Chapter 91: Your History

"What is going on with her?"

I rushed to the Abbess and confronted her directly. She was in the middle of her breakfast in the dining room.

Despite the surprised gazes from the other nuns, the Abbess rose with a somber expression as if expecting my arrival.

"Let us talk outside."

"We should talk here. It seems like all of your nuns already know about Stella anyway."

In response to my words, the nuns all lowered their heads, pretending not to hear. Did they still want to walk this path despite knowing that this would be their future? That of a Saintess?

I was only left with inexplicable questions.

Seeing my unwavering reaction, the Abbess sighed in resignation before finally opening her mouth to explain.

"You must have heard from the person herself already. It is due to a curse from a Demon."

"To let her end up like that, what did you all do so far?"

Of course, since the Church had failed to protect the Saintess, they had to be held accountable and take responsibility.

There was no other suitable explanation, other than that they abandoned her just because the Saintess had lost her Holy Power, just like a hunter disposing of their dog after the hunt was over.

However, it seemed that the Abbess also had something to say. She, who was feeling unjust, approached me and exclaimed.

"Do you think we just stood by and watched it happen?! Ever since she stepped down from being the Saintess, Lady Stella had been missing for several years!"

"...Missing?"

As I stared at the Abbess with a subtle expression, she responded with a bitter look.

"She left us with only a letter asking not to find her. That's why the Church didn't actively search for her! Because we know that she now has the right to rest!"

"..."

"But just a year ago, when Lady Stella returned here, she was already in that state!"

With a hiccup, the Abbess bent her waist, holding back tears. Witnessing their Reverend Mother's vulnerability, the other nuns succumbed to collective sorrow.

Yet, I remained impassive while looking down at her.

It does not seem like a lie.

Although the sight of them embracing each other and sharing in their sadness was quite touching, I couldn't forget that there was a demon among these women.

A throbbing pain hammered in my head, much like an ache from a cavity.

"Phew."

I would leave them for now. The dining room had turned into a sea of tears with them embracing each other, and it eventually led to an impromptu prayer meeting, a scene I preferred not to be part of.

As I stepped outside, the smell of grilled meat surrounded me.

Findenai had been kindling a bonfire since early in the morning, roasting wild animal meat she had caught from somewhere. Meanwhile, Illuania, who was next to her, was preparing the food .

And the last person there was the Dark Spiritualist, who was standing idly before the fire.

I wasn't sure how they came together in such an arrangement, but each member had remarkable individuality.

One was the leader of the resistance.

One was a pregnant woman who used to be a backstreet prostitute.

One was a Necromancer who became a ghost.

Perhaps aside from a circus troupe, no one else would be able to offer us such an unusual combination.

"Ugh, did I sleep wrong yesterday?"

Findenai stretched, complaining about stiffness, while Illuania had abandoned her maid uniform and was now wearing a nun's habit, which was provided by the convent.

Since the convent only provided a separate room for the pregnant Illuania, Fındenai and I had slept inside the carriage we rode in.

It didn't feel particularly strange as we had already slept in the same space multiple times on our journey here.

"Ah, you're finally here! Here's your meal!"

Illuania skillfully cut the meat, seasoned it, and carefully placed it on a plate she brought.

A rich scent, accompanied by a spicy aroma typical of the Northern region's cuisine, filled the air.

Perhaps due to the cold climate in the Northern region, the food boasted a robust flavor that warmed our bodies.

When I first tried it, it felt perplexing to my taste buds, but I had now become familiar with it.

The three of us finished our simple meal and sat by the bonfire to discuss the current situation.

I only shared Stella's story with them under the condition that they both maintain secrecy.

"I plan to conduct individual interviews today."

"Can we really find out which one the Demon is through a conversation?"

Since Findenai was itching to smoke, she clenched her fist to resist before asking.

"No, but at least we can try having a conversation with them."

If that didn't work, I planned to use the Holy Grail I brought since Holy Power was harmful to Demons.

However, the moment I used the Holy Grail on the Demon, other Demons would take notice and start gathering around me to break it.

The situation would instead turn into a grueling life-or-death battle, one that would make Stella's wounds look trivial.

Therefore, using the Holy Grail on the Demon should be our last resort.

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical. Was this situation desperate enough for me to risk attracting the attention of more Demons by using the Holy Grail?

Not really.

While Stella's situation was tragic and Demons were repulsive, I wasn't willing to subject myself to a near-fatal slaughter.

"Then, shall I call them one by one?"

As Illuania was quick on her feet, she had never failed to grasp such small tasks. She immediately stood up..

After Illuania left to call the nuns one by one, I instructed Fındenai to listen from my side without saying anything since her beast-like senses were quite sharp.

Then, one by one, the five nuns began to come.

"Actually, there's a somewhat strange nun."

The first nun who came to me had a button nose; she spoke with her eyes tightly closed.

"Lately, Mella has been doing things she had never done before. I'm in the next room, and I hear the sound of her door opening every morning."

The second nun was an imposing woman with slender fingers and clear and pretty skin.

"It might be odd to say this, but Mella looks suspicious. How should I put it? She has been looking very tired."

The third nun had her long hair neatly braided.

"Mella was the closest to the other two deceased nuns. So... I just thought it was worth mentioning."

The fourth was a nun with a slightly plump figure who served Goddess Demeter.

"I'm not sure, but recently, something seems off with Mella whenever we pray. Actually, even just now, she was trembling during the prayer."

