CH 13

After the nap incident at the bedding store, Hirune was squeezed hard.

It was a week of hour-long sermons and cleaning the thousand-hall corridor.

(It was a mistake not to tell Wanda. …… I made her worry.)

A week had passed since then, and it was treasure day again.

Hirune was sitting at her post in the center, staring up at the high ceiling in a daze. On the ceiling was a picture of the sky and Sophia, the goddess of holy magic.

‘Hirune, you’re not going to the bedding store today.”

Holly, who had just popped up, shook her blue hair and gave her a stare.

Hirune nodded vigorously.

“It’s okay,” she said. The sermon has sunk in.”

“Really? I’m sure you forget most things after you sleep.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“You don’t have to say it.”

Holly sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“’I was looking all over for you you know. Next time, you’ll have to report to someone before you go. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hmm? That’s odd. It’s not safe to go out. I’ll go crazy with Hirune in front of me. …… Anyway, it’s against the rules to go out without permission.”

As she listened to Holly, she began to feel sleepy. She let out a big yawn.

“And the bishop of the main church is going to be here today. If you do your job well here, there is a good chance you will be promoted to saint. Do you understand?”

“Ahh ……, that’s right …… fwaaaaah.”

“That’s a big yawn.”

Holly shrugged her shoulders and went back to her post.

A few moments later, Wanda, the educator, gave the order and the patients came in.

Hirune healed them one by one.

(Huh, is someone watching me?)

When she had used holy magic on the tenth patient, she felt a gaze and turned her eyes in that direction to see a bishop wearing more gorgeous vestments than a priest staring at her. He seemed to be an examiner.

（If he’s a Bishop, he’s lower in rank than Archbishop Zekyutos. I’ve been told to be careful because some people are not from my faction. …… That guy doesn’t seem to be on the side of Zekyutos-san.)

Rather than judging, he seems to be looking for rough edges.

(Well, there’s no point in worrying about it. Yes, life-detection magic – he’s bruised all over, I’m going to  need to give it a strong cure..)

The magic circle shines brightly, and stardust is sucked into the patient.

The patient, a cleaner of the outer wall, seems to have fallen and been injured.

“Thank you very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t thank you enough for taking care of me, Hirune-sama. I’ll be talking about it for generations to come.”

“Is that so? Please say that she’s an amazing saint okay.”

“Yes, I will.”

The man smiled at Hirune’s innocent smile and left with a completely different gait than when he had arrived.

The next patient was cured in three minutes. And so was the next patient.

The bishop, the examiner, couldn’t hide his surprise at how well she was doing, and his movements froze.

After treating several patients, the bishop stopped the flow of patients assigned to Hirune and spoke to her.

“You’re Hirune, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am Uncle with nice silver hair. What is your name?”

The bishop does indeed have beautiful hair. He must be in his late thirties or forties.

The bishop was taken aback by Hirune’s lack of self-consciousness and opened his mouth after coughing a few times.

“I am Bishop Mamillan. Hirune, you omit verses from the scriptures, when did you learn to do that?”

“I’ve been able to do it since the beginning.”

Hirune looks up at Bishop Mamillan with hazy eyes.

“Well….it’s a …… wonderful holy magic, more than I’ve heard rumors about.”

“Thank you. Thank you to the Goddess.”

“Good point. Remember to be grateful.”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re an orphan aren’t you? Wouldn’t you like to have parents?”

“Parents?”

Hirune looked up at the ceiling.

(Hmm, I hadn’t thought about it. In my previous life, my father died early and I don’t remember him, and if I had a new mother, I wouldn’t be able to tell her that she’s my mother from now on. …… Besides, my mother in this world seems to be the goddess. )(It was very warm when we hugged each other in the mysterious space.)

As she groaned at the idea, Bishop Mamillan took a step closer.

“Would you like to be adopted by me? It will be better for you if you have a solid backing.”

“Adopted by the bishop?”

“Yes.”

Bishop Mamillan seemed to be serious about it.

It seems that he was struck by the sight of Hirune in person.

The blue eyes that sparkled like a sea of stars are pointed at the bishop, and Hirune blinks repeatedly without a crack. She looked at him with pure eyes, and for some reason, Bishop Mamillan felt guilty. like he was cheating a child who doesn’t know any better.

