Chapter 147 – With New Feelings

Knock knock knock.

Just as we finished breakfast, the door was pounded on loudly.

“Saintess! This is Neil of the Second Holy Knights!”

The moment Gain dashed to the door, Heart and Ted positioned themselves at my sides.

Gain checked outside before swinging the door open wide and leaning out halfway.

“Pardon the intrusion! A landslide occurred due to the heavy rains the other day! Please get ready immediately!”

As usual, we all rushed to our rooms to prepare.

I yanked out the bag I’d prepared for disaster dispatches from under the bed.

I opened the bag and checked the contents.

“Mana recovery potion, recovery potion, fatigue recovery potion, universal antidote, detox potion…”

These were all for my personal use. Ever since then, I’d only been asked to focus on protecting myself rather than fighting.

I understood the meaning of that all too well.

I hurried back to the living room, where everyone was already changed into their uniforms and waiting.

Grandfather draped a coat over me. “Be careful out there.”

“Let’s hurry.”

Pushed along by Heart from behind, I boarded the carriage emblazoned with the church’s crest.

Neil climbed in with us. On this side: Heart, me, Ted.

On the opposite side: Gain, Master, Fernet. And Neil.

“Injured are being gathered at the second encampment point on the capital side. Damage report unknown.”

“Second? Not too far. If we push it, we can make it by nightfall.”

Master rested his chin in his hand, mulling it over as he responded to Neil’s report.

There were 36 makeshift encampment points on this side and 24 on the other—not counting nameless spots without even basic facilities like air conditioning.

The second encampment point was the second one up in the mountains, a fairly large site.

“Are we prepared?”

“Yes. Priests are waiting at the main gate. And this time, Bishop Moras said the Third Holy Knights and additional priests will be joining the Second Holy Knights.”

Ah, right.

Normally, priests from the local area or nearby would come to assist, but this time there was no one on-site.

“That’s a big help.”

“What about meals and camping gear?”

“No worries there. We have a dedicated unit among the White Priests for that. They even accompany Holy Knights on expeditions.”

Yeah, that makes sense. They hadn’t called them before because I was here.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

When we arrived at the church’s main gate, the carriage door was opened from the outside, and Master and the others stepped out first.

“Please take these supplies.”

The amount of supplies was double the usual.

“The locals only have what the merchants brought. Even this is after the advance team took their share,” a White Priest explained to my wide-eyed stare.

I immediately deployed spatial magic, and the White Priests began loading in the supplies one after another.

“The Third Holy Knights and White Priests are already en route to the site. We’ll follow right behind.”

As soon as the loading was done, we boarded the carriage again.

Gain and Master returned after hearing the initial report from the site.

Fernet was the last one in, after conferring with the Second Holy Knights.

“There’s someone in the lead group who can handle scouting, so no need for you to put up barriers, Marie. Conserve your mana.”

“Got it.”

“I trained someone with aptitude for it, and their progress has been impressive.”

Master said it with a pleased grin.

As expected of my master.

I’d heard he occasionally trained people with aptitude, even outside his own unit.

“Scouting drills are brutal if you don’t have the knack for it.”

“I still get dizzy just thinking about it.”

Fernet and Ted nodded at each other with grimaces.

In my case, I’d been forced into it without a say… Recalling all that brutal training, I shot Heart a deadpan glare.

Sensing it, Heart met my eyes and lifted just the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

I think the atmosphere started to soften like this after we got back from Lily’s relocation trip.

“Residents and volunteer adventurers are heading to the rescue under the command of knights and soldiers.”

“The mountain’s off-limits. They’ve restricted the far side too.”

From the window of the carriage rattling along at breakneck speed, I could see crowds of people.

Some turning back after learning entry was banned, others descending from the mountain, and more rushing in out of worry, no doubt.

As the Holy Knights with the church-crested flags approached, the path cleared right up.

“The Saintess will be entering the site from here on. Take this.”

“Confirmed. Hey! Clear the road!”

The captain handed what looked like an official document to the kingdom knight.

Part of the heightened security measures, I guess. It was a sight I’d never seen before.

After a brief exchange, the carriage pressed on.

“Master, that downpour was about five days ago, right?”

“Yeah. It was prolonged rain. Disasters like this often hit after a delay.”

It was so clear and sunny now… Looking up at the deep blue sky through the window, it almost felt like those days of rain had been a lie.

“Marie. You cold?”

Heart draped a blanket over me as usual—I’d taken off my coat by then.

The others, down to their shirts, looked like they were saying I’m fine.

“Guess I’ll take one too.”

Master, ever sensitive to the cold, accepted a blanket from Ted and laid it over his knees.

“You’ve always had poor circulation, huh, Master?”

“Been that way since I was a kid, so probably just my constitution. Haha. Gotta be the water attribute, right?”

At those words from Master, Ted—who also had the water attribute—chimed in, “Same here, I’m prone to it too.”

“So, is Gain always running hot because of his fire attribute?”

“Gain being a sweaty mess has nothing to do with attributes.”

Fernet happily tossed out the barb at my question.

“You bastard!”

“””Hahaha!”””

Gain threw an arm around Fernet’s neck in a chokehold, and everyone burst out laughing.

Come to think of it, Ted always kept a cool, unflappable face.

And Gain was always in light clothes year-round.

“Does Fernet have something like night vision or whatever?”

Caught in the armlock, Fernet hesitated with swimming eyes—”Hmm…”—before blurting out a perfect airhead, “Dunno,” leaving everyone dumbfounded.

“Ugh, save me, Ted!”

“On it!”

Ted, ever the serious one, earnestly pried at Gain’s hands.

Heart watched the whole exchange with an amused smile.

“You tired? Get some rest.”

Heart noticed my gaze and pulled me toward him.

He bundled me up in the blanket like always and patted my back gently.

Ever since I’d become aware of my feelings, I’d found myself observing Heart more calmly like this.

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