Chapter 4. Escape and Service (4)

*

Actually, Chae-eun thought she wasn’t usually a person who complained a lot.

She accepted her father’s absence as unavoidable. When her mother passed away, even though she couldn’t accept it in her heart, she thought it was also… unavoidable.

Because thinking about complaints wouldn’t change anything.

There were few times she felt that way, except for the incident when she argued with her father and came to the church.

However, strangely, since coming to the church, she often felt a simmering discontent deep within her heart.

A discontent that simmered but never exploded, constantly emitting steam and making her feel suffocated.

Naturally, the source of that discontent was Anna, with whom she lived.

It wasn’t because of Anna’s nonsensical behavior. Anna would stubbornly insist on strange things and sometimes say absurd things, which annoyed Chae-eun a little, but she could generally overlook it.

“I’m pretty, you know.”

Anna had said that with an incredibly serious expression, as if it came from the depths of her heart, but Chae-eun thought it was somewhat understandable.

It wasn’t so much that she was forgiven because she was pretty, but rather that she maintained a certain boundary, so there was no real reason to get angry.

However, there was one thing that bothered her a little.

Anna, while saying that she was greedy and selfish, always naturally chose to take the losing side.

If there was someone bleeding in front of her, she would rush forward without any hesitation, not even knowing the danger involved.

Furthermore, she gave up so cleanly on things she thought she had to give up.

After becoming a Saint Candidate, Anna seemed to give up and push away the first man she felt attracted to so easily.

The one she tried to talk to in various ways.

“…….”

It was the same now.

Seeing the person who came from beyond, whose identity wasn’t even properly confirmed, and trying to rush forward just because they were injured, was foolish.

Chae-eun knew that the Saint who appeared ten years ago lived her life sacrificing for everyone. She also knew that she had sacrificed herself, clad in magic, to fight enemies against whom no modern weapon was effective.

There was no guarantee that something like that would happen with the appearance of a Saint this time, but Chae-eun felt that Anna would willingly do so.

That was the source of her dissatisfaction.

Her father never told her how her mother died, but Chae-eun had a vague inkling. She had already sensed how her father’s colleagues who fought alongside him treated her.

“Don’t you dare step forward first.”

Chae-eun said, looking intently at Anna. It wouldn’t be strange if she glared a little. Anna seemed genuinely a little scared and nodded.

Although she felt a little sorry-it couldn’t be helped.

Chae-eun had seen how Anna acted and moved many times.

And, infuriatingly.

Chae-eun also agreed that it wasn’t entirely the wrong way of thinking.

*

Although the person riddled with arrows came from beyond the gate, the situation didn’t last long.

The opponent beyond seemed unable to bring their body into the gate. Perhaps they were seeing the gate for the first time. I heard that information about the gate was close to classified in their world.

And the other group from beyond the gate seemed to have decided to use it as an opportunity.

“The gate…!”

“Absolutely no one cross over! You might get cut off!”

The hunters quickly retreated.

The gate was shrinking at a rapid pace.

Since no one on this side thought of closing it, it was clearly the people on the opposite side of the gate who were closing it.

And the ones who knew about the existence of the gate were the people who sent these two beyond.

It must have been the princess’s close aides.

Whether out of loyalty or for some other ability the princess possessed, they chose to close the gate and save the princess.

As soon as I saw the gate closing, I tried to run towards the people who had collapsed on the ground-

“Ria?”

Ria grabbed my arm just as I was about to do so.

And pulled me towards her.

As I was about to dash out, my body swayed and I was pulled towards Ria.

Unable to regain my balance, I collapsed into Ria’s arms. Something soft touched my face, and I was incredibly flustered.

Although I quickly pulled away, my face was still very close to Ria’s.

“I told you not to step forward first.”

“But-“

“…….”

My words, “Isn’t it okay since the gate disappeared?”, were cut off by Ria’s expression.

“……I’m sorry.”

Yes, it was my fault. Even if the gate disappeared, there was no telling what dangers might still exist.

For example, if they had given those two a bomb and sent them in, I could have been erased without a trace by getting close. …Though I only thought of that now.

And if I act like that, I might not be the only one in danger. Realizing that, I felt the color drain from my face.

“…That’s enough.”

As I lowered my head, Ria released my arm.

“Stay behind me until we’ve assessed the situation.”

I obediently hid behind Ria’s back.

After a period of murmuring-

“Sister Anna!”

I heard my name being called.

When I looked at Ria, she nodded. We both ran together. Since I was slower than Ria even when sprinting, the distance between us was maintained appropriately.

Ria arrived first, and I arrived after her.

I quickly knelt in front of the two fallen people.

When I saw them earlier, I thought the one with the rotting skin was shorter, but looking at them now, their builds were similar. The one with arrows stuck all over their back looked a few years older. Although I couldn’t pinpoint their age precisely because they were elves, they were probably about five or six years older than me in this world.

The one with the rotting skin couldn’t even be roughly aged like that.

“Should I not pull out the arrows?”

While listening to that, I reached out and checked the pulses of both people. The one hit by arrows was much more serious. If I wasted even a minute, let alone a few minutes, I might miss the golden hour.

Without even having time to answer, I extended both hands.

As if understanding my urgent feelings, the being above poured holy power into me immediately.

The wounds on their back began to heal, and new flesh pushed out the arrowheads. Although the spilled blood couldn’t be helped, the wounds that threatened their lives could be healed somehow.

And the person who had collapsed as if being held in front of me was the same.

The black, rotting skin slowly returned as if time were reversing, becoming pale and soft. As for their age-well, perhaps similar to mine.

It was a bit strange that their hair had barely fallen out. It was probably just luck that their hair remained in such a situation. The skin was much darker on the extremities like fingers and toes, so perhaps they made a decision before those parts rotted.

I felt a little uncomfortable hearing the voices of admiration from the surroundings, as always.

And so, the wounds of the two people slowly disappeared-especially, the appearance of the woman whose face had almost rotted away returned.

She’s pretty.

Perhaps because I felt a little relieved, I thought that.

And then-

“Huh?”

After seeing that face, I felt something was strange.

Even if her appearance was excellent because she was an elf-the mole under her eye felt like something I had seen before.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard what the princess looked like. In fact, it probably wouldn’t have made much difference whether I heard it or not. Without knowing her original appearance, all we could do was treat her illness.

“…….”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

As I stared intently at that face, Ria asked.

I shook my head and thought.

Yes, it’s probably not. Hmm. It’s probably not.

Because, that elf heroine was not a ‘princess.’

Although she was annoyingly proud of her lineage, as elves are, anyway.

“Ah.”

My mind became a little hazy. It wasn’t because of the elf, but because I had poured too much power. The poison was too potent, and the wounds of the person behind it were too deep.

“Anna, it’s okay.”

Ria said, gently supporting my shoulder from behind.

“It’s fine now. You can stop.”

“But…….”

I haven’t even confirmed if they’ve fully recovered-

The moment I thought that,

“Umm.”

The elf lying in front of me made a sound like that.

And slowly opened her eyes. Beyond her half-closed eyes, I could see shining pupils.

One was a light sky blue, like a clear lake.

The other was a shining green, like light passing through an emerald gem.

“……Ah.”

That’s right.

No matter how I thought about it, it was right, heroine.

Yes, I had a feeling it would be like this from the start-

“Anna? Wait a minute, Anna!”

Her eyes slowly closed.

So, that’s how it is.

There was a reason why the Saint was competing with other heroines at the start of the main story.

……Should I just let the harem building happen without interfering?

It doesn’t seem to be within my control.