〈 Chapter 24 〉 Smell
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For the past few days, the Sister’s expression couldn’t seem brighter.
She had received some shocking information from reliable eyes and ears.
After hearing the ominous rumor that individuals presumed to be part of the Hero Party were traversing various monasteries, searching relentlessly for a specific Priest and Sister, dark clouds loomed over her thoughts without a moment of respite.
Moreover, the Sister’s appearance that they were fervently searching for could only be seen as a description of herself.
Since that day, she had lived under the constant pressure that natural disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis were targeting only her.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she deeply empathized with the feeling of an idiot Priest who had barely escaped from them.
An extraordinary hero, strong enough to face hundreds of monsters alone and capable of slicing even a dragon in half with a single blow.
They had once been a reassuring ally for humanity, but the anxiety that such a being might be pursuing her with a definite purpose had turned all her cherished admiration into fear.
However, it was truly fortunate that there were some escape routes. There was at least one potential breakthrough.
No matter how unreasonable the opponent might be, as long as they were human, holding a social position like status or rank.
There would be ideologies involved, duties meant to be upheld, and laws to be followed.
If there were just one or two of them…
There might be a glimmer of hope that she could sway them.
Yes, just one or two.
◈◈◈
“Thank you sincerely for handing over the list!”
“Oh, it’s nothing····.”
The plan had already started to go awry.
But blaming the current situation solely on the Sister’s rash judgment was far too harsh.
Those fighting at the forefront of humanity considered it their duty and pride.
Who could have predicted the unprecedented situation where they deviated from their responsibilities and acted in unison?
It was a well-known saying that superhumans viewed the world from a different perspective than ordinary individuals, but there’s always an upper limit to that.
The Sister couldn’t help but pinch her thigh, secretly wishing that this vivid spectacle unfolding before her eyes was a nightmare.
“Truly, when you convey your earnest heart, humans can understand each other! This newly honed technique, ‘Hero’s Great Bow’, shining right now is incredibly moving!”
“Well, I think bumping your head on the floor was utterly pointless, and it seems things went smoothly solely due to your name as a Hero.”
The cold response of Apis was the only thing keeping the Hero from bursting with overwhelming emotion.
Dawna seemed busy skimming through the list, and Bigtim was merely dozing off.
Ultimately, the Sister had to abandon the futile hope that someone would mediate this perplexing situation.
“It’s surprising that the identity of the nameless Knight was indeed the Hero! How astonishing! If only you had informed us in advance and specified a time for your visit, we could have given you an appropriate reception. It’s such a shame.”
“I’m sorry! It may be cowardly to hide my identity and act to avoid the gaze of others, but this time, I had legitimate reasons! Therefore, I had no choice but to resort to such means! I sincerely apologize for the sudden rudeness!”
“Ah, it’s not that it was rude····.”
“I apologize!”
The Hero’s words and actions were rattling the Sister’s already tumultuous thoughts even further as he voraciously consumed the hidden thorns beneath his speech.
Thus, calmness and distraction mixed together, like water and fire, as this chaotic exchange continued.
Watching this scene quietly, Apis swung her legs over the broken edge of a table and spoke.
“Ah, sorry. Just let about 90% of what the Hero says go in one ear and out the other. He’s in an unprecedented state of excitement due to some unavoidable circumstances.”
“What do you mean! Apis! I always maintain a calm and composed state of mind! I am a Hero!”
“Sure, sure. Of course you do.”
Apis’s tired demeanor in handling the Hero reminded one of an elder sister soothing her rambunctious younger sibling in a large family.
Realizing that the one in control of this party was not the Hero, but her, the Sister took back the narrative.
“So, you’re Apis of the Hero Party. I have heard much about you. It is indeed an honor to meet you····.”
“Ah! Stop it! You don’t have to do that! Just stay quiet! Don’t worry. As soon as I finish the necessary business, I’ll quickly leave here.”
That tone suggested she had grown quite used to such conversations.
The Hero opened the floor for discussion, and she was cleaning up the mess, painting a vivid picture of their journey.
Rustle. Rustle.
At that moment, as if entranced by something, the Sister glanced at Dawna, who was scanning the list at an unbelievable speed.
The massive pile of papers containing names of all the Priests who had ever been at this thousand-year-old monastery, was made thoroughly unsuitable for gaining information, even after the Sister had intentionally shuffled the order.
“What a bust. It seems like we’re at a dead end again. By the way! This place’s material management is considerably poor compared to others, isn’t it? If it were me, obtaining information from this sloppy data would be an impossible feat for an ordinary person. Since I’m reading it, I’ll personally rearrange it for better chronological order, so make sure to pay more attention to organizing your materials going forward.”
“Th-thank you.”
Like reading a restaurant menu, she casually finished reading the list in just a few tens of minutes and even reorganized it.
The Sister sighed in relief, inwardly glad she had decided to leave his name off the list.
The Priest himself was hidden away in the safest place in the world, the silence within the church was assured, and the only written evidence functioned as proof of the Priest’s absence.
If she could safely get past this hurdle, everything seemed to be smooth sailing.
“I’m sorry. Everyone. But right now the Saintess desperately needs Priest Regis!”
As she squeezed her eyes shut beneath her veil, strangling the apology she couldn’t voice, it happened.
“Then! One last question for the Sister! Is it alright?”
“Yes, yes! Of course!”
“Why do I smell the Priest I know so well from you?!”
“····Excuse me?”
Another massive storm descended between them.
“Could you take off that mask?”
With an atmosphere that felt like surging steam until now, the damp emotion lurking in that voice, indistinguishable in clarity, was painfully apparent.
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