The Birth of the New Saintess (3)
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I began walking exactly as the attendant instructed. The attendant pointed out the path and then vanished. We passed through a corridor so impossibly long that I wondered if such a place could even exist inside the Grand Temple. It felt like spatial magic had been installed throughout the building. There was no other way to explain walking in a straight line for a full thirty minutes inside the Grand Temple unless it was spatial magic at work.
After walking for quite a while, a table crafted from various luminous stones came into view. A self-illuminating table? It looked incredibly valuable. I was staring at it in confusion because nothing else was visible when—
Three voices began to emerge from within the table. It was as if they were speaking through it. The table started to vibrate, and then three people were summoned forth from its surface.
One was a benevolent-looking grandmother with hair so long it nearly touched the floor. Another was a young man with completely bleached white hair and a thick beard. The last was a woman whose face was hidden behind her clothing. As soon as they saw me, they began to gasp in admiration. They examined every detail of my appearance as if beholding someone completely beyond their imagination.
What on earth were they talking about while looking at me? Saying that the heavenly order and fate had been disturbed and twisted... did that mean things hadn't gone according to the original destiny? It felt like they knew about the world before the regressions. And they said they sensed some kind of aura from my hair. My hair was a blessing from the statue—Lady Raphael. Did it have something to do with that?
Just who were these Grand Bishops? I'd never met them before the regression, but it was clear they knew something. I decided to ask directly.
"Um... what kind of aura did you sense from my hair?"
".....!!"
"You idiot! That mouth of yours is the problem!"
"What? She's going to find out eventually anyway! Might as well be sooner rather than later."
"Hooooong, do you know why your hair changed like that?"
"I do. Is that a problem?"
".........."
Crack.
The grandmother suddenly released a wave of power as she spoke.
"Hehehe... Little one. Do you even understand what you just said?"
"Puhuhuhu."
"...You're laughing?"
"I'm not scared of that much. Lady Saintess is way scarier, you know."
At my words, the grandmother priestess suddenly burst into loud laughter. She looked at me with kind eyes and spoke in a slow, measured tone.
"Hehehe... What an interesting Saintess we've received."
Whooooosh—
The grandmother Grand Bishop gathered her power back in and spoke.
"...I am Grand Bishop Olga. I shall serve the new Saintess."
".....!!"
"Hmm... This is unexpected..."
"Does that mean her talent is that exceptional?"
The other two Grand Bishops conferred briefly before swearing their loyalty to me.
"I am Grand Bishop Kazad. I shall attend the future Saintess."
"I am Grand Bishop Zollas. I pledge my loyalty to you."
The three Grand Bishops had suddenly become incredibly friendly toward me. What was going on? Did this have something to do with my hair?
"As the next Saintess, I have a question."
"Yes?"
"What does my hair signify?"
"..."
"...Sigh, you idiot. Why did you have to say anything..."
"Ahem..."
"Hehe... Everyone, calm down. The hair that the Saintess possesses appears when one's divinity reaches its absolute peak."
"...When divinity reaches its peak?"
"Yes. That's why I asked earlier—whether you knew the reason your hair had changed."
"Right now, your hair is even brighter than the current Saintess's."
"The current Saintess's hair is 87.76547% Pure White. The next Saintess's hair is 100% Pure White."
"More precisely, your potential is 100% Pure White."
"Currently, since you haven't trained yet, it's at 56.783547% Pure White. But the more you train, the closer it will get to 100%."
"And once it reaches 100%, you will stand as the strongest Saintess in history."
.....What the hell did I just hear?
Did that mean my hair was going to turn the exact same color as that insanity-inducing shade? And how could Grand Bishop Olga even tell my hair color apart? Why was my hair getting brighter anyway? Was this really what a Saintess was supposed to be? Was this whole thing some kind of elaborate prank?
Goddess... just what the hell is Pure White? Have all the priests and people of the Holy Kingdom gone completely insane?
My head was spinning... I wanted to see Ian...... Sob.
Even though Sein had fallen into a state of confusion, Grand Bishop Olga continued speaking as if performing some kind of brainwashing.
"...You have already reached the pinnacle of divinity once before."
"That must be why you possess Pure White hair instead of ordinary white."
"Therefore, let us begin your Saintess education at once and help you be reborn as a true Saintess."
