I finally managed to find my assigned room and immediately wrapped myself in an almost weightless futon. I fell asleep in an instant.
When I woke up the next morning, for some reason, I found a body-pillow-sized Ivy sleeping beside me.
It seemed she had swapped shifts with Shannon and decided to rest here.
After a second round of sleep and a bit of playful banter with Ivy, we headed off to see Katya.
Guided by Ivy, who had perfectly memorized the layout of the place, we quickly reached Katya’s room.
She had already finished her breakfast and was relaxing with a cup of tea. I explained everything that had happened the day before.
Katya’s response was swift.
“Hm, that person must undoubtedly be Maria Volakia, the Saintess from two generations ago.”
“Maria Volakia, the Saintess from two generations ago…”
Two generations ago, not the previous one?
She didn’t seem much older than me, though…
“Indeed, I believe she’s around twenty years old.”
“That’s just a little older than me…”
I wondered if Saintesses in Célie changed that often.
The Saintess in our country only recently passed on her title, but the previous Saintess was quite elderly.
If Maria’s current age is around twenty, she must have been even younger when she became the Saintess.
I couldn’t imagine what it felt like to hold such a position of responsibility at that age.
“Mii.”
Ivy puffed out her chest proudly.
She seemed to be saying, I’m even younger than that!
“Mii~…”
Unable to resist her cuteness, I poked her forehead with my finger. She let out a contented sound and slumped against me.
“You’re as adorable as ever…”
“You two really are close…”
Katya and Shannon, who had been standing guard in our place, gave us amused looks.
We exchanged a knowing laugh and nodded. Yes, Ivy and I were indeed very close.
“By the way, how old is the current Saintess?”
“The current Saintess, Aries, is nineteen. The previous one, Mildra, was eighteen.”
“They’re all so young…”
Katya nodded solemnly, crossing her arms.
She furrowed her brows—a rare expression for her—and pressed her lips into a thin line.
“I mentioned before that there was a political upheaval, didn’t I? The specifics are murky, but apparently, one of the cardinals was behaving outrageously. Maria, the Saintess from two generations ago, was deposed during the chaos. The Saintess he backed was also removed from power as soon as he lost his position. And now, a girl with no affiliations has taken on the role.”
“I see…”
“Mii…”
I wondered if being a Saintess was truly a position of power.
Considering how Maria had a fierce-looking guard protecting her, she must have held significant status.
But in Célie, it seemed Saintesses could be replaced as easily as changing clothes.
If political tides could so easily sweep them away, then their authority couldn’t be all that strong.
What did Maria think about her time as a Saintess?
Maybe she was relieved to step down and was now living a happier life.
That was just my imagination—or perhaps my hope.
At the very least, she seemed content with her current life.
Her guard was intimidating, but she herself seemed a bit absentminded and good-natured. I hoped she could live without being exploited by anyone again.
“But it’s strange that she didn’t inform Katya, even though we’re staying in the same facility. Even if she’s from two generations ago, wouldn’t it have been prudent to at least exchange greetings? Or is it different in Célie?”
“Hm… I couldn’t say for sure…”
Katya trailed off, her gaze shifting between me and Ivy.
“Perhaps her goal wasn’t to meet me, but to approach Bruno and Ivy instead?”
“No way, that’s absurd…”
I tried to laugh off Katya’s suggestion, but the words Maria had said as we parted came rushing back to me.
‘Yes… until we meet again.’
Surely not…
Surely that couldn’t be the case.
But unable to outright deny Katya’s prediction, I scratched my head awkwardly.