The Fortune-Teller Saintess - Chapter 58

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Fortune Teller Saint

 

Chapter 58

 

I glanced back behind me. Nein had an annoyed expression but was obediently carrying Cecil and following us.

 

Watching him like that, I felt a mix of wanting to tease him and curiosity.

 

‘He’s surprisingly good at taking care of kids.’

 

“Holy Lady.”

 

“Hm?”

 

The one who called me was Cecil’s brother, Sarnok.

 

Sarnok glanced at Nein holding his younger sibling, then asked me with a very suspicious expression.

 

“That person, he’s really safe, right?”

 

“…You’re pretty perceptive, aren’t you?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“No, ahem! Don’t worry. Nein won’t harm us.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course. I’ll guarantee it on my name.”

 

…I won’t end up nameless by tomorrow after saying this, will I?

 

I suddenly felt anxious, but decided to trust Nein for now.

 

“But Holy Lady, is that person also a priest?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You two seem close.”

 

“Ah.”

 

I glanced at Nein and thought about how to explain this.

 

It would be awkward to tell the truth, so how should I explain it?

 

“He’s from the temple.”

 

“What?”

 

I raised my eyebrows and asked back.

 

Regardless, Nein smiled shamelessly and pulled something out from his chest.

 

It was the temple handkerchief I had given him before.

 

“If I have this, doesn’t that make me somewhat connected to the temple?”

 

At his shameless behavior, not only I but also Robelina and Lucian stared at Nein with dumbfounded eyes. To think he’d use it like that?

 

The innocent children seemed to relax their guard when Nein showed them the handkerchief with the temple’s emblem. I could sense a goodwill in their eyes toward Nein that hadn’t been there before.

 

‘Since they’re young children, they probably can’t distinguish between divine power and magic yet. Maybe that’s fortunate. They won’t notice that Nein is a mage.’

 

Of course, my heart wasn’t at ease having to deceive the children.

 

“We’re here!”

 

At the children’s exclamation, I turned my head and saw the village chapel ahead.

 

The children excitedly ran into the chapel, saying they had arrived home. Thinking that kids will be kids, a smile naturally formed on my lips.

 

“Oh, Nein. Give me Cecil…”

 

As I turned to Nein to take Cecil from him, I made a puzzled expression.

 

Nein’s expression was… somehow strange.

 

“Nein?”

 

“…Those kids, they were from this chapel orphanage?”

 

“Huh? Yeah, but why?”

 

“Why are you here, Holy Lady?”

 

“That’s…”

 

“No, don’t answer.”

 

Nein handed Cecil, who had fallen asleep on the way, to me and quickly turned around. Then he glanced at me and warned.

 

“Don’t tell anyone anywhere that you met me…”

 

“Nein…?”

 

At that moment, Nein stopped abruptly. He almost seemed frozen.

 

I turned around to see Hamel Priest looking at us, at Nein, with surprised eyes.

 

“Is it really you, Nein?”

 

“…Damn it.”

 

Nein, who had muttered a curse under his breath, turned around.

 

He looked at Hamel with reluctant eyes and opened his mouth.

 

“It’s been a while, Father.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

I was so surprised that I almost dropped Cecil.

 

I tightened my grip on Cecil and asked with a trembling voice.

 

“Nein… You had a father?!”

 

At that moment, I felt it.

 

The air flowing between us had become subtly awkward.

 

I finally realized how my words might sound to others.

 

My face turned red as I frantically made excuses.

 

“I-I didn’t mean it that way! It’s just that you’ve never talked about your parents, Nein, so…”

 

“He’s not my parent.”

 

“Huh? But you just called him father…”

 

As I looked back and forth between Nein and Hamel with a puzzled expression, Hamel approached and said with a kind smile.

 

“Nein is also from this orphanage. Since I cared for and raised Nein, he calls me father.”

 

“Ah? What?”

 

“It seems this will be a long story. Shall we go inside and talk, Holy Lady?”

 

I followed Hamel with a bewildered expression, glancing at Nein.

 

Nein’s face was contorted.

 

As if a fact he didn’t want revealed had been discovered.

 

Once we entered the chapel, we were able to hear roughly about Nein’s past from Hamel.

 

“So… Hamel Priest took in Nein who was abandoned in front of the orphanage, and Nein grew up in this orphanage calling the priest father, is that what you’re saying?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

I looked at Nein with fresh eyes.

 

Come to think of it, even though this was inside a novel, this world was also reality.

 

Unless the characters had suddenly appeared out of thin air, it was natural that each had their own past.

 

‘It’s fascinating since these are details that didn’t appear in the original work.’

