Selena was always proud of her sister, Elisa.
No matter how dangerous the place was, she would rush out to save any number of lives without caring about her own safety. The sight of her sister saving countless people and lives was always cool and dazzling.
No matter how hurt or exhausted she was, watching her sister smile brightly while receiving the thanks of the people she saved made Selena think that she wanted to be someone like that too.
She wanted to be loved like her sister.
So, every time Elisa went off to the battlefield, Selena cheered her on from the back. The back of her sister, who carried out her chosen work without a hint of regret, was always blinding. Elisa would always respond to Selena’s support by returning with a smile, telling her about what she had done and how rewarding it was.
But one day, that sister did not return.
What came back was a piece of bloody clothing and a fragment of her broken staff.
They said they couldn’t even find a body. It was said that Elisa’s last sight was flying into a swarm of rampaging beasts to save citizens in refuge.
And then there was a huge explosion, and the beasts’ advance halted. Elisa’s comrades who fought with her, the people from the Hero Association who came to share the story, and the saved citizens all believed that Elisa had sacrificed herself to stop the advance.
Selena thought their words were right. Her sister was that kind of person.
Since no body was found, the funeral was literally just in name. Only a single photo of her sister smiling brightly was placed in the coffin. Elisa’s family consisted of only Selena and their mother. In a way, it might have seemed like a meaningless and superficial funeral that was better off not being held.
But it wasn’t.
Elisa’s comrades came to the funeral. Taking time out of their busy schedules, they came to wipe their tears, lay flowers, and offer comfort.
The head of the association came in and bowed deeply to express his condolences and gratitude.
Many citizens whom Elisa had saved visited with somber expressions to pay their respects, as if they had lost the world’s only hero.
The hearts of those countless people gathered together to create a tremendous significance. No longer was the funeral hall a vacant place devoid of meaning, but it had become the funeral of the world-saving hero, Elisa Lowell.
…Until the humans from the church arrived.
The line of citizens expressing their condolences suddenly stopped at some point.
People in black suits entered and began to chase away those present in the funeral hall. When people protested, they responded that “soon the Cardinal would arrive.”
In fact, she had known that this kind of thing would happen. The association members had warned beforehand, and she had seen many other cases like it.
To honor the soul of the hero who had died serving humanity and to comfort the remaining family.
Comfort? Bah!
As if they were some sort of privileged elite, they forcibly dispersed those who were already grieving and ruining the funeral under the pretense of offering comfort? There’s a limit to such nonsense.
After only a few people remained, the people in black suits left, and then the church’s humans entered.
Five in total.
They ignored the mourning of countless people for the safety of merely five.
An elderly-looking man in resplendent vestments was clearly the Cardinal, while the rest were probably his aides. Following them was a middle-aged priest and two elderly nuns, along with a nun who looked to be around Selena’s age.
The Cardinal seemed to be in a bad mood and remained tightly shut, while the priest sweated profusely, alternating glances between the Cardinal and the young nun who had entered last, as if he were reading the room.
Well, it was understandable for the Cardinal to be like that, but did the young nun really need to be so sensitive to his mood?
For a brief moment, she was intrigued. Was there a power struggle between the Cardinal and a girl around her age?
The mystery was soon resolved.
As soon as the Cardinal entered, he pointed to a corner of the funeral hall with his finger. The girl went over there without a word and stood there. It seemed to be one-sided scorn rather than a power struggle. The nun was likely beneath the priest, and the priest was probably flustered because his subordinate had drawn the ire of someone high up.
The girl standing in the corner looked like a doll.
Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped above neatly arranged bangs, and her straight black hair flowed down without a single twist. Her skin was so pale she seemed unnaturally white, and her deep, black eyes were inscrutable.
While her appearance contributed to the doll-like impression, her demeanor of standing silently in the corner did too. If Selena hadn’t seen the girl walk in, she would have been startled when the girl began to scan her surroundings.
Not wanting to attract unnecessary misunderstandings, Selena averted her gaze.
But this time, she felt the girl’s gaze on her.
Trying to ignore it, Selena couldn’t help but look over when she felt like someone was boring a hole through the back of her head.
When she turned her gaze again, the doll-like girl was staring at her with a doll-like expression.
Their eyes met for a brief moment before the girl gave a slight bow to Selena and turned away.
What was that about?
Maybe she recognized her as a bereaved family member? She had the same red hair as her sister, and she was one of the few who hadn’t been chased out of the funeral hall.
“……”
Well, it wasn’t a pressing concern.
“…Therefore, you must not grieve. That would be contrary to the goddess’s will. Would you dare to cry when you cannot celebrate the soul that has gone to the goddess? To go against the goddess’s will is to succumb to the whispers of demons and become a witch’s servant.”
The words of the Cardinal standing in front of her, before their mother, reached her ears.
Celebrate…
He was saying to celebrate the dead with no care in the world.
In an instant, she was dumbfounded.
