<Episode 15>
On the same day, the High Priestess would be flustered too, creating an opening. He planned to probe the entire Temple while searching.
He hoped the startled High Priestess would rush out to the saintess. Of course, that was a naive wish.
Despite turning the place upside down—questioning about 'a woman who arrived at the Grand Temple today, an unfamiliar female devotee'—he hadn't found the saintess.
He knew it was hasty and reckless.
Normally, Theodore would have found her. His intuition was exceptionally sharp for trivial details, so he was confident.
Though Theodore himself was unaware, that luck also made him distrust gods even more.
Someone with few hardships in life finds it hard to develop 'faith to lean on.'
Anyway, today nothing went right. Even the lucky man had hit an insurmountable wall.
'This is annoying. If she declares the saintess's return, all eyes will turn to the Temple.'
Failing his goal left Theodore in a foul mood.
So even knowing petty bickering with the High Priestess wouldn't change or help anything, he needled her anyway.
He needed somewhere to vent his foul mood.
Seeing the High Priestess holding back her twisted lips to suppress her irritation somewhat eased his annoyance.
His mood had been thoroughly ruined.
Especially that.
'The commoner clinging to me.'
Theodore disliked not just nobles parading their daughters like marriage goods, but also women blinded by thoughts of rising status and a handsome husband, throwing themselves at him.
'Maria is so happyyy.'
Her voice, even more twisted than usual, lingered in Theodore's mind.
He'd experienced it countless times since childhood, yet fatigue inevitably washed over him.
Thinking of the hazel-haired woman blinking her eyes made his head throb again.
"Time for me to go. Stay healthy... Hm. Too healthy for prayers. You've had time to pass on to Naphta and hand over the reins—think it over."
"...Your Majesty seems overly vigorous yourself."
"Haha. I'm always healthy."
Finishing with a parting jab, Theodore left in a refreshed mood.
"Theo...dore!"
After he left, the High Priestess belatedly exploded in rage, smashing her teacup on the floor.
Arrogant bastard.
Once, Theodore's parents had knelt before her, begging desperately.
Yet that powerless boy grew up so arrogant and vile.
"Priest. Are you there?"
"Y-Yes! High Priestess."
A priest who had been hiding in the shadows, trembling as he watched her fury, revealed himself.
The priest knelt before her with admiring eyes.
"After announcing the saintess's return, we need a stage to present her."
"Perfect timing. An invitation to a very important event has arrived."
The saintess's words were true. Before even verifying, the Emperor had stormed in personally searching for her, proving it.
The saintess would be a useful card.
Having such a being in her grasp was a gift from the gods.
She'd endured Theodore's petty provocations until now, but the time had come.
Now, the gods permitted her to step forward and claim the supreme seat.
Yes. Finally, the gods loved her.
"Excellent."
So the High Priestess just needed to utilize the saintess's peculiar abilities well.
To her advantage, somehow.
* * *
Soon, the sun began to set. She'd left Demong yesterday morning and arrived at the Grand Temple early that day.
Too much had happened in one day. Especially tense because of Theodore.
Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed.
[Dorothy, are you okay? We'll bestow blessings. Your body should recover a bit.]
[Thank you, huuuuh......]
Lying still, I felt something envelop my body. At the same time, my crashed condition lifted.
Like the soreness throughout my body subsiding.
[This...... feels good.]
The gods here were so useful—no, capable. I was moved again.
[Hehe. This is something only Dorothy can receive. How do you absorb divine power so well? Truly a mysterious being.]
Agatha said admiringly, as if proud of me.
Should I take it as praise......?
It didn't quite feel like straightforward praise. It was about my cursed constitution.
I pondered how to respond to Agatha and decided to change the subject.
Perfect timing—I had a question I'd wanted to ask.
[Lady Agatha. You said the divine power manifested through me is very strong, right?]
[Hm. From the time we used force, it was strong, but not sure about others.]
[What abilities are possible?]
