After six months away, I finally returned to the Royal Capital.
I stepped down from the carriage. The white stone walls of the Church Headquarters stood as silent and imposing as ever. When the double doors were pushed open, the nuns waiting inside bowed in unison.
"Welcome back, Saint."
Their voices were perfectly synchronized, yet they lacked any hint of warmth. Nothing was likely to change here in just six months; it had always been this way. I put on a practiced smile and gave a slight nod. With just that, the line broke, and a path opened for me.
I should have been used to it.
I stepped into the stone corridor. A silence that was far too orderly—not a hair's breadth different from half a year ago—welcomed me wordlessly. As I walked, I suddenly remembered the Werl territory. Compared to there, this place felt a bit chilly.
This return was for the purpose of delivering a formal report on the completion of the treatment and finishing my outstanding work here. Once I settled those matters, I had to ensure I could return to his side. The Werl territory was already the place I called home. I had no intention of being away for long.
—Rein.
I tried whispering his name under my breath. Just doing that made me feel as though a faint, small heat had kindled deep within my chest.
◇◇◇
The morning after my return, I stood before the Cardinal.
Cardinal Fesenmeier. He wasn't the one who had plucked me from the orphanage, but he was the man who had overseen my upbringing ever since I was taken in by the Church hierarchy. For someone like me who didn't know what a father was, he was one of the few people I considered closest to the role.
"You have worked hard these past six months, Therese."
"No, I simply offer my gratitude to the Goddess for allowing me to fulfill my duty."
The report had already been submitted. Today’s audience was a mere formality. However, I had another objective.
"Words of deep gratitude have arrived from the House of the Count as well."
"I am glad if I could be of service."
"We were able to show that the Church does not abandon those even in the provinces. It was also a success to have the treatment reach its completion, which is a rare feat. It is an important achievement that will lead to more followers in the rural areas."
—To be honest, I didn't care about any of that. However...
"If it is possible, then I would like to be stationed in the Werl territory again."
"As you know, the demand for my Recovery Magic as the Saint is highest in the dangerous borderlands. However, the Margraviate itself is too close to enemy nations; my safety would be at risk if something were to happen. In that sense, the Werl territory is in a perfect position. Since the treatment was completed, the House of Count Werl has been extremely cooperative, and they have told me that I may stay at the castle just as before. Because of this, there are no issues regarding safety."
"But quite a few requests have come in here as well..."
"Besides, the people here lack resolve; they can't endure the pain anyway, can they? In the borderlands, where there are constant conflicts and monsters, people have the resolve to face pain. I believe it would be possible to increase the number of successful cases there. Well, considering matters such as donations, I expect I will move after finishing the requests here."
"—Hmm. Considering the recent situation, it is certainly more advantageous to have you stationed near the Margraviate. The ones who will likely submit requests are wounded generals and nobles. We can put the provinces in our debt while simultaneously giving our nation an advantage. Though we serve the same God, if we were to be occupied, we would simply be kicked out by the church over there. Since most requests near the Royal Capital involve shallow wounds, we could have them travel to the Werl territory if it is absolutely necessary... I see. Very well. I shall arrange it so."
"I am deeply grateful for your kind words."
I bowed politely once more. A smile naturally surfaced on my face.
◇◇◇
From the following day, I began processing the requests that had stalled during my six-month absence.
Letters from estates in the Royal Capital and from regional resorts were piled on my desk—work that had accumulated while I was away. I opened them in order. A certain Countess whose earlobes had remained stretched from heavy earrings. The chipped front tooth of a certain Marquis's eldest son from a training accident. The ingrown toenails of a certain Viscount's daughter from wearing narrow shoes for too long. Every name on the list belonged to the nobility of the Royal Capital.
—Why is it that things never change?
Among the stack of request forms, those that were life-threatening or made daily life difficult could be counted on one hand. The vast majority were things that only affected their appearance or comfort at social gatherings. I found them pathetic. I suppose anyone would be concerned if there was a part of them that was flawed. However, as someone from an orphanage who knew people in much greater need of help, I couldn't help but find it arrogant for them to call upon me, the Saint, for what they called "treatment."
Regardless, a request was a request. I began the treatments in order.
The first requester was a certain Countess. Her lady-in-waiting gracefully announced that she wished to return her earlobes to their original shape. As usual, I requested the use of leather straps for restraint and a gag. I was firmly refused, told that it was "disrespectful to a lady." My attempt at persuasion ended in vain, and I began the treatment while she remained seated in her chair.
A few breaths after I began flowing my mana, the Countess let out a beastly scream and tumbled from her chair.
"Gyaaaaaah! No, nooooo! Stop it, stop it—!"
