Chapter 113: The Saint’s Tease

Heavenly Casting Festival.

A public prayer ceremony to the Goddess Serena that takes place only once a year.

In fact, to put it bluntly, it’s just a prayer ceremony, but excluding a few events in the middle, it’s mostly a festival that everyone enjoys.

The opening ceremony is where I, as the warrior of the Goddess, and Mariel, as the spokesperson, declare the start of the Heavenly Casting Festival to the Goddess.

Whatever the endeavor, the beginning is what is important. As such, it’s not at all strange that Mariel, standing next to me right now, is nervous before the opening ceremony.

It’s been several years since she began to be revered and respected as a saint, but this was the first time she had stood before so many people.

Moreover, this Heavenly Casting Festival is the first one in a long time to have both a Hero and a Saint in attendance since the time when the previous generation’s Hero appeared.

Rather, from the perspective of an ordinary student, it would be more strange for me to be standing here calmly.

“…Walk straight and stop in front of the Goddess statue, and then the next line is….”

Turning my head at the sound coming from right next to me, I saw Mariel, her head lowered, muttering to herself in a small voice, as if she was running a simulation in her head.

It’s hard to imagine if you know Mariel’s usual lively, confident, and sociable personality.

Tension isn’t always a bad thing, but there’s no need to be nervous even at a place like this.

So what should I do to relieve Mariel’s tension?

What’s needed in this situation isn’t a sedative-like drug or magic that stabilizes the mind and body.

Squeeze.

It’s enough to simply let her know that I’m by her side, that she’s not alone.

When I gently squeezed her hand, which was trembling slightly, she startled and flinched, then looked at me.

I raised our clasped hands to eye level, showing Mariel, who was staring at me with wide eyes.

Mariel’s gaze turned to our hands for a moment, then met my eyes again.

When I gave her a light eye smile, she blinked a couple of times and then showed me an even brighter smile than before.

The slight trembling that I felt beyond the hand I was holding began to subside slowly.

That’s right. It doesn’t take anything grand to relieve a person’s tension.

People can overcome tension as much as they want with just small things like familiarity that brightens the unknown strangeness, a warm word that melts the hardened mind and body, and the comfort that I’m with you.

At least, that’s what I learned. I remember getting help like this often in the past when I was overly nervous in front of the executives of the Demon King’s army.

I tried to tell a joke to Mariel, who was smiling brightly.

“Why don’t you just make a mistake on purpose? I think the Saint’s popularity would increase even more.”

Jokes and pranks are also a great help in relieving tension, but there was no particular reason to tell a joke to Mariel, who no longer seemed to have any tension.

There was only the pure purpose of wanting to joke around.

Mariel, having enough余裕 to accept my joke, slightly raised the corner of her mouth towards me and opened her mouth.

“Hmm? If the Hero says so…. Be prepared? I’ll see how perceptive our Hero is.”

I should have stopped when I saw that the tension was gone, but I stepped further and ended up pressing Mariel’s switch.

I’m a little worried, but Mariel wouldn’t want to ruin the opening ceremony, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“It’s time! Please start, you two!”

In accordance with the staff’s signal, Mariel and I slowly, with reverence and with the joy of enjoying this moment, began to walk.

I was holding the Holy Sword at my waist, and Mariel was holding the sacred object of the Order, the Sacred Flame, in one hand, and walked slowly.

It was still dark around us as it was dawn just before sunrise.

That’s why the lights, lit with magic, illuminated me and Mariel.

But the more we walked, the more the lights gradually faded, and instead, the sunlight that had begun to rise in the distance began to light our way.

We walked step by step, climbed up a few steps, and finally arrived in front of the Goddess Serena statue in the center.

Other Goddess statues all had various poses, but only expressed the Goddess Serena’s benevolent appearance, but this Goddess statue had a slightly different appearance.

One hand held a sword of the same shape as the Holy Sword hanging at my waist, and the other hand held a Sacred Flame of the same shape as the one held in Mariel’s hand.

When I drew the Holy Sword from my waist and drew out its power, the Holy Sword began to emit a particularly bright light even in the red-burning morning glow.

When the Holy Sword, filled with bright light, touched the sword held in the Goddess Serena statue’s hand, the light of the Holy Sword moved to the Goddess statue.

And then, Mariel also used the flame of the Sacred Flame in her hand to light the Sacred Flame held in the other hand of the Goddess Serena statue, which had no fire.

The flame of the Sacred Flame, which had flared up fiercely for a moment, quickly subsided into a calm flame.

“Blessings to the Hero who drives out the darkness of the continent.”

“Blessings to the Saint who illuminates the continent.”

I and Mariel, each holding the symbols of the Order in our hands, exchanged words of blessing while facing each other.

Originally, we should have moved on to the next step from here, but unlike the rehearsal, Mariel stood still and slowly held out one hand, the back of her hand not holding the Sacred Flame, towards me.

I can feel the surrounding staff members panicking at her sudden behavior.

Of course, the crowd doesn’t know that Mariel’s actions weren’t discussed in advance.

But if I hesitate even a little here, everyone will quickly notice.

Mariel, looking at me, slightly raised one corner of her mouth just enough that others wouldn’t notice.

