The Lamb That Found the Way (2)
Holy Haven Papal State.
The holy nation founded in the name of the merciful goddess Freyja, and the center of faith.
A sacred land where pilgrims from across the continent never cease their footsteps.
A place where countless priests and holy knights live devoutly, upholding the goddess's will.
I fiddled cautiously with the veil I'd been wearing backward and took a short breath.
— Tremble tremble...
The moment we got off the carriage after passing the border checkpoint, Lumina was shaking all over like a leaf in the wind.
Or, to be more precise, she'd been like this even before we passed the checkpoint.
"Lumina, stop shaking so much."
"Y-Yes... but..."
"I'm nervous too, you know. You're my escort, after all."
"R-Right... Understood..."
Despite my gentle remonstration, Lumina's trembling showed no sign of stopping.
If anything, it grew worse the further we walked forward.
"Lady Lumina's reaction is perfectly understandable. I probably would've done the same."
Captain Orban, standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside me, added softly in a whisper.
"To suddenly obtain a holy sword like that—how could she stay calm?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
"I'll stake my life on protecting you, Saintess. For now, just leave Lady Lumina be."
With that, Captain Orban gave me a faint, subtle smile.
His gaze toward me felt somehow more intense than before—not quite ordinary anymore.
"Stake your life? Come on, that's a bit much."
"It's no exaggeration. For you, Saintess, I, Orban, am prepared to lay down my life a hundred times over."
There was so much I wanted to say to Captain Orban's burdensome oath of loyalty.
But since I'd just pulled off something utterly absurd, all I could do was turn away with a wry smile.
A holy sword, out of nowhere? Even I had to admit, that crossed a line.
I'd only lightly touched Joachim's holy power to Lumina's sword.
And suddenly, it transformed into a Sword of Salvation, radiating that overwhelming presence.
At this point, I had no grounds to protest being mistaken for a saintess.
"You've had a long journey to reach us, Lady Vivian."
As I tried to sort through my tangled thoughts, a stern yet low, resonant voice of an unfamiliar woman echoed quietly.
"We've already received a report via messenger about your circumstances. No need to worry about your safety."
I whipped my head around reflexively.
The voice came from the massive shadow beneath the ornate inner gate of the Papal State.
"I am Bella Rosewell, Captain of the 1st Holy Knight Order of the Holy Haven Papal State."
"Hello. I'm Vivian Paustina."
Her holy knight uniform blended pristine white and silver in perfect harmony.
Not flashy, but the neat decorations immediately marked her as high-ranking.
A long sword hung at her waist, and her posture was unflinching.
— Step, step...
As she slowly stepped into the sunlight, the hem of her uniform fluttered with dignified poise, exuding an icy majesty.
"C-Captain Bella!"
"Lumina Evangeline. Well done escorting the Saintess here."
The instant Captain Bella's gaze fell on Lumina, she froze awkwardly, her soul seemingly fled from her body.
From the atmosphere, it seemed Bella was Lumina's direct superior.
"N-No, I merely fulfilled my duty..."
"But what's with that sword?"
Captain Bella's sharp eyes locked immediately onto the holy sword cradled protectively in Lumina's arms.
"W-Well, this is..."
"Your sword was definitely just a standard-issue iron blade, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that's right. But earlier, Lady Vivian..."
"Ah."
Before Lumina could finish, Captain Bella clapped her hands and cut her off.
She then continued softly, a pleased smile playing on her lips.
"A tribute prepared personally by the Saintess for His Holiness?"
"...Y-Yes?"
Lumina's mouth fell open dumbly at Captain Bella's out-of-left-field guess.
But Bella paid no heed to Lumina's fluster.
She nodded deeply with eyes full of conviction, her smile growing even warmer.
"I'm impressed by your thoughtfulness. I can feel your devotion to His Holiness radiating from this gift."
"U-Um, Captain..."
Lumina desperately tried to open her mouth and set things straight.
But Captain Bella's certainty seemed harder than steel.
"To sense such immense holy power from a weapon—something impossible under normal circumstances... I don't know what rare gem you used, but its purity rivals holy power itself. Remarkable."
But that lasted only a moment—
"That's Lumina's. Don't touch it."
Captain Bella flinched in surprise at my firm words, her shoulders jerking awkwardly.
She then stiffly, like a statue coming to life, turned to regard me cautiously.
"Pardon...?"
"It's Lumina's sword. Not a gift."
Captain Bella's eyes wavered subtly for an instant.
