Chapter 42 – Company

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***

Andreina wore a serious expression.

“She hasn’t come today either.”

The girl, who always shyly entered through the back door around lunchtime, had been missing for three days now.

While it was sometimes the case that venturing deep into the dungeon meant being unable to return for several days, that wasn’t usually the case for the girl. Most people were going back and forth around the 3rd floor, but she was still active on the 1st floor.

Even if something had gone wrong while exploring the dungeon, it would only take a day or two at most. But as the third day arrived, Andreina began to feel uneasy.

“Could she be staying home without eating again?”

The girl had a history of starving herself to death after not eating for days. So Andreina’s anxiety was justified. Someone who had done it once could certainly do it again.

‘I wish I could go see her myself…’

Unfortunately, she couldn’t leave the cathedral while the sun was up. Not because of any physical restriction, but because of Andreina’s own conviction. She had decided to protect the cathedral, at least during the hours when many people were entering and leaving the dungeon.

Of course, even that conviction was wavering due to her concern for the girl. Since she knew where the girl lived anyway, wouldn’t it be okay to just go check on her? Although, if she went, she might end up staying longer than just a short visit.

“Hmm…”

Conviction or concern for the girl? The scale in Andreina’s heart tilted back and forth.

The scale, which had been swaying from side to side, finally tipped completely to one side.

“Lord, forgive me for abandoning my conviction.”

But isn’t this also saving a lamb? After a short prayer of repentance, Andreina stood up.

Of course, she couldn’t just leave without any preparation. Andreina was the administrator of the Novice World and the agent of God.

If it became known that she was favoring someone in particular, it could cause unrest among the people.

She took off the sacred robes she usually wore neatly and changed into clothes that were easier to move in. Then, she put on a robe that had been sleeping in her closet and pulled the hood down deeply.

After tidying up even her long hair, it was clear that no one would recognize her as Andreina unless they saw her up close. Looking at herself in the mirror, Andreina nodded with a determined expression.

Having finished her preparations, Andreina took one last look into the resurrection room to confirm that nothing was happening and left the cathedral through the back door.

Not long after she left, something began to fall and thump in the resurrection room, but Andreina was unaware of this fact.

–

“Huh?”

Hosanna, who had been resting his chin on his hand while gazing out the window with a bored expression, tilted his head as he watched someone walking down the shady street with their hood pulled low.

Although they had hidden their appearance with a robe, they couldn’t escape the eyes of a mage. Watching the aura that wasn’t mana swirling around their body, Hosanna murmured.

“It’s the Saintess.”

There wasn’t a person on the Floating Island who didn’t know the agent of an unknown god, Saintess Andreina.

And the Saintess didn’t come out of the cathedral during the day (nor did she come out at night, of course).

So, the Saintess was secretly leaving the cathedral in broad daylight, completely concealing her appearance?

This smells interesting. Hosanna grinned and jumped out the window.

Since his office was on the top floor of U.P, the height was considerable, but Hosanna didn’t hesitate.

Even if he made a mistake, he would just be resurrected at the cathedral and it would be over, but he was confident that he wouldn’t get hurt from the fall.

“Set-“

Shoot. As he muttered briefly, a strong wind blew from below and pushed his body.

Thanks to that, his body, which had been about to hit the ground, rotated halfway and he was able to stand on his feet.

Brushing the dust off his clothes with a light gesture, Hosanna turned his head.

“Well then, shall we go and follow her?”

Playful amber eyes chased after the receding robe.

–

Unaware that Hosanna was following her, Andreina hurried towards the girl’s house.

‘I should just check on her condition and take her straight to the cathedral.’

Her concern for the girl had grown greater than her conviction, but a corner of her heart remained uneasy, perhaps because she had lived her whole life faithfully according to her beliefs.

It felt like she had to return to the cathedral right away. Of course, even in the midst of that, she was steadily entering the southern district.

‘Go straight for three blocks from here, then left, was it?’

Come to think of it, the first time she had visited the girl’s house was not long after people had been summoned.

