Before my visit to Sutherland, I was given a very important role.
I was to play the part of a "beautiful, noble, and loving Great Saintess." I thought to myself, "Yes, I'm perfect for this role," with all my heart.
After all, I am the real deal!
In my previous life, I was honored with the title of "Great Saintess" and was revered by all. After 300 years, whether the image of the Great Saintess has been idealized, accurately passed down, or downplayed, I don't know.
But I don't think it's been said badly, considering the strong faith in the Great Saintess here, right?
...Wait, but if recent Saintesses are distorted and still accepted, does that mean even a distorted image of the Great Saintess is accepted?
Wait, wait! I was a well-mannered and good girl.
I was strictly educated by the guard knight Canopus and the captain of the personal guard!
I straightened my back and made a stern expression, looking at myself in the mirror.
...Hmm, maybe I can pull off a serious face? It's quite a strong and dignified expression.
While feeling rather pleased with myself, I heard a voice from behind.
"...Fia, I don't know what kind of image of the Great Saintess you have, but shouldn't the Great Saintess have a more gentle expression? Or are you angry about something... or perhaps everything? In your words, are you angry because the 'Saintess has become distorted'?"
Captain Cyril, who was looking at me through the mirror, hesitantly spoke.
"Captain Cyril, stop making unfounded accusations! I'm making a stern and dignified expression. I'm not angry about anything. See, I exude nobility and dignity just by standing here, don't I?"
"...I can't sense such things, but Curtis would describe it accurately."
Captain Cyril avoided a direct answer and passed the task of describing me to Captain Curtis.
"Hey! Captain Cyril! If you can't describe it, how can I? ...Ah, Fia, what can I say... I see a red-haired knight with an angry face."
"That's exactly it! Captain Curtis lacks the ability to read unseen things with imagination! Besides, I'm not angry at all, just making a stern expression."
Despite my correct assertion, Captain Cyril and Captain Curtis had a dubious look on their faces.
...No good, these two. Their sensitivity is too low to feel my nobility.
I quickly decided to give up on them.
I politely apologized for leaving and exited Captain Cyril's office.
Then, I returned to my assigned room and pulled out a light blue dress from my travel bag.
I thought it would be better to play the role of the Great Saintess without the knight's uniform.
When I put it on, there were a few wrinkles, but they weren't noticeable.
The skirt was fluffy and reached below the knee, matching well with my usual boots.
I spun around once to check how the skirt flared and left the room, satisfied.
As I passed by Captain Cyril's office, I heard muffled voices, indicating they were still talking.
Thinking it would be better not to disturb them, I left a message with the mansion's butler: "The captain seems busy, so I'll go out without disturbing him. I'm going to the town."
Of course, I didn't directly speak to them because I thought it would be uncomfortable to walk around the town with those two as my supervisors.
...Well, finally, the funds from Captain Desmond will come in handy.
While walking, I noticed the residents who saw me were excited and ran over.
"Great Saintess! Welcome back, Great Saintess!"
"We've been waiting for you, Great Saintess!"
"We're so happy to have you back, Great Saintess!"
Everyone smiled and spoke to me eagerly.
Hmm, even though I was just told by the clan leader that I might be the reincarnation of the Great Saintess, it seems to have spread already.
While a bit surprised, I thought, "Yes, the residents here really suit smiling faces," as I looked at their smiles.
Cheerful and friendly islanders. They look best when they're smiling.
I smiled along with them and replied a bit awkwardly.
"Thank you for the welcome. However, I'm not sure if I am the Great Saintess. I don't have the power of a Saintess, and I don't remember being the Great Saintess."
The tricky part is that I'm not playing the "Great Saintess" but someone who "might be the Great Saintess."
I have to stay within the "might be" range.
We haven't discussed the ending, but I think it's best to leave with the "might be" status. There's no need to disappoint them by concluding that I'm not the Great Saintess.
In any case, even if I play the role of the reincarnation of the Great Saintess, everyone already knows I don't have the power of a Saintess, so there shouldn't be any problems.
The residents will be satisfied that the "possible reincarnation of the Great Saintess" has returned and been welcomed.
Captain Cyril and Captain Curtis never believed I was the reincarnation of the Great Saintess, so things will be the same when I leave.
Moreover, the demons live completely separate from humans, so even if there's a bit of a commotion here, it's unlikely they would hear about it.
Besides, the right-hand man of the Demon King said, "If you are reborn as a Saintess, I will find and kill you again."
So, the current situation where no one thinks I'm the Saintess should be fine, right?
...While thinking this, I wondered if everything was really okay and if there were any leaks. Then, the residents who approached me spoke with a smile.
"Hehehe, you don't need to worry so much. I'm sure you are the Great Saintess, though."
"Yeah, I think you are the Great Saintess too. Your hair is so beautiful! It really is the color of dawn!"
The residents praised my red hair, which sparkled in the sun.
"Really? Thank you."
Feeling happy, I smiled with everyone, and an elderly woman gripped my hand with trembling hands.
"Great Saintess, welcome back. It's a great time for you to return."
"Great time?"
