Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 212

[Vol. 5] Chapter 212: The Gardener and Doll of Redemption

“Stop rushing me, I understand… But it’s just not possible…”

Hearing the maid named Xiaoqi bring up the topic, Philomena Lambert, the Redemption Saintess, couldn’t help but show a wry smile. She scratched her head awkwardly, her demeanor far from the gentleness and warmth she had displayed outside, resembling more of a carefree girl fitting her adorable appearance.

The girl with pink-gold hair raised her left arm and pulled up the sleeve of her dress, revealing a light golden bracelet that snugly fit around her pale wrist.

It appeared to be crafted from some unknown metal, seemingly as smooth and pure as jade, forming a transparent ring. Upon closer inspection, its texture bore some resemblance to the quality of the Saintess’s pink-gold hair, like two distinct but equally remarkable crafts made using similar techniques.

The bracelet was overall as smooth as a mirror, with only the center portion naturally adorned with a dense, intricate pattern that resembled symbols.

There was no doubt that these were symbols or characters.

However, even after nearly a thousand years of attempts to replicate and study them, no one had been able to decipher their meaning. People could only speculate, based on the specific logic they exhibited, that they might be a concrete representation of some kind of rule.

Philomena gestured for the maid to look at the ring on her wrist.

“The ?Ring of Salvation?, an exclusive artifact passed down through generations of Redemption Saintesses, is also one of the three Holy Artifacts of Light with the lowest rigid requirements for its bearer. But Xiaoqi, you probably don’t know about the ‘rules’ that come with the Ring of Salvation.”

“Lady Philomena, I believe this is not something that should be spoken about. Although I am your personal guard and maid, I cannot entirely rule out the possibility of betrayal, so it would be wise not to share it with me.”

“Who would reveal such things if they were planning to betray me…?”

With a helpless chuckle, the Saintess gently traced her fingers along the smooth, patterned surface of the mysterious ring as she continued speaking.

“Moreover, even if I didn’t say anything, after being by my side for so many years, Xiaoqi, you must have already noticed.”

“The ?Ring of Salvation? is a very special artifact. Unlike the ?Judgment Holy Sword? or the ?Crownless Crown?, which have high requirements for their users but possess almost limitless divine power, the strength of the Ring of Salvation must be accumulated by its bearer.”

As she pondered, Philomena shook her head, her pink-gold hair gently swaying in the air and releasing a light, elegant fragrance.

“To say it needs to be accumulated doesn’t quite capture it.”

“Though I’m not sure why, the Ring of Salvation is inherently much weaker than the other two artifacts. However, we, the bearers of these artifacts, the Redemption Saintesses, can strengthen it by healing others, spreading kindness, and receiving gratitude in return.”

The Saintess offered a somewhat subtle analogy.

“It’s like… a gardener.”

“I don’t fully understand the principle, but my teacher once told me that the true tier and theoretical limit of the ?Ring of Salvation? might actually be higher than that of the other two artifacts. It’s just that, for some reason, it has lost most of its power.”

“As the only treasure among the three artifacts focused on healing, if this accumulation of power is allowed to extend indefinitely over generations, restoring it to its original brilliance, perhaps… it could truly possess the power of ?Salvation?.”

The Saintess adjusted the sleeves of her robe, covering the pure golden ring on her wrist, and smiled nonchalantly.

“Haha… That said, it still seems like just a pipe dream to me. Even if this artifact were to grow to some unbelievable extent in the future, by that time, I would have long turned to dust and wouldn’t be able to see it at all.”

“However, as the Redemption Saintess, this rule of the ?Ring of Salvation? prevents the bearer from ignoring the pleas of those in suffering. Otherwise, the backlash of karma would exponentially diminish the power previously accumulated. Now do you understand why I have to waste so much time along the way?”

Even after hearing such highly confidential information, the maid named Xiaoqi, who possessed an exquisite beauty worthy of a work of art, maintained her composed and respectful demeanor without showing any unnecessary expressions. In a tone that was somewhat impolite and cold, she nodded slightly.

“My lady, I will keep this information classified with the highest level of confidentiality, but for similar content, you don’t need to tell me next time.”

“My duty is simply to take care of your daily needs, ensure your safety, and remind you of important matters when necessary. It’s just a simple reminder, with no intent to rush or question you… I am just lady Philomena’s maid.”

“Even if you say that, Xiaoqi…”

Philomena slightly raised her light golden eyes, looking a bit helplessly at the short-haired maid standing before her with a neutral expression. However, she felt no dissatisfaction or distance from her unfamiliar speech. Instead, she felt a gentle warmth.

As the Redemption Saintess, Philomena had an outstanding ability to connect with anyone she could communicate with. Named for her healing, she had developed an undeniable charm under the influence of her artifact and her family’s deliberate nurturing, placing her at the forefront among the three Saintesses in terms of approachability.

Philomena Lambert had many friends, so many that she could hardly count them all.

These were not mere relationships built on mutual benefits but genuine friendships, especially with those whom the Redemption Saintess had healed and saved personally, they held pure gratitude, trust, and even admiration for the girl.

Because of this, the ?Ring of Salvation? could grow stronger under countless blessings, possessing even more incredible healing power.

However, these were friends of Philomena Lambert the Redemption Saintess, not friends of Philomena as an ordinary girl.

Only Xiaoqi managed to be that friend.

Xiaoqi was a gift from Philomena’s grandfather, the current Pope of the Holy Church, August Lambert, given to her when she took on the ?Ring of Salvation? and became the current Redemption Saintess seven years ago, at the age of 12.

A highly intelligent and powerful combat automaton that can absolutely obey its master’s commands.

Due to the properties of the ?Ring of Salvation?, its requirements for the holder are very low, which results in a much more frequent replacement of the Redemption Saintess compared to the other two Saintesses. Additionally, as a descendant of the Lambert family, even becoming a Saintess at the age of 12 faced little opposition.

On the night she became a Saintess and donned the ?Ring of Salvation?, August brought Xiaoqi to Philomena and congratulated her on receiving the recognition of the artifact.

From that day on, this automaton, which was powered by magic, composed of metal, and looked indistinguishable from a living person, became the right-hand aide and close attendant of the 23rd Redemption Saintess.

Although August told her the automaton’s official designation was ?Combat Maid Specialized Model 00007?, Philomena found it too cumbersome to say and simply renamed her Xiaoqi. [1]

At first, Philomena treated Xiaoqi with the seriousness and demeanor expected of the Redemption Saintess, as she did with everyone else, including her grandfather.

However, over time, the newly appointed Saintess realized that this was a futile waste of energy.

Xiaoqi had a blank expression, or rather, as an automaton, she likely did not possess the ability to form expressions at all. Thus, regardless of how Philomena treated her, Xiaoqi’s responses never changed. She simply carried out every command from her master with diligence and efficiency.

Maintaining the persona of a Saintess required energy, and after some time, when Philomena occasionally let her guard down, she would inadvertently reveal her true self, when Xiaoqi caught a glimpse of her unguarded moments.

In reality, she was just a kind girl who was a bit lazy and liked to complain and grumble.

After all, she was indeed a very “ordinary” Saintess.

TL Note:

[1]

?? (xi?o q?): Little Seven.

It sounds a bit weird to call her “Little Seven” here, so I’ll just use Xiaoqi instead.

~ Little Tangerine