed. Estelle watched their backs and asked Katarina, “Unnie.”
“What is it?”
“Will I be able to meet the Hero when I become the Holy Saint?”
“…Yeah, of course. Why do you ask that?”
Estelle quietly looked straight ahead. It was the exact spot where Reina and Ludwig had been just a moment ago.
When Drakan had been on the verge of taking her life, a new white light had appeared and the Hero Ludwig and Saint Reina had saved her at the same time.
Estelle, though still young, had been surprisingly mature. She had felt gratitude and admiration for them at the same time.
“…I want to become the Holy Saint.”
“…….”
“Once I become the Holy Saint, I want to save people just like Unnie Reina and Oppa Ludwig.”
Katarina mulled over Estelle’s words. Would this child even understand the weight of the title ‘Holy Saint’?
She probably didn’t now. But still…
“Yes, Estelle will do well at anything. This unnie will cheer for you.”
Even if she eventually understood that weight, Estelle’s heart would not change.
“Alright, shall we practice what we were doing earlier?”
“…Huh? Do we have to do that?”
“Of course! For a shy little girl like you, this will be a powerful weapon~!”
“…Yes.”
Katarina smiled cutely at Estelle and said, “Follow me, scrub♡.”
“…H-hey, scrub♡.”
#
Estelle quietly finished telling the story.
“…That’s how I grew up in the Pope’s Palace with the help of the people I was grateful to, and that’s how I was able to meet the Hero.”
It was a bit sad, but the story also contained many hopeful parts.
Yes, that was true… but there was one part that was so touching that it had been completely forgotten in her memories.
…In other words, the nun named Katarina was the one who had taught Estelle to speak in that teasing, mesugaki way.
It made sense! Katarina, a nun, taught her how to use a shy, mesugaki speech pattern!?
So whenever Estelle felt shy, she would talk in this weird way?
“…Did you actually see Katarina nun speaking like that?”
“No. Since I met Katarina nun, she has never loved anyone.”
She didn’t use it on herself and made others use it… that was absurd.
Absurd enough that I was sulking about it when Estelle gave me a soft smile and said, “Do you know? I actually got a lot of proposals.”
“What kind of proposals?”
“Of course, the ones to accompany her. When the Hero Elfride appeared, and when the Hero Revius appeared.”
“Ah.”
Right. Estelle was the Holy Saint of the Solaria Church with the largest influence. Naturally, when a Hero appeared, a proposal would have come her way too.
“But I rejected them all and waited.”
“What?”
“For that day when a Hero chosen by the Holy Sword of Order would appear.”
…She waited for that day?
“You waited patiently for a long time without any guarantee.”
“I’ve done that since I was little, so I’m used to it. Of course, when I was little I briefly prayed that a Hero wouldn’t come out because I hated fighting monsters…”
“…Thanks to Estelle’s patience, I was able to be here.”
“Really? Then you should be more grateful to me.”
“Heh heh.”
…Come to think of it, I hadn’t known she had such a story. People said everyone carries deep stories in their hearts, and she was right.
“By any chance, the Ludwig who used the Holy Sword of Order…”
“He passed away. Together with Unnie Reina on the same day. He… cried a lot that day.”
On the same day. That phrase hit especially hard.
“…I see.”
“Maybe if we go to the mansion where they lived, we might get a hint.”
“Where is that?”
Estelle pointed to the floor.
“Here, Bourbon City.”
“Ah?”
Thinking about it, he had retired only eleven years ago. Of course Elfride would know.
“I see.”
Then, what kind of feelings did Estelle have when she came to Bourbon City? It was a little… difficult to imagine.
“Abel.”
“Yes?”
“I was really glad to meet you. I was happy that the Hero of the Holy Sword of Order had appeared, and I was happy that you were such a cute person.”
Estelle reached out her hand and gently stroked my cheek.
“Abel.”
Estelle called my name again and leaned in. Then, with a light kiss on my cheek.
Startled by the sudden affection, I looked at her, and Estelle gave me a sweet smile.
“Thank you for appearing in front of me.”
That smile looked incredibly happy and lovable, making my face burn. Unable to hold back her embarrassment, I turned my head away, and Estelle laughed softly.
“Even the Hero who blushes is adorable♥.”
#
While Estelle prepared, I went out of the room first to look for Celine, who was waiting for us on the first floor.
Celine was already seated at the table in the inn’s lobby. When she felt my presence, she turned her gaze toward me.
And with a mischievous look she said, “Did you have fun last night?”
“…Thanks to you.”
“Fuhaha, so honest. I thought you’d be more shy.”
“If I were shy, you’d tease me.”
With a creak, I pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
“Where did you sleep?”
“Here. I explained the situation to the innkeeper, and he kindly allowed me to stay.”
“…Heh heh.”
