"That is truly welcome news."
I was about to follow him with a bright expression when Xenon, who had been organizing our belongings a short distance away, called me to a halt.
"Lord Anneli, where are you going?"
"Sir Samuel says he will show me a place to wash."
At my answer, Xenon's eyes went round. Then he sidled over and pulled me aside. Seeing him put enough distance between us and Samuel, he seemed to have something he wanted to say.
"Why? What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing, but what makes that fellow think he can go off alone with you in this dark night?"
"……What?"
"Have you already forgotten the words about proving his usefulness to stay by your side?"
"What about those words?"
"I'm telling you, he has a strange fixation on Lord Anneli."
"Well, he did seem to have something like that."
Being a devout holy knight, his thinking was beyond what an ordinary person could follow, and it was burdensome.
But I know that if he had intended me harm, he would have had more than enough opportunities long before now.
Samuel must have wanted something. There had to be some reason he was so desperately trying to stay by my side, and it surely wasn't the simple rationale of making the resurrected one belong to the temple.
"It doesn't seem to be what you're thinking, so don't worry."
That said, I also don't think he suddenly felt romantic attraction toward me and was planning to make a move.
It was something more persistent and deep than light and trivial lust. The problem was I didn't know what it was.
If we were alone together, wouldn't he be the first to speak up?
"What if something happens when you're alone with that fellow?"
"Why is your thinking so insolent? Did you forget Sir Samuel is a fanatic? At least he claims a vow of chastity, so he won't break that."
"No, how do you know what that fanatic believes in?"
Why is a fanatic a fanatic? Obviously he believes in a god. And that god teaches his followers to serve only him with pure and upright hearts, but he's also a petty owner of a personality who closed down an entire monastery just because someone broke some altars.
"Xenon. If you're really bored, plan tomorrow's menu ahead of time. I like something simple and warm for breakfast."
Seeing that I didn't take his advice even slightly, Xenon slumped his shoulders and sighed.
"Heh."
"Besides, how far could a washing place be? If anything happens, I'll just scream. Alright?"
When I offered a method as if doing a favor, Xenon didn't answer but pursed his lips. Looking at him clearly showing signs of hurt feelings, I tilted my head and asked again.
"You won't come if I scream?"
"……Go. I'll go, but please use the magic tool first before screaming. No matter how great a holy knight is, he'll still burn."
He made such a fuss that I thought he'd completely forgotten about the magic tool I was wearing, but apparently not. I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
"Really, you worry about everything too."
Considering the magic tools I'm currently wearing and the Durahans who would run to me at any moment, my composure shouldn't seem strange.
"That's right. I really do worry about all sorts of things."
Xenon lowered his gaze and snickered, murmuring as if talking to himself. He seemed somehow deflated, and also seemed dumbfounded.
Watching him, I suddenly grew curious. Xenon had always been sensitive and prone to meddling…… but when did I start accepting Xenon's worry without reservation?
"Please return quickly. It could get dangerous if you're too late."
Quietly setting aside the suddenly arising question, I nodded calmly.
"Yes. Stop imagining nonsense."
"Understood."
Unlike his ready answer, his expression wasn't quite satisfied. After a brief pause, I gestured into the air.
"Zigor."
Seeing that I intended to bring Zigor along, relief finally swept across Xenon's face. After glancing at him, I turned toward Samuel.
As Xenon said, there's no harm in being cautious, which is why I was bringing Zigor. It wasn't particularly to reassure Xenon, but leaving him reassured was less troublesome…….
Needlessly rationalizing to myself, I decided to just shake off the thoughts.
"Lead the way, Sir Samuel."
Ah, I don't know.
* * *
The place Samuel showed me was more splendid than expected. It was washing facilities prepared in a separate building near the monastery's backyard, and despite being a long-abandoned place, the water facilities worked properly.
Contrary to Xenon's worries, Samuel showed not a speck of selfish intent toward me.
"……Hmm."
As expected, Xenon had exercised too much imagination.
Thanks to Samuel and Zigor standing guard outside, I was able to wash comfortably, and it was thoroughly refreshing.
With a refreshed heart, I shook out my wet hair and opened the door, and Samuel, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up.
"Will you wash too? Want me to stand guard?"
Even at my polite question, he didn't answer but stared at me. For some reason, he looked a bit surprised.
