Saint's Prison - Chapter 80

The Words of Prayer

The crimson eyes captured me and would not let go. The silent girl, Amal, has been staring at me for a while now. Honestly, I feel uncomfortable being watched so much. I put my hand on the back of my neck to disguise my discomfort.

“…Hey, Amal.”

Unable to stand the silence, I call out her name. Amal freezes for a few seconds. She probably isn’t used to being called by a nickname yet. After her gaze wanders for a moment, she timidly nods in agreement.

“You mentioned this is the Stonehurst Monastery, right?”

“…Yes.”

“And where exactly is it located?”

“Totwald.”

I asked her to repeat the unfamiliar word.

“Tot… what?”

“Totwald.”

Even after asking her to repeat, I didn’t recognize the place. It certainly doesn’t seem like a Japanese location. Could it be abroad? I knit my brows and ask another question.

“Ah, don’t tell me this place is in Europe?”

“Europe?”

Amal blinks her eyes in confusion, tilting her head slightly.

“You don’t know Europe? You know, like England or France.”

“…I don’t know such countries.”

“Then, have you heard about Japan?”

Amal gently shakes her head in response.

I instinctively held my head in my hands. She’s completely ignorant of the world. No, this isn’t something that can be settled by calling her ignorant. Not knowing Europe, how isolated can you be?

Why can she speak Japanese if she doesn’t even know Japan? My head starts to spin with all these strange circumstances.

(But… she doesn’t seem like she’s lying.)

The Stonehurst Monastery in a place called Totwald.

Why would I, who merely fell asleep on the train, be in such a place? I’m starting to get seriously lost.

“Amal, are there other people in this monastery? If there are, can you guide me to them? I want to talk to them.”

“………”

Amal lowers her head. She shivers, gripping her hands tightly. Something seems off. Is she feeling unwell? At that thought, I realized the place is strangely cold. It’s not like the middle of winter, but it’s quite chilly for me in my short sleeves.

I gather my wits and call out to Amal.

“…Amal, are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

“Hey, if you’re not feeling well, you can just show me the way. I’ll go by myself. I want to meet the highest authority here since this is a monastery, maybe a priest or a pastor?”

“A person of high status?”

“Yeah, if this is a monastery, then maybe a priest, right? Or a pastor? Anyway, I want to meet the person in charge of this place.”

“… If you’re looking for Father Benedict, he should be in the priest’s room. Exit the chapel, turn right, open the door, turn left in the corridor, and go through the door at the end. Then, turn at the first corner you come across from there, and it’s the room at the end.”

“Turn right, left, and at the end… Got it.”

I repeat Amal’s words to myself to memorize them.

“Alright, I’ll go check it out. Thanks, Amal.”

I thanked Amal with a smile. In return, Amal trembled and stared at me. Then, as if to check her heartbeat, she pressed her hand against her chest.

“Yes, Andrew-sama.”

I realized it a bit late, but calling me “Andrew” is like saying my full name. It feels quite strange.

“Hey, Amal. I’m not used to being called Andrew. Can you give me a nickname too?”

“…I should give Andrew-sama a nickname?”

“Yeah, um. You don’t have to if you don’t like it. But if you can, I’d like you to give me one.”

Amal fell silent for a few seconds. It felt strangely long.

“…Then, how about Andy-sama?”

Her voice was a whisper.

She looked up at me without confidence. She doesn’t have to make such a face. But then again, does Andy come from Andrew?

“Andy, huh. …Yeah, it’s a good nickname. Once again, nice to meet you, Amal.”

“…Yes, Andy-sama.”

Amal squinted her eyes in what seemed like relief.

“Well then, Amal. I’m going to meet the priest.”

I warned her and headed toward the door. It was a very large wooden door. I reached for the handle to push it open.

“Andy-sama.”

Stopped by her soft and beautiful voice, I turned my head, just my head.

Her silver hair fluttered. Her overly perfected beauty was illuminated by the candlelight. Her crimson eyes stared at me.

“…Will you see me again? May I be granted that?”

“Of course, I will.”

I answered without hesitation.

What kind of question is that? I couldn’t understand the intention behind it. I wracked my brain.

“…Even if it’s a lie, I’m happy.”

Amal softly smiled. It was a smile that seemed like it would fly away with a gust of wind. I wondered why she would smile like that, but more than that, I wanted to reassure her.

“…You know, I wouldn’t lie about something like that, right? Once I’ve met with the priest, I’ll come back.”

“…Yes, I will always be waiting.”

The girl clasped her hands in front of her chest and made a praying gesture as she faced me.