Chapter 225
“Saint, it has been a while.”
The one who greeted Franz as he entered the Cathedral was the bald cleric he had helped once before.
Seeing how his head was exceptionally shiny, it seemed he had been doing reasonably well.
“It has been a while, Brother. Excuse me, but where is Yusti… no, the Saintess?”
“The Saintess is currently listening to the followers' confessions.”
“I see. Thank you.”
With the conversation finished, Franz headed toward Arian, who was waiting from a distance.
After all, she was the one looking for Yusti-ah.
“It seems we’ll have to wait a little longer to meet Yusti-ah. I was told she’s listening to the Followers' Confessions.”
“Is that so…”
Tension was evident on Arian’s face.
Apologizing and seeking forgiveness from someone was not an easy task.
Franz was familiar with those feelings, so he patted her shoulder.
“Arian, don’t worry too much. I’m sure it will be fine.”
Did she gain courage from those words? Arian nodded with a resolute expression.
“Magic Tower master, I will be back.”
“Where…?”
“To repent for my sins.”
With those words, Arian immediately took a step forward.
She headed toward the bald cleric, seemed to exchange a few words with him, and then quickened her pace once again.
“Repenting for her sins…”
If so, her destination was set.
The confessional. The place where followers confessed their sins and received forgiveness.
Franz, who had been blankly staring at Arian’s back, shifted his gaze to the Goddess statue in the center of the Cathedral.
“Please let this matter be resolved well.”
He quietly closed his eyes and offered a prayer.
He didn’t know if that foolish Goddess would listen, but…
He hoped that, at the very least, things would safely progress in the direction they desired.
* * *
“It is said that a true sin is the heart and action that does not correct itself. Since you have already corrected your heart, follower, the Goddess will forgive your sins if you only act on it. Sincerely apologize to your wife, and give her a gift, even if it is just wildflowers.”
“Thank you so much.”
The door to the room next to Yusti-ah, or more accurately, the confessional, opened and closed. The follower who had finished their confession had left.
The purpose of confession was to make the follower reflect on their own sins and repent.
So, in truth, what Yusti-ah did was listen to their stories and offer appropriate solutions.
In a way, it could be considered a slightly heavy counseling session.
“I wonder how many people are left…”
It was when Yusti-ah was thinking that.
The door to the confessional opened, and someone came inside.
Since only a few small holes connected to the confessional, she couldn’t tell who it was.
It might be different if it was someone whose voice she knew, but…
It was safe to say that wouldn’t happen. She couldn’t possibly remember the voices of countless followers one by one.
Yes, that should have certainly been the case.
“I confess my sins.”
Yusti-ah realized it the moment she heard the first words. Who the person beyond the thin wall was.
Because it was a voice she had heard so much that she couldn’t forget it.
“I said things I shouldn’t have to an acquaintance. As if that wasn’t enough, I swung my fist and hit them. I am… truly sorry for hurting that person.”
The voice held a faint tremble.
Yusti-ah was familiar with her feelings. When she had apologized to Franz, even opening her mouth had been a struggle.
Anyway, having heard the follower’s confession, it was her turn to answer.
“Seeing your sincere heart, the Goddess will surely forgive you. However, consequences do not simply disappear, so you must also put it into action.”
What action should I tell her to take…?
Since that action would ultimately come back to her, Yusti-ah couldn’t easily bring herself to speak.
“T-that’s true. I think it would be good to suggest having a meal together.”
She brought it up thinking this would be a safe suggestion.
But thinking about it, wasn’t this exactly the same as asking Arian to go out for a meal?
Her face burned with embarrassment.
To calm those feelings, Yusti-ah hastily continued her next words.
“Ah, and… that person is surely feeling sorry toward you as well, so I hope you don’t worry too much.”
“…Thank you.”
With those words, the door to the confessional opened and closed, and the presence disappeared.
In the room where not a trace of noise could be heard, Yusti-ah, who had been sitting blankly alone, burst into a chuckle.
It was a huge relief that she could reconcile with her.
* * *
“Magic Tower master, I’m sorry for leaving on my own.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t wait that long anyway.”
“Shall we head back now? Ah, I’ll pay for dinner tonight. Let’s eat together.”
