Chapter 19 : Chapter 19
Chapter 19: If You Can’t Hold Back Here…
Lorinna felt as if she had a dream.
In the dream, she had become her younger self again. The golden-haired Saintess held her hand, pulling her out of a cave and leading her to a place filled with light.
The warmth in her palm felt comforting.
“Mom…”
?
Are you awake?
Listening to the word that slipped from Lorinna’s lips, Fia removed the girl’s hand from her body, her emotions too complicated to describe.
Ever since earlier, this red-haired girl had been acting as though she were drunk. She slumped against Fia’s shoulder like a limp rag, her hands wandering restlessly, treating Fia like some oversized plush toy—hugging her upper body, touching her legs. If not for her unfocused gaze, Fia might have suspected that the girl had been possessed by the player from her previous life and was rushing to unlock the Saintess’s romance route.
“So fragrant… hehe.”
The small nose sniffed around Fia’s ear. When it looked as if she was about to lick it, Fia quickly pressed down on her head and pushed her aside.
That spot had been one of the romance triggers in the game’s settings.
The progress felt a little too fast. They had merely bathed together once at night and met a few times. Now they had only shared a meal together, yet it somehow felt as though the entire route had already been completed.
How could such an easily obtainable character possibly justify the countless nights of effort she had spent back then?
Lorinna paid no attention to any of that. When she realized she could not lower her head further, she simply bent forward and crashed into Fia’s embrace.
“So this is the calming effect you mentioned?”
What else was there to misunderstand? Fia was certain it was the effect of the title she had just obtained.
Speaking of which, she had already harvested quite a bit from Lorinna. During their earlier entanglement, the judgment from “Red and White Collector” had triggered several times. Unfortunately, none of them had successfully added any Constitution.
【Her mind has been soothed】
So you’re ignoring her body, is that it?!
Feeling Lorinna’s movements becoming increasingly intense, Fia did not hesitate. She executed a quick grappling hold, twisting Lorinna’s arms behind her back and pulling her tightly into an embrace.
Free stat farming was still stat farming.
The girl’s body pressed close. Fia’s strength was somewhat greater than Lorinna’s, so in a sense the girl was not at a disadvantage. With the bonuses from her profession, her relatively sensitive senses amplified every tiny point of contact.
Why does this girl feel a little undernourished? She’s all bones when you hold her.
After confirming that the little candidate could not move, Fia called out to the system.
“How long does this effect last?” Lorinna had already begun taking deep breaths in her arms with a blissful expression. Fia did not dare imagine what might happen if this continued.
【30.25s】
Why does it even have decimals?
But the time was not long. She could endure it a little longer.
Fia also lowered her head and took a sniff. She could not let the opportunity go to waste. Yet Lorinna herself did not seem to carry any special scent. If anything, perhaps there was a faint hint of shampoo lingering in her hair.
“…!”
Thirty seconds passed quickly. In Lorinna’s dream, she suddenly felt her body drop, a sensation of weightlessness sweeping over her.
When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was white fabric extremely close to her face, embroidered with golden threads.
Did she fall asleep?
Was she being held?!
And the person holding her was that woman?!
The girl in her arms began struggling fiercely. Fia snapped back to reality. Out of the three judgments earlier, one had succeeded, adding a point to her Constitution.
“Let go of me!”
“Alright.”
Fia released her immediately. Freed from the embrace so suddenly, Lorinna even felt the air around her becoming cold.
“Can we continue talking about what I said earlier?”
Fia’s gaze was calm and distant. Out of more than ten attempts, only one had succeeded. As expected, probability was the thing she hated the most.
So it was just a dream.
Lorinna pressed her lips together and tightened her clothes. Earlier she had felt hot; now she felt cold. Perhaps she was coming down with an illness.
“…You should explain first. Why do you suddenly want to leave the Church? Since I promised you, I have the right to know.”
Suddenly I feel like you’re unreliable. What if I don’t want to tell you anymore?
Fia looked at Lorinna’s disheveled clothes and the skirt hem she had forgotten to straighten. After considering for a moment, she decided to reveal part of the plan she had already prepared.
Otherwise, she felt the furious candidate might jump up and smack her on the head.
“The Church needs more people who can do practical work.” She herself had been idle for far too long within the Church.
“With the apocalypse foretold by divine revelation approaching, I must go out and search for a solution.” She needed to avoid those people pushing the Hero around blindly and accidentally triggering some ridiculous CG scene for her.
“And it will also be a good opportunity for your growth.” Work for me while I’m gone.
Every sentence sounded perfectly sincere. Lorinna’s expression gradually became serious.
Just like when Fia had once guided her, she was now preparing to venture out again to save even more people.
Was this the duty of the Saintess?
“We have received the blessings of the gods. They command us to sow selfless love and uphold justice. I will certainly accomplish the task you entrust to me.”
Fia was already used to Lorinna suddenly reciting divine scripture. Looking at the girl’s determined eyes, she unexpectedly felt a faint sense of guilt.
“There’s no need to be so formal. I will still communicate through the Pontiff’s channels. It’s not as though I’m completely abandoning the Church’s internal affairs.”
At the very least, she still had to personally deal with those love letters.
“I understand. I will do my best to reassure you. I know the duties of the Saintess, and I understand the burden that comes with this title.”
I don’t know. I don’t understand at all.
Fia sighed as she looked at Lorinna, who was now brimming with a sense of mission and responsibility.
Well, as long as she was happy.
Now that the matter had been discussed, it was time to say goodbye. Before leaving the Church, she still had to prepare the people and supplies she would take with her.
She was leaving to solve her own problems—not to accompany the Hero on some grand adventure game.
“Then, goodbye.”
Fia had already begun calculating where she should go. If she stayed too close to the Church, she might end up wasting her efforts and would not be able to avoid those people’s watchful eyes. If she went too far, her safety could not be guaranteed.
The doctrine of moderation remained effective even in another world.
Suddenly, the hem of her clothing was tugged.
Fia looked down. Lorinna was fidgeting and speaking in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.
A blush crept back onto her earlobes.
Are you cosplaying Lord Guan or something? Why are you blushing every few moments?
“I… well… I drank too much juice. I—I can’t stand up.”
She sounded as though she were confessing something extremely embarrassing.
Fia suddenly understood. During dinner, Lorinna had indeed drunk glass after glass. When they had been pressed together earlier, Fia had even forced half a bottle down her throat in an attempt to wake her up faster.
So it wasn’t because she liked drinking it.
“I’ll carry you.”
“Eek!”
As her body lifted off the ground, Lorinna flailed briefly before becoming still.
If she moved too much, she feared she might not be able to endure it.
At the very least… not here.
“You’re too light. You need to eat more.”
Fia had originally worried that her Constitution might not be high enough to carry her. If she failed, Lorinna might suffer a humiliating social disaster, and the story might directly enter a bad ending route.
Fortunately, the girl was light. And Fia had gained a few extra stat points not long ago.
Could this be considered taking from Lorinna and using it for Lorinna?
After all, every point of the Constitution she currently had came from this girl.
“Slow down. Don’t walk so fast.”
With both arms wrapped around Fia’s neck, the little candidate struggled to endure.