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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A New Beginning
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7 AM. An early morning, when the people of the temple were just beginning to wake.
Through the gloomy, unkempt garden, something like a long, pink skein of yarn fluttered back and forth.
“Gasp, gasp…!”
The ragged breaths that accompanied it made the already dreary garden feel even more eerie.
“This, damn, body of paper!”
Hearing the string of vicious curses, Airic and Seth, who had come out to the garden, glanced at each other.
After a moment’s hesitation, they pushed through the overgrown, untamed bushes and headed toward the sound of ragged breathing.
“Saintess…?”
On a bench in a corner of the garden, drenched in sweat and half-fainted, was Ordel.
The Saintess, who had vanished from her spotless bedroom without anyone knowing, was, surprisingly, exercising from the crack of dawn.
* * *
To me, a former detective, exercise was as natural as breathing.
After all, to take down violent criminals, I needed to know more than just self-defense; I had to be skilled in combat.
But this body I’d possessed… what was with it?
Unlike my previous body, which was lean with resilient muscle, this one didn’t even have any muscle to lose!
But I didn’t know then. The truly shocking part was yet to come.
“Gasp, hack, this… pathetic excuse for a body…”
The moment I woke up at 6 AM to build some basic stamina and started exercising outside, I wanted to collapse on the spot.
My God, I couldn’t even run. Just walking a little made me dizzy.
I should have known when I started stretching and the sound of every bone in my body cracking out of place echoed around me.
How on earth did the original Ordel manage to raise all that hell with a body like this?
“Are you all right…?”
Unable to fight the dizziness, I ended up sprawled on the bench, and Airic handed me a glass of cold water.
“Thank you… If it weren’t for you two, I might have died exercising.”
Dying from shortness of breath just by walking.
This may be a second life forced upon me, but I have no desire to die so ridiculously.
“What on earth were you doing…?”
Don't ask. I wouldn't admit, even if my mouth were torn open, that I ended up looking like a critical patient just from a short walk.
“Ahem. I didn't expect you to arrive so early. I apologize for making you come all this way.”
“Not at all. It is our duty to come to you, wherever you may be, Saintess.”
Seth, who had been looking at me with worried eyes, immediately refuted my words.
It was a response befitting a faithful holy knight who would unconditionally obey the Saintess simply because she was the Saintess, regardless of her personality.
He was that kind of person, which was why even Airic couldn't bring himself to tell him I was a fake Saintess.
That's why later, when the heroine appeared and Ordel's true identity was revealed, Seth flew into a rage at Airic.
It was also Seth who tried to protect the original Ordel until the very end.
Though when Ordel finally forsook her god, he not only turned his back on her but ended up plunging a sword into her.
The man who had pitied Ordel on a human level, lifting his sword in disillusionment after she abandoned her god—that was truly one of the best scenes.
…And of all people, I just had to possess the body of Ordel, the one who gets stabbed by that sword.
Looks like I'll have to do my best to destroy the original plot.
“From now on, I plan to exercise from 6 to 7 AM, before breakfast. Please be aware of that.”
“Yes, I understand. Then we will provide an escort at that time…”
“An escort for some light exercise? Besides, we don't have any visitors at our Grand Temple. What could possibly be dangerous?”
I said it without much thought, but Airic's face fell.
I feel a little bad for the High Priest, who's particularly sensitive about the Grand Temple's waning influence, but I'm not wrong.
The stream of visitors has not just dried up; the very existence of the Sun God is slowly fading from people's memories.
But don't you worry. I'll soon have this temple bustling with people.
“There's no one dangerous here besides the spies, so let's worry about that first instead of my escort. How did it go?”
“We have currently detained everyone in the temple and begun an investigation. The vice-captain is handling the holy knights, and Priest Dietrich is in charge of the priests.”
Ah, those two are the ones Seth and Airic trust most in this temple, respectively.
I can trust them, too.
“We were able to get a few names from interrogating Kento, but we can't be certain, so we plan to cross-verify.”
No wonder I've been smelling blood. Airic, the story's official master interrogator, must have questioned him personally.
Kento, who'd scoffed at the idea of the High Priest even holding a sword properly, must have experienced Airic's 'great' interrogation with his entire body.
Ah, it gives me the chills just thinking about it.
“We will investigate thoroughly and root out the spies, so you need not worry, Saintess.”
