Chapter 71: Those Who Can Never Be Forgiven (22)

As soon as the morning sun rose, I rushed out toward Ariel’s cabin.

It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to talk to him.

I am, after all, a member of the guard.

Patrolling the forest is my duty.

Of course, I’m still just a trainee, but that doesn’t mean I can neglect my responsibilities.

Besides, today is the day the Saintess offers her final prayer.

If Lina’s power awakens, the World Tree will regain its vitality.

The entire forest is in an uproar.

Everyone is busy, so I’ve been called to help in different places over the past few days.

“Ariel!! Let’s go watch together!”

Ah, I let my true intentions slip.

Patrolling the forest is my duty as a guard, yet here I am, suggesting we go watch the Saintess’s prayer instead.

But I can’t help it.

How many times in life does an opportunity like this come around?

I believe Ariel will understand, so I knock on the door of his cabin.

As expected, Ariel is the only one inside.

He already looks prepared to head out.

After setting his bow down for a moment, he gently pats my head.

“Hehe, today is an important day.

Let’s go together, okay?”

“…Yes, it is an important day.”

The prayer will begin when the sun is at its highest—around noon.

Luckily, Ariel doesn’t seem entirely opposed to the idea.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch the prayer.

I’ll just greet the Saintess briefly and then take care of something.”

“You’re not going to watch?”

What exactly does he need to take care of?

Ariel glances at a map of the forest, and a peculiar smile appears on his face.

There’s an X marked on the map—that’s where the Saintess previously prayed.

Did something go wrong?

“I have no choice.

Lately, too many strange things have been happening, so I need to check the entire forest.

But don’t worry, Kaellia.

There’s nothing for you to be concerned about.

Oh, by the way, you spoke with Laura a few days ago, didn’t you?”

How does Ariel know that I met the Beastkin mage?

It’s true that we talked, but…

“Ah… I think I might have chosen the wrong topic.

I got kicked out right away.”

“What exactly did you talk about?”

“Uh… I just asked about her hometown and how her family was doing…”

Ariel gives me a wry smile but says nothing.

Did I do something wrong?

I should apologize when I see Laura next time.

Ah, but just apologizing feels awkward—maybe I should prepare a gift?

It does feel a bit unfair to give a present to just one person, but this seems like the best approach.

Hmm, a gift…

As I ponder, I recall the dog-ear headband the Saintess wore.

I can also enchant an accessory to block the wind.

And thinking about how Laura suddenly got angry when the headband was mentioned…

Could it be that she secretly wanted one?

Since Laura is short and has a petite frame, I think it would suit her well.

“…Please don’t do anything strange.”

“Ah, yes!”

A Laura with dog ears…

I was sure she’d like it.

But before I could do anything, Ariel sternly warned me not to act on my idea.

Then what should I do?

Ah, right.

I need to watch the Saintess’s prayer.

When I come to my senses, Ariel is already stepping out of the cabin.

I quickly run after him.

“Ariel! Where are you going?!”

“I already told you.

I’m just going to greet the Saintess one last time.”

With that, Ariel continues walking.

I have to hurry and catch up…!

Writing a prayer is both simple and difficult.

When I first became the Saintess, it wasn’t long before I was made to recite prayers during Sunday worship.

At first, I was so nervous that I simply memorized and repeated the set prayers.

As I grew more accustomed to the rituals, I started wondering, “Maybe I have a talent for this?”

So, I once tried composing my own prayer.

The result?

A blazing pillar of holy fire.

The only one who laughed at that disaster was Maleus.

Looking back, that might have been when I started getting close to the inquisitors.

Anyway, after the Holy Fire Incident in the Elven sanctuary, only the final prayer remains.

This time, the one thing demanded of me is a perfect prayer—one that absolutely won’t set anything on fire.

So this time, I must avoid any unnecessary improvisations.

I have to suppress my own thoughts entirely and write the prayer exactly as expected.

It’s strange when I think about it.

Normally, before offering a prayer, one must first write the prayer and purify their body.

Yet, in the Holy Kingdom, I rarely saw priests writing out their prayers.

And here I am, writing mine only now.

It reminds me of how I was forced into Saintess training.

It’s a little amusing.

“Wow, it’s the same outfit, but you look different today.

Is it because you don’t have the ears?”

I arrived at the World Tree earlier than expected.

After what happened this morning, I couldn’t bring myself to look the Hero in the eye.

And walking alongside Laura or Natalia felt like it would get me killed, so I avoided them.

Standing before me now, smiling brightly, was none other than the idiot elf Kaellia.

She wasn’t as tall as Natalia, but she had a long, slender frame that was quite striking.

At least on the outside.

This girl was as dumb as a rock.

No man, no matter how desperate, would find an airheaded girl attractive.

Kaellia pointed at my chest and head, smiling.

My outfit was the same as before, but today, I wasn’t wearing the dog-ear headband or the cape poncho.

There was no unnecessary exposure today.

“You’re not going to wear the headband?”

“…Probably not.”

“Hmmm, I thought it looked cute.

And it’s windy today, too.”

I don’t need your compliments.

And how could I possibly wear something so humiliating again?

Even if the wind was strong, I refused to look like that again.

…Well, not that I hated it completely…

“Are you prepared?”

“Yes! Of course.

Fufu, don’t worry.”

I wasn’t sure what Kaellia wanted to say, but her presence was starting to test my patience.

Just as I was about to lose my temper, someone else spoke from behind her.

A tall elf with long hair.

Where had I seen him before?

I quickly switched into my Saintess mode, trying to recall his name.

But I couldn’t remember.

What do I do?

If he realizes I forgot his name, he might be disappointed.

There’s no one around to help me right now, and my overconfidence is quickly fading.

This is awkward.

But I can’t run away forever.

I can’t keep living as a social outcast.

I’ve resolved to change so many times—only to give up just as many times.

I took a deep breath.

“So… your name is…?”

“…Ariel.”

Oh, right.

Ariel!

I hadn’t seen him since the day I arrived at the Elven sanctuary.

No wonder I forgot his name completely.

“Fufu, don’t worry.

I’m fully prepared.

I won’t set anything on fire or do anything weird this time.”

“I’m relieved.

To be honest, I was a little worried.”

Ariel’s expression softened.

But deep inside, I felt my anxiety grow.

I thought my Saintess act was perfect, but after one mistake, I had to hide my true nature even more carefully.

“Huh?

Today is the last day, but there won’t be any fireworks?”

“…Kaellia, please…”

“The Saintess’s fire was so pretty, though.

Maybe she should go into that field instead!”

This idiot elf had a talent for saying the worst possible things.

Even without meaning to, she managed to poke at my wounds with pinpoint precision.

Ariel raised his hand, silently signaling for her to be quiet.

I swear, this girl’s best career option was marrying rich—no way she could survive on her own.

I was not going to end up like her.

My goal was to be a good wife, staying home while my husband provided—wait, no.

That’s not right…

Wait, did I just imagine myself having two or three kids?

Shaking my head quickly, I forced the thought away.