Ch.152152. Kang Hanna

“…May the Goddess comfort with all Her might every household immersed in sorrow. Console the bereaved who mourn the sudden loss of their father, mother, and siblings, and help them honor and remember the traces of those who have departed.”

“Please forgive the blood debt that the Hero has created and shouldered himself. Wash clean the Hero’s hands that are stained with sin.”

…

An excessively solemn prayer.

‘Saintess’ Gang Hannah observed from a distance as an elderly woman who appeared to be over sixty knelt before the statue of the Goddess in prayer.

Judging by her silk clothes, she was clearly a noble. And from her trembling posture while kneeling, she seemed to be in poor health as well.

Perhaps she had lost a relative during the Blood Banquet?

Seeing her calm expression, that didn’t seem to be the case. She didn’t appear to be a lapsed believer who had returned to church after a long absence either.

In the end, Hannah had to conclude that the old woman believed the Hero had committed grave sins, and was praying out of genuine concern for him.

She probably thought the Hero had been intoxicated by money and power and had turned to violence. That must be why she was praying for the forgiveness of the Hero’s sins.

‘She’s still praying like this even though the Pope has already issued a statement.’

Not everyone perceived the Hero as a ruthless murderer.

But it didn’t seem like many people viewed him favorably either. The negative perception had intensified because the Hero had seized all power.

It was said that many nobles were terrified because of the Hero’s cruelty, though they couldn’t voice it openly. At least this old woman seemed to feel some complexity about the situation.

It was an inevitably deflating moment for the Saintess who had actively supported the Hero. Hannah fidgeted with her fingers before finally turning away.

Though she felt a momentary surge of emotion, there was no need to argue with a devout believer.

‘I should just avoid this.’

She moved to a small prayer room inside the church—a place typically used by ordinary priests for meditation.

Though she could go back to her quarters and sprawl out in bed since it was still dawn, she was too troubled to do so.

Until now, she had been too busy adapting to this strange world to have time for anguish, but after vanquishing the Demon Lord, her worries seemed to deepen.

Though it hadn’t been a long time, she had truly tried her best—in the Demonic Land, she had cast holy spells hundreds of times without sleep, narrowly escaped death several times, and had always lived in a state of tension trying to be helpful in her own way…

And the current situation was the result.

Of course, she knew she shouldn’t complain. She also knew she was receiving treatment beyond her station.

That was also why she hadn’t responded to the Goddess’s revelation that “if you come to the sanctuary, you will be able to reach me,” which she had received recently. The Saintess understood that this revelation meant “return.”

‘I can’t go back. It would be hell if I did.’

But having people bow their heads and call her “Saintess, Saintess” didn’t automatically fill her with happiness.

To be honest, she often felt frustrated. Being a Saintess wasn’t a position where one could whine about difficulties.

Though meditating in the prayer room wouldn’t suddenly improve her mood, there wasn’t much else she could do anyway.

“Saintess. What brings you here so early?”

There was already someone in the prayer room.

It was Edin, an elderly ordinary priest dressed in white priestly garments. Judging by his packed belongings, he seemed to be preparing to leave for somewhere.

“Elder Priest? Are you departing?”

“I can’t stay in the imperial capital forever. It will take at least two to three years to establish affiliated schools for each diocese and church. I’m personally going to recruit retired holy knights and monks as teachers…”

“……”

“Saintess?”

“Ah, yes. Is this also a request from the Hero?”

“Of course. Not only should we appreciate the very idea of providing educational opportunities to commoners living in the provinces, but it will also help the church’s continued existence. I may sound materialistic saying this, but even priests can’t live on turnip soup alone.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

“It’s truly a blessing. The Hero has saved the Papal State.”

Elder Priest Edin’s wrinkled face was filled with satisfaction.

He seemed delighted just thinking about the affiliated schools that would be established throughout the Empire using lottery funds. It also meant that while faith in the Goddess had weakened, love for the clergy and church organization remained strong.

Hannah had considered seeking counsel from the elder priest since they had met, but seeing his pleased expression, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“Saintess? Do you have something to tell me?”

“No. I should be diligently helping you… Should I pack my bags now?”

“Ho ho. There’s no need for that.”

The elder priest kindly reassured her, saying, “You, Saintess, should rest comfortably.” Along with the words that there would be no more crises.

…Yes. It seemed better not to say anything.

“Yes. Take care, Elder Priest.”

The Saintess smiled as she parted ways with the elder priest.

Afterward, she remained alone in the empty prayer room for a while, enjoying a peaceful time.

