Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Returning to the Sacred Lands after nearly a year, Faye didn’t have a moment to feel nostalgic.

During her absence, the Sacred Lands had continued to function, and in the process, tasks that Faye should have handled began to pile up one by one.

On top of that, the Pope’s temporary absence from the Sacred Lands only added to Faye’s overwhelming workload.

When the Pope, the symbol of the Sacred Lands, leaves his post, Faye has to take on his responsibilities.

Thus, while tackling both her own accumulated tasks and those of the Pope for a week, Faye gradually adjusted to life in the Sacred Lands.

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Even though she had worked until late at night after the sun had set, she woke up before dawn, gazing blankly out the window before smiling to herself.

Being away for the first time in so long, I thought it might feel a bit strange to readjust. But it seems that almost ten years of habit don’t disappear so easily.

She banished her fatigue by drawing upon her divinity, then got up, cleaned herself, and offered a prayer to the Great Goddess.

Faye, who had conversed with the Goddess back at the orphanage and realized that She wasn’t truly omniscient and omnipotent as the scriptures suggested, hadn’t lost her faith.

Her belief had simply shed its blind devotion and still remained within her.

The Goddess may not be perfect, but She is a being of goodness, striving to be kind. And for Faye, that alone was reason enough to value her faith.

Toward the end of her thirty-minute prayer, a knock sounded at the door.

“Saintess, it’s time to prepare for the morning service.”

“Yes, I’ll be right out.”

As Faye, now dressed properly, stepped outside, a woman who had assisted her since she was very young bowed her head.

As she returned the greeting like usual, Faye felt a twinge of complicated emotions.

Ever since the Goddess had granted her divinity directly, Faye could now distinguish between those who truly held faith and those who only pretended to.

This wasn’t a matter of simply possessing a greater or lesser amount of divinity.

Even those with vast divinity could harbor only coldness, while some, like Faye herself and Lucy, the Goddess’s Apostle, held warmth in theirs.

The former were those who had taken divinity without faith, while the latter were those who cultivated their divinity with faith.

The woman standing before Faye, despite her long stay in the Sacred Lands, carried only coldness within her.

It wasn’t particularly surprising. Faye was a false saint created by human hands, and so, naturally, those around her were also false.

For an ordinary person, the betrayal would be unbearable, but Faye merely steadied her slightly aching heart and refrained from saying anything further to the woman.

Instead, she pondered how she could bring this person back onto the right path.

I wonder how Lady would have handled this.

Thinking of the one whose faith might have surpassed even that of the Goddess Herself, Faye realized it wasn’t the best thought.

‘Oh, is the incompetent saint relying on me because she can’t handle this? Heh. Maybe you like being called incompetent? Perhaps you’re not just an incompetent saint but a...’

“No!”

Faye suddenly let out a loud squeak in the middle of the hallway, catching the bewildered stare of her attendant, which made her blush deeply.

“Ah... uh... would you mind forgetting about that?”

“What would you like me to forget, Saintess? I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Thank you...”

Despite the minor commotion, the morning service, which Faye led, went smoothly.

This was something she had done every day since she’d taken the title of Saintess at a young age. Having taken only a few months off, her voice remained steady as she stood before the assembly.

Even if over half the people attending the morning service carried a coldness within them, Faye spoke with her usual gentle voice.

Upon returning to the church, Faye had quickly understood the reason why Lucy had warned her about the church’s corruption.

Over sixty percent of the clergy in the Sacred Lands had lost their warmth.

If this were any ordinary church, it might be understandable, as warmth isn’t something easily gained.

But this wasn’t just any church. It was the Sacred Lands, the gathering place of the most devout clergy of the Goddess, spread across the continent.

The fact that those at the frontlines of spreading the Goddess’s warmth didn’t carry even a speck of it was not something to be lightly overlooked.

If these clergy members couldn’t even hold warmth in their own hearts, how could they pass on the Goddess’s warmth to others?

For several days after her return, Faye had become convinced of the corruption within the Church of the Goddess and had pondered how to rectify it, though no answers came easily.

“Your words today were wonderful, Saintess.”

“Even with His Holiness the Pope away, there’s no sense of an absence at all.”

“We eagerly await the day you return fully to the Church, Saintess.”

Faye forced a smile at the cold pleasantries of those around her, wishing she could have gone to the Allen Order instead of returning to the Sacred Lands.

Sure, it has its difficulties, but at least I have friends there.

Like Joy, who, despite her clumsiness, is kind at heart. Arthur, who continues to move forward even with the pain he carries. Frey, so innocent he does the most bizarre things.

And Lucy. The one who has saved me time and again. The dearest friend of all.

As Faye’s smile grew, thinking of her friends, a stern voice spoke up from behind the clergy.

“Everyone, don’t trouble the Saintess. Step back.”

The priests, who held their positions with a sense of authority, scowled and turned, but upon seeing the elderly man standing there, they quickly bowed and left the area.

Cardinal Lazarus, a revered priest who still held warmth, clicked his tongue lightly as he watched them leave.

