Chapter 103. Pulsation (5)
I tilted my head slightly.
“That's sudden. Problems, you say?”
Not only did the tremendous topic of escorting the Saintess come up out of nowhere, but what problems could there be?
“I jumped ahead too much. Let me explain.”
Grantel straightened his posture and continued.
“First, the roles of missions carried out by the Elsyde Main House are very diverse. However, some of them are classified as special missions that require 'qualification'.”
“Special missions.”
“That's right. Their purpose isn't simply general combat missions. Escorting important individuals, or transporting dangerous figures, etc. are such types.”
I quickly grasped the context.
Indeed, escorting someone would be a mission different from simply engaging in full-scale combat.
“I understand the gist of the story.”
I looked at Grantel with calm eyes.
“Then the problem lies with my qualification, is that right?”
“You grasped the point right away.”
Grantel looked at me and nodded.
“There are many types of Main House missions that are usually assigned only after achieving the necessary qualifications.”
This was not new information.
Had I not already passed the first stage of the Nemesis Knight Order exam before the last joint mission precisely to prove my qualifications?
Grantel continued.
“Originally, escort missions require specialized training. In that regard, Young Master Enoch currently has no experience whatsoever.”
However, he said, shifting his gaze to the documents.
“Furthermore, since the Saintess herself specifically selected Sir Enoch for a Designated Mission, we cannot decline it.”
“I know.”
The influence of a Designated Mission on the Main House was significant. It had appeared several times in the original work.
Especially, the requester of this Designated Mission was none other than...
“The Saintess.”
As I said that, my eyes narrowed.
A symbolic figure put forth by The Order of the Empire.
Among the healers belonging to The Order who serve the Goddess, she is a girl with the most outstanding skills, devout faith, and holiness and benevolence, receiving overwhelming support from the public due to her sacred image.
What if I refused the Designated Mission from such a Saintess?
Depending on The Order's or the Saintess's response, the Main House might have to be prepared for a decline in prestige.
In other words. The Main House was in a situation where they had to choose between taking the risk of Enoch, who had not received proper escort training, failing the Designated Mission,
Or refusing the Saintess's request under the pretext of Enoch's qualifications.
Then there was only one choice to make in this situation.
“I will do it.”
“Yes?”
Grantel's head snapped up. Seeing the expression of surprise at my almost immediate answer, I nodded to him as if confirming.
It was certainly not for the sake of the Main House.
I had simply become certain from what I had heard so far.
There was something I absolutely had to do in this mission.
It was a decision and a choice made for that.
“Are you sure? As a matter of precedent, the Main House side usually consults the Young Master's opinion on matters like this, but...”
“Anyway, even if we refused the mission proposed by the Saintess, it would be impossible without a proper justification.”
I added calmly.
“I will go myself and hear the story first.”
“Oh.”
Grantel nodded for a moment.
“Usually, this is a matter to be decided after sufficient deliberation. The Young Master's judgment and decisiveness are truly surprising.”
Grantel had a somewhat unexpected expression.
I casually turned my head and looked out the window.
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“Honestly speaking.”
When I turned my head, Grantel was looking at me.
He spoke with his usual serious gaze.
“Young Master, I didn't realize you were this kind of person.”
Well, having been confined to the corner of my room until now, it was probably natural. I replied slowly to his words.
“Actually, I feel that way about myself too.”
It might have been a strange answer. But it was simply a sentiment, unexaggerated and truthful.
After all, I was also someone who didn't precisely know what kind of person I was yet.
But just one thing.
In the current situation, one thing was certain.
‘I absolutely had to accept the Designated Mission.’
Therefore, acting this way would be the closest to the correct choice. The reason was all too obvious.
I had business with the Saintess.
And a very, very important business at that.
***
The chilly early spring weather was slowly easing.
After getting out of the Main House's vehicle at the appointed place, a massive building appeared before my eyes.
─Holy Residence.
The supreme organ of The Order, and where the Saintess resided.
A building where elegant white curved protrusions boasted their graceful form. Surely, this was what they called Neo-Gothic architecture. It wasn't as grand as the Elsyde Fortress, but it was a considerably large building.
