The Mad Saintess (10)
"I... I actually... earlier I was so startled... so, um... haa..."
I waited, and she bit her lip hard, closing her eyes.
"I'm too scared to be alone right now... ha... sorry..."
Yeah... after going through all that hell, she seemed way too composed. She was just pretending on the outside, but inside, she was shattered...
"So... I'm really sorry, but... could you stay with me just a little while...? Really, just a bit..."
Gone was her usual aggressive tone; now Celereja just pleaded with me, trembling in fear.
"Please..."
Her lips quivered as she clung to my sleeve, refusing to let go. The saintess's eyes looking up at me held a desperation that went beyond mere pitifulness.
"Please..."
How could I refuse such desperate begging? It was better for me if the saintess recovered her mental stability quickly anyway.
"Alright. I'll stay until you fall asleep."
Celereja sat on the bed, slowly drying her hair with a towel, while I sat in a chair watching her. Her long hair took forever to dry even after rubbing and toweling it thoroughly—it still wasn't completely dry.
Watching her like that, I wondered if Idwild could use a spell to evaporate the moisture. That way, we could offer a hair-drying service for long-haired guests staying over.
Celereja set the towel on the nightstand and said with an apologetic expression,
"It's... okay now... I can be alone..."
"No. I'll stay a bit longer."
"You sure that's alright?"
"It's fine."
Celereja glanced at me for a moment, then lowered her head. The small candle on the nightstand wasn't enough to fully light the room, and her dark shadow flickered uneasily on the wall with the flame's dance.
The saintess spoke up.
"Isn't it ridiculous? This."
"What's ridiculous? Starting off with a bad first impression, holding a grudge the whole time, then suddenly flipping at the end and turning all meek?"
She glared at me with wide eyes but soon dropped her gaze powerlessly.
"I'd laugh if it were me."
"Why laugh? People can act like that sometimes. They adapt to situations, right?"
"Is that so..."
"Yeah. Otherwise, why would I have gone to rescue you? I'd just think, 'Serves that rude saintess right,' and leave it."
Instead of getting angry, she let out a small chuckle at my words.
"But there are consistent people who never change. Like that chief priest bastard. He'll definitely bring battle priests."
"Let him. Battle priests are just devout thugs at best anyway."
Celereja laughed softly.
"Never heard battle priests described like that before."
"Everyone thinks it; they just don't say it out loud."
She smiled faintly.
"If they come to arrest you, I'll step in. Gotta repay the favor."
"Handle that yourself. Instead of repayment, keep working... no, serving at the inn."
"Got it."
We fell silent for a moment. As an awkward air settled in, Celereja spoke.
"Aren't you curious about me? I pried into everything about you."
"Eh, saintesses who wield holy power all have similar backstories... Manifest early, get dragged to theology college, forced to become a saintess. Like that."
"Yeah, pretty much. Except no mom or dad."
Her sudden words caught me off guard.
"Ah... sorry..."
She smiled brightly at my apology. Who knew this saintess could make that face?
"It's fine. Wasn't trying to put you in a spot."
Celereja lowered her head, fidgeting with her hands on her knees.
"I wasn't an orphan from the start. I had a mom. But I don't know who my dad is. Never even seen his face."
"Dead or ran off, probably."
"Who knows? I don't really. Mom never told me. But it wasn't a normal relationship, I guess. Everyone around us badmouthed us."
"Badmouthed? Why? What's wrong with a woman raising a kid alone?"
Celereja gave a wistful smile.
"Mom was a saintess."
"Ah..."
"You can imagine the rest, right?"
I didn't know the details, but something must've happened with some guy. That's why Celereja could wield holy power. It's innate talent, but genetics play a big role too.
"Mom fled the church and made money illegally healing patients. So we moved at least once a year to dodge crackdowns."
"I see..."
"No matter where we went, people sniffed us out like ghosts and shunned us, spat curses. A holy power-wielding woman with a kid? You can guess."
A faint light gathered in Celereja's hand.
"I'd fight tooth and nail with those bastards saying 'no dad, cursed brat,' and come home beat up. Mom would heal me with holy power and always cry."
She playfully twirled the light in her hand.
