Kays Translations

Chapter 3: The Secret of the Grand Church and the Unopened Door

　On that day, Hirune was thinking about how to entertain Zekyutos and was not very focused on her duties.

　He has always been someone who has taken care of her since she was a saint apprentice. So she wanted to treat him with something special.

(I wish I could give him a gift… hmm… I’m a great saint but I don’t have an allowance,…… and I don’t think it would be right for a citizen to give me a gift. I wonder if Zekyutos-sama would be happier If I give him something handmade by me or something like that……)

　　Right now she was waiting for Jeanne in her room before going to bed.

　Hirune turned off the light source she had put on with holy magic, opened the window and looked up at the sky.

　The night sky of Ixendal, known as the city of iron and smoke, is clear, the stars shine brilliantly, and the air is fresh. Merchants who had recently arrived in the south were amazed and admired the smoke-free city. It’s all thanks to Hirune, who solved the problems at the ironworks.

　Hirune yawned and basked in the pleasant breeze caressing her skin

　Her luxurious blonde hair fluttered softly.

(Hospitality …… tips ……)

　As she was staring at the starry sky and thinking, she thought she heard a voice coming from somewhere.

　Startled, Hirune listened carefully.

　Once again, she heard a voice.

　The voice seems to be coming from below. It sounded like a distressed voice, crying out for help.

I have to go for this one.

　Hirune opened the door to her room and walked steadily down the corridor of the beautifully restored large church.

　Unusually, she didn’t pass anyone and arrived at the door known as the locked basement door, located at the very back of the church.

　The Great Church was built under the direction of the former resident Saint Martine. The blueprints and records from that time were lost in the battle against the miasma, and several rooms remain a mystery.

　The mysterious basement door, which has never been opened, is a mystery that the priests have tried several times to open but have never been able to do so.

(It’s damp …… and the air is bad ……)

　Maids do come in to clean the place, but only once a day.

　Hirune casts a purification spell over the entire door and inspects it.

(It’s a door that could be found anywhere… but it doesn’t seem to open. I remember Holly saying something like that… but it was a long story so I fell asleep halfway through.)

　Remembering this, Hirune used magic to create a light source and grabbed the brass doorknob.

　Turning it slowly, she heard a clanking sound.

　There was a creaking sound of hinges and the door slid open.

(No, it opened. ……)

　Hirune peers inside.

　As soon as she opens the door, she sees a staircase leading to the basement stretches out, and it is pitch black at the back, so she cannot see anything.

　She scatters a few light sources and attach them to the wall to get a clear view.

(The air is stagnant… is there miasma seeping out from deep inside?)

　Hirune sends out more light, but no more can be seen from the entrance.

　Suddenly, she looked behind the open door and saw signs that the miasma had disappeared.

(Was the sticky miasma sewing the …… door shut from the inside?　Maybe that’s why it couldn’t be opened ……)

　Hirune remembered that she had cast a purification spell earlier.

　The purification magic eliminated the miasma, allowing the door to open. It made sense when she thought of it that way.

(The voices are coming from down here, aren’t they?)

　Since she wouldn’t know until she went there, Hirune decided to go down the stairs. In her previous life, she would have been scared and would have called someone to go down with het, but since receiving the Goddess’ Body, she no longer felt any fear of ghosts or anything like that. If anything, she had become more sensitive to miasma and impurity.

　Clearing the stagnant air, Hirune descended the stairs.

　It is quite deep.

　After descending about seventy steps, she arrived at a perfect square room.

(is this……!)

　Quickly send a light into the room.

　In front of Hirune was a round, translucent black bun.

　The bun was about one meter in diameter.

　It looks soft and jiggling.

“It’s slime. I’ve seen it in textbooks.”

　Hirune stared at the slime, which she had never seen before since coming to the other world of EverSophia.

　Then she suddenly realized. Slimes were vicious monsters born from miasma that ate anything, and had a pale blue appearance.

　But this slime is translucent and blackish.

　When the slime spotted the miasma oozing from the room, it jumped on it and absorbed it into its body.

(It’s eating the miasma……?)

　As the slime took in the miasma, its soft body shook in agony and it sighed deeply before falling into the shape of a squashed bun.

“You …… have been guarding this great church?”

　Hirune asked without thinking, the slime trembled slightly as if it had finally noticed her.

　To Hirune, it looked like it was nodding, and she began to feel sorry for it, so she reached out her hand to the slime.

　The slime changed its shape, transforming a part of it into an arm, and extended it to Hirune.

　It was warm and cold to the touch.

(Oh~ what a new sensation. Soft and squishy, warm and cool at the same time.)

　Hirune, doesn’t shy away from the strange sensation, and she pulls, pokes, and squeezes the slime with “Mochi, Mochi” without any hesitation.

　The slime trembled with joy, and fitted its body tightly against Hirune.

“Were you lonely?　Have you been alone all this time?”

　When Hirune asked, the slime began to tremble again, wiggling its body against Hirune like a puppy.

“I see, I see. All right, all right.”

