Chapter 27 - Adjustment - 2

While exchanging a few brief words with Renée, Bera glanced at the clock on one wall of the infirmary. It read seven in the evening.

'Dinnertime.'

He needed to get Renée something to eat. Over the past two days, they had poured divine energy into her to stave off hunger, but however much vitality it provided, it was naturally less efficient than eating an actual meal.

With that thought, Bera rose and spoke to Renée.

"It's about time for dinner. I'll go and fetch your meal."

"Oh, all right."

After her reply, Bera released the hand he had been holding until then, and a small sigh of dismay escaped Renée's lips. He tilted his head at her reaction.

"Is something wrong?"

"What? Oh, no!"

Her answer came quickly. Thinking she might be afraid of being left alone in an unfamiliar place, Bera spoke again to reassure her.

"It won't take long. You need only wait a little while—a very little while."

"Yes! Of course! Go ahead!"

Her flustered reply was emphatic. Bera nodded, then walked away from her with deliberately loud footsteps. He needed to hurry back.

With that in mind, he flung the infirmary door open, only to stop and narrow his eyes at the three figures standing outside.

Two lumps and one middle-aged man.

The twins and Rohan.

Startled by Bera's emergence, the three froze, their eyes darting about. Bera shut the door firmly behind him and spoke with a menacing expression.

"What do you want?"

His voice was a low growl, his tone making it abundantly clear they were not welcome. Naturally. Even in the Holy Empire, where eccentrics ran rampant, these three ranked among the top five people to watch out for—the strangest of the strange.

Hadn't he vowed countless times over the past few weeks with Renée that he would never let these people hover around her?

As Bera's obvious wariness made their faces stiffen further, Rohan, standing between the twins, spoke with an awkward smile.

"W-well... We heard the Saintess was here, so we thought we'd come take a looook..."

"Is the Saintess a spectacle to you?"

"Oh, come now! That's not what I meant! Our little fellow is saying things that could get a man in trouble!"

As Rohan spoke and sidled toward him, Bera put on a positively murderous expression.

"Keep your hands off me. It disgusts me."

"Oof."

Rohan flinched. His eyes darted between Bera and the door behind him before he half closed them and asked in a conspiratorial tone,

"So, what's the Saintess like? Hm? Seeing our little fellow get this protective has made your old pal curious... Well? Does she get your heart all aflutter?"

The way he rubbed his palms together and asked so obsequiously made him look rather like a toady. Bera felt his temper flare and opened his mouth to snap back, but, surprisingly, the twins noticed and intervened.

"Rohan, apologize to Bera. Bera is not blinded by lust."

"Correct. Bera is not hot and bothered. He is hot-tempered."

"... Shut up."

The twins had done their best to read the situation before speaking. Unfortunately, their words only made matters worse for Bera. Every time he heard their nonsensical remarks, his blood pressure rose.

Looking crestfallen at his harsh words, the twins muttered,

"Bera is mean. We helped, and he curses at us."

"I take it back. Bera is hot, bothered, and tempered."

"Hmm? Your old pal is curious. Are you really not going to tell me?"

They each took a turn speaking. Bera let their words pass him by, feeling faint as he imagined what would happen if Renée, behind the door, met these people.

Absolutely, absolutely not. He could not prevent them from meeting her altogether, but he could not allow them to spout nonsense in front of her.

His eyes widened at the thought, and he addressed the three in an even more threatening tone.

"Get lost, all of you. The Saintess needs rest, so don't come anywhere near here until she wakes up. Consider yourselves warned."

"Aww..."

"Get lost."

Rohan and the twins flinched again. Pouting at Bera's scowling face, the three trudged toward the infirmary exit. Watching them go, Bera steeled his resolve.

'... Soon.'

He would have to teach them a lesson. Those three, and Trebo, who had yet to come, needed their behavior corrected, even if it took a few blows.

Once the three had vanished completely from sight, Bera heaved a deep sigh and headed toward the dining hall. The weight of his responsibility was far too great.

* * *

A few days later, Bera went to see Norn in a small meeting room not far from the infirmary, having heard that Renée's attendants had been selected.

Upon entering, he saw Norn bow his head in greeting, with four girls standing behind him.

"Are these the ones?"

"Yes. They were chosen with great care. Each of them will pull her weight."

Bera nodded at Norn's words and examined the girls lined up behind him. They looked roughly Renée's age. Every face was filled with tension, and they stood rigidly upright.

He could have told them to relax, but deliberately refrained. He believed the caution born of that tension would serve as a restraint, keeping them from behaving disrespectfully toward Renée.

Bera regarded the girls—Renée's attendants—with a sober gaze before speaking.

"Who's in charge?"

"Yes, that's me."

The attendant on the far right stepped forward.

"Trainee holy knight Hella, reporting."

Her straw-colored hair was tied back tightly, and her face had a somewhat languid look. Bera felt a flicker of familiarity, then glanced at Norn and realized why. Their hair was exactly the same color.

