Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Ophelia's Devout Routine
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* * *
The next day.
Before the sun had fully risen, in the early dawn.
Among the three members of the Dish of Holy Knights, it was Ophelia who sprang into action first.
"This should do it."
Having greeted the early morning, Ophelia threw herself into her light morning training in simple attire.
Her routine upon waking was a quick 100 push-ups and 50 squats before breakfast.
Normally, this would be followed by a 3km jog to complete her full morning workout...
But the area around the Igugwoden Cathedral still felt unfamiliar, and with the uncertainty of when she might be summoned, she had to settle for indoor exercises.
"Hoo."
Finishing her workout, Ophelia gulped down water and caught her breath.
These had been prepared in advance at the nuns' request the day before.
Sweat beaded on her toned lean muscles, thick thighs, and magnificently shaped massive breasts, trickling down.
'My whole body's soaked in sweat. I need to clean up before breakfast.'
Ophelia carefully grabbed a towel and headed off.
Even though Luca had shown her the way, she wandered for quite a while before finally finding the bathhouse and soaking her body.
After bathing, she returned straight to her room and offered her prayers.
'Lord Igugwoden. It seems I've caused the Saintess worry due to my shortcomings. From now on, I shall diligently hone my qualifications as a member of the Dish of Holy Knights, so please grant me Your plain... that.'
After breakfast, just like the day before, she helped the cathedral staff with new tasks.
"This place is...?"
Seeing unfamiliar people filling the room, she asked, and a nun in pristine habit bowed politely before explaining carefully.
"It's a space for aiding the poor."
"I had no idea there was such a large space like this."
"It used to house the chronicles recording the journeys of the apostles who followed Lord Igugwoden."
"Where are those chronicles now...?"
At Ophelia's question, the nun flashed a bright, refreshing smile.
"We burned them all."
"You burned them...?"
"Yes. Tales of the apostles' travels are nothing but meaningless relics. What matters is not their deeds, but putting into practice Lord Igugwoden's command to share a Dish of Facts even with nonbelievers, right here and now.
The nun said this while gazing at the impoverished filling their hungry bellies—
"What truly matters is the new day we greet, not the pages of dusty old books."
"The present reality holds the importance, not mere records... A Dish of Facts connects to aiding the poor... That's a truly enlightening lesson."
Ophelia pulled out her notebook and jotted down every word from the nun before asking,
"So, how may I assist?"
"If you could help carry things. It might not be fitting work for a member of the Dish of Holy Knights..."
"Where could such a thing be? All is the will of Lord Igugwoden. I shall gladly do it."
And so, while handling chores, she squeezed in light exercises whenever possible.
The most vital duty of the Dish of Holy Knights was protecting Saintess Erin. Strengthening her stamina for that was a given.
Helping with cathedral duties like this, the sun soon set, and evening arrived.
"You've worked hard, Lady Ophelia. I didn't expect you'd help until such a late hour..."
"No, it was only what I should do. If nothing comes up tomorrow, I'll come again."
After work.
She could have rested, but instead of relaxing, Ophelia doubled her morning routine—200 push-ups and 100 squats—to further temper her body.
'To protect the Saintess and comprehend God's will, I must not slack even for a single day.'
Only after bathing with her fellow Dish of Holy Knights members could she finally remove the gleaming circlet from her head—the symbol of her knighthood.
Removing the circlet meant her day as a knight had ended.
Of course, her day as a knight was over, but her time as a seeker of God's will had not.
The holiest book in the world, the Holy Scripture. Reading it until midnight was Ophelia's final routine.
At the appointed time, she went straight to sleep to prepare for the next day.
A life of regretting what she hadn't realized, instead giving thanks for the many realizations yet to come.
That was Ophelia's way of living—gifted in swordsmanship but somewhat lacking in intellect.
* * *
One day during her ongoing training.
After dinner, Ophelia was chatting with her fellow Dish of Holy Knights members.
"Soft packs... Do you mean Plain Facts, by chance?"
"Ah, yes! Plain Facts! I want to understand God's Plain Facts. With that in mind, I'm curious if there's any moment when you all came to better grasp God's Plain Facts."
"You're speaking of Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts."
Hearing this, Luca closed her eyes, recalling that moment.
The moment she vividly confirmed that God was watching over her.
Even if the path ahead was thorny, the resolve to not turn away but press forward boldly.
To Luca, Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts meant 'the will to advance even if broken.'
Even if a uniquely arduous fate loomed before her compared to others, accepting it and reaching for unreachable realms.
Was it emotion welling up? Luca barely swallowed back the tears threatening to fall.
Hearing Luca's explanation, Ophelia sparkled with scholarly enthusiasm and noted it in her notebook.
"Indeed. The will to advance even if broken... A profoundly inspiring and noble resolve. This is the Sole God Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts..."
"Lady Ophelia... Is all this written down by you?"
"Hm? Ah, yes."
While Linea gaped at the notebook densely packed with advice on God's Plain Facts from the cathedral priests she'd met, Ophelia replied calmly.
