The Nerd Next Door Turned Out To Be The Magic Tower Master [Novel] Chapter 30

Perhaps because the Grand Temple was so vast, the priests’ quarters and the dining hall were somewhat far apart. It could have been tiresome to make the trip back and forth several times a day just to bring the saintess her meals, but the child’s footsteps were always as light as if walking on clouds.

Today was no different. Sena, carrying the tray with the saintess’s lunch, stepped out of the dining hall, humming a wordless tune as she hurried along.

The thought of a soft voice casually saying “Thank you” and a gentle smile made her grin.

In truth, whenever she thought of the saintess, she always felt happy. Her heart would fill as if she had just eaten her fill, and all sadness or worry would vanish completely.

According to His Holiness the Pope, Sena had become a “fan” of the saintess back when she was even younger and more innocent.

Sena vividly recalled the miraculous moment when she first met the saintess.

Her hometown, prone to frequent disasters, had suffered a terrible flood that summer. Their meager belongings were submerged, and many days passed when they couldn’t even have thin corn porridge.

The child’s thin frame became as gaunt as a stalk of a flooded plant. Her hunger burned so fiercely it stung, and mysterious spots spread across her skin.

Her life was closer to pain and misfortune than comfort and peace.

[“God only sends as much suffering as you can bear. Once you overcome that pain, you’ll become a strong person no one can hurt.”]

On nights when the child writhed in sorrow, her mother would say this with dry, cracked lips.

But was that really true? She had only a little patience left — barely enough to hide in the palm of her hand. Would endless hunger and pain disappear once she couldn’t endure anymore?

All the helpless child could do was offer prayers at the old temple on the edge of town.

And just as her patience was almost gone — only the size of a single corn kernel remaining — God performed a true miracle. The Grand Temple’s dignitaries came to visit the village.

They wrapped her in warm blankets and gave out meat porridge. But more than these unexpected gifts, what lifted the child’s spirits was the saintess standing in the distance.

The famed saintess resembled the goddess painted on the temple’s faded murals. The child stared blankly, unable to look away, until the smell of the food brought her back to reality.

Before the food ran out, she had to grab her mother’s share since her mother was too sick to move. So she squeezed into the dense crowd.

Yet, despite her effort, she faced disappointment once again.

“There are many people trying to get multiple servings… I’m sorry, but we can only give one portion per person.”

The woman handing out the porridge said this reluctantly, ladling it with a wide, round spoon.

“Ah…”

The child bit her lips, unable to hide her frustration.

If only she hadn’t eaten her own share and saved it for her mother. She hated herself for filling her own stomach in a rush. Thinking of her starving mother nearly brought tears.

Then, a voice as soft and gentle as a feather fell beside her. The saintess was suddenly close.

“Give my share to this child.”

“But…”

She couldn’t bring herself to accept such kindness, fearful the saintess might go hungry because of a child like her.

Hesitating and looking around, the saintess took her grimy hand firmly without a second thought and carefully handed her the food.

“I won’t die from missing a meal, so just take it.”

The child finally lifted her gaze from the floor. The saintess — her tiny face framed by downy fuzz, just reaching the adults’ chests — looked as composed as a grown-up.

“Don’t let anyone take it from you. Go back carefully.”

The moment the saintess’s sun-like eyes curved into a smile, a star flew through the child’s chest and settled there.

From then on, the saintess became a noble and awe-inspiring presence in the child’s life — almost as weighty as God.

Whenever the child thought of the saintess, even hunger pains or frightening darkness paled before the shining star within her heart. She no longer felt fear or hardship.

After the flood swept away half the village and an epidemic claimed her mother, she was, of course, devastated — for a time forgetting the hopeful light inside her.

But God, as always, showed mercy before her patience disappeared, allowing her to reunite with her star.

And now, she could serve the saintess close at hand!

Days once filled only with despair were now brimming with joy. So the child wished for her star to be as happy as she was.

“But…”

Sena looked down gloomily at the tray in her hands. The plate, full only of green weeds as before, would surely bring nothing but disappointment, not joy, to the saintess.

“There were pretty flowers blooming in the garden… If I decorate it with those flowers, she might feel a little better!”

Just as Sena had this bright idea and was about to change direction—

“Hey!”

“Mari?”

At the end of the hall, Mari — or rather Riri, wearing a chapel veil — came running quickly.

“Are you going to see the saintess?”

“Yeah, it’s time for her meal.”

“Okay.”

Breathing a little heavily, Riri’s violet eyes sparkled through the fluttering veil.

“Huh? Mari’s eyes used to be a cherry red, didn’t they?”

She blinked, wondering if she had imagined it. Then Riri abruptly handed her a neatly folded note.

“There’s a favor. Could you deliver this to the saintess for me?”

“A note? What is it?”

“I happened to meet one of the saintess’s close friends earlier, and they asked me to give it to her.”

“A close friend? Who?”

“It was a man in a robe. Could you deliver it to the saintess in my place?”

Sena gave a small exclamation. When she ran errands into town, the mysterious man in the robe had been by the saintess’s side. That friend must be him.

Still, one question remained.

“Mari, why don’t you just deliver it yourself?”

“…I have to go wait.”

Was she meeting a friend? But the saintess only had Sena as a friend, didn’t she?

“Riri, you…”

Sena narrowed her eyes.

“You’ve been acting strange lately! Are you hiding something from me?”

Wearing the chapel veil she usually avoided, and nervously stammering only in front of the saintess, all of it seemed off.

“W-well, it’s just that I get nervous when meeting the saintess directly.”

When pressed, Riri waved her hands dismissively, offering a very reasonable excuse.

“Hmm, that makes sense,” Sena thought. She had hidden behind the Pope the first time she met him too.

“So, please do me this favor.”

“Um, alright, but…”

Delivering the meal and handing over the note was no great task. Yet the archbishop had warned her repeatedly about this responsibility.

There were definitely people trying to use her to get close to the saintess. So she was absolutely not to deliver any personal gifts or letters.

Still, the saintess looked quite happy standing side by side with her friend in the village. So maybe this note would bring her more joy than the garden flowers.

Finally, Sena took the note and nodded strongly.

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Cecilia didn’t usually trust “the power of words” or “positive thinking.” You know, those ridiculous sayings that speaking your wish aloud or thinking positively actually makes it come true.

But in this world, apparently even those baseless claims could be true.

She sang about wanting to rest, feeling tired — and her entire afternoon schedule was canceled. Then, thinking of “that person,” a surprising gift arrived.

“Actually, the archbishop told me not to answer any requests from people trying to approach the saintess… but I felt I had to deliver this.”

Sena handed over the tray along with a small note torn carefully from the corner of a book.

It had only one sentence, with no sender written.

“The saintess’s close friend asked me to give it to her.”

But the moment Sena added that quietly, there was no need for further guesswork.

Sena only had one friend in this world — no, the only friend she had made in this world.

“Rien.”

Realizing who the note was from, Cecilia immediately rushed out the room.

<I will wait beneath the great tree.>

That was all the message said. But imagining the sender, who had surely pressed each letter deeply with care and hope, made her move instinctively.

Clutching the crumpled scrap of paper tightly, she hurried up the hill.

The long hem of her dress stuck to her legs, her messy hair kept falling into her eyes.

Still, she couldn’t bear the growing anxiety flooding through her, so she quickened her pace.

Her diaphragm heaved; lukewarm air filled and escaped her lungs in a cycle.

Just as her breath reached her jaw and she couldn’t find a place for it, she finally reached the hill’s summit.

Under the massive tree known as the oldest sacred tree of the temple, a man stood in a picture-perfect pose, his beautiful face fully visible.