Chapter 373

Lumiere Hospital.

The very same hospital where I had been hospitalized after being critically injured by that insane necromancer.

I rushed to the hospital immediately.

I knew that the situation was serious.

Saint lepheria had collapsed.

The absolute authority of the Holy Church and the academy.

I had only realized it after learning her true identity, but one of the main reasons why Red Rain hadn’t been able to operate freely in the Holy City until the middle of the game was because of her presence.

She was the legendary hero who had saved the world a thousand years ago.

And I had seen it with my own eyes.

How she had killed a rebellious Guardian Knight with a single blow.

Each Guardian Knight was a superhuman, and yet she had crushed him like an eggshell.

Her strength was unbelievable.

And now she had collapsed?

It was as if the biggest pillar supporting the Holy City and the academy had crumbled.

That’s why I looked so serious.

“Brother Max?”

I ran into a familiar face in front of the special ward.

Sister Marianna, the tenth Guardian Knight.

“It’s been a while, Sister Marianna.”

I greeted her.

“I would like to thank you again for your help in ending the civil war.”

I was referring to the fact that she had helped me persuade her family, the Lambert count family, to form an alliance with us without bloodshed.

“It’s a relief that I was able to contribute to stopping that horrible war.”

She clasped her hands together.

I noticed that her face was paler than usual.

It was probably because of the Saint’s condition.

“I just arrived in the Holy City today. So I only heard about her condition a while ago. How is she doing…?”

“I see. Thankfully, she has regained consciousness. But…”

She closed her eyes and opened them again.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow.

“I see. I’m glad to hear that she has regained consciousness. I’ll pray for her speedy recovery. Please convey my best wishes to her. Then I’ll come back when she’s recovered…”

I was about to leave.

It was rude to visit a patient who wasn’t feeling well.

It was enough that I had confirmed that she wasn’t in critical condition.

But,

“Wait, Brother Max.”

Marianna stopped me.

“Is there something you need?”

“She said that if you came to visit, we should let you in without stopping you.”

“Huh?”

I blinked rapidly in surprise.

The Saint had mentioned me?

Why?

“It seems like she has something important to tell you.”

“Hmm…”

I thought about it for a moment.

But there was no need to hesitate.

I had to see her.

“Alright. Where is she?”

“On the tenth floor.”

I had been hospitalized on the ninth floor.

The tenth floor was the top floor of the special ward.

I had never been there before.

It was probably the room for the most important people.

“I see. Then…”

I bowed my head and headed towards the elevator.

* * *

The tenth floor of the special ward.

There was only one room on this floor.

I walked down the long hallway and approached the room.

Standing in front of the door was…

“…”

Esron, the seventh Guardian Knight.

The Saint’s personal bodyguard.

Our eyes met.

And before I could even speak, he stepped aside.

It was a silent invitation.

I opened the door and entered the room.

Honestly, I was nervous and apprehensive.

The Saint, who had always exuded an aura of absolute authority…

I didn’t want to see her in a weakened state.

*Click*

The door closed softly behind me.

Esron must have closed it.

I saw a partition.

I took a deep breath and walked towards it.

And then,

I saw her.

She was sitting up in bed, staring out the window.

“Principal… No, Saint.”

I announced my presence.

She turned her head.

“…”

I froze, my eyes widening in shock.

She looked nothing like the Saint I knew.

She was wearing a white eyepatch over one eye.

And that wasn’t all.

Half of her face and neck were covered in bandages.

It was an unsettling sight.

I gulped.

‘…I heard she collapsed. It couldn’t have been a burn.’

Why would half of her body be covered in bandages if it wasn’t a burn?

“You’re here, Max.”

She finally spoke.

Her voice was the same as always.

Except for a select few, everyone thought she was mute.

“Come and sit down.”

“Alright.”

I calmed myself down and sat down on a chair next to her bed.

“It seems like everything went well. I heard you became the hero of the empire.”

“It’s an overwhelming title. I did everything I could, but it was only possible because of everyone’s help.”

“Hehe, there’s no need to be humble here. This isn’t school.”

She chuckled.

Her signature bright laughter.

Thankfully, she still sounded lively.

Maybe her condition wasn’t as serious as it looked?

I looked at her with concern and asked, “I was so surprised when I heard the news. How are you feeling…?”

“How am I feeling? Well, I should say I’m fine, I suppose.”

She replied with a strange smile.

“What do you mean?”

