A Guide in Name Only
Thus, at her request, I ended up remaining by Alice's side in a somewhat unexpected way. All under the pretext of guiding her and Rita around the Academy. …In truth, while that pretext came attached, there wasn't really anything for me to do. Alice's schedule at the Academy was already fixed, and though the campus was large, it wasn't so complicated that it required a dedicated guide. Just as Alice had said, a guide truly wasn't necessary.
So if the role of guide was nothing more than a nominal excuse for me to join Alice's entourage, what exactly was I supposed to do? The answer was simple: quietly follow behind Alice and Rita. Strictly speaking, I did attend lectures with them… but since that didn't fall within the scope of my 'role,' it was fair to say I was essentially doing nothing at all.
Well, it was a slightly… no, quite a strange position to be in, but if it had been the old me, I would have been overjoyed. After all, regardless of the form it took, I was now able to stay by Alice's side.
However, the current me could not simply rejoice in this situation. The reason was simple. Alice did not welcome me. No, going beyond that, she treated me as if I didn't exist at all. She never spoke to me, nor did she even spare me a glance. She behaved as though the person named me simply wasn't there.
That hurt my heart more than I could bear. It might have been better if she had gotten angry with me. That would have been painful too, but it would have been far better than being completely ignored like this.
“Are you okay?”
Had it shown on my face? Rita looked at me with worry in her eyes and asked. In response, I…
“…Yes, well.”
I told an appropriate lie. The truth was that I wasn't okay, but the words that left my mouth said otherwise. My heart was deeply unsettled, yet I had no intention of wasting this opportunity. If I admitted I wasn't fine here, it would only give Alice an excuse. She, who already disliked me, would smile and drive me away the moment she heard it, saying there was no need to force an uncomfortable situation.
That wasn't what I wanted. As I had said once before, I wished to remain by Alice's side—and the other girls'—in any form possible. Above all, if I allowed any distance to form between us now, Alice would never let me near her again. In that case, the opportunity would essentially vanish. After all, her time at the Academy wouldn't be long enough to wait for another chance.
Therefore, I had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
To me, who had just made that firm resolution, Rita spoke in a mature voice quite unlike her usual tone.
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes.”
Even as I answered, I found myself looking at Rita with fresh eyes. There was still one question that remained unresolved even now: Rita's true intentions.
The fact that I had been allowed to stay by Alice's side in this essentially meaningless position of guide was entirely thanks to Rita. She had brought me along and blocked Alice's objections. It was certainly something to be grateful for, but there were aspects that made it difficult to simply accept and move on. Because there was no reason for her to go this far.
Logically, it made no sense. Allowing an outsider—not even affiliated with the Goddess Church, and a man at that—to remain by the Saintess's side like this was hardly the duty of a Saintess's assistant priestess. Moreover, this situation didn't appear to offer her any clear benefit either. So I still couldn't guess what Rita was thinking. What possible reason she had for creating this arrangement. There were no clues, and she didn't seem inclined to explain herself anytime soon. As a result, I had no choice but to bury that question deep inside for now.
“That person is……”
“The Saintess of Bellinu……”
I could feel the gazes directed toward us. No matter where we went, eyes converged on us. There was no need to search for a reason; it was only natural. Alice possessed an appearance that drew attention all on its own, and above all else, she was a Saintess. She was someone who naturally gathered stares wherever she went.
Even Julia and Lana had drawn every eye when they were at the Academy. However, despite the concentration of gazes, not many people actually approached Alice. In fact, this too could be considered perfectly natural. A Saintess was not an existence one could easily reach.
In Lana's case, she had greeted everyone with kindness, as if no walls existed between her and others. But that was because Lana was special. Originally, a Saintess was not someone ordinary people could casually approach. She was an existence one should feel apologetic even for drawing near. On top of that, Alice's appearance and aura were… how should I describe it? They were far from gentle at first glance. That was probably why people couldn't even bring themselves to approach her.
But the world is wide, and brave souls always exist.
“Good day to you, Saintess.”
While we were moving to attend a lecture, someone approached us. It was a male student wearing the Academy uniform. Since I didn't recognize his face, he clearly wasn't an important figure. Still, judging by his bearing and aura, he appeared to be a noble.
