The Suspiciously Suspicious Saintess - 2

When I opened my eyes, I felt a commotion outside.

It carried the bright, thick air of a festival, so whatever was happening did not seem bad. Even the same kind of noise would have felt urgent if it were an emergency. Instead, the whole place simply brimmed with ease and anticipation.

Ah. That guest.

As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, talk of the visitor floated back to me. Judging by how warmly everyone seemed to be welcoming them, someone quite welcome must have arrived.

Vrrr. The moment I pushed myself up, the phone I had left by my pillow began to vibrate. I picked it up and saw the base commander's name on the screen.

A Saintess's blessing was much like the power people usually imagined. It strengthened the body, healed sickness. Calling it the divine power of fantasy would not have been an exaggeration. And the guest arriving today was that very Saintess. The surprise of it was enough to make the veins stand out in my eyes.

"All of a sudden?"

"She's always been that generous, so of course it's wonderful. Anyway, Mr. Seo Ji-hyuk, get over here and get your blessing too. She's in the cafeteria."

"Ah… yes. Understood. I'll be right there."

"Yeahhh."

Na Hyun-soo hung up first. I rose from the bed. I had been in pajamas for a comfortable sleep, and the thought of changing clothes brought a wave of laziness. Still, I could hardly refuse a Saintess's blessing. Curiosity about seeing her in person was enough to get me dressed and out the door.

"Excuse me… would it be possible to get just one autograph?"

"My autograph…?"

A golden-haired woman sat in the middle of the cafeteria. A fairly long line had formed just to see her, giving the whole scene the feel of a celebrity signing event. On top of that, fluent Korean kept spilling from the lips of a Frenchwoman as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was as wondrous as watching real magic.

No, wait.

Was it wrong to compare a Saintess to an actress? Perhaps it was more accurate the other way around. She was far more famous, and public opinion of her was far better.

"Thank you, thank you."

"I'm happy people like me so much… but it's a little embarrassing."

I went to the very back of the line and waited. Warm, cheerful conversation flowed back and forth. All ten or so people ahead of me were the same. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠found myself idly wondering how much a Saintess's autograph would even be worth. Before I knew it, I was seated in front of her.

So this child is our descendant.

A neat, composed face. Overwhelming holy power wrapped around an equally overwhelming maternal presence. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Every inch of her seemed to declare that I was a descendant of Joan of Arc.

"It's a true honor to meet the Saintess I've only ever seen on television."

I sat down, letting a moderate amount of surprise show on my face.

"Everyone gives me far too much credit. It's rather embarrassing."

"You more than deserve that respect, don't you think?"

"Thank you. Would you hold out your hand for me? Just one is fine."

I nodded and extended my hand. The Saintess took my wrist in both of hers, looking for all the world as if she were checking my pulse.

"It might tickle a little."

Whoosh! Golden light spilled from her hands and lit the surroundings, bright and strong enough to push back even the LED lights overhead.

Fascinating.

Even facing light this powerful, my eyes did not hurt. Instead, the gentle way it seeped in made my vision feel sharper. Just as she had said, there was a faint tickle, but it was easy enough to bear—far softer than a forest mosquito biting my foot.

"Euk…!"

What was that? The Saintess suddenly narrowed her eyes and pulled her hands away. She looked as startled as if she had just spotted a cockroach.

"Are you all right?"

When I asked politely, the Saintess blinked at me. She kept her eyes as round as they could go for a long moment. Was something wrong? The people watching began to murmur among themselves. At last her lips parted.

"Ah… no. My back just itched terribly for a second. I'm sorry ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for worrying you."

"O-oh, not at all."

Cute. At her words, everyone around us burst into laughter. Claiming she had been startled by an itchy back sounded so childlike. The Saintess asked,

"More importantly, is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"

"Pardon? Uh… I don't think so. My body feels lighter than usual, and my head is clear."

"I'm glad to hear it. You've never been the type to catch minor illnesses, have you?"

"I wouldn't say never, but I didn't catch them often. No major illnesses that I know of."

"That's a relief. Like everyone else, please take care of your health. It's a common saying, but small illnesses can grow into big ones if you let them."

The word "minor illnesses" coming smoothly from a Frenchwoman's mouth, spoken in such polished Korean, almost made me wonder if she was Korean herself.

"Yes. Thank you."

I answered, feeling the sincerity in her voice. From first meeting and first impression alone, she was every bit the Saintess and then some—stately yet gentle, just as Joan of Arc had been.

"Saintess, you've worked hard. This gentleman was the last one."

Na Hyun-soo slipped quietly to her side and announced the end. His eyes were full of respect; he seemed completely smitten.

"Then we should slowly…"

"Just a moment."

Before the man in the suit and sunglasses standing behind the Saintess could urge her on, she cut him off and rose from her chair. The man seemed able to interpret as well; he used slightly awkward Korean.

"What does the rest of the schedule look like?"

"A dinner with the executives of the Korean Awakened Association is planned. Beyond that, nothing of note."

"Is that so?"

The Saintess let out a long breath, then looked at the man with sparkling eyes.

"I'm sorry, but please postpone it."

"Excuse me?"

The man's eyes went wide; clearly this had not been in the plans. The people quietly listening wore the same expression.

"I'd like to rest here for today. I know full well it's improper… but I need a moment to catch my breath."

"Is your condition poor, by any chance?"

