novelraw Chapter 114
Chapter 114
Chapter 114. The Saint (2)
The reason the Church's Saint Stella had come to Nortaris was not because of Cola. A Saint was on the idle side when she had no work, but she was not idle enough to come all the way to the North simply to conduct a Consecration on Cola being supplied to her convent.
Therefore, the reason Stella had come all the way to the North in one breathless dash, not minding the long journey. It was because a letter had arrived from her long-time comrade Hanbin.
And so, the day before Stella visited the Y&P Trading Company building.
A house on the outskirts of Nortaris.
The Saint Stella, with her robe pulled deep over her face, closed the door before finally removing the hood she had pressed down so firmly.
A man standing in the entryway to greet her. A face she had never seen before in her life, but with a distinctive air about him.
"Hanbin? It is you, isn't it?"
"It has been a long while, Miss Stella. I would be grateful if you would call me Jurgen now."
"Hmm, you are certainly Hanbin."
Stella set down the faith staff she had been quietly gripping in her hand. Had this been some wicked trap set by the End Order, she had been planning to smash his head in with divine power.
The joy of reunion lasted only a moment. Stella's brow—whose countenance radiated kindness even at a glance—furrowed.
"Really. Not a single word all this while, and now this—isn't it a bit much? No matter how busy a person is, sending a message now and then is surely possible."
"Hmm, I have nothing to say in my defence on that point."
Her expression was thoroughly disgruntled.
And well it might be……
Five years. A full five years. A fellow comrade-in-arms who had fought through the Great Subjugation together, and yet the letters that had passed back and forth in the early days had stopped entirely after his appointment as Minister of Internal Affairs.
Beyond the one or two occasions their faces had met in an official capacity, no personal correspondence had been exchanged.
"And then, out of nowhere, a single letter asking whether I could come to the North. Had it been anyone but Hanbin, I absolutely would not have come. You know that, don't you?"
"I have no face to show you. I am sorry, Miss Stella."
Stella vented her displeasure for a moment, but one thing was certain.
The two of them were comrades-in-arms and something akin to family who had spent a long time together. This was no exaggeration.
Stella was someone who had even spent her adolescence in the Demon Realm, having been recognised as a Saint almost immediately.
To her, a complete orphan, the Six Heroes who had accompanied her through her formative years were no different from family.
Isolde was the eccentric aunt. Kaylus was the reckless elder brother. Old Man Brok was the grandfather. Ravina was the elder sister. And Hanbin had played the role of a father.
So in this moment, the joy of reunion outweighed the hurt she felt toward the distant Hanbin.
…… or so she thought, and that thought changed shortly after.
"A Consecration Ritual?"
Hanbin had asked her to come secretly, and she had come dashing all the way to the North— Only to be immediately presented with a request to have Cola, the beverage of the trading company he ran, supplied to her convent.
Stella pursed her lips.
"Hanbin, you've changed."
The thing Stella disliked most was having authority flaunted before her. Having been put on a pedestal as 'the Saint, the Saint' since childhood, one might say it had cultivated a contrarian streak in her.
And Hanbin, who knew that better than anyone, was making a personal request of her. She couldn't believe it.
"There are circumstances. It's difficult to explain in detail."
"Aren't you keeping far too many secrets? Why you became Jurgen is a secret, even the fact that you're Hanbin is a secret, and on top of that, even making such a request of me is a secret."
"I am sorry. I will certainly explain one day."
The reason Jurgen had summoned Stella was the same as what Penelope had surmised.
At this point in time, when it was unclear in what way Clarisse was entangled with Dark Mages, Y&P Trading Company merely flaunting its acquaintance with the Saint would serve as an effective deterrent.
However, the Church itself becoming aware of the matter at an institutional level was a different story.
Now that the reliable Aiden had joined as well, the plan was for the two of them to handle it. The Church being experts on Dark Mages was true, but Jurgen was no less so.
"Hmm……. Hanbin, you're not doing anything wrong, are you?"
"Absolutely not. How could I?"
"Then are you trying to become rich?"
"That either."
"Come to think of it, Hanbin never had much interest in money even before."
Everything was suspicious, but unexpectedly, Stella did not press the matter further.
