I personally think I’ve done quite well, but the fact remains that I was mentally exhausted from arguing with the government higher-ups one-on-many.
The buildings used by the government, including the parliament, were relatively recent constructions, and aside from the skyscraper-like government office, most were worth seeing, but the unique feeling of relief mixed with the emptiness that comes after finishing a big task made it hard to focus on the explanations.
Still, it was something that I could just barely maintain my expression. Although it was a short time, as someone sitting in a relatively high position, I had learned how to manage my demeanor and expressions, so I thought I probably didn’t offend the person explaining, even if it wasn’t perfect.
…No, that’s not it.
Honestly, it was all an excuse.
I was trying to push aside one thought that was stirring up my mind and pulling out other thoughts like a struggle.
What occupied my mind was the worry that at least living as a civilian after running away might not be possible anymore.
Well, I thought that by the time it hit the news and was featured in the papers, I had already passed the stage of worrying about that.
My body is beautiful. This isn’t an illusion created by an inflated ego. I was a man in the original world, and after coming here, I became a woman. Anyone who wouldn’t call this body, created meticulously by the gods, beautiful would likely have a very personal standard of aesthetic sense that doesn’t align with most others. Or they’re lying.
And such beauty itself becomes a form of individuality. There aren’t many people in the world with captivating beauty.
However, since coming here, that beauty has been driven home so forcefully that it would be surprising if even one person recognized me while walking down the street, even when I’m not in my saint’s robe or nun’s outfit.
“—Saintess? Saintess.”
“……Ah.”
Hearing a voice that seemed to echo from a distance, I thought I might have dozed off while standing, but that wasn’t the case. I had inadvertently frozen in place, lost in other thoughts while walking. My companions were a few steps ahead of me.
The voice echoed in the wide corridor, giving that impression.
“Yes.”
I blinked once and answered, and Aurora and Linea looked at me with a slightly worried expression.
“Are you feeling very tired?”
“……No.”
I was tired. To be honest, I wanted to just quit everything and dive back into the convent bed. After achieving my purpose, it was sort of wrapped up.
…But then, that would just be running away irresponsibly.
At the very least, I needed to complete the official schedule. I couldn’t let the situation I had so carefully steered turn upside down. I honestly hoped I wouldn’t have to meet those who thought I was too young and would take me for a fool.
I had to make sure they understood that I wasn’t an easy target and that if they ruffled my feathers, they would surely notice how I’d react.
“I just found the painting hanging here impressive.”
I noticed a painting hanging in the nearby corridor, and while turning slightly towards it, I spoke. The guide… is that what they’re called? I assumed they’d have a proper title, but I didn’t ask, so I wasn’t sure. In any case, the person walked briskly toward me, beaming as if they genuinely enjoyed this job.
“You certainly have a keen eye.”
That was something I had never heard before, even including my past life.
“This painting is estimated to have been created around 150 years ago.”
“……Is the absence of the artist’s name the reason for that?”
If the artist existed, it would be possible to reasonably guess the year the painting was made. One could predict based on notes left by the artist about the painting, or from the artistic style and materials used in other works while they were alive. Frankly speaking, one could greatly reduce the margin of error just by estimating from the moment the artist began until they stopped.
But this painting had neither a title nor the name of the artist. The paintings next to it had the artist’s name and date written below them, along with a brief description, but this painting was left bare of those essential details.
“Yes, a painting that was found with no one to explain it. There are various theories, but honestly, even the circumstances of the painting’s discovery are ambiguous.”
“So, how long has it been hanging here?”
“Since 150 years ago.”
“Do you know who found it?”
“I can’t say. It has been hanging here from the beginning. Apparently, when it was first discovered, there were many discussions. Some suggested it should be removed because it might be an unverified forgery, while others argued it couldn’t be a forgery due to the lack of the original painting or description, asserting that if it were a forgery, it would require borrowing a famous artist’s style or paintings, which was clearly not the case. In the end, since no evidence was found to claim it was a forgery, it has remained here. It was likely decisive that the council members liked it back then.”
So in summary, it meant that when this parliament building was constructed, someone just hung it up, and the person who hung it, along with who painted it and when it was created, remained a mystery, leaving it as an anonymous painting from 150 years ago.
It’s not like some SCP.
The painting itself was highly detailed. It depicted a person in white clothes floating in the sky far away, with numerous beams of light emanating from them purifying the demon and beast armies below. Given the meticulous detail painted with a fine brush on each demon, it was clearly not something that could be created in a day. The painting was also quite large in size.
