Chapter 141: 141 Saintess Violet
At that moment, Saintess Violet, who served the Goddess as always, was kneeling modestly before the statue with her eyes closed, offering silent prayers.
Because of her image as a Saintess, the masses often assumed she spent the entire day in the chapel, praying for the peace of the continent.
However, she was the Saintess, the proxy of the Goddess, and the existence that led the clergy and Crusaders who served Her.
While her heart desired nothing more than to offer prayers to her Goddess all day long, she was burdened with the duty of reviewing and approving various documents, including reports sent up from churches scattered across every region.
Thus, unbefitting her status as a Saintess, the time she could actually dedicate to prayer was merely three hours a day. One hour each for morning, noon, and evening combined.
Of course, when the workload was light, or when Christia Saintshield—the leader of the Crusaders who served her most closely and held a status second only to the Saintess within the Church—handled her duties for her, her prayer time would increase by thirty minutes to an hour.
To the Saintess, who took pride in the fact that her prayers could bring peace to the continent, this was a time more precious and covetable than tasting sweet honey.
Of course, today was not one of those days.
While harboring a slightly melancholic heart, she prayed for the safety of the eight Crusaders who had departed for the dark mountain ranges, wishing for the Goddess to watch over them even a little.
Beside her stood the silver-haired Knightess Christia, guarding her steadfastly as always. As holy energy began to radiate from the Saintess and fill the chapel with an auspicious aura, Christia couldn’t help but reveal a pleased smile.
Just being in contact with it made her heart feel rich, as if a hum were about to escape her lips. However, as the Knight Commander, she could not act rashly during the Saintess’s prayer time.
Christia simply gazed intently at Violet, who was praying steadfastly despite having nearly suffered a great ordeal not long ago.
"Indeed, she is holy and beautiful no matter when I look at her."
It wasn’t something Christia—who was called one of the "Two Flowers of the Goddess" along with Saintess Violet by countless men—should be saying, but she was unaware of such rumors and had no interest in them anyway.
Her only interest was the safety of the Saintess, Violet.
As if the heavens were moved by Christia’s heart, the sun, which had been hidden behind clouds, suddenly began to carefully peek its head out.
Soon, it began to send down the cozy grace of the sun through the rainbow-colored stained glass carved in the shape of a ring—representing the Goddess’s halo—near the head of the Goddess statue.
It was merely a change in weather where the sun briefly showed its face from the clouds. However, to Christia, who served the Saintess, this brilliant radiance pouring down upon Violet looked as if the Goddess was bestowing a ray of grace upon Her Saintess.
Christia inwardly praised her, thinking, "As expected of the Saintess," and vowed to fulfill her own responsibilities in this picture-perfect situation.
Just as she was about to send her silent determination once to the Goddess statue and once to Violet...
"...?"
Christia, who happened to be looking at Violet’s back covered by her light purple hair, tilted her head.
"Was the Saintess originally this beautiful?"
It certainly didn’t mean she was ugly before.
If she previously held a pure beauty like a violet greeting the warm sunshine in a vast field, rather than being simply flashy...
Now, what should she call it? It was like looking at a canola flower trembling shyly.
Even if asked "Why canola flowers?", Christia could not answer.
It was just a description she used because the image of canola flowers suddenly passed through her mind.
"Come to think of it, I have felt a slight sense of incongruity in the Saintess’s appearance recently."
Christia’s eyes landed squarely on the plump, fleshy buttocks that appeared just a little further down from the back hidden by the kneeling Violet’s light purple hair.
"I’m sure it used to be looser before, hmm..."
Although Violet had worn the Saintess’s vestments—an open dress modeled after the Goddess’s clothes—for several years since ascending to her position, she wasn’t used to it fitting tightly.
Usually, whenever she knelt to pray like this, the fabric would puff out around her hips, gently concealing that cute bottom.
Of course, since the fabric was semi-transparent like the veil she wore on her head, there were times when the Saintess’s pure white panties were precariously visible through the hem of her dress.
But what about now?
"Her ass, ahem... The outline of her buttocks isn’t just prominent; it feels like the silhouette of her underwear has become even more distinct... No, it is definitely distinct."
