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“Sh-shri-SHRINE MAIDEN PRINCESS?!”

Barely a hundred mertes into walking through the gates of the Holy City, Thera Maryth, a scream-like voice rang out from the roadside. Eurico noticed a middle-aged man, bald except for the sides of his head, staring blankly as if he had seen a ghost.

“The Shrine Maiden Princess is here!? Don’t be ridicu—UOOHHHH!!”

That first shout set off a cascade of astonished cries from all around. Everywhere I looked, people stared at me with expressions as if they were caught in a daydream, and I could feel the intensity of their attention keenly.

“…How strange. I even disguised myself so they wouldn’t see my face.”

I had assumed that after thirty years outside, no one would remember me, so I entered the Holy City with confidence. Yet somehow, it felt as though I had been recognized instantly.

“Disguise? You mean that hood? Yeah, like that would work.”
“Exactly. Jill, your presence alone is overwhelming. Hiding your face won’t help. I mean, I didn’t realize until now you’d been using magic to change your appearance. I’m stunned, really.”
“Jesse, Eleanor, I’m more surprised that neither of you has noticed all this time. No wonder things felt off when we talked about her…”

Feeling uneasy under the gaze of the crowd, I adjusted my hood and muttered to myself. Immediately, the adventurer trio accompanying me shot a remark at me, half exasperated, half teasing.

“I see… back in the day, this would’ve been enough to fool people…”

Feeling as if someone had criticized my standard gear from the Tenebrae Nemus days, I couldn’t help but retort. But even Eren and Bruno, who should have known me since those days, chimed in:

“There’s no way Lady Jill’s beauty can be hidden with such a scrap of clothes.”
“Seconded. Don’t know why, but hiding it somehow makes it stand out even more.”

They shot their comments at me without any restraint from behind.

“—Ugh. If that’s the case, I shouldn’t have returned to the Holy City at all.”

I muttered a complaint, only to be met with looks from my companions that said, ‘What are you whining about now?’

B-But it’s not like I had a choice! I wanted to celebrate the end of Pope Theodros’ ten-thousand-day pilgrimage by returning triumphantly to the Holy City. I couldn’t exactly abandon him along the way. And since Cestlavie had officially been missing for a year, we needed the Pope’s authority to patch that up. On top of that, there were all sorts of things in the Holy City I needed to check afterward. So, it wasn’t entirely my fault.

By the way, the person I most wanted to meet, High Priestess Teressa, had long since retired and left the Holy City, and her current whereabouts are unknown. I would have loved to see her if she were still well…

“Still, why can everyone recognize Clara even with her face hidden, but no one notices me!?”

The one voicing this complaint is none other than His Holiness Pope Theodros.
Though thirty years have passed and he must be over eighty by now, he remains remarkably vigorous. However, having spent thirty years in seclusion, no one recognizes him anymore, and the triumphant reception he hoped for seems far from reality.
He was even causing a commotion with the young guards at the city gate, so it seemed best to escort him to the Sant’Angelo Sanctorum promptly.

That said, at this rate, I have a feeling he might be turned away at the entrance because nobody even recognized him.

While I was mulling over this, for some reason, a growing crowd of onlookers began to gather. At first, the street seemed less lively than before, but now, looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem all that different.
Ignoring my own reflections, a passing carriage came to a sudden stop, and a well-prepared middle-aged gentleman jumped out, exclaiming:

“M-member number one! President Coppelia! The temporarily appointed, lifetime, honorary president of Lady Clara’s officially sanctioned fan club, Coppelia! It’s me, member number 0000013, Cornelius Carter!”

He hurried to Coppelia, who was standing slightly behind me, and joined her without hesitation.

With evident delight, the middle-aged gentleman pulled a very worn “membership card” from his breast pocket and showed it to Coppelia.
For clarification, the fan club had originally been created by Coppelia on her own without my knowledge, so it was an unofficial organization… yet, somehow, some remnants of it still remained.

“Oh? Ohhh! You’re Corny, the count’s son who paid a century’s worth of membership fees upfront and bought every piece of merchandise in bulk for display, preservation, appreciation, and evangelism! It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you well.”

Coppelia seemed to remember him, too, and excitedly shook hands with the middle-aged gentleman.

“Yes, thanks to you, I inherited the title fifteen years ago and became a count. My children—sixteen in total, including those with my lawful wife and concubines—are all in good health. My third daughter is already married, and my fifth son is currently studying at the Imperial Academy and serving as student council president. Everything is going smoothly, and I offer prayers of gratitude to Shrine Maiden Princess Clara ten times a day for her blessings.”

Well, I think that’s less about my blessings and more simply that the inheritance went as expected and the children are healthy. Though I do believe the education of that fifth son was somewhat questionable.

“That’s a good attitude. From now on, continue to regard Shrine Maiden Princess Clara as your divine figure, maintain your unwavering faith, and keep paying your membership fees.”

Coppelia proclaimed this arrogantly, giving me a suggestive glance.

“!!? Could it be… Is that you, Lady Clara?”
“Not her!”
“Ah, there’s no mistake. That voice… and above all, your beautiful figure standing there, so elegantly lost in thought in front of President Coppelia—I have never forgotten it for even a moment!”
“W-wait a second. So I was recognized as a set along with Coppelia!?”

I was stunned, but the middle-aged gentleman seemed completely caught up in the moment.

“I’ll contact the members immediately. It’s been ten years since a gathering outside the regular general meeting!”

He then jumped back into his carriage and vanished like the wind.

“W-what is going on with this ‘Lady Clara Official Fan Club’? It’s still active!? I’m pretty sure I told you to disband it before!?”

I rushed at Coppelia in frustration, but she said with an unabashedly smug expression,

“It’s been thirty years, so the statute of limitations applies.”

I was left speechless, unable to retort.

That may be thirty years for you, but for me, it feels like it just happened! Still, I can’t bring myself to complain about Coppelia, who’s faithfully done her duty for thirty years… but even so, I just can’t accept it!

So, since I (the author) got curious about what happens next, I decided to write a little bit.

This is by no means an escape from facing the book edition’s deadline (； ・`д・´)

Also, I added a scene where the guard Eurico’s old knee injury is healed with Memento Mori.

This is a new ability of Jill’s. The Spirit of Time, grateful for being released without being misused, bestowed this blessing. It’s limited in scope, but it allows damaged organs and the like to be restored to their original state. With this, in terms of healing ability, Jill surpasses that Saintess who cannot address actual physical loss.