Chapter 116

You think I’d believe there’s a monastery on some remote island?

This place called Saint Lezhena Island was also where the saint once known as Saint Lezhena herself was born.

While this could be considered a holy site, it wasn’t exactly something openly advertised.

After all, Saint Lezhena’s death had been a bit of an embarrassment for the Church, and the truth about it was kept hidden for a long time.

It wasn’t until 90 years later that she was finally canonized as a saint, but does that mean the sins of those who came before—be they common folk or churchgoers—are just gonna vanish?

Not quite. Instead, following the wishes of the Pope at the time to uncover the truth and use it as a moment of reflection, a massive renovation project took place here.

That’s why this place, Saint Lezhena Monastery, also serves as a memorial to her in its own way.

And nowadays? This tiny little island with nothing more than a modest mountain and a nearby seaside village is pretty much off the beaten path.

No lighthouse around, no regular shipping routes passing by—basically, unless you go outta your way, you’re not ending up here by accident.

Even if you do get off the boat and onto the island, you’ve gotta walk a good while into the mountains before the monastery even comes into view.

Still, it’s got a decent setup compared to those smaller, more ceremonial monasteries.

The most eye-catching feature? Definitely the cathedral.

Even though it’s not massive, you can tell right away that way more effort went into building this compared to your average small-town church.

Then, branching off from the cathedral like diagonal lines are what look like dormitory buildings on either side, and directly across from the cathedral’s front is a rather cramped-looking circular tower.

These four structures—the cathedral, two dorms, and the tower—form a kind of courtyard between them.

Through the center, you’ve got access to all four buildings, making this the only shared space for anyone staying at the monastery.

Even though the dorms face each other, their roles are clearly divided.

On the west side, you’ve got the bathhouse and, uh, facilities for… personal needs. You know, bathrooms.

Over on the east side, there’s the refectory—or “energy restoration room,” as they call it—and the library cum scriptorium, where all the writing happens.

The sleeping quarters are split between group rooms and individual cells, with strict separation.

But there’s one exception: the circular tower.

Technically, it’s the penitence chamber within the monastery.

Or, as some might whisper behind closed doors, the “prison tower.”

Penitence, meaning a deep and sincere regret over one’s sins, implies a serious commitment when entering here—it’s almost like a personal declaration of repentance.

However, these days, it’s become more of a punishment for those within the walls who’ve messed up, stripping them of their freedom.

Sure, conditions might be better than a jail cell, but it’s still pretty rough. Most people end up mentally drained after spending time there.

There’s faint light coming through cracks in the walls, and while it seems well-ventilated, when it gets chilly, you’ll definitely feel it in your bones.

And when it heats up? That’s a whole different kind of torment.

But the real kicker? The sparse furnishings—a bed, a tiny desk, a chair—and the fact that the only book around is a Holy Text. And even that you’ve gotta focus on transcribing, so time flies by faster than you’d think.

Most folks figure having something to do is better than nothing…

Alesia.

For her, none of that really applies.

“Gonna die from all this writing.”

Sure, magic tools or mage artifacts could speed things up, but the old-school types here insist on doing everything by hand. They claim it’s the only way to infuse the work with soul and devotion, reaching up to the heavens.

…Which means, given her status as a saint, every single handwritten transcription Alesia produces has astronomical value.

Especially since it’s part of her penance, the worth skyrockets. Who would even think this stuff is so valuable?

History plays a role too.

Word has it an ancient saint spent years transcribing texts as a form of repentance and self-reflection, eventually achieving greatness and bringing widespread benefit to the world. People started believing her miraculous powers were infused into those texts, turning them into sacred relics.

Over time, this became a major income source for certain monasteries.

So naturally, the abbot couldn’t just let Alesia sit around doing nothing during her quasi-exile. Hence, this task was handed down to her without much fuss.

She could’ve refused, sure, but knowing she owes them something, she begrudgingly keeps at it.

“If this keeps up, I’ll probably lose any divine power I ever had and just commit blasphemy instead.”

About a year ago now.

After dragging things out, Alesia ended up in an unofficial trial and was sentenced to come here for a while to focus on penance.

Sentence?

Who decides that kinda thing anyway?

“…”

By the time she realized, rumors were already spreading everywhere.

When word got out that her actions affected areas of Carriel she didn’t even know about, Alesia initially suspected Partyna.

Turned out, though, it wasn’t her. Eventually, she learned that because their paths crossed in Carrielle and due to the miracle at Fortress Carriel, the Baroneurers family also got dragged into the mess.

Both the Empire and the Church had stirred things up big time.

Problem was, very few people actually witnessed said miracle.

Thankfully, thanks to Filbar Asubnara from the Edenlevan Legion putting in some work behind the scenes, things didn’t spiral completely out of control.

The real issue? Carriel.

Alesia had inadvertently learned that Carriel had some connection to the Demon King, leading to yet another misunderstanding.

