Chapter 191: The Second Common Trait of the Saints

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“The Saint’s symptoms fluctuate between improvement and deterioration.”

A delicate voice echoed through the quiet meeting room.

This was the chamber where the guardians of the Holy City gathered. Among them, a young girl seated confidently spoke up.

“Around the time Her Holiness returned from Steele, symptoms manifested in the Saint. And they still haven’t healed.”

Coughing, fever, fatigue—symptoms resembling a cold, yet anything but ordinary. Medicine had no effect.

These facts were delivered in an eerily calm, weighty tone.

The eldest guardian of the Holy City, Miriam.

“The timing is strange.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“When Her Holiness left again—when she went to Zenrock, it seemed like the symptoms had completely vanished. But the moment she returned, they worsened again.”

“…”

“And there’s always that heretic by her side.”

“Don’t call them a heretic. Choose your words carefully.”

Cedric, seated across from her, stroked his beard and chided. Miriam exhaled softly.

“I saw it myself. With my own eyes. Cedric, what is that monster? What exactly did you pick up all those years ago?”

“Nothing special. Just a couple of kids.”

“Listen. As long as they stayed in the Holy City, fine. Things were manageable. But what happened in less than half a year outside? Did they undergo the Evil God’s trials? Receive a revelation? Harboring such a tainted existence—is it any wonder the Saint is unwell?”

“There’s no proof the kid is the cause. Even the Saint says she’s fine. You’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting? Then I should overreact. We must always stay sharp, always be vigilant. Do you forget what land this is?”

Her voice, authoritative yet trembling.

“And now, the master of Calard’s Grimoire is with them too… The two of them, always—”

“That’s my disciple.”

“Who said we didn’t know? Such individuals clinging to Her Holiness—!”

Miriam’s voice rose, her composure fraying.

In contrast, Cedric grew even calmer. His aged appearance suited his tone—admonishing, almost paternal.

“Miriam. They’re not bad kids. They’re pitiful. Young ones fighting against their own fate. Must we cast them out instead of embracing them?”

“If that’s the case, why not summon every poor, wretched soul to the Holy City? You know better than anyone that we can’t save them all.”

“They can take care of themselves. They’re not asking for handouts.”

Miriam bit back her retort.

A long stalemate was inevitable. Decades of clashing with Cedric—and Nova, though currently absent—had made her accustomed to it.

“…In any situation, our priority is the safety of the Holy City. Never forget our duty as guardians.”

Instead, she reaffirmed their roles.

“It’s etched into my body and soul, awake or asleep.”

“Yet I rarely see your face around.”

A jab at Cedric, who was always away on external duties. She stood.

“We’ll see.”

Her exit was cold, her back turned as she left the chamber.

The guardian of the Holy City—a title fitting for Miriam, who bore the weight of the land’s affairs and cherished the Holy City above all.

Cedric, knowing this well, crossed his arms and quietly closed his eyes.

***************

The carriage jolted, lulling Sugar in and out of sleep. Suddenly, she dreamed.

Lately, she’d been haunted by a recurring nightmare.

Not the tranquil forest dream—that wasn’t a nightmare, more like an inner world she could enter freely, her consciousness intact.

No, this nightmare began after her trials. After ascending in rank.

Around the time she could converse with the Traveler.

‘The dream where Sugar ends up alone.’

In it, Ian never appeared.

Leon didn’t carry his white staff.

Sugar pounded on the Holy City’s tightly shut gates, over and over.

Frantic, tear-streaked, her hands bleeding—she kept knocking, desperate for refuge, as if something chased her.

And the words she’d scream, her voice raw—what were they again?

‘I don’t matter! Just… please, at least save Riley—!’

—Bump!

The carriage lurched.

Her drowsy body tilted, collapsing against something.

“Ack—!”

She jolted awake.

‘…I was dreaming something.’

Dazed, she struggled to open her eyes. A cloth draped over her—Riley’s cloak, familiar and comforting.

And the firm warmth beneath her? Had her childhood friend caught her? It felt like a person.

Whatever. Too sleepy to care. Smells nice. Going back to sleep.

“Sniff…”

Hmm. But this smell…

“Sniff…”

Oh? It’s… how should I put it?

“Huff… haah… mmph…”

Familiar, somehow.

Just as Sugar was about to surrender to sleep, a particular scent caught her attention. Not the smell of the cloak—no, this was coming from where her head was currently resting.

She squirmed, burrowing closer to the source of the aroma, pressing her face against it and inhaling deeply.

“Mmm… huff… sniff…”

Her lips smacked lazily, her cheeks nuzzling instinctively in her drowsy state.

Then, she felt hands trying to push her head away. Annoyed, she clung tighter in protest, half-asleep and irritable.

