Let's Train Heroine

Afterward... They had dinner at the hotel, took a bath, and went to bed.

Even though they were on a trip, no special events occurred.

The hotel had a hot spring, but Lucan used the shower in his room.

There wasn't a particular reason. He was just tired from traveling and wanted to quickly bathe and go to sleep.

"Mm... Morning, huh..."

Sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains.

Lucan, still groggy, stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment before recalling that he was on a trip.

He got out of the slightly unfamiliar-feeling bed, stretched his arms and legs lightly.

"Snooore... snooore..."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Huh...?"

Hearing the sound of peaceful breathing, he turned to the side, where a woman was sleeping in the bed next to his.

Her figure was captivating, A youthful face, brown hair spread out on the pillow, a slender body.

Her pajamas were disheveled, revealing a cute navel, and a glimpse of pink could be seen from her chest. She was Xue Lan, sharing the room. Lucan was kind of suprised that Maris didn't try to stop it.

When he checked the clock, it was 7 a.m.

"Snooore... snooore..."

"It's a bit early, but... I guess I'll get up."

Lucan got out of bed and changed out of his pajamas.

Being careful not to wake Xue Lan, he tiptoed out of the room.

"Alright..."

He quietly opened the door and stepped into the hotel corridor.

He shut the door carefully to avoid making any noise, then locked it.

"Now... maybe I'll grab a coffee in the lounge."

Lucan walked down the corridor, heading for the hotel lounge. He could see that the employees were already up and working in various areas.

They're working hard from early in the morning... It must be busy around this time of year.

For the hotel near the ski resort, this season was the busy period.

There were probably enthusiasts who would head out skiing early in the morning, and the hotel was already bustling.

"Good morning."

"Ah, good morning, sir."

When Lucan arrived at the lounge, there was an employee dressed as a waiter.

"You're up early. Off to ski already?"

"No, I just woke up a bit earlier than usual. I came down to shake off the drowsiness."

"Breakfast won't be served for a while... but would you like me to bring you some tea?"

"Sorry to trouble you, but that would be great."

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

As Lucan sat on the sofa, the waiter quickly brought him a cup of tea.

Steam rose from the white porcelain cup, carrying a rich fragrance.

As he took a sip of the hot liquid, the sweet flavor of milk tea spread through his mouth.

"Hah... It's delicious."

"Thank you, sir. Please take your time."

The waiter smiled and bowed, then retreated to the back.

Lucan leisurely looked out the window, sipping his tea.

"...Good. Looks like it'll be a nice day."

The weather outside was clear, perfect for skiing.

It had been snowing the previous night, but for now, it seemed to have stopped.

"Everyone will be happy about this."

If they couldn't ski due to a snowstorm, the whole trip would be ruined.

With good weather, everything would be just fine

"...Hmm?"

As Lucan enjoyed his tea and gazed out the window, he suddenly felt something and furrowed his brow.

He sensed divine power.

Not too far away, a wave of the goddess's blessing, only held by priests, was being emitted.

"...Hmm."

Lucan placed the cup down and stood up from the sofa.

To confirm the source of the divine power, he began walking in the direction where he felt the waves coming from.

"…This way."

Lucan followed the trace of divine power as he walked through the hotel.

The source was a room not far from the lounge. The door wasn't locked, and it seemed to be a rest area where guests could freely enter. There were a few tables, chairs, and a bookshelf.

At the back of the room, a small altar had been set up.

It was a bit unusual to find an altar in a hotel's rest area, but given that the hotel owner seemed to be a devout person, it wasn't too surprising.

There were flowers and offerings of bread and a cup placed on the table, along with a small statue of a goddess.

Kneeling before the altar and offering a prayer was a young girl—Maris.

"Maris…"

"…"

Maris didn't seem to notice Lucan's presence as she earnestly prayed.

Particles of light, visible only to those of the priest, emanated from her body and were absorbed by the statue of the goddess.

The divine power absorbed by the statue was then returned to the earth, spreading blessings throughout the kingdom.

"…"

Offering prayers and power to the earth is a duty only the Saint can perform.

This act nourishes the land, leading to bountiful harvests, and reduces the likelihood of plagues and disasters.

As lucant quietly observed Maris's prayer for a while, she eventually raised her head, signaling the end of her duty.

"Phew… I see you were here, Lucan-sama."

Maris stood up and turned to face Lucan.

While she had appeared solemn and mysterious during her prayer, the smile she now showed was that of a girl her age—innocent and gentle.

Her soft, somewhat happy gaze was directed at Lucan.

"Ah, so you noticed."

"Of course. There's no way I wouldn't notice Lucan-sama's scent—er, presence."

"…I see." Lucan nodded, "It's good your performing your duty."

"Fulfilling my duties while traveling was a condition Archpriest set for me when I went on this trip. I must keep my promises."

"I see… it's good to keep promises."

"Yeah, that what you taught me. But why are you up so early, Lucan-sama?"

"I woke up a bit early and was just killing time in the lounge with some tea until breakfast."

"Oh, in that case, may I join you?"

"Of course. Shall we go?"

Lucan nodded and led Maris back to the lounge.

He ordered more tea from the waiter, and until the others awoke, the two enjoyed a small tea party together.