"I'm much slower at learning than others. Shamefully, even after being chosen by Lord Igugwoden for the Dish of Holy Knights, I still haven't grasped what His Plain Facts are. Putting in several times the effort is only natural, isn't it? With that, I'd now like to hear Linea's thoughts."
"If you mean Plain Facts..."
Honestly, Linea had little to say.
She hadn't understood Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts either.
The difference was that while Ophelia desperately strove to comprehend, Linea hadn't made any real attempt.
Even so, hadn't she witnessed God's Plain Facts more closely than anyone?
'If I infer from what Mother showed...'
After encountering the Saintess.
Eirene von Ainsberg had become a devout Igugwoden Church follower to her bones, repeatedly explaining to Linea—now selected for the Dish of Holy Knights—the 'Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts' she'd come to feel.
To Eirene, God's Plain Facts were 'the heart that can trust someone.' Trusting God, and by extension people, was the Plain Fact for her who had trusted no one.
Linea still found her mother's sudden change unsettling... But seeing Ophelia's earnest efforts stirred her desire to help, so she shared her own experience.
"I see. The heart that can trust purely... Truly befitting Lord Igugwoden. I sense a common thread in both your words, yet I can't quite articulate it..."
"It just hit me after hearing about the common thread... Perhaps Lord Igugwoden meant the virtues humans ought to uphold as 'A Dish of Facts'?"
"......!"
"The will to never give up. The heart that seeks to believe. Both are immensely important values."
Ophelia nodded vigorously at Luca's explanation.
"Yes! God's Plain Facts are the virtues humans must uphold...! It was so hard for my mind to encapsulate in one word, but I'm truly glad you're here, Luca!"
"If virtues are the answer, it might even make sense why He called it 'A Dish of Facts.' Virtues can't be defined by a single value."
With Linea chiming in too, Luca fidgeted shyly with her ribbon, feeling embarrassed.
"Well... We've only been appointed to the Dish of Holy Knights recently. I'm still learning myself, so I hope Lady Ophelia finds your own realization."
"Mm! Leave it to me!"
That day, the Dish of Holy Knights spent late hours studying Lord Igugwoden's teachings together.
Seeing all things as training, Ophelia gladly invested the time.
To not disappoint Lord Igugwoden—who had appointed her and Saintess Erin to the Dish of Holy Knights—and to comprehend His will through her own abilities.
Only for that.
* * *
On the night of the sixth day.
Finishing her daily routine, Ophelia closed her eyes and slowly offered another prayer.
'Lord Igugwoden. Today too, I have purified body and mind to study Your words. Please allow me to feel the subtle faction.'
Only after deeming her mind and body sufficiently prepared did she cautiously begin reading the Holy Scripture containing God's words.
'Let's see. The bookmark says it's time for Chapter 3 of the Holy Power Chronicle today.'
One minor issue: she couldn't precisely recall which part she'd read upon waking.
But that was fine. If she forgot, she could just read it again.
'Right. Plain Facts. Forgot again. This poor memory must be God's trial too. If I don't remember, just read it once more.'
Studying diligently like this, she finally turned to the Holy Power Chronicle.
'Divine Power Pouch... I knew it was important from hearing it mentioned often, but it seems even more crucial than I imagined.'
Ophelia slowly ran her hand over her chest.
The springy, plush feel unique to her massively firm, workout-sculpted breasts transmitted to her fingertips.
Would this size do? No matter how she thought, it seemed a bit lacking compared to Saintess Erin...
'No. Halting effort due to insufficiency would surely defy God's will. If my Divine Power Pouch is lacking, I'll train twice as hard.'
Studying Lord Igugwoden's words until bedtime and sleeping at the exact hour.
Like a machine, Ophelia perfectly maintained this routine for a full week.
* * *
The next morning.
'Good.'
During her time at the cathedral, she'd desperately studied Igugwoden Church doctrines and Lord Igugwoden's teachings from the clergy in spare moments.
She hadn't neglected training while bonding with her Dish of Holy Knights comrades.
With this much effort, surely God would grant her the intense... that.
Harboring such hope, she cautiously approached Saintess Erin.
"...You've come."
For some reason, Erin's expression was quite dark, but Ophelia didn't pry and immediately bowed.
"Yes, Saintess. I've diligently studied Lord Igugwoden's words. Now, I believe I can receive His slick—"
"...Plain Facts."
"My apologies. I keep forgetting. Still, I feel ready to accept Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts now. Would you please give me one more chance?"
"Well..."
At Ophelia's words, Erin fell into thought again.
She wouldn't be able to accept God's Plain Facts this time either.
The words in the Holy Scripture were absolute.
But even so, after agonizing for a week—was it right to tell her honestly?—
'Lady Ophelia is one chosen by God. There must be a reason. Lying to one chosen by God is no different from lying to God Himself.'
Naturally, she couldn't lie to Lord Igugwoden, so honesty was her only option here.
"Well... It seems Lady Ophelia, to accept God's Plain Facts..."
"To accept God's Plain Facts...?"
"...Unfortunately, due to a fundamental lack of comprehension, it seems impossible..." she had to say.
—Harsh words that could only sound cruel from the perspective of an inadequate seeker striving to reach what others took for granted.