Saint

1.

It was another peaceful morning.

Having finished her morning prayers, Elia was walking down the hallway.

Nuns’ eyes followed her as she headed to the classroom, clutching the Bible to study basic Divinity Studies.

“…”

Elia pursed her lips.

Her one eyebrow twitched as if she was displeased.

The cause was five steps behind her.

“Why are you following me?”

Elia turned around.

Her eyes sharply narrowed beneath her long eyelashes.

Leod, meeting her gaze, bowed politely.

That was it.

There was no answer to her question.

“You know it’s a nuisance to follow me like this, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, then stop following me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Three days.

Leod had been following Elia for three days.

He silently guarded her like a bodyguard.

When she went to the restroom.

When she went to the bathroom to take a bath.

When she went to sleep.

Except for those times, Leod was like Elia’s shadow.

It was quite annoying.

It was also cumbersome.

Elia hadn’t been able to do her swordsmanship training for three days because of Leod.

“Are you protesting right now?”

“…”

“I’ll say it again, I’m never going to the Holy Nation. So please give up and go back.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Is ‘I’m sorry’ all you can say?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ugh…!”

Elia pounded her chest with her fist.

A soft, limp feeling pushed her fist away.

She felt like she was burning up inside.

Every time Elia refused, this stubborn Holy Knight refused her refusal with the word “sorry.”

Nothing she said worked.

No method she used worked.

Leod was consistent in his determination to take Elia to the Holy Nation no matter what.

“You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not going to be the Saintess. What grounds do you have for being so sure?”

There was no material evidence.

Only circumstantial evidence.

What was certain was that he had to go back to the Holy Nation and check.

However, Leod had no doubt in his mind.

It was clear.

This girl was the Woman of the Oracle.

He had a strong, intuitive conviction.

“Go back.”

“I can’t go back.”

“I said, go back.”

“I can’t go back.”

“If you keep acting like this, I won’t stand still.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to run away from home.”

Anyway, she would soon be an adult and graduate from the convent.

It wouldn’t be a big problem if she left a month or two early.

It was then.

“What are you talking about, running away from home, Elia?”

Elia’s guardian.

Bertina was approaching with a stern expression.

“I thought I taught you that farewells are more important than meetings? Does Elia intend to end our relationship like that?”

It was a saying from the Bible.

Meetings are important, but farewells are more important.

It was also a saying that Bertina liked.

Elia looked at Bertina with a dissatisfied look.

“Didn’t Reverend Mother try to hand me over to the Holy Nation without consulting me first?”

That day, sending her on an errand to the village was a lie.

She went to treat Grandfather who had a sprained back, but he was farming with a perfectly fine back.

It was a way to lure Elia so that she could be tested for her qualifications as a Saintess at the request of the Holy Knight.

She felt a little betrayed by that.

If they had known each other for a long time.

Instead of luring her with lies, couldn’t they have asked her once?

Asked her what she wanted to do since they had received this contact from the Holy Nation.

Of course, she would have refused.

But still, that’s what was right in terms of human relationships.

“I did it for Elia, because I wanted Elia to live in a good place and be treated well.”

A parent’s heart.

Although she wasn’t a real child born from her womb.

Bertina thought of Elia as her real daughter.

All the children she was in charge of were precious to her, but because she was also human, there were children she was particularly fond of.

That was Elia.

That’s why she scolded her more harshly.

That’s why she wanted her to live a better life.

“When did I ever say I wanted something like that?”

“That…”

Bertina, who was about to say something, closed her mouth.

Elia had never said such a thing.

When had she ever said she wanted to live well?

When had she ever said she wanted to be treated well?

She hadn’t.

But.

Weren’t those basic desires that everyone had?

Who would want unhappiness and be treated poorly?

“But this isn’t a common opportunity. I don’t know if you’ll really become a Saintess or not, but just becoming a Saintess Candidate is enough to live a happy life.”

A fantasy that every nun had once had.