So far, I'd seen: splitting a bed in two, instantly subduing two burly men, dimming my presence from people's eyes, levitating the High Priestess.
Knowing the abilities properly would make them easier to use.
[As you saw before, we can fight to protect Dorothy, dim objects or your presence within 1 meter, and levitate objects or people within 1 meter...... Ah! We can levitate Dorothy too.]
[......So I can fly?]
[Not too high in the sky, but if you don't want to walk, anytime.]
As soon as Agatha finished, my body lying on the bed slowly floated up.
'Crazy, amazing......'
My body rose buoyantly and stopped at the ceiling.
[Can it go higher?!]
[Hm, yes. But higher than this, we can't hold long. About 30 seconds?]
[Gasp.]
I flailed my arms and legs, swimming in midair. And my body actually moved.
I heard Agatha chuckling by my ear.
This...... is an insane ability. Can't fly too high, but with presence dimming and this, I can sneak anywhere......!
[Ah, we can make you skilled at playing instruments too. There's a god of music.]
[Oh......]
[Leave art to us. Also, hm. There's a god of beauty. With a blessing, everyone will only see Dorothy and shower her with praise. Healing too, but...... Ah, that's difficult?]
Quite tempting. As a saintess engaging in political fights, I'd enter the fearsome social world. Buffs to charm nobles existed.
[That's all for now. Our power has weakened, and manifesting through Dorothy has limits. Feels like some...... wall. Sorry. Not very helpful—]
[Not helpful?! Too, too amazing!]
[Really?]
[Yes! If your divine power recovers, more abilities?]
[Probably? Not certain the wall will vanish, but if it works well, healing too. Could treat most critical patients.]
[Gasp, healing!]
[Could deploy barriers. The knight captain is the strongest swordsman handling a thousand alone, and that ability too....... Art and beauty blessings use less, but healing or one-against-thousand swordsmanship take more, so difficult now.]
Hearing the gods' abilities amazed and terrified me.
'A god with ability to face a thousand soldiers......'
I recalled the bed split by the knight captain's anger.
Mess up, and I die. Definitely.
[Wowww, so amazing. Cool! How do you have such incredible abilities......!]
Amazing, cool, incredible. Flattery brought clichéd phrases. Would deflection work? Flattery needs vocabulary,
[Haha, really?]
[Ahem. Dorothy has good taste.]
[We said not to butt in! Dorothy finds it noisy.]
[Unfair, Agatha. Always you talking to Dorothy!]
The gods, experienced in everything, had innocent sides. Thrilled by my mild flattery.
'Not hard to butter up......'
They liked me from the start, always taking my side, comforting me.
So I should show only goodwill.
[Then, Lady Agatha?]
I asked the gods' leader, chief god Agatha, seeking flattery fodder.
[Yes?]
[What's Lady Agatha's ability?]
[Ah, mine....... Foresight......]
Agatha mumbled.
[Gasp, amazing! Foresight pierces all worldly truths—]
[......Haven't been able to for quite a while.]
I shut my mouth.
Silence flowed briefly.
Damn Temple. How corrupt to strip gods of powers.
[It's okay. Now with Dorothy, it'll improve. I believe.]
Agatha replied brightly, forcing cheer.
'Made her upset......!'
Emergency. Needs comfort. I chose the easiest, most familiar way.
Couldn't feed blueberries properly earlier, so now.
I jumped up and called the waiting attendant outside.
"When's dinner?"
"Soon. Hungry? We'll prepare now, Lady Dorothy. In your room?"
Yes, yes. I nodded.
Soon, attendants brought trays, setting a lavish table.
[Oh my, haven't seen that in ages. Not Temple food......]
First such spread in past or present life.
As soon as they left, I took candles and eight statues from my bundle, arranging them on the table.
[Eat up, it's a feast!]
Flattery's flower: food.
My past life's soul said so.
* * *
And the next day.
Newspapers announcing the saintess spread across the Empire.
「Return of the Legendary Saintess, Grand Temple Announces」
Finally, it began.
