## Chapter 130 – Isekai Milf – Saintess Arc (2)
131. Isekai MILF – Saintess Arc (2)
“First of all, before I begin my short address, I would like to express my gratitude to Bishop Thalia for the overwhelming welcome she gave me upon my arrival here yesterday.”
At her words, all eyes turned to the mature woman with orange bobbed hair sitting in the front row of the chapel.
As the Saintess expressed her gratitude, Bishop Thalia was flustered, not knowing what to do, and then blushed, piously clasping her hands.
“It’s wonderful to see so many of you here today. I’ve heard that there are about thirty people who couldn’t make it, and I pray that the Goddess’s blessing be with them as they carry out their arduous duties.”
Her speech continued without a script.
Perhaps it was because she had been a Saintess for quite a long time, well into her thirties, that she was so skilled. Her voice was smooth and confident, without a hint of tremor, captivating the audience in the chapel.
“…In these times when monsters and demons are rampant in the Byun Kingdom, many brave warriors, and of course, adventurers, are selflessly dedicating themselves to purifying these evil beings. Our Pure White Order will also not turn a blind eye to this, appealing to our noble faith, and appealing to each individual’s conscience…”
“…Also, it is regrettable that injustice is rampant in our community, but fortunately, I know that many believers have stepped forward to help the residents. I was honored to receive a direct message from the Goddess Maribi herself, urging me to strive even harder in giving… Your sacred acts of service are never in vain.”
Hmm. It seems that while priests receive revelations in official settings, the Saintess often receives personal visits. She must be quite loved.
More than that, her voice was very pleasant to listen to. Just like when I first heard it, it still had an intellectual feel to it.
It seems that being in the midst of the church’s turmoil would likely lead to a rigid and limited mindset, but this Saintess Serena seemed quite cultured and flexible.
But who is that man?
As I listened to the Saintess’s speech, I glanced behind the platform and noticed a man standing calmly.
His hair was slightly wavy, but overall neatly styled, and he had fair, blonde hair.
He was a little under 180cm tall, and his age was probably similar to the Saintess.
The man was wearing a white priest’s robe, like the other priests, but there was a slight difference in the shoulder area.
Two badges were attached to his shoulders.
One was blue, and seeing it, I naturally recalled the hierarchy of the nunnery. Since the senior nuns wore blue badges, applying that here… this man was probably a high-ranking priest.
From wide-area healing to applying all sorts of blessings, and inflicting powerful damage on monsters, the common sense was almost the same as in other fantasy worlds.
The other badge was a slightly silver one, with a metallic texture, and it seemed to have a pattern engraved on it. Although it was too far to see clearly… There were three high-ranking priests in this Tierin Cathedral, so I glanced at them and compared.
Those priests didn’t have the silver badge, so seeing that only this man had it, I guessed that he was probably a priest directly under the Saintess, or something like that. He wasn’t very far from the Saintess either.
The man’s kind eyes were bright, but with a hint of tension, as if he was ready to put up a barrier for the Saintess in case of an emergency.
“Finally, to the Goddess Maribi, who always watches over us, and further to Ilisia, who governs all things on this earth, I offer all this glory…”
Serena, who was looking around at the audience as she spoke, suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
I had been observing the man while listening to the Saintess’s sweet voice, but when her voice stopped, I turned my gaze back to her.
And I almost had a heart attack.
Among the hundreds of people sitting there, the Saintess was staring directly at where I was sitting, and then our eyes met.
It was just a fleeting moment, but it was enough time to confirm each other’s presence. My heart was pounding like crazy, but I managed to act as innocent as possible, turning my head like everyone else, pretending to wonder what was going on.
“Oh, I apologize for the brief interruption. To continue, finally…”
With that, the Saintess quickly got back on track and finished her speech.
As the Saintess exited to thunderous applause, she glanced back at me again, but this time I didn’t show any more carelessness.
Right. So even from this far away, mixed in with the crowd, she can sense my divine power.
I instinctively realized that hypnosis wouldn’t work on the Saintess.
………………………
………………………
“That was a wonderful speech today as well, Saintess.”
“Hehe, Ivan, flattering me like that won’t get you anything. You worked hard too, Ivan.”
A temporary office had been set up for the Saintess inside the Tierin Cathedral, and the Saintess and the high-ranking priest Ivan were alone in the room, taking a break after the speech.
As Serena sat down gently on the chair, Ivan stood calmly in a corner of the office.
Just like he had always done.
“Really… Ivan, relax a little and sit comfortably. In the first place, there are hundreds of believers, there’s no way a demon would invade all the way here, right?”
