I Picked Up a Saintess from the Ruins

8 – 3. Heading South

After finishing her afternoon work, Licia was enjoying photosynthesis.

It was the chair next to the Courtesy Church where we had met last time. Personally, it was nice to sit there comfortably without any obstacles blocking the sunlight.

But it would be better if it were a slightly chilly autumn, as it’s become winter now. I don’t know why I’m outside in the first place.

Anyway, as a survival declaration or to check on the girl, I approached and sat down next to her.

Licia looked up at me and asked,

“Did you come back safely?”

“I came back without any major injuries. I got some superficial wounds treated there.”

“That’s a relief. By the way, you really came, huh? I was actually thinking you might not come.”

Well, promises are valuable.

Even savages, when they have something small and valuable, they stubbornly hold onto it.

And in any case, that’s how human nature works.

If your wallet is fat, generosity and compassion overflow from your face, everything becomes comfortable, and the world looks beautiful in 4K resolution.

But what about the opposite case?

“I heard that prices have gone up a lot recently. The world has changed a lot.”

“hahahaha… but we still have to eat and live, so I hope you understand.”

“In the past, with just one silver coin, we could buy three loaves of bread, meat for stew, fruits for dessert, and even beer. Nowadays, there are more guards, making it difficult.”

“….”

“What are you up to? Please put as much as one silver coin at your discretion.”

“Yes….”

It’s not for no reason that unemployed individuals are turning to pseudo-thievery all over the empire. There’s always some backstory to it.

Anyway, it could be attributed to the temporary generosity granted by the wallet.

I was also curious about why the girl had called me to come.

“It’s so cold, why are you out here?”

“Well… um, see that column over there. Can you see it?”

I followed Risia’s pointing finger.

A shadow moving behind the column vaguely caught my eye. No matter how young the child might be, it was impossible to completely conceal someone behind it. Anyway, the situation was roughly guessed.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Oh no. Those kids have their own reasons, I’m sure.”

Risia smiled slightly. It was a sight that was not easily imagined until the girl was brought here for the first time.

Still, it seems she’s doing well at the church. It must be the power of acquaintances.

While pondering such idle thoughts, I asked the girl about the doubt that soon arose.

“So, why did you want to see me?”

“If you have any plans to go near the papal office, could you take me with you on the way?”

I drew a mental map for a moment.

I’ve never actually been treated as strategic material, but there seems to be some information I’ve heard while coming and going. Combining that with my rich experience, a rough picture emerged.

Even if I didn’t know it alone, with a child it would take several months to cover the distance, I concluded.

“Why? Because of what you mentioned before about the university?”

“Yes. According to what I heard, the university is a bit north of the papal office. Am I wrong?”

“No, what you know is correct. Still, the journey won’t be smooth. The road is rough, and dangers may lurk anywhere. So, perhaps… staying in a safe church until you grow a bit more wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I have a reason to go there.”

Only then did I sense something strange. Lycia seemed to have an obsession with something.

It seemed more like a longing for the place itself than going to study.

Despite trying hard to conceal it behind intelligence and maturity, it inevitably stood out, given her age.

While her eagerness for studies might be exceptional, I had a hunch that it might not be as simple to think in that direction. However, since she wasn’t willingly disclosing it, I decided to temporarily forget about it.

But the girl’s words were not entirely off. If she had to go, it might be safer for me to take her there myself.

Rather than falling into human distrust, it would be more accurate to say that the world was becoming harsh for a young girl.

In a world where morality and ethics had fallen, it was also a way to guarantee some safety. It might sound a bit self-important coming from me, but the power of the Sun was now a skill I had some confidence in.

However, all of this was possible under the assumption that I would go to the Holy See.

Honestly, the Holy See is too far away, and leaving this nearby area, which I am familiar with, is a loss for me.

So, unless a case where I could grab a significant amount of money occurs, there’s no need to go all the way there.

Lycia wasn’t an ignorant child about that. Yet, it didn’t seem like she had a character dominated by selfishness either. Just to be sure, I decided to inform the girl about it.

