Chapter 52
“Yes, it’s a good thing.”
Sizu continued to smile as he stepped out of the room. And then the day of the pilgrimage arrived.
In front of the temple, a luxurious white carriage, which Irene had never ridden before, was prepared in the wide square.
The horses pulling the carriage were all equally white with six of them in total.
Standing in front of them was Allen, the captain, looking quite impressive.
He had a neat appearance, eyes shining with determination, and lips firmly sealed.
Overall, he seemed stern, but not entirely cold. With his silver armor on, he looked like a paladin out of mythology.
‘Yes, there was a time when I admired that appearance.’
Irene gripped her hands tightly. She tried to appear calm as she walked forward.
“Your Saintess.”
Before she had taken a few steps, Allen approached and extended his hand, evidently intending to escort her.
‘I don’t want this.’
She disliked it immensely.
Therefore, Irene looked away and searched for Burt. He had taken a step back.
Then, with a subtle expression, he stepped forward and approached Irene closely.
“May I have the honor of escorting you?”
“Alright.”
Irene quickly responded, placing her hand on Burt’s arm. Suddenly, Allen’s arm had nowhere to go.
However, he maintained a composed expression and turned to inspect the escort forces. That was all.
Irene safely climbed into the carriage, and the wheels began to roll.
The sight of the carriage and the battle horses moving in unison was quite impressive.
“Saintess! Saintess!”
Outside, someone was calling for Irene. The calls grew louder as they moved away from the temple.
“Why not open the window and wave a hand?”
Burt suggested, but Irene shook her head.
The growing cheers eventually dwindled, and a quiet enveloped the carriage.
At that point, Burt spoke in a low voice.
“Allen is not a bad card to play.”
“I know.”
“He is someone who would readily give his life if it were the will of the Goddess. The same goes for the Saintess.”
It was no wonder he was often called a fanatic.
“He knows that too.”
Irene bit her lip gently.
Despite knowing everything, she was hesitant about people associated with Ramiel. It felt like they might be smiling now but harboring other thoughts behind her back.
“I will try to pay more attention.”
That was all she could say.
* * *
Several tedious days passed until they left the central area where the temple was located.
Irene had stayed in the carriage all this time, but Lani often went out to gather and bring back various bits of news.
“My goodness, Saintess. There are lawless people in this world.”
“Would there be just one or two of such people?”
Irene mused, wondering if she herself might be considered one of them.
“No, not that. There are people who wish for the world’s destruction. Some even gathered together to target the previous Saintess! That is why the security right now is so tight.”
Lani nodded as if it all made sense now.
“Are there really such people?”
“Yes, there are!”
Irene showed curiosity at hearing something new.
“I heard Lord Allen talking to another paladin. They follow a god different from our Goddess, and they call those such people heretics.”
“A different god?”
“I did not catch the name. Should I go back and ask more about it?”
Lani’s eyes sparkled with eagerness.
“If I tell them that the Saintess is curious, they might share more.”
That would be likely.
Irene nodded lightly, and Lani dashed out of the carriage again. They had stopped for a meal break, so it was a feasible moment.
Meanwhile, Irene pondered whether it was becoming too comfortable for her to keep acting freely.
After a long consideration about whether to instill fear in her again, Lani returned.
In Lani’s hand was a sweet pastry, seemingly just acquired from somewhere. However, her demeanor had shifted to a sullen one, indicating that things hadn’t gone as planned.
“The paladins said they could not divulge more details. Later, the commander will come to explain everything to you, Saintess.”
“The pastry?”
“Burt gave it to me.”
“Burt did?”
“Yes.”
Irene looked at the plate of pastries before her.
There were soft-looking butter cookies shaped like lemons, and brown cookies that seemed to contain chocolate. Each looked temptingly delicious.
Even though the carriage was comfortable, it wasn’t as comforting as the bed back at the temple, and she had been too unsettled to eat properly. These, however, seemed like something she might be able to enjoy.
Irene reached out and picked up a cookie. The sweetness tantalized her taste buds, bringing back a hint of appetite.
‘So this is what pastries taste like.’
She hadn’t really tried them properly before, never having thought to do so.
“They’re delicious.”
At Irene’s remark, Lani responded with a beaming smile.
“Lord Burt will be pleased to hear that!”
Irene thought to herself that might not necessarily be the case, but without further comment, she reached for another cookie.
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