"What is it? How did I return?"

Now, as I gazed at the familiar ceiling painting, I blinked my eyes. No matter how many times I blinked, it remained unchanged, indicating that I was not seeing things in vain.

"I can’t remember anything."

Clearly, my last memory was falling asleep on the bench, feeling the cool breeze. But when and how exactly did I return to my room? Slowly, I rose from the bed and examined my body. I was still wearing the same clothes, covered by the same blanket. As I ran my fingers over the blanket, I unintentionally murmured to myself.

"Something feels different."

In that moment of drowsiness, I vaguely remembered holding onto something. It was soft and warm, and I didn't want to let go of it. I wondered if it was the blanket, but the rough texture felt entirely different from the sensation in my memories.

"What was it that I held onto?"

While pondering this, I heard a knocking sound at the door, accompanied by the voices of the palace guards announcing their presence.

"May I come in?"

"Please come in."

As I replied, the door opened and they entered.

"I apologize for not knowing you had awakened."

They seemed surprised and bowed their heads in response to my groggy appearance.

"It's alright. But more importantly, what time is it now?"

"Lady, the ceremony you are attending won't take place until much later. You can take your time getting ready."

In their words, a memory came back to me. Thankfully, the ceremony I had to attend was scheduled for the afternoon on the second day of the prayer meeting.

"You look much better today than yesterday. It seems you slept well last night."

Oh, is that so?

Upon hearing those words, I realized that I indeed felt somewhat better. When I lay on the bench, my body had been aching all over, but now, even when stretching, there was no particular pain.

"No one would have used healing powers on me, saint."

In truth, it would be futile for other palace guards to use their healing powers on me, saint. Perhaps, if they exerted quite strong powers, there might be a slight improvement, but who would bother with such meaningless actions? Lost in such thoughts, I recollected how I had returned to bed, groping for memories.

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"Who brought me back to my room last night?"

"What? Last night?"

"I distinctly remember falling asleep outside..."

"That couldn't be. Lady, you haven't left since you fell asleep yesterday..."

As the palace guard spoke, their voices grew faint. Their expression seemed to ask whether I had gone out and met someone. In response to that look on their face, I quickly lifted my head.

"No, I must have dreamed it. Don't worry about it."

As I said that, the palace guard's face became slightly suspicious. However, other guards who followed them entered and urged them to focus on preparing for today's ceremony. They wiped away their expression and followed the others to the adjacent room.

[Phew]

Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked at the bed. It seemed that no one had brought me back. After all, the palace guards who stood guard outside the room all day would have known if someone had taken me out. If no one knew that I had left, then undoubtedly, I had returned through the secret passage inside.

"Somehow, I managed to come back on my own."

I didn't think anyone else knew about the existence of the secret passage. Moreover, it seemed that only I could open the door leading to the passage.

"For now, let's focus on today's tasks."

With that thought in mind, I lightly tapped my cheek. Still, the lingering sensation in my hand did not easily disappear.

***

The impending participation in the event did not allow for leisurely rest in the afternoon. After adorning myself in formal attire, I promptly headed to the office with the officials. It was a place I had visited two or three times since inhabiting this body. However, the moment I opened the door and took a step inside, I halted in my tracks, for it bore little resemblance to my memory.

"What on earth is this?"

I couldn't discern whether it was an office or a warehouse. When I last visited, it was a well-organized, spacious room, but now it was filled to the ceiling with piled-up objects. These objects, though referred to as "belongings," were not mere luggage. They were ornate boxes, adorned with splendid decorations, clearly indicating their value, stacked upon desks and the floor.

As I stood motionless amidst the cluttered objects, the officials who had followed me inside began to explain.

"Offerings for the prayer ceremony have been sent from numerous countries, even more grandly than last year. After the ceremony, there will be a time for each country's diplomats to present their respects. Please have a look around."

It was only then that I understood the purpose of this place. It had been lightly touched upon in the novel as well—the offerings for the prayer ceremony.

It was an ancient tradition.

Thanks to the presence of the Saintess, this continent could enjoy a certain level of safety from the forces of darkness. However, not every place was secure. The farther one moved away from the central temple, the more vulnerable the land became to the threat of the dark forces. To ensure people's safety from these malevolent beings, the central temple dispatched the Order of Temple Knights or high-ranking officials to those areas. Occasionally, even the Saintess herself would go.

The countries that sent offerings to the central temple in gratitude for the assistance during the prayer ceremony—a gesture of appreciation. Those were the offerings for the prayer ceremony.

Over time, it had become a tradition throughout the continent that whenever the prayer ceremony took place, every country would send offerings to the central temple as a matter of course.

These offerings were broadly divided into two categories.

Firstly, there were offerings for the crowds gathered outside, akin to clouds. These offerings mainly consisted of provisions distributed to the people staying here for two days. They were not limited to food but included herbs and fruits as well.