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Still, most of these incidents could be avoided with a little more caution. Why, then, are the people of this town so prone to carelessness and clumsy mistakes? Could it also be an aftereffect of the war?

“—Another victim has fallen for that peerless beauty…”
“—I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s impossible not to turn your head or stare.”
“—Maybe she should wear a hood or something to hide her face…”
“—Shut up, you idiot! If it’s me, I’d gladly break a bone or two for her.”
“—Exactly. That way, you’d get the chance to have her heal you up close.”
“—Alright, she hasn’t realized it yet, so nobody tells her, got it?”
“—Of course not. We’ve already accepted the risks.”
““““““““Yeah!!”””””””

The gathered crowd nodded in agreement as though they had reached some unspoken consensus, and then naturally made the sign of the sacred symbol.

I wasn’t sure what was happening, but they were probably showing concern for the unfortunate victim. It’s heartwarming to see such piety—fitting for the sacred ground of the Church.

Surrounded by such devoted believers, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. After all, I still consider myself a “pretend shrine maiden” at heart.

At the very least, I decided to play my part. Rising to my feet, I returned the gesture by making the sign of the sacred symbol to the devout people around me and offering them a grateful smile.

Immediately, their faces lit up with expressions of bliss, melting into soft, dreamy smiles.

Ah, the warmth of human connection. Such a wonderful atmosphere. This must be the blessing of simple, unpretentious faith¹ .

Feeling delighted, I offered a radiant smile and bowed deeply.

“““““Haaauuuu……”””””

Oh dear! That’s not good! Surely, it must be the summer sun taking its toll. A few men and women, young and old alike, collapsed one after another with blissful smiles, some fainting while others succumbed to nosebleeds.

I hastily stepped forward, intending to heal them, but before I could, the coordinated group in matching happi coats intervened.

“Don’t worry, it happens all the time. We’ll take care of it, Lady Clara.”

With practiced efficiency, they placed the fallen individuals onto stretchers (an innovation I introduced and successfully spread across the nation), then carried them away in a seamless, assembly-line fashion to who-knows-where.

Watching the townsfolk resume their daily lives as if nothing had happened, I felt a bit deflated. Lowering the hand I had extended, I glanced around the chaotic streets of this ancient capital, feeling oddly lost.

“This city remains as incomprehensible as ever. Is the entirety of the Theocracy like this?”

“Probably, wherever Lady Clara goes, it’ll be the same,” Coppelia replied with a knowing look.

“—? That makes it sound as if I’m some villainous instigator of chaos.”
“Perhaps not villainous, but you could probably topple a country or two. In fact, according to historical accounts, you’re set to outmaneuver the Kingdom of Cilento, Eunice Theocracy, and the Kingdom of Aulanthia.”
“Ugh, I’ll rewrite that history! Besides, the idea of me playing the role of Clara is already strange. There has to be a real Clara out there somewhere!”
“If you say so~”

Coppelia gave a noncommittal response, and with her in tow, I continued walking toward my destination.

♦♢♦♢

The St. Ravier Church serves as a key institution of the Holy City, overseeing the Third District of its three missionary regions. The district is headed by the venerable High Priestess, Lady Teressa, and its clergy is composed of approximately 70% male priests and 30% female clergy, including shrine maidens.

For reference; The First District consists entirely of male clergy. It is the largest district in terms of area and membership. The Second District is exclusively staffed by female clergy, giving it an air of elegance, but it has the fewest members and the smallest jurisdiction (Eliza belongs to this district).

The Third District, by contrast, has a jurisdiction nearly as vast as the First District. However, its main focus lies on the outskirts, including the slums and impoverished areas, where generous donations from benefactors are scarce. As a result, the church’s operations are perpetually hand-to-mouth. Additionally, the clergy here is a patchwork of non-mainstream members, often those left out of the First or Second Districts.

Lady Teressa, the High Priestess of this district, appears to be a gentlewoman in her fifties. However, she is a formidable figure who has held her own for decades in this cutthroat Holy City, skillfully maneuvering against seasoned and cunning clergies. Her background as the wife of a baron in the Theocracy’s military has left her with considerable influence in both courtly society and military circles. Even within the church, she wields significant clout, earning the affectionate moniker of “The Baroness” from those close to her.

Incidentally, she also happens to be my current guardian.

“It seems you had quite the ordeal earlier, Clara Adelheid,” said Lady Teressa as she offered me a seat on the sofa in her office. I had come to report on the day’s volunteer work. She handed me a cup of fragrant tea she had personally brewed and began the conversation with this remark.

“…Uh, pardon?”
Which ordeal could she be referring to?

