episode_0016

Warning: Contains graphic scenes. Regarding the Black Saintess

“Hahahahaha!! You’ve got guts, Blondie!”

“Are you taking my words as a joke… No. You haven’t been listening to me seriously since before.”

“Of course! You’re lying…”

“From the start, you’ll never listen to me until I give the answer that’s already in your head.”

“What?”

Honestly, I’m sick of this now. How long will he ignore my words just to get the answer he wants? Even if I gave him the answer he desires, he’d just beat his own drum and cause a fuss later, claiming it was a lie. I can’t take it anymore. Artyun saw my annoyed face and burst into laughter.

“Euhahahahaha! Your courage, at least, is a perfect hundred! But what will you do with mere courage? I don’t know how you got that greatsword, but do you even know how to wield a sword?”

“Of course I do, you pushover.”

“…. Do you want to be trampled again?”

When I called him a pushover, Artyun’s face, which had been overflowing with laughter, gradually began to twist. Why? Is he angry at being insulted by someone who seems insignificant? What about the people and other races he insulted?

“Who in this world sets an answer in advance before asking questions and seeking information? All you want is a confession or false information obtained through force.”

“Have you forgotten that I am a benevolent human…? If you take back all those words now, I won’t kill you…”

“Listen carefully, pushover. It’s true that I spoke with the man you’re looking for. But after our conversation, that man left without telling us his exact destination. Should I tell you information I don’t even know? There’s no reason for me to risk my life to find a man who can’t even be contacted, is there?”

“Th-this punk… so young…”

“Age? Where did your rotten age go, you who look down on others? Oh, I heard your age. You’re 36, right? Is this all you can think of at that age?”

“Ha…. Haha… What are you relying on to be so impertinent, kid…!!”

Artyun’s face was completely contorted, clearly visible. He was also slowly pointing the sword in his hand at me. He was barely holding back his rage. Was he really that curious about the information on the 20 mana? What did he intend to do by challenging that man anyway? It was obvious he would be cut down by that man’s sword first… He couldn’t even imagine that Boska didn’t fall because he was weak against that man, but because that man was strong. And what am I relying on to be so impertinent?

“Hmph… You guys were doomed the moment Aria arrived here.”

“Ha… Y-you’re being impertinent because you trust… that woman? Uh… Euhahahahaha…!!”

“You’re not going to listen to me again, are you? I know that even if I tell a pushover like you about Aria, it won’t sink in anyway.”

“…. Don’t provoke me any further, kid…!!”

“…. Listen carefully. Aria, you see. She’s the woman who caught a boar by herself.”

“…. What? A boar?… Pffft….”

When Artyun heard my words, his contorted face slowly began to relax, and he started laughing so hard he slapped his own leg. At his laughter, Artyun’s subordinates, who had been holding their breath in fear of his rage, also began to laugh loudly. Then Artyun pointed at me and said,

“Now I see, it seems you’re the pushover, kid! With a staff like that, it’s possible to challenge a boar! What kind of talk is this in an age where humans can actually hunt boars…?”

“… I’m not finished explaining yet, Artyun.”

“Huh?”

At my words, the laughter of Artyun and his subordinates ceased. Meanwhile, Riera and Karina, smiling, were worrying about Aria as she ran towards Artyun’s subordinates. Then Karina, with trembling hands, tugged at Riera’s collar and said,

“Unnie! Aria Unnie will die like this!!”

“H-but it doesn’t seem like a situation for us to intervene, Ka-Karina… For now, it’s best to leave it to the Saintess-nim…”

“Is that even something to say?! What was it! You’re a fairy, aren’t you! If you sing a lullaby to put them to sleep…”

“I-I’m too scared… I can’t sing…”

“What?!”

Karina was greatly shocked when Riera, overwhelmed by terror, couldn’t clear her throat to sing. In the meantime, Artyun’s subordinates, seeing the incredibly beautiful Aria running towards them, laughed and said,

“That woman is mine! Everyone get out of the way!”

