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IT’S best to take care of oneself as soon as possible when one isn’t feeling well. So…
“Madam Monica, as you requested, today’s perfumed oil is made with fish wort. Although I must warn you that it will make the whole room reek pungently of newly grown weeds. Would you still like me to use it?”
“Yes…because it soothes me,” I said. “I can regain my senses buried in the smell of fish wort.”
“I feel sorry for you in that case.”
I could feel Solarus’s sympathetic gaze on me as she massaged my back.
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“Madam Monica, you clearly have the body of a saint. I can tell the strain you put on it by using your supernatural powers, not to mention the intense tension in your head from constructing spells. It would be very easy for you to grow a hunchback from bending over to heal others, so I recommend you take care not to round your shoulders inward too much.”
“Ah! Ngh! Ahhh!!!”
“Conversely, the blood flow in your lower half is excellent. It must be because you’re always walking everywhere. I can see how muscled your legs are too. Heh heh…makes them worth massaging, if I do say so myself.”
“Ow, ow, ow!”
The pain gradually turned to a pleasant warmth as Solarus kept working. I still couldn’t figure out where the strength in her arms came from, considering how pale and slender they were. Astounding.
“Solarus…can I tell you something?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“Lately, I… I feel like something’s wrong with me, as if I’m broken.”
“Haven’t you always been that way though?”
I couldn’t refute her statement. A cold sweat beaded on my skin as I remained silent. She urged me to continue.
“So, what brought on this maudlin sentiment?”
“Um…well…it just feels like my lustful reactions have been overly strong recently.”
“Hm.” She stared down at me with a serious expression on her face.
“Thanks to all the time I spent in combat as a holy woman, I know how much of my powers I can use before my mind becomes overwhelmed with strange thoughts or my body grows hot with desire. But lately, I haven’t been able to read myself well. Somedays I find myself blushing at the drop of a hat or, conversely, overcome by an odd heaviness on others.”
“Have you considered consulting with a magical physician?” she asked.
“I already did. I’m apparently the picture of health and my magical circuits are functioning perfectly too. Other than that, he couldn’t give me a more definitive answer since holy women are outside of his field of expertise.”
“Are there no experts specializing in the health of priestesses in Kophe?”
“No, not really, because…well, we’re disposable, you see.”
“Hm, I do indeed.”
Solarus stopped massaging me to wash the fish wort oil off her hands. She ruminated thoughtfully as she did so.
“Then…let me ask you this. Did my touching you induce you into a rut?”
“Not at all. It just felt good like it normally does.”
“Which means…you don’t go into heat for everyone, correct?”
“Yes, I suppose that’s one way to put it…”
“Is there someone in particular you react to?”
“Waaa!”
“Waaa?”
“Ummm… Well… Hm… Since we’ve established I don’t go crazy over everyone…maybe we just leave it at that…”
Solarus went into detective mode at my sudden change in attitude. She pressed her hand against her chin and made thoughtful, humming noises.
“Aside from me…I can think of Darius as someone else who’s close to you. Is it him?”
“As if I could view Darius in that light. Don’t even joke about it,” I said.
“Then could it be that man you met not long ago, Xenu Eugenie?”
“Perish the thought!”
“Okay, then let me think about the knights in the order you’re on relatively friendly terms with. Is it Rodrigues? Gidaille? Perhaps Tomacath?”
“N-No, no, none of them. Ummm.”
When she saw me panicking, Solarus narrowed her catlike eyes and pressed me.
“Or… Is it…His Highness, Richard Il Belktrius?” she guessed.
I held my tongue.
“Madam Monica, you do know you’re terrible at lying, don’t you?”
“U-Urk…”
“In that case, I don’t see any problem in you being aroused by His Highness. I’m happy for you, in fact. Joyous news indeed.”
“H-Happy?! Joyous?! How?!”
Her eyes widened at my outcry. “Well…I think you’re unaware, so allow me to tell you that His Highness has never opened his heart to anyone else as much as he has to you.”
“Oh. Really? I find that a bit hard to believe, frankly.”
“Believe it. At the very least, you would be shocked by how coldly he treats women in general.”
