Claudina looked at Chronos as he tried for the upteempth time. She huffed in annoyance. "What use are you if you can't do such a simple thing?"
Chronos glared back. "Is that any way to speak to your god?"
"You can go off yourself for all I care. Do you have any idea what you look like right now? I do. A constipated chameleon, that's what you look like right now."
Chronos looked at her in an incredulous expression.
"Well how about you do it?! Hmmm?!"
"If I could I wouldn't be here breathing the same air as you."
He bought his hands together before signing in them. "Are you sure you have no idea how you turned time back?"
"Have you gone deaf or maybe senile with your age?" she snapped back.
Chronos stopped bothering at this point.
It was pointless arguing with her. Her sharp tongue has always been a concern of the kingdom. The King is constantly worried about the diplomats meeting her while the Pope would pray himself to sleep for Claudina to stop with her remarks.
It had been a year since Claudina arrived from the frontlines. Instead of going to the temple or the palace like she ought to, she went straight home to attend the academy. When a massive was sent from both sides to request her presence, she sent a letter with a single sentence: 'If you want me to report about the situation one of you should have gone with me.'
The former saints would be rolling in their graves seeing such a rude person being one the holiest person after their god.
He glanced at Claudina. She had long moved from her spot to find a book and seated herself in his seat. She took his cup of tea, slurping it while thumbing the pages of the book. She put up her feet on the table as comfortably leaned back, not caring if her skirt was hiked up.
Claudina Von Crowley was the only child of Duke Ivan Von Crowley and his wife Sofia. The history how they got together is still being talked after seventeen years. Due to this more rumors about Claudina's birth were still spreading. It was so severe that she was almost not able to enter the temple.
Fortunately the King himself sent a recommendation letter to the temple to let her enter, a decision he later came to regret.
However the rumors never stopped. To save him from the burn, she broke off her engagement with the crown prince Lucian when she was registered as the 22nd saintess. As Lucian is still heartbroken over it, she refused to visit the palace. Any invitations were also turned away at the door. Not once did she tell Lucian why she broke the engagement in fear he will also be slandered.
She was kind in her own cruel way.
"Chronos, did you find a way yet?"
A vein pulsed right under the infinity symbol. "Refrain from speaking so casually."
"No. What are you going to do about it?"
He wanted to strangle her without staining the white carpet with blood.
"In all my life I never met such an ill mannered girl."
"There are more rude girls than me. But you won't know because you only stay copped up in this room, drinking bitter tea. It won't hurt to add some honey in it."
"I hate sweets and you pour the entire jar of honey in the cup. Must you always have one to say the last word?"
"Yes."
He truly gave up.
He tried to use his watches again, nothing worked. He walked over and collapsed on the sofa opposite of her. He placed his arm over his eyes while leaning back.
"Aww~ Tired already, Chronos?"
"Words cannot explain how much I want to kill you right now."
She giggled before going back to her book.
Chronos peeked out from his arms.
Truly they found a strange person be a saint. He never knew anyone can look so ethereal in a simple blouse and skirt. She was beautiful beyond words, more beautiful than a celestial nymph; jet black hair ironed and curled like a doll, bright green eyes half hidden behind long thick lashes, full red lips stretched into a dazzling smile and a flawless complexion. If he had been a man not a god, he would have fancied her.
The only problem was when she opened her mouth. She had a silver tongue; one moment she would praise you as if you have hung the stars in the sky, the next moment her words cut deep like a razor. She is completely brazen not to mention her disrespect. Mostly towards Chronos, the King and the Pope. While she is diligent about her duties as a saintess she has no care for a religion.
To put it simply she was an atheist yet she wanted to be the second holiest being on the kingdom after Chronos, the god of time. Why she wanted to no one knows. Rather no one dares to ask her.
He averted his eyes. A strange being indeed. A minute ago she was shaking in fear and now she had put her legs on the table. "Strange…"
"Pardon? What's strange?"
He dropped his arm. "I am not able to call to my power. I can feel it is present there but I cannot grasp it," he lied.
Claudina lowered the book. "Highly unusually. So what do you plan to do here from now on?"
"I should be the one to ask you that," he said sitting up.
"Nothing really. I mean there is already a saint present here." She raised her hand and graded the air. A white smoke was firmly in her hand. It wiggled trying to escape. She let it slip and it immediately slid out of her hand. "See there is a saint here. The 21st saint is alive. I am not needed. So I will just stay in a hotel until you find a way back. I will pretend that it is a vacation of sorts."
Chronos intently watched the smoke. The 21st saint was alive in this timeline. His grandfather the 18th saint had been a close confident of his. He always paid close attention to his grandson "Should I call him? The 21st saint?"
"Why? Do you miss dead people?"
"Tsk! You sour everyone's mood."
"It was a joke. I also miss dead people," she smiled but the emotion in her eyes was different.
Before he could reply a knock interrupted. "Lord Chronos. It is I, Sylvester Miles. May I enter?"
'The 21st saint? Did I call him around this time in the past? I can't recollect. Perhaps I am going senile as Claudina says.'
He looked at Claudina glancing at the door in half curiosity. 'It may act as a good lesson for her to interact with a saint. She's not so very close with the other saints...'
"Yes come in." The door handle twisted and a tall young man stepped in.
The man had long midnight blue hair tied in a low ponytail while amber eyes stood out form long bangs. A black shirt peeked out from the blood red cravat and a white coat that reached his knees. He had buttoned the middle part of the robe with silver buttons. A leather baldric had secured his sword sheath. Grey pants were tucked inside calf length black boots. Black fingerless gloves flexed on top of his white hands.