“Kekekeke! It’s the Saintess, the Saintess!!! If I catch her, I’ll make her my spouse, get out of the way!!”

“What are you talking about! If we sell her, we can make a fortune!!! Ehhihihihihi!!”

“Everyone move! That woman is miii…”

“Hiiiiiik!!!”

Suddenly, something splashed onto them, and Artyun’s subordinates stopped, touching whatever had splattered on their faces. It had splattered not only on their bodies but also on the corridor walls. Riera, who was watching this scene with wide eyes, was greatly horrified and quickly covered Karina’s eyes.

“Ugh… Uwaaaah…”

“What splashed…. Huh?”

“Oh my? Is this her true skill?”

“Huh…? H-h-h-h-h-h-h?”

Artyun’s subordinates realized the identity of the substance splattered on their bodies and froze on the spot. The substance splattered everywhere was blood. Aria had swung her golden staff and, in a single strike, obliterated the head of one of Artyun’s subordinates. Blood was gushing from the neck of the subordinate whose head had been severed instantly. At that moment, all of Artyun’s subordinates immediately recognized that something was terribly wrong. While the shocking scene unfolded in the corridor, I explained to Artyun,

“Aria caught a boar with her bare hands. That staff is something I recovered after saving her. She caught a boar for me when she didn’t have her staff. With her bare hands.”

“…. W-what are you talking about? Until the v-very end…”

Sigh… He’s trying to take it as a joke again. I understood why the human with the 20 mana, when he said he was from another world, told me to believe it or not. Who else would believe such an unbelievable reality? It’s understandable that Artyun is surprised. No human in history has ever caught a boar with their bare hands.

“If it’s hard to believe, there’s also evidence you can see later. Do you know the Stone Wall of Boyati?”

“Ha… Ha… I am Artyun, leader of the smuggling organization Robdom! Do you think I wouldn’t know something like that!”

“Then there’s no need for further explanation. Aria… the Black Saintess… made a hole in that stone wall.”

“… What?”

The Stone Wall of Boyati, which no monster could break. At that time, Aria, to prove herself to me, simply made a hole in the Stone Wall of Boyati with the tip of her staff. It was the most astonishing and terrifying scene I had witnessed until I arrived in Melodian.

“Sh-she didn’t just scratch the Stone Wall of Boyati… she *pierced* it…? Im-impossible. There’s no way such a thing could exist.”

“I’m sorry, but everything I’ve said is true. Both my ignorance of the man’s location you’re searching for, and Aria’s terrifying nature.”

“What…?”

“Of all people, you kidnapped me, who knows no information. And Aria adores me quite a bit. What does that mean…? It means that by kidnapping me, you’ve angered the strongest woman in this world.”

Simultaneously with my words, screams began to echo from the end of the corridor. At those screams, Artyun’s composure, which he had maintained until just now, vanished in an instant, and for the first time, he showed a flustered expression. The truth about Aria must have hit him with such terror. Hey, I’ve been traveling with such an Aria for ten days. What does that make me?

“Th-then if I kill you, that b-will stop…”

“Rather, she’ll become even more enraged, won’t she? She might even inflict pain worse than death on you. Taking me hostage is also a dangerous idea. If you gamble like that without knowing how much power the Black Saintess possesses, you’ll only lose more, won’t you?”

“Th-then…”

“Exactly. You’ve self-destructed.”

While I was explaining about Aria to Artyun, Aria was swinging her golden staff, defeating Artyun’s subordinates one by one. No, to be precise, she was crushing their heads. Riera, who had been watching the scene continuously, couldn’t bear it any longer and reverted to her fairy form, closing her eyes.

“Sc-scared, Unnie…”

“I-I’m scared too, Karina… W-was I nearly torn limb from limb by such a terrifying person…?”

“A-and Zeke Hyung was with that kind of Unnie for days…”

“I know, right… You’re amazing, Zeke-nim…”

“Uwaaaah! Run!! We can’t win!! She’s deflecting spears and swords too!!”

