Maris, left alone at the temple, had nothing to do, so she decided to clean the temple.
"Alright... let's do our best!"
With determination, Maris set to work cleaning. She wanted to repay the kind priest and not disappoint him for reaching out to her. Gripping the broom, she swept every corner of the temple floor.
"Yoisho, yoisho...!"
With each sweep of Maris's broom, the dirt and dust on the floor vanished, making it look as good as new.
"Yoisho, yoisho..."
When she swept the floor with the broom, it shone. When she wiped the chairs and shelves with a rag, the cleaned areas faintly glowed. Unknowingly, Maris was using the power of a saintess. One of the abilities a saintess possesses is the power of 'purification,' which was erasing all dirt.
"Whew... this should be good, right?"
After about two hours, she finished cleaning. The entire temple now glowed with a holy aura thanks to the power of the saintess. Even the grand temple in the capital didn't radiate such a sacred and pure aura.
"The priest said he'd be back by noon... maybe I should cook?"
Maris quickly put away the cleaning tools and dusted herself off. The dirt on her clothes disappeared, and the shirt she borrowed from Lucan became clean. One might wonder why she wore tattered clothes yesterday if she could do such things. The reason was simple: she didn't want to dirty the clothes borrowed from the priest. Maris couldn't control the power of a saintess. She could only use the power of 'purification' if she genuinely wanted to clean something.
"..."
As Maris put away the cleaning tools and headed to the kitchen, she felt happy and let out a strange sound. She had slept in the same bed with Lucan last night and had a very restful sleep. It might have been the first time she slept so well since her mother died.
"~~~~~♪"
In a good mood, Maris hummed as she went to the kitchen and looked for ingredients in the chest.
"Are there... no vegetables?"
However, there were almost no ingredients left. Since Lucan lived alone, there wasn't much in stock, and the remaining ingredients were used up in last night's dinner. Only flour and meat were left, not enough to make a proper meal.
"What should I do... I can't cook anything..."
Maris looked sad, but then she heard a thud from behind.
"...?"
When she turned around, she saw vegetables, fish, and a jar of milk on the kitchen table. The fish were still alive, jumping fresh on the table.
"Huh? Did the priest buy these?"
She hadn't noticed them before. Were these there when she entered the kitchen?
"Well, whatever."
It would be troublesome if there were no ingredients, but since they appeared, there was no problem. Without thinking much, Maris filled a tub with water and transferred the fish.
"Hehe."
"She's happy."
"That's good."
As Maris began cooking with the meat and vegetables, she was watched over by beings bathed in light, floating near the ceiling. These beings were 'holy spirits,' also known as lower angels. The food on the table was brought by the holy spirits. They had transported offerings from another town's temple to give to Maris.
The reason the holy spirits suddenly appeared was due to the hum she sang in the hallway earlier. Unconsciously, Maris had sung a tone that praised God. This song, engraved in the saintess's soul, summoned the holy spirits.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm♪"
In high spirits, Maris chopped vegetables and simmered them in a pot. She was humming again, infusing her cooking with holy energy.
"I wonder if the priest will be happy?"
Maris continued to perform miracles without realizing it. According to the lore, a saintess could perform miracles by being loved and happy. In the latter half of the game, the saintess could unleash great power and vanquish evil through the love of her romantic partner. Lucan's kindness had unconsciously activated the power of love and happiness in Maris.
"It's done!"
Looking down at the finished stew, Maris puffed her chest with satisfaction. The creamy stew, made with plenty of milk, was imbued with the saintess's blessing, offering disease prevention and anti-aging effects. Unaware of the extraordinary dish she had created, Maris eagerly awaited Lucan's return.