Having said her piece, Grand Bishop Olga began introducing herself and the others.
I wondered what exactly Olga would be teaching me.
"I will teach you the proper mindset and doctrine of a Saintess."
"The priest beside me, Kazad, will teach you martial arts and holy magic."
"Finally, Priest Zollas will teach you about miracles."
Finally, proper Saintess training! Ever since I got here, all I'd seen was that damn Pure White and regular white. I needed to finish this education quickly and get back to Ian!
"I see. So do we begin training tomorrow?"
"Oh? The new Saintess is full of enthusiasm."
"Unfortunately, you won't be seeing us for the next month."
"For the next month, you will learn how to live in this place. So please study diligently."
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang—
Someone was pounding violently on the door. It sounded like an enraged bull.
"Oh dear... Time is already up. You should go now."
"...Yes, understood. I'll see you next time."
When I opened the door, the Saintess was there to escort me. So the person who had been hammering on the door like a madwoman earlier was also the Saintess...? I really shouldn't mess with her.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
After the Saintess and the next Saintess left, the Grand Bishops remained where they were instead of departing.
"...It's certain. She is the new variable."
"Zollas. Are you sure?"
"Yes. To be precise, she is an artificial variable. Someone intervened with the scales, and the result is that Saintess."
Something that could never have happened under normal circumstances.
"Whoever it is, they've completely disrupted the heavenly order. That's good for us."
"Hehehe... I sensed traces of Lady Raphael from the next Saintess..."
".....!! Lady Raphael's??"
"So it really was her trace? From the next Saintess?"
"Old woman, are you certain?"
"Ugh... You brats! Trust me already! I definitely felt Lady Raphael's aura. Tsk tsk..."
"......"
"Then... could it be that Lady Raphael... is watching over us...!"
"Lady Raphael is the one and only being who does not belong to the scales yet can touch them."
"Lady Raphael..."
Zollas and Kazad offered prayers to Raphael. Once they finished, Grand Bishop Olga spoke.
"Hehehe... Do you understand now why I swore loyalty to that child?"
"Normally I would have been a bit harsh and forceful, but that child carries His aura."
"She is surely destined to become the light that will stand against the coming disaster!"
Lady Raphael, who met such a cruel fate and passed away... Even now, you continue to move for the sake of this world. This Olga shall follow your will.
"Originally, the current Saintess would have become a witch, killed us all, and led the Holy Kingdom to ruin..."
That's why I didn't get along with the current Saintess... To think she was fated to become a witch who would destroy the world. How ominous. But thanks to Lady Raphael's power, she has been freed from that horrific fate.
"But whether it is Lady Raphael's will or not... this time, things are different."
"Therefore, never forget that our mission is to raise Sein excellently. It is the way we protect the world!"
"Understood!!"
The three Grand Bishops knew about Raphael. Just what was Raphael's true identity that these three Grand Bishops had turned into docile lambs? Only the Goddess herself would know.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Saintess Audrey grabbed Sein's arm as they left the long corridor.
"Haa... Sein. Are you alright? Those damned bastards didn't threaten you, did they?"
"They didn't injure you with magic, did they?"
Audrey examined every inch of Sein's body, checking for any wounds.
"Phew... It looks like you're fine."
"That old hag didn't curse you, did she?"
"Huh...? She said she would swear loyalty to me...?"
Step—
"...What? Did I hear that wrong? Who did what?"
"That person named Olga said she would swear loyalty to me..."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
"That old hag even told you her name????"
"Uh... yes..."
"Has she finally gone senile...? That can't be..."
Audrey paced back and forth in front of Sein, looking anxious.
"The other two also swore loyalty to me... Is there a problem?"
"..............."
"Who exactly are you? Are you a god or something?"
"Eh...???"
"For those devilish creatures to pledge their loyalty... Sein, are you a goddess?"
"......"
Damn it, what the hell am I supposed to do when the Saintess herself calls me a god...? This Holy Kingdom really needs to be destroyed...
[Due to the effect of the Baptism of Divinity, you will not fall into corruption.]
Huk... Sein, get a grip... The Saintess might be a bit crazy and the Holy Kingdom might be even more insane, but if it's for Ian, I can endure it. Let's go! Fighting!