◆ Chapter 3: Yet Another Hectic Day in the Capital
THE chill of early morning still lingers in the air as I walk through the capital with Cia and Nady like we promised to do the day before. Lex and a few knights are accompanying us—at a distance. He wanted to guard me more closely but agreed to give us space when I said I just wanted to enjoy time with my girlfriends without the fuss.
“Grantz’s capital was overrun by zombies too, right?” Nady asks, amazed by the streets brimming with activity around us.
“Yep. It was zombitopia just three months ago. The buildings had rotted, the water was filled with muck, and everything was pretty much falling apart,” I reply, remembering my first day in the capital.
“It’s so hard to imagine the capital that way seeing it now,” she says, looking at the fully repaired buildings.
As a member of the reconstruction crew, I’m proud of how far we have come in the past three months. Of course, it was only possible because the people of Grantz worked hard to bring back a sense of normalcy.
My country often experiences disasters, and each time, the people have come together to rebuild. Maybe that’s why I feel a special connection with the people here.
“Good morning, Priestess Mizuha!”
“Oh, it’s our priestess! Thank you for everything you do!”
Adults and children alike cheerfully greet me. There’s the occasional stiff who is awkwardly formal, but the majority of people here are easy to get along with. I respond to everyone and wave. Nady seems surprised by our interaction.
“I thought this when we first arrived in the capital, but you are overwhelmingly popular with the people.”
“Big Sis’s magnetism comes not from her title as Priestess, but from the actions she has taken to win over their hearts,” Cia proudly explains.
I always wonder how she’s capable of glamorizing me in every little thing. I mean, I’m happy she adores me so much, but I’m scared to death of letting her see my ugly side.
“In the beginning, I just did what I had to to survive,” I admit.
“But now it’s more than that,” she states confidently.
“W-Well…I guess you could say that.”
Purifying the world with Goddess Sadia’s powers as her chosen priestess—in the end, I chose to continue on this path. That’s why I can’t argue with Cia.
“How about you, ma’am? You will gain infinite joy if you join the Church of Our Lady Mizuha!”
I suddenly hear something unsettling in the distance. Warning alarms blaring in my head, my gaze lands on a young woman clad in what looks exactly like the distinctive habit worn by Catholic nuns. She’s soliciting people in the streets.
There’s no mistaking those violet eyes and the silver hair peeking out of her veil—it’s Iris, the woman who believes without a doubt that I am her goddess. To make matters worse, she is surrounded by the other Mizuha Church cultists.
“By joining the Church of Our Lady Mizuha, you can live without fear of the zombies!”
“Your skin will be eternally soft and youthful!”
“Today is the day for you to join the Church of Our Lady Mizuha!”
They’re spreading worthless nonsense again. Heck, I’d want to join if it meant I could have eternally youthful skin. Then again, this power does belong to a goddess, so that could be a possible use for it. Never hurts to try it. Looks like I have a new experiment to try on myself starting today—
“S-Say, Mizuha? What are they—”
“Don’t look. Your life will never be the same if you do.”
Just as I give Nady that warning, I accidentally make eye contact with one of the cultists in the street. We both freeze as if time has stopped around us, before things start snowballing out of control.
“Sister Iris, it’s Goddess Mizuha! She has honored us with her holy presence!”
“She has?! After her! I’m going to get my head rub—I mean, a divine revelation today!”
“Crap! We don’t want to get caught! Run for it!” I shout to the girls.
We hurtle into the back alleys and race around several dozen winding corners. Cia doesn’t have much stamina. It’s unlikely we will be able to escape them for good, but I don’t sense them directly behind us anymore. I assume Lex did something about them for me. We exit the alleyway onto a different street and stop to catch our breath.
“I think we’re safe now,” I sigh.
“Th-They seem like very zealous believers,” Nady says, sounding overwhelmed.
“They won’t stop no matter how I plead with them…”
“If you give the order, I will bring the full might of Grantz down on them, Big Sister,” Cia offers. It’s scary because she’s serious.
“Uhh… I don’t think we need to go that far.”
I’m flattered they idolize me, but starting a whole religion to worship me is too extreme. Still, they haven’t really hurt anyone. And they did play an active part in punishing the person who summoned Diallo. At any rate, I have reservations over squashing their group just because they make me uncomfortable.
“MiZUha!”
“Oh gosh, he’s the next one out of the woodwork…” I cringe.
“Indeed. They just keep coming…” Cia and I sigh together over the obnoxious voice behind us.
“What keeps coming?” Nady asks, the only one who doesn’t know better.
Anyone who hangs out with me will eventually learn his name whether they want to or not. After all, I have a nearly ninety-nine percent encounter rate with him if I’m in the capital.
“I was really hoping you wouldn’t show up today.”
I heave the heaviest sigh yet as I turn around. Right behind me is a young man who looks like the poster child for spoiled noblemen—Keith Rowadan. He’s an annoying guy who habitually proclaims his love for me because he feels our meeting was fate.
“Then that means you prefer me to show up on certain days,” he says, coming to the wrong conclusion.
“Nope. I never want you to show up, just more so today.”
“HAHA! I see you are ever the shy lady, MiZUha.”
Keith never takes a hint no matter how blunt I am. Either he’s deaf or has a mind of steel. Whichever it is, his persistence is the epitome of harrying.
“Mizuha, who is this?” Nady asks nervously.