Chapter 12 - This, too, must be Vivian's will (1)
This, too, must be Vivian's will (1)
Translator : Elizabeth
"Vivian, what are you going to do?"
"About the Papal State?"
"Yeah. That unni seems to be expecting a lot?"
It has already been 30 minutes since I received the proposal from Lumina to go to the Papal State together. I needed time to think, so I sent everyone except May out of the sanctuary.
"Thinking rationally and coldly, not going is the correct answer."
"I guess so. If it were an ordinary person, maybe, but Vivian isn't like that..."
St. Haven Papal State, a holy nation built under the name of the Goddess. I hear that place is teeming with priests who have received Holy Power from the Goddess.
"Then, you're not going, right?"
For me, a demon, to step into such a place is nonsense in itself. I will undoubtedly get entangled in troublesome matters.
However...
"...Well. Wouldn't it be okay to go just once?"
Would one not make soy sauce for fear of maggots? It is as clear as fire that I will get entangled in troublesome matters. But despite that, my heart has already leaned quite a bit toward the Papal State.
"What?! No, why...?"
"Because it's a golden opportunity to find out for sure about the Goddess's identity."
As soon as I finished answering, May's eyes narrowed strangely for some reason.
"What does that mean?"
"Huh? Just as I said?"
"Don't tell me Vivian doesn't know much about the Goddess?"
May's voice asking back seriously dug into my ears. I slightly lifted the veil blocking my vision to the side and nodded slowly once.
"That makes no sense. You said you were chosen, so how can you not know about the Goddess...?"
"Well that's, you know, because the Goddess sent it unilaterally."
At my calm answer, May made a face as if she would grab the back of her neck and collapse at any moment.
"No, what on earth does that mean..."
"It's hard to believe, but it's true. So I intend to properly learn about the Goddess through this opportunity."
There are plenty of places around to get information even without going to the Papal State. But since I've decided to investigate properly. Wouldn't it be better to find out in the most clear and reliable place rather than relying on hearsay rumors?
"The place where people who know the Goddess best are gathered is the Papal State."
I spoke calmly and lowered the veil I had slightly lifted back down.
"I'm asking just in case, but you don't happen to not even know the Goddess's name, do you...?"
"I don't know."
An answer spat out immediately without a shred of hesitation. Then May's face hardened much more seriously than before.
"What on earth did the Goddess like so much about Vivian..."
May sighed deeply as if dumbfounded and leaned her body gently against the wall. I glanced sideways at May, then turned my gaze again and indifferently picked up a piece of the statue's stone that had fallen on the floor.
"Don't be too harsh. I had my own circumstances too."
"Even so, not even knowing the Goddess's name is..."
"Then do you know it?"
Clutching the broken piece of the statue tightly in my hand, this time I asked May.
"Of course I know. It's Freya-nim."
But contrary to my expectation, May recited the Goddess's name confidently as if it were too obvious. At that moment, the stone piece in my palm trembled finely as if vibrating.
"F-Freya...?"
"To think Vivian doesn't know what even I know... The Goddess will be very sad."
I guess it was basic common sense after all. If even May, who looks only eight or nine years old at most, knows it, then that says it all.
"......."
A strange silence flowed in the sanctuary for a moment. The trembling of the stone piece tickling my palm was slightly bothering me. But even so, I pretended as much as possible that nothing was wrong, shook off my hand, and took a short breath.
"It's fine since I know it now. The Goddess will surely understand too."
I recited quietly as if hypnotizing myself. Then the trembling of the stone piece in my hand subsided like a lie.
"Looking at it this way, I think it's not a bad choice for Vivian to go to the Papal State and learn about the Goddess."
"Huh? Why suddenly?"
"Vivian is a Saintess. But to think you know nothing about the Goddess you serve... does that make sense?"
May spoke in a cynical tone and sighed deeply once again.
"No really, I told you I'm not a Saintess..."
"If Vivian isn't a Saintess, who on earth is a Saintess?"
"How can a demon become a Saintess. She probably just shared a little power with me because she pitied me."
I roughly know that my Holy Power is superior to others. But even so, for me, a demon, to act with the title of Saintess is a bit...
After all, a Saintess must possess a pure heart and strong faith. And she must be a human woman who delivers hope and light to people.
"I don't have a pure heart, nor is my faith strong. And above all, I am not human."
As soon as I finished speaking, May's expression immediately changed to puzzlement.
"That's not exactly wrong... but still, in my eyes, Vivian looks more like a Saintess than anyone else."
May tilted her head greatly as if she couldn't understand at all. To call me a Saintess without a single prejudice even while knowing my identity clearly. What a warm and beautiful heart.
"Hehe, really?"
"Yeah. Vivian is a Saintess no matter who looks at you. So have some confidence."