She writhed on all fours. Her meticulously styled hair and makeup were ruined in an instant by drool and snot. The maids rushed over in a panic, but the Countess thrashed about, rolling on the floor.
I quietly withdrew my hand.
The next requester was the eldest son of a certain Marquis. He was a young man who had chipped a front tooth during training, and his father spoke volubly about how it would interfere with social functions and that he wanted it regrown. Not even three breaths after I activated my Recovery Magic, the young man writhed and let out a shout.
"This is nothing but torture!"
My expression didn't change. His words didn't resonate with my heart at all.
The one after that was a Viscount's daughter. She wailed within the first few seconds.
"Stop, please stop, I can't take it anymore—"
The moment I withdrew my mana, the young lady—her face a mess of tears and snot—glared at me.
"I thought the Saint's power was supposed to be something much gentler."
—"Thought," did you?
I smiled and bowed my head. "I am sorry I could not be of help," I said. I ended the treatment with just that. Her mother embraced her daughter and glared at me. I had seen those eyes, bordering on hatred, many times before.
—As I thought, it’s always like this.
I was no longer surprised.
The higher a person's status, the further they have been kept from pain throughout their lives. I suppose that isn't something they should be blamed for. Everyone prefers less pain. It's natural to be unable to endure it; being able to endure it is what's strange. And yet, for some reason, they convince themselves, "I can endure it." At some point, I had started to feel that way.
—Or rather, I should have felt that way. Until I met him—Rein.
Only his silhouette grew clearer by the day.
◇◇◇
Though it was supposed to end with just a report, I was assigned the requests that had accumulated during my absence one after another "while I was at it," and the day of my departure for the Royal Capital was pushed back little by little. Nevertheless, by the time a month had passed, I had finished processing most of the requests and was finally beginning preparations to return to the Werl territory.
Imagining the thirst of my life here being quenched over there, my heart felt light.
"Big Sister is coming soon. Wait for me, Rein."
I murmured, resuming my packing with a happy heart.
On the night before my departure, I was summoned to the Cardinal's office.
The office was quiet. When I stood before the desk, the Cardinal gestured for me to take a seat. I sat down.
"Therese. About your return to the Werl territory."
"Yes."
"Could I ask you to wait for a little while longer?"
"Eh!?"
—Wait.
I couldn't immediately process the meaning of that word.
"The central nobility are calling for the Saint to remain in the Royal Capital. They are against sending you back to the provinces."
"...May I ask for the reason?"
"As insurance, apparently."
The Cardinal was staring at his interlaced hands on the desk.
"They claim they cannot sleep soundly in the Royal Capital if you are away in the provinces for months at a time. They want the Saint to be in a place where she can rush to them immediately should they or their families suffer a major injury."
I listened in silence.
"The trend of neglecting the provinces has grown even stronger recently. Some have even said clearly that people in the provinces are replaceable, and that the Saint exists for the sake of the exalted ones in the center. They say that in lands directly facing enemy nations, the wounded are going to die anyway and should be left alone. According to them, it is a loss for the Church and the Kingdom for the Saint to spend time in such places."
The air in the office became heavy.
"Among those 'exalted ones,' only one person has ever successfully completed the treatment. And those people want to keep me as their insurance?"
I asked quietly, taking care not to raise my voice.
"Therese."
"—When they can't even endure the pain anyway!"
"Therese!"
"The fools..."
The air grew cold.
"Though the phrasing is harsh, everything you say is correct. In truth, I think so as well."
"...Then!"
"But in terms of Church management, the intentions of the center cannot be ignored."
His interlaced fingers slowly opened.
"The donations that the central nobility provide to the Church are by no means negligible. Even if they expect flexibility with recovery mages in return, those donations are what run the orphanages and make the training of recovery mages possible. It is how children like you are identified for their potential, taken in, and raised."
I bit my lip.
"We cannot completely ignore them. I am sorry. However, I will make adjustments as quickly as possible. I will speak with them directly so that we can gain their understanding regarding dispatching you to the provinces. I won't make you wait that long. So... please understand."
I took a deep breath. I calmed my anger and reconstructed my mask as the Saint once more.
"I understand."
I replied. My voice was calm—to a degree that surprised even myself.
I stood up, bowed, and left the office. For some reason, the sound of my own footsteps echoing in the corridor sounded very distant.
"I won't make you wait that long," the Cardinal had said.
So, I decided to wait. In this chilly Church.
—I'm sure I can return soon.
I promised that boy. I told him I would come back. I remembered Rein’s happy face from that moment.
Wait for me, Rein. Big Sister will keep her promise.
I murmured those words once more only to myself. The small heat kindled deep in my chest was the only thing that supported me in this cold place.