“G-get out of the way! I first…”

“No can do~”

As Aria extended her palm towards Artyun’s fleeing subordinates, a yellow barrier formed at the exit and entrance of the passage. Realizing they were trapped in a corridor with no escape, Artyun’s subordinates were terrified and slowly turned their heads towards Aria. And at that moment, another subordinate’s head was crushed by Aria’s staff. Blood spurted from the shattered head. The subordinates hit by the blood began to lose their minds.

“Thoughts of saving you? Not at all~ Do you think I’d show mercy to the sinners who kidnapped Zeke-nim? Absolutely not…”

“H-Haaaaaah!!! Sh-she’s a Saintess! Saintesses don’t kill…”

“To me, there is only Zeke-nim~ Killing? Gods? Blasphemy? None of that matters to me~ However… I will make you keenly feel the consequences of your sin of separating Zeke-nim from my side, starting now… even after death.”

Seeing Aria’s murderous words and expression, Artyun’s subordinates were greatly startled and tried desperately to break the barrier blocking the corridor’s exit with swords and and spears. But Aria’s powerful barrier didn’t even get a scratch, and the moment they despaired, another head shattered. Blood spurted from the shattered head. The subordinates hit by the blood began to lose their minds.

“W-we’re sorry!! We won’t do it again…”

One of the subordinates begging for forgiveness was struck in the abdomen by Aria’s staff. The subordinate then spewed blood from his mouth and died on the spot. No matter how much the subordinates swung their swords and spears to kill Aria, she deflected all the approaching swords and spears with her staff and began to kill them one by one. As the screams of many subordinates echoed from the end of the corridor, Artyun was greatly horrified.

“Im-impossible… No matter how strong that woman is, we have weapons. How can she do this with just one staff…?”

“That staff… it’s not an ordinary golden staff, Artyun. Do you know of a crystal called Behemoth’s Tear?”

“Be-Behemoth’s Tear? Th-that thing you can get from a fallen ancient golem…?”

“They say its color is identical to gold. The golden staff Aria has now was made by processing it. The hardness of that crystal is known to be harder than iron… no, even harder than adamantium. If you get hit in the head with such a blunt weapon, you’ll never be safe.”

“….. Damn it.”

Artyun, having heard my explanation, finally seemed to believe my words, or perhaps he was just dazed from listening to the continuous screams, but he stared blankly at me. Then he raised the sword in his hand towards me again and shouted,

“I won’t die easily…!! We can go out the back door! So…”

“Uwaaaah!!! Help me!!”

“….?!”

Screams from Artyun’s subordinates were heard from a different direction than where Aria was presumed to be slaughtering them. Well… it seems that side was successful too. At the sudden screams, Artyun seemed even more flustered and dazed than before.

“W-what in the world is that?!”

“Oh… I didn’t escape alone. I released the Beastman Vanguard Mister that you guys are so scared of, and even the former slave hunter Mister.”

“What?! How in the world…”

“Where do you think I got this sword? My hometown specializes in magic stone refining, you see. And with Aria’s blessing added to it, it’s been adjusted so it can be summoned to me even from a distance. It’s a one-time use, but it should be enough, right?”

“…. Then those guys are currently…”

“They’re probably releasing the slaves, I guess? The back door? Go on. See if you can get past all the people who suffered because of you.”

“Th-this little brat…!!! I can’t take it anymore!!”

“And one more thing you’ve overlooked.”

“?!”

Artyun and his subordinates were greatly astonished when I parried the sword he swung with my greatsword. Don’t underestimate people. I’ve trained my body for exploration. It’s just that I’ve been overshadowed by Aria lately, but I can fight too.

“Ha…. So you’re not just some kid after all…”

“You don’t have time now, Artyun. In front of you are Tess and Raskal. Behind you, the Black Saintess is trying to kill you until her eyes turn red. Even a mouse, when cornered, will struggle, won’t it? What kind of struggle will you make, you piece of trash?”

“I’ll have to struggle to kill you then…!!”