Had she not brought back the relic after witnessing the miracle, she might’ve been in an even worse situation.

Ironically, thanks to Carriel giving her the Sword of Fortress Carriel, her sentence was somewhat reduced. Funny how life works sometimes.

For nearly a year now, aside from being unable to wander around freely, Alesia managed to keep relatively low-profile within the Church. But eventually, the delayed verdict came down, and her exile to this place was decided.

More like a request to stay quiet than actual punishment, if you ask me.

Given her history as a saint and past accomplishments, she probably wouldn’t have gotten off scot-free even if tied to the Demon King business.

“…Not quite.”

Actually, it’s thanks to someone else pulling strings.

Saint Hermine.

The Great Saint. Revered as a Mother of Saints, hero, and warrior.

Turns out, her—Saint Hermine, Carriel’s mom—asked for leniency on Alesia’s behalf. Learned about it later.

Was that the deciding factor?

Apparently, that’s why the sentencing kept getting pushed back.

Had a fellow saint not filled her in, Alesia would’ve stayed clueless about why she was treated so leniently.

Is this another scheme by the Church? Or maybe a test? Some sort of trial?

Meanwhile…

Saint Lezhena Island was also infamous as a place where saints who’d made mistakes were exiled.

Especially saints who clashed with the Church—most of them ended up here at least once.

Didn’t Hermine herself spend over 100 days praying here without water or food, inspiring everyone around her? She was around 14 at the time, right?

An ordinary person wouldn’t last half that long before collapsing or dying.

From that point on, she proved she wasn’t your average saint.

She was 14 then, they say.

Under the guise of “training” the saint, the Archbishop and Pope conspired, but instead of submitting and asking for forgiveness, she appealed directly to God.

And the result? Being rescued by warriors.

For Hermine, that incident might’ve been seen as divine guidance or revelation.

“Pretty romantic, huh?”

The nun bringing her meals told this story with such flair that listening to bits and pieces became the only real entertainment while staying here.

But now, with the stories long finished, there’s nothing left to do but reflect or daydream.

Exercise helps manage her body, but with such poor nutrition, she naturally lost weight and muscle mass.

Can’t drink alcohol, which annoyed her at first, but over time, she stopped caring.

Ultimately, life here became extremely repetitive.

Transcription work and prayer. Training and aimless daydreaming.

Not painful, not uncomfortable, but…

There’s a sense of longing, maybe frustration.

“How do they just sit there for hours like it’s nothing?”

Watching those so-called saints sit perfectly still for hours makes you wonder if they’re even human.

Alesia needs to move, to run around—it’s just her nature.

Maybe this exile is a subtle way of trying to change that.

Compared to the dark ages of religious persecution, she knows she’s getting special treatment.

Still…

I get it, but the frustration…

Keeek! Keeek!

“Seagulls?”

Why are they here when we’re not even near the coast? If it were a messenger bird, it’d be different, but that’s definitely a seagull’s cry.

But when the sound of a beak tapping against the crack reached her ears, she grew curious.

And soon enough, a small bundle of paper was tossed in.

“…”

Sending reading material? Appreciative, sure.

She untied the string and unfolded the paper to read its contents.

“Dear Sister?”

Starting a letter with that term from her vampire friend? How should she take this?

“Let’s see.”

It briefly summarized updates she missed while here.

Turns out, her friends (?) in the Baronenurs territory resolved their misunderstandings and are managing things smoothly.

Also mentioned that she wrote a book about her split from Carriel, which gained popularity in the empire. A copy was sent to her, and she’s encouraged to have the monastery friends (?) check it out.

As for Carriel… Since the incident in Soremn Village, there hasn’t been much news, but recently something might’ve happened. Still unclear, but the writer promises to update her when they find out more.

“…”

Thought I’d forgotten, but now I’m reminded again.

No, honestly, I’ve been thinking about it nonstop.

Half the day, who do you think I pray for?

Obvious.

Not bragging or anything.

“Still.”

Somebody famous once said that hearing someone’s alive is the best news you can get. Guess they were right.

That nagging unease—I mean, the unease I pretended not to notice—seems to ease a bit now.

“When will we meet again?”

He’s probably grown taller by now, right?

With the world hunting him, I can’t help but worry about how he’s handling everything.

“…”

If I had gone with him back then, what would’ve happened?

Would following him and holding him back have made things better?

Still unsure which choice would’ve been right.

But when we do meet again—and we will—I’ll ask straight up.

Was letting him go the right decision?

Or should I have insisted on going with him, no matter what?

I’ll ask.

Myself included.

And…

Him too.

Just don’t pretend you don’t know me when we meet again, alright?

What scares me most is imagining him acting like he doesn’t recognize me.

“Well…”

With a wry smile, Alesia returned to her transcription work.

Dipping her quill into the inkwell repeatedly, she focused on the task at hand, clearing her mind.

As the faint light filtering through the cracks disappeared, signaling it was time to light a candle.

This boring exile will likely continue indefinitely.

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