Chapter 9
I widened my eyes at Roite’s words.
“F-Five years old?”
So… the same as me?
He’s such a big grown-up now, but the fact that there was once a five-year-old Roite was truly shocking.
“Yes, and you, Saintess, also turned five this year.”
I nodded again.
“I can barely remember it now, but back then I was terribly afraid.”
“……”
“I wanted to run away, but there was nowhere to go. I had no place to return to.”
“Why…?”
“I was an orphan. Back then, and even now, I don’t know what my parents look like.”
I was surprised again.
That’s just like me!
“Oh? I’m an orphan too.”
At that, he made a strange expression — not quite a smile, not quite a frown.
“I wasn’t as mature as you are now, Saintess. I used to throw tantrums every day, saying I wanted to go home. I even once threw stones at the goddess statue in the garden.”
I was so shocked my mouth dropped open before I could stop myself.
I quickly covered my mouth with both hands.
“I—I never threw stones at a statue.”
“That’s right. I was so foolish. You would never do such a thing, Saintess. I even refused to eat. There was a time I threw bread on the ground.”
Without meaning to, my shoulders lifted a little.
“I never threw bread either. Well, um, I didn’t eat yesterday though.”
“Yes, I know that as well.”
After hearing all this, I felt like I was a little more grown-up than the five-year-old Roite.
If Violetta and Reno heard this, they would be so, so shocked. I really wanted to tell them.
They were always calling me a little kid.
He went on with his story, and I found myself listening without realizing it.
When he told me about the first time he saw a monster, I clenched my fists without thinking.
After hearing his whole story, Roite suddenly seemed very different.
“I am still not worthy enough to serve you, Saintess. I’m sure you’ve been quite uncomfortable while staying here.”
When he said that, I couldn’t answer honestly…
“N-No, it wasn’t… that bad…”
“The other priests are the same. Once we vow to serve God, we cut ourselves off from society. This is a secret I’m only telling you, Saintess.”
Then Roite leaned a little closer.
Hearing the word “secret,” I perked up my ears and bent toward him.
“Priests can’t even eat alone outside. Truth is, they’re all cowardly fools.”
“Pfft.”
I couldn’t help it — a laugh escaped me, and I quickly covered my mouth.
Roite’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.
“Is that funny?”
I nodded, then quickly shook my head again.
I felt like it was the first time I’d seen him smile like that.
Hearing Roite’s stories made those frightening people seem like nothing at all.
“So I ended up being discourteous to you, Saintess. But I’ll make sure that never happens again.”
Then he asked me to stay here — to become a Bestcherian.
If I did, he said he would serve me for the rest of his life.
Just earlier I’d been desperate to leave this place, but now I found myself wavering without knowing why.
Violetta once said a woman’s heart is like a reed… C-Could I be the same?
I couldn’t give him an answer right away, so I decided to ask something I was curious about.
“But I don’t know anything about being a Saintess. Violetta said there’s no such thing as God, but here everyone says there is. I don’t know anything.”
“If you just agree, I’ll teach you everything from start to finish.”
“And I can really see Violetta and Reno later, right?”
“Of course. I’ll keep that promise too.”
I stared at him for a moment, then held out my hand.
“Then… promise me for real.”
I held my hand out to him.
Roite reached out as if to shake my hand.
I shook my head.
“No, not like that. Like this…”
I helped him fold down all his fingers except the pinky and thumb.
His hand was so big I had to use both of mine.
“Like this?”
Once his hand was in the “pinky promise” shape, I did the same and hooked my pinky around his.
“Mm-hm, like this. Promise.”
“Yes, promise.”
We looked at each other and smiled.
“T-Then I’ll try it.”
“Then I’ll also do my best from now on by your side, Saintess.”
I thought he was going to start teaching me about being a Saintess, but unexpectedly, the first thing he told me to do was to drop the honorific speech.
It felt awkward to suddenly speak casually, so I asked why.
Roite said it would make the hierarchical relationship easier.
Probably because I was still young?
So I obediently agreed to speak casually.
