Ch.400Side Story: The Happy Saint

“Hmm?”

The gates of Greyfond are always lined with crowds of people. The high walls provide a sense of security, and the traces of survival through various crises tell its history.

Now, as many praise King Orpheus for the kingdom’s second golden age, the capital Greyfond, the heart of the kingdom, naturally experiences heavy traffic.

Of course, many guards are deployed for security duty.

“Senior, doesn’t that look strange?”

“Huh?”

Young guard Oliver, now somewhat accustomed to gate duty, calls his senior.

The carriage Oliver points to is an impressive high-class one with a navy blue color.

Its classic style with thick exterior walls suggests it was built for cold weather, and its sturdy, heavy body indicates it was made in a region prone to conflict.

All carriages from distant regions needed to be checked, especially those from Norsweden.

“That one’s shaking quite a lot, isn’t it?”

Whatever was happening inside, the large carriage was noticeably rocking, making it stand out.

There was no coachman, but they had occasionally seen self-driving carriages using magic recently, so it wasn’t a major concern.

‘Either a very wealthy noble or a skilled Mage.’

While they had a duty to check the carriage, approaching important people could sometimes lead to them becoming irritated or abusive.

“You go check it out.”

His senior pushed the task onto him.

Oliver gave a look asking if it was really okay for him to go alone, but his senior remained indifferent.

If something happened, he could pass the blame, and if problems arose, he could excuse it by saying Oliver was just a rookie.

But frankly speaking, he was simply passing a potentially troublesome visitor to his junior.

“Sigh.”

As carriages waited in a separate line for entry procedures, he passed by other carriages to reach the shaking one.

‘What on earth are they doing…’

He wondered if it might be a side effect of the automatic operation magic or if people were fighting inside.

Honestly, he didn’t want to get involved, but as a guard of Greyfond, he finally knocked on the window.

Knock knock.

“Guard station here.”

Rattle rattle.

Knock knock.

“Guard station here. May I check for a moment?”

As he was wondering how to politely imply that non-compliance could lead to forceful measures…

Creak.

The curtained window opened, and a woman revealed her face.

‘Wow.’

She had white hair. However, it wasn’t naturally that color but had faded due to hardship, with slight traces of original color remaining.

Her emerald-green eyes were slightly moist as she poked her head out and asked:

[Hello, guard. What can I do for you?]

‘Ah, her voice is lovely too.’

Though he’d heard just one sentence, it felt like warm sunshine illuminating his heart.

As his heart softened and his lips relaxed, the woman before him greeted him with a smile.

All his previous concerns vanished, and the guard returned a friendly smile.

“Well, you see…”

[Huh?!]

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the woman covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes widening.

Concerned that something troubling had happened to this clearly kind-hearted woman, Oliver became flustered.

[Ah, yes? You were saying?]

Acting as if her previous exclamation never happened, the woman prompted him, and Oliver scratched the back of his head before answering.

“I noticed the carriage shaking from outside and wondered if something was wrong. Are you uncomfortable or in need of assistance?”

[Ah, nothing’s wrong. Thank you for your concern.]

“…Is that so?”

[Yes, we were playing cards to pass the time until inspection, and things got a bit heated.]

It seemed too intense for just a card game, but he felt a strange trust that this woman could not possibly be lying.

“I understand. If you have any problems, please let us know right away. The Greyfond Guard is your shield.”

[How kind of you.]

When she responded with smiling eyes, Oliver’s heart fluttered. He wanted to continue talking and see more of her face, but having nothing more to say…

Oliver had no choice but to turn away with regret.

[You’ve grown into a fine young man.]

“…?!”

Wondering if he’d heard correctly, Oliver turned his head, but the window was already closed and the curtain drawn.

“Was she talking to me just now?”

That couldn’t be possible.

How could she have seen him before?

‘But she really is beautiful.’

This feeling was new to him.

‘And she resembles her.’

From his childhood.

Oliver recalled when the Saintess visited his village, falling into memories he could never forget.

‘She was still young then.’

Former Saintess Stella.

A woman who, despite becoming a Saintess at a young age, was considered to shine brighter than any other Saintess.

Oliver couldn’t forget the image of the woman blessing the young men in his village when Stella had not been a Saintess for long.

The hair color was different, and the former Saintess was reportedly dead, so it was just a bittersweet memory.

‘She was truly unfortunate. Sometimes it seems the gods can be so cruel…’

While feeling sorry for Stella, Oliver recalled the last words he’d heard.

‘…Could it be?’

Remembering what she had said to him earlier, he looked back at the carriage once more.

‘No, it couldn’t be.’

Dismissing it as mere fantasy, he returned to his post.

Recalling the beautiful Saintess who had blessed him in the past.

* * *

[I hate you.]

Stella, mounted on top of me, punched my chest while whispering. Her entire body was trembling, yet her face and voice pretended nothing was happening—befitting of a Saintess, if anything.

“Your body’s drenched in sweat and convulsing, yet you managed to speak so well.”

[That doesn’t mean I could—hnngh! H-h-moan there!]

As I shifted slightly, Stella immediately released a gasp along with the moans she’d been holding back.

While sound couldn’t escape thanks to the soundproofing magic, we couldn’t control the movement, which is why the carriage was visibly shaking from outside.

Stella pressed her lips against mine. The air inside the carriage was already hot and humid, but we paid no attention.

The Dark Spiritmaster and Findenai had already crossed into Greyfond.

Since they were people who shouldn’t show their faces, they had disembarked and gone ahead.

Being alone with Stella naturally led to this flow of events.

“Let’s be a bit more restrained. That was dangerous just now.”

I thought I was being careful, but judging by the rattling from outside, we must have been moving quite intensely.

I tried to calm Stella down and clear the air, but she grabbed my cheeks and moved her hips.

[No! Hurry!]

As she moved her hips herself, her body was so sensitive that her waist trembled, making the sight even more erotic.

In the end, I couldn’t resist Stella’s seduction.

Embracing me tightly, Stella exhaled hot breaths.

“Wasn’t that someone you knew earlier?”

Recalling how she had added those final words to the guard, I asked Stella, who answered between moans.

[Yes, he’s a young man I… ah! Blessed long ago!]

“You must have blessed countless people as a Saintess. You remember them all?”

[I-I remember!]

It was truly impressive that she could speak despite the pleasure making her lips weak, and that she remembered all the countless humans she had blessed.

That must mean that during her time as a Saintess, Stella was truly dedicated to her role and sincerely prayed for God’s blessing for many people.

“I see.”

I lift Stella, who is mounted on top of me.

Her legs rise high and her bottom trembles, which gives satisfaction to a man, but…

[S-stop!]

Stella, her tongue loosened, cries out urgently.

“You seduced me first, Stella. You have to take responsibility.”

[S-stop! Stop!]

“And.”

Honestly, I never thought I’d say something like this.

“I’m a bit jealous that you remember another man.”

[…!]

At my words, Stella’s unfocused eyes regain their clarity as she looks at me.

As if feeling something strange, she stares at me before passionately kissing me.

[Don’t be j-jealous.]

Wrapping her hands around my neck, Stella smiled with an emotion full of happiness.

[I am yours.]

Then she lowered her gaze slightly.

Looking at where we were connected, she took a deep breath and nodded.

[Please continue.]