Black Saint

Krentid World.

Many races live here, and much history is hidden within it. Since childhood, I’ve been curious about that history. What happened in the past, and what does this world look like? My curiosity wasn’t confined to the village I lived in. I wanted to see the world with a broad perspective. To achieve that dream, I trained relentlessly. This world was fraught with many dangers, and I had to become strong to prepare for them. And on the day I turned 24, I finally took my first step towards all the history of the world!

“Look over there… isn’t that the famous Black Saintess?”

“Oh my! That’s the Saintess who travels the world healing injured people! She’s so beautiful… But why is she wearing black clothes if she’s a Saintess?”

“Well, it makes her mysterious, which is good! And she’s beautiful too…”

Three months after starting my journey, on the day I turned 25, people everywhere were talking about the Black Saintess. Ah… but that Black Saintess isn’t me.

“Zeke. Everyone is looking at you…. I’ll block their gazes….!”

“…They’re looking at you, not me, Aria…”

“No. All of those people’s gazes are on you, Zeke. I’ll… block them with my entire body..!”

‘You don’t have to do that, damn it.’

My name is Zeke Luprian. I am a curious explorer, eager to know the world. And… the woman in black next to me was the Black Saintess, Aria Ritt. Whenever we went out onto the street, people recognized Aria at once, perhaps because of her reputation. Perhaps because she traveled with me, healing injured people, stories about Aria spread throughout parts of Krentid World, making her famous. I didn’t particularly want fame. So, people…

“But who’s that man next to her? The blond man, I mean!”

“Oh my… did the Black Saintess hire a porter…? Well, the Black Saintess does have a delicate body, so she probably needs a porter…”

‘I can hear everything, people… Though she probably can’t hear it…’

They were treating me like Aria’s porter. Certainly, I was carrying most of the luggage, so there was room for misunderstanding. Um… you might be wondering why the famous Black Saintess is constantly by my side. Previously, I had saved Aria. After that, Aria kept following me, and at my request, she would also heal injured people. As for why Aria listens to me….

“Zeke is mine. I will never let anyone else take him… In this world, no one knows Zeke-nim better than I do… Zeke-nim… so please… don’t abandon me and keep me by your side… forever!”

“….I’m already doing that, Aria…”

“Ahhh…. Zeke-nim… I love you… I truly love you, Zeke-nim….!! No one can take Zeke-nim away… no one…! If any obstacles appear, I will block them for you!”

It’s because Aria loves me. And intensely… But there are two problems. I… was only interested in exploration. In other words… I’m asexual, with not even an ounce of interest in romance!!!

“Zeke-nim… only I am enough by your side… So you understand, right…?”

“Uh… uh… yes…”

Another problem is that, contrary to Aria’s reputation as a kind person, she actually has a chilling personality. And only I in this world know Aria’s true inner self, and she reveals that chilling interior solely to me. In other words, I’ve seen Aria’s terrifying side every single day while traveling. Honestly… I still haven’t gotten used to it!! So lately, I’ve been worrying a lot about this.

‘Me… will I be able to see the whole world alive…?’

Even if I die, please let me see the whole world first….