Chapter 26
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 26
Monica Hindel had soft brown hair cut short and striking blue eyes. The charming freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks were her defining allure.
Idela, captivated by Monica's spirited and magnetic personality, quickly became her one and only friend.
Yes, I definitely remember this description from the original work.
Glancing at the original passage the AI had displayed, I turned my attention toward Monica Hindel.
She was truly a girl overflowing with the charm the novel had described.
"I apologize for visiting at such a late hour! There's something I absolutely wanted to tell you, but you seemed far too busy during the day for me to possibly meet with you."
Indeed, William Gale had shown up this morning causing a commotion, then Lute Sheary arrived, I extorted money from the Sun God, swapped sacred relics for profane ones, smashed the relics, threw a meat party, and so much more.
There had truly been so many things happening.
"That's quite alright. Did you enjoy your dinner, Monica?"
"Yes! Dietrich Warren said that having such a delicious meal today was entirely thanks to you, Holy Maiden. Thank you so much."
"It wasn't something I accomplished alone, but I'll gladly accept your gratitude."
After constantly encountering people who avoided me, seeing someone express such pure gratitude lifted my spirits.
When I smiled gently, Monica's cheeks flushed and she bowed her head deeply.
But what was this? I had a strange sense of déjà vu, as if I'd seen this somewhere before...
Was it just because I'd read about her so many times in the novel that I felt an internal familiarity?
"Um, um, please just call me Monica..."
"Of course, Monica."
"Without the honorific too—just Monica..."
"I will, Monica."
She was so adorable, trembling while still making her requests, that I nodded in agreement.
Monica blushed and grew shy over something as simple as being called by her name.
Looking at her now, she really did seem young. How old was Monica again?
【Monica Hindel is currently eighteen years old.】
That's only half my age from my previous life. She's adorable, absolutely adorable.
"So what brings you to seek me out?"
"Please take me on as your personal attendant!"
Pfft.
At Monica's outburst, Victoria spat out the tea she'd been drinking. It was supposed to aid digestion, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect...
"My personal attendant...?"
"Yes! You don't have a personal attendant yet, Holy Maiden. I want to volunteer!"
After all, no one would want to serve Ordel Kiris, whose temperament was foul and whose specialty was causing trouble.
With no volunteers coming forward and Airic Dert worried that someone might actually die if he made the wrong choice, no one had been assigned to her.
In fact, in the original work, Ordel Kiris never had a single personal guard or dedicated attendant throughout her entire life.
"I'm really capable of doing this well. Even among the Apprentice Priestesses, I'm the most promising prospect. I'll never bring shame to your name, Holy Maiden!"
A Holy Maiden's attendant wasn't an ordinary maid, but rather one of the Apprentice Priestesses—specifically, those with the best abilities among them.
Simply serving the Holy Maiden and learning how to use divine power from her provided them with invaluable experience.
Monica Hindel herself was an Apprentice Priestess with tremendous potential.
It was no coincidence that she would become the true Holy Maiden Idela's closest friend.
"Yes, I'd be delighted if Monica would take on the role."
If someone like that helps me, then I'm all for it.
Of course, later when the truth that I'm a fake Holy Maiden is revealed, both Victoria and Monica will feel betrayed....
But by then I'll have left the Temple of the Sun God anyway, so there's nothing I can do about feeling a little sorry.
"Really? You're really accepting me?"
Monica was overjoyed, apparently not expecting me to agree so readily.
"I prefer working with volunteers anyway. But my abilities are quite lacking, so I won't be much help to Monica at all. Is that still alright with you?"
Ordel's divine power was originally a measly 2%.
Thanks to the money I'd poured out along with tears of blood, I'd reached 10%, but it would still fall short compared to the promising Monica.
Besides, since I relied on skill effects to exert power, I couldn't teach her proper divine power usage either.
"The Holy Maiden lacks ability? Please don't say such things. You don't need to teach me anything. I'm already happy just standing by your side and serving you."
Even so, Monica clasped her hands together and pleaded to be taken on as my attendant.
