Preparation for Escort Duty
Preparation for Escort Duty
2 days before the Academy opening and entrance ceremony.
Goddess Church Headquarters, Escort Headquarters.
"Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna-nim, here is the basic escort manual. And this is the exclusive escort manual for the Saint-nim. It also contains coping strategies for emergencies and first-aid measures."
A heavy stack of documents is mercilessly placed on my arms.
I stared at the pile of documents with a stiff expression, then asked the Saintess Guard Vice-Captain with a puzzled look.
"Do I have to memorize all of this?"
The Saintess Guard Vice-Captain nodded as if it were obvious.
"This is a manual that must be memorized to escort the Saint-nim. Even if it's difficult right now, I would like you to memorize it slowly to the end."
There are things that must be memorized to escort a being called the Saint, and it has been passed down and developed into such thick documents.
This meant that escorting the Saint was not just about doing one's best, but a job composed of a systematic system, thorough education, and manuals.
And honestly, this is only natural.
It makes no sense to just "do your best" when escorting the Saint-nim, who is the mother of all and the daughter of the Goddess.
No, actually, it's not that the work needs to be systematic because it's the Saint-nim's escort; I think any job should be done this systematically.
Not like our Holy Inquisition Bureau, where they just throw you into the field and say, "Find them, torture them, kill them," making you work like a brute.
Of course, there is education worse than hell regarding tracking, torture, and punishment unique to our Holy Inquisition Bureau's Heretic Inquisitors, but that's just the training phase. Once you actually start the job, it's no different from just throwing a stone into the water.
You really learn what it means to learn with your body.
Of course, this is probably due to the specificity of the field that can't be expressed in writing or documents...
Still, I couldn't shake the thought that if there had been a manual like this, my work would have been a little easier.
Though, not this much, of course.
"Hmm, well... yeah, I suppose so. I understand for now."
As I said that and turned to leave, the Saintess Guard Vice-Captain bowed deeply and said.
"Yes, then please take good care of the Saint-nim."
Their loyalty to the Saint seemed more sincere and desperate than anyone else's.
Well, they had been in charge of the escort continuously since the Saint was officially announced, so perhaps it was natural.
I held the many documents and papers in one hand for a moment, and patted the shoulder of the person bowing with my remaining hand.
"I will do my best so that you have nothing to worry about."
"Yes, with Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna-nim saying that, there is nothing more reassuring."
"Then I'll be going now."
And so, I left the Escort Headquarters with my arms full of manuals and documents.
Leaving behind the regret and relief of those who had escorted the Saint until now.
+++*
1 day before Academy entrance.
Golal Empire Sepenteria Continental General Academy entrance party.
High-ranking noble children of the same age, including the Prince who would be entering the Academy tomorrow, were talking quietly in the party's secret room.
"Entrance is tomorrow, and I obtained some hot news yesterday."
Everyone perked up their ears at the words of a certain male student. He was the son of a Marquis who ran a huge newspaper company, so the information he spoke was certainly credible.
"The Saint-nim of the Three-Eyed Goddess... is said to be enrolling in the Sepenteria Academy."
"What? The Saint-nim?"
"Really? I heard she was young, but she was our age?"
"Isn't this a huge event? That Saint-nim of that Goddess Church."
"...It's not the first time there's been a Saint, is it? Isn't this the 15th Saint?"
"Whether it's the first or the 15th, a Saint is a Saint. The daughter of the Goddess and mother of all, that Saint. It means something different for such a Saint to be studying right next to us. Bellova."
The high-ranking noble children in the secret room reacted differently.
Everyone added a word and reacted, so the secret room couldn't help but be full of noise.
However, among them, the one with the most noble bloodline showed no reaction at all.
'The news has even reached the ears of Marquis Deta-mare. Yeah, it's such a huge event that it can't be controlled.'
Because he already knew.
"Prince 'Leo'. Aren't you interested?"
As he was sipping wine and staying quiet, his closest friend, Lady Obertia, asked, but he shook his head.
"No, I'm interested. That's why I'm thinking."
"I see. The Saint enrolling in the Academy is a historic event. What kind of circumstances could there be?"
