A Saintess's Request
I headed to the Holy Kingdom with a single purpose.
"I have something to say, Hestia."
"Please don't."
"...Huh?"
"I said, please don't."
······?
The moment I spoke, the bewildering reaction that came from Hestia left me momentarily wondering what on earth I had done wrong.
"······Hestia, are you upset with me?"
"No, I'm not."
"Come on... Don't be mad. Just tell me what's going on."
"...It's really not like that. It's just······."
Hestia puffed her cheeks out slightly. ...Why does this woman seem to be getting cuter and more coquettish by the day? It's not like she's studying it anywhere... Could this be some kind of natural talent...?
While I was inwardly shocked, she—who had been making that adorable face—continued speaking.
"I thought you were about to say you were going somewhere again."
"...Again? Have I ever said something like that before?"
"Yes. I remember it clearly."
"······Ah."
...Well, thinking about it, she wasn't wrong. There were times when I had to slip away, and I'd make up excuses like that whenever Hestia showed up at a bad moment... But she figured out my behavior from just that? As far as I remembered, I'd only used that trick a few times...
"It's intuition."
"Pardon?"
"I said it's intuition. I figured you'd ask how I knew, so······."
······At this point, it was genuinely starting to scare me. You're not some unknown monster hiding your true identity like me, are you...?
I quietly raised Hestia's danger level in my mind. Whether she knew it or not, she simply waited for my answer with innocent eyes. Under that heavy gaze, I had no choice but to speak.
"The truth is···."
"Please tell me."
"I've decided to stay in the Holy Kingdom for a while."
"···The Holy Kingdom?"
Hestia tilted her head with a look that clearly said she had no idea what I was talking about and wanted an explanation. Since she had become one of the people closest to me recently, I decided to be completely honest this time.
"I think I need to go to the Holy Kingdom for treatment purposes."
"Oh, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"No, it's not... I'm not going as a patient. I'm going to be the one doing the treating."
"...Pardon?"
Hestia tilted her head even further, her expression growing more confused. Well, it was true that it sounded strange for someone who wasn't even a priest to head to the Holy Kingdom for treatment purposes without being a patient... I really was a peculiar case.
"I don't think I've ever mentioned this to you, Hestia, but I actually studied healing in the past."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. The reason I'm going to the Holy Kingdom is to investigate an illness that can't be cured with divine power."
"······."
Hestia wore a slightly suspicious expression for a moment, but it quickly changed into one full of concern as she asked me,
"···Will you be alright?"
"With what?"
"The illness. If you catch it by mistake, it could be disastrous."
Worry about the right things. Do you really think I'd catch something like that?
...I could have said that, but I wasn't rude enough to be harsh with someone who was genuinely worried about me.
"I'll be fine. I heard it's not contagious. The priests who are currently caring for the infected are all perfectly healthy, so it's certain."
"···Then that's a relief."
Well, I'm not sure if you could call it a relief...
What if the thing eating away at Yulia wasn't a curse, but a real illness...? And what if that illness was still in its incubation period and simply hadn't become contagious yet...?
In the worst case, the entire Holy Kingdom could be put on emergency alert. Of course, the chances of it being a disease that dangerous were almost nonexistent. If it were that risky, there's no way I wouldn't have known about it...
"Haha, thanks for worrying about me. Well then, I should get going. Hestia···."
"···Are you heading straight to the Holy Kingdom?"
"No. The warp gate approval hasn't come through yet, so I heard I need to wait a bit. Probably tomorrow or the day after?"
"Then······."
I was about to head back to the dormitory when Hestia suddenly grabbed my arm. Wondering if she had something to say, I stopped and waited for her to speak.
For a moment, Hestia just opened and closed her mouth hesitantly, fidgeting... Then, in an incredibly timid manner, she said to me,
"···Today... Could you... spend some time with me...?"
"······Pfft!"
