episode_0021

It was while sitting on a bench, contemplating what was to come.

“Uh…? Look over there!”

Suddenly stood up Asia.

She pointed in a certain direction, looking surprised.

In the direction she pointed, a group was marching in formation.

Around the formation, the citizens were cheering.

‘A parade?’

What is this?

Have the royals arrived?

It looked like a parade you would see at an amusement park.

Judging by the reaction to the formation, it seemed as if a celebrity had visited.

So, the royals came to mind first.

‘Ah, that can’t be it.’

Thinking of the royals, suddenly the image of a royal prince flashed in my mind.

But that couldn’t be possible.

The royal prince had a bad reputation.

So, it was unlikely that the citizens would be cheering like this.

It was strange for the citizens to cheer like this during the royal procession.

“I heard that the saint of the Leah sect is going on a pilgrimage, let’s go see!”

A pilgrimage?

A saint?

Come to think of it, there were such things in this world.

There were heroes and even demons in this world, so it was natural to have saints as well.

I observed the procession disappearing into the distance.

At the center of the formation.

A woman caught my eye.

Blonde hair.

Her figure… was incredible.

She was… well-endowed.

People passing by would involuntarily swallow their saliva and turn back to look, she was that impressive.

But.

‘…Is she really a saint?’

The saints I know emphasize piety and purity.

But the saint in the formation seemed far from that.

It seemed to emphasize a sensuality that was the opposite of purity.

Rather than a saint…

She seemed more like a seductress.

There were other elements besides her figure that made her seem like a seductress.

That’s why she felt more like a seductress.

“Didn’t know the saint was a fox spirit.”

Should I call her a fox spirit?

It was clear she was a nine-tailed fox.

With three tails and ears placed on top instead of the sides.

Well, technically she had three tails, so she should be called a three-tailed fox.

Most fox spirits I know are often depicted as seductresses.

In folk tales or in games.

Maybe that’s why.

That saint felt like a seductress.

At my words, Asia looked at me with a subtle expression as if I had said something strange.

“Yes?”

Did I say something wrong?

“Why do you say that?”

“The saint is a fox spirit?”

“Isn’t she a fox spirit?”

“Hey, what are you talking about? She’s a human.”

“…?”

I looked back at the saint at Asia’s words.

But the saint had already left and was no longer in sight.

It was impossible to chase after her and confirm.

‘Ah… come to think of it, the Deteosk Kingdom doesn’t really favor fox spirits.’

I saw a similar situation in Waltz the Composer.

The Deteosk Kingdom doesn’t like fox spirits.

Thinking about it, the saint of the Leah sect must be human.

Otherwise, there would have been people who insulted the saint during her pilgrimage.

Since there were no insults, the saint must be human.

I must have been too tired and saw things wrong.

Studying for only three hours a day was a waste.

‘But she was definitely a fox spirit…’

Well, honestly, there was a bigger question than whether the saint was a fox spirit or human.

“But why aren’t there any heroes accompanying the saint on her pilgrimage?”

The first companion of a hero is a saint.

That was common knowledge as far as I knew.

So, the saint should be accompanied by a hero.

But there was no one who looked like a hero in that procession.

Of course, there was a possibility that there was a hero among the paladins leading the procession.

But if there was a hero, it was definitely strange to have only the saint at the center of the procession.

“I heard the hero is currently training in seclusion to prepare for the upcoming crisis.”

“Ah… the prophecy of the demon king’s invasion…”

“Well, there’s no need for us to worry. If you’ve been appointed by the gods as a hero, you should be able to defeat the Demon King easily.”

I nodded in agreement.

Heroes in fantasy novels usually didn’t lose, as long as there was no betrayal involved.

“But, won’t you have to join the hero’s party later on?”

“Me? Why would I join?”

“Well, because you’re strong. The hero who will defeat the Demon King will have three companions. A hero, a saint, a swordsman, and a wizard. Like that!”

Wait, hold on?

That’s a bit different from what I know?

“Isn’t there a thief among the hero’s companions?”

I didn’t know what role they played, but there was always a thief in the hero’s party.

Of course, it was just a story in a novel.

But when I brought up the topic of thieves, Asia looked at me as if I were strange.

