The Magical Holy Woman Seraphina - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Magic Saint Seraphina
Chapter 10
Part 2. A Dog is Man’s Best Friend🐶
Dear God.
Hello. My name is Pepper.
I live with my mother in an ivory-colored house on Opertal Street. It’s a seven-story building with a black front gate. At the very top, in a room with a red geranium pot on the windowsill, that’s where my mother and I sleep.
The grown-ups call it the “Maid’s Room” because we can’t use the grand central staircase and have to use a narrow, closet-like one instead…… though I’m not entirely sure what that means!
We also have a dog at home. His name is Collie.
My mother works washing dishes at a restaurant near our house where wealthy nobles come to eat. That’s why she works late every day.
I’m not old enough for school yet, so Collie and I are always together.
The children in the neighborhood won’t play with me. They say I’m of a different station than they are.
So Collie is my only friend.
Before she leaves for work in the morning, my mother wraps a stone she’s warmed by the fire and places it in my bed. It’s toasty warm, but by the time the sun rises, it’s gone cold. When Collie and I huddle around it together, it’s warm and wonderful.
Collie is brave. Once, when the Landlord came and shouted, Collie protected my mother.
My mother and I love Collie very much.
I wish Collie could stay with us forever and ever.
You’re asking if I have a father? I do!
My father is a sailor. That means he’s a person who works on ships. So he’s always out on the sea, and he only comes home once in a while.
Right now, my father is out on his ship.
I think he’ll be coming home soon. Last year, and the year before, he always came back around the time the flowers bloom.
So, God.
Please, please…….
“Don’t let my father come home.”
* * *
“So you want me to dig up information on this kid named Pepper?”
“That’s right!”
“Where did you even hear this story?”
I narrowed my eyes and pressed for details.
The account was far too specific. Like she’d heard it directly.
Tofu licked his own nose with his tongue when he heard my question.
“This little Pepper’s been coming to the Temple of the Divine once a day lately, praying for the same wish every time.”
“Mm.”
An ivory-colored seven-story house on Opertal Street…….
Could it be that girl?
‘Mom!’
‘Pepper!’
I recalled the wheat-haired girl I’d passed on the morning walk back to the house, and the woman who looked exactly like her.
Was that Opertal Street?
There was a wealthy district there with the kind of grand seven-story mansion that would have a Maid’s Room, so it seemed to match…….
But even if this kid does have some story behind her, how am I supposed to find out what it is?
“Maybe she’s just scared of her father. Since she doesn’t see him often, she might be feeling shy.”
“Do you really think that’s all it is?”
“No.”
Even if a father frightened you, praying for him not to come home seemed odd.
And she was visiting the Temple of the Divine once a day, earnestly offering up that same wish to God every single time. It was strange any way you looked at it.
But I couldn’t just march up to that house and knock on the door saying, “Knock knock! Hi! Your name’s Pepper, right? Do you hate your dad? Why? Come on, tell me. Your big sister already knows everything.” I’d be the one hauled off.
“What did the previous Magic Saints do in a situation like this?”
In times like these, wasn’t it always best to follow the methods the predecessors had used?
“You’re a Divine Messenger, aren’t you? Don’t you have something?”
Like a Sacred Object I could use for investigation, or maybe something you could do with your Divine Messenger abilities to find out directly…….
“That’s…….”
“That’s what?”
“The Magic Saint has to figure it out on her own!”
…….
Pant, pant.
I stared hard at Tofu, who was tilting his head at me.
For a moment, we just faced each other like that.
“…I thought you were supposed to guide me, Tofu.”
“Not me!”
“There’s no way you could help? Nothing at all?”
“No way!”
“And I can’t exactly go around digging up information, can I?”
“Right!”
Good grief.
“Tofu.”
“Woof?”
“What’s your ability?”
“Me?”
“You?”
“I’m adorable!”
……
?
‘Nothing ever comes easy.’
Was digging up information really supposed to be a Magic Saint’s job?
Shouldn’t a Divine Messenger or some trustworthy friend—well, an assistant of some kind—be the one handling all that?
Shouldn’t the assistant be the one who knows everything: the target’s background, the maps to infiltrate their mansion, the hiding spots of treasures—while I just run around doing the physical work?
Why do I have to do everything myself?
Though I suppose that’s why they’re paying me so much!
Still grumbling, I was on my way back from running errands.
I’d bought about five boxes of Apple Pie from the Tea House to serve to customers and was carrying them back.
“Can I help you with those?”
“No, thanks?”
I looked up at the man who’d suddenly appeared beside me.