" ?!!?!?!!?!!! "
At that adorable sight, I accidentally burst out laughing. Hestia's face turned as red as Sabina's hair. I almost laughed again, but thankfully managed to hold it in this time.
To keep myself from letting my guard down, I imagined Elisha's murderous glare in my mind as I spoke to Hestia.
"Alright. Is there anywhere you want to go?"
"······."
"I won't tease you, so just say it quickly."
When I pressed her, Hestia finally lowered her head completely and mumbled in a voice as small as an ant,
"···If it's with you... anywhere is fine···."
After spending the rest of the day wandering around with Hestia and doing all sorts of things, the next day arrived. In the meantime, because I'd already spoken with the school in advance, my absence while I was in the Holy Kingdom wouldn't be counted as skipping class. Please don't ask how that's possible. Explaining the method would be quite troublesome...
Anyway, the warp gate usage permit came through faster than expected, so the moment I woke up, I headed to the Academy's church dormitory where the direct warp gate to the Holy Kingdom was installed.
The moment I arrived at the dormitory entrance, I saw Arie—as always—wearing a suspicious smile. When she noticed me, she greeted me with that shady grin of hers.
"Hehe, you came quickly. My assistant···."
"It's an urgent situation, after all. I'm worried about Miss Yulia, who's probably writhing in pain even now, so I came as fast as I could."
"······Thank you."
Arie had been trying to stick to her usual concept, but my words must have touched her, because she gave me a sincere thank-you that showed genuine gratitude. As expected, even though she acted like nothing was wrong on the surface, no one cared about Yulia more sincerely than she did.
Those kinds of emotions were something I had lost long ago, so I found her truly impressive. At the same time, I also felt a bit sorry for her. It was rare for a powerful person with a weakness to meet a good end, after all...
In that moment, Hestia and Elisha—who didn't even have ordinary friends, let alone precious people—seemed even more remarkable. Those women really were born with the talent to become Transcendents... Even when it came to social relationships.
"Ahem... I'll guide you to the warp gate. As soon as you arrive in the Holy Kingdom, my assistant should head straight to the papal infirmary where Yulia is. If you explain that you're an Academy student who came for treatment purposes, you should be able to enter easily."
"Aren't you coming with me, Boss?"
"······No. I've decided to focus on my Academy life."
I see... It looked like Arie was still bound by Yulia's words telling her to attend the Academy diligently. Honestly, what Yulia had really wanted to say was probably something like "Just don't cause any unnecessary trouble"...
It would be best not to interfere too deeply in their relationship and just stay quiet... but saying a few words should be fine, right...?
I spoke to her in a formal tone, as if I were simply saying something offhand.
"Yes, I understand for now. However, in my opinion, I think Miss Yulia would also want to see you, Boss."
"······."
Arie didn't answer. But I could tell. With that short sentence of mine, deep inside her heart, the desire to 'see Yulia' and the sense of duty to 'attend the Academy diligently' were clashing violently...
As she gazed toward the warp gate with misty eyes, I added one more light comment.
"Don't think about it too deeply."
"···What do you mean by that···?"
"Sometimes, the right answer is to just follow your heart."
"······."
I wondered if Arie had understood the meaning behind my words... It was hard to read her thoughtful expression, but I was certain she would make some kind of decision soon. The rest was up to her...
Deciding not to pay any more attention, I walked toward the warp gate. Whether Arie had arranged it in advance or not, there was no one at the administrator's post. Thanks to that, I was able to use the church-exclusive warp gate without worrying about anyone else's gaze.
"Boss, I'll be going then."
"······Assistant."
I was about to step into the warp gate, leaving her still lost in thought... when Arie stopped me in a small voice.
Her usual smile had completely vanished from her face... She spoke to me with the most sincere attitude she had ever shown.
"Please... take good care of Yulia for me···."
Arie said those words with a face full of worry... There was only one answer I could give her.
"Don't worry, Boss...!"
I gave Arie a thumbs-up and threw myself into the warp gate.