Saint (2)

1.

Nine presences surrounded me.

Where did they suddenly pop out from?

Strange.

At this distance, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed them.

Were they hiding?

Using magic or a Magic Tool to conceal their presence. Or perhaps, they received professional assassination training and could completely hide their presence.

Was this person bait?

I looked down at the man collapsed at my feet.

The healing was complete, but he was unconscious.

Really.

Haven’t I become too complacent in this peace?

To fall for such a clumsy trap.

But whatever.

It’s actually good.

It’s not often I get to face nine people at once.

It’s worth all the hard work I put into worship.

The Celestial God is clearly rewarding me for my faithful prayers.

I’ll gladly enjoy it.

I prepared to fight.

I simply enhanced my body with Magical power.

I was sharpening my senses and observing the enemies’ movements when a man confidently revealed himself.

Judging by appearances, he seemed to be the leader of the group.

“Who are you?”

I glared at the man.

A handsome young man.

Tall and with a well-developed physique.

He doesn’t look like the type to do such dirty work, but…

The man looked earnest.

He reminded me of my younger days.

He doesn’t seem to be an adventurer.

His posture suggests he’s well-trained.

He might be a mercenary or from a noble family’s private army.

“You there.”

The man pointed his sword at the man collapsed at my feet.

“Just leave that person and quietly pass by.”

The man showed no hostility towards me.

Neither did the others.

A prickling dark intent poked at my heart, but other than that, they didn’t seem to have any intention of kidnapping me or anything.

Well, how disappointing.

To quietly pass by when I have such a good opportunity.

I can’t allow that.

I stood in front of the man approaching me, arms spread wide.

“I can’t allow it.”

I looked up at the man.

“If you want to take this person, you’ll have to defeat me first.”

I meant it sincerely.

2.

Leod looked down at the nun blocking his path.

The girl was glaring up at him with intensity in her eyes.

It was as if a small dog was growling at a large dog, not knowing her place.

What does she think she can do alone?

She probably knows it herself.

That it’s impossible to face nine people alone.

Especially since they were armed, and she had nothing.

He gave her a chance to escape.

But she kicked that chance away.

He didn’t know her name.

He didn’t know her identity.

She was protecting someone she happened to find while passing by.

This woman…

The Paladin, Leod, recalled the mission he had been given.

To confirm the woman of the Divine Revelation.

It had happened a week ago.

On a winter day when snow fell like feathers.

A Divine Revelation descended upon the Holy See, carried on the snow.

It stated that there was a woman with the soul of a Saintess in the southern part of the Empire.

The Holy See immediately sent five Paladins of the Holy Nation to the southern part of the Empire.

The five Paladins scattered and gathered information.

They directly confirmed anything that seemed even remotely related.

‘Hey, you know the Edel Nunnery on Breeze Hill?’

That was a conversation between adventurers enjoying ale at an inn.

‘Have you ever heard of the Saintess living there?’

Leod listened intently.

Their conversation went like this.

There was a girl living in the Edel Nunnery, and the Healing Magic she used was an exaggerated story close to a miracle.

But it was worth investigating.

Leod asked the head of the Edel Nunnery to send the most promising nun in the nunnery to the forest.

It was to conduct a few tests.

And the girl who appeared in the forest was this girl.

And the girl passed the test.

It wasn’t confirmed, but Leod judged that this girl had enough qualities to become a Saintess.

A strong heart.

To put it nicely, bravery.

To put it badly, recklessness.

She used herself as a shield to protect others in the face of danger.

Leod looked into the girl’s eyes.

Her crimson eyes were staring straight at Leod.

He could feel a strong will within them.

A will to protect the person who had fallen.

Next was Divinity.

He had been watching the girl use Healing Magic.

In a word.

It was the Divinity of a Saintess.

To put it more precisely, just by the girl touching the wounded area, the warm heat of Divinity cleanly healed the wound.

She’s not ordinary.

She’s special.

It was a power given to her by the Celestial God from birth.

To save the world.

To redeem the world.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Yes?”

Leod knelt on one knee in front of the girl.

He was certain.