However, since it was painted too far away and too small, it was difficult to determine the gender of the floating person. They had long blonde hair, but just because they had long hair doesn’t strictly mean they’re male.
Perhaps it could be depicting Goddess Ariel.
“It’s a finely detailed painting.”
“Yes, due to its unique style and the stories related to the painting, it has quite a following. Most of them are council members, though.”
…Well, to be honest, the reason I stopped wasn’t because I was genuinely interested in the painting. I just happened to have stopped here.
But I couldn’t say that to the person who was earnestly explaining, so I merely nodded in response.
*
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
The meeting that had taken place in the inquiry room ran a bit longer than expected, but due to the shock received that time, the government officials were quite cooperative. Consequently, the subsequent meeting with the President was rather brief. Most of the negotiations were to be left to the staff, and I simply stood smiling in front of the camera until we enjoyed a dinner.
Rumors spread that I pestered the president, or maybe that I had forced a witness to swear on the name of the gods, so thankfully there was no one around to annoy me. It might also have been because of the holy power I was draping over my head to appear imposing in crowded areas. Well, in any case, thanks to that, I could leisurely enjoy the fine dishes without feeling sick.
This is really convenient. I must remember to use it when necessary in future arguments.
…Although it seems a bit scary thinking that even if I take off my clothes, they might shine a little, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
“……So, is this the end of the schedule?”
After finishing the banquet and exchanging insincere farewells with those around me, I stepped outside the building and asked Aurora to confirm. Aurora seemed to think for a moment, looking up at the sky, then nodded.
“Yes, this concludes the schedule. Now it’s just a matter of going to the accommodation for the night and taking the flight back tomorrow morning.”
“When we take the return flight, it’ll be the same as when we departed, right? People will come out to see us off, and I’ll wave goodbye while boarding the plane…”
“Yes, I think so…”
Seeing me make a tired expression that looked ready to sigh at any moment, Aurora gave a bittersweet smile.
“But I think it’ll end more quickly than the welcome ceremony.”
“No, that’s not what I’m worried about…”
I was worried about whether this would happen every time I took a flight to a new district.
Whenever I go to a region, the representative of that region would likely say, “What!? The Saintess is coming to our town!? Let’s make arrangements!” and my face would be plastered all over local news and newspapers with ridiculous articles like “Saint Clara Anderson’s surprise visit to the ○○ region! What could be the purpose?” So I was worried about that.
Then I wouldn’t be able to take a vacation carelessly.
“…The place we’ll be staying is probably the Central Church, right?”
“Yes, the Central Church has agreed to provide a room. They assured us they won’t be troublesome this time, so please do use their service.”
Hearing our conversation, Linea, who was nearby, responded like that.
“…Well then, I guess I will trust them for once.”
At my snobbish reply, Aurora and Linea smiled wryly.
In conclusion, they were indeed right about not being troublesome. No one sought to call me for consultations or discussions.
However, every priest I encountered stiffened up completely, which was troublesome in another sense.
Truly, it was a night that made me miss the 21st District so much.
*
“So, you mean this meeting was requested by the President’s side, and that even the request was made in a rather arrogant tone?”
The reporter asked as Matthew Turner poured alcohol into the glass he held.
They were in the Miracle Investigator’s office at the Central Church. Just to be safe, a request for an interview had been readily accepted, and by the time they got themselves together, they found themselves deep inside the Central Church.
The heavy silence on the way in had made them feel incredibly tense, but facing Turner, he seemed to show more interest in the expensive wine bottle the reporters had brought than the reporters themselves.
This is good.
The older reporter among them thought, gazing at Turner.
Of course, it wasn’t that Turner would share stories just because of the alcohol, but it was clear this was someone who had been waiting for the opportunity to talk, and just used the occasion to drink.
Even if it wasn’t the first time to hear it, the reporter was confident they would write the most detailed article about it.
“Of course! This is the story I heard directly from the Saintess. An agent from the Central Intelligence Agency barged into the convent where the Saintess usually resides and tried to speak to her. I think… he was trying to offer her money?”
“Money?”
The eyes of the two reporters widened at the story. Seeing their eyes grow to the limit as if they were about to pop out, Turner slammed his palm on the table, as if outraged.
“Exactly! Money! They offered more money to someone whose job is to serve on faith alone to come under the government! Can you believe that?”
“Oh, that’s not acceptable, of course.”
The reporters chimed in, typing away on their smartphones as they spoke. Noticing, Turner glanced at it and said,
“Oh, this is off the record, isn’t it? Don’t tell anyone else about this.”
“Of course.”
