Banishment is Fine: As a Genius Saint, I Can Shine Anywhere. - Chapter 4

By the next day, Meteora had finished offering prayers for the fields and livestock.

Thanks to the knights helping out with manual labor, the townspeople had become so friendly that they even greeted them with casual “hellos.”

“Since the Fourth Regional Temple is nearby, I’d like to pay them a visit.”

“I was thinking the same as a knight commander. We need to inform them about the situation around the Fifth Temple, and it would be good to coordinate our border defenses. That’s why I sent one of my men there early this morning.”

Meteora had to admit, Lionel’s decisiveness in such matters was impressive.

They were discussing this at the repurposed inn they had been using as a base when—

“Excuse me, Saintess. The Saintess from the Fourth Regional Temple has arrived.”

The town chief himself came to deliver the message.

“The Saintess from the Fourth Temple? Oh, please, let her in at once.”

Meteora was surprised that the very person she had planned to visit had come to see her instead, but she immediately nodded.

Led by the town chief, the visiting Saintess entered.

She wore an old, well-worn cloak and held a staff that had clearly seen years of use. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties—tall and dignified, with intelligent eyes that gleamed with wisdom.

“Ah, so you are Lady Meteora? The former Chief Saintess…! I also heard that it was you who repaired the border stakes. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude…!”

With eyes welling with tears, the Saintess did not hesitate to kneel at Meteora’s feet.

Seeing a woman nearly twice her age kneeling before her, Meteora was completely flustered.

“Please, rise. You don’t need to lower yourself like this. I may have been the Chief Saintess once, but that was in the past. Now, we stand as equals, both simply Saintesses.”

However, the woman firmly shook her head.

“No, that’s impossible. Your power is beyond extraordinary—I can sense it just by being near you. The very aura surrounding you is different.”

Meteora was taken aback.

(She can see auras?)

To be able to measure someone’s power at a glance—this woman was undoubtedly highly skilled. Just as Meteora had suspected, the Saintess of the Fourth Regional Temple was indeed powerful.

“Regardless, please stand. I could never let someone of my mother’s generation kneel before me. Here, have a seat.”

Meteora took the woman’s hand and guided her to a relatively sturdy chair.

“Forgive my late introduction. I am Chuli, a Saintess of the Fourth Regional Temple. I once served at the Central Temple in my youth, but I was transferred here ten years ago.”

“Ten years ago… I began my training at the Central Temple eight years ago, so we must have just missed each other.”

“A Saintess’ prime lasts less than a decade, so such missed encounters are common but I digress. The moment I heard that you were here, Lady Meteora, I simply had to come.”

Placing a hand over her chest, Chuli bowed deeply.

“As for the border stakes… I alone could do nothing to repair them. The damage was beyond my ability. Having a Saintess of your caliber restore them was a true blessing. On behalf of all Saintesses stationed at regional temples, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Maintaining the stakes is the temple’s duty, and offering prayers is a Saintess’ role. I merely fulfilled my responsibility.”

“How reassuring your words are. Even among Saintesses, there are many differing views… That’s why, when it comes to regional and frontier temples, well—let’s just say the north, being close to the monster-infested forests, doesn’t exactly attract volunteers…”

Chuli let out a heavy sigh, as though this was a long-standing burden she had carried.