It was not the first time she had heard such sentiments. There were often reports of church officials making nonsensical remarks at the funerals of heroes, and it had been covered in the news quite a bit. It seemed the church’s power was so great that they felt untouchable.
However,
“Would you like to become one of their servants? If you hear the whispers of a demon, we can help you right away. We could have an Inquisitor here in no time.”
Listening to others’ words was one thing, but this was wholly different.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Demons exist everywhere, and those with weak faith can be swayed by them. But we are here. We will always support your will. If you need help, we are here for you. That is the mission of the church.”
Selena clenched her teeth.
She understood that her sister had sacrificed herself for the people. She was certain that was a noble sacrifice. But it wasn’t to reach the goddess; it was for the sake of the living. It was a duty she undertook as a human, not a religious belief.
“Even if the family of a hero succumbs to the whispers of the demons, we—”
It seemed it was impossible to let this slide without saying something.
For her trembling mother’s sake. As the last remaining family member for her mother.
With her hands clenched tightly, Selena took a step forward toward the Cardinal.
“Shut your trap! You bastard!”
At that moment in front of Selena,
A teddy bear panty flew by?
?
What?
Her brain denied the situation, and Selena found herself frozen mid-step.
A moment later, her brain began to process the situation it had just witnessed.
She heard something rush toward her from outside her line of sight.
Then, a young nun sprinted at full speed, leaped into the air with all her might, possibly trailing that “bullshit” exclamation.
With a perfectly executed motion, the girl landed a drop kick squarely on the Cardinal’s head.
The Cardinal floated up into the air, spinning accurately seven times before falling headfirst to the ground.
The nun, soaring with her long hair flowing, attempted to roll upon landing, but unfortunately, she fell right into a table filled with food, splattering hot beef stew all over her.
“Hot hot hot hot hot!”
Perhaps due to the scalding stew, the young nun bounced up immediately.
“Heal! Heal!”
Just when it seemed she was going to heal herself,
“……”
The nun, realizing the heavy silence in the funeral hall as she dripped red stew from her head, froze.
Then she started to sweat profusely.
“Gah!”
The young nun seemingly didn’t remember, falling headfirst to the ground with a thud sound, then rushing over to the unresponsive Cardinal and pouring more holy power into him than she had used on herself a moment ago.
Selena was dumbfounded.
The Cardinal, who seemed intent on ruining the funeral, the nun who had turned the place upside down for some reason, and that ridiculous amount of holy power.
Though magic and holy power were not completely in the same category, anyone who could manage magic could estimate the scope of abilities that such holy power indicated.
With holy power capable of fixing even mortally wounded individuals back to health.
It was like a miraculous power bestowed directly by a god.
Chills ran down Selena’s arms. Was that why the church could act so arrogantly?
Drenched in overwhelming holy power, the Cardinal soon regained his senses.
“What? What is happening?”
After blinking for a very brief moment, he seemed to assess the situation.
“What is, what have you done?”
His minimum courtesy of formal speech disappeared, and the veins on the Cardinal’s neck bulged.
“Do you find me amusing!?”
“N-No, it’s not that.”
The doll-like impression that had initially drawn her in faded away to reveal a flustered expression, like a junior being scolded by a harsh supervisor.
“I, um, that is…”
The nun swallowed hard and spoke.
“I have a condition where I drop kick when I hear nonsense.”
The awkward voice of the nun froze the funeral hall.
“Nonsense…? Drop…?”
The Cardinal muttered quietly before his face twisted into one filled with malice; ironically, he looked just like the faces of the demons from the fairytales she had read as a child.
“You are a heretic.”
And so he declared.
“No, that’s not it. I’m just a nun who drops kicks when she hears nonsense.”
“Nonsense…?”
The Cardinal’s face turned deep red, nearly violet, as he muttered.
“Yes, nonsense.”
The young nun, still lowering her head meekly, suddenly raised her head to look at Selena.
The movement was unexpected, and Selena was taken aback. The expression on the nun’s face was once again doll-like, as it had been when she stood in the corner.
…No, it wasn’t.
In the midst of that doll-like expression, only the young nun’s eyes were shining.
What shone in her eyes could be seen as anger or sorrow. Though her eyes were black, they almost glimmered blue.
Selena held her breath for a moment. Despite her messy appearance, covered in food from head to toe, there was an indescribable power emanating from the girl.
“…Sacrifice is…”
The girl turned her head back to face the Cardinal directly and spoke. The clumsy demeanor she had displayed moments earlier was nowhere to be seen.
“It is noble because it is a choice made by one’s own will. It’s not simply throwing oneself on the floor, but it is made after deliberation about those standing behind and those who will remain after you leave, without a shred of regret, and performed out of one’s own resolve, not others’ coercion. That is sacrifice.”
“But the gods…”
“The gods have never told you to die.”
The young girl abruptly interrupted the Cardinal’s retort.
“…Ah.”
Whose exclamation that was, Selena couldn’t tell.
