Chapter 12. Honor and Sacrifice (16)

“…Mmm.”

When did I fall asleep?

Well, it’s not strange.

It would be great if using holy power didn’t take any effort, but after pouring out a lot of holy power, I get incredibly tired. So tired that I can’t resist the sleep that comes over me.

It’s not that there are only bad things here.

Even if the time I’m unconscious is short, the feeling when I wake up is indescribably refreshing. Actually, that can’t be considered entirely good either. It means my body is trying its best to recover during that time from being overloaded.

I don’t really understand what it means for my body to get tired and collapse due to holy power.

Holy power is fundamentally a power that heals people. As a bonus, it can expel mana and protect people from its power.

Then, shouldn’t my body also be less tired from the moment it receives that holy power?

…Then again, there’s no power without a price. The being above, drawing power so high that countless people consider it God, without any limits would be too much of a cheat.

Even without that, to others, my power would seem like a cheat.

“Hmm…”

By the way, it’s warm.

Ria must have helped me. She must have taken me, who had collapsed, to another room and laid me down. Just like she always did.

The blanket was fluffy, and something touching my face was also fluffy, soft, and warm.

…

Uh, no, wait a minute.

Soft? Setting aside fluffy and warm, isn’t ‘soft’ a bit strange? It’s a rather peculiar word to encounter on a bed.

As I carefully opened my eyes, I saw a faint silhouette.

It was a bit dim. Something large was blocking the light from entering my eyes-

“Kyaa!?”

I recoiled in shock and fell backward.

More precisely, I tried to fall.

“Huh? Why?”

But the person who grabbed my head asked me back.

“Just a moment ago, you were burying your face in my chest, looking so comfortable and happy.”

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know! No, more importantly, why is Ria in the same bed as me!?”

“What, it’s not the first time.”

“No, that was when Ria was holding me tightly and wouldn’t let go!”

Come to think of it, it’s the same now.

Even though I struggled, for some reason, Ria only held my head tighter.

“Ppyuppup!?”

I, who was trying to say something with my face buried, slumped for a moment.

“What, do you dislike it?”

It’s not that I dislike it. If anything, I could say I like it.

It’s not just because of the body part. It’s not even because I’m being held by a pretty girl’s body.

If it weren’t Ria, I would have been incredibly uncomfortable. Even so, isn’t it a bit much to be held like this by a woman I’ve just met?

“Hmm, I was going to repay you for hugging me last time.”

“…It’s revenge, not repayment.”

“You found out.”

Ria’s arms loosened. I pulled my head back and quickly sat up from the bed.

This room- it’s the room we were staying in. Though it’s only been one night.

We were both on the large bed-

“…A barricade?”

Furniture was piled up at the door, blocking it.

As I looked back at Ria with a look of shock, Ria shrugged.

“No, people outside were being so annoying.”

“They were annoying?”

“They said you should be made a saint right now.”

“…”

“And also for the position of the next Pope.”

“…”

As I scowled, Ria burst out laughing. Haha, after laughing heartily, she stretched out her arms and yawned.

Naturally, Ria’s chest also seemed emphasized unnecessarily. The clothes that should have sagged downwards were caught on her chest.

No, normally wouldn’t the clothes wrinkle and make it less visible? Does it become like this when it exceeds a certain level?

“But you know, honestly, I was incredibly tired. Because I prayed with you. So, since it happened this way, I thought I’d just sleep.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yeah. But it would be troublesome if other guys bothered me, so I blocked the entrance with the furniture in the room and slept soundly.”

Those pieces of furniture look hundreds of years old, but is it okay? If they get scratched, won’t I have to compensate for all of them?

But Ria showed no sign of regret.

“The bed… well, I got a little confused when I got in.”

Ah.

So that’s how it happened.

I think that can happen.

I felt that Ria had helped me. When my hand started to hurt, there was a moment when the pain lessened. Perhaps Ria held my hand then.

My hand was bandaged, just like last time. Seeing the first-aid kit left open on the floor over there, it seemed to be in this room.

Ria quickly administered first aid to my bleeding hand, laid me on the bed… and probably fell asleep like that.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

Thinking that far, I quickly apologized.

After all, I was treating the person who helped me to the best of her ability in a strange way.

Well, I did play a prank, but Ria’s personality is such that she could do it, and it was a prank that didn’t cost me anything.

“…No, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Ria said with a somewhat embarrassed smile. For some reason, her reaction seemed a little different from usual, making me feel awkward-

“Huk!?”

But that awkwardness quickly disappeared.

Ria’s hand, which was scratching her head, was bandaged. Seeing that, I was startled and rushed towards Ria.

“Uh, wait a minute, Anna!?”

“Your hand, look at your hand!”

As I shouted and grabbed Ria’s hand, Ria’s face turned a little red.

Pretending not to see her face, I quickly unwrapped the bandage on her hand-

“Huh.”

And seeing her hand, which was perfectly fine, Ria blinked and tilted her head.

“Were there any wounds here?”

“Hmm…”

To my question, Ria tilted her head as if she were a little troubled.

“Ria, I don’t think you’re lying.”

I said, holding Ria’s hand.

Ria wouldn’t play pranks on me with something like this. She must have wrapped the bandage because she was injured in the first place.

She would never have done it to make me worry after I woke up.

“…”

Ria avoided my eyes, but as I held her hand tightly and stared at her, Ria soon let out a big sigh.

“…When you were praying, your hand was bleeding. I held that hand.”

“And then?”

“Well, I got a slight burn on my hand too. I don’t know if it was from holy power or mana. It was still a burn mark when I got here.”

“…”

Did she endure the pain to help me?

My heart ached with a sharp pain.

“Well, maybe it’s because I slept hugging you? The wound seems to have healed completely.”

“You’re making jokes like that right now…”

I was about to ask “Is this the time?”, but something popped into my head, and I closed my mouth.

That’s right. This was something that appeared in the original work as well.

There was a time when Lee Si-yoon’s whole body was soaked in mana. He jumped into a pool of mana to save someone.

The child could be saved somehow, but the problem was Lee Si-yoon’s body. He had entered with wounds all over his body without receiving any treatment, so mana entered through the wounds, putting him in a state on the verge of death.

To save Lee Si-yoon, who was in such a state, the Saint thought of one method. To stick close to Lee Si-yoon.

And just like saving someone dying from hypothermia, she stuck close to him and poured holy power all over his body.

Well, that process wasn’t properly depicted. Lee Si-yoon, who had fainted, just opened his eyes to find the Saint lying right next to him.

…

“Why? Why did you suddenly stop talking?”

“Ah, no.”

I shook my head because I felt a lot of resistance to saying that Ria’s choice to fall asleep next to me was a wise one.

“It’s just, I’m glad there’s no scar.”

“…Although there’s a scar on your hand.”

I had nothing to say to that.

Ria is my knight who protects me.

But if I keep getting hurt like this, it would be difficult for Ria in many ways.

Not just in terms of status, but also as a friend.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…”

As I apologized with my head bowed, Ria was quiet for a moment.

But soon, Ria’s hand came to rest on my head.

Stroking my head with that hand, Ria said.

“Well, you just did what you had to do.”

Ria’s voice was calm.

As I slowly raised my head, Ria smiled at me.

“…”

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I turned my gaze away- and suddenly looked back at the door.

“But Ria, how do we go out again?”

“…We have to move the furniture, of course.”

At Ria’s words, I couldn’t help but sigh softly.

No, I understand her feelings, but still.

“Well, it was just because I was in a hurry.”

Hearing Ria say that as if making an excuse, I chuckled.

Seeing my expression, Ria seemed a little embarrassed and averted her gaze.