The Lamb That Found the Way (4)
- Crunch, crunch...
A modestly sized personal prayer room.
In the center sat a wooden goddess statue, all by its lonesome, getting a thorough wipe-down.
I'd only stated the plain facts, but somehow I'd ended up trapped in this private prayer room inside Holy Haven Cathedral.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Vivian. I really didn't want to let you pass, but it was His Holiness's direct order... I had no choice."
"I'm fine, so don't worry about it. I get it."
At a glance, it looked like a pretty serious situation.
But excluding certain restricted areas, I could roam anywhere in the cathedral, so it wasn't exactly strict confinement.
Plus, there wasn't any forced or unreasonable reason for it, which made protesting feel awkward.
"You've come such a long way and must be exhausted in every sense, yet instead of treating you as an honored guest, we've put you in this position. I have no face left to show."
Lumina's weary voice drifted softly from the next room over, separated by just a single wall.
"That's fine too. I can sort of understand why His Holiness is doing this."
"But they took your Sword of Salvation too... and now you're being treated like this..."
Despite my casual reassurance, Lumina kept sniffling and blaming herself from beyond the wall.
She must have been overwhelmed by a sudden sense of helplessness from this unexpected turn.
"If I were pope, I'd probably make the same call. So don't beat yourself up."
I meticulously polished the statue's nose as I added the words matter-of-factly.
"Just think of it like waiting room time before a business meeting. Makes it a lot easier."
"B-business meeting...?"
"Yeah. Try reframing it that way, Lumina. Change your perspective."
As Queenpin had said, the holy sword wasn't something a mortal could just whip up on a whim.
So didn't they deserve some time to review after I'd straight-up defied their common sense?
"The more I see of you, Lady Vivian, the more amazing you seem. To stay so calm in a situation like this."
I half-listened to Lumina's admiring murmur from the other side while gently rubbing the statue's eye area.
"Nothing to feel guilty about on my end. Time will sort out the rest."
"As expected of a saintess. To endure even this irrational ordeal, trusting it's all part of the goddess's design..."
"When did I ever say it like that?"
"I'll take your noble faith as my example. Truly remarkable."
For a split second, an incredulous chuckle nearly slipped out unbidden.
But misunderstandings like this weren't exactly new.
"Sure, think whatever you want. Glad the reframing helped, at least."
I gave up on correcting her and focused back on scrubbing the statue's chin with crisp wipes.
Lumina's filter was so thoroughly broken that she'd probably call me noble just for breathing.
"Hmm..."
"A sudden sigh, Lady Vivian?"
"Nah, just... no matter how I look at it, the sanctum interior seems the most likely spot."
"Likely for what, if I may ask?"
I carefully set the wooden goddess statue down on the desk after giving it a final buff with my sleeve.
Then I tilted my head up, staring blankly at the geometric patterns on the ceiling as I continued.
"The waypoint. Gotta let May know I arrived safely..."
"Ah, that teleportation magic circle you mentioned back in Trevyn Village?"
"Yeah. If I were the goddess, I'd definitely put a waypoint inside the sanctum."
"That makes sense. Your insight truly operates on a different level from ours."
The sanctum entrance, right in front of that massive stained-glass window adorned with a gigantic goddess statue—that spot felt the most suspicious right now.
If my hunch was right, the waypoint was probably hidden there.
"But with no way in right now, we'll just have to wait for His Holiness to summon us."
At my indifferent conclusion, another dejected voice came from beyond the wall.
"...I'm truly sorry I can't be of more help."
"No, it was just musing out loud. Don't mind it."
What to do while waiting for the pope's summons?
Sitting cooped up in this cozy little prayer room sounded boring as hell...
"Oh, Lumina."
"Y-yes! What is it?!"
"Can everyone in the Papal State spot demons at a glance?"
My out-of-left-field question made Lumina's breathing hitch for a moment.
"N-no... ordinary citizens can't."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. Even those born with holy power can't detect a demon's aura without proper training to awaken it."
Huh, good to know.
That was some pretty welcome news.