“You must be tired from your long journey.”
As I was looking at it for a moment, a nun dressed in a nun's habit approached me from the side and slowly bowed her head.
“Please follow me. I will guide you.”
She glanced at me and added.
“The Saintess is waiting.”
I was guided into the interior of the Holy Residence.
A place where entry was forbidden unless one was invited.
Turning my head to look around, towering pillars were lined up in all directions, and enormous Holy Statues, white with thin gold rims, stood tall.
And everywhere, nuns and priests passing through the corridors were visible.
As I walked, I casually glanced at them out of the corner of my eye.
‘All of these people are healers.’
They must surely be skilled individuals comparable to the Mages belonging to the Main Houses representing each field of magic in the Empire.
Some of the individuals among them were even familiar faces I had seen several times in the original work.
This was proof that competent healers from all over the Empire were gathered with The Order as their center.
This was also the reason why The Order was an organization with considerable influence and impact, to the extent that even the great Elsyde couldn't treat them lightly.
- Excuse me, that person...
- Indeed. The famous Direct Lineage recently...
Suddenly, I heard quiet murmuring near my ears.
Putting aside my thoughts, I looked around and could already feel the gazes of nuns and priests focusing on me from various places.
Even though I was in a position that garnered unusual attention, being the center of attention was still undesirable.
Realizing this, I walked further inside.
“Then, please wait a moment in this reception room.”
Just then, the nun guided me to a door. As soon as I turned my head to confirm it, a wry smile almost formed immediately.
“Here?”
It was a room with transparent glass walls on the inner side. The interior certainly looked luxurious, but it seemed perfectly suited to draw attention.
“The Saintess's prayer schedule will end soon. If you wait here, I will escort you together.”
However, the nun smiled brightly and left somewhere. Thinking, 'Why of all places here to wait?', I frowned slightly for a moment.
Around me, I could already feel openly curious gazes focusing on me.
‘Staying here will only draw more attention.’
Of course, the people from The Order are not Mages belonging to the Main House. However, being exposed to gazes is still not good. It felt quite unsettling.
Just then, a surprised voice rang out beside me.
“Ah?! H-Holy, are you perhaps Sir Enoch Elsyde?”
It was a familiar young voice.
Turning to look, I saw a girl with a startled expression, dressed in a formal white nun's habit. I looked at her for a moment and asked.
“Y-Your name is...”
“It's Lily! We meet again here?”
Right. Racking my brain, it was true.
Lily. She was the nun who had cast healing magic on me when I collapsed in the Beast-kin village last time. Although it was a brief encounter, I remembered her to some extent.
I glanced around and nodded.
“Yes. Come to think of it, this is good timing.”
“Ah, Aah?! Sir Enoch?”
I immediately approached Lily slowly. And then, so that the surrounding onlookers couldn't hear, I brought my mouth to her ear and whispered.
“This reception room is a bit uncomfortable. I was thinking of going to where the Saintess is. Do you know the way?”
“Yes, Yes?! Sir Enoch?”
Lily turned red at the ears and was flustered, perhaps because I had gotten closer than she expected.
“That, that's too close...!”
At that, some of the younger nuns watching from around us gasped softly and caused a stir.
- Ah, could it be that they know each other?
- Perhaps! A forbidden secret rendezvous...!
At their imaginative and exaggerated reactions, as if flowers were popping up around them, I almost let out a cold sneer without realizing it.
Were the healers belonging to The Order's heads full of flowers or something? It didn't seem like that in the original work.
But regardless of that.
That kind of atmosphere seemed somewhat useful.
Although I had never tried this before. I lightly took Lily's wrist.
“If it's alright, would you mind guiding me? I just plan to wait quietly there.”
As expected, the reaction from the surroundings was explosive.
Some of the nuns nearby immediately took out their terminals with sparkling eyes, or even clasped their hands together and took a posture of prayer.
“Ugh-.”
Perhaps unable to bear the gazes from around her, Lily, who had turned red like a radish, looked back and forth between me and them. She made pushing gestures at her chest and softly exclaimed.
“O-Okay! So please step away a little!”
I looked at her and nodded.
As expected, it was quite effective.