"...Who knows. How would we know."
"Well~ that's true. Anyway, it's really surprising."
"Yeah, surprising."
Although he nodded and said it was surprising at Lady Obertia's words, in fact, there was something else surprising besides the Saint's enrollment.
Perhaps it was even more surprising.
'Lu Niginna.'
The worst sword of the Goddess Church.
A demon in an angel's mask.
A murderer.
Lu Niginna.
He is coming to the Academy tomorrow as the Saint's escort.
'...'
Prince Leo.
Leo Kibushi couldn't tell.
'...What on earth is happening.'
What on earth is happening at this Academy.
+*
A huge and magnificent building located in the center of Bekato, the capital of the Lekhatos General Bureau.
Its name is Gongbaekcheondae.
It was the residence of the General Saintess.
And here today, a girl who was entering the Academy tomorrow could not fall asleep.
"General Saintess-nim. You must go to sleep."
"I can't sleep."
"Are you excited?"
"...No."
It wasn't because she was excited.
"Because the story I heard today was too shocking."
Because it was too shocking.
She blinked and looked at the glow-in-the-dark stars floating on the unlit ceiling.
"The Saint-nim coming is within the scope of what I can understand, right?"
"Yes, General Saintess-nim."
"But Lu Niginna coming as her escort is outside the scope of understanding."
"Hmm, Lu Niginna? Who on earth is that? Is he a more shocking existence than the Saint-nim, what kind of person is he?"
At that, the girl called the General Saintess slowly turned her head to look at her maid.
"My name is Bashel Oglen Lekhatos, people call me the General Saintess, and I am a freshman who will be entering the Academy soon."
"...Yes, that's true. But suddenly why... introducing yourself..."
"Lu Niginna, people call him the Chief Inquisitor, but he has many names. A demon in an angel's mask, a blood-crazed murderer, the Goddess Church's most cruel sword, etc., there are countless names."
"Ye, yes?"
"And he is a person coming to the Academy soon to escort the Saint."
"Ah, no... a demon in an angel's mask, a blood-crazed murderer... the Goddess Church's most cruel sword... is coming to this Academy? And to escort the Saint at that?"
+*
Dawn on the day of Academy entrance.
The Saint's sleeping quarters.
"Saint-nim, it is Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna."
The Saint shuddered once at the voice heard from outside.
Just hearing the voice makes me scared, afraid, reluctant, repulsed, and uneasy.
I felt an ominous energy as if the souls of countless humans were stuck to him like a curse.
Of course, it must be a misunderstanding, but since he is a man who has lived like that his whole life, there might really be such vengeful souls attached to him.
And that energy might be causing an instinctive repulsion.
Most Heretic Inquisitors of the Holy Inquisition Bureau have such traits, but this man was even more so.
Someone said that might be why he could handle the holy artifact, the Halo.
Because only the deepest darkness would be able to handle the light of the Halo.
...
Anyway, such a person has now become my escort.
Originally, I couldn't even imagine it, and I thought of Lesha as my escort... but His Holiness the Pope is so firm...
"Teria. I think I should tell the Chief Inquisitor to come in or say something...?"
"Uh, uh?"
It seems I forgot to answer after being lost in thought for a moment.
I cleared my throat a couple of times and said as nonchalantly as possible.
"Please come in. Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna."
"Then, I will enter at the risk of being rude."
With those words, the door to the sleeping quarters opened.
Beyond it, I saw the figure of a man wearing a white robe with gold embroidery and a red cape.
He knelt before me and bowed his head.
"I see the Saint-nim."
"Nice to meet you. Lu, Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna."
"I report that I, Lu Niginna, Chief Inquisitor of the 1st Special Inquisition Department under the Holy Inquisition Bureau, have been reassigned as the Saint-nim's direct escort."
"...Yes, please, please take good care of me as an escort."
Kuk-kuk
As I stuttered, Lesha, my orphanage peer and soul friend, poked my side and whispered.
'Seriously Teria... you said you'd do it confidently...!'
Of course, Lesha's face, scolding me, was also deathly pale, so she had no right to scold me.
