The Somewhat Mad Saintess (7)
"Hey, Saintess."
Celereja the saintess turned to look at me. I sat up and crossed my legs.
"Let's make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"I'll give you a room, so stay here for a while."
"I don't have the money for..."
"I'm not charging you, so just crash here."
Celereja narrowed her eyes, shooting me a suspicious glare.
"I'm not the type to pretend to be generous and then stab you in the back, so trust me a little."
"That's...!"
The saintess started to snap in anger but then deflated. Even with her shitty personality, she knew damn well who held the power here.
In a somewhat subdued voice, she asked, "So... what's next?"
"When the sun sets, come in, sleep, take a bath, whatever. In return, do some volunteer work."
"What the fuck!"
Celereja finally exploded with curses, slamming her fist into the bed.
"Volunteer?! So that's what you really want—my body after all?! Fuck that, shit! I'd rather freeze to death outside!"
I just listened quietly to her tirade. The more she cursed me out, the more debt she owed me in her heart anyway.
After ranting like a maniac for a while, Celereja ran out of steam and glared at me while panting.
I spoke calmly. "I meant treating injured guests for free among the customers who come to the inn."
"Oh..."
Celereja's mouth fell open slightly. Her already flushed face turned even redder with embarrassment.
"Can't you do that much in exchange for room and board?"
"You're not just saying that because you tried to push your luck once and backed off when it didn't work?"
She still had some pride and wouldn't fully back down.
"Me? Honestly, why the hell would I want to sleep with a woman like you, Saintess?"
"What...?"
"Didn't you see our staff? I'm running a business with girls like that—think you'd even catch my eye?"
The saintess stared at me wordlessly, her face full of shame.
"Believe me now?"
"Fine, let's say I do..."
"Sigh... You're drunk anyway, so sleep here tonight. I'll let the temple know."
I got off the bed and looked down at her.
"Wanna take a bath?"
Celereja said nothing, but I took her silence as a yes.
"I'll have them bring up hot water, so wait here."
Before opening the door to leave, I turned back as if I'd just remembered something.
"Oh, right. Why haven't you said thanks?"
"What?"
"If it weren't for me, who knows what would've happened by now. No 'thank you'?"
I smiled leisurely as I watched her, and the saintess averted her gaze.
After a brief silence, she spoke. "Well..."
She hesitated as if declaring something incredibly difficult, then bowed her head, pressing her forehead to the bed, and blurted it out quickly.
"Thanks for saving me."
"No problem."
Come to think of it, there was one more thing I needed to tell her.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"What now?"
"One of the staff here is a black mage. The girl with black hair."
"A black mage...?"
The saintess lifted her head, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me.
"She's a good kid, so don't go purifying her or anything. Being a black mage isn't illegal, right?"
"...Got it."
Satisfied, I left the room.
Idwild freaked out when she learned the saintess was staying in a guest room.
She'd already fled to the third-floor dorms when the priests barged in earlier, and now, hearing about the saintess, the poor girl wouldn't even leave her room.
"I told you, don't harass her."
"Ugh... but... she looked like she has a total bitch personality..."
"She owes me, so even if she wants to, she won't dare act out. Now go help Della downstairs. I gotta head to the temple."
I forcibly picked up Idwild and carried her down the stairs. As we passed her floor, I could feel her back getting soaked with sweat from the tension.
Della was always nice and dry, but this girl sweats buckets at the slightest thing.
I tossed Idwild to Della and headed for the temple.
I arrived at the temple and pounded on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Delivery."
I brushed past the young priest who opened the door and headed straight for the head priest's office.
"H-Hey! Wait a minute!"
I opened the office door. The head priest, changed into casual clothes and sipping liquor, looked up at me in surprise.
"Innkeeper... what brings you here...?"
"Not enough booze at the inn?"
"Well... I was feeling a bit regretful... so I had one more. What do you want?"
"Celereja the Saintess is crashing at the inn. She healed my finger and passed out."
I held up my perfectly fine finger.
"Good for her... You didn't come barging in here at night just to tell me that, did you?"
"And she's agreed to do free holy healing for travelers staying at the inn."
"I see..."
As I stood there silently, the head priest grumbled curtly.
"So what exactly are you telling me right now?"
He wasn't hiding his displeasure at all. Probably because we were alone.
Getting pissed yet, you horny pig?
"So, the saintess won't be coming back to the temple for a while."
"Hmph..."
The head priest cleared his throat uncomfortably, showing his irritation.
