“There have been some unusual signs reported from the sacred relic enshrined in the temple.”
“From a sacred relic? We had something like that at the convent?”
“Ah, I suppose you wouldn't know, Elysia. You weren't assigned to the temple.”
This was a small convent in a remote border region. It was rather unusual for something as important as a sacred relic to be kept in an isolated convent rather than somewhere central.
“It was originally kept in the Central Temple…. Due to certain circumstances, it was entrusted to us. There haven't been any particular problems until now, but recently its response has changed somewhat.”
Sister Veronica let out a breath as though choosing her words carefully before adding,
“The Church seems to be keeping a close eye on the situation as well. For now, the senior priest has come down to investigate, and the Holy Knights accompanied him in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.”
If it really was because of the sacred relic, as Sister Veronica had explained, then it made sense that a senior priest and the Holy Knights had been dispatched to a secluded place like this convent.
The problem was—
Why did it have to be Valentin de Arcane and Tristan Loch?
“I heard they're among the most outstanding people ever ordained in the Central Temple. They're such distinguished men. To think they would volunteer to come all the way from the capital to a remote place like this… they must be deeply devout and truly admirable people.”
“…Is that so.”
It would certainly be nice if they were as wonderful as you think….
Elysia swallowed the rest of the sentence and answered awkwardly.
For a moment, she recalled the endings she'd had with those distinguished gentlemen.
“Eli, marriage is something you do because it's necessary. This is different.”
One was a controlling sociopath who couldn't have been further from merciful.
“Are you deliberately trying to drive me insane?”
And the other was a hot-tempered lunatic with anger-management issues who couldn't have been further from holy.
Sister Veronica seemed to know versions of them completely different from the ones Elysia knew.
‘Whether that's true or not, both bastards volunteered to come here.’
The word ‘volunteer’ sounded particularly ominous.
She couldn't shake the perfectly reasonable suspicion that they had some ‘common objective.’
“…Speaking of which, Elysia. Now that we're on the subject, there's something I'd like to ask of you.”
After hesitating for a moment, Sister Veronica made a request shocking enough to horrify Elysia.
“If you don't mind, could you show the senior priest around? He's an outsider, so he isn't familiar with the convent.”
“What? Me?”
“Yes. If it's you, Elysia, I think I can entrust the task to you without worrying.”
So she wanted her to act as Valentin de Arcane's guide?
She had to refuse, no matter what it took.
“No! I really don't think you should just trust me so recklessly.”
Elysia went pale and frantically waved her hands.
“Why not?”
“How could someone as lowly as me possibly attend to such a distinguished person…. It makes no sense.”
“What's wrong with you, Elysia? All people are equal before the Goddess.”
What kind of convenient argument was that?
Sister Veronica had used doctrine to instantly neutralize Elysia's refusal.
She couldn't give in that easily.
“Still, I'm not talking about religion. I mean realistically. Wouldn't conversation go more smoothly between people of similar rank? I don't know anything. If he's a senior priest, then at the very least someone of the Mother Superior's rank should be with him for it to look… appropriate.”
“You do have a point. But my knees have been terribly bad lately. Oh dear….”
At Elysia's suggestion, Sister Veronica suddenly began rubbing her knees and groaning.
As though that weren't enough, she made an even more absurd suggestion.
“Hmm, if rank is the problem, would you like to become Deputy Mother Superior starting today?”
“What?? N-No! How could someone like me dare take on such an important position….”
Elysia refused immediately.
She'd entered the convent because she wanted to live a long, uneventful life. And now she was suddenly being offered the position of Deputy Mother Superior?
For Elysia, who was nothing more than an ordinary nun, it was an outrageously drastic promotion.
“You have a tendency to underestimate yourself far too much, Elysia.”
“Of course not. I know myself very well. I know exactly how limited I am. You're the one overestimating me, Sister Veronica.”
“Don't feel burdened. I'm only asking because you're more than qualified.”
“What are you….”
“The truth is, the senior priest personally requested you as his guide.”
“Me? Why?”
Valentin de Arcane had even specifically requested her himself.
The situation was more serious than she'd thought.
Elysia's eyes trembled in bewilderment.
“C-Couldn't he have mistaken me for another nun? Sister Eliza or Sister Lucia, perhaps? Their names are similar to mine. They've both worked here much longer than I have. It would be perfectly understandable if he'd confused us….”
“No. He very clearly said ‘Elysia Gray.’”
Damn it.
He'd used her full name.
There was no talking her way out of this now.
“The senior priest said you've known each other for a long time, didn't he? I was already planning to recommend you myself, so this works out perfectly.”
Was it really acceptable to pull worldly connections in a sacred place like a convent?
“Honestly, we weren't even that close….”
“Elysia.”
She was desperately trying to find a way out when Sister Veronica abruptly grabbed both of her hands.
“Couldn't you save me from this? Please.”
“How am I supposed to save you when I can barely take care of myself….”
…Sister Veronica.
It might merely be inconvenient for you, but I could actually die.
She desperately wished everyone would just fend for themselves.
It was absurd, but Sister Veronica's pleading expression eventually rendered Elysia speechless.
“The generosity House Arcane has shown us… has truly been a blessing. So much so that repaying it with prayer alone hardly seems sufficient.”
“…….”
In other words, House Arcane had given them a hefty donation, so they should try not to offend them.
It was an excessively practical reason.
At this point, it didn't seem like refusing would accomplish anything anyway.
“Let's consider all of this the Goddess's will.”
Oh, Goddess. Why have you forsaken me?
In the end, Elysia couldn't refuse Sister Veronica's troublesome request.
***
“But why do you think he came here? To a convent all the way out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Exactly. Isn't a senior priest someone really important?”
“Hey, Eli, don't you know anything? Everyone's dying to know.”
Katie and Nora didn't stop asking questions the entire time they walked down the long corridor.
Her fellow nuns followed her, chattering like little birds, but Elysia merely smiled faintly without answering.
Their intense curiosity was enough to make her head throb, but Elysia was actually grateful that they'd followed her and were pestering her with questions.
Going there with several people felt much safer than going alone.
“Besides, he's dazzlingly handsome.”
“That's true. Just looking at him feels like my eyes have been blessed.”
“If only I could be held by a man like that just once before I die…!”
“Shh! Don't say things like that. What if somebody hears you? Honestly, you're so careless.”
“It's not like I'm actually going to do it. I'm only saying it because it's just us. I'm allowed to imagine it, aren't I? What about you, Eli?”
Despite Nora's attempt to stop her, Katie giggled as she asked.
They might have been nuns, but they were also young women. Even if they couldn't openly show it, it was only natural for them to be interested in men.
‘I'm jealous. You don't know what those men are really like. I wish I could let myself get excited without worrying too.’
Elysia vaguely brushed the question aside with an “I don't know,” but inwardly, she felt deeply troubled.
‘Avoiding them is going to be impossible now. I need to find a way to survive. What do I do?’
That was all she could think about.
‘They're guests, so won't they leave once they've finished whatever they came here to do? If I can just keep my guard completely up and hold out until then….’
The shade of the corridor came to an end as they reached the courtyard, opening their view.
The other nuns walking beside her stopped.
The moment Elysia hesitantly raised her head, she found herself staring directly into a pair of vivid blue eyes.
“You've come.”
Valentin's eyes curved into a graceful smile.
“I've been waiting quite a while, Sister Elysia.”