The nun sitting beside her was someone Elysia knew as well.
“State your name and affiliation.”
“Clara Bernier. I am a senior nun of Saint Bellois Convent.”
As Valentin began his questioning, Sister Clara answered calmly.
Fortunately, Elysia wasn’t the first one up. She had been at a loss as to what she was supposed to do, but it seemed she could simply watch someone else and follow their example. It was like getting a chance to prepare by looking over questions from a previous exam.
“Very well, Sister Clara. What duties are you responsible for at the convent?”
“I am responsible for managing the library and important records.”
Valentin began by asking about her affiliation and duties. They were ceremonial questions, so there was no reason to lie.
The Mirror of Truth reflected Sister Clara’s face with perfect clarity.
“Have you violated any of the convent’s rules within the past week?”
“No. I always observe the rules strictly.”
Her answer came without hesitation.
[Truth]
Sister Clara did not so much as pause.
Elysia, on the other hand, reflexively curled her toes the moment she heard the question. Even she had to admit that it struck a bit of a guilty nerve.
‘I’m jealous. She has absolutely nothing to feel guilty about….’
But that was only natural for Sister Clara. She was renowned even among the nuns for her strictness.
‘I used to be like that too.’
Elysia recalled the days she had spent diligently taking the initiative and striving to be a model nun, all so she wouldn’t get kicked out of the convent. She had lived all this time keeping her personal desires behind an impenetrable wall.
And then that wall had been forcibly demolished.
‘I’ve fallen this far because two lunatics barged into my life.’
Come to think of it, it had been one hell of a week.
A week? Forget that. Just today alone had been bad enough.
-As if getting a lesson on two-timing from Madam Rosalie wasn’t enough.
-I saw a Holy Knight completely naked.
-And I even mistakenly thought a priest was going to kiss me.
Ugh. The more she went over it, the more scandalous it all seemed. Just thinking about it made her want to pound herself on the head.
‘Goddess, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to become this depraved either.’
At this point, the only thing that could cleanse even a little of her sin was prayer. Elysia sincerely offered the Goddess a prayer of repentance.
“Were you aware of the sacred relic’s existence beforehand?”
“Yes, I was.”
Sister Clara’s eyes brightened as she added,
“Managing the enshrined sacred relic is also under my jurisdiction. I was the first to report the recent abnormal phenomenon to the Church.”
There was even a subtle note of pride in her voice.
[Truth]
“Understood. Sister Clara, you seem rather proactive when it comes to matters like this. Do you perhaps hope to be assigned to the central headquarters?”
He was blatantly asking whether she had ambitions for advancement.
Apparently caught off guard by the unexpected question, Sister Clara paused and carefully chose her words before answering.
“It is the Goddess’s work. If I were given the opportunity, I would not dare refuse it.”
[Truth]
“Honest. Good.”
When Valentin nodded, the other priests in attendance nodded as well and continued taking notes.
“Under the name of the Goddess, do you swear not to disclose any information concerning the investigation of the sacred relic to outsiders, and to faithfully cooperate throughout the entire process?”
“Yes. I swear.”
The Mirror of Truth remained unchanged.
[Truth]
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
With that, Sister Clara’s truth verification ritual came to an end.
It wasn’t as big a deal as she’d expected.
Of course, the question about whether she had broken any of the convent’s rules bothered her a little….
But if she was being completely technical about it, she might have come dangerously close, but she hadn’t actually committed any clear violation yet, had she?
Her thoughts conveniently began bending in whatever direction suited her best.
-I took a lesson on two-timing from a woman they call a witch,
→ but I haven’t actually put it into practice yet.
-I saw a Holy Knight naked and even had close physical contact with him,
→ but it was for medical treatment, and the circumstances were unavoidable.
-I mistakenly thought a priest was trying to kiss me,
→ but aside from it being a little humiliating, nothing actually happened in the end.
= Therefore, I haven’t violated any rules.
…Probably.
She had been scared because there were so many things weighing on her conscience, but it seemed safe to think of this as the ceremonial procedure Valentin had said it would be.
At least, so far.
Now it was Elysia’s turn.
