Chapter 147 - Saint Seira

The Great Shrine of Sanctum — it was the place where the statute of the Creator God, the deity who was said to be creator the world, was enshrined.

A beautiful woman with waist-length silvery hair kneeled before the statue, her hands clasped as she prayed intently.

She was the only person who could enter the Great Shrine in the early morning, and it was according to the law of the Holy City.

Her name was Seira.

She was the only Saintess in the entire Holy City of Sanctum.

A few minutes have passed since Seira knelt before the statue to offer her prayer. An aura-like object started to flow from the statue towards the saint.

The Creator God would convert the piety of the people living in Sanctum and in this world into mana with holy attributes, and he would pass it on to Seira.

An ordinary person couldn’t possibly handle such a huge amount of mana on her own, but it was but a piece of cake for the saint.

“Venerable Deity, please bestow upon us the power to protect the people on this day. We offer our utmost gratitude.”

Seira’s clear voice resounded as she uttered words of thanks, then she bowed her head and stood up.

She left the statue, which stood in the deepest part of the Great Shrine, made her way towards the center, where a gigantic crystal was kept, and she placed her hand on it.

The enormous amount of aura she received from the statue was transferred inside the crystal, and the dome stage Holy City’s Barrier was strengthened at that instant.

This crystal was the origin of the barrier that protected the Holy City. It was able to repel warlocks from entering the city by pouring the holy attribute mana into it every day.

Seira had been doing this everyday without fail since the day she became a saint.

It didn’t mean that she poured every single drop of mana into the crystal. She would use part of the remaining holy attribute mana to perform miracles among those who seek her.

She would heal the feet of those who could no longer walk.

She would also restore vision to the blind.

Summon rain in places with severe drought.

Place divine protection in the city and protect them against the monsters.

—These were the miracles that Seira performed the entire day yesterday.

The people who were saved by Seira would then pour all their piety to the Creator God, which would then be converted into the power needed to perform those miracles.

After Seira finished praying to the Creator God and replenished the crystal, she then returned to the deity’s statute, went behind it, and descended the hidden stairs towards the basement of the Great Shrine.

──＊＊＊──

My name is Seira.

I’m a Saintess.

I was originally a simple town girl, but I was chosen by the Creator God to become his Saintess.

A person will become immortal once she becomes a Saint, and I am approximately two hundred years old. Well, I am a girl, so please keep my real age a secret.

I was 16 when I became a Saint, but I have never aged since then. So I’m really immortal in that sense.

My chocolate locks were transformed into this gorgeous silver after I became the Saint. I was at a loss at that time, but right now, I am truly grateful to the Creator God who bestowed these beautiful silver tresses to me.

See, it’s really smooth and silky, and I also love touching it. I’m really amazed at the divine protection of the Creator God, since he can even preserve this flowing silky hair.

By the way, no man hasn't touched it yet, save for one single instance in the past. Right now, only the person who will become my spouse will have the right to touch this silkiness.

So, about my job. I have a lot of things to do as the Saint, but I already finished the most important job among them earlier.

I receive power from the Creator God through prayer, and then I replenish the mana of the barrier that protects this Holy City.

I also receive oracles from time to time, but none for today.

And so, in order for me to fulfill my next duties, I went to the basement of the Great Shrine. The commoners probably entered the Great Shrine overhead and started their worship.

There is a very clear, sparkling fountain inside the Great Shrine’s Basement.

I remove all my clothes beside that fountain.

Even if there isn’t a single person here, I can’t hide my embarrassment — even if more than two hundred years had passed since the first time I did this — and there is no place to hide in this wide area, not to mention the hundreds of people that are probably worshipping upstairs.

But, this is my duty….

There is no way I can reject my duties.

I carefully, meticulously cleanse my entire body.

Then, I slowly step into the waters of the fountain.

The water is cool and comfortable.

My job is to soak up to my shoulders in these waters.

After ten minutes, the water starts to glow, so I stand up and leave the fountain.

The water has transformed into Holy Water.

Can you believe it?

The Holy Water comes from the fountain that the Saint submerges herself.

When I first heard this from the Creator God, I was dumbfounded.

That’s because everybody is supposed to drink that water that I bathed on, you know?

However, it is absolutely effective. Just a single sip of Holy Water can cure almost all illnesses soon, and body strength and mana can also be recovered completely.

By the way, sprinkling Holy Water has almost the same effects, so I always tell them how to use it so that they don’t have to drink it.

Well, I can’t answer them if they ask why, though. I can never tell anyone how Holy Water is made, it is too embarrassing for me.

The priests and shrine maidens went to the fountain when I returned to the Great Shrine, and they scoop the water that has become holy.

After finishing my duty of making Holy Water, my next job is to perform the miracles among the people who came to worship.

Around a hundred people have lined up for today.

It is slightly less than yesterday.

It’s nice if I can finish performing the miracles to everyone today, though…………

I grant the desires of the people who stand in line before me using the power that is bestowed to me by the Creator God.

I heal the hand of the man who sustained an injury on his hand from being attacked by a monster.

I name the child that was born last week, and also give her a divine protection, albeit a bit weak.

I give a monster repellent charm to the farmers, because the monsters attacked their crops.

…...And just like that, I grant the desires of all the people here.

It’s not like I can grant all the wishes of everyone. Once the power from the Creator God is gone, I can no longer do anything.

Ah, but I can name the children anytime, though.

It is already sunset by the time I finish granting all the prayers of the people. I wasn’t able to eat my lunch today, too.

I’m so hungry.

I read the letter that was delivered together with the dinner that the shrine maidens have prepared.

Most of the letters contained matters that I must attend to personally.

I check the letters that seem the most urgent, then I planned my schedule to go outside.

After dinner, it is time for the training and lectures of the candidates who will become the next generation of Saints. I become their teacher, and I also teach these girls how to handle the holy attribute mana.

This continues until late at night.

It is a hard schedule, honestly. I have never taken a break these two hundred years, not even once. Being a Saint is like being part of a black organization (?) that exploited its employees.

Thanks to the Creator God’s divine protection, all my fatigue will vanish if I meditate even for just three seconds. But I still have my limits.

I’m actually surprised that I’m able to last these two hundred years.

I already want someone to replace me.

I am training the prospective Saints, but if a person who has the makings of one doesn’t appear, then I can only continue being a Saint.

I don’t know why, but the Creator God really likes me, so he hasn't replaced me yet.

However, a candidate already caught my eye among the girls training to become a Saint.

She is a mediocre girl from the village, but her faith towards the Creator God is really strong, and she absorbs all the things I teach her like a sponge.

If it’s her, then I am sure she will continue after me.

The next day, I received an oracle while doing my daily prayers as usual.

(Seira, the man whom I can entrust you is now approaching. If you like that person, then it is alright for you to stop being the Saint, and you can nominate your successor.)

— is what it said.

Nominate my successor — those are some heavy words, but maybe it will be alright. I have to be confident; there is a potential candidate, after all.

What worries me is about the first half of the oracle.

A man worthy of being praised by the Creator God will come to meet me?

I am a bit nervous.

But, the person I decided in my heart………

Well, I understand that I will never be able to see that person ever again. He is no longer in this world, after all.

But, I cannot forget that person. That’s why, if I have to be with the man that will be coming here soon in exchange for giving up this Saint position, then I can only continue being a Saint.

Sigh…. I want to resign.