"Ah, please sit... Chief Inquisitor Lu Niginna..."
At my words, he stood up without a word and sat in the chair opposite me.
Then he looked at me for a moment with that eerie gaze, and soon moved his gaze to my side.
Lesha flinched.
He took his gaze off Lesha and bowed politely to me, asking.
"I would like to ask one thing. Saint-nim. Who is this woman?"
"Yes? She, she is Escort Adjutant Le, Lesha. Ri, right now... she is a colleague? who will go to the Academy with me as my attendant..."
He seemed to think for a moment and then nodded.
"Aha, so you are Escort Adjutant Lesha. Fortunately, I knew. Then, would it be okay to greet her for a moment, Saint-nim?"
"Ye, yes? Wi, with whom... Ah, with Lesha? Yes, yes, please do."
As I was trembling severely, he gave a gentle smile as if to say there was no need for that, then stood up and reached out to Lesha.
"Nice to meet you. Escort Adjutant Lesha, or should I say attendant? Let's assist and serve the Saint-nim well together from now on."
Lesha grabbed the hand he extended with both of her hands and bowed her head.
"Ye, yes! Chief Inquisitor-nim! I, I will do my best to serve with loyalty!"
An incomprehensible statement that she would do her best to serve the Chief Inquisitor with loyalty. It seems like words are popping out of her mouth on their own because she is so nervous.
"Loyalty should be given to the Saint-nim, not me. I know you are friends with the Saint-nim, but you must never forget that the Saint-nim is the mother of us all."
"Yes, yes, that is a matter of course!"
'Chi, he knows we're friends? How did he know?'
That man knew more information than I thought. Is this the power of the Holy Inquisition Bureau's Heretic Inquisition Department?
Since they hold information about almost the entire world, is the fact that I am friends with Lesha just information like "snacks are in the right drawer of the pantry"?
What else does he know about me?
I'm afraid. Afraid and afra...
"Saint-nim."
"Ye, yes?"
My train of thought was broken by his voice calling me again, and I looked at him, startled.
Then he was already sitting back in his seat, and Lesha was gaping with her soul gone.
Excessive fear had drained Lesha's soul.
I felt a chill and looked at him again.
Then he asked with a look of genuine curiosity.
"For what reason did you call me? Is there anything you are curious about? Like the departure time today, the location of the dormitory, the close escort interval, the escort time, the escort method, or perhaps about my power, is there anything you are curious about?"
He asked why I called him.
He mentioned several possibilities.
But among them, there was not a single reason why I called him.
The reason I called was...
"Th, that is..."
"Yes, Saint-nim, I am listening."
I said with an awkward, embarrassing, fearful, and anxious expression.
"I just thought I should say hello... because we will be seeing each other often for a lo, long time..."
I just called to say hello.
"...Yes, I see... Yes?"
"Ye, yes? Why, why?"
"Is that really the only reason?"
"Yes, but...?"
"Ah... Haha, haha! Ahem, yes. I see. Yes, Saint-nim, that was a really good idea. I also wanted to make sure to say hello at just the right time."
He burst into a bright laugh.
But behind that laugh, it felt like an emotion called anger was hidden for some reason.
+++*
"...Yes, I see... Yes?"
"Ye, yes? Why, why?"
"Is that really the only reason?"
"Yes, but...?"
In an instant, I felt the back of my neck stiffen and my blood pressure rise vertically.
A greeting? Just a greeting...?
...
It's 4 AM right now.
I gave up my cigarette time on the terrace to receive this call, and I even dressed up in my robes and ran over, cutting into my precious sleep time.
But... just... called to get to know my face?
How is this any different from a boss calling a subordinate who has left work saying, "I suddenly wanted to hear your voice"?
If there were a Labor Ministry in this world, this would be clear workplace harassment and emotional abuse.
"..."
But what's in front of me is the great and glorious "daughter of the Goddess" whom I serve.
"Ah... Haha, haha! Ahem, yes. I see. Yes, Saint-nim, that was a really good idea. I also wanted to make sure to say hello at just the right time."
All I could do was laugh.