“I don’t know if you can tell this Hirune, but …… your guardian, Archbishop Zekyutos, and I are of different factions. I’m under Archbishop Zappan, and he asked me to bring you into his fold.”

I noticed that his true intention was spilling out of his mouth.

“You mean you want me to change my guardian?”

Hirune tilts her head.

Bishop Mamillan shakes his head.

“No. Guardianship is not something that can be easily broken because of its restrictions. So I’m hoping to strengthen our connection with you by adopting another connection …….”

Unbeknownst to Hirune, there seems to be an active growing political movement within the church.

(So that’s how it is. …… Hmm, his adopted child. ……)

She looks up at the man with the beautiful silver hair, who is speaking to her for the first time.

Bishop Mamillan flinched at Hirune’s straight gaze. He, too, was a man of boldness who had completed various training and had risen through the ranks of the church’s many relationships. But in front of Hirune, it was meaningless. In the face of such a pure mass that was Hirune, he felt himself to be a diminutive being.

“I’m sorry, but I have to decline.”

Hirune bowed politely.

(I know in my gut that he’s not a bad person, but I can’t get the stern face of Archbishop Zekyutos out of my mind.)

“I see…….”

Bishop Mamillan’s shoulders slumped as he made a wistful sound, as if he had been rejected by someone he admired.

“It’s the first time we’ve met and…… there’s no way around it. Let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Well, take care of yourself. I’m sure someone will come back to ask you, just like I did. If you have any problems, you can always ask for help. I’ll be in the Meteor Room of the main church. Take good care of yourself.”

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

This is exactly what happens when a mummy-catcher becomes a mummy.

Bishop Mamillan had come to create an opportunity for the adoption of a child, but now he wondered if there was anything he could do for Hirune. He didn’t care about adoption anymore. If it was for her, he would gladly step aside. Eventually, he began to worry that someone would take her away, even though she was so relaxed.

Bishop Mamillan nodded his head in satisfaction, made the holy seal in front of his chest, and left.

But then he remembered something and came back.

“I forgot something important. I’ll recommend your elevation to sainthood. The same goes for the light blue-haired Holly. You will make wonderful saints.”

“Me and Holly? I’m so glad.”

Hirune smiled and bowed her head.

“Mm.”

Bishop Mamillan also smiled and nodded.

“We have high hopes for you,” he said. “As the youngest, the whole city will be very happy and bustling.”

“So we’re the youngest?”

(I’m getting closer to becoming a great saint. One step closer to the lazy life of my dreams…..!)

Hirune’s face beamed as she dreamed of three meals, a nap, and no work.

Bishop Mamillan’s face tightened as he looked at Hirune.

“Lastly, let’s look at the prayers of you and Holly. In order to recommend you for sainthood, the examiners have to see you pray with their own eyes.”

“Prayers?”

“Yes.”

()

Hurriedly, Hirune and Holly decided to pray at the center

They’ve already finished their work, so there’s no problem.

(I already want to go to sleep, but …… let’s go to sleep with holy magic ……)

“You’re not going to snore, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll wake you if it gets too bad.”

Holly whispered and the two knelt down in front of the statue of the goddess.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes.’

“Yes.”

Holly and Hirune nodded and closed their eyes at Bishop Mamillan’s words.

Holly is an excellent girl, so she looked good. Her prayers to the saints were serious.

Hirune, on the other hand…

(Holy magic …… physical manipulation–, immobilize …… good night)

She fixed her body in a prayer pose with flowing holy magic and went to sleep.

Light streamed in through the high ceiling windows.

Glittering stardust began to dance from the magic circle of scripture carved into the special floor.

“…… soo …… soo …… soo ……”

Holly’s eyebrows twitched as Hirune’s breathing became irregular.

Even so, from the side, the two of them looked like splendid saints, even though they were girls. The stardust revealed a lot of magic, and no one would think that Hirune was dozing off.

Bishop Mamillan looked at the two future leaders and slowly made the holy seal.

He offered a prayer of thanks to the Goddess Sophia for sending these girls.

When the patients who came to the clinic saw the two praying in front of the statue of the Goddess, they all hung their heads and made the holy seal again and again.

…… soo …… soo ……”

(…… fluffy …… bed …… juicy apple …… Jeanne…… ah ……)

Even with everyone’s attention on her, Hirune dozed off in a prayer pose and dreamed of Jeanne feeding her a jewel apple.