It was him.
The silver-haired man who said he’d be running errands from the Temple of the Divine starting today.
Those silver eyelashes fluttering above his blue eyes looked almost angelic…
Rejected outright, the silver-haired man gave a little shrug.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
“Yes, I’m sure, thanks?”
“Really? No help at all?”
What is this guy’s problem?
“If you really want to help so badly, just step aside and let me pass—”
That was as far as I got.
A hulking figure suddenly cut in from the side and swept the stack of boxes right out of my hands.
“Arden?”
Where did he pop out from this time?
He must have been buying newspapers—he had three different papers tucked under his ribs. With the Apple Pie boxes in his arms and the newspapers stacked on top, Arden furrowed his brow.
“Why were you carrying all this alone?”
“Well, this man here already offered to help—”
Where’d he go?
I looked around for the silver-haired man who’d vanished in an instant, but he was nowhere to be found.
Seriously?
Arden stared down at me, bewildered.
“Isn’t that an Academy Brooch on your clothes?”
“Huh? Oh! Yes, that’s right.”
“Why do you wear it? It’s been years since you graduated.”
“Well, it’s…”
‘Actually, this is my magical weapon. When danger strikes, this brooch transforms into a hammer with a bang!’—but I couldn’t exactly say that.
“I just thought it looked pretty all of a sudden…”
“So you don’t even attend school anymore, but you’re walking around with your school brooch?”
“Um…”
……
I know how it looks.
It must feel like watching someone who graduated ten years ago still wearing a cloak embroidered with the school seal and bragging about their alma mater.
How mortifying.
“You bought newspapers!”
I changed the subject.
People everywhere I went all day had been talking about the Magic Saint.
For a first case, it was certainly getting attention.
“Were you reading the Magic Saint article too?”
I asked, feeling slightly proud.
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“I wasn’t reading about the Magic Saint—I was reading an article about Mrs. Scrooge’s affair with the Oblonsky Merchant Guild master’s son-in-law.”
“…Oh.”
“This so-called Magic Saint is just a attention-seeker trying to gain notice by exploiting incidents. I only concern myself with actual criminals.”
Right.
“Though isn’t ‘attention-seeker’ a bit harsh? She warned them not to commit crimes since she’d be watching. That’s vigilance, isn’t it?”
“Who does she think she is to watch anyone? If she has time to watch, she should report it to the authorities instead.”
“Mm.”
Arden had a point there.
“And another thing.”
“What?”
“If she’s so confident, why doesn’t she come forward directly? Why warn them in hiding?”
“Because she doesn’t want her identity exposed?”
“Why? Sounds like she’s a criminal herself.”
“…….”
“In any case, if anyone commits a crime, I’ll catch them.”
Honestly, this one thinks she handles everything herself.
She’ll remake the world, catch all the criminals… even the Emperor can’t do that, can he?
I asked irritably.
“How are you going to catch her? There’s nothing public except for one letter. And by your own logic, she’s not even the Magic Saint, is she? She has abilities—so how would you catch her?”
“No matter how much ability someone has, they always leave traces. As the Eastern Empire saying goes,”
Arden’s brow furrowed.
“The birds hear daytime talk, and the… dogs hear nighttime talk.”
“Actually, rats hear the nighttime talk.”
“Ugh. Rats. Disgusting.”
“Anyway! And whether it’s dogs or rats, even if they hear us, they can’t communicate with us… wait.”
A dog that can communicate!
I covered my mouth, gasping with excitement.
Arden gave me a puzzled look as I stopped mid-sentence and marveled on my own.
“That’s it, exactly!”
“…What is?”
“I think I know how to solve this!”
Thank you!
“You’re the best junior I could ask for!”
I patted Arden’s forearm in mid-air to encourage her. If I succeed, I’ll buy you three meals!
Startled by the sudden praise, Arden’s face flushed crimson.
Paying it no mind, I spun around and dashed toward the Costume Room.
“Oh, right!”
The Apple Pie!
“Arden! Can you throw that back to me?!”
“…Just go on ahead. I’ll bring it to you.”
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
In the imperial capital of Luar. In a mansion somewhere unknown.
A man seated in a chair that resembled a throne drummed his armrest. Tap. Tap.
“The Magic Saint, is she…”
How amusing.
Despite the daylight, all the curtains were drawn, and the darkened room held only the man and another man prostrate before him.
The other man, pressed flat to the ground until his forehead nearly touched the floor, spoke.
“What will you do about this, master?”
“What can I do?”
For now, let’s just watch.

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