Chapter 189: The Shepherd Girl
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: The Shepherd Girl
Elize was attending to her duties as a nun, just like any other day, when Headmistress Matilda approached her.
“Sister Elize?”
“Yes, Headmistress. Is something the matter?”
“I have something to discuss with you in private. If you’re not too busy, could you stop what you’re doing and come with me?”
“…? Of course.”
Usually, any announcements were made briefly during morning assembly. It was unusual for Matilda to single Elize out for a private meeting.
Could it be that I’ve won the headmistress’s favor?
The other nuns already held a rather poor opinion of Elize. This would only fan the flames, and she could feel their resentful glares on her back.
Not that Elize was one to care about such things.
She shot the other nuns a contemptuous scoff.
“The nerve of her…!”
Ignoring the whispers behind her, she entered the headmistress’s office.
The only recent interaction she’d had with the headmistress was asking about Roman a few days ago. She couldn’t think of any other reason for a private meeting.
Has she grown suspicious of me?
That, at least, seemed plausible.
“You don’t have to look so serious. I didn’t call you here to scold you.”
“My apologies. What did you wish to see me about?”
“It’s about a request from Cardinal Marcenus of the Congregation of Doctrinal Faith. He is looking for a nun to serve as his aide, and I have recommended you, Sister Elize, as a candidate.”
“What? Why me…?”
As Elize spent more time at the convent, she had begun to take on various duties. But they were all ordinary tasks that every nun performed. Serving as a cardinal’s aide was on a completely different level.
It was a promotion of staggering proportions.
If the other nuns were to find out…
Just imagining it was a headache.
As if oblivious to Elize’s inner thoughts, Matilda smiled warmly.
“Watching you work, I’ve come to realize what a capable person you are, Sister Elize. I am certain you would be more than qualified to assist the Cardinal.”
“But…”
“I’ve already told the Cardinal that I would be recommending you… Please, don’t make me lose face.”
Matilda asked with the kindest of smiles.
Elize had no choice but to accept.
*
“Sigh…”
A heavy sigh escaped Elize’s lips as she walked down the main street.
She had no idea what she was doing anymore.
It wasn’t enough that she was working as a nun in the Holy Kingdom she so despised, but now she’d landed a massive promotion to a cardinal’s aide. It felt as if the world itself was playing a cruel joke on her.
And it was all because of him.
“You there. Have you ever considered joining the Reaper’s Order? Become a believer, and all your fatigue will melt away!”
It was because of that man.
She thought he just holed himself up in the inn all day, but apparently not. He was out and about, enthusiastically proselytizing. Right in the middle of the Holy Kingdom, no less.
“What’s this? Are you a heretic?”
“A heretic? No, I’m not erratic at all.”
“What are you talking about? Get lost before I call the guards!”
Karami held up his index finger with a snap.
“Join now and get one gold coin, free.”
“Ooh?”
“Wow… I was just kidding. Is your faith really worth a single gold coin?”
“Get lost, you son of a bitch! Argh!”
“So clo—”
“So what?!”
“Nothing.”
Karami backed away as the man lunged at him.
The man spat on the ground and stormed off.
“Tch. He was so close to converting.”
“In what universe?”
“Oh, Sister Elize. Fancy meeting you here. What a coincidence.”
The fact that Elize was Karami’s slave was a secret between the two of them. In public, she didn’t call him Master, and he, in turn, addressed her as Sister.
Elize let out a dry laugh at his slippery demeanor.
“Coincidence, my foot. What were you doing? It looked like you were trying to recruit people into your cult.”
“You saw correctly.”
Since he had nothing better to do until the incident, Karami had figured he might as well try to grow his cult. If he could get over ten thousand followers, a new cult skill would be unlocked.
He thought it might even be helpful for progressing the story.
“…Are you out of your mind?”
To any third party, it was simply an act of madness.
The Order of Balance didn’t force its doctrines on others.
It understood atheists, it understood those who believed in other gods, it understood the elves’ faith in the World Tree, and it understood the dwarves’ faith in the Heart of Magmora.
But openly proselytizing in the Holy Kingdom was bound to generate immense hostility.
See? The guards, who already disliked Karami’s behavior, were shooting sharp glares in their direction.
“Cause any more trouble and you’ll be exiled from the Holy Kingdom. I won’t stop you if you want to leave. Just free me before you go.”
“I want to be with you for a long, long time, Sister Elize, so I’ll stop here.”
“Tsk.”
Such a bat.
Not that Elize was one to talk.
“By the way, is something wrong, Sister Elize? You were sighing up a storm when you walked over.”
“…This isn’t something to discuss on the street. Let’s walk.”
Elize gave the guards a slight nod, a silent promise that she would keep Karami from causing any more trouble.
The two began to walk toward a more deserted area on the outskirts of the city.
“Something must have happened.”
“Yes. Something very big. I’ve been selected to serve as the cardinal’s aide. The headmistress recommended me herself.”
“Congratulations. That’s quite the meteoric rise.”
