Hush Now, Saintess!

Chapter 53

Translator: Yonnee

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“Everyone looks troubled. Do you think they’re looking for something?”

“It does seem like it. I wonder what they lost?”

“Should I go and ask, Milady?”

I pondered for a moment, then I glanced at the mission window.

〈 Mission time limit – 04:02:33 〉

Well, I still have time.

“Then, you should…”

I trailed off mid-sentence.

Because amongst the busy priests in the distance, I found a familiar face.

Helena Dioter.

‘What’s she doing here?’

Of course, nobles tend to visit temples often anyway.

As the Kyros Empire was somewhat known to people as a quasi-holy empire, the temple was very influential.

Therefore, I recall reading about how nobles often visit temples half because of their faith in God, and half due to political reasons.

As the saintess, Roella visited the temple like a bean in the midst of a drought.

I turned away indifferently as if I saw nothing there.

‘I’ll just get exhausted if we run into each other.’

Helena was also with her posse. Or, that is to say, her close group of aristocratic friends.

That’s just too many.

Unless I was part of the majority, a group like that was one that I’m inclined to avoid like the plague.

“I’ll do what I came here to do first.”

After I make my donation, the herd will disperse.

With that in mind, I called out to a passing priest.

“I’m here to make a donation. Can you guide me to where I can do this?”

For some reason, the young priest’s face turned white as a sheet. Nevertheless, he nodded.

* * *

“Here you are, Your Eminence.”

“Thank you for guiding me.”

“It’s my pleasure. Rather… Should I call His Holiness, the High Priest? That you’re here, Saintess?”

At the question of the young priest who guided me here, I shook my head.

“It’s alright. I’m going to donate quietly today.”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

At that moment, a flash of relief passed over the priest’s expression.

‘What’s up with that? Does he hate the idea of me meeting the High Priest?’

Something’s definitely off here. But before I could ask, an old priest walked out from the inner building.

“Well then, I shall be off.”

The young priest said something to the old priest, then scuttled away.

‘Fishy…’

Even over here, it’s strangely suspicious.

This, too, was momentary though.

“Welcome, Your Eminence. Have you come here to donate?”

The question reminded me of my original purpose here.

‘Okay. The donation comes first.’

“Ah, yes. I came here today because I’d like to make a donation…”

But then, at that moment.

I saw that the corners of the old priest’s lips became awkwardly twisted.

‘What’s wrong with this guy?’

I soon noticed the robes that he was wearing, and I couldn’t help but frown.

The same robes as Teacher Victor.

In other words, this guy’s a high-ranked priest, too.

‘Wait a sec, if he’s a high-ranked priest?’

In that case, this person…

“Long time no see… Teacher?”

“…Y-You remember me, Saintess?”

Sure enough, he’s one of the tutors that Roella put through the wringer.

Only then did I understand why his lips had taken the shape of a firm line.

If he’s one of Roella’s tutors, then he must have been one of the recipients of Roella’s acts of disrespect.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, thanks to Your Eminence…”

Uh-huh, yeah right. You haven’t been well all thanks to me, I guess.

‘Since he’s reacting like this, something huge must have happened.’

I’m not just sure— I’m absolutely sure of it.

Something caught my eye. On the back of the priest, haze not unlike black dust began to emerge.

‘That’s…’

Unlucky dust?

As if to support my guess,

Ding—!

A notification bell rang and a system window popped out with a new hidden mission.

〈 NEW Hidden Mission!

: Let’s heal wounded hearts and get rid of some unlucky bugs!

– Good gracious, an unlucky bug is on Roella’s (former) tutor, who’s hurt and got kicked out.
Give a sincere apology and receive his forgiveness so that we can get rid of the unlucky bug.

– Bug extermination condition: Forgiveness after a sincere apology

– Reward upon mission success: Bug extermination / Healing the priest’s broken heart / Reputation +2

– Penalty in case of failure: Bug evolution

( Unlucky dust -> Misfortune)
/ Many lives will be at risk.

.

.

.

Would you like to accept the mission?

( Yep / Let’s go ) 〉

A bug extermination mission?

Like how I got rid of the bug on the crown prince before? Shouldn’t the extermination process be the same?

〈 The manner in which bugs are exterminated depends on the situation and the root cause. 〉

As if to answer my question, these words sparkled in the system window.

Wait, that means…

‘It’s a bug that came into existence because of a wound that Roella personally inflicted on him. That’s why a sincere apology was required for the bug extermination.