Chapter 22. Prayer and Salvation (6)

I received a report on the knights’ condition from Verena, a knight of the Inquisition. It was a report that they were all fully prepared. The knights had eyes shining as if they could attack the holy war at any moment.

“……Just please don’t throw your lives away because of that.”

I replied like that.

“Yes!”

A response that seemed to shake the ground echoed back.

I also visited the camp where the soldiers were staying.

There were plenty of artillery shells created through the cooperation of gnomes and other races. Shells and weapons mixed with holy power and magic power, designed solely to eliminate demons.

Since electronic devices stopped working in the magic-powered wind and rain, there were also many weapons that could be operated manually.

Concrete walls were being installed around the Gate and the royal palace, not exactly a castle wall… and watchtowers that could be climbed were also being installed.

…It felt strange to see the army, which could handle modern warfare equipment, preparing such walls.

“Saintess.”

While touring the troops, an officer accompanying me called me that.

Even if I denied it now, people already saw me as such a being, so I didn’t argue and just looked back at him.

“Although not as much as the knights of the church, many of the soldiers have deep faith. Perhaps, on the weekend…”

I glanced at Lia, who was accompanying me.

Lia had hidden her emotions beneath her expression. She seemed to think that intervening at this moment would be more of a hindrance.

Looking at Verena, she was just waiting calmly, as if it didn’t matter what answer I gave.

“……Yes, I will. I will participate in the worship.”

The officer, who seemed quite high-ranking, brightened at my words.

In fact, I had been tipped off. So it wasn’t a sudden proposal, just a confirmation once more.

After all, the people here were all here because of me.

I could certainly offer that much prayer.

I could see soldiers watching me from afar.

When I waved lightly, a small cheer erupted.

I looked at Lia.

Lia pouted her lips slightly. Was she feeling something akin to jealousy even for this small gesture?

Feeling a tickle in my heart for no reason, I smiled and looked forward again.

*

A few days after melting back into a slightly busier daily life.

I ran into Yuri after a long time.

It’s not that I hadn’t seen her since returning here. It’s just that we hadn’t had a long conversation.

No official conversation had taken place, but I was implicitly treated as a high-ranking person.

Even the Pope had sent me a letter. While I was here, I was the highest-ranking person among the church figures.

It was probably the Pope’s consideration that I wasn’t a ‘high’ rank at that moment.

Thanks to that, I was invited to various events, but I didn’t have to get involved in the actual planning of military operations.

When I politely refused with various excuses, the people who came to summon me usually returned dejectedly.

Power without responsibility. I quite liked this aspect. Of course, I wanted to shed this as soon as possible.

“Ah, um, Anna.”

Yuri’s voice calling me was cautious.

“Yuri?”

As I tilted my head and replied to that cautious voice, Yuri looked around and said.

“Ah, um, well, if you’re busy, it’s okay.”

Even though I hadn’t said anything, Yuri preemptively cut me off.

“……No, I’m not particularly busy.”

After all, I had finished all my tasks.

Now, I just have to wait for things to ‘arise.’

I was still sensing some subtle signs that others couldn’t feel.

“Really?”

Yuri blinked.

We stared at each other for a while. So much so that the knights around me looked a little flustered.

Lia looked like she was contemplating whether to interfere or not. She doesn’t interrupt my words during official duties, but we are friends.

“Ah, um, actually, I didn’t have any particular business. I just saw you and called out to you…”

Yuri chuckled awkwardly, scratching her cheek.

Yuri was always exemplary and diligent, but she sometimes showed such a silly side. That’s why she was actually a better friend.

“Is that so?”

I paused for a moment, then looked back.

“Would it be okay to talk for a moment?”

At my words, Verena bowed her head deeply and stepped back.

All the knights following her also did.

It was almost strange to hear the sound of footsteps simultaneously.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah, yeah.”

At my words, Yuri replied with a dazed expression. Lia, seeing Yuri like that, smiled wryly and followed behind me.

“It feels like… my friend has suddenly risen to a very high position.”

“She was always high up,”

Lia interjected at Yuri’s words.

She’s the one touching that high person’s body without any issue.

However, if I were to bring up that topic here, the atmosphere would become very awkward.

