Chapter 6
Through negotiations with Auster, Reina was officially taken in by the shrine.
Meanwhile, Reina, who had been left in charge of the shrine, was diligently cleaning it using a rag and a broom.
"Alright... let's do this!"
Reina psyched herself up and got to work cleaning.
She absolutely had to polish the shrine until it sparkled.
To repay the kindness of the priest who had been good to her, and to not disappoint the person who had reached out to her.
Gripping the broom tightly, she swept every corner of the shrine floor.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho...!"
Each time Reina moved the broom, the dirt and dust on the floor were purified, making it look brand new.
Clael hadn't been slacking on cleaning either, but the remaining grime vanished rapidly.
No matter how used Reina was to cleaning from her time at the Auster estate, this was clearly abnormal.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho..."
When she swept the floor with the broom, it gleamed. When she wiped the chairs and shelves with a rag, the cleaned areas emitted a faint glow.
Though she was unaware of it, Reina was activating the power of the Saint.
One of the abilities possessed by the Saint... the power of 'Purification' was erasing all dirt.
"Phew... is this good enough?"
The cleaning was finished in about two hours.
The entire shrine glowed with the power of the Saint, its sanctity literally polished to brilliance.
Even the Grand Shrine in the royal capital probably didn't emit such a holy and pure aura.
"The priest said he'd be back by noon... maybe I should make lunch?"
Reina quickly put away the cleaning tools and dusted herself off.
The dirt on her clothes vanished, and the shirt she borrowed from Clael was clean again.
One might wonder, if she could do that, why was she wearing ragged clothes yesterday?
The reason was simple.
She didn't want to dirty the clothes she borrowed from the priest.
Reina couldn't control the power of the Saint. Unless she truly wished for cleanliness from the heart, she couldn't use the power of 'Purification'.
"............"
Reina, having put away the cleaning tools, started heading to the kitchen but suddenly stopped in the hallway.
"...The priest's clothes."
She pulled the hem up to her face and sniffed it.
Conveniently... the Saint's 'Purification' did not erase things that Reina did not consider impure.
In other words, Clael's scent remained firmly.
"Nfuf."
For some reason, she felt happy and let out a weird sound.
They had slept in the same bed last night... and she had slept very well.
It might have been the first time she slept that peacefully since her mother died.
"～～～～♪"
In high spirits, Reina hummed a tune as she went to the kitchen and searched the chest for ingredients.
"Vegetables... are there none?"
However, there were hardly any ingredients inside.
Since Clael lived alone, he had no stockpile, and the remaining ingredients had been used for last night's dinner.
All that was left was flour and seasonings, so she couldn't make a proper meal.
"What should I do... I can't cook like this..."
Reina looked sad... when a thud came from behind her.
"............?"
When she turned around, there were meat, vegetables, fish, and a bottle of milk placed on the kitchen table.
The meat was cut into blocks. The fish were still alive, flopping freshly on the table.
"Huh? Did the priest buy these in advance?"
She hadn't noticed.
Were those things there when she entered the kitchen?
"Well, whatever."
It would be a problem if the ingredients were gone... but since they appeared, there was no issue.
Without thinking too deeply, Reina filled a tub with water and transferred the fish.
'Heehee.'
'She looks happy.'
'Good for her.'
Reina immediately began cooking with the meat and vegetables... but there were those watching over her.
They were 'Holy Spirits', wrapped in light, floating gently near the ceiling.
They were lower angels, also called divine messengers.
The ingredients on the table had been brought by the Holy Spirits.
They had delivered offerings that had been consecrated at another town's shrine to Reina.
The reason the Holy Spirits suddenly appeared... was because of the humming Reina had done in the hallway earlier.
Though unconscious, the song Reina had sung was a 'Hymn'—a song praising God.
The song engraved in the soul of the Saint had summoned the Holy Spirits.
"Hmm-hmm~♪"
Reina, still in a good mood, chopped vegetables and simmered them in a pot.
Since she was humming again, divine energy was blending into the food.
"I wonder if the priest will be happy?"
Reina, unknowingly, kept performing miracles.
This is something that's also in the game's setting... the Saint can perform miracles by being loved and happy.
In fact, in the latter half of the game, the Saint draws out immense power through the love of a romanceable character and defeats evil.
Because Clael treated Reina with care, the power of love and happiness had subconsciously activated.
"Done!"
Reina looked down at the finished stew and proudly puffed out her chest.
A creamy white stew made with plenty of milk.
It was infused with the Saint's blessing, granting it power to prevent illness and even anti-aging effects.
Without realizing she had created an extraordinary dish, Reina waited with a fluttering heart for Clael to return.