But she quickly regained her composure and bowed her head slightly toward me.
"...I see. Understood."
She cleared her throat shortly to mask her fluster.
Yet beneath her stern expression, her gaze lingered precariously on Lumina's sword.
"We didn't plan this visit, so I didn't prepare any gifts. Sorry about that."
"Not at all. Your safe arrival here is gift enough, Saintess."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. His Holiness has set aside all duties and awaits you inside, eager to meet."
No sooner had Captain Bella finished speaking than the massive inner gate, tightly shut until now, groaned heavily as it slowly swung open to either side.
"Welcome to the Holy Haven Papal State, Saintess."
Five towering spires pierced the heavens.
And pristine white marble walls that glittered blindingly in the sunlight.
The moment the gate opened, my vision was overwhelmed by none other than the colossal Holy Haven Cathedral.
"Whoa..."
A genuine gasp of awe escaped my lips.
If the gods had a palace, it would look just like this.
The sheer majesty of the Holy Haven Cathedral was impossible to believe had been built by human hands.
Lost in a daze before that grand vista, a strange chill crept up from deep in my chest—something indefinable.
"I'll guide you to the Sanctum, where His Holiness awaits."
Captain Bella's low, solemn voice rang out.
She took the lead with disciplined strides.
Captain Orban moved to follow, guarding me, but for some reason, Bella firmly blocked him.
"Apologies, but men are forbidden from here on."
"Wh-What?!"
Orban's eyes bulged like a startled rabbit the instant she spoke.
"What do you mean...? I am the Saintess's dedicated guardian knight..."
"The Sanctum is the holiest sanctum, imbued with Goddess Freyja's purest breath. None may enter except permitted female priests and holy knights."
Despite Orban's indignant protests against the sudden church doctrine, Captain Bella's gaze remained ice-cold to the end.
"Doctrine is doctrine. I'll take responsibility for the Saintess's safety. Wait at the outer guest quarters."
In the end, Captain Orban couldn't cross the inner gate's threshold.
He froze like a tragic hero abandoned by the world.
"Saintess! Please... please return safely...!!"
His desperate cry echoed.
"Lady Lumina! I entrust the Saintess to you!!"
As his voice faded, the grand inner gate closed with a heavy thud.
In the sudden silence, only the cathedral's cool, serene air settled quietly.
"..."
Huh. No wonder...
All the priests and knights in the cathedral gardens were women.
I'd never imagined such a strict, insular rule existed.
"Poor Captain Orban."
Well, at least he wasn't being kicked out of the Papal State entirely—just waiting at the outer guest quarters.
No real cause for worry.
"Ahem. Sorry for the commotion. I'll guide you to the Sanctum now."
Captain Bella straightened her uniform as if nothing had happened.
She then strode confidently toward the Sanctum once more.
"...Well, that's how it is, Lumina."
"Y-Yes?!"
"No Captain Orban, so while we're in the Sanctum, you're all I've got."
No sooner had I spoken than Lumina's face lit up like she'd ascended to heaven, clutching her holy sword even tighter.
"O-Of... Of course!! I, Lumina Evangeline, shall serve you with all my might using this noble Sword of Salvation bestowed upon me by Lady Vivian!!"
"No, Lumina. That holy sword wasn't from me—it was from the goddess. Has nothing to do with me."
Lumina's expression froze in bewilderment at my matter-of-fact reply.
"Pardon? But what do you mean all of a sudden..."
"Think about it. The timing, the atmosphere—it's all too suspicious."
Honestly, at first, I'd thought the same as Lumina.
Maybe all my hypotheses from the start had been way off base.
"From what I saw, that holy sword was unmistakably a divine miracle you yourself bestowed, Lady Vivian...?"
"It looks that way at first glance. But consider this: why did it happen to be your sword, at this exact moment?"
A demon could become a saintess if things aligned right.
The chain of bizarre events had left me thoroughly confused.
But breathing in the cathedral's cold air and calmly reflecting...
Wasn't it far more logical that this was the goddess's deliberate intervention, not because I'm a saintess?
The thought struck me.
"The goddess wanted to turn you into a hero, using me as a conduit."
"A... hero...?"
"Yeah. I was just the channel delivering her will this time too."
I still didn't know the goddess's full plan.
But if things kept going like this, a real saintess might show up before me any day now.
"Just trust me, Lumina. I'll find the real saintess out there somewhere in no time."
Maybe I'd even run into her by sheer luck while staying in the Papal State?