Taming the Evil Saintess

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“….”

Ophelia pulled back the curtain and gazed into the open space outside the inn.

The sound of metal clashing echoed in succession. Two individuals, reunited after a long time, were locked in a duel, their weapons meeting with fervor.

The Dragonkin Warrior, Laila, swung her battle axe with a menacing gust of wind that could be heard even beyond the window. Each time the axe struck the ground, it felt like the earth would shake beneath our feet.

In contrast, Elliot remained remarkably calm. He held his sword upright, deflected the axe, and counterattacked. Though Elliot’s sword wasn’t ornate, his skill was no less impressive.

The passersby in the city couldn’t help but be drawn in by their display of martial prowess.

Of course, Ophelia on the second floor was no exception.

“Well, they sure are good.”

The duel reminded her of battles between giants and boys, like the verses she had grown bored of in the Punishment Room.

In the end, the victor was always the boy who wielded his slingshot skillfully.

And this duel was no different.

Thud.

Laila’s towering figure was knocked backward.

She had taken the blunt of the sword on her chest.

Quickly getting back on her feet with a blush, Laila didn’t even bother brushing off the dirt before giving Elliot a warm hug, prompting the audience to erupt in applause for the friendship shared between the two warriors.

“…that lizard, huh?”

Ophelia mused, frowning at the display.

She despised the commonfolk, but she didn’t harbor a hatred for the race as a whole.

Yet at that moment, she felt considerable resentment toward that Laila, the red lizard.

The dragon-like appearance? The sly way she spoke? Whatever it was, it didn’t sit well with Ophelia.

Especially how close she was to Elliot…

“….”

Ophelia pondered the odd sensation washing over her.

What in the world was this feeling, she wondered.

It was an odd, suffocating kind of frustration, like having mud shoved into her mouth.

An emotion she couldn’t articulate.

Ophelia crushed the cheap brooch in her hand.

– Jealousy! Women are completed by their jealousy!

The words of that brainless Emily floated to the forefront of her mind.

“Damn it.”

*

After the duel, I found myself washing up at a nearby well.

I had stripped down to my bare skin, only covering myself with a towel as I stretched.

“I haven’t lost my touch.”

That was Laila’s remark. She had sidled up next to me with a broad grin, arms crossed.

“No, I think I’ve gotten stronger since my time in the North. The role of the Knight of the Saint seems to suit me well now.”

“Somewhat. Not quite as much as fighting against the beasts.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

Where did I put my clothes again?

As I rummaged to gather my belongings, Laila asked,

“Are we heading out soon?”

“Yeah.”

Golden Lion Azar de Elbrecht.

According to Laila, Azar, my sturdy ally character from the game, had become an officer of the Demon King’s Army.

I had steeled myself to accept any strange twists that awaited me. After all, Ophelia and Titania had their histories.

But a traitor? I never imagined that.

It hardly makes sense for someone blessed by the Holy Deity to serve under the Demon King.

“The Labre Territory is currently sealed off. No one can enter or leave. We don’t even know what’s happening there.”

“Is it true that he has indeed become an officer of the Demon King’s Army?”

“Yeah. That’s because the demons are guarding the territory. The mages all claimed they felt the presence of dark magic. I even heard an administrator sent to investigate was imprisoned right after. And most importantly, Azar himself proclaimed he’d joined the Demon King’s Army.”

“Is the government really just sitting back after hearing this?”

“Well, Auriga’s politics are complicated. Freedom is usually guaranteed unless it’s truly a big deal.”

“…”

“It’s going to be dangerous. Are you really going?”

“What choice do I have?”

Still, I decided to head toward the Labre Territory.

It didn’t matter if I couldn’t bring Azar back as an ally. Such deviations were unlikely to be mere personality reversals.

‘Possessor.’

Ultimately, it meant that the possessed beings had some involvement in this.

It wouldn’t be strange for them to directly influence named characters.

The reason they hadn’t targeted someone like Ophelia or Emily was likely because Ophelia had the Pope, and Emily had the Archmage backing her, making access difficult. However, most other Mark Holders were mere mercenaries or wandering mages.

