episode_0007

“A wicked witch who enjoys cannibalism has appeared in the Southern Great Forest.”

“…Are you telling me to go there right now?”

“If you don’t want to, you can refuse, Sister. However, if that’s the case, your position as a ‘saint candidate’ might be a bit shaky.”

When I received the summons from the High Priest, I thought it was an opportunity that would not come again.

It was a chance to build a strong relationship not with anyone else but the High Priest, who held power second only to the Pope.

Among the three High Priests in the country, if I could solidify even one friendship, I could step a bit closer to becoming a ‘saint.’

So, with some anticipation, I went to meet him.

“You don’t seem very happy. Do you have any worries?”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t? You’re forcing me to choose between giving up becoming a saint or choosing to die honorably, aren’t you?”

“That’s quite odd. I have no memory of offering you such a choice.”

That damn High Priest, who had momentarily lifted my spirits, suddenly plunged them into despair.

Why is that?

Why is he so relentless in trying to catch me, who became a saint candidate after bloody efforts?

As I stared at the High Priest while biting my lip, he slowly opened his mouth, his previously closed eyes now looking at me.

“Why do you wear such a resentful expression, Sister?”

“…”

“You seem to be saying, ‘[Why do I have to endure this trial alone?]’. Truly -”

Shaking his head, he continued as if lamenting.

“It’s not a face that suits a saint.”

A sharp jab reverberated through the empty chapel.

Looking dumbfounded at the High Priest, he spoke with a chilling voice, pressing me with his authority.

“I know well how much effort you’ve put in to get to where you are.”

“Do you really not understand? I lived just as desperately as you before becoming a High Priest.”

“But here’s the thing.”

Now, with intense pressure, my body and mind almost glued to the ground.

The High Priest glanced down at me for a moment, then lowered himself and whispered quietly.

“A saint is defined by their character, Sister, regardless of their efforts. If someone meant to become a saint shies away from the trials out of fear, how will others view them?”

“Sob…!”

The pressure vanished as quickly as his words ended.

As I gasped for breath in the newfound relief, the High Priest, with a gentle smile on his darkened face, asked me once again.

“Well, then, I will give you another chance, Sister.”

Returning the emblem of the saint candidate he had taken away.

“Will you grant my request?”

She smiled kindly with a deeply shaded face.

—–

“Ugh!”

Escaping the nightmare, I barely regained my senses to find myself in the peaceful surroundings of the house.

With a bewildered expression, I began to look around starting from my surroundings.

…What happened? Wasn’t I lying on the ground, battered by Aubeare’s front paws in a state of depleted energy?

That’s how I remember it.

While on a quest to find the witch, I encountered elves and lost all of my Paladin brothers. Seeking a way to survive, I roamed through the Great Forest until I met a colossal Owlbear.

I managed to fend off relentless attacks using my holy skills but eventually succumbed due to exhaustion, allowing an assault.

Seemingly awaiting death in this hellish realm, I concluded there was no being here to aid humans.

However, why am I still alive like this?

“Ugh… Ugh?”

As I voiced my doubts, the presence of a gag became apparent.

Was that all? Not only did I feel tightly bound ropes around my body, but I also began to suffer from an unknown sense of confinement.

“Ugh! Ugh…!!!”

Whoever it was, they were truly meticulous. They not only sealed my mouth, but also bound me so indecently!

Gazing at my vulgarly tied body, shame trembled through me.

Struggling intensified the restraint, emphasizing my protruding chest even more. The torn parts of my attire widened, resembling garments fit for a harlot.

To exhibit such disgrace to someone who serves a goddess, especially one designated as a saint candidate…

This undoubtedly reeks of the work of a wicked demon or witch.

If the landlord had been an ordinary person, they might have refrained from touching the splendid attire altogether.

Could my assumption be correct?

After much ordeal, when I finally managed to turn over, I noticed the witch lying on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

A sack containing deadly herbs and mushrooms, alongside a large, unwashed kitchen knife with dried blood sticking to it.

Upon seeing these clues, I confirmed that this witch was a ‘malevolent witch who enjoys cannibalism.’

…The witch was really in the Great Forest?

Then, did the High Priest send me to the forest not to punish me but to assess my capabilities?

As this realization dawned on me, the words of the High Priest resurfaced in my mind.

[No matter what trials come your way, never yield and overcome them. That is what defines a saint.]

“If a person meant to become a saint tries to avoid approaching trials out of fear, how will others perceive them?”

“…”

I finally understood.

The High Priest wanted to see if my faith would waver in the darkest of times.

Even when death loomed near, he wanted to test if I could maintain my resolve till the end.

Realizing the depth of the High Priest’s intentions, I quickly steadied my heart.

Yes, the High Priest went through hardships to rise from an apprentice nun to a High Priest, didn’t he?

That means he must have faced even greater dangers to attain that position.

He threw this challenge at me because he believed I could overcome it. Because there was a possibility.

I never gave him any reason to doubt me, so why would he assign me an impossible task out of malice?

With renewed courage, I gazed at the sleeping witch with eyes full of determination.

I will repay this humiliation of being bound tenfold.

And I will solidify the foundation for bringing you to the capital and becoming a saint.

Did I scrutinize her fiercely for a while?

Finally sensing the warm gaze, the witch yawned and woke from her deep slumber.

“Ughhh…”

Then, clutching the sack, she slowly approached me and, removing the gag, offered me a poisonous mushroom.

“Would you like to eat? You seem hungry.”

“…?”

“The sound of rumbling came from my stomach. I have to eat at least this to fill my stomach and gain strength, right?”

It’s beyond belief.

Right now, are you telling me to eat that to fill my stomach? Do you even know what that is?

Ignoring the pain in my body, I stared at the witch with a puzzled expression, she slumped her body, looking gloomy.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Worried it might be poisonous mushrooms?”

“…”

“You seem to catch on. It’s okay, you can eat without worry. Do you really think I would give you poisonous mushrooms?”

…I have no idea what crazy talk I’m hearing.

You’re saying that thing in your hand is a poisonous mushroom! Huh?

Even if just one is enough to bring you to the brink of death, confidently telling me to eat it without worry?

Thanks to the shameless witch, I could come up with a good idea.

If I can make the witch eat that poisonous mushroom, maybe I can seize an opportunity to escape somehow.

Perhaps even capturing this wicked witch and taking her to the authorities is possible!

After contemplating, I smirked and said to the witch,

“If that’s not really a poisonous mushroom, why don’t you prove it by eating it first?”

“Huh?”

“Why, don’t feel like eating a poisonous mushroom? Hmph, I thought so. You truly are wicked, trying to feed me poisonous mushrooms… huh?”

Before I could finish speaking, the witch put the mushroom in her mouth and started chewing without hesitation.

Her decisive actions left me stunned.

Was the witch right? No way… But even if she was, how could someone eat food they know is poisonous like it’s cake?

Moreover, there was no sign of discomfort, just the same expressionless face as before. At that level, could it really be safe to trust and eat once?

“Now, it’s your turn.”

The witch, having chewed and swallowed what looked like a poisonous mushroom, handed me the same thing.

“It’s just a bit tangy and exciting. It will help you snap out of it.”

I hesitated.

Should I believe the witch’s words and eat this? Or should I resist until the end and make the witch give up?

As I pondered for a moment, I soon nodded my head, resolving my dilemma.

Trying to trust once should be fine.

That innocent and pure appearance, maybe it’s not an act after all?

I closed my eyes tightly and ate the mushroom handed to me by the witch.

And as the witch said, I could feel the tangy and exhilarating taste.

…The intensity of that exhilaration being so painful that it could lead to death was indeed a significant issue.