Celine’s gaze moved slightly behind my back. That gaze was aimed exactly at the Holy Sword sheathed on my back. Seeing the changed blade of the sword, Celine let out a snicker.
“If the Holy Saint only liked that, I wondered what would happen, but it turns out the Hero isn’t honest either.”
“…Don’t tease me.”
“Fufu, I’ll tease you a little.”
Celine covered the book and said, “Are you going as soon as the Holy Saint comes down?”
“Did you hear that too? The place in Bourbon City…”
“Yes, I heard. The place where the Holy Saint knows someone lived is the place we should get a hint from.”
It would be better to leave as soon as Estelle came down.
…No.
“First.”
“What?”
Grumble.
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat first.”
“…Fuhaha, that’s right. You worked hard exercising yesterday.”
“Celine!?”
“Ahahaha!”
Before Estelle came down, I had already asked her to prepare breakfast, and I received the book Celine had been reading and started reading it.
I wasn’t really reading it; I was just idly glancing at it out of boredom. I hadn’t learned enough letters yet to read the book comfortably.
“What kind of article is this?”
When I pointed out the unusually long article, Celine kindly explained it.
“It says that a large number of mutation stone smuggling routes were discovered in the capital of the Minerva Kingdom, Athens. Did you do this, Hero?”
“Ah, yes. I left the remnants to be handled at the Athens temple… I guess it worked out.”
“During that process, it seems the Royal Magic Academy students helped. That article.”
…Royal Magic Academy? A name that suddenly came to mind.
“Eh.”
“Why is that?”
Cloe.
That girl who had said she would come find me two years later when I graduated, and that she liked me.
“Eh…?”
“Hero?”
…Damn, what do I do?
Thinking about it, I had already eaten Estelle…! Not only that, but we had already confirmed each other’s hearts…
“…There’s no other way but to have a P x 2.”
“What?”
“No, no. Just a slip of the tongue.”
“Sorry, I’m a little late.”
At the sound of Estelle’s voice coming from the stairs, I turned my head. Estelle, stepping down one step at a time, was wearing the black priestly robes.
…Same clothes as usual, but why do you look so different?
“Holy Saint, your face is so shiny~?”
“C-Celine. Don’t tease me…”
“So, how is it? You’re glad you spoke honestly, right?”
Estelle glanced at me for a moment, then turned her gaze away and nodded.
…Incredibly cute.
“Ahem!…I had the meal ordered. You didn’t eat anything yesterday either.”
“I was hungry anyway. Thank you, Abel.”
Estelle smiled sweetly as she expressed her gratitude.
…What should I do. I can’t adapt to this.
Was she always this pretty? No, she was pretty, but the feeling was too different.
“Elsie.”
“!”
Celine was giggling.
Stop it, you pervert!
“…What are you so shy about, Abel♡.”
“W-what do you mean.”
Estelle gave me a gentle wink.
No, don’t laugh like that. My heart is in turmoil right now.
“Am I that pretty?”
“…W-when did I ever…”
“Pervert♡.”
“…….”
…Damn.
Yeah, I lost.
#
After finishing our meal, we moved our feet according to Estelle’s guidance. There was no need to search for information; it was convenient.
…But the excuse about looking for information tomorrow after entering the inn yesterday was obviously a lie.
“…Heh heh.”
From the very beginning, it was on the palms of two people.
“Here it is. As far as I know, no one is living there now, so you can just go in.”
“Really?”
It was still private property, though.
The place Estelle guided us to was a brick house of moderate size, neither too large nor too small. The gray brick walls and the red brick roof looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Even though it was private property…”
“Actually, it’s tied to the church. I am a priest of that church, so it’s fine.”
“Ah.”
Estelle opened the door with a creak. The door opened surprisingly easily, so it seemed well managed.
“Cough!”
As soon as we opened the door, a thick cloud of dust rose on the wind. Thanks to that, Estelle, who had entered first, coughed from the dust inside.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine… oh♡ Abel, were you worried about me just now~? Even as a scrub♡.”
“…It was just a lot of dust.”
…Yeah, this is the Estelle I know. I felt a familiar taste I had missed.
“The church has already sorted through the belongings once, so there might not be anything we can expect here.”
“Eh, really? Then we should go to the church, right?”
“Even so, just in case, I came to look. If nothing is here, we have to go to the Pope’s Palace. Isn’t that obvious, you dummy Abel♡.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
…You talk like usual, but why are you so cute?
“Then let’s each look around and gather in the living room.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Estelle went to search the second-floor rooms, and I searched the living room and kitchen, while Celine searched the remaining rooms on the first floor. After searching for a while, Celine in one of the first-floor rooms shouted loudly.
“There’s something!”
Estelle and I went toward Celine, and she showed us something.
“This is…”
…A safe?