Episode 38
After wandering around for about two hours, Chloe and I returned near the temple. The Saintess still hadn’t come out, and she was nowhere to be seen.
By the way, who knew my face was this good-looking? My confidence is overflowing like never before.
Thinking about it, it’s probably obvious. The body I’ve possessed is, after all, the protagonist, right? The main character and the heroine are supposed to be good-looking to make things enjoyable.
…At this rate, wouldn’t polygamy be totally doable?
“Looks like the Saintess hasn’t come out yet.”
“Yeah, seems like it’s taking a bit longer.”
There’s something I want to ask that woman.
“Hero, should we go into the restaurant next door for now? We’ve snacked enough that we’re not hungry, but sitting down somewhere might be better.”
“Hmm… sure.”
I’ll just nibble on some simple soup or something. Chloe and I stepped into the restaurant near the temple.
“Welcome… oh my!”
The staff seemed a bit surprised. I used to think those reactions were for the Saintess, but they were actually for me.
Especially since the staff member who just reacted was a woman, it was even clearer. How could I not have realized this handsome face until now… I’m an idiot.
Anyway, Chloe and I sat down and looked at the menu. Where’s the soup section…?
Just then, we heard a clink as something was placed in front of us. Raising my head at the sound of a plate being set down, there was a steaming bowl of soup. Next to it was a smiling staff member.
“We haven’t ordered yet?”
“It’s on the house! Take your time deciding on your meal.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The staff member stepped aside to let us look at the menu comfortably.
This restaurant has great service. I was satisfied with the friendly service, but Chloe’s gaze seemed a bit off.
“…Chloe?”
“Be careful with that woman. She’s after you, Hero.”
“…What?”
What does that mean?
“She’s a fox trying to snatch you up. Be careful.”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden…?”
“It’s weird for a restaurant to give out meals for free like that. She’s trying to win your favor by acting all nice.”
“…Isn’t it just a freebie?”
“There’s no soup on the other tables. If it were a common freebie, it’d be on all the tables.”
“Maybe they cleared it already…?”
“No, they didn’t!”
…Okay.
Chloe crossed her arms and let out a deep sigh.
“This is all because you’re so handsome. Haven’t you noticed reactions like this before?”
“…Uh… no, I haven’t.”
This is for real. I’ve never experienced this before?
Chloe thought for a moment, then nodded a couple of times as if she’d figured something out.
“…I get it now. It’s probably because the Saintess was always by your side.”
“The Saintess?”
What did she do? All she ever does is give me a hard time.
“The Saintess must’ve been keeping people with ulterior motives away from you. She’d glare at them so fiercely that the women couldn’t do anything.”
…Is that so?
Thinking about it, until now, even when I met unfamiliar women, they’d only react with surprise. I don’t remember ever receiving anything like this.
Was it all because the Saintess was keeping them in check?
Damn it, why would she do something so unnecessary! My rosy life…!
“So, Hero, don’t just smile at anyone. You’ll attract weird women. The only ones you should smile at are me and the Saintess.”
“…That’s not how it works.”
“It is! Are two people not enough for you?”
“Two people…? Why is the Saintess even included in this?”
“Huh?…Oh, you don’t know.”
What? Don’t start with stuff only you know.
“If you don’t know, that’s fine by me. Then you can just smile at me~”
“No.”
“Why not!”
“You’re supposed to smile at people you meet for the first time to make a good impression. I’m the Hero, so I need to make a good impression on others.”
“…You’re hitting me with logic, so I’ve got nothing to say.”
For some reason, Chloe let out a big sigh and flipped through the menu before asking.
“What are you going to eat, Hero? You were going to have soup, but it’s already here.”
“Hmm… should we order something for the Saintess? She’ll probably come out soon, and we’ve already eaten a lot.”
“Not a bad idea. Then something that’s fine even if it gets a bit cold…”
#
“Saintess, it was an honor to meet you.”
“Saintess! See you next time!”
“Take care on your way back, everyone.”
After the service, Estelle finally managed to free herself after dealing with all the followers who came to see her. As she did, Cardinal Johan approached her.
“You’ve worked hard, Saintess.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Haha, don’t hate me too much. Please understand this servant’s heart, wishing for the happiness of the Goddess’s followers.”
“I’m joking. So, is there anything else you need?”
“Ah, this isn’t a personal request, but there’s an order from the Church.”
At the word “order,” Estelle tilted her head.
“An order?”
“It’s an order issued not just to our Church, but to all Churches. It seems the Saintess of the Rudria Church has disappeared. We’re to report immediately if she’s found.”
“…What?”
The Saintess of the Rudria Church was the one traveling with Hero Levius. She’s disappeared?
“Why would the Saintess of the Rudria Church disappear?”
“It seems there was a conflict with the Hero. Before this happened, Hero Levius had a serious argument with Hero Elfride.”
“…What does that have to do with it?”
“The Saintess of the Rudria Church intervened to stop Levius. The Rudria Church thinks that might be the reason.”
Estelle pondered, resting her chin on her hand.
“I see. If I come across the Saintess of the Rudria Church while I’m out, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you. Are you planning to head out now?”
“Yes, I should. I’ll come back once the search is over.”
“Take care on your way.”
