Episode 90
The Saintess remained stiff and said nothing for a while.
"...Saintess?"
When I finally stepped forward and called her, she startled as if waking from a deep thought and answered.
"Ah. Ni, Nise is..."
"..."
"My twin brother is currently out on an errand, by order of the Pope."
"Aha."
I let out an uninspired exclamation.
'They're quick, at least.'
It hadn't even been two hours since I arrived at the Temple, but it seed they had already beaten him and locked him up sowhere.
I already knew, but seeing the Saintess smiling brightly in front of , even though her own brother was being treated like that, felt a little unsettling.
"I'm a little worried his symptoms might be as severe as yours, Saintess."
"I'll be sure to tell him so he can receive treatnt as soon as he returns."
Even at my words, which were ant as a hint, the Saintess wore a picturesque smile.
"First, could you treat my face right away? Ti is of the essence..."
At her subtle urging, I nodded and took a potion bottle from my pocket.
[Mushroom Allergy Redy (100x Diluted)]
"Please drink this first."
When I handed her the potion, which was diluted so much it was almost clear, the Saintess drank it imdiately without hesitation.
She must have been in a hurry, as she showed no suspicion.
I then took out the next thing I had prepared.
"And this is an ointnt... Would you like to apply it yourself, looking in a mirror?"
[Rash Redy (10x Diluted)]
When I handed her the container of ointnt, the Saintess made a troubled expression for a mont.
"Ah, it seems difficult for to check the affected area thoroughly and apply it myself... Could you help , Shari?"
It was an unexpected request for help.
As I just stared with a sullen expression, the Saintess laughed awkwardly and added.
"We're both won. The priests are mostly n, so..."
Co to think of it, all the mirrors in the Saintess's room had been removed.
It seed she really didn't want to see her own flaw, so I willingly nodded.
'Well, it is because of , after all.'
Seeing the skin, red with the rash, my conscience pricked a little.
I walked over to her, holding the container of ointnt.
"Excuse ."
As I spoke, opening the lid, the Saintess gathered her long hair with her hands so I could apply the dicine easily.
I put on the gloves that block one's presence, which I had used before when giving Kassel the potion, and scooped up a generous amount of dicine, slathering it on her face.
Her face was so small that it was completely covered after just a few strokes.
"Should I apply it below your chin as well?"
The rash was scattered here and there all over her body, not just her face, so I paused my movents and asked.
"Yes, please do."
As expected, the Saintess readily agreed.
She had probably requested help with this in mind from the start. It would be difficult to apply it to the back of her neck by herself.
Around the Saintess's neck was the high-quality scarf I had seen during the procession.
I hesitated for a mont, wondering if it was okay to remove it, when she suddenly raised her hand and pulled the scarf down without reservation.
And at the scar that was revealed, I widened my eyes.
Right in the middle of her pale neck was a rather large, straight scar, about the length of two finger joints.
"...It's a little grotesque, isn't it?"
The Saintess asked carefully, as if gauging my reaction.
I was well aware that in the ga, the presence of this scarf was what distinguished the twins.
But this was the first I'd ever heard of this scar, so I couldn't hide my inner surprise.
"...May I ask how you got that scar?"
I was planning to grill the developers if she didn't tell , but an answer ca back more ekly than expected.
"It's a stigma."
"A stigma...?"
"Yes, that I am God's representative."
I just stood there blankly, not understanding, so she explained with a faint smile.
"In the ancient scriptures, those who were resurrected from death were sotis called God's representatives."
"..."
"This scar is the proof that I died and ca back to life."
It was a setting I had never seen, not even in the community.
It was only natural. It was a scar you could only see by pulling down the scarf.
Unless a user employed a bizarre strategy like mine, there was no way they would know.
I don't believe in God in the first place, so resurrection and all that honestly sounded like bullshit.
But for so reason, my intuition was telling .
That I shouldn't just brush off the Saintess's scar.
"...All done."
I moved my paused hand, finished applying the dicine to the back of her neck, and imdiately pulled away.
"Thank you, Shari."
The Saintess also hurriedly wrapped the scarf around her neck, even before the dicine had fully absorbed.
It didn't seem like a scar she would show to just anyone.
My mind had beco complicated, so I bowed my head and announced my farewell.
"Then I will see you again at this ti tomorrow."
"When you go outside, a priest will be waiting to show you to your lodgings. May the Goddess's blessing be with you."
The Saintess returned the greeting, making the sign of the cross.