It was the first time since becoming a Saintess that she felt a fleeting sense of loneliness. This wasn’t simply because she didn’t have a smartphone or computer.

Fortunately, as soon as day broke, she received a request from the Hero to meet.

A request from almost the only person she could truly talk to. The Saintess rose slowly, thinking she could somehow get through another day.

***

“Saintess. We need to increase agricultural productivity now.”

These were the words that came out of my mouth as soon as the Saintess arrived at my office.

At first glance, it might have seemed like an abrupt question. After all, the Saintess wasn’t a farmer.

However, I called her because I remembered what she had said when she was first summoned and introduced herself. She said that despite having to work constantly during her exam preparation period because of her gambling-addicted father, she still managed to succeed in getting “in-Seoul.”

I knew that term referred to a standard for ranking schools.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason I called her. Another important reason was something she had muttered to herself while looking at clover planted in harvested fields during our journey to the border.

– …Clover? Ah, root nodule bacteria.

I didn’t know what root nodule bacteria was. But it suggested she knew something about agriculture.

As someone who needed to boost the Empire’s productivity, I had no choice but to rely on the Saintess. Perhaps a single word from her mouth could be an important hint.

To this question, the Saintess smiled bitterly as if she understood, and began to contemplate something.

After some time had passed, the Saintess cautiously began, “Well, I did choose chemistry…”

“Um, Hero. Why do you plant things like clover in fields?”

“To provide fodder for livestock during fallow periods… Oh, and planting clover prevents other weeds from growing.”

“That’s not all. Planting legumes maintains soil fertility. It’s because of the root nodule bacteria. How should I put it… anyway, they provide essential nutrients to the soil. But if you want to dramatically increase productivity, that alone won’t be enough.”

“Yes. That’s why I asked you.”

I listened carefully, not wanting to miss a single word from the Saintess’s mouth.

Words like Humboldt, phosphate rock. And her lament that while she remembered the ammonia synthesis method, she had no idea how to apply it in reality.

‘I wasn’t wrong to call her.’

I even felt a glimmer of hope.

This was no exaggeration. I knew from experience how important soil fertility was for farming.

If we could farm without worrying about land degradation or needing to create fallow fields, it would be an enormous help in achieving my goals.

I looked at the Saintess with a rare smile.

“Saintess.”

“I’m sorry I can’t explain more specifically.”

“No. Just providing direction is enough.”

If I selected reliable mages and had them share the Saintess’s knowledge, we might find answers faster than expected. I had originally planned to ask the Saintess for help with “education” anyway.

Above all, phosphate rock seemed like something we could obtain and use relatively easily. I raised my head to thank the Saintess, but…

For some reason, the Saintess’s expression wasn’t very good.

I stared at the Saintess’s face, covered with a white veil.

Cute features reminiscent of small animals like rabbits or squirrels. At first glance she seemed fragile, but she had adapted to the Empire at an incredibly fast pace.

Normally, I would have just checked her condition and moved on, but today was different. Why was Gang Hannah, who I thought had adapted so resiliently, acting like this?

‘This is…’

After thinking for a moment, I could guess.

I could roughly understand why Gang Hannah was looking down and why she sighed softly while explaining about nitrogen.

It seemed that Gang Hannah was tired from the journey so far.

Seeing her like this in front of me—the only person with whom she didn’t have to be careful about her words and actions—I could tell how severe the Saintess’s fatigue was.

And it wasn’t just fatigue; she had likely begun to worry about the days ahead of her.

‘Well, it would be stranger if she had no concerns.’

Throughout history, Saintesses had typically led very conventional lives after vanquishing the Demon Lord.

The previous Saintess was a good example. She fulfilled several official duties each year, solemnly performed services, and passed away in her late forties. While many mourned her, she had led an extremely modest life.

However, I doubted whether Gang Hannah, who came from another world, would be satisfied with such a pious life.

And even if Gang Hannah herself wanted to live quietly, circumstances wouldn’t allow it. She had already participated in what I had done.

Regardless of her own wishes, she would inevitably serve as a bridge between the Papal State and me. She would also continue to help with my work.

‘Come to think of it, I did make her do some terrible things.’

Of course, I was the type to compensate people according to their contributions. All the Hero’s party members were set to secure positions, and they were already enjoying material benefits.

But that kind of repayment didn’t work for everyone.

Ember (who was still carrying out tasks I had requested) was like that, wanting something other than power, and so was the Saintess who had agreed to be summoned to escape. It seemed I needed to think about their lives now, not just about rebuilding the nation.

Because if I postponed this consideration, it might be too late.