When the priests turned the Mirror of Truth toward her, it reflected her face, slightly stiff with tension. Seeing herself like that somehow made her even more nervous.
“State your name and affiliation.”
Wait. I transmigrated into this body. Is it okay for me to say ‘Elysia Gray’? What if the mirror says it’s a lie?
She hadn’t given it a second thought until now, but sudden anxiety seized her.
“Sister Elysia. State your name and affiliation.”
When she failed to answer for a moment, Valentin prompted her again.
It wasn’t as though she could say Sia.
She had no other choice.
“…Elysia Gray. I am an ordinary nun of Saint Bellois Convent.”
Thoroughly frightened, Elysia squinted at the mirror.
It did not turn cloudy.
[Truth]
Thank goodness.
Apparently, her guilty conscience had made her worry for nothing.
“What duties are you responsible for at the convent?”
“I mainly nurse patients in the infirmary and manage the medical supplies.”
“Is that all?”
The questions had been perfectly ordinary until then.
At the unexpected question, Elysia lifted her head from where she had been watching the mirror.
Unlike before, when he had been focused on the documents, Valentin was now staring directly at her.
“Of course, if the convent is short-handed, I help with other duties depending on the situation.”
“What duties, specifically?”
“Just various things as needed….”
“For example?”
Why is he digging into this so much?
Elysia glanced cautiously at Valentin before adding,
“I do whatever needs doing around the convent. Recently, I’ve looked after the children at the orphanage and helped organize towels in the laundry room.”
[Truth]
She heard the priests sitting with them verify the result and continue writing it down.
All things considered, she was off to a fairly smooth start.
But Valentin still did not look away.
“Why go that far? Your assigned duties alone must already be demanding enough.”
“Excuse me?”
“Isn’t it exhausting, running around all day from the laundry room to the annex and everywhere else?”
The laundry room. The annex….
The annex was where the Holy Knights’ temporary quarters were located.
She had taken towels from the laundry room and gone to the Holy Knights’ quarters in the annex, which meant the places Valentin had just mentioned matched her movements this morning exactly.
But why is he suddenly bringing that up? And how does he even know where I went?
Something felt off, but passing the truth verification ritual took priority over wondering about that.
“I suppose I simply feel more at ease that way. It can be tiring, but I don’t dislike it.”
“Why?”
Elysia took a breath before answering.
“Because my goal is to get along with everyone here without any trouble.”
It wasn’t a lie.
She had worked hard so she wouldn’t get kicked out of the convent, and the reason she had gone to the annex and met Tristan was… because of that damned game, yes, but ultimately it had still been to keep living here without trouble.
So this wasn’t a lie.
“I’m prepared to do anything necessary for that.”
As she finished answering, Elysia checked her clearly reflected image in the mirror.
[Truth]
“I see. You have an exceptionally proactive attitude toward your duties.”
“…Thank you.”
His expression made it look nothing like a compliment, but Elysia thanked him anyway.
Valentin immediately moved on to another question.
“Sister Elysia. Have you violated any of the convent’s rules within the past week?”
She did feel a little guilty.
Still, Elysia decided to be shameless.
“No. I haven’t.”
…I’ve only made a few plans. I haven’t actually carried them out yet. So technically, it isn’t a lie.
Elysia conveniently left that part unsaid.
[Truth]
Apparently, feeling guilty about something and whether it was actually true or false were entirely unrelated.
Maybe she could afford to be a little more shameless from now on.
Elysia puffed out her chest.
But her pitiful little resolve immediately crumbled at the next question.
“Then, Sister Elysia….”
Valentin leaned forward in his seat and propped his chin on one hand as he asked,
“Are you currently hiding any secrets from someone?”
[System]
‘Suspicion Mode’ has been activated.
Displaying currently formed suspicions.
─
[‘Valentin de Arcane’s’ Suspicion]
-Why did Elysia Gray personally seek out Tristan Loch?
─
[!] Suspicion will follow you around and torment you until it is resolved.
-Neglected suspicion may expand and change.
-An incorrect explanation may turn suspicion into certainty.
-A character harboring suspicion may react more sensitively and impulsively than usual.
Of course it had to happen at the worst possible time.