Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That Name Won't Do, Goddess!

While I was unconscious, the Holy Knights of the Eris Order brought me to the Order's main temple in the Sectia Holy Empire.

The back alleys of the ‘Orphan Kingdom,’ filled with bitter cold and the stench of rot, were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, I was greeted by a soft, warm cotton blanket that gave off a faint fragrance.

My ash-gray hair had regained its glossy silver color, and the soot covering my body had already been washed away.

They dressed me in a nun's habit that looked like something a little girl would wear, but every time I had to put it on, I had no idea how and needed the priests' help.

Whenever that happened, the priestesses would sniffle and say, ‘Oh my... how much hardship must you have endured to become this thin.’ But I had no time to answer them.

Because inside my head, the thoughts ‘Should I run away right now?’ and ‘Should I stay here just a little longer?’ were violently clashing.

Becoming the Saintess of the Eris Order. That meant drawing closer to the utterly miserable future of the original Beatrice.

And this was the Sectia Holy Empire. The most powerful nation on the Lorencia Continent, and humanity's foremost line of defense, sharing a border with the Demon Realm.

At the same time, perhaps because the protagonist's party was based here, it was a place where all kinds of incidents broke out whenever things got boring, and by the ending, it was ultimately destroyed by demons and met a miserable end.

In short, my current situation was no different from crawling into a tiger's den with my own two feet. Though technically, I hadn't walked here on my own.

For the sake of my future, escaping this place somehow was clearly the right choice.

But the meals and comfortable bed provided by the temple were more than enough to shatter my will to run away.

Freshly baked soft bread and fragrant soup that couldn't even be compared to the garbage I'd scavenged off the streets. The first time I put that food in my mouth, tears started streaming down my face. Because it was so delicious, and because the life I'd endured until then suddenly felt unbearably miserable.

And nights where I didn't have to shiver from the cold. A soft, comfortable bed. Clean clothes wrapped around my body instead of itchy rags. And the fact that I could sleep deeply instead of dozing with one eye open, constantly watching my surroundings.

With all of that combined, before I knew it, the thought ‘I need to get out of here’ had turned into the complacent hope, ‘Wouldn't everything be fine as long as I don't become the Saintess?’

If the Empire falls anyway, it'll only be a matter of time before the entire continent gets devoured by demons.

So even if I run far away, I won't live that much longer. Once I added that pathetic rationalization, the comfort provided by the Order felt even sweeter.

Had it been about a week since I started living with the Order? After being neatly washed and groomed, I put on a tidy nun's habit and was escorted somewhere.

And waiting there was none other than the Pope of the Eris Order.

He's the Pope, so I should at least be polite.

“...Holy shit, what the fuck. He's huge.”

...My ambitious resolve collapsed the instant I saw the Pope, along with the crude exclamation that unconsciously slipped from my mouth.

An old man with white hair swept back and tied, along with a magnificent beard kept impeccably groomed.

Deep wrinkles of age lined his face, but the firm, muscular body that even his loose vestments couldn't hide made him look less like a clergyman and more like a seasoned warrior who slaughtered demonic beasts on the front lines.

“That's quite an amusing impression, Saintess.”

“Um... are you really the Pope? Not someone who goes around beating demonic beasts to death?”

“Hoho, I used to do that in my younger days. Now I'm merely an old man who sits in the back room.”

...Doesn't look like it.

No matter how I looked at him, that was a lie.

One flick from those huge fingers would probably crush my tiny head like a watermelon.

“And I'm not a Saintess. How could someone like me be a Saintess?”

“That is for the Goddess to decide.”

Even at my irreverent words, the Pope merely smiled and rose from his seat. To my great honor, he personally guided me to the prayer room.

He said it was a prayer room that only the Pope and Saintess could use. Contrary to my expectation that it would be incredibly lavish, the prayer room was small and simple.

“This is the prayer room. Go on in. The Goddess is waiting for you.”

“...”

Reluctantly stepping into the prayer room, I turned my head and looked back at the Pope.

“Um, Grandpa.”

“...?”

The Pope looked slightly surprised by my words.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Hoho, no. Grandpa... I was simply wondering how long it's been since anyone called me that.”

“Would you rather I just call you Pope?”

“I rather like being called Grandpa. Doesn't it feel warmer that way?”

Grandpa Pope answered with a wink. He was surprisingly easygoing.

