The chant was, of course, a bluff. Stella had never intended to cast a miracle. She only chose a Wind miracle to make Hamiel lower her guard and not interrupt her chanting.
All so she could throw me, and only me, to the statue.
“O Wind, take me to the heavens! I offer this victory and glory to the Goddess. Winaria Sein!”
Stella threw me with all her might. I, lacking arms, had no means of stopping her.
“STELLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” I roared with regret and frustration as I shot right toward the statue.
✦ ✦ ✦
＊＊＊
Stupella. When had people first started calling me that, again?
The orphanage only held a modest party for the Descension Ceremony. We would lift up our first staves and chant a prayer together. Mine was the only one that remained dark, producing no light whatsoever.
I would try the chant over and over, but I couldn’t cast a miracle.
“How strange,” the nuns would say without fail. “Humanity is loved by the Goddess, and so all should be capable of using miracles.”
Why, then, was I the only one who couldn’t?
The spirits hated me and wouldn’t inhabit my staff. People hated me because I couldn’t cast miracles. I begged the Goddess for help, but I was the only one she wouldn’t listen to.
My world was pitch-black.
The spirits, humanity, the Goddess... All of the world hated me.
I resigned myself to my fate of being hated. Until he appeared.
“Stella, I love you!”
It felt like the first time there had been any light in my life. He surely had no idea how happy that comment had made me. In fact, he didn’t need to know. I just had to grant his wish and reward his affection.
Leaning on my own embarrassment, I threw the staff with all my might.
“STELLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” he yelled as he launched toward the statue. Just as planned.
“What?!” Captain Hamiel yelped and jerked her head over with shock.
Throwing one’s staff was beyond abnormal—it was unthinkable. The last thing any saint would do is throw away the staff they needed to activate their miracles.
As expected, not even Captain Hamiel herself could predict that kind of move. She was so stunned for a moment she just stood there. But she was stunned literally only for that moment; soon, she returned to her senses.
Nothing could be allowed to touch the Goddess statue during the ceremony, be it a staff or otherwise.
“May holy wind soar like a falcon...!” Captain Hamiel began. If she unleashed a miracle, my staff would be blown out of the air like a gnat.
I had started running the moment I’d thrown my staff. Captain Hamiel wouldn’t be paying any attention to me; a saint without a staff was less than no threat at all. Which was why all I could do was reach out and grab onto that magnificent staff of hers.
I could feel her recoil in shock.
This was the first time I had ever been grateful for my horrid curse. As long as I was touching a staff, it couldn’t cast any miracle whatsoever.
“I won’t let you cast a miracle. You may be the mightiest saint, but right now, you’re just as hated as me!”
The staff hit the statue with a loud clang. A moment later, the clock of the tower resounded. The Descension Ceremony had concluded.
Captain Hamiel and I listened to the bell while still stuck together. The cold night wind made our robes flutter.
“Hated... I see. You are Stella, then,” she said.
I shuddered. It was a shock to learn that rumors of me had reached even the ears of my most admired Captain Hamiel. The professors must have told her.
“M-My apologies...” I said, hurriedly letting go of her staff.
Aaaah, what have I done?! I got in Captain Hamiel’s way, of all people...! No matter how desperate the situation was, she’s going to be so mad. Aaah, I’m so stupid, stupid, stupid!
It took this long, but regret finally hit me like in waves. I wriggled in preparation for a scolding.
“You may be proud to have taken a victory from me,” came an unexpectedly kind voice. I looked up. “A student who can cast no miracles, despite having an enormous quantity of holy power—mana. I have heard of your peculiar physical traits. All I can do for you is pray.”
Captain Hamiel’s eyes were downcast with clear pity. Many had pitied me before, but this was the first time it came from genuine compassion rather than condescension. It didn’t make me uncomfortable.
Captain Hamiel lifted her staff, then pressed its tip against me—the process for giving a blessing.
“Ah!” I squeaked.
Despite my surprise, Captain Hamiel gave a quiet, short chant. “May you have the blessing of the Goddess.”
I was at a loss for words.
You didn’t go out and bless just anyone. At the graduation ceremony, the principal would bless the valedictorian, but that was about it. And I had been blessed by none other than my most admired Captain Hamiel of the Opti Baculus. I could only imagine how many students would’ve been envious of me.
Once she was done, she left the plaza like the wind.
The Descension Ceremony had concluded. There was no further need to guard the statue.
I watched her go, then jumped with a start. I rushed over to pick up my staff from the cobblestone ground.
“So? How’d you like my plan? Perfect, wasn’t it? Hm...? You want to know why I threw you? I mean, your wish obviously had to come first. I can’t get a Grand Spirit in my staff until you leave, so you know, I had no choice. Now it’s your turn to take me to the statue... Hey, are you listening?”
The staff didn’t answer.
His usual earsplitting raving was completely absent, no matter how long I waited.
The silence of the staff made me realize the truth.
There was no longer anything inside of it.
“...W-W-WAAAH! I’M ALONE AGAAAAIN! WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Unsightly sobs croaked out of my throat. I wanted to stop, but couldn’t.
A cold wind blew on my wet cheek, and I could feel it start to freeze over.