Then Roite said he would show me something nice, and took me to a garden full of flowers.
Even though I had been here for days, it was my first time seeing the garden.
It was the complete opposite of Schuber Street No. 6, with its stench and heaps of garbage.
Instead of flies searching for rotting food, butterflies fluttered about, and instead of foul water, clear droplets perched atop petals.
While I was in his arms looking at the flowers for a long while, Roite set me down on the ground.
Among all the flowers, I approached one tall, blue-colored bloom.
It was Violetta’s favorite.
Its Tyrian-purple hue reminded me of Violetta’s eyes — though hers were closer to navy.
“Do you like that flower?”
I nodded.
“Violetta likes this one.”
Roite went quiet.
I hadn’t meant to dampen the mood; I’d just stated a fact, but I felt oddly awkward.
“Do you dislike her?”
Roite spoke again.
I tilted my head to look up at him, then shook my head as before.
“No.”
I decided to correct him.
“Violetta’s not a bad person. I don’t dislike her. I decided not to hate her.”
Roite raised his eyebrows, surprised.
I added,
“If Violetta was really bad… she would’ve sent me to Ska.”
That was the conclusion I’d come to after much thought.
Though maybe it wasn’t true.
“Ska?”
“Mm-hm, that person’s really bad.”
Roite’s eyes narrowed.
There’s no way he didn’t know Ska — in the temple, they were considered impurities.
He lowered his gaze.
For me, life had been either being handed over to Ska or being brought here.
“Huh?”
I didn’t know what to say to him, so I fidgeted with a flower… and then I saw something strange.
I had only lightly cupped a withered flower out of pity, but then a pale green glow appeared, and suddenly it became fresh and vibrant as if it had just bloomed.
Startled, I quickly hid behind Roite.
“What is it?”
“Look!”
I pointed at the flower.
Roite stared at it, then nodded as if something had clicked.
“Ah.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!”
He gave me a gentle smile, then held out his hand.
“Yes, I know. Saintess, may I have your hand for a moment?”
“My hand? Okay.”
Not knowing which hand he meant, I gave him both.
Roite smiled again and placed his palm beneath mine.
“Now, look at this.”
As I watched our hands, a faint greenish light began to glow between them, swirling round and round.
It was like the glow of a firefly in the grass at night — except these lights were tiny and countless.
There was a slight warmth, and as the number of lights increased, the warmth grew.
When he let go, the sacred power that had been coming from him withdrew back into his hand, while the lights in mine spun a few more times before popping and fading away.
“Whoaa…”
I’d never seen anything like it before.
Light… from my hands!
And it was warm!
It was truly amazing.
“I—I want to do it again!”
Roite held out his hand once more, and an even greater cluster of lights spread out than before.
Without realizing it, I broke into a grin.
I wanted to stomp my feet in excitement.
I didn’t feel like a useless person anymore.
Seeing that I couldn’t hide my joy, Roite said he would show me something even cooler.
I already thought this was amazing — I couldn’t imagine what could be better.
“Now, give me both hands.”
“Okay!”
I stared at our joined hands, eager for the light to appear, but then he said something unexpected.
“This time, you have to close your eyes.”
“B-But then I won’t be able to see.”
“You’ll be able to, if you really are the Saintess.”
I tilted my head, not understanding what he meant.
Roite waited patiently for me to close my eyes.
With no choice, I shut them while holding his hands.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Nothing happened.
Disappointed, I was about to open my eyes when I suddenly felt a warm breeze at my ear.
That warm wind wrapped around me, and I felt as though I was floating up.
When the breeze grew a little stronger, curiosity got the better of me and I opened my eyes.
Roite was looking right at me, as if he’d known I would.
The moment he smiled, I took in my surroundings.
From the spot where we stood, a gentle green wind was spreading out through the entire garden.
The flowers swayed as if dancing in that power.
It spread, and spread again — like a deep breath released all at once.
And then came the most astonishing part.
The buds that had not yet bloomed all began to sway… and burst into full blossom at the same time.