　When she stroked it, saying “good boy,” the slime swayed happily.

　After playing with the slime for a while, miasma began to slowly ooze out from the walls of the room.

　The slime quickly moved away from Hirune and headed in the direction of the miasma.  It’s movement was like that of an injured person, and it was painful to watch

“…… you’re all right now.”

　Hirune slowly recited the scriptures and cast the purification spell.

　A magic circle appeared, covering the entire room, and silver stardust made a rustling sound as it absorbed and annihilated the miasma. The stardust even penetrated the slime, causing it to shine brilliantly.

　When the light subsided, the slime’s body, which had been black just a few seconds before, turned white and became more shiny.

“White buns…… no, it’s turned into white rice cakes.”

　The slime bounces happily.

“You were a beauty, weren’t you?”

　As Hirune smiled, the remnants of stardust created by the purification magic bounced above the slime’s head and landed on Hirune’s forehead, sparkling and shining.

(…… It’s the slime’s memories. ……)

　Perhaps it was a miracle brought about by the Slime’s desire to convey Its feelings, but the days that the Slime had spent began to flow into Hirune’s mind.

　The rare slime, which eats miasma, was treated as a sacred beast and was carefully protected by the great saint Martine.

　This place is where the souls of those who died in battle a thousand years ago remained like earthbound spirits, and Martine built the church to seal them away.

　Martine cast a purification spell on the slime every day. As a gesture of gratitude, the slime went out to the basement of the Great Church itself and ate the miasma to help the people.

　The door to the basement was always left open, and Martine would cast a purification spell on the floor after her service was over. The clergy of the Great Church were grateful to it every day.

　Time passed, the Great Saint Martine died, and the southern city fell into ruin.

　At some point, the slime was trapped underground.

　Nevertheless, the slime continued its purification work alone for decades for Martine’s sake and for the people.

　Flowing through Hirune’s brain were memories of bright, joyful days and painful, endless days.

“I see… You are… a fine slime…”

　Hirune hugged the slime tightly.

　Tears streamed from her eyes and bounced on the slime.

“You are under my protection from this day forward. Is that clear?”

　The slime trembled with a plop.

　To Hirne, it looked like the slime was crying with joy.

“Then …… your work here is done. From today onward, you can sleep peacefully…As the great saint of a white-collar church, I give you permission to use up your accumulated paid leave.”

　Hirune disentangled herself from the slime and recited the scripture aloud.

　As she circulated and kneaded the magic, her luxurious blonde hair stood on end, and her eyes turned iridescent.

(To all the souls who have slept on this land for a thousand years, …… you have done well …… good night)

　A huge magic circle appeared that covered the entire Great church, and a large amount of stardust overflowed around Hirune as it swirled and began to dance gracefully, as if playing a harp.

　When Hirune pointed her finger like a conductor, the stardust permeated the ground all at once.

　Faint light leaked out intermittently, shining in gold, silver and rainbow colors before popping and scattering like sparklers.

　One by one, innocent souls floated up from the underground to the surface, then departed for the heavens.

　Even the Great Saint Martine could not purify the land.

　　Hirune managed to solve the secret of the great church, unknown to anyone, in just one night.

　Eventually, the basement became completely silent.

　The slime was plopping and swaying happily, huddled over Hirune to express its gratitude.

“Ahhhh ahhh ahhh ahhh …… ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh …… I’m getting sleepy ……. Let’s go back to my room, omochi.”

　Hirune arbitrarily named the white slime “Mochi” (rice cake) and returned to her room, yawning.

(Jeanne hasn’t come yet. The head maid’s meeting must have dragged on.)

“Omochi, let’s go to sleep.”

　Hirune crawls into her Piory’s down comforter and beckons Omochi to come to bed.

　The white slime Mochi happily crawled into the futon and lay flat at Hirune’s feet. It seemed like it felt more comfortable in the corner.

“My feet are warm and cool… so comfortable… this is… quiet sleep… zzzzz…zzzz…”

　Within seconds, the sound of soft breathing began to echo through Hirune’s room.

　　　　　　◯

　That day, citizens witnessed a ball of light disappearing into the night sky.

　Additionally, the clergy of the southern branch were in an uproar after sensing the enormous power of holy magic, and sent out a nightly search party to find the cause. Within a few hours, they discovered that the locked door had been opened, and all the staff scrambled for a while to find the cause, but no one realized that it was the work of the Great Saint.

　From that night onwards, the amount of miasma attacking Ixendal gradually decreased, but this too occurred without anyone noticing.

“Rice cakes… sprinkled with soybean flour… to eat… sleeeeepppy…”

　Hirune is sleeping with drooling eyes, dreaming of eating freshly pounded rice cakes.

　The slime rice cake wobbled and shook at her feet.

　Little did she know that early tomorrow morning she would have to explain about the Holy Beast Slime over and over again.

TL Note:

Omochi/mochi- rice cakes, pounded rice cakes 

Manjuu- white buns/ steamed yeast bun with filling

mochi-mochi is used to describe that dense chewy feeling of amochi rice cake.

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