Chapter: 367
Phoebe returned to the Holy Land after almost a year, but there was no time to feel nostalgic.
Even while she was away, the Holy Land continued to carry out its duties, and in the process, the tasks she was originally meant to resolve began piling up little by little.
On top of that, the absence of the Pope for a while contributed to Phoebe’s feeling of chaos.
When the most significant figure in the Holy Land is away, she had to take on the work he was supposed to handle.
After spending a week juggling both the delayed tasks and the Pope’s responsibilities, Phoebe had surprisingly adapted to life in the Holy Land.
Even after working for quite some time and falling asleep, she woke up before dawn, staring blankly out the window before breaking into a smile.
Since it was her first time being away for so long, she expected some awkwardness in readjusting, but it seemed that the habits engraved into her over nearly ten years weren’t something that would easily fade away.
She shook off her fatigue by channeling her divinity, got out of bed, cleaned herself up, and offered a prayer to the great Lord Jushin.
Phoebe had learned through her conversations with Jushin at the orphanage that he wasn’t the all-knowing, all-powerful being described in the scriptures, but that didn’t mean her faith had vanished.
Her belief had simply shed the blind devotion of the past, and it remained firmly within her.
Though Jushin wasn’t perfect, he was a good being striving to do good, and Phoebe believed that was enough to give her faith value.
About thirty minutes into her prayer, she heard a knock on the door from outside.
“Saintess! It’s time to prepare for the morning worship.”
“Yes, I’ll be right out.”
As Phoebe dressed and stepped outside, the woman who had been assisting her since she was very young bowed her head.
Phoebe exchanged greetings as usual, while internally grappling with mixed emotions.
Not long ago, having received divinity directly from Jushin, she had developed the ability to distinguish between those who genuinely had faith and those who only pretended to believe.
It wasn’t just about the quantity of divinity one possessed.
No matter how much divinity one had, some possessed only coldness within it, just like Phoebe herself and Lucy, Jushin’s apostle, who could nurture warmth within theirs.
The former were merely takers of divinity without faith, while the latter were those striving to cultivate their divinity through belief.
And the woman standing before Phoebe, despite having spent a long time in the Holy Land, carried only coldness.
It wasn’t particularly strange. Since Phoebe was a false saint created by human hands, those surrounding her had no choice but to be false too.
For an ordinary person, this would have been something to tremble with betrayal over, but Phoebe simply composed her slightly aching heart without uttering anything more to the woman.
Instead, she pondered how to guide this person back onto the right path.
“I wonder how Young Lady would have handled this.”
Phoebe recalled the face of someone who had more faith than anyone else, perhaps even more than Jushin himself, but that wasn’t a particularly good thought.
“Is the Sloppy Saintess relying on me to solve this? Haha, then she’ll be called sloppy forever, huh? I wonder if being called sloppy pleases her.”
“No!”
Phoebe shouted in the hallway, confirming the woman’s bewildered gaze and blushing bright red.
“A-ahn! U-um, can you forget what I just said?”
“What are you referring to? I didn’t hear anything.”
“Thank you so much!”
Despite the small commotion, the morning worship that Phoebe officiated went smoothly.
It was a duty she had performed every day since gaining the title of saintess as a child. A few months off didn’t make her voice tremble in front of everyone.
Even if more than half of those attending the morning worship bore coldness within them, Phoebe knew how to speak gently as usual.
When she first returned to the church, Phoebe understood why Lucy had warned about the corruption of the church.
Among the clergy residing in the Holy Land, more than two-thirds had lost their warmth.
If this had been an ordinary church, that could be accepted. Warmth wasn’t something one could easily come by.
However, this place was not an ordinary church. It was the Holy Land. It was a location where the noblest clerics among Lord Jushin’s followers across the continent gathered.
The fact that those standing on the front line of conveying Jushin’s warmth were bereft of even a little warmth was not something to be taken lightly.
How could those who didn’t possess even a trace of warmth within themselves convey Jushin’s warmth to others?
After returning to the Holy Land, Phoebe quickly became convinced of the church’s decadence and pondered how to address it, but she found no easy answers.
“Today’s message was excellent, Saintess.”
“I didn’t feel the Pope’s absence at all.”
“I hope the Saintess will return to the church soon.”
As Phoebe forced a smile for those speaking empty words with coldness, she found herself wishing she could have gone to the Allen Knights instead of coming back to the Holy Land.
Sure, there would be toil there too, but she would have friends.
There’s the somewhat clumsy but kind-hearted Joy. There’s Arthur, who keeps pushing forward despite his pain. And Frey, who’s so pure that she often does strange things.
And Lucy, who had saved Phoebe countless times. She was someone more precious than anyone.
Just as Phoebe was deep in thought, smiling as she recalled her friends, a heavy voice emerged from behind the clergy.
“Everyone, isn’t the Saintess feeling uncomfortable? Step back.”
The clergy with some status frowned and turned their heads; upon seeing the elderly man standing there, they quickly bowed their heads and left.
Cardinal Lazarus of the Jushin Church, a warm-hearted cleric, casually clicked his tongue at their retreating figures.