This girl was the woman of the Divine Revelation.

“I am Leod, a Paladin of the Holy Nation.”

He bowed respectfully.

“I greet the Saintess.”

As Leod knelt first, the other knights surrounding the girl also knelt and paid their respects.

“Yes? What’s suddenly…?”

The girl blinked.

“I have come to find the woman of the Divine Revelation under the orders of the Pope.”

“The woman of the Divine Revelation?”

“A week ago, a Divine Revelation was given to the Holy Nation. There is a woman with the soul of a Saintess in the southern part of the Empire. And that woman is you.”

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I’m telling you, you’ve mistaken me.”

“No, I haven’t.”

The girl, Elia, was just flustered by the situation.

What the hell is going on?

Paladin?

Saintess?

It was a story from a world completely unrelated to her.

“The way you protect the injured by using yourself as a shield. The Divinity you possess innately. All are qualities of a Saintess.”

You seem to be greatly mistaken.

Elia just wanted to fight.

It wasn’t an intention to protect the injured, but just a desire to move her body.

“You must be flustered.”

“You know that well.”

“But it’s true. I sincerely hope you will come with us to the Holy Nation.”

“I refuse.”

He didn’t seem to be joking.

The man kneeling was serious.

He sincerely wanted to take Elia to the Holy Nation.

I knew something like this would happen someday…

I knew it from the moment Divinity manifested in my body.

That I would catch the attention of the Holy Nation.

But I didn’t expect to get involved so quickly.

I was living quietly in the nunnery.

Divine Revelation?

The Celestial God is clearly punishing me.

He must have been watching me pretending to pray prettily and sleeping during worship.

I’m sorry.

I’ll pray diligently from now on.

Please cancel that Divine Revelation.

“Okay. Let’s say I’m the woman the Celestial God spoke of.”

“You are the woman of the Divine Revelation.”

“Let’s say, hypothetically.”

Elia rubbed her forehead.

Have I ever seen such a stubborn guy?

Leod had no intention of revising his judgment even slightly.

This girl is a Saintess.

He was certain, certain.

“Even if I have the qualities of a Saintess, I have no intention of becoming one.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m going to join the Imperial Army. My goal is to go to the front lines, defeat the Magical Beasts, defeat the Demons, and defeat the Demon King to end the long, long war.”

I never thought I’d bring up this story to someone else first.

Not that it mattered.

“I knew it…!”

Leod became even more certain.

“She definitely has the soul of a Saintess.”

“Yes? In what way, exactly?”

“The desire to sacrifice herself to protect the knights on the battlefield.”

“No, that’s not it…!”

“The determination to hope for peace and decide on something difficult. All of that proves that you are the person who will become a Saintess.”

I’m going crazy.

He’s interpreting it however he wants.

It seems like he’s someone I can’t reason with.

Elia decided to run away.

“Let’s end the conversation here. I have to go see a patient in the village.”

Elia passed by Leod.

Leod followed behind her.

When she quickened her pace, he matched her pace.

“Don’t follow me.”

She turned around and glared.

Leod just bowed his head.

And when Elia started, Leod also started following.

Elia ran.

Her breasts bounced up and down.

A bra alone isn’t enough to hold them properly.

I have to wrap cloth tightly like when I train at night to reduce discomfort.

“You’ll get hurt if you fall.”

A voice came from behind.

Leod was chasing after her with light steps.

I’m running pretty fast using Body Enhancement, but he’s keeping up without even using Body Enhancement.

I have no choice.

Elia reached her hand back.

A flash of Divinity sparkled.

Golden waves flooded the forest, blinding the man’s eyes.

In that gap, she used Magical power.

She kicked the ground hard with her feet.

Her body shot forward like an arrow.

“…She’s not an ordinary girl after all.”

Leod stared silently at the spot where Elia had disappeared.

“I don’t understand.”

Why is she refusing?

Isn’t it something to be happy about?

An opportunity to become a Saintess?

I never imagined she would refuse like that.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to back down.

No matter how much she refuses, I have to take the girl to the Holy Nation.

We need the girl.

To fill the vacant position of Saintess as soon as possible.