Vol 5 (Before) - Chapter 14

“Really, zoning out too much, aren’t we?”

Mari still drew closer despite sounding like she’s about to walk a little distance away from me.

“Were you even listening to me? The Filth appeared again yesterday, you know? It’s two consecutive days, you know? “

“The priests were also running all around suspecting everyone while spouting things like “find the source!’, and we don’t even know when we’ll be attacked.”

Sofie leaned on me from my other side.

I was sandwiched between the two of them, earning the three of us dubious stares from those around.

“We can’t afford to be carefree in this situation. Do you understand?”

“I do, but…”

I shrugged uncomfortably, but my gaze wandered.

Of course I knew how dire the situation was.

The fact that the Filth appeared consecutively day after day was already not only the Shrine’s problem, but it could potentially pose a crisis for the entire kingdom.

I may be just a stand-in, but even so, a saintess is still a saintess.

There’s no telling when or where I might encounter the Filth given that I’m residing in the Shrine.

There’s no way I won’t be scared, and I do hope that it’ll be resolved quickly, but —

“…There’s also that, but isn’t there something else we have to worry about?”

That is that, and this is this.

The Shrine’s Filth is a major problem, yes, but meeting Kami-sama from here on is also also a serious dilemma.

“Huh?”

“Haa?”

…But these two won’t understand how I feel.

The two voices that rang simultaneously in my ears oozed with coldness, quickly taking me out of my stupor.

“HA! What a fortunate gal! Must be nice, being a Saintess who can meet with her deity!”

“No need to fret about the Filth because Kami-sama is there! You can be as carefree as you want!”

Hng, hngggggggg….!!

“I-I’m seriously worried, you know!?”

I clenched my fists, unable to take their stabbing stares anymore.

I wasn’t being carefree. It’s a big deal for me!

“Put yourself in my shoes, and I bet —”

Kami-sama’s appearance suddenly turned into that of a human, and those meaningful remarks…I bet they’d understand if they were to experience that —

Was what I wanted to say, but I was unable to voice that out.

I swallowed the words I wanted to say and gritted my molars instead.

My lips turned down crookedly into an unsightly grimace as I averted my eyes from the two of them.

‘There’s no way I can say that.’

‘Put yourselves in my shoes’ — was what I spouted, but it’s actually the opposite.

If I were to put myself in their situation, then I’ll be the one who’d understand it right away.

It doesn’t matter what sort of appearance their deities have. They wouldn’t mind even if they were to utter words meaningfully.

No matter how they looked like, it was already enough that they’d be by the two girl’s side.

Being able to see their faces and to converse with them was already an enviable luxury.

From their point of view, I’m a ‘fortunate gal’ indeed.

For the two of them who had never even seen their deities, so my worries were already an extravagance, and it would definitely sound as boasting, no matter how I phrase it.

‘If only Liddy was here…’

Would it have been easier to talk to her about this?

Would I be able to be frank with her without any hesitation?

Lydianne might be ignorant about a lot of things, so even if we discussed the situation, nothing might come out of it — but even so…

Would we be able to worry about it without any reservations?

“…Eleanor.”

Mari sighed beside me as I held my tongue.

She probably saw right through me based on my expression.

Her frustration earlier seemed to have abated a bit, and now she’s looking at me with a hint of exasperation.

“You have to make up with Lydianne for goodness sake.”

“Who wants to make up with Liddy!?

“Nothing will come out of it if you keep on being stubborn like that. Both of us don’t want to listen to your lovey-dovey stories, and only that girl can keep up with you for those sort of conversations.”

Sofie shrugged from opposite Mari.

I bit my lip from the mood that had a different kind of uncomfortable than earlier.

‘Making up or whatever, aren’t Amalda and Liddy are already sticking to each other like glue!’

Lydianne already has someone she can get along with even if I’m not here.

Besides, their ranking among the saintesses is 1st and 2nd, respectively. The other saintesses praised how they reached a balance between the two of them, and even the priests were welcoming of their relationship, saying it was exemplary as saintesses.

‘I don’t want to have anything to do with anyone who gets along with Amalda! I will definitely get dragged down!’

“…Ugh, this is hopeless.”

Sofie shook her head in disgust as watched me kick the dirt as I angrily strode forward.

She then looked up with a grim face, turning her gaze towards the entrance of the dining hall —

“Eh”

She suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Hey, isn’t it getting too rowdy? Look, a crowd’s gathering over there.”

“Isn’t that the terrace for the higher ranking Saintesses? I also spot a few priests…”

I also turned my gaze towards the dining hall when the two of them said that.

It should be busy now since it’s breakfast time, but there seems to be even more people than usual. I caught a glimpse of some figures that looked like they’re priests, but I couldn’t see what’s going on in the center of that crowd.

“Enough is enough! I won’t let you do as you please anymore!”

We could hear someone talking.

It’s a slightly high-pitched voice that was strangely compelling you to remember it — a voice that truly fits the word ‘elegant’. It was familiar, albeit nauseating.

‘Amalda!’

I unwittingly grimaced at the owner of that voice.

If I could, I never wanted to hear it again.

“I’m sorely disappointed in you, to think that you’ll be able to do such a terrible thing…! And yet I believed in you!”

Was what she said, but she was speaking louder and louder, her words resonating even more — as if she’s afraid the whole crowd won’t hear what she said.

“I thought we were close, but I can’t overlook this anymore! I don’t want to do this, but…”

‘I’m bothered, but…It won’t end well if I poke my nose here. Just ignore it, ignore it!’

“Let’s go, Mari, Sofie.”

They were engrossed in watching the crowd, so I patted the two of them on the shoulder.

I averted my gaze and was about to enter the dining hall, when —

I caught a glimpse of the scene at the center through the gap in the crowd.

‘That’s —’

There was another person aside from the young priest supporting Amalda.

“I cannot disregard this, being the Saintess that I am! You are the one who generated the Filth, did you not, Liddy-chan!?”

Amalda was pointing at a breathtakingly gorgeous girl with raven hair.

The girl remained composed and a domineering aura still enveloping her as always, and even at this moment, she refused to bow down — yup, I was sure of it.

‘Liddy!!’

I stood frozen on the spot, the words “let’s go” that I just uttered forgotten already as I watched Amalda confronting Liddy, who was supposed to be her close friend.