I tilted my head, and she looked back with a teary expression.
"...No, it's nothing."
I wondered if she meant the festival season, the same time as 300 years ago, and squeezed her hand back.
"This is a beautiful place. The sea, the forest, and the town are all beautiful. I'm glad I came."
"...We are happy to welcome the Great Saintess."
The elderly woman squeezed my hand again, bowed deeply, and left.
As I watched her go, I saw children running over from the same direction.
They were the children I saved from the basilisk two days ago.
"Great Saintess!"
They hugged me one after another.
"Hehehe, children! You haven't gone to the forest since then, right?"
I picked up one of the children and asked, and they nodded vigorously.
"I'll treasure my life because the Great Saintess saved me! I won't do anything dangerous!"
"Wow, what a good child."
I put the child down, and the other children, still hugging my legs, smiled.
"Great Saintess! You're really the Great Saintess! I knew it when I saw you by the sea!"
"Me too! I knew it too! Because your hair is red. If it's red, then it must be the Great Saintess, my mom said."
...I see. So, I'm recognized as the Great Saintess just by my hair color.
It seems the world is simpler than I thought.
I laughed and walked with the children, holding their hands.
"Alright, then let's eat to grow big! What's delicious around here?"
"Sure! The best is that! Burned fruits with sugar! Any fruit is delicious, so pick your favorite!"
The shop the children pointed to had a variety of fruits in red, yellow, and green.
"Wow, they do look delicious!"
I agreed with the children and decided to try the red fruit first.
Remembering that Captain Desmond's funds were plentiful, I decided to treat the children.
"Here, pick what you like. I discovered that eating with everyone is more delicious than eating alone."
The children happily chose their favorite fruits.
Red, yellow, green, orange... The colors of the fruits were vivid and made me happy just to look at them.
After confirming that all the children had their fruits, I asked the shop owner for the price.
"How much is it?"
"Huh? ...No, no, I can't take money from the Great Saintess!!"
The shop owner waved his hands dramatically, refusing to take payment.
However, I couldn't let it go.
"No, that's not right. It's not certain that I'm the reincarnation of the Great Saintess, so please let me pay."
"No, no, I can't! If I take the money, my wife won't let me in the house!"
"No, that's ridiculous... Besides, if I don't pay, I'll be a fraud, and Captain Desmond won't let me into the mansion!"
Thinking of the incorruptible Captain Cyril, I pleaded, but the residents came to the shop owner's defense.
"No, Great Saintess, the shop owner's wife is really scary!"
"The shop owner is a son-in-law! He'll really be kicked out of the house! Please, for his sake, let it go."
"Ah, but..."
However, outnumbered, I had to leave the shop without using Captain Desmond's funds.
The children were happily saying, "Great Saintess, it's delicious!" so maybe it's fine?
I bit into the burned fruit with a mixed feeling, but the moment I did, I was amazed.
The crunchy texture was interesting, and the taste was sweet and tangy, very delicious.
"Wow, it really is delicious! The fruit itself is also delicious."
While talking about the deliciousness with the children, they pointed to a shop with a yellow sign.
"Great Saintess, amber candy! It's an amber candy shop!"
"The shop owner is really good at making amber candy! He can make any shape!"
"Hmm?"
I wonder if amber candy is candy that's the color of amber?
The festivals I attended as a child were small, with limited shops.
Thinking it was a new shop, I decided to order.
"Great Saintess! Then, I'll make a Great Saintess for you!"
Hearing the shop owner's enthusiastic voice, I tilted my head.
Make a Great Saintess...? What does that mean?
Curious, I watched as the shop owner placed a pot on an iron plate and started pouring the melted candy.
It seemed he was drawing a picture with the liquid candy.
The shop owner skillfully adjusted the flow of candy from the pot, creating a powerful image.
After a while, he stopped, looked at his work, nodded in satisfaction, and placed a stick on the candy.
The candy quickly hardened on the cold iron plate, and the shop owner proudly handed me the newly made amber candy.
"Great Saintess, it's done! I made it big because I wanted you to eat as much as possible."
"......"
I held the stick part and stared at the newly made amber candy.
...The shop owner is really skilled. Making a candy image of the Great Saintess in such a short time is impressive.
However, ...did it really need to be so big?
The candy, depicting a tall woman in a dress with long hair, was beautifully made, but her figure was more than just plump; it was very round.
"...I do have a bit of a belly sometimes, but I'm generally slim."
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"...I said it's a wonderful piece. Thank you, shop owner."
I smiled and thanked the shop owner, who smiled happily.
Seeing his proud smile, I smiled back, thinking, "Well, I am the compassionate Great Saintess now. I'll overlook such trivial matters!"
I thought, "Playing the role of the Great Saintess is really challenging," as I left the amber candy shop with the children holding their candies.
Thank you for reading!
I'm pleased to announce that the second volume of the book will be released on November 15th (Friday).
(I apologize for the late announcement. Finally, I can see the end and am confident it will be released.)
The book has about 30-40% more new content compared to the web version.
I'm very happy to be able to deliver such a fun story (Note: This is my personal opinion).