"... Are you related?"

"She's my daughter."

Norn raised his head and continued with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"You needn't worry. I did not select her out of personal affection. She may be my daughter, but I am confident she is highly capable."

"Looking forward to serving."

Hella bowed her head after Norn's explanation.

Bera looked from the bowing Hella to the embarrassed Norn, then gave a small nod.

"Very well. I trust your judgment, Sir Norn. Thank you for your efforts."

"You are too kind."

It was an unusually easy approval from Bera. From his perspective, however, it was well founded. Wasn't she the daughter of Norn, one of the rare normal people in this eccentric-filled Holy Empire, and a perceptive, capable man besides? That alone earned Hella extra credit in Bera's mind.

Of course, he could dismiss her if her work proved unsatisfactory, but for now, he had every reason to approve.

"Have they finished their training?"

"Yes. They can begin immediately."

"Good. The Saintess is being discharged today, as it happens. We can go and introduce them at the same time."

Norn and the attendants bowed their heads at his words. Bera watched them, then turned to leave the room, adding,

"Let us go, then."

As he set off, Bera reviewed Renée's schedule.

'First, show her to her quarters...'

Then he needed to take her to Bargo. After meeting him and exchanging greetings, she would need to hear about her schedule going forward—from daily living arrangements to instruction in using divine energy and the timing of the revelation.

Bera let out a small breath at the thought and continued walking. There were far too many things to attend to.

* * *

Sitting on the bed, Renée lifted her head at the sound of the door opening.

"Saintess. Have you been comfortable?"

It was Bera's voice. Renée smiled faintly and nodded.

"Yes. Today's the day I leave, isn't it?"

"It is. Oh, I've brought some people with me. These are the priests who will attend you from today onward."

Bera stepped aside as he spoke and gestured for the attendants to greet Renée. At his signal, they stepped forward with a sharp click of their feet and began introducing themselves one by one, starting with Hella on the far right.

"Senior attendant Hella. Looking forward to serving."

At Hella's greeting, delivered with a crisply angled bow, Renée replied with an awkward expression.

"Yes. I look forward to working with you."

The other attendants' greetings followed. Answering each in turn, Renée gave an awkward laugh, thinking that she simply could not get used to being treated with such deference.

'... No, I have to get used to it.'

If this was the life she would lead from now on, then she ought to make an effort to adjust. Renée clenched her fists in resolve, then asked Bera,

"Should we leave right away?"

"Yes. We will first go to your quarters so you can change, then visit His Holiness. He will explain your schedule going forward."

His Holiness. The Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire.

Realizing she was about to meet someone of truly high standing, Renée felt tension well up inside her and asked Bera a question.

"Um... What sort of person is His Holiness? What if I make a mistake...?"

"He won't mind, so there's no need to worry. He's a goo... d person."

Bera's words faltered abruptly because of the thought that came to mind. To him, Bargo was better described as a cantankerous old man than a good person.

That impression had made him feel, somehow, as though he were lying even as he spoke, hence his stumble. Unaware of the reason, Renée took his hesitation as a sign that the Holy Emperor might be difficult to please, and grew even more nervous.

"Th-that's a relief!"

Renée clenched her fists again, an awkward smile on her lips.

'I-I can do this, right?'

What if she got on his bad side and he started picking on her? Such a silly worry crossed her mind.

* * *

After Bera guided her to her quarters, Renée continued thinking as the attendants helped her get ready.

'There's an awful lot to do.'

Getting ready took quite some time. Washing, combing her hair—it was all the same. Their hands worked with such painstaking care that each task took long enough for her to grow bored.

And putting on the ceremonial robes was astonishingly complicated. Renée had never imagined clothing could be so difficult to wear. With layer upon layer wrapped around her and draped over her, the outfit was inconvenience itself.

Just as she began to feel increasingly worn out—

"All done."

Hella's voice rang out.

Delighted that the tiresome process was finally over, Renée thanked her with a bright expression.

"Oh, thank you. You've worked so hard."

"Not at all. Just doing my duty."

"Even so. Um, Miss Hella?"

"Yes, Hella, that's me."

"Hehe. Your way of speaking is so distinctive, it's easy to remember you."

She was not teasing. If anything, the remark was a gesture of affection. Unable to see, Renée preferred people with distinctive traits that did not depend on sight.

"My mother's from the north. I think her northern accent got mixed with the southern one, and that's how I ended up sounding like this."

"Oh, I see..."

"Shall we head out now? The apostle is waiting outside."

"Oh, yes."

Nodding in response, Renée gripped her cane and rose. For some reason, the fact that Bera was waiting outside occupied her thoughts, and she asked Hella quietly,

"Um... I don't look strange right now, do I?"

The question escaped without any thought. It had simply begun to bother her all of a sudden—she wondered if she might look ridiculous in these ceremonial robes. That was why she had asked.

Looking at Renée as she asked, Hella answered with as much sincerity as she could muster.

"You look beautiful."

At least, that was what Hella thought.