Whenever I ask something, it’s all “classified information” this and “celestial secret” that.
All it ever does is pick the most annoying ways to tell me to increase my divine power. Still, after some pushing, I managed to get a few pieces of useful intel.
- “Ordell Kiris” has weak innate power, so I must receive strength from the Sun God to enhance my divine power.
- The problem is, the Sun God who’s supposed to grant me that power is lacking in energy and can’t give me strength right away.
- So I’m still a measly side character with just 2% divine power.
- To grow divine power, I need to gather believers to increase the Sun God’s strength.
As I lined all that up, I couldn’t help but grin.
“What gain? None of this is actually helpful.”
It’s an AI system that manages dimensions and even communicates with gods, yet it doesn’t seem all that different from the AIs made on Earth.
I mean, it’s better than nothing, but it’s not exactly useful just because it exists.
Clicking my tongue, I looked at the fifth point I had added at the end.
- The point in time I’ve possessed this body is roughly one year before the original story begins.
In other words, the heroine Idella hasn’t awakened yet.
If I just wait a year, everything will work itself out. Why go through the trouble of bringing me here?
The useless AI wouldn’t reveal even that much, calling it a “celestial secret.”
Does the Sun God have some earth-shattering reason that he can’t wait for Idella’s awakening?
Maybe that’s why he made me possess Ordell—someone whom nearly everyone except a few believe to be the real saintess.
“I honestly want to ditch this whole quest and just bolt…”
Seriously, what do I care about the Sun God disappearing?
He shoved me into a second life without my permission—what part of that is supposed to make me want to cooperate?
The best happy ending I could hope for is just running away, enjoying my life as a possessor for a while, and then clapping and cheering from afar when the main characters save the world.
“To do that, I guess I have to go to the temple tomorrow.”
The Sun God’s Great Temple, where Ordell pretends to be the saintess.
If I’m going to quit being the saintess, I first need to go there and talk to the high priest.
Honestly, some of the people there contributed to Ordell’s death, so I’m not too thrilled about it…
But for a peaceful, smooth possessor life, I don’t have a choice.
I’ll just have to endure the temporary discomfort.
“Ugh, I’m dying…”
But at dawn the next day—
I was already being subjected to threats to my life, even before I reached the temple.
Grrrrrrrrrrumble.
The threat was an insane level of hunger.
“Please… just let me live…”
The sound of my stomach protesting was so loud it drowned out even the rumbling wheels of the carriage.
This is all because of those wicked Kiris bastards.
‘Drag her out and lock her in the room right now! Don’t give her a single drop of water! And first thing tomorrow, throw her out to the temple!’
Count Kiris, Ordell’s father, not only starved me all night, but yanked me out of bed at sunrise and shoved me into a carriage.
And not just without a meal—but not even a sip of water!
How can someone be this cruel?!
“I mean, even if Ordell’s not his real daughter, isn’t this a bit much?”
That’s right. Ordell wasn’t the Count’s biological daughter.
She was from a distant branch family, and as soon as she awakened divine power, the Count adopted her as his daughter.
All to use her as a fake saintess for the Sun God’s Great Temple.
The temple, under financial strain, had no choice but to accept Ordell as their saintess.
But the only one who benefited from it was the Count.
He abused and brainwashed Ordell so she wouldn’t dare betray the family.
Ordell, desperate not to be looked down on, lashed out at the temple, which only made things worse for them.
Meanwhile, the Count soared to success, basking in the glory of having produced a saintess.
“No wonder she turned out so messed up.”
Especially when the real saintess—our heroine—appeared. That was the turning point.
Losing even the barely maintained position of fake saintess, Ordell began severely tormenting the heroine.
I’d cursed her plenty when I read the novel…
But now that I’m in her body, experiencing that abuse firsthand, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for her.
“I’ve got to cut off Kiris. Completely.”
They’re a cancer. Staying with them would only hurt me.
As soon as I arrive at the temple, I’ll apologize and say I’m unfit for the role and would like to step down voluntarily.
Then everything will be a happy ending…
Grrrrrrrrrrrumble!
My stomach growled again, loudly protesting that I was forgetting about it. I clutched my belly with a pale face.
“…Before that, I need to eat something. Anything.”
Yeah, I’m doing all this just to survive. First, food…
But I didn’t reach the temple until a full day later.
Having gone nearly two days without food, I glared at the knights escorting the carriage.
Damn Count’s knights. How can they not give a single bite of food or even water?
This is just torture. Am I really going to end my second life like this?
“Uugh…”
As soon as the carriage arrived at the temple, I threw open the door and jumped out.
Motion sickness had set in, and all I wanted was to lie down—didn’t care if it was on the dirt.
But instead of hard ground, something soft and warm enveloped me.
It even smelled nice, and the nausea began to subside.
Ah, with this, I think I can survive.
Driven by pure instinct, I clung tightly to whatever had wrapped around me.
“…Saintess?”
Then a gentle voice sounded from above.
Oh—so it’s a person! And not one of those armor-wearing brutes who starved me!
“M-my stomach… I’m starving…”
Relieved, I clung to the warmth surrounding me and collapsed to the ground.
Grrrrrrrrrrrumble!
My stomach once again let out a thunderous roar.
Thankfully, the man didn’t cast me aside.
Far from it—he kindly helped me into what I assumed was my bedroom and even brought me food right away.
Soup with meat, fresh fruit salad, soft and savory wheat bread, delicious juice…
Ah, what a magnificent feast.
“Please eat slowly, Saintess. I worry you’ll upset your stomach.”
I was scarfing down soup when that voice made me flinch.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly raised my head.
…Blinding.
It was the same man I’d clung to after jumping off the carriage—the source of the soothing voice and comforting warmth.
Golden hair that looked like melted sunlight, green eyes like fluttering leaves, and a gentle face that stared right at me.
I could tell who he was just by his appearance.
The true power behind this poverty-stricken Sun God’s Temple, the man barely keeping it afloat—the high priest.
And later, one of the male leads who falls for the heroine… and kills me.
Iric Derth.
“Ahem.”
Maybe it’s because he’s going to kill me someday, but I suddenly felt awkward and turned my gaze away.
That’s when I noticed the heavy wrinkles on Iric’s upper robes.
Why are the garments of a high priest—symbols of purity—so rumpled? As if someone had clutched and crumpled them…
Wait. Don’t tell me…
“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t in my right mind earlier…”
I can’t believe I manhandled the high priest! Not even the rowdy Ordell did something like that!
“Ah.”
Iric looked down at his wrinkled robes, then turned to me with a curious expression.
“…It’s alright. You looked very fatigued. There’s no need to apologize for something so minor.”
That’s a suspicious look. Can’t blame him.
Iric Derth was one of the people who had suffered the most from Ordell’s rampages.
And he also knew that Ordell was a fake saintess.
He was the one who struck the deal with Count Kiris over her, after all.
So he had to silently endure Ordell’s madness. Now she’s suddenly apologizing? Of course he’d be wary.
“High Priest, there’s something I’d like to say.”
No point dragging it out. If I’m going to say it, might as well get it over with.
“I’m thinking of stepping down as saintess.”
Iric’s face hardened.
