The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Help Me, Mother!

“Haa?! Why aren’t you coming to help me, Mother Saint!?”

In the church branch near the mountain pass, I desperately hammered away at the telegraph machine.

The message I dispatched to my hometown was ‘Mother, need rescue,’ but the response I received was ‘Daughter, alright. Do your best.’

What’s so right about it?

Mostly, it’s your fault for indulging me too much as your daughter.

Thanks to that, I’ve arrogantly believed I’m invincible even though I have no power, landing myself in this life-threatening situation.

As a parent, shouldn’t she feel a bit more responsible?

Fuming, I typed, ‘Come. Right now. Come.’

The response from home was brief: ‘Busy. Impossible. Do your best.’

Soon, my mother must have embarked on another exorcism mission, as she completely ceased responding to telegraphs.

I kicked the table where the telegraph was placed in frustration.

“Miss Meril, what’s going on?”

Upon hearing that noise, the branch chief of this church, an old man named Dozel, hurried over.

Despite his title as the branch chief, this remote branch operated with just one person and lacked competent subordinates.

He could be described as a typical rural priest with nothing particularly noteworthy.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just bumped my leg against the table a bit.”

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

I, still frowning, rose from the table and instructed Dozel about the remaining tasks.

Given that my mother is so busy, please formally request reinforcements from the church headquarters.

“Well… I get it, but why request reinforcements? Miss Meril, you should be more than capable of handling those demons on your own.”

“That’s because…”

I paused briefly, clearing my throat.

“I need to conduct a thorough investigation of the incidents in this town. It’s crucial to have someone keeping an eye on that demon, just in case.”

In reality, even now, I was concealing the fact that I was weak from those around me.

The reason was straightforward.

If I were to admit my incompetence, I would lose all the fame and adoration I had received as the Daughter of God until this point.

Certainly, as the daughter of a saint, I should be able to lead a comfortable life in the future, anyway.

However, those who have knelt before me until now are likely to abruptly change their stance and start whispering behind my back.

Such humiliation is something my pride couldn’t bear.

But that previous night, I even considered sacrificing my reputation if it meant preserving my life.

However, now that I’ve safely reached a secure area, I find myself trying to uphold some sense of dignity.

I suppose it’s human nature to be creatures driven by self-interest.

“But Miss Meril, if you sealed that demon with a barrier, do we still need to keep an eye on it?”

“Well, I’m not particularly skilled at intricate techniques like barriers! Of course, it’s much more effective than a standard demon exorcism! I’m confident it’ll be fine! But, you know, it’s better to be safe than sorry!”

“Sigh…”

“Anyway, please request reinforcements! As quickly as possible!”

Unlike making a personal request to my mother through a telegraph, asking for reinforcements from the church headquarters requires bureaucratic procedures.

I left all those details to Dozel and started preparing for the siege.

That barrier is just a facade. The white wolf has likely escaped by now, and it might even launch an attack on this town soon.

To prepare for such a situation, I had chosen to hide in the underground bunker of the church branch until reinforcements arrived, supposedly to focus on solving the mystery alone.

Even if cries for help like “Help me, Miss Meril!” echoed from outside the underground bunker, I was resolved not to open the door.

So, while I was searching through the pantry for non-perishable foods…

“Ah, Miss Meril! I just checked on that demon a little while ago!”

One of the lackeys brought along from the church headquarters suddenly called out from behind.

“…Huh?”

In sheer astonishment, I dropped the provisions I had in my hands.

After all, that white wolf should have already escaped by now.

In other words, my mistake had been revealed. It meant a tough questioning about my severe negligence was about to begin.

“Indeed, Miss Meril, that demon seemed completely helpless against your barrier, sitting there like a well-behaved puppy.”

I figured as much.

The lackey was grinning as if everything was normal.

According to him, the demon didn’t resist at all; it just sat there completely resigned.

Upon hearing this report, I reached a certain conclusion.

(Ah, that’s a relief! Truly, the power of Mother’s ring! It seems even such a half-hearted barrier was effective enough! Well, maybe I do have some talent for barriers?)

If the barrier is working perfectly, there’s no need to retreat to the musty underground bunker.

I can comfortably wait for reinforcements and leave the handling of the demon to someone else.

“I see. If the barrier is functioning, I can also focus on investigating the incident with peace of mind.”

Until then… let’s take it easy with such an excuse.

The lackey, upon hearing my words, had a somewhat puzzled expression.

“Miss Meril… do you truly trust what the demon said?”

“I don’t accept it blindly. I just want to be absolutely certain.”

Feeling pleased that my plan had worked well and in good spirits, I smoothly presented a fabricated pretext.

“So, could you bring the materials related to the incident again?”