Ch.12442. The Saint’s Manifestation in Arin (2)

Sung Arin brushed her pink long hair that was fluttering in the sea breeze with her hand.

‘It feels strange. This long hair.’

It wasn’t hair that had grown naturally. Due to her greatly amplified holy power, her hair had regenerated to this length naturally.

All of this happened after she was designated as a candidate for sainthood. And now, her companions were traveling by ship for her manifestation as a saint.

‘That island is supposed to be sacred ground.’

Until just a moment ago, Arin had been sitting quietly in her seat on the passenger ship.

The voyage wasn’t extremely long, but it certainly wasn’t short either—taking several hours. Having come out onto the deck, Arin once again recalled the past events she had been thinking about while sitting in her seat.

‘To think that I, not Sister Mina, would be the saint candidate. It feels strange.’

Sister Mina had exceptional holy power since childhood. Because of that, she caught the eye of the Cross Society early on and became a nun.

In Ailetan, saints were said to manifest whenever there was a global crisis. So if an official oracle came down from Ayel…

Surely, Sister Mina would have become the saint candidate. She’d heard there was much talk about it at the convent where Sister Mina had been dedicated.

‘But now Sister Mina is…’

Now, that Chae Mina had become the White Cross Society’s Public Enemy Number One. A contractor with an archdemon. For members of the religious order, she had become an existence so impure they couldn’t even speak her name.

However, when Arin heard the shocking news that the supposedly dead Chae Mina was alive and had become a villain, she wasn’t that surprised.

‘I might have expected it to some extent.’

Arin, who had been close to her, had already suspected that Sister Mina—Chae Mina from their Ains days—had shadows falling across her faith.

Surely Sister Mina’s corruption must have been because of Brother Siwoo. Siwoo’s impatience and confusion must have shaken Chae Mina, who loved Kwon Siwoo.

‘That day’s events must have affected both of them…’

And the incident that changed Brother Siwoo—or more precisely, the catalyst that made him feel frustrated with the persona he had been acting out until then—was precisely that day’s events.

Just before Arin enrolled at Ains. The very incident where she nearly lost her life due to a terrorist attack by villains. Brother Siwoo was there too.

But the person who saved Arin, who had become a hostage and was on the verge of death, by risking his own life was not Brother Siwoo, but Lee Minsu.

Lee Minsu, the very person who was more precious to Sung Arin than her own life. Minsu had saved her life.

‘Brother Siwoo must have realized it during that incident.’

Brother Siwoo had been intelligent since childhood and excellent in his abilities as an awakened one.

And to avoid prejudice as an orphanage kid—a war orphan—he had desperately lived as a model student.

Just like how he pretended to be bright and energetic, even though he was actually quiet and not cheerful by nature, to escape the image of being an orphan from a care home.

And while Brother Siwoo was certainly a good person, he was definitely not someone with strong mental fortitude.

Rather, having lost his family to villains and monsters before his eyes, he carried a terrible trauma in his heart. And the person who always protected Brother Siwoo’s fragile heart was Sister Mina.

Anyway, for the tender-hearted Brother Siwoo…

That day’s events—his hesitation before the villain, unable to save Arin who was like a real sister to him…

And the fact that Minsu, who until then had been a complete stranger to Sung Arin, unhesitatingly risked his life to save her…

It must have had a profound impact on him.

Whether that influence was good or bad couldn’t be definitively stated. Arin sensed that something within Brother Siwoo was changing because of that day.

After that incident, Brother Siwoo strived to become the most righteous hunter.

And because of that change, Brother Siwoo sacrificed his life to save Senior Minsu from the Doubt Demon.

Of course, what was a blessing for Arin must have been nothing short of a curse for Sister Mina, who loved Brother Siwoo.

‘Brother Siwoo…’

Lee Minsu, who changed Brother Siwoo. As far as Sung Arin knew, Senior Minsu was a person with stronger mental fortitude than anyone else.

And he possessed the righteous sense of justice that the Hunter Academy emphasized so much.

‘That sense of justice that can’t be found in today’s hunters.’

Perhaps, if she said those words in front of Minsu, he would strongly deny it and make excuses that he was just doing it for himself.

Wait, while she was lost in thought, the sea breeze grew stronger. She could see the silhouette of a familiar person on the deck beyond.

Senior Minsu. Lee Minsu was standing there.

The senior she had been secretly in love with since her Ains days. But a pitiful person who was destined to die soon according to Ayel’s prophecy.

And according to that same prophecy from Ayel, the man who would become the father of the child she would bear in the future.

Just seeing his back made her feel like she might burst into tears. But Sung Arin held them back.

‘I must become a saint. Only then…’

A saint is a blessed one who can manifest Ayel’s power on earth.

If she could save Minsu, who was already destined to die, through a miracle of holy power, Arin would gladly throw away everything she had. If she couldn’t, her life would have no meaning.

But she calmed that thought a little. If she truly became a mother to a child—if that child was the senior’s—she couldn’t recklessly throw away her life.

‘For now, I need to focus only on what’s in front of me. That will be the way to save Senior.’

And looking at his back, she felt a bit of sorrow.

That senior, who had no idea about her true feelings, had been constantly hanging around other women.

But Arin believed in Ayel. The fact that she would bear the senior’s child meant that, in the end, the senior would choose her.