“How could this possibly be a good thing? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
Karami laughed it off, then continued in a voice more serious than usual.
“It’s certainly not a normal turn of events. No matter how capable you are, Elize, being appointed as a cardinal’s aide suggests there’s some ulterior motive at play.”
“The headmistress might be in on it, too. She might have realized I interfered with the experiment and is now setting a trap.”
While Roman might be the one running the project, it was highly likely that someone higher up was directing him to gather the nun candidates by manipulating the other nuns.
The headmistress was the most likely suspect, and sending Elize to the cardinal’s side meant she was probably part of the conspiracy. It was a trap, nine times out of ten.
“A reasonable assessment.”
“I don’t know what you want from me, Master, but can’t we please just leave the Holy Kingdom? We’re all going to die at this rate.”
“It’s fine. I’ve played this game before.”
“This isn’t some kind of game!”
Elize argued her case with all sincerity, but Karami paid her no mind. If he wouldn’t leave, she was stuck here as well.
“I’ve warned you. Don’t you dare blame me when things go wrong later.”
“I would never. If a slave makes a mistake, the responsibility falls on me, the master.”
Karami declared this proudly, his head held high, but Elize didn’t trust him one bit.
I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t just run off and save himself.
*
“I don’t know what to do. I feel completely lost.”
This was Elize’s last day hearing confessions before she began her work as the cardinal’s aide.
Today, as always, Elize offered answers to the lost little lambs in God’s stead, guiding them to the righteous path.
She still felt no sense of fulfillment.
For her—someone stained with so much blood that she could no longer hear God’s voice—to be guiding them was nothing short of fraud.
A lie, devoid of even good intentions.
It was like the boy who cried wolf.
Yet the faithful were saved by her answers, weeping with gratitude.
What in the world was God?
What was she?
What was salvation?
She asked herself these questions, but only silence echoed back.
If so, from whom could she receive salvation? How was she to find her own answers?
She had a master, but she would rather die than consult him. Any serious attempt at conversation would surely be met with a joke.
After finishing her last confession, Elize left the Cathedral and headed for the convent. On her way, an old man caught her eye.
He was an elderly man, his back bent, taking one laborious step after another with a shabby wooden staff.
A vagrant?
Where there is light, there must be a shadow to maintain the balance. Even in Kassilon, the heart of the Holy Kingdom, not everyone could live in blissful happiness.
An old man wandering alone at this late hour was most likely a vagrant.
He looked so frail, as if he could collapse at any moment. If it were daytime, some do-gooder believers would have helped him, but in the dead of night, there was no one.
This really wasn’t her sort of thing.
But she couldn’t just pretend she hadn’t seen him. With no other choice, Elize approached the old man.
He was dressed in rags.
His face was dotted with age spots, and his hair and beard were white and lifeless.
And yet, perhaps because of his shabby appearance, the cross around his neck seemed to shine all the brighter. His face, deeply etched with wrinkles like the bark of an old tree, was coarse but radiated a gentle benevolence.
“Sir, are you alright?”
“Ooh, a Sister.”
“Where are you headed? I can escort you to your destination.”
“Ho ho, where would an old man like me have to go? I am but a wanderer, going wherever my feet take me.”
Normally, Elize would have considered her duty done and walked away. But she felt a small sense of kinship in the old man’s words about having nowhere to go.
She saw in him a reflection of herself—someone who belonged nowhere. So, for once, she dredged up a sincerity she didn’t truly feel.
“If you have nowhere to go, I can take you to the shelter run by our convent.”
“A Sister as kind-hearted as she is beautiful. But if it’s the shelter, I must refuse.”
“Why is that?”
“The food is terrible.”
“…Excuse me?”
“A person needs to eat something tasty and exciting every now and then, you see. But those rigid clerics don’t understand that. That, too, is part of the harmony of balance. Tsk, tsk.”
A disbelieving laugh escaped Elize’s lips.
An old man who looked like he would starve to death if left alone was complaining about the side dishes. His audacity reminded her of a certain someone.
The two of them would get along splendidly.
Ah?
A lightbulb went off in Elize’s head.
What a brilliant idea.
This was the perfect opportunity to get back at Karami for all his pranks while also helping the old man.
The corners of Elize’s mouth drew a graceful arc. It was a smile of 100% pure, unadulterated mischief.
“Sir, in that case, I’ll take you somewhere wonderful~”
*
“Hoh hoh hoh, what a splendid inn. I hope I’m not imposing by staying in a place like this.”
“Not at all. Helping those in need is the duty of a follower of God. You can rest comfortably and have a delicious meal here.”
I’d figured Elize wasn’t coming today and was just about to go to sleep when she showed up.
And she wasn’t alone. She was with some old man.
“To be staying in such a luxurious inn room at your young age. You must be a fine man of outstanding character.”
The old man approached me, a kind smile on his face.
I stared at him.
What is this guy doing here?
I knew him.
Of course, I did. He was Antonius, the former Pope of the Holy Kingdom, Kassilon.