However, when he turned to Phoebe, he looked quite different. His normally stern face softened with kindness.
“I’ve told you before, but it’s okay not to accept everyone, Saintess.”
Although many within the church harbored only coldness, not everyone was like that.
The bishop of the Academy Street Church was one such person. Johan, who had helped her improve, was another. And just like the cardinal standing in front of her at that moment, goodness had maintained its place even amid confusion.
“Sometimes, those in high positions must know how to cut off.”
“If it had truly been difficult, I would have done that, Cardinal Lazarus.”
“Is that so? Then perhaps I should trouble the Saintess for verification.”
“Please don’t do anything too mischievous.”
“Hahaha, it all depends on how the Saintess handles it.”
Though Cardinal Lazarus was notorious for being uncompromising in any situation, he was just a playful old man in front of Phoebe.
“If your busy work is roughly done, please drop by later for tea. I imagine we’ll have a lot to discuss.”
“I’ll make sure to find time.”
“Saintess!”
At that moment, one of the clergy hurriedly approached Phoebe.
Cardinal Lazarus cast a stern glare at the clergy’s rudeness, but the clergy rushed ahead without noticing.
“Do you have a moment? It’s urgent.”
“Father Mapel, even if it’s urgent, keep your dignity. What is this nonsense?”
“Ah, Cardinal Lazarus! You must hear this news!”
“…Hm?”
“Someone from our church was murdered in the Bardronel territory!”
*
The next morning, facing my own foolishness.
As I listened to Erin humming a tune while fixing my hair, the events from a while back came to mind.
Having gotten used to living alone and fixing myself up for a long time at the academy, I had told Erin that she didn’t need to come looking for me so early. I told her to get a little more sleep.
This was undoubtedly a kindness towards Erin, yet rather than being happy, Erin dropped tears like raindrops.
“So, you don’t need me anymore?”
Suddenly facing a crisis of becoming trash, I frantically explained that I was only joking to calm her down.
“Sniff. Really? You won’t throw me away?”
“Do you think anyone wants a sloppy one like you? If you end up abandoned and dying on the streets, that’ll surely hurt my feelings, so I won’t throw you away. Got it?”
“Yes! Thank you! Really, thank you!”
Now that I think about it, I still don’t understand that reaction. Isn’t it normal to be happy when someone tells you you’re freed up to sleep longer?
At the very least, I would confidently say thanks while tearing up if I heard I could start work later.
“Miss, is anything uncomfortable for you?”
“It’s fine.”
“If it was uncomfortable, I wouldn’t just stand around. Sloppy Erin, how about you start picking up on things?”
“Then I’ll continue.”
Seeing Erin with a sense of pride in her work reflected in the mirror, I suddenly thought of the Perverted Apostle who was fixing my hair.
His touch felt terrible compared to Erin’s, but at least he had real skill. If I have some time during this vacation, maybe I should call him over and ask him to teach Erin some techniques.
Usually, artists are stingy when it comes to sharing their skills, but I have a feeling the Perverted Apostle would gladly share if I just press him a bit.
“Done, Miss.”
Having a much tidier hairstyle than when I do it alone, I smiled at Erin instead of saying anything and stood up.
First, let’s eat and then head straight to the Newman family’s stronghold. There are a couple of things I need to find out there.
As I thought this, I went down to the first floor and questioned if I was still dreaming as I observed the scene occupying the dining hall.
It was natural for Benedict to be there. He had been waiting for me there every morning during this trip.
It wasn’t so surprising to see Karia beside him either. If there was urgent news to convey, she could come directly.
However, seeing Kurze Newman, head of the Newman family, sweating nervously between the two of them was something entirely out of my imagination.
Why is he in such a predicament? As I blankly stared at his face, my gaze suddenly locked with Karia’s.
“Employer! You’re up! Come here. I have something to tell you.”
“Uh…”
“Old maid auntie, why’s the little lord there sweating? I can actually see his hair thinning in real-time, and it’s a bit sad.”
“I haven’t done anything particularly. Right, Benedict?”
“Indeed. Lucy, the Newman lord has always found Karia intimidating.”
“Hey, Kurze! You need to explain quickly. If you stay silent, I’ll be the bad guy.”
“Um… Yes, Lady Allen. Karia didn’t do anything to me.”
He looked like someone who was being blackmailed.
Ah! Karia was the shadow of the kingdom before. So, the Newman family must be well aware of the various schemes happening in the shadows and obviously all about points of weakness.
Having pieced together the situation, I stepped down the stairs and sat down in the vacant spot.
“So…?”
“What’s going on, auntie?”
“It’s somewhat important, so I brought the involved party, Kurze.”
“Important? Is there anything incredibly important going on at this point? Event during the vacation probably won’t be anything serious, right?”
As I tilted my head in confusion, Karia merely shrugged her shoulders and continued.
“The Second Queen, Soladin, wants to meet with you. The Newman family is mediating in the meantime.”
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
– Ding!
[Quest Granted!]
[Serane Soladin’s Regret]
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