Volume 11 Chapter 7 Saint Lydia's Job III
"The many Saints have changed their roles based on the king and the Great Temple's policies at that time."
──That's what my dad said.
This is not a fluffy white puppy, but Mr. Arjuna, a man with black hair and white skin.
My dad only turns back into Mr. Arjuna when he takes a bath.
He said it's because being a dog is inconvenient.
When the maids of the Rest Priest Family washed him, he was still a puppy, but I try not to think about it too much.
My dad must have his reasons too.
For my dad, who has lived a long time, everyone, including me, is like a grandchild.
I want to believe he doesn't actually want to be pampered by the cute maids.
Anyway, since my dad has turned back into Mr. Arjuna, it means he just got out of the bath.
While drinking bottled milk and warming up, he continues to share his grateful stories.
This is at Sir Ciel's home, in Lobelia.
It's a living space at the back of the first floor.
There's a fireplace and a sofa.
Unlike the previous messy house──or rather, the ruins──this stylish room is clean and organized, completely reflecting Mr. Lucian's taste.
Mr. Lucian, who can't stand dirt, has thoroughly cleaned and arranged stylish furniture, even adding some houseplants.
It has become a very comfortable space.
In the basket on the table, there are stuffed animals of little squirrels and black cats.
These were made by the members of the palace craft club.
By the way, it seems the head of the palace craft club is Mr. Leavis.
Mr. Leavis often knits matching shawls and hats for Eir-Eir and the others.
They are carefully stored in a beautiful jewelry box.
The jewelry box was given to me by Mx. Margaret as an apology for lying.
I'm not really worried about it anymore, but Mx. Margaret is a little concerned.
According to Mx. Margaret, 'You see, I'm quite sensitive.'
"From what I've seen, there have been times when Saints fought over rights with the king and the Temple. The power of a Saint is valuable. After all, it's the power of the goddess Alexandria. Technically, she's not a goddess, but an immortal."
"Dad, you've said until now that such things are a secret."
"Ah. I thought you all needed to realize the truth for yourselves. If I, who know everything, interfere, my will would mix in. I didn't want to make you my puppets... and also, I couldn't give hope to humans."
With his upper body bare and steam rising from his body, Mr. Arjuna said this with a serious expression.
By the way, he has a towel wrapped around his waist.
Sir Ciel is cheerful as always, while Mr. Lucian listens with an indescribable expression.
On my lap, Eir-Eir, Ms. Famine, Nel-Nel, and Med are all crowded together.
Everyone listened to Mr. Arjuna's story with serious faces.
SylSyl (their mothers) is sleeping on a large pancake cushion, holding Mer-Mer's tail.
"Dad, I appreciate the valuable story, but I can't concentrate with you looking like that."
"Whether I'm a cute puppy or a handsome adult man, my words are still my words. If you get flustered over something like this, you can't be a knight of the Saints."
"That's true. Sorry for saying unnecessary things, please continue."
"As long as you understand. Milk after a bath is great. Lydia, please get some coffee milk next time."
"After all, it's delicious, milk after a bath. I'm torn between that and coffee milk."
"Tarte Tatin."
With a smack, Ms. Famine hit my hand with her tail.
I think she was reminding me that this isn't the time for such discussions.
"Is it correct to say that dad couldn't have hope in humans because the king monopolized the Saint's rights and the Temple monopolized the Saint's power?"
"Yes. You're quick to understand, Ciel. That's right."
"People never change, no matter the era, huh? ...Ms. Lydia could have ended up like that if things had gone wrong."
"Really...? What would have happened?"
"For example, being imprisoned deep in the Great Temple or being told to use your power only for the king. If you could heal all diseases, injuries, and curses, then human life would become eternal. The only reason for death would be old age. Human desires are endless. They would then demand the Saint to grant them immortality."
I shivered at Sir Ciel's words.
I can't imagine King Zeere, Sir Stefan, my father, or Mother doing such things, but have past Saints suffered terribly?
If Mr. Arjuna has seen such scenes, it's no wonder he feels disgusted.
"Yes. That's true. In fact, the royal family hid the friction with Kirschtein. They also imprisoned Sylphina during the red moon. Throughout history, there have been Saints who used their power for the people, but they are just a handful. I chose to live in seclusion, staying close to the Saint as a holy beast that couldn't speak, just watching."
"Dad, you said you came to me because you felt sorry for me."
"Yes. You were so pitiful. Also, it was I who sealed your power at Tiansa's request. I had that responsibility. ...So, it's your choice how to use the Saint's power, Lydia."
This conversation started because SylSyl appeared before me, and the red moon disappeared.
But that doesn't mean monsters have vanished from the Kingdom.
The abnormal occurrence of monsters──while the Tears of the Rose have stopped happening frequently, the monsters that remain on the land continue to act as usual.
Just like the Gem's People that were born from Sylphina are independent beings, Sir Ciel said that the monsters also seem to create their own ecosystems.
The future goal of Saintwise has changed from investigating the relationship between monsters and the red moon to studying the monsters' ecosystems instead.
I was worried about what I should do.
I like being a cook at Lobelia.
But I feel like that alone isn't enough.
If I have healing powers, I want to help those in need.
"What makes you different from the past Saints is the manifestation of your magic. You can turn your healing power into food. This means you can give it to someone as a long-lasting medicine."
"Ah! I think I can do that. I gave candy to a girl from the Gem's People at Edelstein. Until now, the candy and rice balls fell from the sky, but they disappeared quickly. However, the candy didn't vanish."
"That must be your unique power. Magic is about feelings. Feelings take shape. In your case... it's like cooking at a restaurant and then giving someone a lunchbox so they can enjoy a delicious meal at home."
"I see..."
"...Indeed, Ms. Lydia often worried about my diet and delivered meals to me. She said many times that they last long, so I should share them."
"...I never had that kind of experience, Sir Ciel."
Mr. Lucian said with dissatisfaction in response to Sir Ciel's muttering.
"That's because Mr. Lucian is someone who lives properly."
"If I could get attention from Lydia, I should have lived a more indulgent life."
"I don't think I'm particularly indulgent."
"I've seen the disaster at my home. If that's not indulgent, then what is? Are you some kind of vampire living in ruins?"
"...That's true. This house is very clean now, but if I were alone, I'm sure it would return to that state in 3 days."
"I feel like I shouldn't leave Sir Ciel alone. Don't worry, Sir Ciel, Mr. Lucian and I will take care of the cleaning."
"Thank you, Ms. Lydia."
I looked up at Sir Ciel and smiled.
We can't leave Sir Ciel alone.
Mr. Lucian sighed, but he doesn't seem to mind too much.
I think Mr. Lucian likes to keep the house tidy.
So maybe cleaning is his hobby.
"Dad, thank you. If my power can be shared with someone, then I should just distribute it, right?"
I should consult with the father at the Great Temple.
I'm sure there must be a good way to do it.
──To make my power useful for everyone, I need to work harder.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)