That nameless male student, with a rather handsome face and a gentle smile, walked toward us—toward Alice, to be precise. Then, in an exceedingly polite manner, he opened his mouth.
“It is an honor to meet you, Saintess. If it wouldn't be too much trouble—”
“Get lost.”
The smile on the young man's face shattered in an instant. Confusion swiftly took its place.
“…Pardon?”
To the man who asked again as if doubting his own ears, Alice spoke in a sharp voice.
“I said get lost.”
“……!! I-I'm sorry…!”
Unable to withstand that piercing gaze and overwhelming pressure, the young man fled in a hurry. The surrounding area stirred at the sight. It seemed Alice's personality hadn't spread throughout the Academy yet. Perhaps because she hadn't been here very long.
While observing those gazes, I asked Rita, who was walking beside me.
“…Is it really all right for her to behave like that?”
I had asked out of genuine concern. Alice was a Saintess. And a Saintess could fairly be called the face of the Goddess Church. If she treated people in such a manner, wouldn't it damage the Bellinu Church's reputation? The thought had crossed my mind.
Julia had also refused others' approaches, but she had never spoken harshly. She would simply ignore them. That might not have created the best impression, but I was certain it was better than hurling rude words directly in someone's face.
That was why Alice's current attitude worried me. So I had asked Rita, but…
“Hmm… I suppose it should be fine?”
That was Rita's reply.
“Yes…?”
Her answer was so absurd that I couldn't help reacting that way. It was far too vague. If it was fine, say it was fine. If it wasn't, say it wasn't. What was that ambiguous response supposed to mean?
No, beyond that—could an official priestess of the Bellinu Church really respond so casually?
It was so ridiculous that I stared at her with a somewhat dazed expression. Noticing my gaze, she finally spoke.
“The public opinion toward the Saintess may worsen slightly. It could affect the Church's reputation as well.”
“…Then isn't that a problem?”
“Well. I think it will probably be all right?”
In a nonchalant voice, Rita continued.
“I doubt our Church's reputation would hit rock bottom so easily over something like this.”
“……”
I almost spoke immediately but closed my mouth. When I thought about it, she wasn't entirely wrong. The fundamental doctrine of the Goddess Church was to perform good deeds. For a long time, all three churches had carried out that ideal. As a result, the reputation and perception of the Church could not possibly be any better than it already was.
While Alice's reputation would inevitably have some effect on the Church's, it was highly unlikely that something of this degree would completely tarnish it. Still, that didn't mean there were no issues at all.
“…Even so, won't the Saintess's own reputation suffer?”
Honestly, I wasn't particularly concerned about the Bellinu Church's reputation. What worried me was Alice's reputation and the harm she would suffer because of it. If she treated everyone that way, it was obvious that unpleasant rumors would spread.
“That does seem likely.”
Rita lightly agreed with me. Then she added,
“But I don't think the Saintess cares much about that.”
“……”
She was probably right. I didn't know the current Alice well, but if it was the Alice I remembered, that would certainly be the case. She was a girl who never paid any mind to other people's opinions.
However.
“……”
Even after hearing those words, my heart didn't feel entirely at ease. I couldn't shake off all my worries.
I wanted Alice to be happy. I wanted her to live hearing only kind words. Of course, I knew that was impossible while living in human society. Still, at the very least, I hoped her public image would remain favorable on the surface.
But even though I wished for that, there was nothing the current me could do about it. Right now, I had no connection to Alice… no, worse than that, I was someone who had earned her hostility. I couldn't offer her advice or even have a conversation about her behavior. All I could do was watch with a heavy heart.
“Still, she does seem a little different from usual.”
Rita's voice reached me then. When I quietly turned my eyes toward her, she continued.
“She never allows people to approach her anyway, but she's not usually this sharp.”
At those words, I turned my gaze once more to Alice walking ahead of us.
“……”
An attitude different from usual. It was nothing more than speculation, but I wondered if it was because of me. Perhaps my presence nearby was disturbing her, causing Alice to appear sharper than normal.
“Are you worried?”
Rita suddenly leaned in and asked. I glanced at her once before answering.
“…Yes.”
I calmly revealed my true feelings. I saw no reason to hide them. In response, I felt Rita's quiet, searching gaze upon me, but I didn't ask what she was thinking. Even if I did, she probably wouldn't answer.