Chapter 3

"Ah~ I slept so well!"

Alm, who had indulged in a good sleep for the first time in a year, stretched out on the bench with a "Hmm."

Since he had fled the temple in the morning, it was probably around three in the afternoon now.

"My throat is so dry~"

Alm gently placed one hand on the ground beneath the bench. As he did, the rough ground he touched changed. The dry soil turned into moist black earth, and green grass began to grow softly.

"Tea tree, tea tree"

As Alm chanted, tea trees sprouted from the ground.

He didn't quite understand the principle, but it was a mysterious skill he had acquired three months ago.

"Since I can grow any plant I imagine in my head, it's really convenient~"

He was surprised when, while muttering "I want to be a radish..." in the corner of the garden after being scolded by Johannes as usual, a radish suddenly sprouted from the ground at his feet. But once he got used to it, it became an incredibly useful ability. It was hard to believe that such a hopeful power had come from such a negative thought.

"Harvest, harvest"

The tea leaves danced up on their own.

"Ferment, ferment"

The tea leaves dried out and turned brown.

"Water, water"

When he held his hand in the air, a blob of water appeared in mid-air.

"Boil, boil"

The blob of water began to boil.

"Teapot and cup"

A teapot and cup flew out of the magic bag on their own.

The tea leaves flew into the teapot, followed by the hot water. The tea was then poured from the floating teapot into the cup.

"Phew~"

Holding the cup, Alm took a sip of tea and exhaled.

"What a convenient power..."

He had acquired this ability when he was so exhausted that he didn't even want to move a finger and had collapsed on the floor.

"Ah~ I haven't been able to relax like this in a year..."

Alm looked up at the sky.

This was a park next to the slums at the edge of the capital. Nobles never came here, and commoners didn't step foot in it either. However, Alm had once come here and sat on this bench. He had no place to belong. He couldn't return to his family home, and he didn't want to go back to the temple. The only place he could think of to go was this bench.

"A park where no one comes... I can stay here, right?"

Alm took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.

***

Alm is gone.

In the room inside the temple, all the furniture and supplies provided, including the holy scriptures, remained untouched. According to the accounting department, he had taken all his salary and left with just one bag.

It was only when confronted with this fact that Johannes realized Alm had really left.

"Bring her back immediately!!"

"Why?"

When he ordered the holy knights, everyone looked at him as if he were a mysterious piece of trash, like a mud-covered piece of paper on the ground after the rain, and no one tried to find Alm.

"Why... She's the Holy Maiden! She has an obligation to live in the temple!"

"Oh? The Holy Maiden followed the official order to 'quit' given by the prince of this country, who is also a priest, didn't she?"

Johannes felt his blood boil at the mocking laugh.

"That was just a spur-of-the-moment thing!! Besides, why didn't anyone stop Alm from leaving!?"

The mocking disappeared, and the holy knight glared at Johannes with icy eyes.

"We were happy to see the Holy Maiden off, who had finally managed to escape from hell. To be honest, we wished she had fled earlier."

"What... You treated her that badly?"

Johannes was speechless. When he calmed down and was objectively pointed out his actions, he realized he had indeed done such things.

"But Alm is the Holy Maiden..."

"Talking about the Holy Maiden, you didn't give any orders to any other Holy Maiden except her. Did you think you could use her up because she had no backing? Did you think you could do anything to her because she was the Holy Maiden?"

Johannes couldn't answer the holy knight's calm questioning.

(Why... Why would Alm leave... Why would she leave me...)

He had intended to give Alm the title of "Great Holy Maiden" and all the rewards she could wish for once he had purified the corruption and restored the temple to its proper form. Alm was the daughter of a baron, but a Holy Maiden who had made great contributions to the country could even marry into the royal family. He had thought she would fight by his side until that day.

"Alm..."

Johannes dropped his shoulders and whispered weakly.