Having stayed by the Saintess’s side every single day without fail, Christia was convinced this was not merely a delusion.
How could the fit of her clothes, which was round and loose just a short while ago, turn so tight overnight?
Even looking at her ass right now proved it.
She was only seeing the silhouette, but where did the image of that cute, fleshy, plump, and milky-white ass she saw in the bathhouse go? Why was she now exuding the air of a mature woman?
...Of course, that isn’t to say she wasn’t mature before.
How many years did Christia think she had been watching Violet?
Furthermore, such trivial habits are difficult for one to realize and correct unless someone points them out.
Yet, the fact that it had been corrected meant that a change of heart had occurred due to some event, and her body had reacted naturally to match that mindset...
Then, an incident from a few days ago suddenly surfaced in Christia’s mind.
"Right, it was that day. The day she suffered harsh hardships from that ferocious demonic beast, including the incident where our brothers left to be by His side."
How could she forget?
That major incident where that dark, murky corruption attempted to covet the Saintess right before her eyes.
Had she not been ordered to keep silent about this matter until the identities of the man wielding that corruption—and the woman corrupted by him—were known, lest it bring chaos to the continent?
Yes, if there was a catalyst, it must have been that day.
"She was nearly encroached upon by that absurdly evil energy, yet she overcame it and stood back up. She has steeled her resolve to confront evil head-on."
She had always thought of her as a fragile baby bird she needed to protect forever. Contrary to Christia’s expectations, however, Violet had already finished preparing to face the harsh winds of the world proudly with her own wings.
Christia forcibly held back the tears that were welling up and nodded secretly behind Violet. Yes, that was enough. The Saintess was strictly an adult, and since she was trying to fight against that evil so openly, Christia just had to fulfill her own duty.
"Yes, if it is for that sake, if it is the path the Saintess walks, I will follow her whether it be into a thousand-fathom deep ocean or a pit of fire."
The fact that she had intended to ask about the strange sounds—like a peculiar beast crying—that had been coming from the vicinity of the Saintess’s bedroom lately had long since been erased from her mind.
Christia, too, vowed to follow Violet in offering prayers to the Goddess. But the moment she slowly tried to kneel...
Bang!
The chapel doors flew open on their own, and a single gust of violent wind began to flow into the chapel filled with holy energy.
To call it a mere passing breeze was insufficient. The sunlight that had been illuminating the stained glass was suddenly surrounded by dark clouds, hiding its figure.
The candles lit throughout the chapel for prayer could not withstand the wind and began to extinguish one by one.
"Saintess!"
"Stay still!"
"..!"
Christia, who had pulled out the shield she was carrying on her back to protect Violet immediately, stopped her movement at the stern voice.
"This is a revelation. I do not know why, but He is calling me very urgently right now. Telling me... to look inside something..."
"Are you speaking of Him?!"
The Goddess sent a revelation to the Saintess? But was there a need to express it by blowing in such a desolate wind?
"No, perhaps this is His way of expressing the urgency of the situation to us lambs."
Warning that what He wants us to see is just that dangerous, so He did this deliberately...!
However, just in case, Christia immediately approached Violet’s back, set up the Kite Shield—painted with a red cross on a pure white background—and drew her sword from the scabbard installed inside the shield.
"Please, if you need help, just say the word."
"Yes! Huuu..."
"What on earth does He intend to show me?"
Squeeze.
As Violet closed her eyes tightly, the sun, hidden by clouds, began to feebly shoot its light once again from beyond the stained glass shaped like the Goddess’s halo.
This time, it was not merely a change in weather due to whim, but a phenomenon that occurred literally because the Goddess exercised a miracle.
Under normal circumstances, the desire to kneel on the spot and offer prayers to Her would be overwhelming, but given the situation, Christia could only feel anxious.
She didn’t know why the Goddess was doing this or what She wanted to show, but there was nothing Christia could do.
She could only wish for Violet’s safety.
Thus, while receiving Christia’s protection, Violet surrendered her body to the energy sent by the Goddess.
—Here, watch all you want! My form! Etch the sight of me sharing love with Master into those two eyes... Gg-hnnnngh... C-clearlyyyyy...♥
"?!?!?!?!?!?!"
Comments