The Light Church
When I opened my eyes, just like always, Saintess Iris's massive breasts were there to greet me right where they always were.
'They look even bigger today.'
Maybe it was because the events during the practical training had been so spectacular, but it felt like ages since I'd last seen her enormous chest. As I stared blankly at her breasts, a hand suddenly shot out and smacked my forehead.
Smack!
"Stop staring and get up!"
"Ah…"
"Don't make that disappointed face! Hurry!"
At the Saintess's scolding, I forced the image of her breasts out of my mind and sat up.
"Thank you, Saintess. I always end up owing you."
"Hmph! You sure talk nicely. If you're really grateful, why don't you help out with some work?"
"Work?"
When I tilted my head at the sudden suggestion, the Saintess explained as if she'd been waiting for the question.
"That's right! I always go to the church on weekends to work. How about coming with me? The Goddess's blessing will surely descend upon Luan as well!"
"I'm sorry, but I have something to do on Saturday…"
When I awkwardly smiled and tried to refuse, the Saintess said it was no problem and changed the schedule.
"Then we can go on Sunday!"
"Hmm…"
"Why? You don't want to go?"
"It's not that, but what would I even do if I went?"
"There is something! Even if there isn't, I'll make one, so don't worry. So we're going to the church together on Sunday. Got it?"
"…Understood."
I didn't know why she was so insistent on taking me, but figuring nothing serious could happen, I reluctantly accepted the offer. The Saintess clapped her hands together and grinned.
"Good thinking! Then let's meet at the recovery room at 6 a.m.!"
"That early?"
"Early? Of course we have to if we're going to attend morning prayers! Don't tell me you can't wake up then? In that case, I'll come to the dorm to wake you—"
"No, it's fine. I can get up."
I quickly cut her off before she could finish. I couldn't even imagine the chaos that would erupt if she came to the dorm to wake me on a weekend morning. If strange rumors started spreading, I might even get marked by the church members who cherished the Saintess dearly. I had no desire to invite that kind of trouble.
Deciding she might say something else, I hurriedly got off the bed.
"Then let's meet at the recovery room at 6 on Sunday. I have things to do, so I'll be going now."
"Ah! Wait a moment! I still have something to say…"
As expected, she wasn't finished. Ignoring the Saintess's attempt to stop me, I left the recovery room.
And just like that, Sunday arrived in the blink of an eye.
*
"Over here! Over here!"
At the entrance of the recovery room, the Saintess, surrounded by priests, jumped up and down while waving her hand. The movement made her massive breasts bounce violently up and down, drawing the eye.
'See, people really should wake up early.'
Feeling my energy fully restored in an instant, I approached the Saintess, savoring the reward of having risen at dawn. The priests' gazes pierced through me.
—Try anything to the Saintess and see what happens.
—You won't die easily!
—If you don't want to meet the inquisitors, you'd better be careful!
Even though they didn't speak, I could understand everything from their eyes. But there was one thing the priests overlooked. I had a rebellious streak that made me want to do something even more when told not to.
I held out my hand to the Saintess.
"Then let's go."
"Eh? Ah, yes! This way!"
The Saintess tilted her head in confusion at my unusual action, but soon decided it didn't matter and took my hand, leading me outside. Thanks to that, the priests' stares grew even sharper, which only amused me more.
After leaving the recovery room behind, I let go of her hand once we were out of the priests' sight. The Saintess, who had been walking lightly, flinched.
"Hm? What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
"No. It's just a bit hot today. I thought my hand might get sweaty, so I let go. More importantly, what are we going to do at the church?"
"First, we'll greet the Goddess separately, then attend morning prayers, have lunch, and then hold confession time. We'll share the pain of the believers!"
"Is that so? Then I guess I won't have anything particular to do."
"No! Luan will be my escort. It's a very important role, so you must remember that!"
At those words, I looked around.
'Come to think of it, there are no paladins.'
I didn't know if she was truly entrusting her safety to me or if she simply didn't need an escort since we'd be heading straight to the church anyway, but there was no one else beside her except me. Feeling an inexplicable sense of heavy responsibility, I found myself unnecessarily on guard.
"Isn't this dangerous? I'm really weak, you know."
"It's fine. I'm quite strong myself. If any bad people come, I'll take care of them!"
The Saintess confidently declared this while clenching her small, delicate hands into fists. I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Then I'm not really an escort, am I? Does it even mean anything?"
"It does! So don't even think about running away."
"I've never thought of that."
"Anyway, hurry up! We're almost there."
While we were talking, we had already arrived near the church. In the distance, I could see the statue of the Goddess of Light standing in the fountain, and behind it, the pristine white buildings of the church came into view. Priests were already bustling about since early morning.
Soon, as we approached, the priests' gazes all focused on the Saintess at once.
"Oh my, Saintess. You're here already?"
"We've been waiting for you, Saintess."