“Yeah… well…”

I’m also exploring by risking my life. Still, I need to survive. My ultimate goal is to survive and show my exploration records to my family and friends back home. I pulled a bottle containing a blue liquid from the pouch on my greatsword and drank the liquid inside. As Artyun and I clashed swords, Aria was slaughtering Artyun’s subordinates.

“Uwaaaaaah!! Die!!”

“Die quickly~ That way, I can reach Zeke-nim!”

“Ugh… Uwaaaaaah!! She’s a madwoman!!”

“Yes~ I’m crazy about Zeke-nim! Die quickly~”

The corpses of Artyun’s subordinates lay sprawled on the ground. More than half of them had their heads burst open or their abdomens pierced by the tip of Aria’s staff. The subordinates’ organs had splattered onto the walls, and their terror-stricken faces were scattered everywhere. The living subordinates were, of course, terrified. This was because Aria was killing them one by one with her staff, wearing a terrifying smile.

“Aaaaaahk!!”

A sound like something bursting echoed through the corridor. Every time the screams of Artyun’s subordinates were heard, Riera and Karina, who were hiding, covered their ears with both hands and trembled. The corridor was already soaked with the blood of many people. Blood was dripping from the ceiling, and shattered weapons from Aria’s golden staff were impaled in the walls. And then, the last one.

“Ah…. Aaaah….”

“Oh my. You’re the last one? Why did you kidnap Zeke-nim, then?”

“Th-this madwoman… If I die, I’ll surely inform the gods about you… You’ll receive divine punishment…”

“Divine punishment? Puhuhu… I don’t care about such superstitions~ To me, divine punishment is… being hated by Zeke-nim.”

“Can a Saintess do this?! A Saintess who doesn’t believe in gods… Wh-where does that power come from?!”

“Huhu… I underwent various rigorous training during my time as a Saintess, you see. And do you think a Saintess needs faith to have power?… Ah! That’s right. My eternal and unfading faith and love for Zeke-nim…. You’re right! Thanks to that faith, I’m drawing strength!”

“Uwaaaaaah!! Insane…!!”

“Shhhhiiieee… That’s enough? I’m busy, so I’ll finish you quickly~”

Aria smiled again and brought her golden staff down on the head of Artyun’s last remaining subordinate. Then she deactivated the barrier in front of her, turned around, and said,

“You two stay there~. Since I was able to find Zeke-nim thanks to you, this is your reward~”

“Y-yes… yes…”

“Puhuhu…”

Riera and Karina, probably due to their growing fear of Aria, couldn’t move their legs at all and plopped down on the spot. Hearing Riera’s reply, Aria began to enter further into the hideout. Then she stopped, spotting a gray-haired woman with her hair tied back. That woman, dressed in a black full-body suit with partial armor, was Melian, one of Artyun’s subordinates.

“Oh my? To think there was a woman here…”

“…. I heard screams from over there.”

“Ah… are those your subordinates? They’re all dead~ It’s my divine punishment for kidnapping Zeke-nim!”

“… Do you know about the man who destroyed Boska?”

“Hmm? Are you talking about the human with 20 mana?”

“So you do know. The leader wants that information. Willingly…”

“…. You? Why do you smell like Zeke-nim?”

“…?”

The moment Melian was about to draw two daggers from her waist, Aria caught a scent and glared at Melian with a dark expression. Then, the moment Aria slammed her golden staff onto the floor, Aria spoke in a low voice.

“Did you kidnap Zeke-nim?”

“… Zeke? Ah… that man. I kidnapped him. But I didn’t kill him…”

“How dare you separate Zeke-nim from my side?”

Suddenly, a voice laced with rage began to emanate from Aria. However, as Artyun had mentioned, Melian had previously lost her emotions, so she felt no fear towards Aria. Melian gripped her two daggers and took a stance, and Aria shouted at Melian,

“Your death alone won’t be enough… I can never forgive you…. NEVER!!! You’ll suffer pain worse than death!!!”

“I’m sorry, but I already experienced such pain a long time ago. That’s why I’m emotionless now.”

“That’s none of my concern, is it…?”