Was it about the day’s volunteer activities? The overturned cart incident? The subsequent mass heatstroke event? Or perhaps the peculiar individual I encountered on the way back? Could it even be about the group of shrine-maiden-wannabes who surrounded me at the church entrance and yanked out some strands of my hair? Or maybe…

Before I could puzzle it out further, Lady Teressa spoke again, as if sensing my confusion.

“It’s about Barbara Eliza.”
“Oh, that,” I replied.

Now I understand. But honestly, in the whirlwind that is daily life in this Holy City, such incidents feel almost routine, so much so that I hadn’t even remembered it until she mentioned it.

…

Now that I think about it, what does a peaceful day even look like?

Lost in thought, I barely noticed Lady Teressa letting out a small sigh as she knitted her brows slightly.

“It seems she accused you of something completely unfounded, only to be thoroughly out-debated.”
“…Out-debated? By me?”
“Absolutely,” she said with certainty.

I turned to Coppelia, who stood quietly behind me, for confirmation. Her immediate nod left no room for doubt.

On the other hand, Lady Teresa picked up her teacup and took a sip of the fragrant tea, moistening her throat. Her gaze drifted aside, her expression tinged with a hint of melancholy.

“Shrine Maiden Barbara, isn’t inherently a bad person. At her age, she already has the talent to use multiple forms of magic in addition to healing arts, and she’s worked hard to match her abilities. However… She’s a bit selfish, somewhat vain, a little too fond of extravagance, rather self-centered, a bit controlling, somewhat conceited, and, to top it off, she’s merciless to others while being overly indulgent and narcissistic about herself.”
“…Would you call that a bit?”

“It seems that when small flaws pile up, you end up with someone like her,” Coppelia added nonchalantly.

Hearing our candid remarks, Lady Teressa seemed to realize she had gone a bit too far. Reflecting on her words, she quickly shifted the topic.

“Well, that aside. Clara, I apologize for the suddenness of this, but are you aware that in two weeks, on Dream Eater Day² , state dignitaries from several neighboring countries will gather at the Grand Cathedral for a conference?”
“Oh, is that so? My apologies, I wasn’t aware.”
“Well, officially, the premise is that each nation will visit individually to pray for the peace and stability of the Northern Unified State, and they just happen to have overlapping schedules, thus leading to a conference. So, it’s not exactly widely publicized.”

Nobles and politicians of any era always seem to require such tedious formalities, don’t they? While musing on this thought, I mentally compared the scheduled events with the historical records I’ve read. Could this be a precursor to the founding of the Livitium Imperial Kingdom? However, as far as I recall, there are no official records of any noteworthy incidents occurring in this time and place.

If that’s the case, perhaps this isn’t something to be overly concerned about, I thought, feeling a bit more at ease. With a casual “Hmm, hmm,” I nodded along and sipped the fragrant tea Lady Teressa had brewed for me.

“That’s why, Clara, I’d like you to act as the guide for Prince Corrad of the Aulanthia Kingdom.”

“Pffft—!!”

I nearly sprayed the tea I was drinking right into Lady Teressa’s face.

“Aulanthia?! Prince… Corrad?!”

Coughing lightly and wide-eyed with shock, I looked at her. Lady Teressa ignored my blatant distress and calmly nodded.

“Yes, the Crown Prince of one of the most powerful northern nations. Sending someone unqualified might lead to embarrassment or worse, offense, but with you, I have no such concerns.”
“W-well, I mean… I’m just an insignificant nobody with no pedigree to speak of, so it feels far too presumptuous to—”

I tried to stammer out an excuse to decline, but Lady Teressa dismissed it with a graceful laugh.

“Your demeanor, manners, and education surpass those of most nobles, and even royalty. More importantly, you are a shrine maiden, transcending worldly status. As a practitioner of purification arts, you ought to be referred to as an Ascendant. You should carry yourself with pride! Honestly, the elders at the Grand Cathedral, who refuse to recognize your abilities as anything but ‘different from our purification techniques,’ are utterly incorrigible.”

Her tone turned into a gripe about the stubborn elders at the Grand Cathedral. For reference, it would take another two years from this point before they finally acknowledged my purification techniques.

“That’s why I believe we should seize opportunities like this to showcase your brilliance to the upper echelons.”
“Well, um… personally, I’d prefer to live quietly, like a humble weed…”
“Oh, and by the way, Barbara from the Second District, whom we just discussed, has been assigned as a host as well. So, wouldn’t it be fitting to deploy our secret weapon with full confidence?”

Lady Teresa, unusually enthusiastic, clenched her fists with determination.

“Let’s show those antiquated fools something remarkable! Clara Adelheid, I’m counting on you!”

…This didn’t seem like a situation I could decline.

“Lady Clara, maybe rewriting history isn’t going to work after all.”

It was Coppelia who muttered those words as I wrestled with my dilemma.