“You know that it is my role to assist the Saintess. I am meant to stand like this.”
Ivan gave a wry smile at the Saintess’s words, indirectly refusing her offer.
“Is that so? If it were before, I would have just thought you were stubborn, but… now it makes me uncomfortable. Sit down on that fluffy chair next to me right now. That’s an order.”
“…Huu. Understood. Please don’t look at me like that.”
Ivan quickly gave in and sat on the chair when Serena seemed like she was about to start a battle of wills with him. Of course, he wasn’t upset, and he felt warmth inside.
As he obeyed her command without question, Serena smiled and leaned back comfortably in her chair.
The room was filled with silence, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere, and after a while, Serena glanced at Ivan. Then, pretending to be nonchalant, she looked at the air and began to speak.
“Come to think of it, how long have you been with me, Ivan?”
“…I have been serving you for almost seven years this year.”
“Seven years… There have been quite a few difficult times during that time… I am truly relieved thanks to Priest Ivan’s constant efforts. Truly.”
“………………….”
Serena, who had been looking at the air, suddenly met Ivan’s gaze and stared intently into his eyes. Ivan tried to say something, but then closed his mouth and lowered his head slightly.
A slight blush appeared on Ivan’s cheeks.
He turned his head away shyly, which was enough to create a sensual atmosphere.
Serena seemed to feel it too, as she also had a slight blush on her cheeks, but unlike Ivan, she didn’t turn her head away.
‘He usually shows such a disciplined demeanor… Hehe.’
During her busy days as a Saintess, the high-ranking priest Ivan Phillips had always been by her side, unchanging.
Their ages were similar, and Serena had been of age as a woman for quite some time, so it was very natural that they were drawn to each other.
Of course, the fact that there had been no progress in seven years was also due to the special nature of their relationship… But she couldn’t remain a Saintess forever.
Moreover, most of the past Saintesses had stepped down from their position and married before the age of 30, which was partly a consideration for their juniors, but more than anything, it was due to the loneliness that came as an individual woman.
After observing Ivan for some time, she realized that he was quite genuine, and Serena thought to herself, ‘It’s about time….’
And the sweet questions that tormented Ivan continued.
“Are you alright, Ivan? Staying by my side all the time… I think you are more than capable of taking on a major role in the Order.”
“I… I am content with this. Just being by the Saintess’s side is enough for me.”
“…Why? Why is it enough for you just to be by my side?”
“Ah……”
As Serena looked at Ivan with sparkling eyes, as if expecting something, he blushed again and mumbled, ‘Because it is the most honorable thing to do….’
“Hmph.”
At his passive response, Serena narrowed her eyes and glared at him, then turned her head back to look at the air.
A faint smile appeared on Serena’s lips.
‘His personality is always so easy to read.’
Recently, Serena had been testing him like this, taking the lead, and filling her womanly satisfaction while confirming his feelings. Although it might still look like a naive, innocent love to others, there was no one else to interfere, so it didn’t matter.
“Would you call me Serena?”
“S-Saintess!”
Ivan was a bit of a pushover, but he wasn’t stupid, so he knew what she meant by saying that. Ivan felt the same emotions as Serena.
“I… That’s… Hmm.”
Serena watched the handsome blonde man in front of her stammer and panic, and smiled wryly to herself. Perhaps it was because they had been together for so long that change was slow.
“Ah, it’s okay. It doesn’t have to be now… Then, would you promise to call me by my name someday? Just promise me that.”
“…Understood. And I apologize. It seems that my current position…”
“Stop, stop. Let’s stop this conversation here. More importantly, Ivan, did you notice anything strange in the chapel when we were on the platform earlier?”
“Strange… I don’t think I found anything problematic. Is there something that bothers you?”
“Something that bothers me… That’s right. It doesn’t seem like anything bad, but… I should check it out. I’ll explain it to you once I figure it out. There’s something I need to ask you now, is that alright?”
“Of course, Saintess.”
“It’s nothing grand. She’s probably back at the nunnery, but… Could you please call Sister Olivia to me?”
As Serena said that, she was lost in thought, recalling the divine power she had felt earlier, specifically from a young boy.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter if she met him directly… But no matter how she thought about it, it was strange.
It was the first time in her life that she had encountered a child with such a significant amount of divine power. Serena even used her imagination to consider if he might be a polymorphed dragon, but what dragon in this world would attend a church service for fun?
While Ivan opened the door and left, Serena shook her head from side to side, erasing her bizarre thoughts one by one.
‘It wouldn’t hurt to be careful, considering the situation.’
Serena leaned further into the chair with her large bottom, lost in thought.