"What's that booze, anyway? Looks expensive."
Before he could respond, I walked over, grabbed the bottle, and chugged several gulps straight from the neck.
"Mmm. No idea what it is, but it's good. Who knew the temple had liquor this nice? Guess I'll have to visit more often."
I corked the bottle and tucked it under my arm.
"Why are you taking that...?"
"Payment for dinner instead of cash."
"What...?!"
Teasing him like this was kinda fun. Everyone knew the priests were corrupt. Nothing special about today.
But knowing rotten meat stinks and smelling it up close are two different things. It's pretty damn unpleasant when it's right in your face.
"You know, me coming to the temple often probably isn't great for you."
The head priest's face flushed red, then pale, shifting by the second in confusion and rage.
"Have a good night."
With the bottle under my arm, I left the office.
The young priest struck a pose like he might block me, but he met my eyes and stepped aside.
Whistling happily, I left the temple. The booze I'd swiped was insanely expensive—made from black grapes only grown in Montroe.
Probably worth four times the Delphina Mountain wine those pigs guzzled at dinner. Not brand new, but it more than covered the meal they didn't pay for.
The head priest was probably exploding with rage right now. Failed to jump Hildeva because of me, failed to screw Celereja, and now his booze was gone too.
Pay up properly if you're gonna eat, assholes.
Humming, I headed back to the inn. Save this for sharing with Hildeva and the girls later.
The next day, an awkward, uncomfortable vibe hung over the inn.
Because of Celereja quietly eating breakfast in the corner, and Idwild clinging to the opposite wall, wringing a rag.
When Celereja came down the stairs and spotted Idwild, she just gave her a curious look—no big reaction.
But Idwild's chest heaved as she bolted across the hall to the other side, pretending to wipe a table nearby while stealing glances at the saintess.
Celereja showed no sign of it, just eating the breakfast Della brought.
"Idi, go say hi to the saintess."
Della scurried over and grabbed Idi's shoulder. Idi shook her head violently like she'd been burned.
"I-I'll do it later..."
Celereja finished eating, bowed politely to Della, and headed out. Wonder where she'd wander today.
After breakfast, I grabbed some scrap wood from the backyard and did a bit of work.
I gouged and scraped letters into it with a chisel, painted them black, nailed a long stick to the back, and voilà—a decent sign.
I planted it at the front yard entrance.
(Beautiful Saintess)
Holy healing for five silver with a stay was a steal.
Told Celereja it was free for her, but we still needed some room revenue. A bit tacky, but the ad effect would be solid.
"Eww... what is this? Looks like an old man wrote it."
Della clearly wasn't a fan.
The advertising worked like a charm.
Every guest wanted a holy healing session. It worked on not just wounds but achy joints too.
Celereja set up at a corner table in the hall, busy treating people.
Flash, flash. Each time her hands glowed with holy power, guests marveled, and Celereja's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Hey, Idi."
"W-What...?"
"You seem like you have hyperhidrosis. Go get treated."
"No! I just... sweat a lot naturally...!"
"You smell like sweat."
Idi froze in shock, then frantically bowed her head and sniffed her shirt front.
Lie, of course. She sweats a ton but never smells bad. In fact, when she does, the fancy soap scent from the inn wafts up nicely.
I prefer soap over perfume. Makes me happy when Della and Idi, smelling like fresh soap, pass by.
Anyway, after treating everyone in line, Celereja stretched and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
Fireplace right behind her—must be sweaty.
Della hurried over with a towel and dabbed her forehead.
"Great job, Saintess. Um, could you heal me too?"
"What is it?"
Della whispered in Celereja's ear. The saintess's eyes widened, her cheeks blooming red.
"Rubbed too hard... and it's chafed...?"
Della clapped a hand over Celereja's mouth in surprise, then turned to me and Idi with a beaming smile.
"Don't mind us... haha..."
She linked arms with Celereja and headed upstairs.
"What was that about?"
I tilted my head. Idi, seeming to know, covered her face with both hands and bowed her head.
Checking the calendar, this week included Saint Colmond's feast day.
Saint Colmond was the patron of the poor, and temples gave out free food on his day.
Rosens' temple wasn't big enough to prepare it themselves yet, so they ordered from our inn, the bakery, and new city restaurants.
Celereja, who'd been hiding at the inn nights, returned to the temple with a gloomy look.
Couldn't skip an official feast day, no matter the situation.
I worried a bit, but soon forgot amid preparing massive food quantities.