Idle Life of a Saintess - Chapter 21
“Others will also ride in a carriage like this. You can wave your hand or smile at the people who see you off along the way.”
“Uh……. I-isn’t that what His Holiness the Pope does in a procession?”
Occasionally, the roads were closed and there was a lot of fuss during the Pope’s procession through the streets.
But as she listened to Heron’s explanation, it seemed that something like that would unfold on the streets today.
Goosebumps rose on Noah’s back.
“The Saintess and the talents of each country are going to capture the dragon, so everyone is cheering with one mind.”
“I-I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Her whole body trembled. Noah looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m called a saintess, but I don’t have great abilities……”
Then she heard Gabriel’s voice.
“Saintess.”
Where Noah turned her head stood Gabriel, dressed in more splendid clothes than usual.
“Your Eminence…….”
In her mind, the words ‘Please save me!’ came out automatically.
“Sir Stockwell says that all the way to the train station I have to wave my hands and smile at the people who have come out to see me off.”
‘Please don’t tell me it’s true.’
Unfortunately, Noah’s eagerness did not reach Gabriel.
“Do not worry. I will accompany the Saintess.”
Gabriel climbed into the carriage first and held out his hand.
“Your appearance is also important. There will be many people who want to see the image of the Saintess, known only on a picture postcard.”
With a soft smile, Gabriel told her something frightening.
‘A lot of people will see me!’
“For people who always repeat the same routine, an event like this is very memorable.”
It was plausible. Noah would have been there to watch if a Saintess other than herself had appeared and made a procession.
‘But me being the protagonist is a different thing……!’
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Have you seen the procession of the Imperial Family or the procession of His Holiness the Pope in the past?”
“Yes.”
“This time, you won’t be the spectator; instead, you will be the one being watched.”
It was obviously a strange thing to say, but when Gabriel said it with a kind smile, she understood everything.
“There will be a line of people on our side around the carriage, so don’t worry too much. Other controllers and wizards will also ride carriages like this to the train station.”
“Yes…….”
***
Since she anticipated what would happen, it was not that surprising.
“Waaaaaaaa!”
The shouts of the crowd were immense, and Gabriel slowly looked around his surroundings with a kind smile and waved once.
Noah also raised her hand awkwardly, imitating Gabriel.
Many people looked at them with anticipation as they shouted.
“I made eye contact with the Saintess!”
“Saintess!”
People called Noah a saintess and scattered flower petals.
‘We must capture the demon dragon of Urvas. I think I’ll be in big trouble if we don’t capture it…….’
Noah spent the next three or four hours smiling so much that her mouth twitched and her hands trembled so much that she thought they would fall off before the slow carriage arrived at the train station.
Then it was when she got on the train.
Even though she was riding the same train she had taken when she came to the capital, Noah was surprised because it was her first time in a VIP room.
The front compartment of the train is a room!
Of course, she only found out when she arrived at the room because of the crowd that had come all the way to the train station.
The VIP room consists of a seat compartment and a room compartment.
Each compartment of the room was connected directly by a door, and there was a bunk bed where one could lie down on. There was also a window with a small curtain.
Seeing a person waving through the window, Noah turned her face toward the outside and smiled.
Just by making eye contact, she could tell that they liked it, so somehow it felt like she should smile at them.
One after another, they boarded the train, and when the final inspection was over, Gabriel knocked on the door.
“Yes, come in.”
“Saintess.”
Gabriel sat across from Noah and handed her a piece of paper. Then he turned his gaze to the window and waved.
On the piece of paper Gabriel had handed over was a map drawn on it.
“This is a map of the area that we will be subjugating. This is the Thamruz station, and we will stay here for a day and then get horses and carriages and travel to Urvas, where the demon dragon resides.”
Noah looked at Gabriel’s finger moving along the map and nodded.
“It is an unpaved area and since there are a lot of people moving, we might have to travel longer.”
“I see.”
“First of all, it takes twelve hours to get to Thamruz. Until then, I suggest you take a rest on the train.”
“Yes.”
Just in time, the train began to move.
Seeing the crowd watching the train moving away and crying with emotion, Noah felt strange for some reason.
As the train began to move, the crowd quickly dissipated. Getting away from the crowd meant facing another situation.
Now they were really going to capture the demon dragon.
Noah’s mind slowly calmed down while the train was running. It took a long time for the aftermath of the frantic march to completely subside.
Gabriel looked at Noah.
“It was your first time, but you did a great job. You must have had a hard time…….”
“I was surprised, but it was worth it. It was an amazing experience.”.
Noah chuckled.