"Why?"
"Your appearance alteration magic has been dispelled."
"Ah, that's because I washed."
I couldn't exactly wash while wearing magic tools all over, so I had briefly removed them, and apparently the magic wore off during that time.
After answering as if it were obvious, I recalled that he had encountered a ghost mimicking my appearance earlier. Did he think I was a ghost?
"It's me. Right, Zigor?"
[Of course!]
Only after seeing Zigor land on my shoulder did Samuel nod and his expression relax. However, instead of moving, he cautiously spoke up.
"Before we return…… I have something to say for a moment."
"Say it while we walk."
But Samuel didn't seem inclined to move. I stood facing him with my arms crossed and at an angle.
He seemed to be choosing his words internally for a moment, then opened his lips with a composed expression.
"Since God bestowed the resurrected one, I have been having dreams."
He had made some fuss about dreams before too. Back then, he had certainly asked me if I had dreams.
I thought he was asking out of curiosity about whether I received divine revelation, but now that I think about it, was he perhaps having dreams similar to revelation himself?
"At first it was simple, but since I started accompanying Lord Anneli, it has been changing."
Even saying it changed since traveling with me. That could only be interpreted as being related to me, right?
I straightened my casually held stance and tilted my head to indicate he should continue.
"I consider that to be some kind of message God is conveying."
"And so?"
"I don't think it's coincidence that you are taking in the Durahans. The situation that connects those Durahans to the twelve sinners as well. Furthermore, I can sense your presence wherever you are."
I narrowed my eyes and asked in a dissatisfied tone.
"What are you trying to say?"
"If God is instructing me to help the resurrected one gather the sinners, I believe I should follow that. If you have received any revelation, I wish to assist you."
How devout indeed. I don't know why God resurrected me while having such a faithful servant.
Looking at Samuel with a sour expression, I swept up my not-yet-fully-dried hair.
Pushing aside the hair bothering my eyes, I could see Samuel's serious face very clearly.
So this man seemed to be seriously thinking that he had been appointed as 'the holy knight to help the resurrected one.'
"You said you have dreams, Sir."
"Yes."
"What kind of dreams?"
If it's a dream related to the resurrected one, well, perhaps scenes of defeating evil together? I guessed half-jokingly, but Samuel answered in a slow tone.
"At first…… it was dreams of cutting throats, or having my throat cut."
That was an answer I hadn't expected at all. As I opened my eyes wide in surprise, he continued his explanation.
"I interpreted that as God's will to inform me of the twelve sinners' existence."
"After traveling with me?"
"It changed to a scattered succession of holy site scenes. Febrin Monastery was one of them."
Finally, the situation of him familiarly roaming this place could be explained.
"So you wanted to come here specifically to check on that dream of yours."
"It is true that I thought it would help you. However, as you said, I cannot say there was no such intention."
I hadn't expected to meet the person receiving revelation through dreams. No, I didn't even know if one could truly receive revelation through dreams.
Something like that felt…… how should I put it, like boastful publicity exaggerated for political influence?
At least that was the vibe I got from the high-ranking priests I met when going to and from the imperial palace.
From priests who claimed to hear God's voice and so on, there was only bluster and pretension, not the desperation Samuel now showed.
A devout holy knight receiving divine revelation on top of that—the reason for his sudden fixation on me was understood at once.
"The selfishness you spoke of was referring to private devotion."
Finally understanding the identity of the inexplicable selfishness, I felt relieved. Now I don't need to make self-conscious assumptions that I've become attractive or anything like that.
At my murmur, he fell silent. Facing him as he stood without answering, I decided to specially offer a lengthy response.
"I understand the circumstances, but I have received no revelation from God."
"But."
"I'm glad to understand why your attitude changed so suddenly, but there won't be any grand pilgrimage activity for you to help with. Honestly, the work of gathering Durahans doesn't require you. So you don't need to force yourself to accompany……."
"You started appearing in my dreams."
Unexpectedly, Samuel's voice cutting off my words was filled with strength. As I looked at him blankly, he slightly furrowed his brow.
"You keep appearing in my dreams, so it's hard to shake off."
"You said you see holy site scenes."
"Yes. I see you standing in those holy sites."
"What…… are you trying to say you're having prophetic dreams?"
"They're not prophetic dreams. This is the past."
Why am I in that past?