Ansu's Mission

When class ended, Ansu left the classroom and, looking thoroughly exasperated, began searching the garden.

It didn't take long for him to find Freya skulking around.

She was hiding behind a neatly trimmed shrub. Before she even heard Ansu's footsteps, her little nose twitched, and then, as if she'd caught a scent, she instinctively turned in his direction...

"L-Lord Ansu!" Freya started in surprise, then broke into a delighted smile.

She hurriedly brushed off her clothes and trotted over to him. "You finally agreed to see me!"

Ansu looked at Freya, a leaf still caught in her pink hair, and felt even more exasperated.

"If I hadn't come to see you, would you have followed me all the way home? You're the esteemed Saintess of the Church, for goodness' sake. Could you stop following me around like some lovesick stalker every day?"

"Ah..." Freya lowered her head, embarrassed, and her voice grew a little bashful. "No, I just happened to be passing by today, and thought I'd see if Lord Ansu was here..."

So she "happened" to pass by my door every day, huh? Ansu muttered to himself. You really don't know how to play it cool...

He glanced around. A couple was sitting on a bench in the garden, so he sighed. "There are too many people here. Let's find somewhere else to talk..."

"Mm..." Freya nodded softly.

The two of them went to the little church where they'd met before.

As Freya carefully closed the door, Ansu couldn't help asking, "Why are you always hanging around our school? Don't you have work to do?"

"Well..." Freya explained with a smile. "I'm actually not allowed to leave the Church under normal circumstances. But Bishop Paul's lectures at the Royal Academy were very well received, so I suggested that he come to the school more often. That way, I could sneak out for a bit and see Lord Ansu again!"

Seeing that Ansu still looked thoroughly exasperated, she hurriedly added,

"And don't think I have nothing to do all day! Looking after the Chosen One is my job now! I went to so much trouble to find you. How could I let you out of my sight?"

Ansu's expression immediately turned serious. "I told you not to call me that in public."

Freya nodded. "All right, Lord Ansu!"

Ansu glanced at her again.

Freya gave an awkward laugh. "A-Ansu..."

"I need your help with something," Ansu said, cutting straight to the point.

"You know I'm secretly investigating a mysterious organization. I can tell you now that this evil cult may one day threaten the entire world. For the sake of the world's safety, I have no choice but to infiltrate them..."

Ansu didn't mention the Echo of Truth by name, but even though his description of the organization was vague, Freya's eyes still widened. Her imagination immediately began running wild...

So Lord Chosen One really did have a secret mission! No wonder he'd never wanted to admit it to me...

The more Freya thought about it, the more convinced she became. At the same time, she couldn't help worrying.

An evil cult that would one day threaten the entire world... Lord Chosen One must be in grave danger, infiltrating it! She really hoped she could ease some of his burden.

"What do you need me to do?" Freya quickly asked. "I'll do everything I can to help!"

"You've been the one pushing the three bishops to search for the Chosen One here in Benalu City, right?" Ansu asked, wanting to confirm it.

"Yes, that's right." Freya nodded.

"So now... who's in charge of the search for the Chosen One?" Ansu knew Freya's position in the Church. Though she was its esteemed Saintess, the title was really just an honorary position, much like that of a saint. It came with little actual authority.

"The three bishops and I decided everything at private meetings. There isn't anyone specifically in charge."

Freya answered him.

"No one besides the four of us knows about it. As for the Church's actual arrangements, those are handled by the three bishops."

Ansu fell into thought. If his theory that "the Church was setting him up" was true, then the mastermind had to be one of those four.

Freya could be ruled out first.

For one thing, he knew what happened to Freya later in the story. He was certain that this sweet, airheaded Saintess wasn't capable of plotting behind the scenes.

And besides...

Ansu quietly studied Freya.

Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were fixed on him, blank with confusion. She clearly still didn't understand what was going on. When she noticed him watching her, she thought she'd said something wrong and anxiously blinked.

She's just too clueless...

If she's the mastermind, I'll eat my own shit!

A whole ton of it!

Of course, there was another important reason Ansu trusted her so much: in the simulations, she'd always done everything she could to help him.

She'd even lost her life for his sake.

He'd become completely "mystified"...

Ansu cleared his throat, and Freya, who'd been lost in thought, snapped back to attention.

"All right. I have a task for you."

He lowered his voice. "I need you to keep an eye on the three bishops and figure out their daily routines. Then report their movements to me each day. If they do anything unusual, report it to me immediately."

As Freya listened, her expression grew increasingly puzzled.

Was Lord Chosen One asking her to secretly spy on the three bishops?

"What do you mean? Are the three bishops..."

Freya asked in surprise, "Is there something wrong with them?"

"I'm only speculating, but I need your help to find out." Ansu worried that Freya might be reluctant, so he fixed her with a mysterious stare.

"This is a very important mission! I suspect there's a heretic within the Church of Holy Light who blasphemes against the Goddess. If he leads the Church one day, he could drive it to ruin!"

"It's that serious?" Freya's eyes widened. "B-But how did you find out?"

"You think you're the only one who can receive divine revelations?" Ansu snorted. "Don't forget who I am! I'm even closer than you are to the Goddess's revelations. Everything I do is guided by divine revelation!"

Freya stared blankly at Ansu, then suddenly gasped.

That's right. The person in front of her was the Chosen One. His very purpose was to carry out the Goddess's will and save the world!

"I understand!" Freya's little face turned solemn, as if she'd received a divine revelation herself. "Leave this mission to me. You can count on me!"

"I can't count on you..." Remembering the three days Freya had spent following him around, Ansu sighed helplessly. "If you follow them around like you have me, you'll give yourself away on the very first day..."

"I won't this time!" Freya gave an embarrassed laugh. "I was probably just so worried about Lord Ansu that I... let myself get caught so easily."

"When I go back, I won't follow them so openly! Besides, they usually stay at the Church. If they go somewhere else, it'll be easy for me to find out..."

"Let's hope so..." Ansu murmured.

Seeing his expression, Freya suddenly felt as if he was underestimating her.

She pouted and grumbled, "Don't underestimate me like that... Have you forgotten? I have a special talent that's perfect for following people!"

Ansu furrowed his brow. "Your sense of smell?"

"Mm! Mm!" Freya nodded emphatically. "No one can escape my nose!"

Ansu burst out laughing, feeling that this Saintess must be part dog.

"But now I really am curious..."

"Curious about what?" Freya blinked.

Ansu looked her up and down, then suddenly smiled with anticipation. "Your talent has something to do with your bloodline, right? Freya, could you show me... what you look like as a demi-human?"

"Huh?" Freya froze.

Then she shook her head without hesitation. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Why not? You won't even let me see?" Ansu said with a smile. "I am your Chosen One, after all."

"Even so... no!" Freya lowered her head, her cheeks turning pink. "I don't want anyone to see that side of me. I don't want Lord Ansu to see my... there."

Ansu heard her reaction and couldn't help wondering to himself.

Why did she make it sound so strange? It almost sounded lewd...

She was just a beast-eared Saintess. What was the big deal?

"What if I really want to see?" Ansu looked at her adorably clueless expression, unable to resist teasing her a little.

"Freya, you wouldn't want your Chosen One to stop trusting you, would you?"