The Nerd Next Door Turned Out To Be The Magic Tower Master [Novel] Chapter 26

“Ah…”

Heartbreak settled over the sculpted knight’s face.

Even that melancholy expression suited him perfectly… No, wait. Get a grip.

Cecilia clenched her fists tight and shook her head stiffly.

“That can’t be. I’m really reassured to have Sir Miguel as my escort. Haha.”

It was such bad acting even a passing dog would’ve noticed, but the holy knight who knew no deception was fooled all too easily.

“Right?”

That hand patting her shoulder — how infuriating it was. The urge to deny it surged, but as long as Miguel stood there with his face brightened by her empty words, it was a foregone defeat.

Having teased her to his heart’s content, Nox bowed his head toward Kiar, who had been silently watching them.

“Then I’ll leave my sister in your care.”

“You’re leaving right now?”

You just got here.

When she asked in surprise, Nox smiled faintly.

“Already feeling lonely? You’re too old to say such cringy things, really.”

“Yeah, take care.”

Don’t bother coming back.

Rarely keeping her true thoughts to herself, Cecilia turned around without lingering.

“I’ll visit often, so don’t cry saying you miss me!”

Ignoring the nonsense coming from behind her completely, she walked into the Holy Temple.

It was all well and good to escape Nox. The one thing she’d overlooked was the existence of her companions.

Awkward silence descended between them.

Miguel was naturally taciturn, and the archbishop was quietly following along, hidden in the tall knight’s shadow.

In the end, unable to bear the endless silence, Cecilia was the first to speak.

“I-It’s a clear day!”

“Perfect weather to collapse from heatstroke.”

“Haha. I-Is that so? On a day like this, we really should rest indoors.”

“Yes. Resting eternally on a day like this is my dream, actually.”

Forget it. I’m done.

Unable to overcome Kiar’s negative responses, Cecilia pressed her lips shut and followed them.

Perhaps because this was already her third visit since transmigrating to this world, they soon reached the building where the clerics stayed after passing through the now-familiar path.

Kiar led them to a room on the very top floor and explained indifferently.

“You may use this room during your stay at the temple.”

The room was more spacious than expected, but perhaps emulating the Pope’s austerity, it was furnished with only the bare essentials.

“And I’ve brought some children to help with daily needs.”

While carefully examining the sparse interior, a small figure suddenly popped out from behind Miguel, who stood at the threshold.

“Saintess!”

The one who came scurrying over was Sena, her black hair tied back tightly.

Cecilia had worried she might have been startled by the incident last time. Fortunately, she looked well.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Saintess. It’s an honor to serve you even for this short time!”

Sena, clasping her hands together neatly with her cheeks flushed pink, looked incredibly adorable.

“I’m counting on you too.”

Just as they were exchanging pleasantries rather warmly, a faint presence was felt from behind the archbishop.

A small child wearing a white veil covering not just their head but their face as well hesitantly revealed themselves before her.

“I-I greet the Saintess.”

The child was so small they barely reached below her chin, which wasn’t particularly high to begin with.

Come to think of it, he’d said ‘children’ to attend to her.

Just assigning Sena, whom the Pope had personally taken in, already showed considerable care. But two?

When Cecilia looked at him with both burden and curiosity, Kiar shrugged lightly.

“One child would hardly be enough to attend to Lady Weberdin.”

That’s not him being sarcastic about a delicately raised noble lady requiring lots of attention, is it?

It better not be. Not if they wanted to avoid the catastrophe of her cursing out an archbishop.

When Cecilia unconsciously scowled, the innocent child before her flinched and trembled.

Oh no.

Belatedly summoning a saintly smile, Cecilia extended her hand as gently as possible.

“Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“R-no, I mean, um…”

“R?”

“Ri-Riri! Please call me Riri!”

“Hm? But your name isn’t Riri, it’s Mari, isn’t it?”

Sena, who had been stuck close to Cecilia’s side, tilted her head.

Then came the sound of a sharp gasp from beneath the veil.

“It-It’s a nickname! I was hoping the Saintess would call me that!”

Whether from being quite flustered or nervous, the child’s clasped hand was trembling.

Hmm.

Would it make her too heartless and cold if she found that more suspicious than pitiful?

As she stared down at the small child whose face she couldn’t even see, a loud yawn suddenly echoed.

“Since introductions seem finished, I’ll take my leave now.”

It seemed his interest, however minuscule, had completely evaporated while she’d been greeting the children.

The archbishop, blinking eyes that had grown even darker, turned away without hesitation.