As if responding to her smile, I also smiled back at her in the same way and knelt down on one knee.

I gently took Mariel’s hand in front of me, lightly kissed the back of her hand, and wished a blessing for the Saint.

Mariel’s hand, where my lips had touched, went down for a moment, and then soon came up again and gently cupped my cheek.

And then, her lips, bending down and approaching me, kissed my forehead lightly, giving a blessing to the Hero.

Mariel’s lips, which had touched my forehead, whispered in a small voice so that others couldn’t hear.

“Good sense, Hero.”

Thank goodness I was the perceptive one, otherwise it would have led to an accident during the event.

The morning sun, which had been hanging on the edge of the world, had already risen completely, spreading blue paint on a red canvas.

Getting up from my seat, I and Mariel turned to the crowd and spoke in a loud voice.

Of course, the people far away wouldn’t be able to hear, but the sound team magician would take care of that part.

“The Goddess’s sword will never break, so cut down everything that stands in your way.”

“The Goddess’s touch will never refuse, so embrace everything that troubles you instead.”

The words of blessing soon become a declaration conveyed to everyone participating in the festival, and further, to everyone on the continent.

This is a prayer to the Goddess Serena, and a declaration to the Demon King and demons who are trying to stain the world with darkness.

So all you lambs who hear this prayer, do not tremble in fear. The Goddess Serena is always with you.

So all you children of the devil who hear this prayer, tremble in terror. The Goddess Serena’s sword is always aimed at your neck.

“Therefore, may there be peace on the Beltren Continent.”

With the final declaration, the Heavenly Casting Festival finally begins.

A crazy cheer erupted from the crowd, who had been maintaining silence even in the bustling atmosphere.

I don’t know where they got so much energy from in the morning, but everyone is in a festive mood.

Even if there isn’t an outright invasion yet, everyone was probably unknowingly feeling anxious about the Demon King’s resurrection.

That anxiety has been relieved to some extent by this Heavenly Casting Festival, by the Hero and the Saint, so they’re showing such bright appearances.

“Well, then, shall we go without making any mistakes until the end?”

Mariel held out her hand, the hand that had kissed me.

Holding her hand, I slowly walked back the way we had come.

“By the way, do you have any plans after the opening ceremony, Hero?”

Mariel spoke in a small voice that only I could hear, still facing the direction we were walking.

“Um…. My friend is busy with the competition from tomorrow, so we decided to hang out together today.”

In the distance we were walking, I could see Anne, waving her hand greatly towards us and hopping up and down.

Anyway, she’s the shortest, but every one of her actions is the most noticeable.

“Ugh…. Then what about tomorrow?”

“I have plans with another friend tomorrow.”

And Yuri, standing next to Anne.

Yuri, unlike Anne, had a modest appearance like her personality, waving her hand and smiling.

“Th-then what about the day after that?”

“Ah…. I have plans with another friend then too….”

Turning my gaze next to Yuri, Celian was standing next to her as well.

I could feel that she and I had made eye contact at the same time that I turned my gaze.

But for some reason, Celian’s eyes and lips were pouting with dissatisfaction.

I thought I had shown a good image as a Hero during the opening ceremony, but from Celian’s perspective, who is more knowledgeable about the Hero than I am, I wonder if I seemed a little lacking?

I should ask her separately when I hang out with her later.

“…Don’t tell me the next day too…?”

“…Yes.”

The same answer to the same question for the umpteenth time.

I’m just answering the question, but why do I feel guilty?

But what can I do since it’s all true? I actually promised to hang out with our cute boss on the fourth day.

“…Our Hero is very popular, so you must be very happy? Right?”

Mariel’s words, which started with a resigned voice and ended with a sneering voice, pricked my conscience.

I don’t know why my conscience is pricked, but it’s best to put out the urgent fire first.

“Th-the next day! The day after that is free! Would you like to hang out together?”

Of course, the plans are actually free, but that’s why I was originally planning to hang out with my friends.

But if it’s just for one day, wouldn’t my friends understand?

The exchange between the Hero and the Saint is also important.

“Our Hero is a woman with many sins.”

We walked back all the way we had come, and finally returned to the staff room, slipping through the crowd we had stepped away from.

As soon as other people’s gazes were blocked, Mariel had returned from the benevolent Saint’s appearance to her original lively appearance.

“What! That’s because that lack of perceptiveness is one of our Hero’s charms!”

Lack of perceptiveness? Who? Me, who cleverly snapped back at Mariel’s joke earlier?

That’s something I can’t agree with at all.

“Okay, okay. I saw earlier that your friends seemed to be waiting for you, so go quickly. I’ll be happily waiting for my turn.”

But Mariel didn’t give me a chance to make excuses and pushed me out, shoving me along.”

“Then, Hero. I hope you have a pleasant Heavenly Casting Festival.”

“I hope you have a pleasant Heavenly Casting Festival too, Saint. I’ll come find you on the promised day.”

“Hehe…. Suddenly, I feel like a princess waiting for the Hero to come save me? Still, don’t make me wait too long?”

I waved my hand lightly at Mariel, who was joking, and headed to the place where my friends were waiting.