As I walked down the corridor towards the interior, following her, the surrounding onlookers who had been watching here and there gradually thinned out and soon disappeared.
It was clear we were heading towards the inner depths of the Holy Residence.
Only then did Lily glance at me and say.
“You're, you're too mischievous. Even without this, the other nuns have a lot of interest in this sort of thing lately.”
“Interest?”
“Love, and men, I mean. Originally, the nuns' dormitory is a men-forbidden area. Ah, everyone's going to tease me about today's incident forever...!”
She grumbled a bit like that, then asked.
“U-Um, come to think of it, is your injury from last time alright?”
Lily asked with a little worry, perhaps remembering the injury she had treated back then.
I nodded.
“Thanks to you.”
“I don't know why it was like that back then, but healing certainly didn't work very well on Sir Enoch. I wondered if there was something wrong.”
Lily shook her head and said.
“If you needed more healing, I intended to treat you again, as is my duty.”
At her words, I slightly turned my head.
Maybe because I had just finished the crazy Magic Resistance farming, I doubted it would work much now.
“Is the Saintess inside?”
“Yes. Usually, she's incredibly busy with schedules like prayer and press conferences. She spends most of her time residing in the Holy Residence here.”
At Lily's words, I silently agreed.
Indeed, for the Saintess, it made sense.
The Saintess was no different from The Order's 'idol'.
Of course, she didn't actually dance or sing like an idol. But her recognition itself was incomparably greater.
If she publicly conducted religious rituals or participated in events attended by key figures of the Empire, it would often become a huge topic of conversation.
“Busy, you say. It seems the Saintess's recognition in the Empire is quite significant.”
“After the passing of the previous Saintess. She rose to the position of Saintess with overwhelming support. Along with the Twin Saintesses who are currently dispatched to the Artigen Main House!”
“...Twin Saintesses.”
I quietly murmured that familiar phrase.
Among those called the Twin Saintesses in the Empire currently, one had requested my help.
And she was someone I knew very well.
Of course, her high recognition among the public as a Saintess was partly due to her captivating appearance, but the most important reason was her Unique Magic.
Especially, she was a Mage who had manifested her Unique Magic in the form of healing magic, which was very rare in the Empire.
Information about her flashed through my mind.
「Unique Magic said to possess abilities close to miracles.」
「Without a doubt, among the Mages who officially used magic for healing purposes, even among the prominent healers of the 10th Tier and above across the Empire, there were none who surpassed the Saintess's Unique Magic.」
Simply put, overwhelming talent in healing magic. After all, that was one of the conditions for being the Saintess.
In the Empire, it would be natural for someone with that level of skill to rise to The Order's most symbolic position.
Lost in thought, I realized Lily had stopped walking, and I glanced ahead.
A large stone door was before me.
“The Saintess is in the prayer room ahead. Her schedule will end in a little while, so please wait—”
But the moment Lily spoke, I had already opened the door without hesitation.
“Ah!”
As Lily screamed, realizing she was too late to guide me, I stopped walking inside.
The inside of the prayer room was high and deep.
But it was an empty room with no holy statues or people. Just cold gray walls and long rows of chairs lined up on both sides.
However, there was a large glass window on one wall.
Golden sunlight poured down onto the empty stone structure. Someone was standing there quietly.
Over a thin, light black ceremonial habit resembling a nun's habit, with a white veil made of sheer cloth draped behind her head. A girl with long wavy blonde hair cascading down.
She stood with her hands clasped in front of her chest, her back turned to me.
It was the Saintess.
And then.
“It's not yet time for prayer to end.”
She slowly lifted her golden-tinged eyelashes and parted her lips. The emerald eyes that slowly opened shone green and looked at me intently.
“Surely. You are Sir Enoch Elsyde, correct?”
Her voice was gentle, just as I knew it would be.
“That is correct.”
I slowly nodded my head.
─ 「Saintess」, Amelia.
The representative Goddess Priestess of the current generation belonging to The Order.
The healer who reigned as a Tier 1 healer in the original work.
And from my perspective, one of the next Follower Family candidates whom I absolutely had to recruit.
It was my first meeting with her.