As Cardinal Johan bowed politely, Estelle returned the gesture. Then, she left the temple and hurried off to find Abel.
‘I’m worried. That sly cat might’ve done something to the Hero.’
Entering the restaurant closest to the Athene Temple, Estelle immediately found Abel. He was sitting at a table with Chloe, with food ordered but untouched.
“Hero?”
“Ah, you’re here?”
“Why did you order food but not eat it?”
“This is for you, Saintess. I ordered it ahead of time so you could eat right away. It hasn’t been out long, so it’s not cold yet.”
Estelle saw the food Abel pointed out. Excluding dishes like stew that cool down too quickly, there were foods like pies that stayed warm longer, all laid out nicely.
It was prepared so Estelle could eat right away when she arrived. Touched by their thoughtfulness, Estelle felt a warm glow in her heart.
“Really… how do you always do such sweet things?♥”
Estelle chuckled happily and said, “You know I can’t eat this much, right?”
“Ah, is that so?”
“I told you, Hero, it feels like you ordered way too much.”
Abel awkwardly smiled at Chloe’s scolding. Though the amount of food was too much for Estelle alone, she was still grateful for their kindness. Earlier, she had worried Chloe might cut in line, but now that seemed like a silly thought.
Watching the two, Estelle smiled faintly.
“Let’s eat together.”
“…Huh?”
“…Huh?”
Estelle tilted her head, confused. She had simply suggested eating together, so why were Abel and Chloe so flustered?
“What did you eat?”
“Ah, well. I was hungry, so I had a bit, haha…”
So, they only ordered for themselves. Estelle sighed and said, “I see. I don’t like leaving food, but I guess there’s no choice.”
“Then I’ll have some.”
“No need~. If the Hero turns into a pig, that’d be a disaster♡”
“I’m not the type to gain weight easily…”
Estelle chuckled softly.
“Really, it’s fine. Don’t push yourself, no need to worry.”
“…Okay.”
#
After finishing her meal, the Saintess shared what she had heard with us.
“If we follow the barley distribution route, we might find it, right?”
“It’s not confirmed, but the possibility is high.”
“Then how should we search?”
“Let’s split up. Chloe, it’s dangerous, so stay here.”
“I want to search too!”
Chloe insisted, not wanting to be left out while we did the work. The Saintess looked troubled.
“Chloe, if you get caught while tracking the distribution network, everything will fall apart.”
“Then if I find the network, I’ll report back to you immediately without touching anything! And I can definitely protect myself!”
“…Sigh, fine.”
Seems the Saintess is weak to Chloe’s persistence.
“Hero, you take the east. I’ll handle the south and center. Chloe, you take the west.”
“What about the north?”
“The royal palace is in the north~. I told you earlier, but you forgot? Your memory is worse than a goldfish’s, Hero~♡”
…Ah, right. That’s true.
I forgot again and ended up hearing that nonsense. Am I an idiot?
“Wear this when you go investigate.”
The Saintess handed us black cloaks with hoods. I guess this is to hide our faces.
“Hero, use this cloth too.”
“What’s this for?”
“To hide the Holy Sword. If they see a pure white greatsword, they might suspect us.”
“Ah.”
That makes sense. The Saintess is really meticulous about these things.
I wrapped the Holy Sword with the cloth, put on the cloak, and said, “…Shall we head out then?”
“Yes, come back here when you’re done. Let’s meet in three hours. If someone doesn’t show up, the rest will go looking for them.”
“Got it.”
“Okay!”
After leaving the restaurant and parting ways, I headed to the eastern district based on the Saintess’s information.
The eastern district of Athene was a commercial area. Besides regular grocery stores, there were clothing shops, weapon shops, and many others.
With so many shops, it’ll be tough to find anything.
“…Let’s start over there.”
No need to rush. We’ll find it eventually. Think of it like hunting monsters.
After a couple of hours, I was slowly getting closer. I found myself in a shady back alley. Are there shops here too?
The barley distribution route mentioned a grocery store here, but it doesn’t seem like the right place…
“…This is suspicious.”
I steeled myself and moved forward. As soon as I did, I felt a presence behind me and twisted my body instinctively.
I grabbed the arm coming from behind and flipped the person over.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The guy I flipped had a knife in his hand. Damn, I almost got stabbed?
“Attacking someone in broad daylight… huh?”
Looking closer, the guy had a black mark on his hand, like a tattoo. It seemed to indicate his affiliation.
…Is this it?
If this guy is part of the group we’re looking for, I can use this situation to my advantage. I cleared my throat and spoke to the man on the ground.
“…I came to buy something, and I get ambushed? Is this how you treat customers these days?”
“…Huh?”
“Can’t even understand when spoken to once. No wonder I’m not impressed with your group.”
The man was wearing a mask, but I could tell from his eyes—he was clearly panicking.
My guess was right. This guy was part of the group distributing the Transformational Stone.
Still flustered, the man seemed to process my words, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.
“Ah, my apologies! I didn’t realize you were a customer! Please forgive me!”
…Every day?
“…That person had other business today, so I came instead. Since it’s my first time here, you’ll guide me.”
“Of course! Right this way.”
“…Good.”
Things are going smoother than expected… Hope nothing goes wrong.