“What am I supposed to do in here?”

“You simply need to pray. The Goddess has called for you, Saintess, so she should answer immediately.”

Having said that, Grandpa Pope slowly closed the prayer room door.

“I shall wait outside.”

With those words, the prayer room door shut completely. I'd been nonreligious my whole life, so I'd never really prayed before. And I didn't know how people in this world prayed either.

“Hmm... I should probably do something, at least?”

It was a little awkward, but I'd seen people do it here and there, so I politely knelt down and clasped my hands together.

At that exact moment, dazzling light flooded the silent prayer room. I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut against the white radiance filling my vision.

When the light stabbing at my retinas gradually subsided, I opened my eyes again.

A woman was sitting atop the simple altar prepared for offering prayers to God.

Black hair and white eyes. A breathtakingly beautiful woman who radiated an atmosphere so dangerous it was almost chilling.

“Welcome, my child.”

She smiled gently. In stark contrast to the cold, suffocating aura around her, the voice flowing from between her lips was unbelievably soft and warm.

“Uh, um... are you perhaps the Goddess?”

An overwhelming presence that could hardly be called human.

There was only one being who could appear in this prayer room amid a flash of pure white light.

Eris, Goddess of Love and Battle.

...She wasn't just going to speak to me or something, but descend in person?

Forgetting all about my resolve to say I wouldn't become the Saintess, I simply stared at the Goddess with my mouth hanging open and a stupid look on my face.

“What a clever child. That's correct.”

“Uh... can a god really descend this easily?”

“It isn't easy. But this is my first meeting with the Saintess of our Order. Isn't it only proper that I greet you in person? Of course, because of certain restrictions, I won't be able to speak with you for long.”

Goddess Eris pouted and grumbled in a sulky voice.

Perhaps it was that fleetingly human gesture. Only then did I properly see the unreal beauty that had been hidden behind the immense veil of her divinity.

Hair that looked as though the night sky had been melted down, and eyes like embedded gemstones. Even the slight furrow between her brows was as elegant as a work of art. Overwhelmed by the beauty of a divine being, I found myself entranced, staring blankly at her appearance.

‘Wow... fuck, she's seriously gorgeous.’

Her beauty was so peerless that even the most famous celebrities wouldn't be able to compete. I couldn't even manage an exclamation, leaving me with no choice but to swallow dryly.

But my admiration lasted only a moment before my survival instincts started blaring alarms in one corner of my brain. Get a grip. Are you going to get bewitched by that face and mortgage your entire life?

I shook my head violently and forcibly pulled my dazed mind back together. Then I put on a firm expression and opened my mouth.

“Um, Goddess. Everything's great, but...”

But despite my resolve, I couldn't help trailing off. No matter what, saying “I don't want to be the Saintess!” in front of an actual Goddess took far more courage than I'd expected.

“Were you perhaps going to say that you don't want to become the Saintess?”

“...Huh? Can you read minds or something?”

Having my thoughts exposed, I couldn't help glancing around guiltily like a child caught pulling a bad prank.

“When you've lived as long as I have, you can understand what people are thinking to some extent even without a power like mind-reading.”

Goddess Eris said with a gentle smile.

“I won't force you to become the Saintess. A life forced upon you will ultimately feel unhappy no matter how abundant it is.”

“Huh?”

The Goddess's words were nothing like what I'd expected. I'd been sure she'd say something like, “You must become the Saintess, and that cannot be defied.” Or, “You dare disobey a god's command?”

“But the destiny already set for you will eventually lead you to the position of Saintess. Whether you want it to or not.”

“Um... sorry to say this, but... that sounds kind of like a threat.”

“If that's how it sounded, then it cannot be helped, but I'm merely telling you the truth.”

Figures. I pouted and grumbled.

If what the Goddess said was true, then hadn't I never had a choice in the first place?

Thinking it over carefully, I really didn't have a choice. Maybe things would've been different if I'd never come anywhere near the Order, but now that I'd already set foot inside, rumors that ‘a Saintess candidate with silver hair and white eyes’ had appeared must have spread throughout the Order.

What if I packed my things and walked out saying, “I don't want to be the Saintess!”? There was no way the Order would simply let me go, and even if they did, that would be a problem in itself.

Prophetic dreams were the Saintess's privilege. If I wandered out into the world without the Order's protection, I'd be little more than mouthwatering prey for powerful people and demons coveting that ability.

