NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103: Meanwhile, The Hero’s Party
“Claire, it was a mistake to abandon our comrades and run away.”
“……Yes, that’s true.”
“If only we had fought with the demons to the end, we could have died honorably…!”
Watching Leon vent his anger, Saintess Claire sighed deeply.
Leon and Claire, who had fled from fighting the demons, were taking refuge in the church.
This was because Claire was the only comrade Leon had left.
‘..The Tower of Mages, the Elf Tribe, and the Beastmen Union won’t just stand by, after all.’
Hyun-woo was banished, and Rose and Tina went missing during the battle with the demons.
It’s unclear whether they are dead or have been captured.
It was as if they were surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Only because Claire remained, did the church provide them with the minimum courtesy.
Of course, even that was not so great.
‘……It’s worse than the room I used to have.’
Claire still remembers the luxurious room she had when she first became the saintess of the hero’s party.
Although the church doctrine limited the use of expensive items, it was a good standard for Claire, who was considered a failure among saintesses.
She had received enormous expectations as both a hero and a saintess.
If things had gone well, she might have even dreamed of becoming a great saintess.
But this was the result.
“I wonder what happened to those kids? It would be nice if we could at least confirm they’re alive……”
“…Still, you need to eat something.”
“I’ll pass today, too. I’m so worried about the kids that I don’t think I can swallow anything.”
“You need to eat to have the strength to fight.”
“…We shouldn’t have done that, Claire. You were probably in a hurry, but it was a mistake.”
“…….Yes, we were all panicked.”
Claire replied, with a bitter smile.
She might not be smart, but she prided herself on understanding people’s psychology and hearts.
Claire knew it too.
Leon surely regretted what happened last time, but he’s not the type to die alongside his comrades in that situation.
Nor was he prepared to bear the disgrace of having abandoned his comrades and fled.
So, internally, he considered the situation somewhat fortunate.
At least he could avoid the responsibility of having ‘abandoned his comrades.’
The hero survived ‘unintentionally’ because the saintess teleported them by her own will.
Of course, others may not care about such details.
‘Skipping meals and making self-blaming statements loudly are for others to hear.’
If they truly wanted to save their comrades, they should go to the royal family and kneel if necessary.
How ridiculous must their current situation look?
Claire, who grew up in the church, knew how extraordinary the people here, who were smiling normally, were.
Even an apprentice passing by would realize it’s all an act.
But it’s still better than doing nothing and being comfortable.
‘The best way is to capture a demon and make a merit, but that’s difficult now.’
It was already a difficult task when there were four of them.
But now that two had disappeared, only Leon and she were left.
It’s impossible to make a merit with such a combination.
It’s hard to expect help from the outside.
Considering Leon’s current situation, there would be no one willing to join as a new comrade.
No, even the current situation was precarious.
How long would the church continue to look after them?
If deemed useless, Claire herself might be expelled from her saintess position.
‘…Was it a mistake to join the hero’s party?’
Claire recalled the day she first saw the hero.
At that time, she had somewhat resigned herself to her fate in life.
She didn’t possess significant divine power.
Somehow, she was chosen as a saintess, but that was it.
There were plenty of women more exceptional than her.
That inferiority complex was enough to darken the bright Claire.
Would she end up living an ordinary life, failing to become a great saintess?
During such resignation, she encountered an opportunity.
“The hero will be staying in the church for a while. We are recruiting companions to join him.”
Most of the saintesses were not pleased with this news.
Being part of the hero’s party might sound appealing, but it ultimately meant facing dangerous monsters.
Moreover, the timing was inconvenient.
For some reason, this hero appeared much earlier than usual.
A great saintess, widely recognized by everyone, was still present.
There was still plenty of time before the next great saintess would be chosen.
As the task of defeating the Demon King would shorten the performance period, the chances of becoming a great saintess would decrease.
However, Claire was curious and optimistic about this situation.
“I might as well consider that I have no chance of becoming a great saintess. Perhaps it’s better to make a name for myself in the hero’s party or gain some fame?”
Being a half-baked saintess would be worse anyway.
Claire watched the hero and his companion, a mage, from a distance.
Hero Leon and the Black Mage Lee Hyun-woo.
Both were quite handsome young men.
“I, I didn’t know there would be so many saintesses.”
“Strictly speaking, they are not saintesses. The church only recognizes one ‘real’ saintess, the great saintess. The others are just considered candidates for the great saintess.”
“So, who should we choose?”
“Whoever we choose, their abilities will be similar. They are all just flowers in a greenhouse. It would be different if there was a great saintess known as the best of all time…but that’s unlikely.”
