# 147. Saint Estia and the Church (1)
Through the carriage window, I could see the massive church.
Arriving here again brought back memories flooding into my mind.
"Back then, I jumped from the top floor to rescue Estia..."
"Huh? That was kidnapping, Mister. Isn't that romanticizing the past?"
"...Be quiet, Luna. Hurry up and put on your believer's robe."
"Yes, yes, I understand~!"
Romanticizing the past.
Taking bad memories from the past and remodeling them into good ones as you please.
*Did I really try to romanticize the past like Luna said?*
After pondering that question alone for a moment, I turned my gaze to check on Luna.
Luna was neatly dressed in a white believer's robe.
"How is it, Mister! It suits me well, right?"
"You look like a crazy fanatic, so it suits you perfectly."
"That's not a compliment, it's an insult!"
"...And it's not romanticizing the past. I really did rescue Estia."
"Ahhh-!"
Thwack-!
I flicked Luna's forehead.
Making me waste time with pointless worries.
Luna puffed out her cheeks in indignation and started shouting.
"Ow, that hurts! Mister, you're a child abuser!"
"You're not a child, Luna."
"Th-then! You're a youth abuser!! Go turn yourself in to the knights quickly!"
"Be quiet. More importantly, everyone's changed into believer's robes, right?"
"I'm not done talking yet!"
For now.
I'll ignore Luna's words for a while.
I ignored Luna's noisy complaints and looked around the carriage.
Hare, Saten, Estia.
They were all sitting quietly, covered in believer's robes.
For some reason, Hare and Saten's eyes looked more determined than Estia's.
I spoke to them to ease their tension.
"Hare, Saten. Are you both nervous? Your expressions are stiff."
"N-no... I'm not nervous... I'm actually confident...!"
Squeeze-
Hare gripped the daggers in both hands tightly.
She seemed full of energy even though we hadn't started yet.
"First, put the daggers away. Fighting comes later."
"...Yes."
Should I say it's good that she's overflowing with enthusiasm?
Anyway, Hare wasn't particularly nervous.
Saten was silently staring out the window.
I didn't know what she was thinking, but she wore a faint smile and muttered in a very small voice.
"Fu, fufufu... My victory is right before my eyes."
"..."
I have no idea what she's talking about.
I gave up trying to understand.
Still, Hare and Saten show high concentration during operations...
*Even if they're strange now, they'll do well later.*
Thinking that, I finally shifted my gaze to Estia, today's main character.
At the same time, the coachman informed us that we'd arrived at the church.
It was time to get off the carriage.
I approached Estia, took her hand, and spoke.
"Estia."
"Yeah?"
"Are you mentally prepared?"
"Mmm...!"
Estia pressed her temples with two fingers, pondering whether she was ready.
It didn't take long for her to answer.
"I'm ready! Let's go!"
"Alright."
I held Estia's hand and headed outside the carriage.
With the feeling that the massive church was looking down on us.
We slipped in among the believers in white robes with hollow eyes.
"Holy water... I wonder if I can get some today...?"
"Ah, ahhh... holy water..."
Those heading to the church with large bags all seemed to want something.
Something very unhealthy.
The Hero Party and I followed them.
Without any hesitation.
The believers headed in the same direction like zombies who'd lost their reason.
The place where the sound was loudest.
Where people's voices echoed most loudly.
We reached that place with our identities hidden by hoods.
"Mister! There are so many people! Why are they all gathered here?!"
Luna spoke to me in an acting tone.
She asked me even though she knew why people were gathered.
Simply because she was bored.
"...I told you it's not good to make noise, Luna."
"That's the hardest part! I want to talk with you, Mister!"
"Just be patient a little longer. Once we pass through here, I'll let you talk as much as you want."
"Mmm... Okay! I'll endure it!"
Luna said she'd try her best to endure it, though she wasn't happy about it.
Indeed, could Luna get through this boring prayer time?
That was my biggest concern.
"...Let's sit down for now. Everyone, sit here."
"Yep!"
Luna, Saten, and Estia immediately sat in the auditorium chairs.
"M-Mister should sit first...! You rude-"
"...You sit down quickly too, Hare."
"Y-yes...!"
Plop-
Hare sat in the chair as if nothing had happened.
Countless gazes from the Hero Party poured onto her.
But Hare stared straight ahead as if completely unaffected.
"M-Mister...! People are coming out over there...! They're sparkling...!"
"Holy Knights. Estia, you'd recognize some faces there, right?"