Hiding these complicated feelings, Arin casually approached Minsu.

“Senior, is it really this hard to have a conversation with you?”

***

Arin, with her hands behind her back, was looking at me.

She spoke to me in her usual playful tone. But with long hair instead of the short bob I’d seen for so long, she seemed calmer than usual.

No, strangely, those pink eyes seemed sad to me.

But soon Arin smiled brightly. It was the same expression I knew. I answered her.

“I know, right? But we’ve been talking through messages all along.”

“Hey, that’s not enough!”

Saying that, she approached me and tried to link arms with me.

Since she was familiar to me, I didn’t stop her as she approached. But she hesitated for a moment, then stepped away from me.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Since I might become a saint, I shouldn’t have physical contact with men.”

“Oh, right. I should have been more careful…”

Arin is a saint candidate. And a nun with a very high possibility of becoming a saint.

The White Cross Society doesn’t prohibit priests from marrying or dating, but it’s different for saint candidates.

‘Those who have lost their purity cannot manifest that immense holy power.’

Even simple physical contact, not just sexual relations, can cause impurity.

So the two of them, unlike before, kept a slight distance from each other, as if they were awkward strangers.

‘This is strange. To keep distance from Arin of all people.’

But inwardly, I felt guilty toward Arin.

I know Arin likes me. And she lost two people who were like a real brother and sister to her because of me.

Of course, I confirmed that Chae Mina is not dead but alive. But for her, who might become a saint, a contractor with an archdemon is even less than a stranger.

Despite taking so much from Arin, I couldn’t properly respond to her feelings.

Even though she was so devoted to me during the year I was unconscious and during my rehabilitation period.

‘No. That’s precisely why.’

Unlike Yuri or Soso.

Although Arin was close enough to often sleep over at my apartment, I desperately put up an emotional wall only with her.

I’m too grateful to Arin. And Arin is someone who will continue to live even after I die.

The same goes for Yuri and Soso, but unlike those two who are emotionally entangled with me, Arin is pure to me.

Because I haven’t been hurt by Arin, but have only hurt her. So I wanted to leave Arin as a pure blank slate.

‘If I eliminate the Red Lake. If I prevent the resurrection of the evil god. Then this world will become peaceful.’

In such a world, I sincerely hoped that Arin would find her own happiness without thinking about me, who would be dead and gone.

So, for her, I just needed to be a senior from the academy. That’s why I never allowed Arin to call me “oppa” instead of “senior.”

‘And now Arin has become a saint candidate. Since the possibility of her becoming a saint is very high…’

Also, if she becomes a saint, Arin will have to stay away from any man. It might be cruel to Arin, but…

I resolved countless times never to think of her as more than a junior. Suddenly, my head throbbed with pain.

‘Wait… that dream from back then…’

Images of Arin kept flashing through my mind.

That very dream I had when I lost consciousness in Busan. Arin also appeared in that dream, forming a bond with me and sharing love.

That faint emotion tried to resurface as I was with Arin.

“Senior, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Arin, who had been wearing a playful expression, asked me with surprise. I waved my hand and said,

“I think I’m getting seasick. Actually, I came out because I was feeling nauseous.”

“Really? Come here.”

Arin instinctively tried to touch my body again. But she hesitated for a moment, then stepped back and created a green holy power from a distance.

My body felt much better. I didn’t actually have any seasickness, but my body always feels a burning sensation because of the mana roads raging inside me.

That burning sensation disappeared for a moment. Seeing my expression become comfortable, Arin also looked relieved.

“You must have been really seasick, Senior.”

“That’s why you should stay away. I might throw up on you.”

“Ugh, I don’t want that.”

But even as she said that, Arin didn’t step back at all. And she jokingly said,

“By the way, Senior, aren’t you disappointed? You must have been looking forward to taking my purity, but now it’s all gone down the drain?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I knew you were looking at my body with strange eyes whenever I slept at your apartment. Hmm. If Senior had been a bit more courageous, you could have had me. But it’s too late now. I’ll never sleep with you from now on.”

“Don’t make such vulgar jokes when you might become a saint.”

My hand instinctively went toward Arin’s head. I almost messed up her hair out of habit, but I barely restrained myself.

‘I almost did it like before.’

Indeed, Arin was the person who made me feel most comfortable when she was by my side. If it weren’t for Arin’s warm embrace…

I might never have escaped from that hellish PTSD.

‘So I need to be more alert. My remaining time…’

I had to use it to create a future where the people precious to me could live. Revenge to appease the dead souls of Ains. That wasn’t the entirety of my revenge.

Meanwhile, Arin fell silent. And unconsciously, her expression changed to something unlike her usual self.

A calm gaze that was unlike Arin. No, perhaps a slightly melancholic expression as she kept arranging her hair that was blowing in the wind.

Even the usually playful Arin might be feeling strange since she might soon become a saint.

I silently stood by her side, then returned with her toward the ship’s cabin.

‘Hmm? What’s going on?’

But the atmosphere inside the cabin was strange.

Unexpectedly, the Inquisitor Marco and knights from the Cathedral Knight Order were loudly exchanging words.

“What’s happening?”

Arin also asked curiously. They seemed to notice us as we entered together.

No, all those people were looking at me. Then Inquisitor Marco spoke.

“I guarantee that Mr. Lee Minsu is fully qualified.”