Chapter 218: Rest (1)


    With Helena properly wearing her panties, we opened the door of the chapel.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The door, which had been firmly closed until just a moment ago, easily swung open with a slight touch.


    The first thing we saw upon stepping outside were Ca and Elisha waiting in front of the door.


    “Master?!”


    Ca, who had been pacing around in circles like an anxious puppy, hurried over.


    She nervously caressed my face and asked in a worried voice.


    “I missed you! Did anything happen? Are you hurt or tired? What can I do for you?”


    “Why are you making such a fuss, Ca? I’m fine. The Righteous Radiance wouldn’t do anything harmful to me, right?”


    As I shrugged, thinking of the cat-like image Ist saw, Elisha, who had been approaching slowly from behind, let out a deep sigh.


    “Setting aside that arrogantment as if God is on your side… You! You’ve been holed up in the chapel for three days!”


    “Three days…?”


    I knew quite a bit of time had passed, but three days? I thought it had only been a day or two at most.


    “Oh? You really didn’t know. You’ve been separated for three days without knowing what was happening inside, so it’s no wonder Ca was anxious. You shouldfort her well.”


    “Yeah, I will.”


    Separated without knowing what was happening. Did they not hear Helena’s screams earlier?


    It must have been soundproofed perfectly. The Righteous Radiance was considerate as a Good God should be.


    As I hugged Ca, who had been clinging to me, with one arm, I asked Elisha.


    “Elisha, what about you?”


    “Huh?”


    “Do you needfort?”


    “…Hmph! I’m fine. But well, I appreciate the thought.”


    Elisha turned her head slightly and blushed. Although it seemed like a polite refusal, to me, who knew Elisha before the possession, it looked different.


    That was a sign she wanted to join but was embarrassed because we were outside and in front of others.


    The evidence was her habit of twisting her roll-bun hair without reason.


    Finding it cute, I whispered softly with a grin.


    “Shall Ifort you below, then?”


    “…Are you crazy?! What are you talking about?!”


    Elisha, who had been acting aloof, suddenly red at me and started hitting my back.


    Well… because of the ve mark, she can’t hit hard, so it was just a pretense.


    Feeling Elisha’s hands tapping my back like a massage, I nced to the side.


    Helena was talking to Gilbert, who had also been waiting.


    When our eyes met, she put a finger to her lips and murmured with a soft smile.


    “Shh.”


    “……”


    I silently nodded in response, then asked Ca, who was burying her face in my chest and taking deep breaths.


    “Ca. Where are the others?”


    “S-sip… Hot! Th-the others? They should be waiting in the VIP room. We decided to take turns waiting since we didn’t know when you’de out.”


    “There was no need for that. They could have just waited in their rooms, and I would have found them.”


    “Well…”


    Ca pouted and made a sulky face.


    “I wanted to be the first to greet you when you came out, Master.”


    “…Indeed. It was pleasant.”


    “Right?”


    I gently patted Ca’s head, then grabbed Elisha’s arm, forcing her into a linked arm position.


    With Elisha, who calmed down quickly, hooked on my other side, I looked up.


    Gilbert and Helena, who had finished their conversation, were staring nkly at us. Smiling at them, I said.


    “First… shall we talk over a meal?”


    As the light of the chapel faded, a sense of fatigue and hunger came over me.


    <hr>


    A banquet was held in a now-unused conference room. Given that the topic was confidential, it made sense.


    Although modestpared to the academy’s dining hall, the food’s taste was not inferior in the least.


    “Hmm… So…”


    The Pope of the Church of Righteous Radiance, Albaor, stroked his snowy white beard as he spoke.


    “So Helena became a Saintess after three days and nights of prayer, holding hands.”


    “Yes. That’s right.”


    I couldn’t exactly say we did it for three days and nights, so I roughly conveyed it.


    “I see… Ah, Helena? Could you show us the Saintess’s powers, if you don’t mind?”


    “Of course, Your Holiness.”


    Helena lightly wiped her mouth and stroked the nape of her neck.


    <em>Shimmer.</em>


    A fluffy fur cor appeared around her neck as if it were natural. It was designed exactly like the one the Righteous Radiance had subtly given me.


    However, unlike the mere replication from before, this was imbued with real power. A symbol of the Saintess.


    <em>Whooong.</em>


    Light poured from the fur cor, forming a cloak. On it was the symbol of the Righteous Radiance, sculpted from light.


    As the sun-shaped emblem settled into ce, Helena’s presence grew even stronger.


    “Ooh… O God of Righteous Radiance…”


    “Helena has really be a Saintess…”


    Albaor, with a deeply moved expression, and Gilbert, with a somewhat restless face, looked at Helena.


