The Found Lamb (5)
My mind blanked out for a moment at the sudden emergence of the next saintess candidate.
But from Valoa's perspective, it was plenty understandable.
Some unheard-of demon pops up out of nowhere at the pinnacle of her hard-earned career, trying to snatch her spot—how infuriating would that be?
Unless you're some saintly paragon, it's not something you can just laugh off.
"Oh, so there was a candidate already?"
"Of course there was. It'd be weirder if there wasn't."
"Right? Yeah, weirder if there wasn't."
At my quiet response, Valoa's voice trembled oddly for a split second.
"...What? Why's your reaction so dry?"
"Huh? Were you hoping for a different one?"
Beatrice Valoa.
The most likely pick for next saintess in the Papal State.
If I hadn't come to the Holy Haven Papal State,
Valoa would've smoothly become the saintess without a hitch.
Basking in the blessings and praise of all, she'd have proudly become the church's symbol.
"Ah, no, not that... I just..."
"It's a relief there's someone else chosen by the Goddess besides me."
"...Pardon?"
"No matter how you look at it, someone like you fits the saintess role best."
Sure enough, the Goddess had backups lined up besides me.
A demon like me ascending to saintess was absurd from the start.
I nearly made a colossal blunder.
"A saintess is the face of the church, a symbol spreading the Goddess's will across the world, right?"
I murmured softly, slowly shifting my gaze to the wooden goddess statue on the desk.
"It should be someone with deep faith, versed in doctrine, comfortable in front of crowds."
"No, what are you even..."
"I'm a demon, and my personality isn't exactly gentle, so I don't suit the role."
I've finally realized it, Goddess.
You wanted a perfect hero party, didn't you?
I should've caught on sooner.
Sorry for almost derailing your plans with my thick skull.
I still don't get why you picked a demon like me for this, but I'll do my best anyway.
"Congrats on becoming the saintess, Valoa."
"What the hell? Who are you mocking?!"
"Not mocking. I'm serious."
Maybe because her faith in the Goddess runs so deep,
I've already found two members for the hero party.
Lumina Evangeline, wielder of the Sword of Salvation and now a hero.
And Valoa, prime candidate for next saintess thanks to her exceptional devotion.
Who'd have thought I'd score this big at an impromptu visit?
The timing's too perfect to be coincidence, leaving a weird aftertaste,
but chalk it up to the Goddess's guidance and it all makes sense.
Clatter...
Just as I sorted my thoughts and exhaled in satisfaction,
a faint rattling sound suddenly emanated from the wooden goddess statue sitting plainly on the desk.
"...?"
Hallucination?
It felt like it twitched ever so slightly on its own...
"Lady Vivian, were those words just now sincere?"
As I stared piercingly at the oddly atmospheric statue, Lumina cautiously spoke up from the next room.
"Pardon? Which part?"
"I believe without doubt that you are the true saintess."
Lumina's low voice from beyond the wall carried no hesitation whatsoever.
If anything, it sounded even more convinced than before.
I could kinda get where she was coming from,
but saying it outright in front of Valoa was a bit much...
"Did I hear that right? A demon as saintess—are you sane?"
"My apologies to Lady Beatrice, but I've already made up my mind."
"Are you insane? Or do you not grasp what the saintess position entails?"
"I do. That's precisely why I say Lady Vivian is the perfect fit."
A fierce verbal skirmish erupted out of nowhere, separated only by a single wall.
Lumina's demeanor, so polite to Valoa moments ago, turned noticeably cold and unyielding.
"Didn't you say you were a holy knight?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Does it make sense for a guardian of church tradition and law to shill for a demon?"
Valoa's voice began to quiver faintly.
Yet Lumina refused to budge an inch.
"I've seen it with my own eyes. The miracles Lady Vivian performed, infused with pure divinity."
"Oh, that ridiculous tale where a demon not only exorcised another demon but yanked out someone else's holy power and returned it?"
"It wasn't 'yanked.' Their holy power was temporarily confiscated for disloyalty to Lady Vivian."
