Homecoming (10)
Though only briefly, I found myself exchanging all sorts of conversation with the Young Master.
At first we discussed the matter of the neighboring country's invasion, and once that topic wound down, the talk drifted into lighter everyday matters.
"I'm glad you've been well, even if it's only been a few days."
"I'm glad you look well yourself, Young Master."
I'd been worried he might still be brooding over his failed confession…
"Ha, haha…"
The Young Master's eyes darkened.
"Young Master? Still no word from the Church, I take it?"
"Word? What word do you mean?"
Hmm? After spending that much money, he isn't even keeping track?
"The equipment."
"Ah. It should be finished by now."
"Right. The gear we commissioned ought to be arriving soon."
From the standpoint of reinforcing our combat strength, I was eager for news.
"Indeed. It will be useful for our forces."
"Ah, Young Master—you send reports back to your territory, don't you?"
"Yes, of course I send reports. Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking of asking you to include a letter of mine when you send a messenger."
The Young Master smiled gently, looking more pleased than anything.
"Of course. I'd be happy to help."
"I still need to collect your sword, after all."
The Young Master rose from his seat and brought over a quill and paper.
"Thank you."
Should I keep the letter brief?
"Mary, is there anything you need, or anything you'd like me to pass along to the Church?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Is that so…?"
Damn. I don't really have anything proper to write…
Should I just jot something down roughly? Ask when the commissioned goods would arrive, instruct them to disguise the shipment as a merchant caravan if the items had already come in, and stress the need for absolute secrecy…
Once I'd scrawled out everything I wanted to say, I pulled out the pendant.
"What's that?"
"Something I received at my investiture. Turns out it can also serve as a seal."
More precisely, the Saintess's emblem portion was specially made so it could function as a seal. Ordinary nuns' and priests' tokens didn't even have names engraved on them, so they couldn't prove anyone's identity—but the Saintess's emblem was different.
It was something only I possessed, so it served as proof.
At any rate, I pressed the emblem onto the paper and left its mark.
Sister Mary took one look at the now-smudged Saintess emblem, carefully took it from me, and began wiping it clean.
I waited for the ink on my roughly written letter to dry, then carefully folded it, slipped it into an envelope, and sealed it.
"Here."
"Received. You needn't worry about any inspection or the like."
"All right. I'll trust you."
The Young Master hesitated for a moment, then clenched his fist and opened his mouth.
"Have you finished your business…?"
The question was careful, tinged with unease.
"Uh, well…"
Technically, yes, my business was done.
"Y-yes. My business is finished."
"Are you heading back right away?"
Hmm…
"Would you care to stay and talk a little longer?"
The thought crossed my mind that we'd already been talking this whole time—but my mouth said something else entirely.
"Sure."
The moment the word left me, the Young Master let out a long breath of relief.
"I'll have tea and refreshments prepared."
He stepped out for a moment, and I let the tension drain from my body.
"Haa…"
What on earth did I just say? Why did I say that? But it's not like there's anything waiting for me back in the village. Spending a little time here isn't so bad, is it?
I glanced over at Sister Mary. For some reason, she was watching me with a soft smile.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Nothing. Since we're already out, we may as well enjoy ourselves before heading back."
Something about Sister Mary's smile rubbed me the wrong way. It felt as though she were treating me like a child. I was eighteen now—a proper adult by any measure…
Of course, Sister Mary was older than me, but not by some enormous gap. Wait—was seven years a big difference?
A short while later, the Young Master returned with tea and refreshments.
Calling them refreshments was generous; there was no expensive, elaborate cake—just a few simple cookies, and the teacup was an ordinary cup holding ordinary tea.
Well, considering the location, even this was impressive.
"They're nothing special, I'm afraid…"
"Oh, come on. It's fine."
I tried the tea first. Compared to what I'd tasted before, it was certainly ordinary. Still, for a commoner, it would have been a luxury. The cookies were crisp, with a subtle sweetness. Compared to the sugar-heavy desserts I'd eaten in the Capital, they barely registered as sweet at all.
"They're good."
Since becoming a woman, I'd found myself reaching for sweet things far more often. But looking back, it wasn't the sweetness itself—I just liked desserts.
The Young Master and I talked about everything that had happened in that short span of time.
I told him about the goings-on in the village and gave him news of Priest Daniel, while the Young Master…
"Being stuck in the manor, everyone teases me so relentlessly. It's exhausting."
Well, they tease you because you're worth teasing…
I barely managed to keep that remark from flying out of my mouth. We kept chatting over tea, and before I knew it, lunchtime had come and gone.