I frowned.

I didn’t understand what she meant.

“You need to be qualified to know the truth.”

“…”

Her words made me realize something.

She was saying that she was fine, but that was just for public consumption.

And she was saying that I needed to be qualified to know the real truth.

I fell into thought.

I wanted to know the truth, but it wasn’t something I could just demand.

Then,

“I don’t know if I’m qualified or not. But if I’m not, I won’t ask about your condition again. And I won’t tell anyone that there’s another truth.”

I drew a clear line.

It was better to be clear about this.

“Is that so?”

Her one visible eye twinkled as she stared at me.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Was it solely the empress’s decision to declare Red Rain as an enemy of the empire?”

“No, it wasn’t. I suggested it to her, and she agreed.”

I answered honestly.

There was no need to hide it from her.

“I see.”

She nodded.

She had probably already guessed that I was involved.

“You did a great job. You bought the world at least a few months. If you hadn’t, they would have caused a major incident in the Holy City soon.”

She sounded certain.

I felt like she was right.

I couldn’t see the future.

But those bastards, who had even attempted to assassinate the new emperor, wouldn’t have stayed quiet.

Especially if my actions had been insufficient and led to a conflict between the empire and the kingdom.

It seemed clear that the best outcome I had achieved in the empire had a significant impact on the future.

“I’m glad that my actions were helpful.”

“No, it’s not just ‘glad.’”

“Huh?”

“What you do with that time is what matters, isn’t it?”

She dug deeper.

She hadn’t asked me to visit just to make small talk.

She wanted to talk about something more important.

But it seemed like there was more to it than that.

I could sense an intention behind her words.

Her next question confirmed my suspicion.

“Max, you must have a plan, right? I don’t think you came here just to graduate.”

“…”

I remained silent.

I realized that this was a crucial moment.

I had come up with a few plans before leaving the Imperial City.

But they weren’t concrete yet, and they weren’t something I could share with anyone.

Not even the Saint.

But,

‘What if this is a test?’

I met her gaze.

Her judgment of my worth as a human…

It must have changed after witnessing my recent achievements.

And if this was the final test…

I made my decision.

“I’m going to gain strength.”

“Gain strength?”

“Yes, in the Holy City.”

I emphasized the words “Holy City.”

She would understand what I meant.

Her expression changed.

A strange smile appeared on her lips.

“You’re going to build a force, aren’t you? In the Holy City.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

It was a realistic question.

This wasn’t my territory, or my family’s territory, or even the empire’s territory.

It was impossible for a foreigner to openly build a force in the Holy Church’s sacred ground.

And yet, I had made such a plan.

Why?

Because the next incident wouldn’t happen in the empire. It would happen here, in the Holy City.

My territory and forces in the empire were too far away to be of any use.

I needed a force in the Holy City so that I could respond immediately.

So I had been looking for a way.

And that way was…

“I was planning to do it secretly.”

“Secretly.”

Her smile widened.

“How is that possible?”

“I have a few ideas. But honestly, I would have hit a wall eventually.”

I admitted readily.

It would be possible with a small number of people.

But as the number of members increased, it would be impossible to avoid the Holy Church’s attention.

But I was still planning to build a force, even if it was imperfect.

Because I thought it was necessary.

“I see.”

She nodded and continued, “Good. I like your idea. You pass, Max.”

Oh?

“You’re qualified. I’ve lived for an absurdly long time, but I’ve rarely seen someone as wise, decisive, and action-oriented as you. And people like that are usually called heroes.”

Heroes.

Her words resonated deeply within me.

It was a different kind of resonance from the cheers of the crowd.

It was because she was a legendary hero herself.

“It’s an overwhelming title…”

“No, you have to bear it now.”

Her voice was heavy with meaning.

“Because we don’t have much time.”

I realized that her words had multiple meanings.

“I’ll help you.”

“Huh?”

“With your plan.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

It was an unexpected offer.

This was a sensitive matter.

Even the Saint couldn’t ignore the stance of the entire Holy Church.

It was a difficult decision for her to make.

“Thank you. But why…?”

“It’s a small gift to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“When you learn the truth, the burden on your shoulders will…”

“…”

“Become unbearably heavy.”

Her words were cryptic.

And then,

She moved her hand.

She removed her eyepatch.

And then she started to unwrap the bandages that covered half of her face and neck.

“T-This is…?!”

I gasped in shock when I saw what was hidden beneath the bandages.