"Haha! You look truly beautiful today as well."
They looked just like fans meeting their idol. The Saintess smiled brightly and waved at the priests who swarmed around her like ants, each offering a word.
"Good morning, everyone! Could you make way? I need to pass through. I have a guest with me today!"
The moment she mentioned a guest, the priests' heads turned toward me in unison. Their eyes scanned my entire body sharply. Faced with an intensity even stronger than the priests at the recovery room, my body stiffened involuntarily. Bracing myself for a possible outburst from overzealous fans, they instead smiled and stepped aside.
"Haha! I see. Understood."
"Please go ahead, Saintess."
"Thank you, everyone!"
After expressing her gratitude, the Saintess walked down the path the priests had opened toward the church. I followed her and glanced back. The priests were pointing at the Saintess, making groping motions with their hands, then drawing their thumbs across their throats in a threatening gesture. It seemed to mean that if I laid a hand on the Saintess's body, they'd kill me. I doubted whether these people were really priests.
'Goddess of Light, please manage your followers properly.'
In return for that thought, I muttered something irreverent under my breath and ignored them, entering the church side by side with the Saintess.
The interior was spotless, to put it simply. The solemn atmosphere reminiscent of a library, combined with the wide-open space, left nothing to offend the eye. Everyone here seemed to act with restraint; even upon seeing the Saintess, no one made a fuss like before. Most simply bowed their heads quietly or offered a brief greeting before moving on.
We walked straight to the prayer room where the Goddess's statue stood, without needing to slow our pace. The statue was incredibly beautiful. Whether the Goddess truly looked like this or if the followers had simply beautified her at will, there was nothing to criticize from an aesthetic standpoint. Her hair, long enough to touch the floor, was like silk, and her delicate features were perfectly proportioned in golden ratio, leaving no room for personal taste. Moreover, her breasts were violently massive, on par with the Saintess's! It made sense why the Goddess had chosen Iris as the Saintess.
Her waist was so slender it could be encircled with one hand, yet her hips were selfishly wide, creating an outrageous curve. Her buttocks were so alluring that I struggled to control the urge to grab them. If this wasn't the Goddess's actual appearance, I couldn't help but offer my utmost respect to the artisan who sculpted the statue.
While I was diligently ogling the Goddess, the Saintess knelt before the statue.
"Goddess. Saintess Iris has arrived. Please forgive this one's frequent absences."
She clasped her hands together and whispered, maintaining the posture for a long while. Her devotion was truly sincere. Which made me even more curious. Why would the one receiving such reverence from this excellent Saintess try to capture the possessed ones? And how was she feeling right now?
'That possessed one is right in front of you. Don't you have anything to say?'
While I stared at the statue with a mix of playfulness and hostility, something strange caught my eye. Swish— The statue's eyes, which had been facing forward, moved and met my gaze directly. Those multicolored eyes were striking. Beautiful irises that shimmered in seven colors like a spectrum were etched into my mind. Wondering if I'd seen wrong, I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but the statue had returned to its usual white plaster state. The scene I'd just witnessed felt like an illusion.
'Was it my imagination?'
But how likely was it to hallucinate while wide awake and not tired? More than anything, though brief, the mysterious magical power and the divinity that naturally made my heart reverent from those eyes had been real. Perhaps the Goddess had truly noticed my identity and manifested for a moment.
A tightening pressure gripped my heart.
'It's fine. Nothing happened.'
Even if I had truly faced the Goddess, she currently seemed to lack the power to intervene any further. If she could, she would have immediately descended into the Saintess's body to capture me. At the very least, she would have instructed her followers to try and seize me.
I quickly regained my composure.
'Just what kind of situation is this?'
The Goddess of Light, Lephentia. There must be some important issue preventing her from intervening in the mortal realm. Perhaps that was even the reason I had possessed this body.
While I was busy forming and discarding various hypotheses, the Saintess's prayer finally came to an end.
"Luan, let's go to the cathedral now! The other believers will be waiting."
"…Yes, let's. By the way, Saintess, did anything happen just now?"
"Happen? Why? Is there something strange?"
"No. If nothing happened, then it's fine. Let's go."
When I trailed off, the Saintess narrowed her eyes as if asking what I was hiding. Still, when I remained silent, she sighed and led the way to the cathedral.
'The Saintess doesn't seem to know anything, at least.'
If there had been even the slightest mention, she wouldn't be able to stay this calm. The Saintess couldn't lie.
Feeling somewhat relieved, I headed to the cathedral with her. Preparations for the prayer were in full swing there. The Saintess and I sat in the front row, waiting for the prayer to begin. Directly in front of us, an enormous statue of the Goddess, incomparable to the one I'd seen earlier, looked down upon me.
'She won't glare at me again, will she?'
If such a bizarre phenomenon occurred while hundreds of eyes were focused on us, things would get complicated. With that worry in mind, the morning prayer began.