Konrad missed when Lily built his mansion and all the other new buildings in Halaima.
He still had a hunch about how she must have done it, inspecting the walls themselves, but—
These two Church acolytes had their own, rather spectacular way.
He expected they would expand the material already there. Like, with some Earth Magic or something. Stretch it into the cracks and call it a day. But he couldn't have been more wrong.
Once they started praying, without even looking up—
First, dust appeared out of thin air, shaping into roof tiles, bricks, or wood, whatever they needed. Never a uniform color or shape. Some of them were half bricks, for example, and—
As they embedded themselves into the cracks, they fused with the original materials.
The roof straightened itself out, too.
It had been crumbling under its own weight before.
He thought they would have had to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch, but he was so, so wrong. Was this the most efficient way? Definitely not. But no matter how he looked at it—
They sure made the process look impressive.
'They've no reason to bother with efficiency,' Paula noted. 'It's not their own mana they're using. The Saints answer their prayers and do as they see fit. And they seem to like fancy stuff.'
Right. He still remembered that introductory book about magic they restored with Zoltan.
The difference between his spells and the acolytes' prayers was huge.
He had to cast his own runes using his own essence, while they only asked their Saints to sort things out. Spiritual magic—distinct from this holy one—was somewhere between the two.
For those, the Spirits cast the spells, but the users had to pay.
Which—now that Konrad thought about it—was rather strange.
'Didn't you say the bishop has a huge amount of mana?' he asked the parallel brain.
Why would he have any if he used the Saints' authority anyway?!
'What am I? A religion expert?!' Paula scoffed. 'He definitely has his own essence. In fact, he has more of it than that Maou Midori guy, Zoltan, the Silver Mage, and you combined.'
No freaking way.
She must have meant his current mana in the pool, right? Right?!
'What about the Crimson Mage?' Konrad thought, watching as the temple's high roof rebuilt itself. 'He said something about being weaker than the Silver Mage, though he was older.'
'Don't know, okay?' she snapped. 'After he sealed me away, I decided not to probe him again.'
Yeah. That might have been the smart choice.
But before he knew it, the temple transformed around them.
That magic not only rebuilt it, but restored the furniture and even replaced some windows.
The gilding on the main altar looked brand-new, and the place felt much cleaner, too.
"Praised be the Saints," the bishop boomed in the end, patting the acolytes' heads.
Which—considering his height—must have been a challenge.
"Praised be the Saints," the boy repeated, and before Konrad realised—
Gabrielle had done the same, too.
"Now, go, my children. Restore the annex as well, then look for a place to house the Order."
Ugh. It hadn't come as a surprise, but Konrad still hoped they would go away.
"In the meantime," the bishop continued, turning around. "I'd also like to meet with my predecessor. Where can I find Father Alastair?"
Where indeed?
"He returned to his post in Haiten," Gabrielle offered, knowing more than Konrad did.
And why the hell would he? Right when such a high-ranking Church official visited?
Shouldn't he have been here to greet him, too?!
'Funny that before he mentioned that name,' Paula pointed out. 'You didn't even remember your own adoptive father. By the way, Gabby told you before: he's hiding out with Stella.'
Right. That did ring a bell, but—
No way he was actually this senile at this point.
"That's fine, it's only a few miles," the bishop said, walking back the way they came. "By the time we're done with that road trip, my children will be ready with everything here."
Well, that's all for hiding from the Church, huh?
"Wouldn't you like to rest first?" Konrad asked, trying to stall. "I can offer you a room worthy of your status in my own mansion—the road must have been exhausting from the capital."
"Oh, it was the exact opposite," the old man said, smiling up at him. "The roads here? Amazing."
"His Holiness had been sleeping in the carriage ever since we entered your domain."
That was the male acolyte. He bowed before withdrawing.
And crap. Konrad should have waited with that road maintenance a little longer.
The female counterpart stuck around a little longer, looking flustered. She wrung her hands, hiding behind her master—or at least tried, but she, too, was a good head taller.
She kinda reminded him of Stella, but—
No. Now that he looked at her, she was exactly like Brigida Brave.
Hold on.
It was Brigida Brave.
"Wha—how?!" Konrad scowled, letting it slip before he realised.
The mute little girl he saved from Otto Ostfeld's clutches.
Or rather, the one who had almost mopped the floor with him back then.
If not for Stella going berserk and releasing her terrifying entropy—
"Ah, right," the bishop noted. "She's from this duchy? Have you met before?"
"Y-yes," he muttered. "You could say we're acquainted."
But something still wasn't right—and no.
It wasn't the fact that he had rescued her from the Inquisitor and sent her back to her family.
Shouldn't she have been like, what? Ten years younger?!
Last time she saw her, she was a mere child, and while a lot had happened since—
It was still only a few months ago.
'For you, sweetheart,' Paula scoffed. 'Seems like you're not the only one getting stuck in Teleportation and Time Anomalies all the time. But from this one wasn't Gabrielle's doing.'
Well, thank the spirits it wasn't.
He would have been so mad if that angel did something to that poor, mute child, who—
Um. If she was stronger than him back then, would she be even stronger now?!
"She appeared one day in the most secluded sanctums of my jurisdiction," the old man explained. "She can't speak, but she's quite capable when it comes to telepathy."
And magic, too. Konrad knew that much.
But looking at her now, he felt so lost.
Wasn't she a spirit user?!
A bishop who was a mage, a little girl who grew up way too fast, and—
At this point, he wouldn't have been surprised if that other acolyte was something crazy, too.
'Now that you mention it,' Paula teased, but didn't get to finish.
'Do you hate me now, Konrad?' another voice intruded on his mind, way stronger, but also much more timid. 'I, uh, I can explain if you'd let me. I'm not your enemy, I swear.'
"Why would I—" he started, then, looking at the vast audience, he cleared his throat.
'I don't hate you, Brigida,' he switched to proper telepathy. 'Not one bit. But yeah, I'd be curious about that explanation—whenever you're ready. I won't rush you.'
And definitely wouldn't piss her off, still remembering how strong her child form was.