When someone wanted it this badly, what could I do? I'd just leave the divine power usage methods to Idela, as it was in the original story.
"Understood, Monica. It's late today, so I'll ask for your help starting tomorrow."
"Thank you so much, Holy Maiden! Then, since I'm now your attendant, would you mind speaking more casually to me...? Right now it feels like there's too much distance between us...."
This girl really does subtly extract every request she wants.
The skill with which she even managed to get acceptance was impressive.
"If that's what you want, I will."
"Eek! Thank you!"
"Ahem. Then I also...."
At that moment, Victoria, who had been quietly listening, quietly raised her hand and interjected.
"Haven't we been together for over a week now? Before, you spoke casually even to people of all ages, even to the High Priest and the Holy Knight Commander...."
Well, that's because I've changed as a person....
"I didn't realize you wanted that too. Then from today on, I'll speak casually to both of you."
Since they wanted it, there was no reason to refuse, so I accepted readily.
A skilled knight and a skilled attendant.
For wrapping up today, where I'd gained so much, it was nothing short of perfect.
* * *
"Yes!"
Leaving the Holy Maiden Ordel's bedroom, Monica clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her voice.
She'd come prepared to be cast out, but the acceptance came far more easily than expected, leaving her still dazed.
'She's even more impressive up close.'
Monica had been at the Temple of the Sun God for less than half a year.
She'd come here unexpectedly after awakening divine power.
Everyone at the Temple of the Sun God was kind and gentle, so there was nothing uncomfortable about being here.
Except for one person. The Holy Maiden Ordel.
Following everyone's warning that she must never catch the Holy Maiden's eye, Monica had worked hard to avoid her.
Every time she saw people getting beaten by her and crying, she resolved even more firmly to keep avoiding her.
But just a few days ago, the Holy Maiden suddenly—that brutal Ordel—apologized to everyone!
Of course, people didn't believe it. They whispered that the capricious Holy Maiden could change at any moment, so they should continue to tread carefully.
Monica likewise made no particular effort to draw her attention.
But then.
'So, who are you again? What was your name?'
While she was crying in frustration after being slapped on the cheek for blocking the path of Count Kiris's retainer.
A saint suddenly appeared and humiliated William Gale before everyone. And that wasn't all.
'Oh my, thank you for telling me. By the way, no matter how I look at it, that face seems to have been hit—doesn't it hurt? Someone please take the Apprentice Priestess and have her treated.'
After learning that man's name, she had shown concern for her with such warmth.
I couldn't tear my gaze away from that sudden transformation.
It was the first time the saint I had desperately avoided seemed so confident and beautiful.
Perhaps that's why—the moment our eyes met with those honey-like beautiful golden irises, I wanted to become her maid.
I wanted to be by her side, someone who seemed to receive God's love with her entire being.
"From tomorrow on, I'll be able to see her continuously."
People worried about my choice, but I don't regret it.
It's an impulsive decision, but my instincts have never led me to negative results in situations like this.
So this time too, I decided to entrust everything to my intuition.
* * *
Monica came to attend to me the very next morning at 6 o'clock sharp.
It seemed she had also heard that I exercise at this hour.
I felt sorry for making both Victoria and Monica wake up early every day because of me, so I told them they could alternate coming, but it was immediately rejected.
Something about how a knight and a maid have different duties, or whatever.
The two of them already got along remarkably well.
What was unexpected was that Airic didn't object to Monica becoming my maid.
He simply asked Monica if she was really sure about it.
This was the man who had never assigned a dedicated maid to Ordel in the original story.
This meant I had already done such a good job transforming my image, and I was delighted.
And so Monica became my official maid.
"Holy Maiden. A letter has arrived from House of Count Kiris."
Thanks to Lute Sheary, I now had funds, and while I was sitting at the table planning my next moves, Monica brought me a letter.
I glanced indifferently at the seal of two overlapping dahlias used only by Count Kiris, then tore open the envelope roughly.
Why had Duke Lute Sheary visited the Temple of the Sun God?
Summarizing the lengthy contents written in the letter, it was as follows.
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