‘…Hmm, is that what happens when you apostatize?’

Serade’s mind was in turmoil.

It was understandable, as Serade had somehow overheard that Yona was originally a healer.

If she was originally a healer but now a Saintess, doesn’t it seem like she’s been promoted somehow?

Moreover, Serade wasn’t particularly faithful to any religion, she had just joined the cathedral because her holy power had manifested and it seemed an easier way to make a living. That’s why she had thought about becoming a priest, but after the day of judgment, she became a healer and left the cathedral.

Opening a clinic was too competitive, and becoming an adventurer was too scary because of the risk of death.

So there weren’t many options left.

Setting up a small cathedral in some remote village wasn’t bad for living, as food and small amounts of money would come in regularly – it was just about that level.

And living that way, she had come this far.

Serade scratched the bridge of her nose and glanced sideways at Sekti sitting next to her.

A girl who looked so different with and without her helmet.

With the helmet on, she looked like a devout cathedral knight from some ancient fairy tale, but as soon as she took it off, she became a shy girl – quite an interesting girl.

That girl was now staring intently at the tightly closed audience chamber door.

The audience chamber that had been firmly shut as soon as that giant named Alec and Yona entered.

Staring at that door, Sekti remained motionless.

“Excuse me, Sir Knight.”

“…Yes?”

She answered, but her eyes remained fixed on the door.

Serade spoke while Sekti answered without looking at her, her gaze still on the door.

“What are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…”

The question she wanted to ask was clear, but it was hard to get it out.

Serade was quite perceptive. She had been an orphan from the start, growing up rolling around in back alleys. Orphans weren’t rare in the world, so she was just one of those common orphans, and there wasn’t anything particularly special about her, so fortune hadn’t smiled upon her.

Even entering a cathedral orphanage required some luck, but she had never even set foot in one. On the lucky day she found a wallet with 5 coppers in it, the moment she curled up her body to protect that wallet from being taken and endured the beating, her holy power awakened – if it hadn’t, her life would have probably ended there, so that was the greatest luck of her life.

In the cathedral classes she entered that way, she managed to eat well with just her perceptiveness. She ate and lived so well that she thought she wanted to live like this forever. If she hadn’t been kicked out after being judged as a healer, she probably would have just lived on clinging to the cathedral.

“…I mean, are you going to keep following that Saintess?”

“Of course.”

‘Well, I guess so…’

Serade clicked her tongue.

She had thought that would be the case, but getting an immediate answer was still awkward.

Being perceptive, Serade could guess why Sekti said she would follow the Saintess.

It was probably because of that man called senior who seemed to be hopelessly in love with the Saintess.

‘It looks completely hopeless.’

Although Sekti had said it wasn’t love but pure admiration and for the sake of saving her senior, Serade wasn’t a fool. It wasn’t about salvation or admiration or anything like that. It was just affection, and unrequited love. Moreover, it was unrequited love that could never be realized.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’

Yes, it wasn’t her concern.

Serade wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with her current life. She didn’t know what had happened in the audience chamber a few days ago, and she didn’t particularly want to know, but since then, Yona’s group had been receiving treatment as state guests, so life couldn’t be more comfortable.

Of course, the palace seemed busy preparing for the emperor’s funeral and Amira Al Azrami’s ascension to the throne, but that wasn’t Serade’s business either.

“So… that person called senior, Mr. Alec. You’re saying you have to keep following him, right?”

“Yes.”

Sekti nodded while still staring at the door.

Glancing at her from the side, Serade pondered.

Should she part ways here?

Could she settle down in Katus?

It was a serious consideration.

“Honestly, we’re not on such good terms that we should be sitting down and eating together. If you have something to say, just say it.”

At Yona’s words, Bigrind frowned.

Still, they had come a long way, rushing here without proper meals.

So the meal in the audience chamber, hastily prepared after Bigrind’s stomach let out a loud growl just before they started talking.

The fact that Yona said this after the spoons had gone back and forth quite a bit meant that she had, in her own way, waited for Bigrind to fill her stomach.

However, it was an unchanging fact that her way of speaking was still vulgar.

“You still speak so vulgarly.”

“Well, at least you seem to have filled your stomach. So, why did you come here? There must be a reason.”

“A reason…”

In fact, Bigrind didn’t have a particular reason. If there was a reason, it was because Ludvig had insisted on coming somehow, so she had accompanied him, but she didn’t know why they had to do so.

“I was the one who insisted on meeting the Saintess of the demon realm.”

Yona’s gaze turned to Ludvig.