"Once I realized our home wasn't normal, I was always picking fights. Had to hurt others first so they couldn't hurt me."
The holy power in her hand flickered irregularly, slowly fading.
"Mom knew I had holy power but refused to send me to holy college. Probably didn't want me to follow her fate."
"Makes sense."
"But fate's cruel. Somehow, I ended up a saintess too."
The light in her hand went out completely.
"Where's your mother now?"
"No idea. Contact cut off when they found out about my holy power and dragged me to holy college."
Her face, shadowed deeply now that the light was gone, spoke flatly.
"Weird, right...? Blessed by the Goddess with holy power... but it just made my life miserable..."
Exactly as she said—weird. But it wasn't the Goddess's fault. It was the church's way of handling her blessed women.
"Get it now? Why my personality's such a bitch."
"I get it. Hearing that explains why you're such a pain."
"Haha... yeah? How could I grow up normal in that?"
"No. You're perfectly normal."
A question mark floated on the saintess's face at my words.
"You're normal, Saintess. Yelling 'heretic' at strangers, snapping even after being saved, smashing a priest's head like a candle."
"That's not normal..."
"In your situation, that's the personality you need to hold it together without breaking."
"That's..."
She stared at me, mouth slightly agape.
"I thought you were weird at first too, but now it all makes sense."
"Really? I was weird?"
"Crazy as hell."
Celereja burst out laughing.
"Ahaha... Bertrand."
Wiping tears, the saintess asked,
"Crazy, huh... What about now?"
"Now?"
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
"Like a saintess who's finally met a kind innkeeper by luck and is getting compensated for all her past hardships."
"Haha! That's it?"
"Well... maybe also like someone counting the minutes till she clocks out from work to a warm bath and soft bed at the inn."
I expected her to laugh. But she just stared at me with trembling eyes, then bit her lip and turned away.
Still facing away, she said in a deeply wet voice,
"Thank you..."
Celereja wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Then she covered her face with both hands, hunched over, buried her face in her knees, and sobbed.
I sat in the chair, quietly watching her cry.
Once Celereja cried herself out and fell asleep, I extinguished the candle and left the room. In the hallway, Della stood in front of the dorm door.
"Not sleeping?"
"Master. I heard your whole talk with the saintess."
"That's what woke you? Sorry. Soundproofing's not great..."
"No, it's not that..."
Della clasped her hands and looked up at me.
"Master... you're really amazing."
"Huh? Suddenly?"
"Yes... listening to you earlier... I knew for sure. You're a good person."
"Yeah... thanks."
Della replied with her kind, gentle smile. She looked up at me a moment longer, then bowed.
"Good night."
"Night, you too."
Della stayed in the hallway until I headed down the stairs.
I went straight downstairs and lit a single candle. Kneeling before the Holy Sword on the wall, I offered a prayer. The Goddess soon answered.
Hello, Goddess. You heard the whole story of that poor saintess who just sought refuge in your skirts, right?
The Goddess whispered back.
I've got something fun related to that. Wanna join?
The Goddess sounded curious.
I shared my plan with her—a little entertainment for her amusement.
The Goddess seemed intrigued.
A few days later, the fleeing chief priest returned, bringing battle priests to occupy the inn's yard. As the sun set on a late spring drizzle, he bellowed,
"Arrogant innkeeper, show yourself at once!"
With battle priests behind him, the chief priest was brimming with confidence. Della, peeking from the window, freaked out.
"Oh my god! Ten priests! Master, what do we do?!"
"Quiet, Della. Get ready for guests."
"How can you ignore that?!"
I completely ignored the commotion outside and kept working. Celereja sat in a corner of the hall, peering out the window. Idwild, predictably, had fled upstairs to the dorms, shaking.
"If you don't come out, we'll arrest you by force!"
I finished my task, washed my hands, then slowly dried between my fingers with a towel. Della stomped by the window with a tray. Celereja, alternating glances between me and outside, stood up.
"Sit down, Celereja. Don't go getting your face known to the battle priests for no reason."
"You gonna let them barge into the inn?"
"I'll handle it."
Hands dry, I took the Holy Sword from the wall and sheathed it. By now, they'd be soaked and fuming in the rain. Sword at my waist, I stepped out into the yard where the battle priests waited.