The Saintess and Sloth [6]
I lifted the magic barrier I'd set up to block out the faint noises that might disturb Lulu.
I sat slowly on the edge of the bed.
Sensing my presence, perhaps? Lulu instinctively reached out with her tiny hand, fumbling in the air. I gently clasped that hand, wriggling like a newborn bird's claw. Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
"Sleep well?"
Lulu rubbed her sleepy eyes, then flashed a smile like she owned the whole world.
"……Daddyyy? Yup, Lulu slept suuuper well! Did Daddy sleep well toooo?"
"Yeah. Slept great."
I ruffled her messy hair roughly but carefully. Then, with one hand under her armpits, I hoisted her up.
"Oooong……."
Still groggy, she buried her face in my shoulder and mumbled as I carried her to the bathroom.
As I opened the door, I shot a quick glance at the saintess and Lian, who'd spent the night in chairs. 'Wait.' Short and sharp.
In the bathroom, I set Lulu down in front of the mirror. Just as I was about to wash her face with warm water, she froze, spotting her reflection.
Thinking she'd seen wrong, maybe? She pressed her little hands over her eyes and rubbed hard. Then she stared wide-eyed at the mirror, blinking over and over.
"……Hweh?"
In the mirror was a soft, fluffy Lulu.
"Wooow! Lulu's suuuper pretty now! Daddyyy, Lulu's face is all poofy-poofy!"
Unable to believe it, she poked and prodded her cheeks every which way. The bruises and scars that had marred her face were now fluffy thanks to the saintess's light. Lulu gaped wide, checking her teeth, and let out endless gasps of awe.
"Wooow……."
I let her soak in the wonder fully, then washed her clean, took her hand, and headed out. Lulu swung our joined hands like she was humming a tune, looking thrilled. But the moment we opened the door, her steps turned to stone.
Strangers besides Daddy. That terror swallowed her in an instant.
"A…… A……."
Lulu bowed so low her head nearly touched the floor as she backed away. Then she clutched desperately at my pant leg, hiding behind me, on the verge of tears.
"D-Daddyyy……. There's strangers there. Gotta hideee."
Seeing her terrified eyes, I let out a small sigh. I knelt down, squatting to meet her gaze.
"Lulu. No need to bow like that. From now on, don't bow to anyone."
I gripped her tiny shoulders firmly.
"This Daddy's the strongest in the world. Got it? If my girl does that, it hurts my heart a lot. You won't do that, right?"
"Daddyyy…… hurts? 'Cause of Lulu……?"
Her innocent eyes stabbed right at me. I averted my gaze a bit and cleared my throat.
"……Yeah, uh. Might hurt?"
Lulu bit her lip hard, then nodded with resolve. Pure will not to hurt Daddy straightened her skinny little back.
"O-…… Yup! Got ittt. Don't hurt, Daddy. Lulu'll keep her head heeeeld high!"
Her voice trembled as she hugged her doll Mimi tight.
Yeah, she needed proper education and care. I glanced at the saintess and Lian.
The saintess was fighting not to frown, shocked by Lulu's reaction. Lian had turned away, eyes squeezed shut like she couldn't bear to watch.
'……These two won't do.'
The title of saintess, blind faith in the goddess. To me, gods were just angels in disguise, trying to steal the Creator's throne—usurpers.
Hand Lulu over to types like that, and her head would fill with useless nonsense.
Lian, glancing sideways, still had her eyes shut tight, head turned.
Even she, whose title of Three Swords felt hollow, didn't hold much hope for divine mercy. But witnessing a child's life shattered under the gods' neglect firsthand? It seemed shards of distrust were sharpening from the depths of her chest.
I smirked inwardly at the sight.
'Yeah, start cracking.'
Watching fissures form in her mind was pretty entertaining.
I turned back to Lulu, softening my voice.
"Lulu. Those are the doctor ladies Daddy brought 'cause you were hurting."
"Doctooor? Lulu not hurt. All betterrr."
I gave a wry smile and booped her nose.
"Nah. You were hurting a lot. That's why the doctor fixed you. You were happy your face got pretty, right? Big sis did that."
"O…… Oh…… A……."
Lulu stomped her feet in confusion.
"It's okay. They're on Lulu's side. I'm on your side forever."
At my confident words, Lulu stiffly turned her head with resolve.
She fought her instinct to hunch against incoming violence.
No one taught her that—it was just survival, groveling with forehead to the dirt. But for Daddy, she rejected it.
Still scared, eyes squeezed shut, but she straightened her back and shouted bravely at the saintess and Lian.
"H-Hi thereee! I'm Luluuu!"
"Heh, good job. That's my Lulu."
I stroked her head for her bravery, and she finally relaxed a bit, giggling shyly, "Heehee."
I nodded at the saintess. She approached with a warm smile, like she'd been waiting.
Lulu flinched, starting to hide behind me, but held firm. Lips pursed like she was guarding Daddy. That pluckiness tickled my chest.
The saintess knelt before Lulu, matching her eye level.
"Hi? My name's Se Rena."
"A…… Hi. I'm Lulu."
Se Rena smiled brightly and asked carefully.
"I'm gonna check if Lulu has any owies now. Is it okay if I touch your body?"
Lulu flinched and looked at me. I nodded, and she nodded back at Se Rena. The saintess's pale hand touched Lulu's forehead. Lulu gripped Mimi tight but didn't run.
