Chapter 6

“Dad and Mom are so mean. It’s not fair that only Onee-sama gets special treatment.”

Even in the cramped carriage, Solene raised her voice without a care, tears forming in her eyes.

“Honestly, you…”

Dad muttered in exasperation.
If this were a dream, was this the kind of Dad I had always wanted?
Had I deep down wished to be prioritized over Solene?

The carriage arrived at the church amidst this awkward atmosphere.

“We’ve been expecting you, Barrier-sama, Duchess, Carlotta-sama…”

Previously, the priest never came out to greet us himself.
And yet, the priest’s gaze made me uncomfortable.
I didn’t understand why he was looking at me so intently.
I hadn’t even been declared a Saint yet…

“I am Elditom, the priest here.”

Was I just misremembering things?
I didn’t recall the priest greeting each visitor personally.
I still couldn’t tell if this was a conveniently sweet dream, or reality that had turned back time.
Everything felt real to the senses, and yet the differences from the past only left me more confused.

“Now then, please come this way.”

We were led to the same place of prayer as before.
Many nobles had already gathered.
The priest stepped up to the altar and began his address.
I didn’t remember the exact words, but they were similar before.
And the prayer topics were also…

(In the Sukaruki region, a prolonged drought has affected crops and reservoirs.)
(Near the border, the number of monster appearances is increasing.)
(The tree planted by the first Saint in the royal palace is beginning to wither.)

“Allow me to remind everyone once again: those who mistakenly believe they have powers are not criminals. However, falsely claiming to be a Saint is a grave sin. Should such an act occur, the church will punish it severely and report it to the royal palace.”

There was no such warning the last time.
I couldn’t help but feel the priest was speaking directly to me.
The shift in his message and the way his eyes locked onto mine—it was like he was saying, “Don’t you dare pretend to be a Saint this time.”

“What will you pray for, Onee-sama?”

Solene, seated next to me, whispered softly.
Normally, what one prays for should never be shared with anyone.
Only the church officials are allowed to know the content of each prayer.

“I… about the Saint’s tree…”

The tree is said to have been planted by the first Saint.
It’s been tended by Saints for generations.
When it begins to wither, it’s seen as a sign that the Saint’s power is weakening.
It’s been quite some time since the previous Saint passed away.
Unlike before, I wanted to offer a different prayer this time.
But if I chose something else, Solene might end up praying for the same thing as me…

“Onee-sama?”

“No, I’ll pray for the drought in the Sukaruki region.”

“I see. Then I’ll do the same.”

“…Right.”

When the priest finished his greeting, the young ladies began to move toward the table beside the prayer space.
Each one filled out their prayer and name where no one else could see it.
Then they flipped the paper over and handed it to the priest.

“Now then, please begin your prayers.”

This time, instead of the drought, I wrote down the restoration of the tree planted by the Saint and gave it to the priest.
But just before I started to pray, I couldn’t stop thinking about the monsters near the border—and ended up praying about that instead.