‘This… feels kinda…’

A floating, weightless sensation. Already teetering between sleep and wakefulness, the added dizziness pulled her deeper under—

“Heeh… uheh…”

“Sugar.”

“Mmm…”

“Sugar.”

“Huh…?”

“For the sake of your dignity, I’m waking you up. Get up.”

She was this close to murdering whoever was interrupting her sleep. What now?

Recognizing the voice, she cracked her eyes open—

—

And realized exactly where her face had been planted.

“Huh…?”

Every hair on her body stood on end.

A belt. A zipper. The structural components of pants greeted her at point-blank range. In other words—ahem—her friend’s lower half.

Her gaze traveled upward to meet Riley’s usual deadpan expression.

With a creak of her neck, she turned further to see Ian and Leon, both spectating this disgraceful scene with palpable discomfort.

The two quickly averted their eyes.

“…”

Sugar sat up calmly, opened the carriage window, and—

“I’m—I’m gonna d-die.”

Caught sniffing her friend’s crotch in her sleep—and witnessed by two others? There was only one solution.

“Agh, ah, ah, I want to die. Let me die. I need to die…!”

As she flailed and wailed about “eternal shame scarring Riley’s mind” (or some such nonsense), the three lunged at her, shouting “Stop! Stop!!” in a panic.

***************

…

…

…

“Isn’t there a chance we won’t find the unicorn?”

After a long silence, Leon finally spoke up, shattering the tension.

From the corner, a cloak-shrouded Sugar glared daggers at him.

“Why would you say something so bizarre and absurd, my friend? What possible reason could you have for voicing such a useless thought?”

Her tone was venomous. Clearly, she assumed he was picking a fight to distract from her earlier disgrace.

“I—I’m not saying anything strange! Just, you know, considering possibilities. Like how lightning could strike us right now. The probability isn’t zero!”

His defensive rambling earned a disgusted tsk from Sugar.

“Your concern is unnecessary.”

Her reply dripped with absolute certainty.

It’s because of the original work’s lore. Since in the original Leon, the male protagonist, would go into the Unicorn’s Forest before and succeedin obtaining its horn powder, the same should hold true now.

As he’d said, she couldn’t claim the chance of failure was zero. But by that logic, they might as well live in fear of getting hit by a carriage or struck by a meteor every day.

‘Does that guy not remember going there in a dream?’

She recalled Leon’s past stories about the dreamworld—experiences woven from the original work’s framework.

But she didn’t bring it up.

Why?

Because.

Putting all that aside—they had a flawless virgin right here. What was there to worry about?

“Haaah…”

Sugar shifted in her seat and exhaled leisurely. Not that it mattered—she was still wrapped like a rice roll in her cloak.

‘Ideally, I’d like to gather more than just horn powder…’

She was working on a new item and wanted additional ingredients. The white stone returned by her childhood friend was the main component.

Hmm-hmm. A surprise gift meant Riley couldn’t know.

“Ah, right—Ian. I met a guardian I’d never seen before yesterday.”

A sudden memory prompted her to speak to Ian, who’d been quiet until now.

“Who? Miriam? She’s the only guardian you wouldn’t know. Did you talk to her?”

“Nothing major… We just crossed paths. She only said my name before leaving. Right?”

She glanced at Riley for confirmation, and he nodded.

“Really? Why…? Was it about the Fragment of the Stars? But we didn’t bring you up.”

“Huh? Fragment of the Stars?”

Another ingredient for the Saint’s Water: the Song of Silence, the Fragment of the Stars, and the Unicorn’s Horn Powder.

“Yeah. She oversees the Fragments brought into the Holy City. I’ve asked for a few since we need them, but…”

“Ah…”

So, not someone to antagonize.

But she’d seemed strict. If Sugar recalled correctly, Miriam was the sole guardian who’d opposed Ian going to Steele.

‘Tch… Our Ian loves the outside world.’

Seriously—she glowed out there. Even the sight of school buildings made her bounce with joy.

And now she’d fallen in love? Truly living her youth to the fullest.

Sugar stole a glance at Ian and Leon.

Since Leon’s confession was just yesterday, surely the gender topic hadn’t come up yet.

Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss. They were chatting idly, as usual.

“So once, I jumped off a roof to avoid the paladins—”

“You did something that dangerous?!”

Heh. Good.

For now, all seemed well—

—

‘…Huh?’

A flicker of something off made Sugar blink rapidly.

But when she looked again, Ian and Leon were just… talking. Normal.

‘…Did I imagine it?’

For the briefest instant, Ian’s expression had—well.

Eyes wide. No trace of warmth.

Chilling.

But now? Just her usual gentle self. Soft violet eyes, a serene smile. Probably just sleep deprivation.

Sugar awkwardly swallowed a laugh and turned to the window.

Soon, the carriage arrived at its destination—a transit point linked to the Holy City by long-distance teleportation magic.