Even as a figure of speech, one couldn’t say that gaze was kind.

The fact that her eyebrows weren’t furrowed was already a sign that Yona was restraining herself a lot.

“…Even if you look at me with such eyes, I have nothing to say. I should have shown a bit of a foolish appearance in the fight with Damian.”

“No, that’s fortunate.”

“Yona, why do you speak like that… Hero, we know you worked hard.”

Yona’s sulky words, and Alec’s words trying to stop Yona and awkwardly lighten the mood.

The atmosphere in the audience chamber wasn’t very good.

Having sent out all the guards and everyone else, only the four of them had sat down to eat in this audience chamber.

“Anyway, well, that’s how it is. The Saintess is here only because I… I insisted and she came along.”

Under the table—Alec’s hand quietly grasping Yona’s hand where no one could see.

Because of that warmth, Yona filtered her words over and over in her mind before speaking.

“…That aside, why me?”

Even so, she doesn’t shake off his hand.

Quietly lowering her gaze, Yona looked down at Alec’s hand holding hers while asking Ludvig.

“That person told me.”

“Who? The Pope? Ceres?”

“The Celestial Deity spoke to me.”

Simultaneously, the gazes of all three people turned to Ludvig.

Whether it was the Celestial Deity or not, they could only judge by the voice since it hadn’t shown its appearance.

But Ludvig was certain that the owner of that voice was the Celestial Deity.

The beautiful female voice that had started with a rebuke about a hero walking the wrong path, continued with an apology saying that it was because she couldn’t reveal herself now that the hero had become like this.

And then, a request to be of help to Yona—though she didn’t mention the name.

“…That, Ceres… I mean, the elder’s words…. Aren’t you mistaking that?”

Yona’s doubt was reasonable.

If not, it didn’t make sense that the Celestial Deity, who hadn’t shown even a glimpse of herself until now, would let Ludvig, not Bigrind, hear her voice. Moreover, she didn’t even show her appearance but only revealed her voice, which was even stranger.

“No. It was exactly the same voice as the Celestial Deity who gave me the hero’s mission. I absolutely didn’t confuse it.”

“And Elder Ceres had gone on a local business trip. It wasn’t a situation where she could plot against the hero.”

Bigrind also took Ludvig’s side.

And as soon as she heard those words, Yona looked at Bigrind.

‘…Plot?’

Yona remembered Bigrind’s words well. Given Bigrind’s position, the words “Elder Ceres” and “plot” were incompatible. There’s no way Bigrind wouldn’t know this, and yet—

‘It seems like Big is also thinking that Ceres is strange… If so, it might be okay to talk to Big. And if she really let her voice be heard by that fool of a hero, there’s a possibility it might really be the Celestial Deity. The Sky God has awakened too, so it would be right to think that the Celestial Deity has awakened as well. Although it’s a bit much to say she’s awakened… Anyway, it’s not a stretch to think that the Celestial Deity’s range of movement has widened.’

“The Celestial Deity also said that she now has the capacity for activity.”

At Ludvig’s words, Yona looked at him again.

It might be a coincidence, but what Yona was thinking and Ludvig’s words matched.

Yona was conscious when the Sky God awakened.

When Alec was almost dead, and enraged by the fact that the Azrami had plotted this, Yona was overwhelmed by emotion and her body was taken over by the Sky God. And she had wanted revenge on the Azrami, which the Sky God carried out.

Therefore, although it wasn’t entirely her will, Yona had thought that she had also agreed to the annihilation of the Azrami imperial family.

And, just as the Sky God had awakened, the Celestial Deity must have awakened too.

It might not be strange—Yona thought.

“And the Celestial Deity said that when we meet the Saintess of the demon realm, she would show herself to our Saintess as well.”

Ludvig spoke with a gentle smile.

He seemed to have matured somewhat, but since he was basically incompetent, Yona decided not to fully believe Ludvig’s words. She was also sick of being backstabbed after trusting someone.

“However, I don’t quite understand why she showed herself to you, Hero, first instead of that dwarf du… I mean, Big.”

At Yona’s question, Ludvig hesitated for a moment.

After moving his lips several times, Ludvig finally opened his mouth somewhat awkwardly.

“I was in seclusion, so she thought that even if she descended to the Saintess first, I wouldn’t hear about it, so she descended to me first.”

At those words, this time Bigrind looked at Ludvig.

She had thought there would be something he wanted to do.

But it wasn’t even that, just because the hero was in seclusion, she thought Bigrind wouldn’t listen even if she descended to her first.

Bigrind felt subtle emotions towards the Celestial Deity.