“A thief? Why suddenly a thief? And why would a hero like you make a villain like a thief your companion?”

It seemed that thieves were considered to be on the wrong side here.

After all, the literal meaning of a thief itself was a villain.

So, logically, there was no reason for a hero, the representative of justice, to accept a thief as a companion.

“Haha, it’s nothing. But will it really be such an honor for me to become a hero’s companion?”

I tried to deny it at first, but a sense of unease crept up on me.

“Surely that won’t happen…?”

***

The saint of the Leah Order was frowning.

“Hero, where on earth are you?”

Searching for the hero according to the prophecy.

It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Of course, there was still a possibility of finding him.

The saint had a way to know the hero’s true identity.

“No one has ever felt suspicious of my appearance.”

The secret of the Leah Order’s saint, Leti.

She was the only fox saint among all the saints.

A fox saint.

A fact known only to the upper echelons of the Order.

The saint was using a hidden magic that made her appear human, hiding her tail and ears.

And only the hero could see through this magic.

“Because no magic can deceive the hero’s mental strength.”

It was all because of the hero’s abilities.

He rejected everything that affected his mind.

And to keep his mind intact, he eliminated negative emotions in serious situations.

That’s why he was a courageous man, a hero.

In other words, a man who had lost his fear.

With such abilities, the hero had no choice but to understand the saint’s secret.

That’s why the saint felt strange about being a fox saint and hoped that the hero would approach her.

“It seems like the hero is not in the southern part of the Dethios Kingdom.”

Although not certain, there was no sign of the hero on the path she had taken.

That was the answer the saint had come to.

She thought it was inevitable.

It was still the beginning of her pilgrimage.

If she had already found him, it would have been too early.

The saint’s search for the hero was a trial given by the gods.

The first trial the saint faced.

As it was a trial given by the gods, it was by no means easy.

It was not something that could be finished in a short time.

“Of course… It’s been ten years, but… I still have time.”

Ten years.

A relatively short time.

But with the hero’s growth rate, three years… no, even one year would be enough.

The hero in the fairy tales had defeated the Demon King in just six months.

With determination, the saint Leti imagined the hero she had always dreamed of.

Black hair, black eyes.

The hero from the fairy tales.

In her imagination, his face was obscured by a halo.

Even just imagining the hero’s appearance made the saint’s cheeks flush.

And her voice trembled softly.

“Oh…! Hero…!”

The saint and the hero are destined to be together.

With that in mind, the saint decided to gather her strength once again.

And so, the saint continued her pilgrimage.

Unaware that it had already become futile,

And oblivious to the fact that she had already passed through the imprint of the hero on Arthas.

***

The next destination was a cafe.

I honestly didn’t think that the medieval cafes could compare to modern ones.

But-.

‘Maybe they have even more sentimentality than modern ones.’

A building made of bricks.

Perhaps because glass was expensive.

The wall connecting to the terrace was completely open.

That’s why there was even more ‘sentimentality’.

I sat in a corner of the terrace and placed my order.

“I’ll have a strawberry latte and a strawberry cake. What will you have?”

The Asian girl who ordered her share asked me.

It felt a bit new to have strawberry latte and strawberry cake in a medieval setting.

I ordered what I wanted to eat.

“I’ll have a latte, please. I’m fine without dessert.”

I’ve never liked sweet things, even in my past life.

And in this life, having lived in the mountains, I’ve only tasted rough flavors.

The sweet taste I could tolerate.

It was only the gentle sweetness that came from things like milk.

“You don’t have to be polite.”

“It’s really okay. I’m not a fan of sweet things.”

“Okay.”

After placing our orders, time passed without any conversation.

When our food arrived a while later, the Asian girl’s eyes sparkled, brighter than when we ate street food.

“You seem to like sweet things.”

The Asian girl, sipping her strawberry latte, looked embarrassed at my question.

“W-well, yes.”

For some reason, she seemed embarrassed by the fact that she liked sweet things.

Her cheeks were tinged with red.

“By the way… I have a question.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“It’s about the Messiah Viscount.”

Judging that we had built up some friendship, I decided to ask the question that had been on my mind.

The Messiah Viscount.