"Lord Chronos." He had gentle way of speaking not at all matching the rough countenance as his moniker. He bowed his head when his eyes landed on Claudina who hadn't moved the entire time. It was like she paid him no heed.
He continued to watch her as she sat through his interrogating eyes. 'The boy must be surprised. No one would ever dare to sit on my chair or be this disrespectful in front of me.'
"May I know who you are, miss?" he finally asked.
"You may not."
Sylvester was taken aback. He blinked before shaking his head. His eyes widened for a moment. He quickly looked back to Claudina.
'Ah. Claudina is also a saintess. He must be thinking why she has so much Holy magic.'
"Lord Chronos she…"
Chronos raised his hand, silencing him. "Sylvester the questions you have I will not answer them. But the girl in front of me is no threat to us."
His shoulders slightly slumped though he was still wary of her.
"I… understand." Although he said it his eyes never left her.
In the end he sat down on the chair offered by Chronos. "Now why have you come here?"
"You see Lord Chronos I am having trouble in sealing this demon."
"Straight to the point. Well done!" Claudina said with a grin. Sylvester flinched at her comment.
"Which demon is it?" Chronos decided to pay no attention to her. The best way to deal with Claudina is to ignore her. Although most of the time it backfires instantly.
"It was… a Myth Grade demon, sir," he said hesitantly. Chronos leaned on his open palm. "Just a step away from the strongest grade hmm?"
Claudina put down her book again. "Did you try using the hundred chains sealing?" Sylvester was even more disturbed. Even the Pope has no idea about that! "If not how about using the 'Celestial Earthly Revelations'? she continued. "No, no since it is a Myth Grade how about the 'Chronicles Of The Irreligious Heavens?"
Sylvester stood up and drew his sword. It was the 'Stars' Blessing.' She merely glanced at the sword at her neck before meeting his eyes. "I expected more patience from my predecessor."
"A thousand apologizes Lord Chronos! However I can no longer tolerate or trust someone who has knows so much about your Holy Books when they are not even part of the temple!"
Claudina also stood up. "σπечwert!" The Stars' Blessing materialized on her hand. "I must say the temple is awfully greedy for not letting the good common people read those books."
'That's rich coming from you Claudina…'
Sylvester gritted his teeth at the sight of the sword. Two people with the same blessing of sainthood, with the same Holy sword, it was unnatural to him.
"Silence!" He leapt up to slash her head but Claudina blocked the attack. He aimed again for her footing but she blocked it by using the book. She jumped away at his third attack and ran toward the bed with Sylvester hot on her heels. All of a sudden she turned and swished her sword on his shoulder but he swiveled in time. A bit of bluish black hair was taken off from his bangs.
"Oh dear! I missed." She ran off again.
"Come back here!" he growled.
Chronos groaned in his arms. He looked up. His room was longer recognizable. Goose feathers were bleeding out form the bed, the four poster bed had been broken in half, his priceless watches and hourglasses were beyond repair and his books had holes in them.
What he saw next was red. He lost himself to his emotions.
When he came to he found both Sylvester and Claudina were sitting with their legs folded under them. Their arms raised and a stack of books rested on their heads. There were cuts on various places on their faces and their clothes were ruffled. Both of them were wearing pained smile all the while throwing dirty looks at one another. Currently they were outside in one of the clearings in the garden
"Lord Chronos sir, how long are we supposed to sit here? We have learned our lesson." Sylvester asked in a pleading voice.
"Yes we won't do this again. We promise," Claudina added sweetly.
'I must have smacked them too hard in the head.'
"It's all this brat's fault here," Sylvester accused, glaring at her.
Claudina turned around without dropping any book. "Excuse me but I recollect you were the one who pulled out the sword, denture face. I bet you can't remember since you are so old."
"I am 20 years old! I am not old!"
'Does she have something against old people?'
"Both of you shut up before I smack your heads again." They immediately fell silent. "Phew. I feel like I aged twenty years from your bricking. Agh my back is also hurting."
A snort.
Chronos narrowed his eyes. Both saints were desperately trying to hold back their laughter. The corners of their lips curving upwards every time their eyes meet while their shoulders trembled. It was a miracle the books haven't fallen yet.
'I am going to smack them.'
"Alright both of you stop," he said clapping his hands.
They stopped again once more. 'If only these children were this obedient all the time.'
"Sylvester I understand where you are coming from. Naturally you will feel threatened to see someone else with the blessing of sainthood. So your suspicion is justified. Good job."
A high blush rose on his cheeks. "O-oh no sir it was n-nothing, really," he stammered.
"Claudina you did good for not reveling your identity to anyone. The third rule of sainthood is 'Be not fret if thy name is not known for thy deeds should be enough to make thee known' It means even if people do not know your name, you should continue to do good so they will remember you by the things you have done. For that I am happy you were able to remember something important in a stressful situation."
"Hmmm." She turned to the other side but Chronos could see a flush of red on both her nape and ears. "You sure know how to be a father when the need arises."
"Indeed he does, miss."
The corners of his lips twitched. "Now I think you two need to be introduced to one another. Go on, now. There is only four year age difference between you two. You will get along well."
Both of them signed before facing the other. They stared at each other for a long five minutes.
"I will start first," Sylvester said. Claudina slowly nodded. "I am Sylvester Miles, the 21st saint of the Chronostis temple. I have been given the moniker of 'Harbinger of Holy Calamity'."
"I am Claudina Von Crowley the 22nd saintess of the Chronostis temple. I have been given the moniker of the 'Saint of Black Rose'."
"I see so you are the 22nd saintess." He smiled. Then he realized what she said.
"WHAT?!?!"