The mass ended, and I returned to my room. I told the deaconess not to disturb me until the afternoon because I planned to read some books.
The deaconess bowed and quietly closed the door. I changed into a simpler priestess robe and opened a portal to the abandoned temple.
Teleportation is convenient, but unfortunately mine is restricted to only places beyond the temple grounds. This is because of the surveillance of that annoying Julius- I mean, the pope.
I entered the room, but then someone suddenly grabbed me and pointed a pair of scissors at my neck.
Isn't that the scissor I used to cut the bandages for him last night? This guy — how ungrateful.
"Who are you? Who sent you?"
Down to the interrogation, are we?
"I'm just a low priestess who saw you last night and helped you. And those questions are supposed to be asked by me. Who are you, what happened to you, and why are you here?"
The grip of his hand slightly softened.
"I was just a normal mercenary who got caught up in a fight between a black mage and some holy knights and priests."
He let go of me, and I faced him properly.
Goodness… he really does look like Sylvia.
I miss her…
"Then how did you end up here?"
"I, uh… I thought that maybe… some kind-hearted church person would help me? You know, since the church is supposed to help the poor and the sick."
It sounded like a truthful yet obvious excuse.
"Oh, I see. So, would you like me to take you to the infirmary to properly treat your wounds?"
"No! No, please don't. I might get into trouble if the person I know here finds out about my condition."
"Why even bother coming here if you don't want that person to know?"
"I specifically came to this side of the temple to seek help from the lower-ranked priests, not the high-ranking one I know."
"Oh? Perhaps you mean the pope, right? You mentioned something about him last night. And there's no one else here with the same name as the pope. Are you two close?"
"You could say that."
When he said that, his expression changed, a mix of sarcasm and anger.
Alright… Somehow my gut tells me I can trust him.
Unknown to anyone, Lilian was a free-spirited, mischievous, but loving child before she was brought to the temple. When she was isolated for being the next saintess, she gradually became depressed. Sylvia stood up for her like a kind, loving guardian, and Lilian built a strong attachment to her. She would listen to every word Sylvia said, even if it was a lie or a ridiculous excuse. In conclusion, Lilian is a smart woman, but she turns into a complete idiot when it comes to the people she loves. Not that she loves Dion now, but it seems like she's confusing him for someone else.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Uh… I… My name is… my name is Rin."
"I see. Rin. My name is Lia."
Many people know me as Lilian, but only a few people know my nickname. It's reserved for those I trust. My face is also unknown to the outside world as the future saintess.
"For a mercenary, I can't believe you know the pope personally. Is your rank that high? Did you join forces with the church to take down black mages or something?"
Lilian rambled with anticipation. Being restricted from going outside, she found everything about other people's lives fascinating.
"Yeah… my class is super high."
Rin responded awkwardly.
"Oh my, really!?"
Lilian leaned forward, stars practically sparkling in her eyes as she waited to hear more. Rin was startled and even blushed a little at the sudden closeness with this strange woman. Lilian suddenly snapped out of it and stepped back.
"I'm sorry. That was rude, wasn't it?"
"It's alright."
"How can you still stand with those injuries? You should be lying down more."
It suddenly crossed Lilian's mind how wounded Rin still was. She wondered if this man was even human to endure such pain.
"I'll help you until you recover."
Lilian might be a bit mean to people she's hostile with, but she has a soft spot for the weak.
"Thank you. Just… I hope you don't tell anyone I'm here. I don't want to cause any trouble. I'll leave as soon as I can."
Lilian's doubts about this guy being a black mage wavered. What kind of black mage would even stay here for a minute if their powers were being drained painfully by the barrier?
Two days later, after helping Rin with his bandages and bringing him food, Rin said goodbye to Lilian and handed her a necklace with a simple four-pointed star design.
"What's this?"
"A token of my gratitude. It might come in handy someday."
"Thank you, Rin. And you're welcome. It's my duty as a priestess to help the needy, as the goddess Leticia commands."
"Hah. Leticia…"
Rin said sarcastically.
"Does she really have compassion for the unfortunate? All I see nowadays are people being oppressed and trampled on. I don't think she's really fair."
"I understand your feelings. It's like asking why, if God exists, does she allow suffering for her people? The answer lies with humans. She doesn't personally harm people, but people disobey her and hurt their own kind. Leticia can't control someone's mind and heart, so she doesn't control their actions or decisions. The choice is ours — whether to be kind or evil."
"That was a nice speech."
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"No, no. It was a good explanation. Better than those common priests who'd just yell at me for daring to question the goddess."
"Some priests are like that, but not all of us. A lot claim to be loyal servants of the goddess, but some are just here for power."
"Hypocrites," Rin replied.
"Indeed."
"It was nice meeting you, Lia. I'll repay this favor in the future."
With that, Rin walked toward the temple forest, located at the opposite side of the main temple entrance.