As soon as she was summoned, the girl had looked around and immediately turned pale, fleeing to the southern district, and Andreina had come here to find her.

Since the girl had disappeared without hearing the explanation she needed to hear, Andreina, who had a duty to explain, had no choice.

She had soothed the girl, who was sobbing in an alley, finished the explanation, and guided her to the house she was now living in.

‘If I had known that we would become so deeply connected, I wouldn’t have done that.’

Looking back now, she shouldn’t have guided her to her house, but taken her in herself.

Andreina hated her past self, who had carelessly thought that she was just someone from another world who would eventually leave anyway.

‘By the way, is this the right way…?’

It was a little confusing, perhaps because it was her first time coming here since then. She was sure she knew exactly where the girl’s house was when she had told Yuika.

Andreina was standing at an intersection, thinking about that, when it happened.

“If you’re going to Mari’s house, it’s this way, Saintess.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Andreina, who had absentmindedly replied to the voice from behind, immediately hardened her face and turned her head.

There stood a blond boy with a playful smile.

“You are…”

“Call me Hosanna. Though I’m sure the Saintess knows that.”

“Yes, I know. You are the director of U.P.”

Just as people knew Andreina’s name, Andreina also knew Hosanna’s name.

But that wasn’t the important thing. The question was, why was he here, and how did he know that she was heading to Mari’s house?

As Andreina sent him a wary gaze, Hosanna raised both hands and said.

“You don’t have to be so wary. I didn’t come to follow you to do anything to the Saintess. Besides, I don’t have the ability to do so.”

This wasn’t just anyone, but the Saintess, who was called the incarnation of God in a world where God actually existed.

No matter how much Hosanna flew and crawled, he was ultimately just a human, and he wasn’t crazy enough to try to oppose God.

And Andreina didn’t think that anyone would dare to harm her. At Hosanna’s words, Andreina narrowed her brows and continued.

“That’s not why I’m wary. I just didn’t think that the director of U.P would be so insidious as to follow someone else.”

“Insidious, that’s a bit harsh.”

Of course, there was nothing to refute. He had actually been secretly following her.

As Hosanna grumbled, Andreina sighed and said.

“But how did you know it was me? I clearly hid my appearance with a robe.”

“It’s thanks to a skill called Mage’s Eye. It has no effect on people without mana, but it shows a faint blue light swirling around people with mana.”

“Neither applies to me. I possess divine power, not mana.”

“That’s how I can tell you’re the Saintess. It’s still rising like a white haze.”

He didn’t know why Mage’s Eye, which only detects mana, could also detect divine power.

As Hosanna grinned, Andreina exhaled and continued.

“How did you know I was looking for Mari’s house?”

“Yuika told me. She said that the Saintess and Mari were so close that she was jealous.”

Hosanna chuckled as he recalled Yuika, who had been whining about wanting to sleep together and have a pajama party.

“And there aren’t many people living in the southern district, right? And the direction you were going was Mari’s house, so anyone who knew the situation would have a hard time not knowing.”

“…That’s not entirely unconvincing.”

“Well, you were actually going to Mari’s house, weren’t you?”

At Hosanna’s words, which drove the wedge in, Andreina finally sighed and nodded.

“Yes, as Hosanna said. I was on my way to Mari’s house.”

“That’s good. I was wondering what the kid has been up to these days.”

It had been more than a week since the last time they had met. There had been enough time for her to have made some progress, so his curiosity had been piqued.

“Since I’ve come this far, I should stop by.”

“You too, Hosanna…”

Andreina muttered in a displeased voice. Her original plan had been to bring Mari to the cathedral and spend some quality time together, but if Hosanna joined, there was a high possibility that she wouldn’t be able to do so.

But she couldn’t just kick someone out who wanted to come along when she wasn’t even the person involved.

Reluctantly, Andreina nodded.

“Then let’s go together.”

“Since the Saintess seems to be getting lost, I’ll escort you.”

“Ah, yes.”

He was a boy of a similar age to Mari, but unlike Mari, he didn’t seem cute at all.

Rather, he had a sly side, so Andreina followed Hosanna with a slightly bored expression.

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