“But he’s so kind to you, Solarus.”
“Only because His Highness and I share the same…inclinations.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Tee hee. Let’s just say he and I are very particular about our…preferences.”
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WE used a teleportation slate to head straight away to Marquess Podzern’s domain.
“Welcome, welcome! Your Imperial Highness! And the esteemed Arousing Priestess!”
Goodness, how utterly wretched for those two titles to be next to each other.
“Strangely enough…I think I’m getting used to hearing it…” I muttered.
“Heh, glad to hear that,” Richard responded.
I turned toward the welcoming crowd of people and waved with a resigned smile. All of the lords we worked with so far in Kophe welcomed us like they were imperial subjects instead. I felt an indescribable sense of discomfort with their attitude and Richard’s easygoing acceptance of it.
“Richard,” I said.
“Hm?”
“I just want to confirm something with you… What we’re doing, it is humanitarian aid, yes?”
“Of course. Is something bothering you?”
“No, not quite, but I don’t know how to put what I’m feeling into words…”
“There’s no need for you to worry, Miss Monica.”
As the power of Richard’s smile swept away my murky unease, the marquess himself spoke to me.
“Madam Monica, other holy women have gathered to meet you. They’ve been quite looking forward to it.”
“T-To meet me…?!”
I was so happy that my worries flew away in an instant.
After meeting with our various contacts, I finished unpacking in a hurry. Then, the marchioness kindly led me to a salon where all the priestesses had gathered. Their eyes sparkled upon seeing me and they stood up to greet me.
“Special Class Saint, also known as the Arousing Priestess, Monica Regulus in the flesh!”
They curtsied politely to me.
Darn it, that horrid moniker had already become an honorific title to them too…
“My name is Nia Viego and I’m a First Class Saint,” said a woman with her blonde hair in a pixie cut. She seemed to be around my age. Perhaps the most powerful holy woman here, aside from me.
“Third Class Saint, Tricia Piskes. I’m so honored to meet you!” said a girl, around fourteen years old. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink and her long, chestnut-colored hair was tied into twin braids.
“I’m Orin Mouw, also a Third Class Saint. We’ve all been awaiting your return, Madam Monica.” A calm older woman with downcast eyes, she bowed her head to me most respectfully.
“Please, enough with the ‘Madam.’ I’m a holy woman just like all of you, so feel free to speak with me normally,” I said.
“No, we couldn’t treat Prince Richard’s right-hand woman, and the Special Class Saint no less, so discourteously.”
“His right…hand woman… Is that how people perceive me?” I could neither affirm nor deny her words, so I settled on smiling wryly instead to gloss over the awkward moment.
Being welcomed so profusely by my fellow holy women was one of a number of happy occurrences since my return to Kophe. They all treated me kindly despite the status of priestesses in general declining because of me being denounced as a wanton saint. They had come from all over the country to meet me, and after reporting on the current situation in each region, they planned to join our order of knights.
I finished greeting them and we exchanged updates on the ongoing state of affairs.
“The forest of Mayga Cieux is only growing bigger. Presently, a tall barrier has been erected to thwart the tree demons’ invasion…”
“In the mountain district of Gheesemed, the local forestry guild and holy women are working together to protect the territory. The lord has holed himself up in his estate in the capital and refuses to return.”
“It’s a nightmare everywhere, isn’t it…?”
Though they behaved cheerfully enough, I knew the truth. These women had endured much pain and strife this past year, barely escaping with their lives to come to us for aid as their very last resort. Our conversation had started merrily enough, but the more we talked, the heavier our discussion became. As the Arousing Priestess responsible for this, it all weighed heavily on my heart.
“It’s my fault the standing of saints has fallen so low… Even so, you all protected Kophe and for that, I thank you.” I bowed my head.
“No, it isn’t!”
“You did nothing wrong, Madam Monica!”
Each of them defended me vigorously.
“I’ve admired you ever since I learned about you during my time in the Holy Woman Learning Academy. The Arousing Priestess is the hope of all saints.”
It made me happy to hear their defense of me. It also made me all the more determined to live up to their expectations.
“Thank you. From now on, I’ll do my best to make up for lost time.”