Chapter 20
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20
“Once Lady Rohanson finishes her prayers, escort her to the knights’ reception room. Uriel is with her.”
As he made his way there, Gabriel also instructed a knight to bring Hena and Canna to the same room.
Perhaps because the Order of Pararos was affiliated with the Temple, their headquarters was built right next to the Grand Temple. Hena had expected it to be as magnificent as the temple itself, but the building was surprisingly modest.
“Ah. It’s over there.”
As they approached the knights’ office, Hena’s mind raced with worst-case scenarios.
While Gabriel might be pleased to have found a lead, Hena was consumed by anxiety. She and Canna were the only ones who had witnessed Donau’s death—so where had this other witness come from? Was it someone connected to the painter, since the painting was the issue? Did they even need another witness?
And to think it was someone from the monastery. Hena was terrified, unable to imagine what this person Gabriel mentioned could have possibly seen.
Surely they didn't see the Young Lady kill Donau. But the door was wide open back then… if they heard the commotion…
Then, with the finality of a death sentence, the office door opened.
Inside sat three knights, including Raphaella, whom she had just seen, and a person dressed in monastic robes—presumably the informant. The woman looked so familiar that Hena blurted out her name without thinking.
“Daisy?”
Daisy, who was rumored to have been blinded and sent away to a monastery, looked back at Hena, her face gaunt and drawn.
“Hena? Why are you here?”
“I should be asking you that. I heard you went blind…”
The rumor was that Daisy had lost her sight before being sent away. Hena remembered the terror she’d felt when she first took over Daisy’s position, half-suspecting that the girl was already dead and the Young Lady had invented the story as a cover.
But seeing her now, Daisy wasn't blind, nor did she appear to be seriously injured.
So Daisy is the witness? Hena’s head began to throb. If it were anyone else, she could have claimed they were mistaken. But Daisy was a maid who had served the Young Lady closely until very recently.
The staff at the Rohanson estate knew to keep their mouths shut, silenced by the butler’s bribes and Lady Evangeline’s constant, looming intimidation. But Daisy had already left her post. She would reveal everything, starting with the fact that the dead Young Lady had come back to life.
That couldn't happen. What if the Temple tried to execute the Young Lady after hearing the whole story? It wasn't that Hena was worried about the Young Lady’s well-being. She was simply terrified of what would happen once the identity of ‘Evangeline Rohanson’—the only thing keeping the Young Lady in check—lost its power.
What do I do? I have to shut her mouth.
“Did you… quit working at the mansion?”
When Hena shook her head, Daisy’s face turned deathly pale.
“Quit. Quit as soon as you can. Wait… that thing on her neck… Hena, who is she?”
Daisy pointed at Canna.
“She’s my sister.”
Her neck? Daisy was staring at the faint red line etched across Canna’s throat. It was a mark left by Donau, one Canna had refused to heal with holy water, leaving it as a permanent scar.
Daisy covered her mouth, looking as if she were about to be sick.
“Your sister?”
Hena nodded.
“Does your sister… work at the mansion with you?”
“Yes.”
With every answer, Daisy’s face grew paler. The hand over her mouth trembled, and her eyes shook uncontrollably.
That line on the neck was undoubtedly the mark of the demon she had summoned. That demon had a twisted habit of severing people's heads and then reattaching them. Without that thin line, you couldn't even tell the person was dead.
The demon had asked her to guide it to the Rohanson estate, and Daisy had complied. It seemed the creature had successfully entered the mansion and harmed the people inside.
She had suspected as much, but seeing a victim standing right before her was a massive shock. It felt even worse knowing the victim was the sister of a former colleague.
“What have I… What have I done…?”
As a shocked Daisy stumbled backward, a nearby knight hurried to support her, but she sharply swatted his hand away. She stared at the knight with pure terror and scrambled away from him.
It felt as though any one of these knights might turn on her and take her head at any moment. Having summoned a demon and caused Priest Berga’s death, Daisy was far from innocent.
“I… I should be going now.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
Daisy had come to the Temple to inspect the painting Priest Berga had mentioned. After confirming the ominous summoning circle within it, she had decided to testify, intending to have the painting destroyed.
Of course, she had no intention of confessing her own involvement, so her testimony was a plausible mix of truth and lies.
“What I just told you is everything. Isn't that enough for a testimony?”
