Volume 2 - CH 10

The half-demolished Great Church of the former Great Saint.

The moment Hirune entered, she decided to live there.

(I have a premonition of a good night’s sleep…..!)

“Somehow, I really liked it.”

“What do you mean you like it?”

“Hirune-sama, this is a little……”

Holly raised her voice while Jeanne looked around.

“It’s a wonderful place.”

It was Wanda who scolded Hirune for saying that.

She turned her sharp eyes and made her gaze stern.

“It’s unacceptable to sleep in a place where rain comes in and you never know when it will collapse. Hirune, until the repairs are finished, you will sleep in the church below.”

“No, I don’t want to. I want to stay here.”

“You’re very important. If the Great Saint decides to live here, I’m afraid that the other priests will be too afraid to sleep in a proper bed. It will be repaired eventually. For now, be patient.”

“I’ll live here no matter what anyone says. I like it here.”

Hirune ran and clung to the large statue of the goddess.

She was like a small cicada.

“I am now one with the Goddess. I  won’t let go.”

The Great Saint pressed her cheeks against the statue, her face caving in.

Wanda and Holly let out a huge sigh.

For once, Jeanne didn’t know what to do and was flustered.

When Archbishop Zigitoria saw Hirune attached to the statue of the Goddess, he took a step forward and reverently hung his head. Then he began to shed tears.

“Archbishop Zigitoria, ……?”

Wanda exclaimed in surprise.

Zigitoria opened his mouth, without worrying about it.

“Great Saint Hirune…..I understand how you feel..….. When I was a child, the Great Saint lived in this great church. ……”

Zigitoria looked up at the half-destroyed chapel.

“It was once a place where stardust danced, where devoted believers gathered, and where holy beasts played. …… It was beautiful and a symbol of happiness…… . Many decades ago, Ixendahl was a city full of laughter.

Zigitoria’s eyes lit up like a little boy’s as if he was remembering the past.

“I have always dreamed that one day the Great Saints would come here ……. Thousands of hours have passed since then,……, and I have had the greatest luck in welcoming the Great Saint to the Southern Church.”

“Zigi-sama…….”

Hirune looked at Zigitoria.

Through his eyes, the Ixendahl of the past came to mind.

(So …… it was a nice city with no danger. ……)

“I am well aware of the wishes of the Great Saint Hirune. I’ll have them bring you what you need.”

“Zigi-sama ……!”

Hirune left the statue of the Goddess and hugged Zigitoria.

“Hirune ……, this is your home from now on.”

“Thank you, Zigi-sama.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure it was the former Great Saint Martine who called you.”

Zigitoria patted Hirune on the back with a plop, slowly moved away, and looked at Jeanne.

“Well, it’s going to be a busy day. Miss maid, what is your name?”

“My name is Jeanne.”

Jeanne straightened her back and answered crisply.

“You’re a very reliable maid. Please tell the head maid about this. I’m sure she’ll be eager to help you prepare.”

“Very well, sir.”

Jeanne bowed then ran off in a flash.

With the blessings of fatigue reduction and quickness, she ran like a gale. Her maid’s uniform fluttered to the side, and she was out of sight in seconds.

“Zigitoria-sama ……, are you sure it’s okay?”

Wanda couldn’t help but ask. She was indeed worried.

Zigitoria nodded with a calm expression, like an Archbishop.

“We have tried many times to repair this great church, but all of our attempts have failed. I’m sure it was waiting for the Saint’s return.”

“Is that so?”

Wanda looked at him, interested.

Hirune and Holly also moved closer.

“The Great Church never collapsed, no matter how much it rained. Instead, as if it did not want to be touched by human hands, when it was repaired, it reverted to its original state before we knew it. …… The current half-demolished state has lasted for forty years now. It’s a famous story in Ixendahl.

“I didn’t know there was such a story. …… Please forgive my ignorance.”

Wanda bowed her head.

If she had known the story from the beginning,  she would have thought differently.

“It’s all right. It’s a story that doesn’t need to be told in the Royal Capital.”

Zigitoria smiled, then bowed.

“Um, ……Zigitoria-sama, Wanda-sama?”

Holly, who had been quiet for a long time, looked up at them as if she was having trouble saying it.

“What is it, Holly?”

“Can I stay here too? I’m worried about leaving her alone, and I’m starting to like this big church.”

Holly said shyly, glancing at Hirune.

“Holly! Let’s do that!”

Hirune was so happy that she hugged Holly tightly.

“Hey,  not in front of the Archbishop…… please stop….”

Holly was seriously embarrassed and tried to wriggle out of Hirune’s hold.

Hirune, who became a clinging insect, pressed her face against Holly’s, determined not to let go.

“We’ll sleep together every day. Right?”

“Saints are supposed to sleep separately. So No, you can’t. Now, get away from me.”

Holly’s light blue hair and Hirune’s blonde hair crossed, and the saint’s dress fluttered.

Wanda sighed and pulled them apart, as if she couldn’t stand to look at them anymore.

“Any more of that and you’ll be cleaning the thousand-hall corridors.’

Hirune and Holly stopped moving and stood upright.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

The Great Saint and Saint apologized immediately.

Cleaning the thousand-hall corridors takes a lot of time, and it’s embarrassing to be seen, and they would prefer to avoid it if possible.

Wanda smiled at her troubled children, and Zigitoria, who had been watching the whole thing, laughed happily.

“Ho ho ho ho” he happily laughed.

For the first time in forty years, the sound of joyful laughter echoed through the Great church.