CH 104

༺ The Pure White Saintess ༻

“Ferloche, wake up.”

“Hmm…”

This is quite unfortunate.

I was talking with the Sun God in my dream before I was woken up.

Thanks to that, as I was complaining to the Sun God, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, I saw the nun who frequently woke me up, standing over me. I rubbed my eyes and asked her a question.

“What time is it?”

“It is 5 AM.”

“Oh no!” 

Oh my goodness! It’s already 5 AM! I overslept!

I was supposed to wake up at 4:30 AM. This is a result of my growing laziness. I must reflect on my habits.

“I’m sorry… I was treating patients in the alley market until late last night.”

“It’s okay, Saintess. It’s part of your duty, after all.”

I was relieved that the nun in charge of me was so understanding.! As expected, she was a good person!

“While we’re on the topic, Saintess. It will be best to limit yourself from doing too much of that.”

“Whaat?”

I was in the middle of folding my blanket when the nun started talking to me with a troubled expression on her face! What the hell does she want me to limit myself from?

“You can’t use your power carelessly. If you keep doing it, then your position…”

“But if people don’t receive my treatment, won’t there be even more beggars whose life will be in danger?”

I cut off the nun’s words and asked her a question as I tilted my head. I couldn’t understand why treating people who would die if they didn’t receive immediate treatment would become a problem.

“That is to say, um… you need to treat the people assigned to you by the Church so that you can live up to your status as the Saintess.”

“Hm…?”

“So, be more careful next time, Saintess.”

But the nun continued to talk in a weird manner until the end. What exactly am I supposed to be careful about?

‘…It’s sickening.’

Despite tilting my head in confusion, I forced a smile and followed the nun. It was time to pray to the Sun God!

“Hello, Saintess!”

“Hello~!”

When I arrived at the prayer room, the nuns and priests greeted me. To wake up so early to pray, they were all very diligent people, as expected!

“You came on time today as well.”

I waved my hand as I greeted them. I was about to go join them but then I saw the Bishops exiting the prayer room.

“N-No. I overslept and was 5 minutes late!”

“Haha, you are not late at all.”

“It is nice to see you consistently offer your prayers, Saintess.”

The berry-bellied Bishops patted my shoulder and encouraged me. That’s right, I am receiving so much support so I can’t be discouraged, right?

‘You all look like the scums of the Church.’

I smiled brightly, waved my hand at the Bishops, and then I headed into the prayer room.

“Uhh, it’s so scary…”

“Even you are afraid, Saintess? What is so scary about the Holy Church’s prayer room that makes you tremble like this every time?”

“It-It’s dark in there!”

I knew that the prayer room was located inside the church. I also knew that it was a holy place… but I couldn’t help but be scared!

It’s so dark in there!

‘I need to go inside that dark place. Quickly!’

However, it was my duty to go there.

Since I’m the Saintess after all!

“I show my gratitude to the magnanimous Sun God. I will begin today’s prayer…”

As I entered the prayer room, the sight of the nuns praying came into my view.

“The creator of the world and the sky, the maker of the continent, the Sun God, with your benevolence, please bestow your blessing upon the Empire today as well…”

I also caught sight of a bronze statue of a benevolent and beautiful-looking woman.

But I wasn’t surprised The woman was the one and only God of the Empire, the Sun God!

‘No, the Sun God is not the only God.’

Looking at the benevolent Sun God, I started to pray zealously.

“The merciful Sun God, please also give me the strength to kill Frey today! I’m begging you!”

‘No, please give me the strength to protect him.’

I prayed for a while before finally stopping when it was sunrise.

I see you… Now I can start my day in full swing!

I will work hard as a Saintess today as well!

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“Heum… Is there someone who needs my help here?”

“Of course, Saintess.”

I treated people adorned in precious jewelry, calling me ‘Saintess,’ and arrived at a worn-down hospital.

It had been a while since I had seen such a place.

“Hello~!”

As I entered the hospital, I was greeted by a sea of patients in dire need of treatment.

“Saintess, this way.”

“Ah, yes…”

I couldn’t help but approach someone in pain, but the nun quickly guided me in another direction.

I couldn’t perform my treatment if it were like this…

“Wait! I need to go to the restroom!”

“Sa-Saintess!”

Now that the situation has become like this, I need to make use of my usual tactics!