"Yeah! I know all their faces! I'm not close with them so I don't know their names! But I know one person! That's Eric, he's the captain!"
Eric.
A face and name I remember.
An adult who harbored indecent feelings toward Estia.
And someone actively involved in the underground experiments.
I had no intention of letting him off easy today.
"Work is already underway on the other side. Let's wait here."
"While listening to that boring prayer? I should have brought a book."
Saten whispered while wiggling her fingers as if bored.
Did our whispering sound loud to others?
A hollow-eyed woman in the next seat looked at us and shouted.
"The Holy Knights, more radiant than anyone, have appeared... Why, why are you talking...?"
"I wish you'd shut your mouth...? W-why are you talking...?"
"Oh my, Mister."
Saten said with a grimace.
"Those vulgar people are talking to me. May I scold them?"
"Be patient, Saten. We mustn't make unnecessary noise right now."
"Hmm, that's quite unfortunate. I wanted to wake them up since they smell like something I hate..."
Is she talking about the holy water smell?
Certainly.
The smell from ordinary believers was terrible.
Estia's holy water didn't have a nose-piercing smell.
But for some reason, the current holy water seemed to give off a foul odor.
"Modified holy water, perhaps. The ingredients... I'm not sure."
"It's better not to imagine the ingredients. It's better not to know. There's a saying like that in the world, Mister."
"I said I wish you'd shut your mouth...? Why, why aren't you listening to the Holy Knights...?"
"More importantly, Mister. What will we do about these people? The addicted ones."
Addicted people.
Should we hold those addicted to holy water accountable?
Saten was asking with that meaning.
"...Still, if we do it well, we might be able to purify them. Some became addicts willingly, but there are bound to be those who didn't."
"Hmm, I see."
"...You told me not to talk, but Mister is talking even more."
Luna hung her head as if sulking.
But it couldn't be helped.
*Talking a lot is fine, but I can't do anything about loud voices...*
In terms of volume, Hare and Saten were at an appropriate level.
If Luna and Estia started talking, they'd definitely attract attention.
I patted Luna's back to comfort her.
"I'll let you talk as much as you want when we get home."
"Can I talk until morning!?"
"..."
That's a bit much.
Was Luna's voice bothering him?
Eric, who was giving a speech in the center of the auditorium, glanced in our direction.
"Ahem, to think your faith is still like that. It seems the Goddess's grace hasn't reached you, believer."
"If someone doesn't know grace, death is fitting! Holy Knight, please grant death!!"
"Quiet. This is a sacred prayer time. Everyone lower your voices."
"..."
The atmosphere turned cold and quiet in an instant.
As time had passed.
Eric seemed to have grown in his own way.
Mainly in how to control believers.
Eric whispered to the surrounding Holy Knights and shouted.
"Now then, before we enter prayer. For the believers' daily bread. Let us show our sincerity toward the Goddess. Now, applause!"
Clap clap clap-
The believers clapped their hands in eerily synchronized rhythm.
"...These people are really annoying, Mister."
"...I think so too."
It was uncomfortable enough to be here.
However, the most uncomfortable person here was surely Estia.
So I decided not to speak.
*Danuel. When is that crazy guy planning to finish the job...?*
It's taking too long.
At this rate, we'll end up hearing the entire prayer.
As I was thinking that, the Holy Knights began moving in a line, walking toward the auditorium chairs.
As they approached, believers threw their bags and shouted.
"M-my sincerity...!! Please send it to the Goddess...!!"
"Show my sincerity...!!"
Believers consumed by madness.
The Holy Knights extorted the believers' bags as if it were natural.
Eric smiled with satisfaction and responded to the believers' sincerity.
"Today's prayer will surely reach the Goddess...! It absolutely will...!! So today! Our church will also show our gratitude to all of you!!"
Waaah-!!
Loud cheering echoed.
Hare and Saten covered their ears as if it was too noisy.
And at that moment, Eric threw a bag toward the sky as if feeding animals at a zoo.
The believers all rushed out of their chairs at once, running toward that bag.
They looked like hyenas that had starved for a week.
*...Is there holy water inside that?*
If their eyes are rolling back that much.
The addiction must be severe.
As I was thinking that and watching them quietly, Danuel's work seemed to be finished.
Click-
All the lights in the auditorium went out, and nothing could be seen around us.
"Everyone stand up. Prayer time is over."
Now it's our time.
Time to bring down the church.
Estia didn't harbor feelings of revenge.
But I planned to take revenge on the church today on her behalf.
In case I wasn't around, it was better for them to be dead.