The last, the fifth nun was Mella, the one all the others had mentioned as suspicious.

Her eyes were sunken and dark circles prominent, and her figure was scrawny. She looked anything but like a nun.

"A suspicious person? I-I don't think there is any. There's really no one like that."

After hearing everyone's stories, I turned my gaze to the bonfire for a moment.

The sound of the burning embers' rhythmic crackling sound was nimble, and my train of thought seemed to flow naturally in sync with it.

"How is it?"

Illuania, who had gathered all the nuns, approached. There was a sense of pride in her expression, so I praised her before turning to Fındenai.

"What do you think about this?"

"Hm."

As the leader of the unique group leading the resistance movement, she naturally had a keen sense for detecting traitors.

Especially when it came to those with animalistic senses, only a few people could rival her.

"If only I could just smoke, my brain would be on fire and I'd nail this problem."

She hinted at it subtly, but I ignored it. The answer was already there, and she just complained, wanting to avoid the situation.

"Sigh, it seems like Master Bastard thinks the same way as I do, huh?"

"...It seems so."

It seemed that we had come to a similar conclusion. Were the innocent nuns living in such a secluded convent accustomed to lying like this?

It was surprisingly easy to discern truth from falsehood.

"They were all lying."

Illuania was surprised by my words, but Findenai lightly nodded.

"Yeah, even that bitch named Mella."

All four people who suspected Mella were indeed telling lies.

However, Mella, who claimed there was no one suspicious, was also telling a lie.

"Shall I call them here again?"

"No, there is no need."

I stood up abruptly and headed back to the convent. The nuns' lies irritated me, but even if I asked them again, they would probably remain silent this time.

And there was a strange desire hidden in their lies.

I clicked my tongue, entered the convent, and headed to the attic once more.

When I was climbing the stairs, the second floor was bustling with the nuns studying. And the sight of the Abbess passionately shouting and teaching them left a striking impression.

She was a woman who was proud of herself, almost on par with Stella, and even Lucia.

It was understandable since she practically had raised two Saintesses with her own hands.

Perhaps due to this, there was a strange sense of pressure for her to bring forth the next Saintess from this convent, which was evident in her small gestures.

There were even rods for physical punishment, indicating a rather strict environment.

The Abbess.

She was a figure that couldn't be excluded from the list of suspects, but I wasn't inclined to investigate her for now.

I wanted to see what actions the Abbess would take once she was convinced she wasn't under suspicion.

I arrived at the attic and, using the key given by the Abbess, I unlocked the door and entered.

There, Stella, whom I had exchanged greetings with earlier, was smiling and welcoming me.

"Ah, it seems you made acquaintance with me yesterday, didn't you?"

Perhaps due to my reaction earlier, Stella immediately understood the situation.

"What kind of conversation did I have with you yesterday?"

"There was nothing much."

After that, I briefly recounted the conversation we had yesterday, and Stella listened attentively with a bright smile, simply nodding occasionally.

Just like that, the short explanation came to an end.

"I see. So, what do you want to know from me?"

"I want to hear about the time when you lost your Holy Power. What happened after you descended from the position of Saintess?"

"Hmm."

"Why did you leave the Church? Even if they often acted foolish, they would have been desperate to protect you, as you are the former Saintess."

"Well, of course."

Stella chuckled and slightly nodded.

"But was that the right decision?"

"Pardon?"

Stella tightened her grip on the rosary, one that symbolized Goddess Hearthia that she held in her hand.

The smile on her lips showed no signs of fading.

"Holy Power is rather difficult to handle. So, at the time, the newly appointed Saintess, Lucia, couldn't protect me. Instead, she would even put herself in danger, you know?"

My head nodded involuntarily as I also had been in a position where I had briefly dealt with Holy Power directly through the Holy Grail.

Holy Power was not as kind as one might think.

"It might be odd to say this myself, but I have been quite committed in my activities as a Saintess. I have annihilated countless Demons, expelled them, and saved people."

"...."

"The most dangerous moment was when I lost my Holy Power, and the new Saintess was unable to fully handle it yet."

Only now.

Only now did I finally understand what Stella's words mean.

"It was my final duty as a Saintess. I needed to leave, and carry the grudges and hatred of all Demons. As her predecessor, that was the only gift I could present to the new Saintess who shone so brightly."

Her role as the Saintess was over.

And yet, she remained to her duties, acting like a Saintess until the end.

"It was to buy her time. While the attention of the Demons was focused on me, Lucia was able to become adept at harnessing Holy Power."

"...."

"Fufu, do you think I am foolish?"

"That is right, there was no need to bear that burden alone."

However, her actions were very noble.

She decided to bear the burdens all alone.

She was a woman who truly embodied the qualities of a Saintess.

"Shall I tell you about what happened with the Demons afterwards too?"

Stella teasingly asked, and I agreed.

"Yes, please."

It was a good opportunity to find out about the Demons' methods. The information I got here could be a clue to finding the Demon that sneaked in this time.

In response to my answer, Stella chuckled, raised her right hand which was holding the rosary, and playfully extended her index finger to lay down a condition.

"Since I will share my history, in exchange, please share one of yours as well."

"You mean my history?"

She must have known that she would forget all of them by tomorrow.

Nevertheless, she still wanted to know.

However, it wasn't a difficult request.

I wondered if it would suffice to share the story of overcoming Deus' debauched past and starting anew.

With a smile visible beyond her raised finger, she stated her next words directly.

"How did you end up possessing that body?"