The Saintess's Craving
The sky was cloudless and brilliantly clear. A cool breeze blew, and the warm sunlight brought on a pleasant drowsiness. It was undeniably perfect weather for an outing, yet neither the nun nor I could muster even a remotely cheerful expression as we made our way through the bustling streets beneath that generous sun.
"Hurry. Hurry up. Hurry. Hurry."
The Saintess, walking far ahead of us, kept urging us on, clearly irritated by our sluggish pace. Even with her perception-blocking hood on, her reckless behavior made it all too likely that someone would notice her. It only added another layer of turmoil to my already complicated thoughts.
"The Saintess seems quite excited, Sister."
"····"
"I've never seen her this lively before. Maybe it's because she always stays cooped up in the Audience Chamber."
"····"
"By the way, sneaking the Saintess out of the Audience Chamber and wandering the main streets without any proper guards? If we're caught, a pay cut or dismissal won't be the end of it, right? What do you think, Sister?"
"Ugh····!"
The nun glared at me, her face flushed red like a tomato, clearly annoyed by my sarcastic tone. But the usual sharpness in her eyes was nowhere to be found; that fluffy mallet-like spirit of hers wasn't enough to intimidate me.
"Sister, are you angry?"
"J-Just shut your mouth already!"
It had been quite a sight when the nun, who usually scolded me for indulging the Saintess too much, had been completely knocked out by the Saintess's dry display of affection. She must have found her own reaction embarrassing, because she couldn't come up with a single retort to my endless teasing.
With her fists clenched at her sides and her lips trembling, she looked rather pitiful. But that didn't mean I was about to let this perfect chance to pay her back for all her usual nagging slip away.
"As long as we return before lunch service, there shouldn't be any problems. In fact, for the Saintess who rarely gets any outdoor activity, a bit of sunlight and light exercise might be exactly what she needs. Yes, this is all part of improving her habits for the sake of her health····."
"Sister, you're amazing."
"H-Hey! If you call me 'Sister' one more time, I won't let you off! Do you hear me!?"
Finally losing her patience, the nun grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and shook me back and forth. Even though she had me by the throat, I didn't feel suffocated—in fact, it felt refreshing, like taking a deep breath. It made sense. This was the first time I'd ever held the upper hand in a conversation with her.
So this is what victory tastes like. Sweet.
"Puhaha."
"What! Whatwhatwhatwhat! What's so funny, Priest Regis!?"
After that pointless squabble dragged on for a while, the nun suddenly asked me a question.
"Aren't you going to ask····?"
"Huh? Ask what?"
"About my relationship with the Saintess····."
"Ah····."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't curious. Just from the way the nun had reacted so intensely to the Saintess casually calling her "Sister," it was obvious there was some deep connection between them. But—
"If I said I was curious, would you tell me?"
"Th-That's····."
"Then it's fine. You don't have to say anything. I may lack shame, but I do have a bit of tact."
"····"
Everyone has secrets they can't easily share with others. Even I had plenty of things I hadn't told the Hero and my companions. And it wasn't as if I could expect someone to reveal a past they couldn't easily speak of even to those they'd spend their whole life with, especially not to someone they might soon part ways with. The deeper my ties with them became, the harder it would be to say I was quitting later. So I decided to turn a blind eye and plug my ears.
"That. I want to eat that. Buy it. Buy it."
"Huh?"
Right then, the Saintess, who had somehow gotten right in front of us, tugged at my collar and pointed somewhere. Her pale finger was aimed at a shop crowded with a long line of customers. With the Grace Bestowal Ceremony, the greatest event for humanity, just around the corner, the streets of the Capital were filled with attractions and delicacies from all over the country—a veritable festival. Artisans from every corner of the empire had gathered here hoping to make a quick profit, making even rare delicacies from the outskirts easily available for now.
What caught the Saintess's eye was mosonmen—the so-called "rag bread," a traditional elven snack. It was a thin, square flatbread spread with honey and rolled up, similar to a hotteok. Despite its appearance resembling an old scroll, the chewy texture of bread soaked in honey was beyond words.
"Um····. Don't tell me you wanted to go outside just because you wanted to eat that····?"