However, when he turned to Faye, his expression softened, and the strictness faded, replaced by a grandfatherly kindness.

“I’ve told you many times, Saintess; you don’t have to accept everyone’s words.”

While many in the Church carried only coldness, there were still those who upheld their integrity.

The bishop of the Academy’s Church, Bishop Johann, who had helped Faye find her path, and now, the cardinal before her, Lazarus—they all maintained their integrity even amid corruption.

“People in high positions must sometimes be willing to make tough decisions.”

“If I’d truly felt troubled, I would have done so, Cardinal Lazarus.”

“Is that so? Then perhaps I should test that by troubling you myself, Saintess.”

“Please, don’t be too harsh.”

“Ha ha. That will depend on how you handle it, Saintess.”

Though known for his unyielding nature and receiving complaints for his strictness, Cardinal Lazarus was nothing but a playful grandfather in front of Faye.

“If you find yourself free after finishing your work, do come for tea. I have much to discuss with you.”

“I’ll definitely make time to visit.”

“Saintess!”

Just then, a priest hurried over to Faye’s side.

Cardinal Lazarus shot the priest a stern look at his lack of decorum, but the priest, oblivious to this, continued urgently.

“Do you have a moment, Saintess? It’s urgent.”

“Priest Marple, regardless of the urgency, maintain decorum. What is the meaning of this?”

“Ah, Your Eminence, Cardinal Lazarus! This is something you should also be aware of!”

“...Oh?”

“One of our people has been killed in the Bardronel Territory!”

The next morning, after facing my own foolishness, I awoke to Erin humming as she fussed over my hair, which reminded me of something that happened recently.

After living alone at the Academy and getting used to doing my own hair, I told Erin not to come looking for me so early in the morning, suggesting she use that time to get some extra sleep instead.

It was meant to be a kindness, but Erin didn’t seem happy about it. Instead, she started to cry.

“So... you don’t need me anymore?”

In that instant, I nearly became a heartless villain and quickly explained that I’d only meant it as a joke, trying to calm her down.

“Really? You’re not going to abandon me?”

“Do you think anyone else would take someone as useless as you? I wouldn’t want to feel bad if you died alone in the streets, so no, I’m not abandoning you. Got it?”

“Yes! Thank you! Really, thank you!”

Looking back, I still don’t get it. Isn’t it normal to be happy if you get a chance to sleep in a bit longer in the morning?

At least, if my boss told me I could start later, I’d be shouting, “Thank you!” with tears of joy.

“Miss, is there anything uncomfortable?”

"No, it’s fine."

“If there were, would I be sitting still? Honestly, Erin, why don’t you try developing some awareness?”

“Then I’ll continue.”

Watching Erin’s determined expression in the mirror, I thought of that annoying Apostle who used to style my hair.

Unlike Erin, that guy’s touch was unsettling, but his skill was the real deal. Maybe, if I have some spare time during the break, I should have him teach Erin a thing or two.

Artists are usually stingy with sharing their techniques, but knowing him, he’d probably do it gratefully if I pressed him a bit.

“All done, Miss.”

With my hair looking far better than when I do it myself, I just smiled at Erin before standing up.

Let’s eat first and then head over to the Newman Family’s base. I have a few things to check there.

As I was heading down to the dining hall, I saw the people gathered there and wondered if I was still half-asleep.

It’s normal for Benedict to be there; he’s been coming down earlier than me every morning throughout this trip to wait for me.

And it’s not so strange for Caria to be there if she had urgent news to deliver.

But seeing the head of the Newman family, Kurtz Newman, sweating nervously between the two of them was something entirely unexpected.

What’s he doing there, looking so awkward? As I stared at his face in bewilderment, Caria’s gaze met mine.

“Oh, Employer, you’re awake. Come here; there’s something to discuss.”

“Uh...”

“Auntie, what’s the deal with that weakling of a family head over there? He looks so pitiful, sweating like that as his hair recedes in real-time.”

“I didn’t do anything to him, right, Benedict?”

“That’s right, Lucy. Duke Newman has always been intimidated by Caria.”

“Hey, Kurtz, why don’t you explain yourself? Staying silent makes me look like the bad guy here.”

“That... that’s right, Lady Allen. Miss Caria has done nothing to me.”

Though he looked like he was being intimidated.

Oh, come to think of it, Caria was once the kingdom’s shadow, wasn’t she? She probably knows all the dirt on the Newman family’s shady dealings, not to mention all the weaknesses she can exploit.

Understanding the situation, I walked down the stairs and took a seat.

“So...”

“What’s this about, Auntie?”

“It’s an important matter, so I brought Kurtz, one of the involved parties.”

Important? What could be so urgent at this point? There shouldn’t be anything major happening during the break.

As I tilted my head in confusion, Caria shrugged and continued.

“The Second Queen of Soladin has requested a meeting with you, and the Newman family has been appointed as the intermediary.”

“...Pardon?”

“...What?”