The Saintess’s Woes and a Proposed Visit

Even as she lay weakly slumped across the table, Raphael couldn’t resist a snide remark. “Oh, look who’s back after another day of gallivanting, Sage?”

Ziyao, not one to be outdone, retorted without reservation. “Quite busy yourself, Saintess.”

This was Aiya’s cottage, though its owner was currently absent. For reasons unknown, Aiya had been unconscious for several days. To be safe, the Empress had kept Aiya by her side in the palace.

Coincidentally, the Pope had been frequenting the palace these past few days. The Empress wasn’t about to let such a valuable laborer slip away. Ironically, Ziyao and Raphael, the supposed doctors treating Aiya, hadn’t even visited her yet. Furthermore, they had shamelessly occupied Aiya’s house.

To be honest, it was a little embarrassing.

Yet, Ziyao resided here out of necessity, having no other place to stay. But why did Raphael, the Saintess, also enjoy returning here to sleep? Wasn’t her teacher currently residing at the Church?

“Aren’t you going to keep your teacher company?” Ziyao asked.

Raphael’s face contorted in despair. “Don’t even mention it. I only came back here to get away from that old woman, alright?”

She had initially thought that once she arrived in Roland, she would see less of that old woman. Yet, how many days had it been? That old woman had simply moved into Roland’s facilities and refused to leave. What was even more infuriating was that the old woman, as the Pope, had dumped all her duties onto Raphael while she enjoyed her leisure. One day she‘d go shopping for clothes, the next she‘d visit the palace, and upon her return, she‘d ‘discipline’ Raphael. Her days were far too comfortable.

The Pope was thriving, but Raphael was miserable. She had to deal with mountains of documents daily, occasionally fending off harassment from the Pope. This life was unbearable.

Considering the Pope was staying in Roland these days, all Church documents from across the continent were being sent to the Roland Church. Normally, Raphael only had to handle the affairs of the local branch, but now, her workload had multiplied several times over. She truly couldn’t endure it much longer.

Listening to Raphael pour out her grievances, Ziyao twitched her lips. This Saintess was evolving in a rather peculiar direction. Why was she transforming into a corporate drone?

“Tomorrow, how about we go see Aiya?” Ziyao interjected, cutting off Raphael’s complaints with a suggestion.

She hadn’t seen Aiya in days and found herself missing her a little. That blonde girl, Elena, was seen frequently. The rescue captain, who had been thrust into action after the attack, had also been incredibly busy these past few days. When Ziyao occasionally saw her on the road, Elena would just rush over for a quick hug before hurrying off to her next destination.

Speaking of which, am I really that comfortable to hug?

Sophia also liked to hug her during class; Ziyao couldn’t quite understand why. And Youlan… though she hadn’t explicitly said so, Ziyao could tell that she, too, wanted to hug her.

A bunch of loli-cons…

“Go to the palace? I don’t really have an objection,” Raphael replied sullenly. “But there are too many documents! Especially now that the Emperor has begun dealing with the Principality of Eiffel…”

The documents were flooding in from all directions like a rushing torrent. Raphael almost suspected that she had processed more paperwork than the Emperor himself these past few days.

“You could ask your teacher for help. After all, she‘s the leader of the Church, isn’t she?” Ziyao suggested.

However, Raphael knew the Pope far better than Ziyao did. To get that old woman to stop slacking off, the sun would have to rise in the west.

“Forget it. That old woman must have run off to who-knows-where first thing in the morning,” the Saintess grumbled, her face full of resentment. “I’ll just dutifully approve these documents.”

“Alright then…”

Since she intended to visit Aiya, Ziyao naturally had to report to the Empress first. After observing for several days, Ziyao had come to understand the truth: within the palace, the Empress was the ultimate authority. Therefore, reporting directly to her was the way to go.

Watching the bird of water vanish into the distance, Ziyao closed the window and returned to her own room. It was Aiya’s room, in fact. She had been sleeping there these past few days. After all, her initial room still contained some of Elena’s belongings, and her personal items had been moved here prior to the festival. Thus, this was now effectively her bedroom.

Turning off the magic lamp, Ziyao burrowed into the covers. Initially, she had felt a little unaccustomed to the absence of the warm little girl’s companionship. However, she had now grown used to sleeping alone once more.

And Aiya hadn’t left her entirely empty-handed.

A faint, sweet scent wafted into Ziyao’s nose—the fragrance from Aiya’s blanket. Indeed, Ziyao had been sleeping under Aiya’s blanket these past few days.

Giving a soft nuzzle into the fabric, Ziyao closed her eyes with a contented expression.

“Senior, I’d like to visit Aiya tomorrow, if that’s alright?” Ziyao’s voice emerged from the water bird’s mouth—a technique she had recently mastered.

The Empress let out a chuckle. She hadn’t expected Ziyao to use such a method to deliver a message. Refusal was, of course, out of the question. In the Empress’s eyes, Ziyao was now an excellent prospective daughter-in-law (though treated with the fondness of a son-in-law). Her coming to visit her daughter was naturally the best possible outcome. Moreover, Aiya would surely be delighted.

Caressing the head of the little girl lying in bed, the Empress mused silently.

Aiya’s current condition was peculiar. The Pope had explained it was due to an excessive expenditure of mental energy, causing Aiya’s body to enter a protective self-sealing state. Once her mental energy recovered, Aiya would awaken.

“Judging by the timing, it should be within the next few days,” the Pope informed the Empress after another examination. She, the Pope, was the world’s foremost expert in healing. No one understood healing magic better than her. Those who understood it better were not human.

The Empress naturally trusted the Pope’s words. While she didn’t trust the Church as an institution, she held no ill will towards this straightforward Pope. No one would dislike a frank and super-skilled healer.

I wonder who this person calling herself Ceres truly is.

A deity? The Empress found it hard to believe. How could a deity possess her daughter? Wasn’t the Pope a much better vessel for possession? She was the legitimate divine spokesperson. Aiya, on the other hand, was merely a frail young girl.

But Ceres had undeniably helped Roland, and the Empress couldn’t very well repay kindness with enmity. The Empress was clear on matters of right and wrong.

Never mind, I’ll ask Aiya once she wakes up.

Without Aiya’s consent, Ceres absolutely couldn’t have used Aiya’s body so perfectly. This was why the Empress hadn’t forcibly stopped Ceres at the time. Ceres had received Aiya’s approval. Aiya had accepted her and lent her own body.

The Empress respected Aiya’s choice.