The reporters nodded repeatedly, continuing to jot down notes. That a person of this stature was speaking off the record while still sharing details basically meant they could leak it outside. They just needed to cite ‘unnamed sources’ in their article.
Even if it’s off the record, it doesn’t have any binding force, nor legal effect.
“In that case… can we interpret this meeting as the Saintess agreeing to that?”
“Absolutely not.”
Turner said incredulously.
“Of course not. From what I understand, the government had tried to contact the Saintess a couple more times afterward. I don’t know the specifics, but something definitely happened during that time. It’s likely the Saintess’s visit this time is, well, perhaps a protest of some sort?”
“So you’re saying that the Saintess, who has been living in seclusion and showed no interest in power, was so enraged that she felt compelled to use her authority to take action?”
“Well… as I said, I’m just a humble priest. I don’t know the details about that.”
The reporter couldn’t help but smirk internally at Turner, who slightly averted his gaze while saying that.
“Oh, no, this is an honor to receive such important information from you.”
Naturally, that sentence was completely genuine.
*
“Ah, the article is out!”
Suddenly, while I was dozing off on the plane, Aurora yelled beside me, jolting me awake.
“Ugh, huh?”
I mumbled a word that barely formulated, but thankfully no one pointed it out. Aurora was holding her smartphone, probably looking at the news article.
“What article?”
I rubbed my eyes and asked, and Aurora, without saying a word, handed her smartphone over to me.
[The government’s attempt to coerce the Saintess… just how much power do they desire?]
Hmm.
It seems the Miracle Investigator clearly conveyed the message.
It was a small news outlet, likely overlooked by someone who doesn’t routinely read every little piece of internet news, but since an article was published with my name on it, it couldn’t be casually dismissed. Though it was under ‘unnamed sources,’ even if the government got mad upon seeing the piece and tracked down the informant, there wouldn’t be much they could do.
While they wouldn’t be able to claim they were a head of a great power, they were still acquaintances with someone close to me, and the Miracle Investigator was still a single individual. Not powerful, but irreplaceable. To meddle with them carelessly would invite significant backlash from the church.
Moreover, just yesterday, I had argued for the church and the government to operate on equal footing, so…
Investigating would be easy, and it wouldn’t be hard to realize that this article was genuinely connected to me.
“Alright then. This closes the chapter properly.”
Even if it started as mere suspicion, once it caught the attention of other media outlets, it would snowball into a larger issue, no doubt. Although it wouldn’t result in the government being overthrown or their approval ratings plummeting, they would surely have to work hard, running around like crazy to suppress this situation.
Until now, the church had remained largely unnoticed by ordinary people, making it difficult to draw interest. Naturally, it made for an unfavorable target for articles.
But the church I was part of was different. I myself was a point of interest, so the media would flock to any potential meal they could feast upon.
Well, since my face is out there anyway, I might as well use it to my advantage. The reason I ended up in this situation in the first place was all the government’s fault. So I simply wanted them to feel at least half of the troubles I’ve experienced.
While Aurora, one of the key players in this major incident, merely giggled as if she had succeeded in a prank…
…..
I quietly closed my eyes. A pleasant sense of fatigue wrapped around me. Along with the sense of achievement of having finally completed one task, a slight fear of what might unfold next dawned upon me. But still, the strongest feeling that emerged was relief. At least for a while, no one would think of poking around and bothering me for various purposes.
Of course, that only applies to this incident thoroughly tied to the government.
There were still unresolved questions, or rather, one new question arose from experiencing this event:
Why did Seo-A defy the government, what led her to be demoted to a teacher, and why was she still hated by them?
Determined to ask her this once I returned to school, I drifted off into sleep.
*
“Isn’t she just like an angel?”
Aurora said, looking at Clara, who had fallen asleep. Of course, it was common for her to fall asleep so peacefully for a moment, but as time passed, she would then toss and turn in all kinds of absurd positions, but it was impossible not to be moved by her calm breathing while her eyes were closed.
“If we were to strictly define it, I think she truly is a being closer to an angel.”
“Well, that’s true.”
It wasn’t a matter of personality. While her character was indeed kind, it was more about the fact that she descended into this world through the gods that made one think of her as an angel.
Considering the impact she could have on the world when she opened her eyes, it felt even more pronounced.
“I wonder what she’s thinking right now?”
Aurora whispered, glancing at Clara, who had once been awakened, but Linea merely shrugged her shoulders in response. It was difficult to follow Clara’s thoughts even when she was awake, so how could they know what was going through her mind while asleep?
And of course, Aurora, who asked that question, had no idea that at that moment, Clara was subconsciously contemplating thoughts very closely linked to Aurora’s personal affairs.
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