Anyone else would have cut things off flatly and turned around. The public and the private must be kept separate, after all.
But the person before her was Hanbin. The number of times alone that he had saved Stella's life was at the very least ten.
He was someone who had then stepped back from their relationship and barely kept in contact, declaring he would devote himself wholly to affairs of state…… She might as well think of it as filial piety.
"Very well. Just this once, then."
And so Stella, having accepted the first personal favour of her life, came to realise something significant the following day.
***
"Since you've come all this way, I'd like to treat you to at least a proper meal."
"Of course."
"Is there anything you need to observe regarding meals?"
"Outside of fasting periods or the Holy Season of Purity, there are no rules about what one eats personally."
"What a relief."
After the Consecration Ritual for Cola had been mentioned.
Invited to the dinner, Stella studied the young lady before her attentively.
Her name was Penelope Rosemore. A noble young lady with beautiful pale golden hair like honey and crimson eyes.
Co-representative of Y&P Trading Company, apparently.
Beside her stood Hanbin—no, Jurgen. He was leading Y&P together with Penelope, and had written to Stella personally this time regarding the Cola.
He had said he was keeping his identity concealed due to circumstances, but what was the reason he had called upon Stella going so far as to reveal that?
'I wanted to see you after so long' would not be an impossible thing to say. But thinking back on yesterday's reunion, it didn't quite seem like that was it.
……Come to think of it, that's a little hurtful.
In any case.
"Are you the one cooking?"
"Miss Brigitte will be cooking together with me."
"Hurray! Penelope! I've become a successful chef who gets to treat a Saint to a meal!"
"Ah, I, I'll go and pour the Cola for the Saint."
"I am grateful for your hospitality."
While Jurgen and Brigitte were preparing the food, Serena had gone to pour the Cola. Stella glanced sidelong at Penelope.
Her intuition was telling her.
That the reason he had made a personal request of Stella was surely connected to this young lady.
'Something is telling me…… hmm…….'
And from where Stella was watching beside them, the two appeared remarkably close. They said Y&P Trading Company had been led together by Jurgen and Penelope for a long time, but there was somehow the feeling of something more than that?
What sort of relationship could it be?
The method for this was written in the scriptures too. If you don't know, you ask.
"Miss Penelope."
"Yes, Saint."
"You seem to be close with your business partner. Are you perhaps in a romantic relationship?"
"Pardon?"
A Saint always goes straight to the point. Stella, who had raised the subject, was perfectly composed, while only Penelope flinched.
'What was that? Did I mishear?'
She must have misheard. There was no way a sacred Saint would bring up something as trivial as a romance, the way Serena might.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that."
"You two aren't in a romantic relationship?"
She had heard correctly. Penelope was taken aback.
Stella's holiness score in Penelope's mind dropped a notch.
Come to think of it, why were people asking questions like this—Serena included? Were other young ladies also being asked whether they were in romantic relationships with their business partners?
"That sort of relationship, no. We are business partners, and there has been no discussion of marriage."
Not wanting to invite unnecessary misunderstanding, Penelope cut it off cleanly in a businesslike tone.
However, despite the firm response, the tips of Penelope's ears had gone red. Her fingers were twirling the ends of her hair round and round. And her lips were pursing and fumbling, quite unable to compose themselves.
Stella noticed.
'Just as I thought, this is unlike Hanbin.'
Who else but Hanbin would be unlikely to write a personal letter just to do well in business once? It had been Hanbin's simple, earnest wish to give his beloved's business a good solid boost.
Of course Cola had already achieved tremendous success in the North, and money was being raked in by the bucketload.
At this stage, the news of 'we hear even the convent where the Saint resides will receive deliveries' was a lukewarm piece of good news at best, but Stella didn't know that far.
Stella's misunderstanding deepened into conviction.
'Ah-ha.'
This was a 'finding Papa a wife' project.
And Stella's feelings on this?
In favour. Wholeheartedly in favour.
Getting married and building a family was a good thing. The scriptures said to be fruitful and multiply.
If Hanbin had made up his mind to build a home and settle down, Stella was genuinely ready to cheer him on.