"Nothing serious enough to worry about. A day of rest should be enough."

When the Saintess showed signs of fatigue, Na Hyun-soo's gaze wavered. What had seemed like a warm, smooth ending had suddenly turned into an unexpected situation; of course he was flustered.

"Are you truly all right? Do you need to go to a hospital right away…?"

"It's not that bad, so please don't worry. I'm only sorry for imposing on everyone here."

"Imposing? Not in the slightest. It's an honor, if anything."

The Saintess would be staying the night. It would pile mental fatigue on everyone, but it was indeed an honor. The base staff seemed quietly pleased as well.

"Then… I'll impose for just one day."

The Saintess rose with a shy little smile. At the sudden announcement that she would rest for a day, the atmosphere grew bustling again. Thank goodness I had cleaned thoroughly. If I hadn't, I would probably have been chewed out from every direction.

"All right, everyone tidy up and head out. Saintess, please come with me. I'll show you to a suitable room."

"Thank you."

The noise faded and the people left. I returned to my room and changed clothes. A single bed and a computer desk. A television facing the bed, a bathroom tucked in the corner. The room was a bit small, but everything was clean and modern.

Strange.

Once I had changed and lay down on the bed, all sorts of stray thoughts rose up. When I turned them over carefully, there were quite a few odd points. She had used the itch as an excuse, yet her eyes had hinted at some other hidden reason. She had clearly been flustered while bestowing the blessing. Why?

Could I have some incurable disease I didn't even know about?

No, that can't be it.

If it had been an incurable disease, she would simply have told me to go to a hospital. She would not have fumbled for an itchy-back excuse while looking so startled. Add to that the Saintess's character. Judging by the situation, she would have poured even more holy power into me if anything. Cancer or whatever other so-called incurable or intractable disease I might have known—those were surprisingly ordinary things in modern society. What stood out instead were the savage deaths of old times: being torn apart, carved up, eaten alive.

Out of boredom I grabbed the phone I had tossed nearby and put on a song. I was lying down, but sleep was not coming yet. Something with a decent beat and energy. Under the band-like sound, the delightfully unhinged lyrics floated sweetly into my ears—enough to make me want to join the chaos myself.

Knock knock. At the sound of someone at the door I immediately turned the music off. It felt somehow embarrassing to be caught listening so openly.

"Yes. Who is it?"

"Excuse me. Is this Mr. Seo Ji-hyuk's room?"

I wondered who it was—then recognized the voice of the sunglasses-wearing man from earlier, asking for me.

"Yes, that's right. What brings you all the way here?"

I opened the door in my training clothes and met his eyes. Or rather, it felt that way only to me, since his eyes were hidden behind the sunglasses. The man spoke.

"The Saintess is looking for you. She says she would like to take a walk outside, and we would like to ask you to guide her."

"Uh… me?"

"Yes. The base commander here said you are relatively free."

Free. It was so accurate that I had nothing to say in reply.

"Understood."

"Then please follow me. She is waiting outside the main gate of the base."

Not the building, but outside the main gate. She must have wanted to walk around outside the base. Galdo's scenery was beautiful and the paths were decent, so it would make for a fine stroll. Without further argument I followed the man out of the base. There was no one standing guard at the front the way military sentry posts do—only the Saintess. Entry was managed by whoever watched the cameras that fed the screens in the security room near the gate wall.

"I'm sorry for imposing. It's such a beautiful place that I simply had to walk it at least once."

The Saintess, dressed lightly, smiled and bowed politely at the waist—far too much courtesy for someone like me.

"It's fine. And I understand. Galdo's scenery really is beautiful."

"Yes. It must be hard on those who stand duty here… but it is truly lovely."

The Saintess gazed at the seashore with eyes full of emotion and memory. Just then the sea was taking on the red of the setting sun. I began walking a step ahead of her. A rocky stretch of coast. Places that showed only traces now, like the dust-covered abandoned school that whispered of old history.

"It's a pity. The abandoned homes look so lonely."

"Even without the specters it would have been an unavoidable choice. The more civilization advances, the greater the sense of distance becomes."

The Saintess strained to catch every single word I spoke. Thanks to that, even the awkwardness of the situation kept a gentle atmosphere going. The Saintess and I walked side by side. A few steps behind, the man in the black suit followed, gazing at the sunset.

"Um… may I ask just one thing?"

Crunch. The Saintess spoke while looking at the horizon where gold and red blended together. Whether it was my imagination or not, it felt as if she were deliberately avoiding my eyes. As if she were afraid yet unable to restrain her curiosity—caught in an emotion any human would find hard to escape.

"Yes, go ahead."

"For a married couple who want to grow even closer… what sort of things should they do?"

She laid the groundwork, then hit me with an unexpected question. Something good for married couples to keep their love going. It was a suspicious question even though I did not sense any romantic interest directed at me. Still, it was also a question she could reasonably ask. The Saintess was of an age to be interested in marriage.

"Well… once a year, writing each other letters, putting them in a box, and burying them in the ground? Checking them every few years after that might feel rather tender."

I thought for a moment, then spoke of an old memory from long ago. A feeling I could never forget no matter how much time passed. Something I had begun at the request of Joan of Arc—Jeannette. An act that symbolized the most peaceful and happiest of times.

And yet—

"Ah……."

The Saintess's eyes trembled violently as she looked at me. As if she had just faced a dark and shocking truth.