“Ugh… It… It hurts…”

“Sister, your body feels quite hot…”

I shook off the nuns and quickly headed to where the patients were, and I secretly distributed my holy powers to them.

I called it Ferloche’s special treatment beads! I just had to inject it into their bodies and they would feel much better in a few weeks!

“Saintess? You said you wanted to go to the restroom…”

“Ah, yes! I should go there!”

“The bathroom is this way…”

“Ah, is that so! I was wondering where it was!”

‘From that conversation, you’d think the foolish Ferloche is doing something dumb as usual, right?’

‘But, you are wrong!’

There is a reason why I missed the bathroom!

– Swoosh

I went to the bathroom and smiled at the nuns before sending some more beads flying once again.

“Then, wait for a while~!”

No matter how good I was at controlling my holy power, I couldn’t distribute the beads to everyone all at once. So, I think the trick I pulled to buy some time worked well!

“Uhh…”

But there was no light in this bathroom.

I hate dark places. They scare me.

Last time, when I went to the Church’s cellar with Frey… that bad, stupid, and ugl— well he isn’t ugly, Frey, I trembled so much!

“Saintess? Aren’t you going to the bathroom?’”

“Ehehe, it went back inside again!”

“…Please do not use such vulgar words.”

In the end, I backed away from the bathroom and started walking forward vigorously.

I have to go meet those who need me!

“The-The Saintess! Finally, the Saintess is here!”

“Thank God… you have finally come…”

“Sister Ruby! Hold on for a little longer! The Saintess will treat you!”

I walked with the nuns for a while, and then the people who were gathered some distance away started smiling brightly at me.

It seemed like the person I needed to treat today was right over there!

But, is that girl’s name Ruby? Where have I heard that name before?

“…Hello, Lady Ferloche?”

“Ah, it’s you!”

Thinking that I looked at the ward once again, and the person I had often seen around the orphanage was lying there.

It’s Ruby! The orphanage worker that I had met when I volunteered with that guy,  Frey!

She was truly as kind as an angel. She was so sincere that the title ‘Orphanage’s Little Saint’ didn’t do her justice…  Rather, she should be referred to as a true saint!

“We meet again, pretentious Ruby!”

“…Pardon?”

I cheerfully greeted her, but Ruby’s face turned pale when she heard my words.

“”……….””

And the faces of the people who had been looking at me with pleased expressions also paled.

What happened?

“Saintess, excuse me, but why did you say such a rude thing…?”

“What do you mean? I only complimented her?”

I asked in confusion. The nun next to me quietly whispered into my ear.

“The word ‘pretentious’ is used when the words and actions someone did were fake. Saintess, you’ve made quite a rude remark to her.”

“Oh!”

The foolish me had made another mistake again. As soon as I heard what the nun said, I immediately bowed down and apologized to Ruby.

“I’m sorry, I’m too stupid!”

“N-No… haha. Everyone can make mistakes.”

I quickly apologized. Ruby stopped me with a troubled look. As expected, she was such a prentiou… no, a generous person!

“Then, I will start the treatment!”

“Wa-Wait, Saintess! I have a request!”

“Yes?”

After I bowed repeatedly for a while, I raised my hand to begin treating Ruby. Suddenly, she whispered to me.

“Don’t use too much of your holy power on me; please only use a small amount.”

“What? But why?”

“Shh… quiet!”

What Ruby said to me was quite strange. What did she mean when she asked me to use my power in a small amount?

“You will have many people to treat in the future, so you shouldn’t waste too much of your power on me. I’m almost completely healed. I only need a small amount of your holy power.”

“Bu-But…”

“I beg you, okay, Saintess?”

Woah, she is such a kind person.

It would be good if Frey could follow this person’s example.

“Then, Shall I start?”

“Yes, please take care of me.”

Thinking that I started to infuse Ruby with my holy power.

– Swooosh 

“Ack!”

Ruby quietly closed her eyes as she accepted my holy power. Soon, she opened her eyes wide and started to scream.

Just as I thought.

“Sa-Saintess?”

“Please stay still, Ruby. Seeing how you could not accept holy power… it seems like your condition is quite severe.”

I replied to her call with a serious expression. The expressions of the people in the back started to darken. And it was the same with Ruby.

“Saintess… I clearly asked you to use it in a small amount…”

“I don’t think using my holy power on someone as kind as you is a waste. Please bear with the pain a little longer.”