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Nein asked with a sullen expression.

 

I quickly shook my head and carefully asked Hamel.

 

“Then Hamel Priest, you know, don’t you? That Nein is…”

 

“The Mage Tower Master, you mean?”

 

When I closed my mouth, Hamel smiled and said.

 

“I couldn’t not know. Nein was a child born with magic power from a young age.”

 

“You took him in even knowing that.”

 

“What does it matter whether they’re born with divine power or magic power? Children just need to grow up healthy and strong.”

 

Hamel, who had been looking at Nein, turned his gaze to me and smiled brightly.

 

“You think so too, don’t you, Holy Lady?”

 

“Of course.”

 

I answered with a bright smile.

 

I’d been feeling this since earlier, but I wanted to bring Hamel to the temple. Wouldn’t that old-fashioned perception that rejects magic power change little by little?

 

‘But this place really suits Hamel Priest after all.’

 

I stared at Hamel looking warmly at Nein and unconsciously smiled.

 

It was because I felt Hamel’s sincere affection for Nein.

 

Perhaps Nein felt that affection too, as he turned his head away with a somewhat uncomfortable expression. He really is a tsundere.

 

“Come to think of it, Nein, what brought you all the way here?”

 

Hamel asked, suddenly curious.

 

I had been curious about this too, so I turned my head to stare at Nein.

 

Nein seemed to hesitate for some reason, then used magic to pull out a large sack from thin air and set it down in front of Hamel.

 

“This is…?”

 

“Medicinal herbs.”

 

“Medicinal herbs?”

 

Nein nodded and added curtly.

 

“You were having a headache over that sick little kid.”

 

At those words, both Hamel and I widened our eyes.

 

“Nein… You’re the type who knows how to care for others?”

 

“Holy Lady, you’ve been quite rude for a while now, haven’t you?”

 

Nein said, lifting one corner of his mouth.

 

Only then realizing my slip of tongue once again, I shut my mouth.

 

“I see. So you were the one who periodically brought herbs to the orphanage, Nein.”

 

Hamel teared up as he hugged the sack tightly.

 

Then Nein made a disgusted ‘ugh’ sound.

 

“Ugh, this is why I didn’t want to come.”

 

“Why? It looks nice. Oh, but wait a minute.”

 

Looking at the herbs in the sack, I raised my eyebrows.

 

Now that I looked, those were identical to the herbs we had gathered from the mountain.

 

Suddenly I remembered what I’d heard at the village apothecary.

 

‘A handsome young man came this morning and bought them all up. There are a lot of people looking for those herbs today.’

 

“You were the handsome young man the apothecary mentioned?!”

 

“I am quite good-looking.”

 

Nein said with a slight smile.

 

Dumbfounded, I let out a hollow laugh.

 

Meanwhile, Hamel wiped his tears and stood up holding the sack, speaking in a cheerful voice.

 

“What a blessing. To have so many people step forward to help Airi.”

 

“Speaking of which, Holy Lady, why are you here helping father?”

 

Nein asked, frowning.

 

Since things had come to this, I had no reason not to tell him. After organizing my thoughts, I slowly opened my mouth.

 

“Well, I’m planning to receive some holy relics in exchange for treating Airi.”

 

“Holy relics? You mean those tree branches infused with divine power. That’s fine, I suppose. But Holy Lady, your abilities aren’t healing-type, are they?”

 

“Right. Someone else will do the treatment.”

 

“Who is that…?”

 

Bang bang bang-

 

Just then, someone knocked urgently on the orphanage door. The sound was fast and strong enough to convey desperation.

 

At the sudden noise, Nein shot a sharp look in that direction. Hamel carefully opened the orphanage door.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“Good day. I came because I heard there’s a patient here for me to treat.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

At the voice coming from behind Hamel’s back, I poked my head out slightly.

 

Then I met the other person’s sunken brown eyes directly.

 

“Ah! You must be…!”

 

“Holy Lady.”

 

At that moment, the other person’s eyes lit up and he came running toward me with quick steps. Startled by his momentum, I unconsciously stepped back.

 

It was Lucian and Nein who stopped him.

 

“I will not permit you to come any closer.”

 

“What the hell? Who is this guy?”

 

The man dangling from Nein’s hand still looked at me with intense eyes.

 

“I received your letter, Holy Lady. That you could help with my research.”

 

“Ah, well, that’s right?”

 

“Really…”

 

The man who had been trembling suddenly began glaring at me.

 

“Do you really know how to make that medicine… *cough*, *cough*!”

 

‘Ah, he spat on me.’

 

It was quite a unique character introduction in many ways.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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