Chapter 118 The Large Sacred Object At The Shrine
So, like, when you go around to the back of the shrine, the door opens, just like the guild. And then, when the carriage goes in, the door closes behind. There are these people in the back, like staff or maybe even priests and shrine maidens, I guess. They're wearing uniforms that are white and kind of similar to the guild's design, so it's like, not really classy or anything...
"Um, Geno-san."
"Yes, we've arrived, so we should close the door――"
"I have a question."
"Yes, what is it?"
"What kind of jobs do those people have?"
"Yes, they are shrine priests and srine maiden roles."
"I see..."
I've gotta complain to Privia-san about this. It's not like it's bad or anything, but somehow, I just can't forgive it. My inner otaku is like, "That's not how you treat the front desk staff at a top-notch hotel," you know?
Oh, darn. The door got opened again before me. Hmm, it's not a big deal, though. I'm not really that important anyway. Thinking that, I trudge down the stairs.
...Hmm? Priest? Shrine maiden role? What's going on here?
"Um, Geno-san."
"Yes. What can I help you with?"
"That woman over there, isn't she a shrine maiden?"
"Yes. She is not a shrine maiden, but rather a staff member who assists the four shrine maidens who work at the shrine."
"Huh? So shrine priests too?"
"Yes. That's correct. In this shrine, only female shrine maidens with the Healing Attribute are present, so the shrine maidens receive assistance from the staff members. The male shrine priests do not directly assist, but they are responsible for the shrine's operations."
I see. By the way, there are four more people who have the Healing Attribute, right?
"I see, I see. Where are we heading to next?"
"Yes. I am in charge of the shrine's leader--"
"Oh, you're siblings?"
"Did you figure that out?"
I think I sort of get it from the flow up until now.
"It's just a feeling,."
The priests and shrine maiden roles seem to know Genoruira-san. They nod at me, but then they nod a bit later when they see me. Well, that's understandable, I guess. After all, a human coming in from the back entrance would naturally make them wonder, "Who's that?"
The outside feels more like a museum or a library than a temple or shrine, and the inside is kind of like the design of a royal castle. It doesn't seem like it was built for tourism, so it has a plain color scheme. The whole place has a whitish ceiling and a light brown floor. It seems like magic tools with lights are placed around here and there.
Oh, finally looks like I can pass through the corridor. Suddenly, it's really high up on the ceiling, maybe about 3m (9.8 ft)... Whoa! What's this? It's about 2.5m tall (8.2 ft), a plaster statue? No, a wooden statue? There's a splendid figure of a female deity.
"What's this?"
"Yes. This is the statue of the Earth Mother Goddess, Airabelina-sama."
"Earth Mother Goddess, are there really gods?"
"We believe so."
Well, well, I was so surprised! Turns out, the goddess is isn't a tigerman, but a human! It looks like a statue, not very detailed, but the clothes are definitely Japanese-style. It's kind of like a kimono, but also not quite. The face looks different from Japanese people, maybe?
It doesn't have a baby statue, but it's making gestures like holding a baby. It's looking at someone being held and smiling. Could it be the goddess who took my UMPC? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it definitely feels like someone involved in the mysterious system.
After passing through the place where the main deity is worshipped, we continue down a low-ceilinged corridor. Finally, Genoruira-san stops at a certain place. They lightly knock on the door, and...
"I'll come in."
Again? Even if she has family here, isn't that a bit strange?
'Please'
Oh? a door creaked open when I heard a response. It was a woman's voice. Oh, it's the smell.
It's similar to the shrine maiden role, with a calm feeling despite the predominant white. Oh, she's wearing clothes that resemble the attire of the earth mother statue from earlier. She looks like a calm woman.
"Is there something I can help you with, Dear Big Sister (Ane-sama)?"
"You have been fulfilling your duties diligently, haven't you? Gefiliona."
This woman, called Gefiliona, had a different atmosphere from Jam-san.
"Yes, I can tell by the smell, Big Sister. Oh? Is the human man over there, perhaps... meeting you for the first time. I have been entrusted as the head shrine maiden in this shrine. I am Gefiliona, the second daughter of the Zailmaker family. If it's alright with you, please call me Gefi. I appreciate your understanding from now on."
"Oh, yes. My name is Tatsuma. Nice to meet you."
My response was different from Jam-san's.
"I see, so you're that 'Saint-sama' from the guild."
"Why did you think that?"
"I heard that Her Majesty Queen's condition wasn't great, and I caught the scent of Privia-sama and Her Majesty. So, I made that judgment. Thank you for saving Her Majesty..."
She really understand it all.
"Oh, but why Jam-san?"
"Well, I think Jam-san was probably lost in the aroma of tea or something."
That's probably spot on.
"Even though we Beastmen species, if we focus too much on one scent, we can become oblivious to other scents that approach us, you know?"
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, especially Jam-san..."
Ah, she has a discerning eye for troublemakers.
"Um, Gefi-san, could you show me your hand?"
"Is it okay?"
"Whether it's okay or not, it's my job."
"I'm sorry."
I'm sure she's older than Jam-san, but I can see dark spots on the fingers of her hands that are slowly growing.
"Hmm, what's this on your fingers?"
"Well, I used to be a shrine maiden."
"So, you mean you were a shrine maiden role, not a shrine maiden?"
"Yes, I've been detoxifying every day since I was little. I tried to help the royal family as much as possible, but..."
"You couldn't level up and get the results you wanted, right? 'Dis Recover (Cure Disease), Full Recover,' and so on."
"Yeah, I trained for a long time, but it didn't go as I thought... Oh, what's this now?"
She must noticed the dark spots disappeared. I see, this is what this person actually looks like.
"Hey, um, Gefi...."
"No way? Oh, I'm sorry, big sister... But this is the power of Saint-sama, right?"
"Gefi-san, I'm a user of Healing Attribute magic. I may have been quicker because I've been treating Oso (Dreadful element) poison every day until I collapse, thanks to having more mana than others. It might also be luck, but that's why I was faster."
I didn't lie. I tried my best until I almost collapsed. Maybe there's a little boost from being transported to another world, though.
"Is it okay to start treatment somewhere here from tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes. We'll prepare it for you."
"Alright, before I forget."
"Yes?"
"Uh..."
Genoruira-san noticed it, huh? It was the same in the guild.
"Can we gather all the shrine maidens, shrine priests, and shrine maiden roles who are here? I need to talk to them."
After quickly finishing the treatment, I had to return to the royal castle.
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