“Weren’t you called the top mage of the Mage Tower?”
“That’s because I’m an idiot who decided to follow my stupid friend to beat the Demon King.”
“Wow, you speak quite harshly.”
The mage had a sharp tongue, but his abilities seemed promising.
The hero’s face was quite handsome, and he seemed naive, fitting the rumors of being from a rural domain.
“Defeating the Demon King grants you the title of hero and your own domain, right? And I will be revered as a saintess. Not bad.”
This could turn out to be quite an enjoyable journey.
Deciding this, Claire seized the moment when the mage was away.
She slipped into a saintess dress that revealed her cleavage and thighs.
“Huh~ You’re the hero, right?”
“Yes, yes?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Claire, the saintess. I’ve wanted to talk with you at least once.”
“Ah…hello, I’m Leon.”
“You’re more handsome than I thought. Oh my, such firm muscles.”
“Ah, that, really?”
“Yes, I’ve heard a lot about your reputation. But isn’t it a bit hot here to talk?”
Claire flaunted her thighs and fluttered the fabric near her chest.
Her white skin peeked through the clothing.
She whispered in his ear with a sultry voice.
“My room is a bit cooler. How about we talk there, just the two of us? I don’t mind if it gets a bit steamy♥”
“This is a church, that kind of…….”
“It’s okay. The Goddess forgives everything, you know?”
That day, Claire gave her virginity to Leon.
And she became the saintess of the hero’s party.
She wondered if this was really happening, but those doubts completely vanished when she was officially appointed to the hero’s party.
As the saintess of the hero’s party, she received a tremendous amount of treatment she had never experienced before.
She even felt a thrill when a certain noble bowed his head, asking for help with monsters.
‘…That too is now just a glory of the past.’
Claire briefly reminisced about the past before returning to reality.
She looked around the room assigned to her and Leon.
Just a slightly bigger room than the one she had when she was an ordinary saintess.
That was now the place for her and Leon.
‘Sigh…I wanted to become a great saintess.’
The breathtaking appearance of the great saintess she had seen upon first becoming a saintess herself had left a profound impression on Claire.
This admiration had propelled Claire to where she was now.
She was like a masterpiece sculpted by a deity, possessing a perfect figure.
She gave off the impression of being much more mature than Claire herself.
A woman who captivated not only men but also the gazes of other women, truly akin to a goddess.
Claire still couldn’t shake off the memory of that day and the dreams that followed.
When she was honored as the saintess of the hero’s party, she truly believed anything was possible.
‘…Where did it all go wrong?’
There was no need to voice it aloud.
Everything began to unravel after they expelled Lee Hyun-woo.
The hero’s party fell apart too swiftly following his departure.
The hero and the others grew anxious.
And amidst the uneasy glances, things spiraled into disaster.
Had that mage been there, perhaps they could have averted this crisis.
He may have had a sharp tongue, but his skills and connections were unparalleled.
‘It was a mistake to drive away that mage.’
Had she known, she would have fought to keep Lee Hyun-woo, even at the cost of displeasing Leon.
Then, she might not have been the official saintess, but at least she could have been celebrated as the saintess who vanquished the Demon King.
Of course, such regrets are pointless now.
The mage had departed, and the hero’s party had disintegrated.
“Sigh.”
Claire let out a quiet sigh, careful not to let Leon hear her.
…She didn’t have to worry about such complex matters before.
But now, left to her own devices, her mind was in turmoil.
Regardless, it was time to act.
If they wanted to maintain even this modest room.
“The church might soon issue us a monster subjugation order.”
“Monster subjugation?”
“Yes, there’s supposed to be a witch residing in the forest. She’s been employing some unusual sorcery. Something recently happened, and she’s become quite active.”
‘…I thought I heard she was a mage before, but perhaps I was mistaken?’
Well, it wasn’t particularly important.
“I don’t think it will be a difficult enemy. It’s like they’re saying, if we’re just sitting around, we should at least show some results.”
“Good then. It’s an opportunity to show our skills.”
Claire simply smiled quietly.
Yeah, as if something would happen even in a simple monster subjugation.
That’s when they were talking.
“Is the hero here?”
Another nun opened the door with a knock.
She glanced at Claire with a slightly sad expression and then addressed the hero.
“There’s a parcel here for you, sir.”
“A parcel?”
“Yes, would you like to check it?”
Leon and Claire exchanged glances.
They couldn’t think of anyone who would send them something.
Moreover, how did they know the hero was in this church?
“Could you give it to us, please?”
Leon accepted the parcel without giving it much thought.
Until then, he had no idea what could be inside.