    Seeing their reactions, Helena awkwardly smiled and fiddled with the mane on her neck.


    “I’m d you’re happy, but… I’m stillcking, so I won’t be able to bring out the true form of the sacred armor for a while.”


    “Why does it matter, Saintess? This old man is content, having seen the brightest light before closing his eyes.”


    “Now that you mention it, they said the chapel’s light wouldn’t return for a while. Do you have any word on when the Righteous Radiance will awaken?”


    Perhaps due to Helena’s drastically changed aura, Albaor and Gilbert did not seem to doubt it from the beginning. They must have just wanted to be certain.


    As soon as it was confirmed she was the Saintess, they bowed their heads to her, as if they had been waiting for this moment.


    Helena waved her hand with an awkward smile at their sudden change in demeanor.


    “Please, you two, there’s no need to be so formal. Speakfortably.”


    “We can’t do that. Although I am the Pope, I am still just an elected cardinal. We cannot speak casually to the Saintess personally chosen by the Lord.”


    “I… ahem. I feel the same. Even though I have watched over you since childhood, I must separate public and private matters…”


    “Public and private! That’s it, Uncle Gilbert! This is a private setting, isn’t it? So, please, don’t be so formal. It makes me ufortable.”


    Helena managed to calm them down somehow.


    I knew it. The Church of Righteous Radiance… No, the churches on the Eurelia Continent were full of fanatics, whether they worshipped Good or Evil Gods.


    The only difference was whether they were crazy in a good way or a bad way.


    In H&A, if you follow the priest route and be an apostle, you even get the option to inherit the pope’s position during a conversation with the pope.


    Even if you don’t be the pope, everyone would listen to the protagonist once they be an apostle. Other churches also tend to show a fair amount of courtesy.


    The reason was simple. An apostle contains the spirit of a God.


    While a descent involved bringing the God’s body and power fully to the ground, bing an apostle meant carrying part of the God’s mind and authority.


    They would have a human body and mind, but would also be partly divine.


    Naturally, popes and cardinals with exceptional faith among the believers would have to treat Helena with the utmost respect.


    Though she seemed extremely ufortable with it.


    Helena sighed deeply and fanned herself, as if feeling embarrassed.


    “Ah, and as for when the chapel’s light will return, I haven’t heard anything. However, the Righteous Radiance said she would awaken in a few days, so I think the chapel will return to its original state around then.”


    “Hearing the words of the Righteous Radiance directly…!”


    “We also struggled with it a few days ago, but didn’t other churches find it hard to receive oracles, too, Pope?”


    “Indeed, Cardinal Gilbert. There haven’t been many dungeons found and cleared in the past 300 years, so recovery has been slow.”


    Seeing Albaor and Gilbert nodding with deeply moved expressions, Helena sighed again and looked my way.


    She must have thought any conversation with Albaor and Gilbert would lead to an exaggerated reaction and wanted to change the topic.


    And it was likely true.


    “Brother, it’s my turn to im a rightful request now.”


    “Huh? Oh, the bet, right? When would you like it? It’s a bit far from here, but we can go anytime within Professor Iona’s teleport range, so I’ll match it to your schedule, Saintess.”


    “I would say right away tomorrow, but it would be better after the Righteous Radiance awakens.”


    “Oh? Do you want to test the Saintess’s power? Sure. Just let me know. A day is enough for preparation.”


    Nodding, we continued to chat about trivial things.


    Later, we also discussed what Helena would do now that she had be a Saintess.


    In short, while she would engage in public activities, she decided to focus more on dungeon raids and cult suppression with me rather than stepping to the forefront as the church’s symbol.


    We also received a promise of full support from the Church of Righteous Radiance through Helena, but since we weren’t short on money, we decided to receive items like holy water and sacred relics, which only the church could produce.


    If I gave them to Faye, she’d find a way to use them somewhere. If not, I could just use them myself.


    In return, I donated 50,000 gold for the defense of the Great Church and to strengthen the Holy Knights’ power.


    It was a significant amount, but not burdensome for me, and it was definitely worth paying.


    Whether they were priests or not, everything required money. Plus, these fanatics wouldn’t embezzle funds meant for the church, so I could donate with peace of mind.


    Having sessfully made Helena a Saintess in my ce, the only thing left was to fend off the cultists’ focused attacks that woulde sooner orter.


    We can’t falter aftering this far.


    After chatting about this and that for a while, the conversation wrapped up, and since the meal had long ended and we were just having dessert, I stood up to leave.


    Suddenly, Gilbert, who had been silent as if he thought it wasn’t his ce to speak, opened his mouth.


    “By the way, when do you n to conduct the ceremony, Yandel?”


    “Uh, well…”


    I’ve been caught.