"Disloyalty, huh. The man at the center, Executioner Priest Joachim, didn't see it that way."
Valoa spat the words curtly, drawing a small breath.
Even through the wall,
I could picture her expression in my head.
"He said a demon stole his holy power and he couldn't get it back."
"That's Executioner Priest twisting the facts."
"I know. He's not exactly trustworthy."
"Then why keep bringing it up..."
I found myself glancing absently at the wooden goddess statue again.
Joachim still suspects this statue, huh.
To me, it looks like the Goddess rejected him outright.
Is this what they mean by "worse than a pipe dream"?
"Listen up, holy knight. A saintess is a position reserved for those of noble blood and proven faith."
"I know. That's why I've been saying Lady Vivian..."
"No matter if chosen by the Goddess, a demon will never suit the saintess role."
Valoa's sharp rebuke sliced through the air of the modest prayer room.
"Surely you've not forgotten the humiliations humanity has suffered at demon hands?"
As Lumina and Valoa's argument escalated uncontrollably,
"Demons are humanity's enemies. One becoming saintess is..."
"Enough. What are you doing in a place called sacred?"
I flung open the prayer room door without hesitation and stepped boldly before Valoa.
"If you're gonna fight, take it outside."
The moment I opened the door, Valoa appeared right in front of me.
Her shrill voice had given me some inkling,
but as expected, she had a remarkably youthful face.
Though why's her hair pink of all colors?
"H-Hiiik...!!"
The instant our eyes met, Valoa freaked out for some reason and stumbled back in panic.
Her face drained white like she'd seen a ghost, lips quivering.
"...Is my face that scary?"
To my tentative question, Valoa clutched the rosary around her neck with trembling hands, gripping for dear life.
As if it were her sole shield against me, some monstrous evil.
"D-Don't come closer...!! Are you after my holy power too?!!"
"Huh?"
"I bear the Goddess Freyja's blessing, tasked with purging this land's impurities!!"
"I know."
"I'm not someone to take lightly!"
"What? I haven't done anything—why're you freaking out?"
To my bewildered question, Valoa shakily raised her index finger toward my chest.
"That thing you're holding... That's the goddess statue the executioner priest mentioned, isn't it?!!"
Ah, it's this.
No wonder her reaction's so over-the-top...
I just grabbed it without thinking.
Didn't expect this level of terror.
Does Valoa think this wooden statue drains holy power too?
"No need to be that scared. It's not some evil artifact."
"L-Liar... The executioner priest clearly said..."
"Misunderstanding. Joachim got rejected by the Goddess because of his shady conduct."
I continued calmly, trying to ease her guard.
"How's a holy power user gonna cower at the Goddess's image?"
"B-But..."
"If I were some vile demon, I couldn't even enter this sacred Papal State."
Despite my steady tone, Valoa's eyes still shook violently.
Even so, I kept my composure and added matter-of-factly.
After all, this statue's harmless—that much is fact.
"Here, look closely with wide eyes. It's just an ordinary wooden goddess statue."
With that calm declaration, I slowly extended the precious statue from my arms toward Valoa, flashing a gentle smile—right then.
"G-Get that away!! Don't shove a demon's junk in my face—!!"
Valoa's shocking words made me doubt my ears.
Her trembling right hand roughly swatted the statue from my grasp.
"Ah."
"Uh, oops?"
In that brief instant as the statue flew limply from my hand,
Valoa's brow furrowed in dismay.
She hadn't meant to hit it that hard, apparently.
But the statue was already airborne, arcing toward the cold marble floor.
Valoa and I stared blankly, simultaneously gasping.
Swish...
Time seemed to stretch slow.
The worst imaginable scenario for each of us was moments from unfolding—
.
.
.
.
"H-Huh... ugh..."
Queenpin suddenly appeared from somewhere, diving headlong toward the statue inches from the floor.
So desperate was her lunge
that her elegant, tidy hair lay disheveled across her nose.
"Th-This child won't do... For my sake if nothing else, please withdraw your wrath just this once..."