“Ah, starting tomorrow it’ll be exhausting with purification and whatnot, so eat to your heart’s content and rest comfortably until then.”

Leaving behind what sounded like a curse.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Cecilia brushed off his warning as just his usual gloomy nonsense, not taking it seriously.

She shouldn’t have. She came to regret it the very next day.

As Cecilia had feared, the days at the temple passed far too quickly and far too wholesomely.

Meaning sleeping in and naps were strictly forbidden.

Early in the morning, the children who’d come to her room swept back the curtains and threw open the window.

“Saintess! It’s time to wake up.”

“Nngh.”

“Come on!”

Cecilia, who’d been squirming with her face buried in the blankets, barely managed to lift her heavy eyelids.

Whether this body had low blood pressure or something, it was never easy to get up.

But looking at Sena’s round face that had suddenly appeared, the drowsiness seemed to gradually fade.

“I think I could get up if someone helped me.”

“Oh my.”

Sena flushed pink and used her small body to help pull her up with effort.

“Thanks.”

Cecilia, having barely managed to sit up, smiled faintly. Then the warm body heat touching her arms and back quickly withdrew.

“I-I’m more grateful.”

“Hm?”

Riri, who must have been helping as well, had been half-up on the bed and now hurriedly put distance between them.

Cecilia didn’t understand what there was to be grateful for. Blinking slowly, she got out of bed listlessly.

After that, she washed her face in the water Riri provided and had her hair braided into a single plait after Sena brushed it.

Once she changed into the pale temple robes hanging in the wardrobe, it was the start of another wretched day.

“After you finish eating, you can go see the archbishop!”

“Mmm.”

Breakfast was served before Cecilia, who sat at the table without enthusiasm.

She’d hoped otherwise. But sure enough, today too there were only some greens, a few pieces of fruit, and a glass of holy water.

It was already the third day of her stay at the temple.

On the second morning, when she’d expressed dismay at the sparse menu that had nothing to chew, Kiar had explained matter-of-factly.

[Those performing a ritual must purify body and soul for ten days before the ceremony. That’s also why we summoned the Saintess to the temple early.]

[…So you’re saying I have to survive on just these greens for the next ten days?]

[Yes.]

On the first day at the temple, his words to ‘eat to your heart’s content since it’ll be hard starting tomorrow’ hadn’t been empty!

Cecilia stabbed at the greens on her plate today, which were no different, with her fork.

It’s not like we’re Buddhists forbidding killing. Why can’t I eat meat?

There were things like beans and roasted almonds mixed in, but even with the macros balanced like this, it did nothing to fill the emptiness in her heart.

Especially the ‘holy water’ that she had to drink five or six times a day — that was the absolute worst.

Whatever was in it would all get digested by stomach acid anyway. What exactly was it purifying?

It just made her feel bloated, which was even more unpleasant.

But as soon as her glass emptied, Riri, standing by her side like a shadow, filled it back up.

What exactly is in that stuff?

It was purely distrust of the beverage. But the child, receiving such a blatant stare, seemed startled and spilled a little water.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Behind the translucent veil, a tearful face briefly showed.

From their first meeting, the child had been trembling like this constantly — was it because they were naturally very shy? Or because they really admired the saintess?

Whatever the reason, Cecilia gently patted the child’s hand, which looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

“It’s fine, don’t be so nervous.”

But her gentle saintess act seemed to have been too much.

The even more flustered child stumbled backward, stepped on their long hem, and swayed.

Crash!

Along with the sound of a chair falling, a loud sigh burst out.

A sigh of relief.

“Whew, that was close. Right?”

Cecilia, who’d quickly caught the child, looked down at them now much closer.

“Th-thank you.”

With the veil pulled back in the commotion, the child’s pale cheeks were flushed pink.

And what she saw was…

Their eyes are violet.

At that familiar color, someone’s face instantly came to mind.

Just like Rien. That’s not a common eye color, I think. Could it be Rien in disguise?

At the absurd imagination that suddenly arose, Cecilia shook her head.

No way, even so. The nickname, the stuttering, the blushing — they’re all similar, but there’s no way…

…It’s really not, right?

Yeah, even though Rien has low self-esteem and occasionally does things outside common sense, and has some creepy aspects, he wouldn’t do something as chilling as infiltrating the Grand Temple — the very heart of the temple — disguised as a young child to observe her every move.

Even as she believed that, Cecilia finally couldn’t help but ask.

“By the way, Riri, how long have you been at the temple?”