“No, wait… aaahhh!”

I started pouring my holy power into Ruby without holding back!

I needed to treat such a kind person to the best of my ability.

“Tsk Tsk, she was in so much pain but she still keeps pretending it doesn’t hurt… How can such a child…”

“Still, it is fortunate that the Saintess is treating her now; she’ll be all better very soon, right?

The onlookers at the back were also worried about Ruby. Indeed, I needed to infuse my holy power into every corner of her body.

“Saintess, aren’t you using too much holy power?”

“A little more…”

“Saintess?”

“Ah, Aah.”

I infused my holy power into her for a while. Only when the nun stopped me did I come back to my senses.

Hm, it was a little less… but she should be fine now, right?

“Eugh!”

Right! Ruby must be rather pleased since her body is trembling in joy!

“Then, if there is a chance, let’s meet again Ruby!”

I smiled at her and wished her well before leaving the room. 

I wanted to talk to her about her recent activities and her volunteering, but I had other patients to attend to.

“Ex-excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Just in case, are you…”

As I was walking down the hallway, a child blocked me. What was it this time?

“Do you know Ruby’s identity?”

“Ruby’s identity?”

The child had a shining ring on her left hand. She asked me that question with a serious look.

“Of course I know it!”

“Really?”

“Yes, isn’t she a very very nice person?”

I personally told her about Ruby’s identity, but suddenly the child’s expression turned into a disappointed one. What was wrong with her?

“…The Saintess wouldn’t believe it anyway. Other people obviously wouldn’t, and even my teacher… no one would believe it.”

Hearing the girl mutter something depressingly, I subconsciously started to move towards her.

“I don’t know what it is about, but cheer up! Don’t ever give up!”

“Ah, yes…”

“…Please.”

“Yes?”

With a smile on my face, I left the hallway with the nun.

For some reason, I couldn’t get rid of the smile on my face!

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“Huaaa…”

It was night again.

‘I have to go back to the academy tomorrow, right?’

It was a shame that the time I had to treat people would become less, but I had no choice but to return to the academy.

But I wouldn’t be able to meet Frey then?

“Gugu!”

“Hmm?”

I was thinking of such a thing when I heard the sound of a pigeon from the window.

“Gugu, it’s you! Hello?”

“Gugu?”

It was my pet Gugu! He was the church’s homing pigeon. But seeing it knocking on my window at this odd hour made me wonder if there was a letter to be delivered to me.

“Ah, you really came?”

‘Ah, it really came! Who had sent it?’

Professor Isolet from the Academy

Well, it was a letter from Professor Isolet. I looked at the letter for a moment and carefully opened the envelope.

This is a notice for Student Ferloche Astellade: You are selected to be the partner of Frey Raon Starlight for this semester.

“Eeek.” 

Ah, this was such good and annoying news at the same time. Partnering with Frey… if it had been any other person except me, they probably would’ve  been clinging to the professor and crying bitterly.

“Huft…” 

I put the letter on the desk with such thoughts on my mind. I glanced around for a second and then quietly opened my diary.

12 July XXXX

I will treat all the sick and homeless people someday! I have to! No matter what! I will do my best to create a world where everyone can be happy!

Soon, I started to write about everything that had happened today.

Since Clana gave me this diary as a gift, organizing my day and writing in it had become an important daily routine and a source of joy in my life!

It was because I enjoyed writing a diary! While writing, I could look back on my day. In the end, it became one of my favorite things to do besides praying!

Also, in Clana’s diary, automatic grammar correction magic was cast onto it! It’s really amazing! I liked watching the text I had written wriggle like worms and get immediately corrected.

And.

And…

And also.

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‘…If I don’t write it down like this, I might forget about it.’

Excitedly, Ferloche wrote in her diary. Soon after, she frowned and edited the first sentence,

12 July XXXX

Even if my legs and arms hurt, it doesn’t matter. I will treat all the sick homeless people anytime! No matter what! I will always do my best to create a world where everyone can be happy!

“Haa..” 

After revising her diary, Ferloche turned to the very last page and opened her lips.

“It is slowly reaching the end… I need to remember it somehow…”

Remember

On the page filled with the word “Remember,” Ferloche added another one. She sighed, closed the diary, and muttered.

“There is still hope.”

There was a dim star shining upon her.