“Why on earth did you do that...?" I sighed, my mind filled with images from the novel. Sir Latvan, the commander of the knights, was like a living embodiment of a chivalrous textbook. A knight who pursued noble honor with no room for personal desires. Yet, he had been insulted, ordered to crawl in front of everyone, defying the rules of the temple.
"Can efforts truly mend the rift between us?" I pondered. My initial plan of getting closer to the male protagonists seemed utterly futile.
Even the relationship with Latvan, who was within the same temple, appeared to be in disarray. How much more complicated would the dynamics be with Leon in the palace and Aslan in the tower of the wizards?
Lost in such thoughts, I absentmindedly kept circling the names of the male protagonists I had written on the paper.
Knock, knock.
The sound of someone knocking on the study door reached my ears, followed by the voices of the attendants outside a moment later.
"Lady Saint, Priest Karus wishes for a visit. What shall we do?"
I hadn't fully adapted to my life in Evelina yet. Therefore, I had instructed the attendants guarding the door to reject any trivial requests for audiences in order to minimize my interactions with people. Considering Evelina's general aversion to meeting others, they all complied with the directive without hesitation.
Since then, I hadn't been informed of anyone's visit.
"Karus, the priest," I thought to myself.
I had come across that name a few times in the books. If he had come here despite the order to refuse audiences, he must be a rather important figure. Debating whether I should meet Karus or send him away, I decided to admit him for now.
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"If I am to meet those who are bound to meet me eventually, it would be wise to assess them one by one and understand their intentions," I thought.
With that in mind, I cleared the paper on which I had been writing the names of Iris and the male protagonists, and prepared to welcome Priest Karus.
Soon, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man of imposing stature.
"A high-ranking priest," I noted.
Judging by his attire, he was one of the few high-ranking priests in the temple. The temple hierarchy consisted of the Saint at the top, followed by the High Priests, Mid-level Priests, Low-level Priests, and Common Priests. The Knights of the Temple, led by Commander Latvan, held a different position from the priests.
In any case, the man who had just entered, named Karus, held a rather prestigious position. He walked into the study and respectfully bowed his head according to the temple's protocols.
"Karus, the servant of the gods, standing on the third step, greets the Lady Saint," he said.
"Please raise your head," I replied.
Thanks to my memories as Evelina, I knew how to respond in such situations. However, meeting people still made me nervous. I couldn't help but worry that someone would sense something amiss and shout, "She's a fake Saint!"
Fortunately, instead of uttering such words, Priest Karus stood tall and looked at me.
"Why did you request a visit?” I asked.
“I understand that you have been unwell due to your long collapse, but I wanted to hear your confirmation regarding the issue with the prayer assembly," he said in a condescending tone, exuding an air of annoyance.
"The prayer assembly?" I desperately tried to recall what it was.
"Oh..." After a moment, I touched my forehead.
Following the unfortunate incident with Latvan, there was an episode that clearly demonstrated how irresponsible Evelina had been as a Saint. That episode was the prayer assembly. It was a grand event held once a year in the temple, where ordinary people were allowed to enter the central square of the temple. On that day, together with everyone else, the Saint, Evelina, had to offer prayers to the gods.
That was what had to be done.