"Ahem, I do apologise for the abrupt question."
"Not at all."
"I just took one look and thought—that Jurgen……? He really does seem like a wonderful person."
"……?"
At the conversational current being steered toward a strangely pointed destination without clear context, Penelope hesitated.
But guiding others through words and atmosphere was basic competency for a Saint equipped with the ability to proselytise.
Stella added on composedly, as though this was what she had been saying all along.
"He seems to have considerable physical strength, and a good personality too……. He gives the impression of being bold and having a resilient spirit."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and inviting me without hesitation—someone he is clearly meeting for the first time—and on top of that treating me to a meal; his consideration and generosity are truly as vast as the ocean."
"……?"
"And, he seems like a diligent person. The sort who would look after the people around him well. Hmm, also……."
"……!"
Could a Saint tell all that from just one glance? Most of it seemed accurate, but even Penelope was flustered by the torrent of praise pouring out of Stella like a fountain.
Her surprise was short-lived. As the Saint's increasingly effusive declarations of 'Jurgen seems like such a wonderful person' went on and on, Penelope began to feel a creeping discomfort.
Even if a Saint possessed discerning spiritual insight, was it normal to know this much upon a first meeting?
Above all, this…… Bore a striking resemblance to the basic opening moves of young ladies in social circles.
In social circles where young ladies gathered.
'My, doesn't the third son of the ○○○ Family seem quite the catch?'
Was in fact a spirited declaration of:
'I intend to set my sights on the third son of the ○○○ Family. Any woman who tries to get in the way had better be prepared to fight me, or kill me first.'
Failing to catch this ambiguous signal was why dozens of gloves came flying at faces every single year.
"……."
Having followed that train of thought all the way to its end, Penelope became slightly on edge.
She wasn't quite sure why. But she felt a certain sense of urgency.
Come to think of it, it was a little peculiar.
Say the Saint had come to conduct the Consecration personally because she was modest and knew how to humble herself. But would a Saint as wonderful as that really casually ask for Cola to be supplied to her own convent?
Perhaps she had had some other motive from the very beginning?
……Such as, perhaps, finding Jurgen tremendously to her liking.
Just as a hostile glint was beginning to form in the corner of Penelope's eyes—who had welcomed this situation as perfectly timed—
―Clack
"Now, having a meal without me—that's a bit much. I'm quite hurt, quite hurt indeed."
The security team leader recently hired, Dominic, stepped in. He had been out investigating the Demon Realm on Jurgen's errand, but had somehow arrived with impeccable timing, right at mealtime.
"Oh?"
Despite appearing to be an idle layabout, Aiden—a veteran of the elite special forces—had immediately swept Saint Stella from head to toe. Checking whether the unfamiliar guest had any concealed weapons, or whether she was a wanted figure.
And then he felt it. The person fated to be his has been here all along.
"My, I sensed a floral fragrance filling the house, and indeed there was a beautiful bloom within it. My lady, what might your name be?"
Aiden abruptly brushed himself down and spoke in a slick, resonant voice. Stella covered her mouth as she laughed, then answered.
"Thank you for the kind words. I'm called Stella."
"Even your name is as beautiful as a star……. Hm? Stella? But that's the Saint's name."
―Crash!
The sound of glass shattering rang out without warning. It was the sound of Serena, arriving late with the Cola, dropping her glass.
The look in Serena's eyes as she stared at Aiden with her mouth agape was that of someone watching a madman making advances on a Saint.
"……."
"……."
"……."
Everyone fell silent.
Aiden's eyes darted about wildly.
"S, so, Miss Penelope. It isn't her, is it?"
"It's the Saint herself."
Aiden had sensed something was off by this point, but it was already too late.
"Aaargh! I am so sorry! This lowly wretch was ignorant of his place!"
"It is all right, brother."
"From today I will attend church diligently and give offerings……!"
"A wise decision. The Lord's embrace is open to all."
Aiden prostrating himself on his knees in mortification, and Stella seizing the opportunity for a surprise round of proselytisation.
"Phew."
Watching the chemical reaction between the three of them, Penelope recalled 'oh right, clergy can't marry, can they?' and let out a quiet sigh amid the confusion.