If it was just a nun arguing with the Cardinal, no matter how right her statement was, it wouldn’t have led to any discussion. The Cardinal, and indeed everyone present, were unable to interrupt her words for a reason.
“The gods want you to live. Be fruitful, multiply, and fill this land. This is an ancient teaching from past gods, but today’s gods still hope you do so. The reason the gods lend you their strength is that they do not wish for you to perish meaninglessly.”
The girl, speaking thus, was glowing.
As if she were an ancient saintess from a long-lost painting.
“That is why sacrifice must be noble. It should not be the action of livestock dragged out by others’ coercion, but rather a choice made by those who fight for justice, for the smiles of countless people. Not just fighting to die, but a result of fighting and enduring until the very last moment.”
The girl’s hair shone golden under the light.
Her face became hidden behind a dazzling veil of light. Somewhere along the line, the youthful voice she had seemed to possess had transformed into a voice of a saintess that Selena had never heard before. It was so soft and compassionate that it didn’t seem like the voice of a girl who had only lived fifteen short years.
At this point, everyone present could not miss it.
Goddess Ariel had descended into this place, taking the form of the girl.
The girl turned her gaze away from the Cardinal and looked toward Selena and Elisa’s mother.
“I cannot fathom the profound sorrow of losing a daughter.”
And then she said something that no one from the church would ever say.
“Losing a beloved one will never fully heal, no matter how much time passes. I pray for the peace of the deceased.”
Then the girl deeply bowed.
“Thanks to the noble sacrifice of Elisa Lowell, 16,021 soldiers defending the eastern front and 311,532 residents of the frontline area were able to survive. I express my deepest gratitude for your daughter’s noble sacrifice. Though my words may not heal your pain, please know that this sentiment is heartfelt.”
Selena’s vision blurred.
When she touched her face, it was damp.
When had she been crying?
Her mother’s face was likely no different. While holding the hand of the nun—no, the goddess—who had come near, she was sobbing profusely.
It wasn’t just them, either. Everyone in the funeral hall was crying.
Even the few remaining actual mourners, along with the church personnel dispatched, were weeping. Even the Cardinal, who just moments ago had spluttered threats, had long since fainted.
“The soul of your daughter is accompanied by the blessings of the gods. A single farewell is not an eternal parting, but the beginning of a new connection; surely, there will be a day when you meet again with smiles.”
Though her face was hidden by light, Selena was certain that the girl said those words with a bright smile.
How much time had passed?
The radiant aura that had enveloped the young nun slowly began to fade. Although the lights in the hall had never been extinguished, it suddenly felt like all the light in the building had been snuffed out.
“…Huh?”
The young nun, who had been holding Selena’s mother’s hand, uttered a dazed sound.
“Huh, wh—? What?”
Then she looked around, astonished. Given that everyone around was awash in tears, and the Cardinal lay sprawled on the ground, it was understandable.
Upon realizing she was still holding the hand of the family member of the deceased, the young nun quickly released it.
“I, um, that…”
Unable to find the words, she eventually blurted out,
“I’m so sorry!”
Bowing deeply, she shouted that.
And when she lifted her head again, the nun’s face was glistening with sweat.
“Wh-While I absolutely didn’t mean to do that, so…”
I have a condition where I drop kick when I hear nonsense…
For some reason, Selena felt as if she had heard that excuse. Of course, she wouldn’t actually reiterate it but…
“…I express my deepest condolences for the deceased. May the goddess guide that youthful soul.”
Judging she couldn’t recover the situation no matter what, the young nun muttered in a barely audible voice.
“Thank you.”
Selena’s mother replied with a smile to that remark. The young nun, who seemed unable to fathom receiving such a response, stared, mouth agape, as her face turned bright red.
In the end, perhaps unable to withstand her embarrassment, the nun ran over to the priest and muttered something in a quiet voice. The priest, still not having shaken off the aftershock of encountering a goddess, simply nodded in awe at the young nun, who then quickly covered her face with both hands and dashed out of the funeral hall.
What a strange person she was.
First, she appeared completely emotionless and doll-like, then she acted as if she had a mental disorder, summoned a goddess, and afterward, she blushed furiously and ran away as if she had shown an embarrassing side of herself.
What a sight for sore eyes.
Selena couldn’t help but remember the teddy bear panty that had zipped past her earlier. The young nun’s skirt from her nun outfit must have flipped up while delivering her drop kick, revealing that.
As Selena thought about it, she had to suppress the urge to burst into laughter.
It was strange, but she was a wonderful person.
Only then did Selena understand why the nun had suddenly delivered a drop kick. She had spoken the literal meaning of her words.
Perhaps it was something only someone who was openly blessed by the goddess could do.
To be honest, it was funny.
Funny, but…
The sight of someone rushing headlong into what she considered injustice was somewhat admirable, Selena thought.
Whether she’d get that opportunity or not, she felt a desire to befriend the nun if they ever crossed paths again.
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