Gabriel glanced at Noah and his gaze drifted to the floor. Then he saw a pair of neatly placed shoes. The Saintess’s shoes were embroidered with silver thread on satin and adorned with gems.
Why are the Saintess’ shoes off, and what is she wearing now?
“Were your shoes uncomfortable? Because you’re not used to it……”
Gabriel smiled and trailed off.
Noah awkwardly lifted her shoes in surprise as Gabriel’s gaze turned downwards.
“That is…… These shoes were adorned with gems.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel nodded.
“If I keep wearing it, it will wear out. It’s difficult for people to see me on the train anyway, so I’m planning to wear it sparingly.”
“Then, are you wearing any other shoes now?”
“Huh? No, I am not. Well, I have extra shoes in my luggage. But I was so distracted that I couldn’t ask anyone to bring my luggage. Most of all…….”
Noah lifted her foot slightly.
“Maybe it’s because I am wearing silk stockings, but it’s so soft and pleasant. Even if I don’t wear shoes, the floor is clean since this is the VIP room. It’s comfortable.”
Noah’s left foot, wrapped in shiny lace stockings, moved in motion.
“Actually, this is my first time wearing stockings like this. It’s really pretty and soft.”
“Ahem…….”
Gabriel turned his head in a flurry.
Only then did Noah think that she had made a mistake, so she lowered her foot and asked carefully.
“Um, are the stockings going to wear out too? Should I have taken it off?”
In response to Noah’s worried voice, Gabriel looked at her and then grabbed the shoe and placed it at her feet.
“First of all, put it on. I will bring slippers for you to wear comfortably. You don’t have to worry about wearing out shoes or anything.”
Gabriel tried to speak as softly as possible.
“These things are for the Saintess to use. The Church said they would fully support Noah-nim.”
“Then shouldn’t I cherish it more? This is all the property of the people who are loyal to the Church, no, to God.”
“…….”
Gabriel hesitated.
In moments like this, he always wonders. What kind of person does God especially cherish and love to pour his abilities into?
Noah Kaplan was not a stupid country bumpkin. She was friendly, caring, and kind.
Truly too good to be thrown into the world of nobility……
She is a good person.
“What is more important than this is the condition of the Saintess’ body. All of this is for the Saintess, for the Church, and even for our God Elohim, so please cherish yourself more, Saintess.”
“Yes.”
Noah nodded obediently.
“I’ll give you slippers, so please wait a little bit.”
“Thank you.”
Noah then put her feet in the shoes.
Gabriel went to get her slippers and checked to see if everyone else was on board. Then he had someone bring the slippers to Noah.
The time on the train seemed to pass faster than expected.
Noah, who had been planning to rest a little since it was a twelve-hour ride, had boarded the train for about five hours when she realized something was wrong.
The train stopped at Silva Station.
The stationmaster came out and said to Gabriel.
“Monsters jumped in and destroyed the railroad tracks from Thamruz Station to Echelda Station.”
“What do you mean…….”
“Monsters are coming to Silva, destroying the railroad tracks. It is dangerous to drive the train further.”
“How much damage has been done? And how many people have died?”
“We’ve been informed that the monsters are strangely destroying only the railroad tracks.”
The stationmaster looked at Gabriel with a face filled with fear.
“Is there a way to get to Urvas by carriage?”
Gabriel’s question was answered by the stationmaster straight away.
“You can travel by horse and carriage.”
Moments later, Gabriel summoned Princess Kyria, Irian, and Noah to the front of the station.
Kyria pretended to greet her even though she was displeased. Noah, who received the greeting, almost wanted to greet her first.
Gabriel got down to business as soon as the greeting was over.
“Monsters are said to have appeared. The road we were taking by train was blocked. They’re only destroying the railroad tracks, as if they knew we were going to capture the demon dragon of Urvas.”
“Hmm, monsters don’t have intelligence, so how did they know?”
Princess Kyria tried to analyze the cause.
“Could it be that the demon dragon’s consciousness has awakened a little? Whether it is controlling the monsters or not, the barrier is weakening…… and its body and consciousness are gradually awakening.”
Surprisingly, Irian came up with a fairly persuasive opinion as if he had knowledge of this.
“That’s not the point right now. The problem is that it would be difficult to use the train to get to Urvas, so we have to move by carriage or horse.”
Noah immediately understood what Gabriel was saying.
The travel time to Urvas has increased.
That is…….
“It can’t be helped if it is difficult to use the train.”
Princess Kyria said in annoyance, and Gabriel replied with a sigh.
“Moving by horse and carriage increases the variable.”
It meant that there would be more variables in the future.