So sneaking out of the cathedral for a stroll around outside wouldn't be the worst idea...
"Ah, but be careful around the land facing the front of Holy Haven Cathedral."
"Huh? Why?"
"Most folks living there have had some training."
My half-lidded eyes snapped wide open at her words.
"It's where retired priests and church-sponsored people gather, so plenty are sensitive to demonic auras."
"R-right..."
"...Just to check—are you thinking of sneaking out?"
Lumina's suspicious follow-up made me answer without hesitation.
"Yeah. Getting kinda stuffy in here."
"Already?"
"Yep. Too quiet. Not my vibe."
Stuck like this indefinitely while they verify the holy sword? No thanks.
I'd come to the Papal State to learn more about Goddess Freyja in the first place.
Not to go through all that hassle just for a sword check.
"If it's about the goddess, I could tell you what I know..."
"'What I know' won't cut it. I want the full details."
Why had the goddess chosen a demon like me as her messenger?
There had to be plenty of more devout, qualified humans out there. Why pick a literal demon?
Was it a whim? Curiosity?
The question had been nagging at me for a while.
"Speaking of which—why do you insist you're not a saintess, Lady Vivian?"
"I'm a demon. Demons can't be saintesses."
"That's not wrong, but you're nothing like other demons."
"True. I'm a special case."
Lumina let out a troubled sigh at my flat response.
"One who receives the goddess's will and conveys it to the world—that's what we call a saintess."
"I know that much. But like I said, I'm a demon..."
"Demon or not, the fact that she granted you her power proves everything, doesn't it?"
Lumina spoke with utter seriousness, drawing a short breath.
"The goddess has already chosen you. Demon flesh or something even worse—it doesn't matter."
It hit like a punch to the solar plexus.
Her ironclad words left me speechless, mouth flapping like a fish out of water.
"So, why not just accept it?"
Accept it...
Sure, I'd denied it this whole time with various excuses.
But at this point, even I was lost.
A demon spamming holy magic, churning out holy water like it was nothing.
Messing with other people's holy power on a whim, now casually forging holy swords.
The powers were so over-the-top for a "saintess" that I'd kept rejecting the label.
To a third party like Lumina, it must've just looked like stubborn nonsense.
"Well, I'm not totally denying my abilities."
"...Pardon?"
"I've kinda suspected it myself. That all this power might come from being a saintess."
The sheer scale of it shocked anyone who saw it.
Power bordering on divine authority—I'd already half-guessed it stemmed from saintess-hood.
Otherwise, how could a demon like me bathe in holy power and come out unscathed?
Was I undeniably a saintess after all...?
"With you saying it so firmly, Lumina, I guess I have no choice but to—"
"Quite the intriguing conversation. Mind if I join, if it's not too much trouble?"
A stranger's woman's voice—completely unfamiliar—drifted in from beyond the firmly shut door.
"I'd love to chat with Miss Vivian."
"L-Lady Beatrice?!"
Lumina's shocked exclamation followed.
My ears perked right up.
"Oh? You know me? Sorry, but I don't know you."
"N-no choice there... I'm just a lowly holy knight..."
This wasn't some confessional.
Why were they having such a serious chat through a single door?
From Lumina's reaction, she was clearly someone important.
The situation made no sense—my head spun a bit.
"Anyway, nice to meet you, Miss Vivian."
"Ah, yeah... you too."
"I'm Beatrice Valoa."
"Ah, Beatrice..."
"Feel free to call me Valoa."
"Ah, Valoa..."
I wanted to fling the door open and see her face right then.
But the vibe felt off—too ominous to grab the knob.
"I overheard. You're a demon, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Incredible. Wielding the goddess's power in a demon's body. The world's spinning in fun ways."
"...So, what do you do, exactly?"
My awkward question made the unpleasant laughter from beyond the door taper off.
After a beat of awkward silence—
"Well. Would it help if I said I'm the top candidate for next saintess in the Papal State?"
Valoa's nonchalant words whispered into my ear, impossible to believe.
"I came running when I heard the absurd rumor of a demon saintess. Doesn't make a lick of sense, does it?"