“I’ll think about it if we don’t drink alcohol.”
“I won’t drink today, so rest assured.”
Arian’s expression looked much more at ease after coming out from her confession.
It was surely thanks to putting down the burden on her heart.
Afterward, Franz returned to the Magic Tower with her.
“How is it? This place is pretty good too, right?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
They had a meal together at a shop recommended by Arian. It was a place that had opened recently, and it wasn’t too bad.
Time passed since then, and it was the next day.
“Master, where should I put this?”
“Put that in the corner over there.”
Franz and Levi were in the middle of decorating the Magic Tower Lord’s Office with the furniture they had received from the Elves.
Suddenly, Arian entered the Magic Tower Lord’s Office.
“Magic Tower master, I’m sorry, but…”
“What is it?”
“Could I go out for a meal for a bit?”
Arian smiled slyly like a snake.
Behind her, Yusti-ah was fiddling with her hair with a highly tense expression.
It seemed the two of them wanted to go out for a meal together.
“Go ahead and take your time.”
“Thank you…!”
Arian bowed her head and hurried over to Yusti-ah.
The two walked down the corridor, exchanging some words.
A smile naturally spread across Franz’s lips as he blankly watched their retreating figures.
It was a huge relief that things seemed to have worked out well.
“Master, is this the time to be smiling like that? When I am working so hard moving around with this small body?”
“You have to earn your keep. What are you talking about?”
“…Instead, I will eat three sandwiches for dinner tonight.”
She’d probably gain weight eating like that.
He didn’t know Levi’s exact body structure, so he couldn’t say for sure.
There might be a problem, so it seemed right to examine it closely at least once.
After a short while of moving furniture while pondering that.
“It’s finally all done.”
“It would have been finished ages ago if you hadn’t changed your mind at the end, Master.”
The Magic Tower Lord’s Office had finally taken proper shape.
A table made of solid wood, an ergonomically designed chair, and even a plush sofa. It was truly the birth of a perfect office.
Levi seemed dissatisfied with being made to work so much, but…
What could he do? It was a place he spent more time in than his room, so he had no choice but to be careful.
“Oho, Master. This is incredibly plush.”
“The Elves gathered and made it stitch by stitch.”
“To think those long-ears had such a talent, I suppose you really do have to live a long time to see everything.”
How dare she call those who worked so hard to make it long-ears. Especially when they had practically volunteered their services for free.
Unable to hold back, Franz grabbed both of Levi’s cheeks.
“I, I was wroooong…”
It was then.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head.
[Franz? Can you hear me?]
The owner of the voice was none other than Yuna. It seemed she had sent a telepathic message using the necklace he had left at the mansion.
“Yuna, what’s wrong?”
[Something strange suddenly appeared in the yard, and I thought you might know what it is.]
“Something strange? What does it look like?”
[It’s hard to explain… I guess you could say it’s swirling. For starters, the color is blue.]
A swirling shape and blue. It was a truly abstract explanation.
However, there was no explanation more accurate than that.
The fact that Franz understood it as soon as he heard the story was proof of that.
“Don’t do anything and wait. I’ll be right there.”
[Okay, I’ll be waiting. Ah, are you going to eat before you come?]
He hadn’t expected her to worry about meals in a situation like this…
It always felt like this when he talked with Yuna.
Even when he was tense, he would naturally relax.
“No, I’m going right now.”
[Then I’ll get it ready. Let’s eat together.]
His conversation with Yuna ended there.
He hadn’t expected a gate to appear in the front yard of the mansion, though.
Anyway, it would be best to go straight there.
Having made that decision, Franz suddenly realized he was forgetting something.
It was the fact that he was still holding Levi’s cheeks.
When he lowered his gaze, there was Levi with an expression like she had lost the world.
“Levi, sorry.”
“It’s fine… Hurry up and go…”
Levi laughed with an enlightened expression.
He felt sorry for her, but he couldn’t afford to delay on this end either.
“I should buy a lot of sandwiches on my way back.”
Thinking that, Franz immediately snapped his fingers.
And so, he arrived at the yard of the Esteban Duke’s Residence.
In front of Franz’s eyes was a massive gate.