"Aw shucks... saying it so decisively like that makes me more embarrassed..."
I'm touched. As expected, May is kind and cute.
"But it's true. I can be sure."
"I think May is really kind and cute. I hope you grow up just like this."
"...What are you saying when you're shorter than me?"
"Why bring up height suddenly here?"
"Vivian acted all adult just now. Even though you're shorter than me."
It's a huge relief I'm covering my face with a veil. I almost showed my ugly frowning face to May as it is.
"Hmph, whatever. If you keep talking about height, I won't talk to May."
"Vivian, are you sulking?"
"I'm not sulking. My pride was just slightly scratched."
"Isn't that sulking?"
"It's not sulking."
I'm not someone who falls for such petty provocation. Even if it looks like I'm sulking, I'm absolutely not sulking.
"Well, anyway, putting that aside... in any case, Vivian intends to go to the Papal State, right?"
"Yeah. I'm going."
"You must be this confident because you have something to rely on, right?"
"Something to rely on?"
"Vivian is a demon. If you go blindly, you might get exterminated."
As May said, if I head to the Papal State without any preparation, my identity as a demon will be discovered quickly and I might get exterminated. Even Lumina, the lowest of the Holy Knights, sensed my alien mana at once.
The Papal State is literally a land filled with Holy Power. There is no way I, a demon, can blend in safely in that land where everything is full of light.
"Lumina-ssi said she would assist me. She told me to trust only her?"
"Trust only her... That unni said she was the lowest of the lowest in the Holy Knights."
"She seems to have some scheme. Otherwise, there's no way she would be that confident."
Honestly, trusting only Lumina and going to the Papal State is too reckless. If she were a figure with some position within the Holy Knights, maybe, but Lumina is the lowest of the lowest. With the information and authority she has, she cannot completely cover the things happening inside the Papal State.
"Besides, I've thought about it quite a bit in my own way."
So I also decided to prepare my own card in case of emergency.
"Oh, what thought?!"
May opened her eyes round and asked. I finally fixed the veil I was wearing upside down properly and opened my mouth confidently.
"Huhu... Even if erasing mana is impossible, deceiving it is sufficiently doable."
"Deceiving mana?"
"Yeah. Overwriting my mana with Holy Power."
As if lost for words for a moment, May blinked her eyelids blankly. Then she tilted her head with a profound expression and asked me again.
"Is that possible?"
"Yeah! Lumina-ssi was completely fooled by that too. Although I didn't intend it."
Lumina-ssi sensed my demon mana at once as soon as she came here. But as soon as the 'Glow' that burst out covered my demon energy entirely, she could no longer sense any alien energy within me.
That means...
"If I make my body shine, surely no matter what master comes, they won't be able to properly sense the mana inside me."
Theoretically, an operation close to perfection. I immediately puffed out my chest confidently, but for some reason, May's expression was still lukewarm.
"So... you mean you're going to flash your body like a lightbulb the whole time you're in the Papal State? Even when eating, even when sleeping?"
"Yeah. I think it'll be fine if I do it well?"
"You're serious, right? You're not joking?"
"Uh... Yeah. Well..."
May staring at me with strange eyes, as if genuinely worried about my intelligence. At first, I didn't understand why she was looking at me with those eyes, but soon I realized.
"That's just advertising 'Please look at me'."
At May's cold point that stabbed my weakness, I slowly curled the thumb I had raised confidently.
"I... Is that so?"
"I thought it would be fine, but I guess it's a bit not right. Vivian, just don't go."
Since I only cared about deceiving people. I didn't think at all about the external parts. To think such a fatal error was hidden in my plan that I thought was perfect.
"I'll become your teacher and teach you about the Goddess. So don't go there."
"...Strange? Why did I not think of that at all?"
"Why else? Because you thought short."
I almost got into big trouble. If it weren't for May's sharp point. I might have definitely received the attention of the Papal State's priests all at once and committed an irreversible mistake...
To have to receive the attention of surrounding people all at once in exchange for hiding mana. This is truly a method worse than not doing it.
Thud...
As soon as I thought that.
Sudden ominous vibration was felt from the half-broken statue on the cracked sanctuary floor.
Rumble... cr-crack...!
As soon as I felt strange and turned my head, the statue collapsed helplessly as if it had been waiting.
"...?"
"...?"
Dust rose softly from among the fragments of the collapsed statue. At the absurd situation that struck suddenly without any warning, May and I had no choice but to freeze our bodies.
But that was only for a moment──.
Shhh...
As soon as the dust cleared, a bizarre pattern of unknown identity slowly revealed itself on the floor where the statue's pedestal used to be.
. . .
──────────── 【 Waypoint Discovered 】 ────────────