Thinking about a place where people wouldn’t overhear our conversation, we chose a terrace.

When the royal palace was full of nobles, it would have been someone’s room, but now that it was empty, there was no fear of anyone eavesdropping.

Even if they eavesdropped, it wouldn’t be very fruitful. It’s just idle chat between friends.

“So, how are things going with Si-yoon?”

I asked the question I was most curious about.

“……Huh?”

Perhaps because I was completely caught off guard, Yuri let out a silly sound.

“It seems you’ve gotten quite close. Have you decided to date?”

As Gloria became busy, and especially as Dabi started paying attention, Gloria had less time to cling to Si-yoon.

Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for Yuri?

“Th-that’s not true!?”

“If you don’t seize the opportunity when it arises, you might miss it.”

I gave quite serious advice.

“You’re quite popular, aren’t you? Even if it’s not Gloria, there are plenty of people who have their eyes on him. In the knight order, if one person were to fall for him…”

“No, that’s not it,”

Lia said, sounding incredulous.

“It would be more like if someone fell for you.”

“……Thinking that all nuns are homosexual is a terribly twisted perspective.”

Of course, within our convent, there are same-sex couples, including us.

I decided to ignore that fact.

“Anyway, they are people armed with faith. They will be much more devout than us.”

Saying that while wearing the whitest armor among the knights I’ve seen wasn’t very convincing.

“Well… anyway. Yes.”

But even with my words, Yuri replied with a thoughtful expression and no further comment.

Lia and I exchanged glances.

“Well, you see,”

Yuri said.

“Given Gloria’s situation, is it right for me to approach Si-yoon?”

“…….”

Hearing Yuri’s words, Lia and I exchanged glances again.

And then we put our hands on our foreheads.

“Yuri, what are you talking about?”

For the first time since coming to this world, I remembered something I had decided.

Yes, I wanted to see Yuri and Si-yoon get together. Because, in the novel, the wicked saintess interfered with the childhood friends’ couple!

And then, enraged by that, I started rambling about how there was no god in the world and was possessed into this world.

-No, rather than that…

Shh, be quiet.

-…….

“Love is something you fight for, isn’t it? If you don’t grab it when it’s within reach, it just leaves?”

It’s not that I’m feeling guilty because Lia and I got together around the same time.

Why, everyone told me to go far away, so I went, right?

Besides, it feels like there’s a strange vibe between Gloria and Dabi.

“…….”

“Why?”

As I looked back at Lia, who was giving me a very lukewarm gaze, I asked.

“Well, I thought that the person who said they’d confess after everything was over because they didn’t know what would happen to their life, and pushed me far away, wouldn’t say that, but I didn’t really want to say it.”

“You said everything!?”

I exclaimed in shock.

“Huh? Confession?”

Yuri said.

“You two were already dating, weren’t you? In front of the Pope… I heard that?”

“No, well, that’s true…”

“That means, you can say you’ve taken a step forward after that,”

Hearing Lia interject and say that, Yuri stood blankly for a moment and then slowly blushed.

Thump.

“Ouch!”

I hit Lia’s armor without realizing it and screamed. My hand throbbed.

“You, you, you, you guys, don’t tell me?”

“No, just wait a moment,”

I said, trying to calm Yuri down.

“If you want to be precise, it’s half a step rather than a full step…”

“The Saintess, with a knight?”

“No, didn’t you think we were dating?”

As I said it, it felt absurd.

Right. If we’re dating, why do I need to be so cautious?

As I puffed out my chest, Yuri muttered with a dazed expression.

“My goodness… Could it be that I’m the one who’s late?”

Wouldn’t you say so?

Pretty girls usually get into relationships quickly, right? If someone said they’d never had a boyfriend by their early twenties, people would usually be surprised.

…….

Well, I don’t really know. This is my first time experiencing this in this life.

“So, Yuri, think about it carefully.”

I said, pressing my advantage.

“Surprisingly, there are quite a few people among the nuns who are more enlightened than us.”

I said, thinking of the beastman nun couple.

And the saintess and knight from another world.

…….

Hmm, is the analogy too extreme?

Well, even so, she seems to have understood a little, so it should be fine.