It would be easy for the possessors to attack or lure them.

Some named characters might have already met their demise or turned traitor.

Given the situation, it was vital to check up on the named characters through Owen. I had planned to send a letter to the Information Bureau via the Adventurer Guild today.

“Haa.”

I grimaced as a nagging headache pulsed at my temples.

“This is beyond difficult…”

In terms of game difficulty settings… Hell?

No. It would probably be even more lunatic than that.

As I sighed heavily, Laila placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and pointed to the inn. There, Ophelia was peering at us through the window.

The moment our eyes met, she grimaced and drew the curtain shut.

It had been like this for days.

Especially with Ophelia showing a nearly stray cat-like demeanor around Laila.

Whether it be fear or disdain…

“What a cute child.”

“Just a brat.”

“By my standards, you’re a brat too.”

Laila smiled awkwardly at that.

“It seems the Saint Lady dislikes me.”

“That one just has a foul personality. She hates all humans by default.”

“Not in that way.”

Laila chuckled as she tousled my hair. When I scowled at her, she playfully slapped my back.

“You really still can’t read people’s hearts, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

I retorted, but Laila merely gave a mysterious smile.

“Anyway, it’s best not to be too harsh with the Saint Lady.”

“Why? Do you think I’d fear the Pope?”

“Haha, that’s not what I’m saying. Just… try to understand people’s feelings a little.”

“What feelings?”

“That Saint Lady probably doesn’t truly hate you enough to chase after you.”

“….”

I scrutinized Laila’s expression, yet it was tricky to read the feelings of the Dragonkin.

Ultimately, I gave up and continued walking.

“Tsk.”

I knew that much too.

Despite thinking she was a wicked villain at heart, she wasn’t entirely a bad person. She simply struggled to express her feelings.

I could now understand Belwin’s words about how she’d lived in wealth but lacked emotional fulfillment.

Every time I thought of the Punishment Room, my blood boiled. Considering the childhood Ophelia must have suffered in such a place made me feel pathetic.

After all, she hadn’t become the Saint out of her own desire, and she had indeed been wronged herself.

As for here…

—

“Entering.”

I opened the door first.

Ophelia, who had been fiddling with her brooch, widened her eyes upon seeing me.

“Y-You crazy idiot! Put on some clothes!”

“Oh.”

“Perverted bastard!”

Ophelia threw her brooch at me with a face as red as a tomato, but I merely tilted my head back to dodge.

I hastily threw the towel around my neck, covering my important parts.

“Ophelia, we’re going to set out soon. Please get ready.”

“Ugh. Are we really going to deal with that bastard who became an officer of the Demon King’s Army?”

“Something along those lines.”

“Why make life so tough for yourself?”

“Isn’t that what being a Hero is about?”

At that, Ophelia let out a small laugh. The word ‘Hero’ always made me a bit awkward, so I chuckled along.

Ophelia gestured toward the window.

“Are we taking that lizard along too?”

“We are. And it’s not a lizard; her name is Laila.”

“…”

Ophelia pouted and turned her head away.

I figured it would be best to tread lightly, so I sat on the edge of the bed.

“Do you perhaps find Laila frightening?”

“Are you out of your mind? If I were scared of dragons, I sure as hell wouldn’t be afraid of some lizard like that!”

“You seemed like a shaken reed when you first met her.”

“Th-That was due to the temperature difference!”

Ophelia exploded in outrage, and I merely smirked.

“Ophelia.”

“What?”

“Despite how she looks, Laila is essentially a good person. It would be best to get along with her, when you can.”

“I know, idiot.”

“Ophelia has a tendency to see others as enemies.”

“…”

“Above all, Laila is my friend.”

I intended to suggest that we ought to get along as friends.

But upon hearing that, Ophelia dropped her gaze.

“Well then.”

“Yes?”

“What about me…?”

“…”

Wondering how to respond, I met Ophelia’s eyes. She appeared to be gauging my reaction.

“I… am I not your friend?”

Those words from Ophelia were laced with embarrassment, so out of character for her.

Honestly, I never thought she’d say something like this.

Could it be that she’d been thinking this way for days? It was something I had never imagined.