“I have no immediate plans to go to the Holy See.”

“Yes, for now, that’s true. But what about in the future?”

“Well, it might change later, but by that time, wouldn’t I have left for another city to earn money?”

“You might think that way. Then, how about making a bet?”

Lycia extended three fingers as she spoke.

“Three months, until spring comes. Please wait until then. If something comes up within that time for you to go, take me with you.”

“… That much, huh, fine.”

I agreed without much thought.

Anyway, if such a thing were to happen, it wouldn’t matter to accompany.

Of course, if I bring a child along, the travel time might be a bit longer, but I think it’s tolerable to bring along a child who wants to study.

The girl nodded slightly, as if satisfied, with the corner of her mouth lifted.

I know that expression. It’s the look that comes out when there’s a corner of trust.

The expression you see on soldiers who have put holy dewdrops, like secret weapons, in their hearts before battle.

“It looks like you’re absolutely certain.”

“Well, you’ll know when spring comes.”

The girl still said something that was hard for me to understand.

Since there was nothing to do until spring, and it wasn’t really the season for moving right now, I decided not to worry about it too much.

I booked a room at an inn near the stable and lived comfortably, taking it easy.

Sometimes, I went to the church to see Lycia, and played with the church’s children. Of course, for some reason, the boys used to say this to me.

“It’s not over until it’s over! Be prepared!”

“What the heck.”

For a few months, I roughly put up with the church boys’ inexplicable cute malice.

The season when the sky became lower and the mountain grass grew plump. The warm spring had returned.

-Chirp!

“Yeah… just eat it all and burst with bread….”

That guy was just getting fatter all year round. We should force him to exercise or something to solve this.

Feeling a bit restless with nothing to do, I stretched and headed to the street on a particularly refreshing morning.

There were no newspapers or radio broadcasts, so in the end, running around like this was the best way to catch up on the happenings in the world.

“Freshly baked bread in the morning! Buy some bread!”

“Hey, your clothes seem to have a few holes. I can fix them for you at a good price. How about giving them for mending?”

“The merchant who came last year is back again, alive and well! There are rare items flowing in from the far east. How about taking a look?”

Having rested somewhere and taken shelter from the weather, the merchants who had come to the square finally began to share outside stories along with their goods. I, too, moved my steps towards their gathering.

Normally, they would be talking about things like suppressing heretics that many people would want to hear, or rumors about miracles happening and adults being born.

But instead of countless false and exaggerated rumors, they gathered their voices to announce only one piece of news.

“Finally, it has happened!”

“Soon the entire empire will become a battlefield! Prepare for that day!”

“Iovisio, what happened that you speak with such urgency?”

“You asked well. We have just received hot news from the southern papacy. You must already be aware of the growing tension between His Holiness and the Emperor.”

“Of course, I am aware.”

“Don’t be surprised when you hear this. We’ve been thinking that something like this might happen someday, but never did we expect it to be today…”

“The introduction is long and tedious. So, what is the conclusion then?”

“His Holiness has declared the Emperor excommunicated!”

The undeniable duo of the Pope and the Emperor.

In the everyday conflicts between them, a countdown to an all-out war had begun.

Clerics scattered throughout the empire and beyond.

Empress-worshipping individuals who considered laying down their lives for the Emperor as the ultimate pleasure, engraved with a genetic instinct.

They would clash at least once. And that moment was not far away. In short, it was an opportunity to seize wealth and fame.

However, why could that be?

Something felt uneasy. It was as if there was something crucial that had been missed.

If the Emperor had indeed received a proclamation.

Yes, whatever happened, I should head towards the center of the storm, the Holy See. In times of such chaos, there wouldn’t be minor tasks cropping up.

And near the Holy See… there was the Imperial Theological University.

A phrase came to mind in an instant.

I turned my gaze towards Lycia, who was sunbathing on the chair nearby, as usual.

‘You’ll know when spring comes.’

She definitely said that.

The girl just smiled cheerfully, looking in this direction without saying a word.