I left her room imdiately. As she'd said, a priest was waiting outside the room to guide .
[Novice Priest Semon]
"Apothecary, please follow ."
The priests basically all wore white robes, so their attire was very similar to mine.
'If sothing happens in the future, should I disguise myself as a priest?'
I had been receiving so many threats to my identity lately that I seriously considered it.
Although the NPC-exclusive robe was shabby compared to the high-quality robes the priests wore, I thought it might look similar if I bought white dye and dyed it.
I was walking behind the priest, thinking such thoughts, when he suddenly spoke to .
"The lodgings are a bit far, aren't they? I apologize. This is an area where ordinary people cannot enter, so we usually host guests in the west."
The place where the Saintess's room was located was in the exact opposite direction, the east.
I mostly knew, but I pretended not to and asked.
"Then what kind of people use this area?"
"As you just saw, it's where the Saintess resides, and the Pope and High Priests are... Ah, from here on is the Pope's office, so please be quiet when passing by."
"Sotis, high-ranking people co to visit, so it's best to avoid passing through here in the morning, even if you have business..."
It was just as the priest was whispering the rest of the warning as we passed the Pope's office.
Kkiiik.
Suddenly, the office door opened, and two people walked out.
"Thank you for coming, Your Highness."
"What's with the pleasantries? We'll be seeing each other tomorrow anyway."
A large figure strode out from behind an old man in a white hat, who had a sour expression.
I was about to pass by indifferently, but I stopped, my jaw dropping at the white text I glimpsed.
[21st Pope Chelvinoto]
[Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig]
'Crazy! What the hell is that bastard doing here?!'
The large human who followed the Pope out of the office was none other than the Male Lead.
'I'm fucked. I'm fucked. I'm fucked. I'm fucked.'
Alarm bells were ringing wildly in my head.
I hurriedly turned my head to rush the priest who was guiding .
"Huk. Pope, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
But the damn bastard, his face full of awe, ran right up to the Pope to greet him.
"May the Goddess's blessing be with you. I am Novice Priest Semon."
'That tactless bastard...! What do I do?'
My eyes shaking like an earthquake, I quickly scanned the area for a place to hide.
But there was no place to hide in the damnably wide and long hallway.
I fell into a panic. Kassel's terrifying threat from last ti was ringing in my ears.
"Shari Azrael... I'll kill you. When I wake up, I will kill you, no matter what..."
eting him again in my original form was a problem, but as this Apothecary, not yet.
I absolutely could not run into him.
'This is bad. Just run!'
I had no choice. I decided to ditch the guide and everything and just bolt.
It was just as I had stealthily moved a few steps away from them.
"Hey, you there."
A chilling call echoed from behind .
'Don't look back. He's not calling .'
I suppressed my body, which was flinching on its own, and desperately pretended not to hear.
But I had no choice but to turn around at the next words.
"Where did I put my sword?"
"By any chance, were you calling ?"
"Yes, you."
I snapped around at the chilling mumble about a sword and asked, and the bastard smirked.
Then he tilted his head and beckoned with his finger for to co...
He looked no different from a demon that had climbed up from hell.
"Have we t sowhere before?"
Kassel asked, his voice and eyes full of conviction.
"No. You must be mistaken. I'll be going now."
As if answering him, I, too, retorted with a voice full of conviction.
And I tried to turn around quickly, but the bastard suddenly threw a question at the Pope.
"He obviously doesn't look like a priest. What kind of bastard is he, to be wandering the Temple freely?"
It was obviously to pressure .
Perhaps because of the disrespectful speech of the fledgling Crown Prince, the Pope, with a sour face, pressed the priest who was guiding .
"Priest Semon. Who is this person?"
"Ah! This person is the Apothecary who ca from Berun Village to care for the Saintess."
"Aha. An apothecary..."
Kassel smiled like a ghost, as if he'd found his opening.
"Good. Because of soone, I haven't been able to sleep properly for weeks."
He turned to the Pope and declared confidently.
"I have a headache and would like to be prescribed a Sleep-Inducing Potion. May I borrow the apothecary?"
"Yes, well... I suppose so."
The Pope, who was in a position no different from mine, reluctantly accepted, his face deathly pale.
The bastard finally turned to , his blood-red eyes flashing.
[Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig now holds a strong killing intent toward you.]
Beneath that gaze, I just trembled like a minnow about to be eaten by a predator.
I sensed that the ga was over, right here.
Haha.
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