Chapter 83 - Episode 26: "Welcome Home!"
Gokigenyou. I am Violia Nico Fortesia.
I was acting as the Saint's secretary for about three days. However, today, on the fourth day, the Saint finally collapsed from the mental strain. She cannot fulfill her role as a Saint like this, can she?
...Therefore, as a well-meaning third party protecting the Cathedral, I have decided to cooperate in the search for a new Saint. Ohohohoho.
"Keeb! It's your turn!"
"No."
I was immediately and flatly refused. Well, I knew that. I thought it would be very fun if I could make Keeb the next Saint, but well, it can't be helped. I shall find a suitable person and push them into the position of the next Saint.
"But I'm sure it would look so good on you..."
The spare holy garments I took from the Saint's closet are white and fluffy, and very lovely. They combine purity and cuteness; I am certain they would suit Keeb perfectly. Yes.
"At least just the veil! Hey, Keeb! Won't you try it on!?"
"Then you should wear it, Violia! It'd suit you better!"
...
"Does it suit me?"
"Ah, you actually put it on..."
H-how rude! I just thought I'd like to try wearing it once, so it can't be helped! The Saint's holy garment is a luxurious creation, like wearing one dress made of thick fabric in a straight silhouette over another dress layered with plenty of white silk. Combined with the brilliance of the gold and silver thread embroidery, how should I put it, yes. It is a very wonderful outfit. Yes.
"I realized after trying it on, but as I thought, the Saint is just a decoration, isn't she? This holy garment is so hard to move in, it's unbelievable."
The long, fluffy skirt is unsuitable for moving around, and the veil edged with fine lace seems like it would get caught on something immediately. Besides, white makes dirt stand out, doesn't it...
"I suppose because there was originally no need to do work, the Saint's holy garment is made this way. I understand now that I've worn it."
The parts that touch the skin are all fluffy and soft, so it's not uncomfortable to wear, but it is uncomfortable to move in! It's the type of clothing I cannot master!
"It's no good. I'm the one wearing it, but this outfit doesn't suit me."
Darker colors suit me better than pure white. I admire this kind of clothing, but it doesn't really suit me...
"...It's not that it doesn't suit you."
"Oh?"
However, it seems it was reasonably well-received by Keeb.
"Why don't you wear stuff like that sometimes? Lately, it's been nothing but armor."
"If there's a full-face holy garment, I'll consider it."
...Ah, in a sense, is a veil like a full-face helmet? In places where armor is too imposing, this kind of attire is certainly an option, isn't it...
"I mean, Violia, you were originally a young lady, right? Don't you want to wear clothes like that?"
"Well, I don't dislike them. The feeling of longing for beautiful dresses and glamorous attire is natural. But I also like shooting down dragons with arrows while riding a horse in pants."
"...Hmph. I see."
Keeb made a slightly complicated face and then mumbled something in his mouth.
"Well then, I shall go change back."
"Eh, already?"
"I cannot go outside in this outfit."
If I went outside in this, it would be like announcing myself as the Saint. Naturally, I have no intention of doing that. If I became the next Saint, I would be on the guillotine the moment I was inaugurated. And then the next Saint would be called in again. My death would be in vain.
"...I feel like it's a bit of a waste, though."
Keeb says such cute things while pinching the lace work on the hem of the fluffy veil! Ah, how cute! He is cute! He really is cute!
"Ah. Then would you like to try wearing this? With this color, I feel it would actually suit you better!"
"No."
But he still hates that part, doesn't he!?
...But, someday. Someday, I will definitely make Keeb wear this! Silky black hair and pure white clothing! I'm sure it would suit him perfectly!
"Therefore, we shall install a Saint."
"You're actually going to do that."
I will. My relationship with the Cathedral didn't end with burning that Hornbone bastard.
...After all, the strength of the Cathedral is that it is an institution that can interfere in politics. There is no institution other than the Cathedral that can swing the justification of 'the will of the people' to complain about the Royal administration!
"Therefore, I would very much like to take the Cathedral into my hands."
"As expected of my sister! To set your sights on the Cathedral is quite something! I didn't think you could actually pull it off, though."
If I had accidentally burned down the Cathedral, I wouldn't have been able to do this. Yes. If we keep the shape of the Cathedral as it is and just replace the inside entirely, we can maintain its function as the Cathedral while practically being able to behave as we wish. As I thought, it was the right choice not to burn the Cathedral!