Honestly, I found his attitude strange.

I’m embarrassed to say this, but I was a top student.

Although I had the disadvantage of being a commoner, I was a disciple of swordsmanship.

As a disciple of swordsmanship, my sword skills were excellent.

Since the Messiah family was a martial family, wasn’t this fiancé the best match?

But it was difficult to understand why he was pushing me away just for his daughter’s marriage.

There must be some hidden story.

“Why are you so negative about being engaged?”

If you don’t like it, you should just refuse, so why take the test?

Well, even if I refuse, it would be awkward.

‘If I come to repay a favor to my grandmother, it will be awkward.’

But the Asian girl’s expression darkened noticeably at my question.

Seeing her like that, I realized that I had asked a rude question.

‘She must have some hidden story.’

After hesitating for a moment, the Asian girl said in a gloomy voice.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“…It’s my father’s pain, and my pain as well.”

The Viscount’s pain, and the Asian girl’s pain.

I couldn’t even guess what hidden story was behind it.

“Understood.”

I decided not to ask any further.

I wouldn’t be able to get the answer I wanted even if I asked more.

And there was a possibility that my relationship with the Asian girl would be strained.

So I closed my mouth and sipped my latte.

Seeing me like that, the Asian girl spoke as if to comfort me.

“…But if you still feel that you’re a good person… then I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“Just your words are enough, thank you.”

“At the very least, I believe that you being my grandfather’s disciple has allowed you to take the test.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

They clearly have pain.

Then, one question arises.

“Why did the old couple choose to follow my false engagement method? Do they not understand that pain?”

Such a strange question occupied his mind.

***

The Messiah Viscount’s study.

There, the Messiah Viscount closed his eyes, lost in thought.

He knew that what he was doing was not right.

“Logically, accepting him as a son-in-law would be the right thing to do…”

But as the head of the family, it was a choice he could not make.

It was a missed opportunity to bring in a talented individual.

Of course, as a father, it would be the best choice.

The Messiah Viscount suddenly remembered his wife’s final words.

“I was happy to meet you… but…”

The dying wish his wife left behind.

“I hope you can date and marry as freely as my daughter.”

The Messiah Viscount.

He had a strategic marriage with his wife.

Despite being the Messiah Viscount, he had a deep aversion to engagements arranged by others.

Because of such incidents…

The Messiah Viscount muttered to himself.

“I will do my best to ensure that Asia can marry as freely as my wife wished.”

Even if it was a false engagement with a reason, the Messiah Viscount could never accept it.

A strategic marriage was still a strategic marriage.

He could not tolerate even if it was false.

Of course, he had no intention of forcing someone his daughter did not like.

Her choice would be prioritized.

Since Asia had also expressed interest in Asarus, he decided to let it be for now.

Honestly, the Messiah Viscount had a way to overcome the Dethiosk royal family’s schemes.

But that was a last resort.

Asia was so averse to it that he did not want to do it.

“This is giving me a headache.”

As the Messiah Viscount was lost in his thoughts, a man approached him.

It was the commander of the Sun Knights, Retid.

“I have something to report to you, my lord.”

The Messiah Viscount had a moment of ominous thoughts.

The Sun Knights, or the Sun Knights, were a knight order for Asia.

The main report was related to Asia.

“She… Lady Asia has gone out to the market for a stroll.”

The Messiah Viscount felt relieved at the report.

There was nothing particularly alarming about it.

“I told you there was no need to report such things.”

“But that…”

The following words of Retid made the Messiah Viscount jump up and shout.

“Oh, Asia… she went out alone with that guy!!!”

Seeing Retid’s troubled expression, the Messiah Viscount realized that he had not misheard.

Of course, if the two were to be together, it would benefit the family.

But…

“That damn guy with my daughter…!”

Annoyance surged within him.

A cute outing with his daughter.

Perhaps he had not wanted him to be associated with his daughter after all.

With that, the Messiah Viscount made up his mind.

“Oh, this won’t do. No matter how much of a potential fiancé he is, this kind of behavior…! Hmm, yes! I must set limits on the actions of potential fiancés. But wait…”

At the same time, the Messiah Viscount had a new thought about this incident.