"Huh? No? I just want to eat it. I have a separate wish. Just buy it. Hurry. Buy it."
"Haa···· You just had breakfast····. And with that long line, we'll have to wait forever. Can you wait?"
"Eat. I want to eat. I'm going to eat. I can eat. Buy it. Buy it."
"Haa, fine. If you want it that badly, I'll buy it."
"W-Wait! Just a moment, Priest Regis!"
Just as I reluctantly reached for my wallet, unable to resist the Saintess's persistence, the nun's hand shot out from the side and grabbed my arm.
"N-No! I can't allow you to feed her street food whose nutrition and hygiene haven't even been checked! Absolutely not!"
Even in her haste, the nun managed to avoid saying "Saintess" out loud, mindful of the surrounding gazes. She blocked our path with a grand declaration, but—
"Sister. Welna wants that. Buy it for me."
Whoosh! The moment the Saintess made her affectionate plea while casually swaying her body, the nun darted toward the line with astonishing agility, like a cheetah on the savanna spotting prey.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"She's completely hopeless····."
"Hopeless?"
While waiting for the nun, who had bravely plunged into the crowded shop, I chose a secluded alley out of the passersby's line of sight. No matter how true it was that forests hid trees and crowds hid people, leaving the Saintess alone in the middle of the street with nothing but a hood was something my heart simply couldn't handle.
"I'm tired. Hold me."
"Ah, yes····."
After running around everywhere, the Saintess suddenly spread both arms toward me and started whining. Honestly, lifting the Saintess, who was only slightly heavier than a feather, was no trouble at all, but the way our bodies inevitably pressed together in various places every time I held her was still quite taxing, even now that I'd gotten somewhat used to it.
"Puhup."
"Hm?"
In the brief silence after I lifted her, the image of the nun rocketing off at the single word "Sister" from the Saintess flashed through my mind again, and I couldn't help but laugh. That blind devotion had been on par with a fanatic. She looked ready to vouch for anything if coaxed properly.
I still had no idea what kind of history the Saintess and the nun shared, nor did I particularly want to know. But the sight of the usually cool-headed nun completely losing her composure at the Saintess's words was amusing enough that I was sure I'd occasionally recall it and laugh even years from now.
"D-Don't move!"
Right then, an unfamiliar voice came from behind. A sharp sensation poked into my lower back, jolting me to full alertness.
"Make a sound and you die! Turn around and you die! Do anything suspicious and you die! I-If you want to live, throw everything valuable on the ground! Get lost right now!"
I didn't turn around, but from the musty smell hitting my nose and the faint tremor of the blade against my back, I could roughly guess the identity and skill of the person threatening me. A thief targeting travelers. Honestly, dealing with this pathetic threat wouldn't be difficult. But since I had no real talent for fighting, the only way I could subdue someone was by slamming them into a wall—and doing something that flashy while holding the Saintess was out of the question. So for now, I decided to quietly comply with his demands. Besides, all the money I had wouldn't amount to much anyway; it'd be gone after one shopping trip. I could just consider it losing a few coins on the street.
"Understood. I'll take out all the money I have right now. Please don't hurt me."
"G-Good! J-Just do that! Don't worry! If you just hand over the money safely, you and your daughter will be fine!"
While humoring him, I rummaged through my pocket. It was fortunate he couldn't see my face right now. With me occasionally steadying my breathing and even lightly biting my lower lip, I must have looked like the very picture of someone holding back laughter.
Swish.
"Here. This is all my possessions. Take it all."
"O-Ooh!"
Just as I was about to drop my wallet and valuables onto the ground as demanded, it happened.
Grab!
The Saintess's pale hand suddenly shot out and roughly seized mine. My gaze, startled by the unexpected turn of events, quietly shifted to the source. Those red pupils, reminiscent of a beast's eyes lighting up in the night, were fixed firmly on the wallet in my hand—and on the expensive trinket right beside it.
"This."
What had captured the Saintess's attention was the item I'd absentmindedly brought along during my scuffle with the Hero that morning—the one I hadn't gotten around to dealing with yet, something that had slipped from my mind. Yes.
The ring box.