"It's already this late."
"So it is. W-would you care to stay for lunch?"
The offer was genuinely kind. But keeping the Young Master occupied any longer would be an imposition… and it was about time we headed back to the village.
"I appreciate the invitation, but we should be getting back."
"I understand."
The Young Master saw us off with a look of regret. Beside him stood several people who appeared to be his aides, and they kept studying Sister Mary and me with no small amount of scrutiny…
It was a little embarrassing to admit, but it felt as though they were sizing me up—wondering whether I was a suitable match for the Young Master—and the feeling was oddly complicated.
But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
Why? Because of who I was, of course! No matter what those people beside him might say, the moment my identity as the Church's Saintess came to light, they'd have nothing left to pick at.
Laughing in their faces when that day came would be rather satisfying.
"Then I'll see you next time."
"Yes. Until next time."
With the Young Master's farewell, we set off back to the village.
Along the way, Sister Mary suddenly asked a question.
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Pardon?"
"You looked happy."
Hearing that, I brought a hand to my mouth. Feeling it with my own fingers, I realized my lips were curved upward.
"H-huh?"
Did I… enjoy my time with the Young Master?
"W-well… I-I mean, it was enjoyable, so…"
Suddenly flustered, I stammered out something that wasn't quite an explanation. Sister Mary simply watched me and smiled quietly to herself.
After my conversation with the Young Master, I got on with various tasks of my own.
First, the beacon. The Young Master had promised to send military engineers, but in the meantime I threw together something resembling a signal fire inside the village.
Once again, magic did the heavy lifting.
"A beacon, is it? A fine idea you've come up with."
"I got the information from the captain stationed at the outpost."
"I see. Whoever that is must be quite capable."
The Instructor seemed a little more at ease looking at the beacon. Near it, I set out firewood and tools for lighting a fire in advance.
We still hadn't had a proper discussion about everything, but it would be a comfort at least…
Aside from that, I dug a few small trap pits. They wouldn't collapse under a person's weight, but they couldn't support a horse's. I would have liked to plant stakes inside the pits, but both Father and the Instructor forbade it as too dangerous. I also made them deliberately obvious to the eye.
If someone fell in, all the better; even if they noticed, the traps were meant to guide the enemy's movements. And once their movements were guided? That was when my magic—or Fram and Lehern—would take the stage.
"You said you were going to the Forest of Delusion today?"
"Yes. I want to see if there's any useful material to be found."
I did worry about what would happen if the barbarians attacked while I was gone, but it wasn't that far, and we had the beacon now…
Sister Mary and my sister would both be staying behind, so it should be fine.
In particular, I'd left all the Fram and Lehern I had with Sister Mary. With that kind of firepower, they could hold out from the moment they saw the beacon until we made it back.
"I'm ready."
Priest Daniel appeared loaded down with a large bag and several baskets.
"Give me a few of those."
"That won't be necessary."
I really don't mind, though…
"Well then, let's go."
I dragged Priest Daniel along toward the Forest of Delusion.
Truth be told, my sister had wanted to come too, but she had to stay and guard the village.
"I've heard it's a dangerous forest. Will we be all right?"
"All right? Not exactly. That's why we only circle the outer edges and don't go deep inside."
"I see."
I walked along consulting the field guide I'd packed ahead of time. What will I manage to find this time…
If possible, I'd love some bomb materials…
Without sulfur I can't make gunpowder, so that might be tough. Or should I invent a new kind of bomb?
I'd gather materials first and think about it later.
No matter how many times I came, the Forest of Delusion always gave off an ominous air.
"What an extraordinary forest."
Priest Daniel looked overwhelmed—this was clearly his first time in a place like this.
Without hesitation, I moved naturally through the surroundings, searching for anything useful.
"First, let's take these and these."
I snatched one of the baskets from Priest Daniel's hands and immediately filled it with what I'd found.
"What are those?"
"Edible mushrooms."
Foodstuffs first.
"Oh, and these too."
I grabbed another basket and filled it.
"Soapwort, I see."
"Yes. I figured we ought to make some soap as well."
"So that's why you brought so many different baskets—to keep things separate."
Priest Daniel smiled and began helping with the work.
"Exactly. Some of these things are dangerous if they get mixed together."
I gathered poisonous mushrooms and toxic herbs as well.
"Those look like poison mushrooms no matter how you look at them."
Watching Priest Daniel tremble slightly in fear made me laugh.
No time to waste—I needed to keep moving and cover as much ground as I could.