What if I were a Saintess?

Bertina used to dream such dreams when she was young.

Perhaps the reason she showed Elia this affection was because she was trying to vicariously satisfy herself by having Elia achieve what she had only dreamed of?

Elia said firmly to Bertina’s words.

“Why do you decide the criteria for happiness as you please?”

Bertina couldn’t speak again.

If she became a Saintess, if she became a Saintess Candidate, she would be happy.

That was purely Bertina’s opinion.

“That’s good. I’ll say it this time.”

She would have to say it soon anyway.

“I’m going to apply to the Imperial Army.”

“Yes…?”

“It seems that you, including Reverend Mother, and the other nuns think that I will officially become a cleric. I’m not going to be a cleric. I’m going to be a knight.”

“A knight?”

It was too sudden.

The Imperial Army?

A knight?

She had never heard of it, and she had never thought about it.

She was sorry to say this…

No matter how she looked at it, Elia didn’t look like she would become a knight.

No matter how short of soldiers the Imperial Army was.

The situation wasn’t so urgent that they would use such a frail-looking girl as a soldier.

Even if Elia applied to the Imperial Army, she would be rejected.

Bertina wasn’t the only one who thought this.

Leod, who was quietly silent behind her, thought the same thing.

It would have been possible in the old days.

But now there was a truce.

The number of people applying to the Imperial Army had also decreased.

The criteria for recruitment had also changed.

In the past, anyone who applied was accepted, but now they had to pass the qualification standards through an exam to become an Imperial Knight.

Hmm…

Leod looked at Elia’s back.

Her petite figure.

Her nun’s habit clung tightly to her body, revealing the curves of her buttocks.

Every part of her body looked soft.

She wouldn’t be able to pass the Imperial Army’s qualification standards.

Neither physically.

Nor in terms of stamina.

She wasn’t trained at all.

“Anyway, this conversation ends here.”

Elia held out the Bible she was holding to Bertina. Then, she turned away from going to class and left the chapel.

“Elia…!”

Bertina’s voice came from behind.

She ignored it.

To be upset about something like this at this age…

Was it not only her body that had become younger, but also her mind?

Elia was upset by Bertina’s actions, which were not for her sake, but pretending to be for her sake.

Elia also felt a strong bond with Bertina.

Nine years.

If she included the time before her memories of her previous life returned, it was 19 years.

How could she not have any feelings after being cared for by Bertina for that long?

She wasn’t her real parent, but she thought of her as a parent.

That’s why she was upset by this incident.

She had been too emotional…

Elia ruffled her hair.

The veil she was wearing on her head fell to the floor with a thud.

She bent forward to pick up the veil.

She saw Leod’s feet between her legs.

Elia turned around while bending over.

“Don’t you have any tact? Read the atmosphere.”

“I’m sorry.”

Again, again, again!

The water had already been spilled.

She was going to try to send him away nicely with words if possible.

But if he didn’t listen, Elia had no choice but to use her own method.

For a long time.

A way to break the stubbornness of a stubborn guy.

“Follow me.”

Elia grabbed Leod’s wrist and pulled him along.

The girls who had no experience with men were surprised by the scene.

They covered their mouths with one hand and watched with curious eyes.

Elia dragged Leod into the forest.

A secluded forest.

No matter what she did, she wouldn’t get caught easily.

She was going to do it here.

“Do you really want to take me to the Holy Nation?”

Leod, with a stern face, nodded.

“The Divinity that Elia uses is impossible to use at that age. Because you are no ordinary person, I am thinking of taking you to the Pope first. Then we will know. Whether Elia is really the Woman of the Oracle or not.”

If they used the Sacred Relic in the Pope’s archives, they could confirm it immediately.

“Okay.”

Elia spread her arms.

“Take me.”

“Are you agreeing?”

“If you can take me.”

Elia took off her veil and threw it at Leod.

“Duel.”

It was a sure way to break his stubbornness.