‘...So it's already become impossible to back out now, hasn't it?’

I was completely trapped. Still, rather than leaving the Order and fighting against all sorts of threats, it was far more reasonable to remain inside and prepare for one definite threat named 'Cassian.'

In the end, there was only one conclusion. Instead of whining and delaying taking the position of Saintess, it would be better to accept it quickly and build up my own strength.

If I had both the position of second-in-command of the Order and overwhelming strength of my own, no one would be able to deal with me easily.

“Fine. What the hell, I'll give this Saintess thing a shot.”

“Pfft, a good choice. Still, don't be too upset. The Saintess of our Order receives plenty of special benefits. You won't regret coming to the Eris Order.”

The Goddess smiled softly and added, “If you're going to be the Saintess anyway, wouldn't it be better to enjoy it?” Her smile was beautiful, but what caught my ears were the words special benefits.

“Benefits? What kind?”

Don't call me materialistic. You're supposed to take everything you're entitled to.

“Free to date.”

“?”

“And free to marry as well. I'm the Goddess of Love, so marriage is something I should bless above all else. Simply put, you don't need to remain chaste for life or live alone.”

“Goddess! I have no intention of dating or marrying a man!”

I stood there stunned by the completely unexpected benefit before coming to my senses and shouting. My body might be female, but my mind was male. Like hell I'd date or marry a man!

“...Well, I suppose after seeing so many awful things in the back alleys, it would make sense for you to dislike men.”

I had no idea what she was imagining, but the Goddess misread my reaction and looked sad. I wanted to tell her it was absolutely not what she was thinking, but she spoke before I could.

“Women are fine too, you know? A man's firm muscles are nice, but the soft skin of a girl is also...”

“Hey! You! What are you saying to a child?!”

“Ah, sorry. You're so much more mature than I expected that I forgot.”

Hehe. Watching the Goddess cover her mouth and laugh while I trembled with indignation, I soon pulled myself together and decided to get straight to the point.

“Um, could I... become strong? Strong enough to smash everything that stands in my way.”

“My, it seems what my child wants is not strength as a Saintess, but strength as a ‘warrior’ who cuts down her enemies. Am I right?”

“Yes. Sitting quietly in the back, praying, healing people, and handing out buffs just doesn't suit my personality.”

Even in my previous life, I wasn't the type to just take things lying down. I had no intention of becoming some delicate flower protected by others just because I was a Saintess. Had she noticed that side of me? The Goddess's eyes lit up with interest.

“What kind of Goddess am I?”

“Huh?”

When I stupidly repeated the question at her sudden bit of self-promotion, the Goddess smiled faintly.

“I'm the Goddess of Love, but I'm also the Goddess of Battle. The children of our Order are strong enough to endure any struggle if it's to protect what they love.”

“...Oh.”

“If you choose the path of a warrior, I will bless that path. And as for the talent sleeping within your body... you know better than anyone else what you're capable of, don't you, my child?”

“That's right.”

Yeah, I'd learned painfully well in the back alleys that this body had talent. No matter how many prophetic dreams I'd had, without the overwhelming physical abilities needed to act on them, I'd have ended up buried in some nameless ditch long ago.

“By the way, my child, what is your name? You're now the Saintess of our Order, so I can't keep calling you ‘my child’ forever.”

“I don't have one. People just called me something like ‘that damn gray brat.’”

Why would a street urchin have a name? Even if I'd once had one, I couldn't remember it. Of course, I did have a name from my previous life... but it wouldn't fit in this world anyway.

“...Oh dear, how unfortunate.”

The Goddess looked at me with pity and gently stroked my head.

“Then I shall name you myself.”

“Mmm...”

The Goddess's touch was so warm and gentle that, before I knew it, I let out a satisfied little hum like a puppy and enjoyed the warmth.

But what should I ask her to name me? If possible, something a little manly and cool would be nice.

“Your name shall be Beatrice. A name meaning one who is blessed.”

“...Huh? Wait!”

But my peaceful thoughts were shattered by the Goddess's next words.

No, you can't just suddenly give me that name! That's the exact same name as in the original!

Before I could say anything, the Goddess's form turned into light and vanished.

I blinked at the altar.

“...I can't ask her to change my name now, can I?”

And that was how my life as Beatrice began.