"The problem is, who will we make the Saint?"
"That's true. We could choose from among the adventurers, but that feels a bit off."
"And in the first place, we have few female acquaintances. Sadly."
Whether it's sad or not, it is inconvenient... Well, most things can be managed if Keeb cross-dresses.
"Look, there was that one person. Saki-san, was it? The one in charge of putting on the slave collars. How about her?"
"Saki-sama is a wonderful person, but a Saint with a cigarette in her mouth is somehow not right."
Moreover, this time, simply being a female acquaintance is not enough. They must fit the image of a 'Saint-sama'!
"Keeb really fits the image perfectly, though..."
"I told you it's 'Saintess'! Give it a rest!"
Well, I've given up on that... Ah, if only Keeb were a girl!
"Then, how about using slaves? Rather, I think there is no other way."
In the end, Doran gave a perfectly reasonable opinion.
"Well, since we were able to raise one sister, we should be able to manage somehow..."
"Ah, there was that girl who played the sister. We shouldn't have let that slave go. Wasn't it a waste?"
"But when we were creating a scandal for House Hornbone, if the opponent was a slave, it would have been obvious that it was a setup, and it wouldn't have even become a scandal for half-amusement..."
Since I have already released those girls, I must find new talent... I hope there are suitable beautiful girls in the slave market.
"Beautiful girls? Didn't you just buy a large number of them the other day?"
"I've already released all of those girls..."
I visited Saki-sama, but come to think of it, just last week, I had bought every available beautiful girl and boy in this manner!
"I've got quite a few sturdy men coming in, though."
"I don't need a sturdy Saint-sama!"
What terrible timing! Ah, if only I had a bit more foresight, I would have kept one beautiful girl...
"...Well, that's how it is. If you need someone urgently, you'd better check elsewhere."
"I understand..."
Saki-sama told me so as well, so I shall at least give up on immediately purchasing a beautiful girl slave within Elsemarin. That means either going to the Royal Capital or truly searching among the adventurers...
"Why not just put out a request at the Adventurer Guild for beautiful girls?"
...
"That's it!"
And so, I ended up using the Adventurer Guild as a requester for the first time.
"I see. Rank doesn't matter. The conditions are a woman with refined features or a beautiful boy. And to be somewhat familiar with holy scripture. It is desirable to be a current sister, but the current profession doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter if they were a slave in the past. Self-recommendations and recommendations by others are both greatly welcome. These are the conditions, right?"
"Yes. Please make the request with those conditions!"
I had the Guild Master write up a request with those conditions! With this, I'm sure a wide range of sister-like beautiful girls will gather!
...If that girl I'm aiming for comes... it would be the best.
Three days since I put out the request at the Guild. I was waiting for news while training the sturdy men I bought from Saki-sama to become Holy Knights of the Cathedral...
"Young lady! It seems a message came to the Guild!"
"Eh, really!?"
I stopped my hand that was swinging the whip and immediately received the letter from Giovan. ...It was a resume, or rather, a self-recommendation letter.
Appearance: long silver hair and blue eyes. Because she was protected by a church in the past, she can recite holy scripture. She was a slave in the past but currently holds citizen status.
...Hired!
"Sensei! It's been a long time!"
Three days after I sent the hiring notice. At the city gate of Elsemarin, I was receiving a passionate embrace from the beautiful girl who had stepped down from the carriage.
"Sensei! I came too!"
"Ah, Sensei! I am happy to see you!"
"I've gone back to being a boy, but if there's any work, I'll do anything."
"I'm still a girl! I'll do anything!"
...And one after another, beautiful girls and boys, a total of ten people, stepped down from the carriage! Yes! The slaves I had released all ended up coming back after all!
Apparently, after they were disbanded in the Royal Capital, they intended to register at the Adventurer Guild in the Royal Capital and be active using the money I gave them as a reward. Certainly, there was a girl who was a bow user. Even simple monster hunting should be possible for them, and if there was a request like the one I put out this time, they could take it. Yes. They truly made a good choice...!
"Then, I have a request for you all immediately."
Now, since there are ten wonderful beautiful girls (though one has gone back to being a boy), there is only one thing to do!
"I'm going to have you all fill up the upper levels of the Cathedral."
And while making the Cathedral a den of beautiful girls, I will have you all build an institution for me to meddle in the Royal administration of this country!