Soon, Se Rena sent refined holy power gently into Lulu's body.
Warm energy flowed softly through her veins, like spring sunlight melting frozen earth, caressing every nerve ending.
The fluffy new sensation swimming inside made Lulu shudder, shoulders hunched.
"It…… tickles……."
Unsure if it felt good or scary, she peeked at me. Little moans escaped her lips, toes wiggling against the floor.
"Lulu's tummy, little fishies…… swimmin' arounnd……."
She mumbled tensely, likening the wondrous-scary feel to 'fishies.' Se Rena, pitying her, gathered the power even softer, checking every corner.
"If anything hurts, tell big sis right away, okay?"
That warm voice in her ear slowly eased Lulu's tension. Realizing this person wouldn't hurt her, the taut strings loosened.
Finishing the check, Se Rena withdrew her hand from Lulu's forehead with a soft smile.
"Yup, looks all good."
Se Rena reached to pat Lulu's head approvingly. But in that instant, Lulu yelped "Eek!" and bolted into my arms like lightning, hugging tight.
"Whoa there."
I caught her reflexively and stood. Her trembling came through as she clung to my neck, face buried in my shoulder. Even warm holy power aside, a stranger's sudden touch still triggered memories of 'assault' for Lulu.
'……Still too soon.'
I swallowed a wry smile and looked at Se Rena. Amusingly, she was frozen, hand in mid-air. Her shocked, sorry expression was quite the sight.
I chuckled and carried Lulu toward the kitchen.
"Time for breakfast…… or dinner? Whatever. Gotta eat."
I sat Lulu in a dining chair and pulled out meat. Boiled long for easy chewing, soft and fragrant dishes prepped.
Moments later, the dazed saintess in the living room snapped out of it and shuffled to the kitchen with a pout.
"Um…… can I help with anything?"
But she froze again at the entrance.
No runes or magic tools, just buttons lighting stoves, sleek metal gadgets everywhere—this modern kitchen was beyond her common sense.
Fidgeting, not knowing what to touch.
"Don't just stand there. Grab plates from the cabinet."
I added casually while slicing meat.
"I'll make enough for you too. Eat together."
"Ah…… Y-Yes!"
Se Rena fumbled out plates. Lian awkwardly joined, wiping the table.
Soon, steaming meat dishes and warm soup covered the table.
Stunned by the kitchen tools before, now Se Rena and Lian's eyes widened at the melt-in-your-mouth flavors.
"Th-This taste…… it's my first time……."
As they ate in awe and wonder, Lulu happily filled her belly with the soft meat Daddy made, munching away.
In the pitch-black night, a bizarre dinner ended: Sloth with the usurper goddess's followers from another world.
Waiting endlessly for those who'd entered the box, a messenger bird crossed the night sky and landed on Gawayne's shoulder.
Gawayne untied the letter from its leg and scanned the contents. His thick brows twisted fiercely.
Kai, polishing Lian's discarded armor nearby, noticed and asked.
"What? Bad news?"
"……The demons have retreated."
"Huh? That's good, right? Means the war's stopping. But why? Those bastards fought tooth and nail to the death—sudden retreat?"
Gawayne opened his mouth heavily at Kai's question.
"Forgot? The demons have a saintess too…… or as they call her, 'divine maiden.'"
Kai's face hardened instantly. Gawayne rubbed his furrowed brow and continued.
"They must've sensed the demon too. Got an oracle through their divine maiden."
"Ah……. Then the hero party with us?"
"All scattered to their own camps. The alliance is basically disbanded."
Kai muttered blankly, deflated.
"Ah, damn……. Everyone figured it out. At this point, they're all rushing home to batten down the hatches?"
Gawayne stared into the darkness, deep in thought, without answering.
In truth, the continent had far more gods than people knew. Led by the high three gods upholding the world, countless deities were stationed, and beyond their borders, heretics like the demons' 'demon gods' eyed the land hungrily.
The Holy Kingdom was called a 'holy nation' for good reason. One of the high three gods had rooted here directly, with countless followers guarding it. Under that overwhelming protection for millennia, the kingdom prospered. Yet the fear crushing Gawayne's chest now pierced even that sanctuary—chilling and sharp.
The problem? The gods' natures varied wildly. Some preached mercy, others savagery, others cruelty as their essence.
If the empire's chief god or its attendants issued orders to strike that 'demon,' what then?
'……That would be true humanity's end.'
The overwhelming powerlessness from earlier chilled his spine again. The moment the gods' proxies charged that monster, the continent wouldn't be a battlefield—it'd be a one-sided slaughter pen. Plain as day.
This was no mere demon issue. It could upend the entire continent's balance, a prelude to all things perishing in a massive storm.
Gawayne looked up at the cloudless, silent night sky.
'God is omniscient and omnipotent.'
That was the absolute truth he'd upheld as holy knight and Three Swords his whole life. The sovereign overseeing all worldly flows couldn't ignore this, nor fail to resolve it with divine power. But what was this indescribable anxiety gnawing his chest?
Under the all-knowing, all-powerful god's aegis, yet feeling like he'd walked willingly into a massive predator's maw. Gawayne swallowed hard, clutching his throbbing head.
"……Gotta tell the saintess soon."
That instant.
Whoosh—!
From the wooden box buried in the trash heap, a soft white light burst forth. After the long wait, the sealed boundary finally opened, and people began emerging.