Gabriel glanced at another knight, who nodded in confirmation. Gabriel picked up the paper summarizing Daisy’s testimony and skimmed the contents.
It claimed that Priest Berga of the monastery had summoned a demon using that summoning circle. It also listed several misdeeds he had committed while possessed, adding that evidence could be found by searching his room.
Turning the page, he saw notes regarding Evangeline Rohanson. Judging by their conversation, the two women had worked at the Rohanson estate together, and these appeared to be eyewitness accounts from that time.
Glancing briefly at Hena and Canna, Gabriel quietly flipped the paper over, hiding it from view. He could understand Daisy’s anxiety. It was only natural for her to be frightened after running into someone from the Rohanson mansion.
“This has been very helpful. We will investigate the rest.”
Daisy looked relieved when Gabriel gave her permission to leave. Since Priest Berga was already dead, she felt no guilt pinning the blame on him. The misdeeds she listed were things Berga had actually done, and in truth, he had been the one to draw the summoning circle.
Daisy’s only goal was to have the ominous painting removed from the Temple. Her part was done.
“Raphaella, escort her to the temple gates.”
Realizing that refusing would look suspicious, Daisy gave a quiet nod.
As she brushed past Hena, she whispered so softly that even Canna, standing right beside her, couldn't hear.
“Hena. That thing isn't your sister.”
She couldn't bring herself to explain the whole story. The knights were right there, and she was terrified that Hena would resent her for her sister's death. This warning was the best she could do.
Daisy looked at Hena’s dead sister and the sphere floating beside her. She hadn't expected to see that thing again outside the mansion. The only relief was that it didn't seem as terrifying as before.
Perhaps because they were inside the Grand Temple, it wasn't at full strength. Fortunately, Daisy knew from experience that the ‘eye’ couldn’t hear. It likely hadn't heard what she had just whispered to Hena.
Fearful their eyes might meet, Daisy hurried out of the reception room.
Watching Daisy’s retreating back, Hena quietly squeezed her sister’s hand.
“Sister? What did that person say?”
“It was nothing.”
No matter what Daisy said, Canna was her one and only sister. Whether she rejoiced at the sight of Donau’s corpse or called that monstrous painting beautiful—no matter how broken Canna was or what she was thinking—she was still Hena’s precious sister.
She has to be.
* * *
“Did your prayers go well?”
Yes. I had a fantastic nap. Since I couldn't exactly tell a Paladin that I’d slept like a log during prayer time, I just nodded awkwardly.
The prayer room Uriel had guided me to was a private chamber often used by nobles. Perhaps because the primary clientele was wealthy, the interior was incredibly lavish. I’d expected some kind of solitary cell, but it was actually very cozy and pleasant.
Sunlight streamed in through a large window, and the sound of a distant organ drifted in. As I pretended to pray with my eyes closed, I eventually grew drowsy and fell fast asleep.
I didn't see any gods in my dreams, either. So much for the classic 'talk to God' perk for transmigrators. I didn't even get the language patch until late in the game, and I was dropped into this body long after the story's starting point. There was no way I'd get a special privilege like that. I guess I was just getting ahead of myself.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all. Some believers spend hours in prayer.”
I was worried I’d slept too long, but it seemed not much time had passed. A clock would have been nice, but there wasn't one in the prayer room or anywhere else in the temple. Not having a phone makes things like this so inconvenient. I should start carrying a pocket watch.
“Ah, the Commander is waiting at the knights' quarters. Your companions are with him as well. I shall escort you there.”
I guess Hena and Canna were done looking at the paintings. Did they wait for me instead of heading back? Is this what they call friendship…? It warms my heart. I gave the dozing Jelly a sharp smack to wake him up. Technically, he waited too, but why is he so annoying?
Since I was at the temple anyway, I used the gold coins I’d brought to do some holy water shopping. Might as well stock up. Luckily, I had just grabbed a random handful of coins, so I still had money left over after buying ten bottles.
“You are quite impressive, My Lady. That is an amount I couldn't purchase even with several years' worth of my salary.”
Beside me, Uriel offered some fawning praise, looking like a shop clerk about to applaud a big sale. Are you a holy water salesman or a knight?
When I handed the holy water to Jelly, he recoiled in disgust.
“You want me to carry this…?”