ETL – Chapter 11
“I will be sorry if I don’t say anything in this situation so I’ll only say one thing.”
As I rotated my wrist, my muscles were tense and painful. I slightly shook my head as a result.
“Do you find the saintess that amusing?”
Did they believe that the saintess is always nice, friendly, and just embraces her surroundings?
“If so, the temple may just have to stop dealing with the easier demons.”
“Saintess!”
“This doesn’t make sense!!”
I was the head of the temple. I was able to hear God’s voice. I led the peace and well-being of the Empire. God didn’t care how I used my power.
The nobles broke their silence and started chattering amongst themselves. A few hundred people were working daily, being sent around the territory and catching demons.
Unless it was a human eating demon, the nobles have the capability to take care of the situation. However it was too bothersome to deal with it themselves so they let the temple do it.
I had no intentions in changing my mind. The temple appeared too easy, it was time to change that image.
I saw and felt it from the actions of Duke Cassan and realized it as well from the other nobles. If it continues like this then the temple will continue to be ignored.
“Stop.”
I hope that speaking boldly and concisely would make them be quiet. Unless of course the wound on my arm interfered with my hearing.
“There was poison on the chandelier,” I said in a calm and serious voice. The statement echoed throughout the hall. I don’t think the hall has ever been this quiet.
“If you look closely at the chandelier, it looks like it has been magically cut off.”
I leaned my head back slightly and exhaled. I think it’s easy to figure out who the culprit might be.
“Are you going to say that this was not intentional?”
I glanced at the princess, she was crying as she looked at me with surprise.
I calmed my heart down which had been racing the entire time. I opened my mouth again to speak, “If you want the support of the temple, then catch the culprit.”
“But the demons…”
“I believe the knights can handle what the average priest can handle.” I turned towards the nobleman who had spoken and smiled at him. “You know that you can use a sword and then burn it.”
Of course that was the case for weaker demons. Stronger demons can only be destroyed with divine power. Higher ranking demons rarely appear though.
“I will not reject any requests for demons that can only be destroyed through divine power.”
My gaze reached the princess. Reneben was still holding onto my arm, acting like a difficult puppy. Because of him, I was trying to leave quicker.
“Saintess! That’s too much!”
“Marquis Mithra.”
Because someone was trying to delay my exit, I wrinkled my forehead.
“I just told you how to do it yourself. As saintess, this is my proclamation…”
I laughed out loud for no reason.
If I did not take care of the situation like this, it would be hard to change their attitudes.
“Should I help someone that might have hurt me?”
I was only still in this position because I was able to save many people as a saintess. I was able to leave at any time though.
“This is a challenge to the priesthood. Consider this my punishment to you.”
I took a step and turned away from the people who hurt my arm and my head. While walking slowly out, I saw a man with silver hair. In response, I narrowed my eyes and pressed my temple firmly.
*********
When I arrived at the temple, the maids brought me my clothes as usual.
“Miss Emilone, your wound…”
“Don’t worry about it. Just bring me the medicination, you don’t have to do anything else.”
The maids were fidgety but my will was firm. It wasn’t because I enjoyed solitude but I wanted to be alone right now.
The dirty clothes cannot be saved. I had to throw away the fancy priest outfit with regret. I took off the trinkets and set it aside. The maids would have just thrown away everything.
After diligently removing all the jewels by hand, I placed them into a transparent vase. When I took the flowers out of the vase, the scent was fragrant and familiar.
“It looks like a hydrangea but smells like a rose.”
I put the flowers down next to the vase and went to the bathroom.
I frowned at the thought of the upcoming pain as I cleaned the wound with lukewarm water. I would complain about the pain from a papercut so there’s no way that this won’t hurt.
“This is annoying…” I complained xxx seq red to the God that sent me here.
When all the hardened blood was cleaned off, the wound was revealed. It was disgusting that I turned my head.
I was just going to apply medication and then wrap it with bandages.
“Reneben’s not coming…”
Reneben followed me in case of emergencies. Technically, he was my escort.
Since he was a high priest, everybody thought he could protect me in situations like today. The reality was the opposite.
Today, I saved Reneben. If I did not save him, it would have been him alone under the chandelier and I would have been safe without any injuries.
I applied the medication over the wound. Since the blood infection or wound did not get any worse, the medication should be enough.
“It should heal within 3 to 4 days.”
Thankfully my natural healing is faster than the average person. I closed the lid of the medication after I was finished.
A saintess was attacked… will the entire Empire be up in arms by tomorrow morning?
I was a saintess here since the Empire held great power. However I could decide whether I work here or somewhere else.
It was something that I did not know very well… the saintess was not only the head of the temples in the Empire, but the temples all over the world.
“At this point, it’s ridiculous.”
I was too tired to wash up right now but I had to do it since there was blood all over me.
“The temple will no longer be ignored.”
Who could have imagined it? That a saintess who is the image of world peace would go and protest this strongly.
“It’s not strange to be ignored…”
It might be funny not to be ignored. The temple always just smiled along and took care of everything.
I was the owner of the temple and I was going to change it as long as I am here.
I couldn’t sleep so I played with the blanket with my feet. I always liked my bed, which was soft and smelled like the sun.
Knock, knock, knock
“Miss Emilone, it’s Reneben. I need to talk to you for a moment…”
Reneben? I got up and opened the door, and stood with a confused expression. He seemed to be hiding his expression but you can’t fool the former actress.
As it was a time when people went to sleep, the temple was covered in darkness. Because there’s only a few people around, there was a heavy silence in the air.
I took Reneben to the drawing room as I wondered what he wanted to say.
There are people who believe it’s their natural duty to save others because of their powers.
“Reneben, stop.”
The feelings Reneben had were guilt.
“Why do you think so?”
I took out a round candy and put it in my mouth. The sweet white powder covered the insides of my mouth.
“…”
“I can’t say.”
I smiled and buried myself onto the sofa. Reneben shivered again.
“Do you think it’s right if Reneben sacrificed 49 people to save 50 people?”
There was only a 1 person difference between the 2 sides.
“I think with less victims… it’s right…”
I got up and picked up another candy from the table. This one I placed near his mouth. I urged him to eat it. He opened his mouth in embarrassment and I put it in his mouth. I grabbed another for myself.
As I was older, I saw Reneben like a younger brother so I wanted to talk some more. Otherwise, Reneben would feel uneasy all night long.
It was uncomfortable to sit back onto the sofa. Reneben was just sitting on the table.
I put the candy jar back down on the table and glanced at him up and down.
“Do you know what, Reneben?”
“…?”
I thought about what I was going to say as I rolled the candy in my mouth and exhaled. Even as a stranger here, I knew how deeply rooted this society was.