Seth, standing beside him, added in a firm voice.
His bright blue eyes gleamed with killing intent.
That look of his, like he was ready to send them all to an early grave, is so reassuring. How heartwarming.
“I trust you completely, Captain. I'm counting on you. High Priest, could you speak with me for a moment?”
His business concluded, Seth left after telling me not to exercise too strenuously.
Strenuous exercise? For someone who only managed to stretch and walk, that concern is far too embarrassing to hear.
“The Captain doesn't know I'm a fake Saintess yet, does he?”
Only when Seth was completely out of sight did I ask Airic.
For some reason, Airic furrowed his brow.
“That is…”
“He may learn the truth someday, but I hope it won't be now.”
“Pardon?”
I looked Airic straight in the eye.
And made myself clear.
“I told you before that I was going to leave the Grand Temple. I'd like to take that back. I'm truly sorry for changing my mind so suddenly.”
Worried that Airic might say no, that I could just leave, I quickly added.
“Instead, from now on, I intend to faithfully carry out the duties of the Saintess that I have so far refused. I will maintain the dignity of a Saintess and will not run from my obligations.”
I lowered my eyes pitifully.
“I couldn't grow attached to this place because I felt I was only sent here after being abandoned by my family. Because of that, I did things I shouldn't have and tried to run away without taking responsibility. For that, I sincerely apologize.”
“…”
“From now on, as the Saintess, I will serve diligently to brighten the future of the Grand Temple. I may be a fake with insufficient divine power… but I will still try my best.”
I did become a real Saintess after receiving the Sun God's quest, but I have no intention of revealing that.
If I told him I had to offer my hard-earned money to a god to gain the divine power of a Saintess, would Airic even believe me?
He'd probably think, 'This crazy fake Saintess is now stooping to selling out a god!' It'd be a relief if he didn't sentence me to death in the name of the High Priest.
“The Kiris family doesn't matter to me anymore. After learning the dirty truth about the Count Kiris I so admired, I can't understand why I ever craved their affection.”
Yeah, honestly, I really don't get it.
Why did the original Ordel crave the affection of Count Kiris and her family when they treated her like a tool?
If she had just opened her heart to the temple instead, she could have been perfectly happy, even as a fake Saintess.
“Given my past actions, I know it must be difficult to trust me right away. So please, give me a chance. A chance to serve the temple and to atone to all those who have suffered because of me.”
“…”
“At the very least, I will ensure that no one in this temple goes hungry again.”
I still can't forget.
The children's meals—watery soup with barely any solids, and a single piece of hard bread.
And the one responsible for it all—me.
Even though I wasn't the one who did it, just being in this body made me feel guilty.
So, if nothing else, this was one thing I was determined to fix.
“Ah! And of course, if the real Saintess appears later, I won't be greedy. I'll step down immediately, so don't you worry.”
I'm only taking on this role for now out of necessity; I don't have an ounce of greed. Don't worry.
“…Saintess.”
After a long silence, Airic finally spoke.
I anxiously watched Airic's lips, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
“You, Saintess, are the highest-ranking person in this Grand Temple. You do not need my permission. Do whatever you wish.”
I never expected such a kind response.
“From the moment you set foot in this Grand Temple as its ‘Saintess,’ you were the Saintess. So please, do not call yourself a fake.”
“…”
“I will take full responsibility for bringing you here. You may do as you please.”
Airic placed a hand over his left breast and slowly bowed.
At the gesture of reverence and obedience, I was speechless.
After being so ignored, scorned, and humiliated by Ordel all this time, how could he say such a thing?
I was starting to feel ashamed of my own misconception that he would, of course, never trust me.
“…I will work very hard.”
I was always so full of complaints about this second life that was forced on me, but maybe… this won't be so bad after all.
I think I might be able to grow a little attached to this place.
* * *
After that, Seth and Airic practically turned the temple upside down.
The way they tore into the spies Kento confessed to under torture was like a thresher to grain.
In the end, a total of seven spies were uncovered.
Including Kento, that made eight spies found.
Even more shocking, not only was one of them a holy knight, but he was also revealed to be the main culprit behind Kento's escape.
“I am truly sorry. I will humbly accept any punishment.”
Because of this, Seth, who dropped to his knees the moment we met in the reception room, looked utterly heartbroken.