I suppressed my own surprise and replied.

“Why would you ever question that? Ophelia is my friend.”

“…Then.”

Ophelia spoke,

“If I weren’t a Saint? If you weren’t a Hero? What if that was the case?”

I tried to grasp the intent behind her question, but her pure white hair spilled down and obscured her face.

In the end, I shrugged.

“Speculations like that hold no meaning.”

“…That’s true.”

“That’s how it is. But…”

With that, I paused to ponder before gently placing my hand over hers. Ophelia flinched, her whole body shivering at the contact.

“No matter the circumstances, I am bound to you, Ophelia. I swore that before the Deity, didn’t I?”

“…You did.”

“Let’s defeat the Demon King. After all, a Saint who vanquishes the Demon King’ll have no trouble overthrowing the Pope and toppling the Cathedral. When that time comes, I’ll assist you as a Hero.”

“…”

The effect of skinship was undeniable.

Though she said nothing further, Ophelia seemed quite pleased with my words.

“Let’s start packing. We should be on our way.”

“Ugh, right.”

Her suddenly demure manner seemed a touch awkward.

*

The road leading to the Labre Territory was blocked, leaving us without cart transport.

However, traversing this vast desert on foot would be akin to suicide.

Thus, we opted for a compromise.

“Oh my, thanks to all you mercenaries, we can travel without worry.”

We had taken a contract to escort a merchant caravan to the halfway point toward Labre.

The Adventurer Guild had arranged it for us. Given the caravan was crucial to Auriga’s economy, escorting it came with generous rewards and ample demand. And as a Level 4 Adventurer, Laila was in a position to take on such contracts.

‘What? Why should I have to travel with those filthy merchants! Renting a cart would be enough!’
‘We need to save money.’

Of course, Ophelia vehemently opposed it, but I stood my ground.

So now, I found myself gazing out at the horizon stretching out across the desert, yawning deeply.

On the other hand, Ophelia lay sprawled out in the cargo area, feeling nauseous. It seemed her motion sickness was quite severe. Though Laila had brought over some herbs, she refused to take them.

“It’s about time to show ourselves.”

I muttered while pulling back the blanket covering the cart.

In Auriga’s desert, all sorts of monsters lurk. Just from what I’d seen in the game, there were dozens of types, including orcs, goblins, and sandworms. It wasn’t just monsters, either. The bandits in Auriga had quite the reputation, even within the Empire.

However, we hadn’t faced any bandit attacks while heading toward the Labre Territory. Azar’s ascension to the Demon King’s Army had turned the route near Labre into a no-go zone for those bandits.

Yet monsters were another story.

“Caw?! Caw?”

“Oh, it’s a goblin.”

“It’s a goblin!”

Just two days into our journey, we encountered our first monster.

A being not typically seen in the Cathedral or Empire.

Monsters are different from beasts. The beasts originate from gathered magic, while these goblins were simply a byproduct of evolution.

Among the monsters, goblins were weak, dim-witted, and somewhat aggressive beasts.

“Leave it to me.”

Laila grinned, eager to swing her battle axe, but I raised my hand to stop her.

Instead, I turned toward Ophelia, who had been sulking in the cargo area.

“What? Damn it. Can’t you see I’m sick?”

“I do. That’s why I’m suggesting you get out.”

“Why?”

“A monster has appeared.”

At those words, Ophelia scowled and looked ahead.

A sand goblin. A puny creature that looked like a short dwarf, sporting just a torn shirt.

Three of them, in total.

Ophelia seemed intrigued at the sight of actual goblins for the first time, but her motion sickness must’ve taken precedence as she bent her head down.

“Why do they look so… beneath you?”

“Yes, they might be beneath me, but they might not be beneath you, Ophelia. I’m curious to see how you fare in this life-and-death struggle.”

“Huh?”

I scooped up Ophelia, who was tilting her head in confusion, and placed her in front of the sand goblins, handing her my sword.

Now left standing before three goblins with just a single sword, she wore the most puzzled expression overhead.

“Uh, what?”

Apparently not grasping the situation, Ophelia flipped her gaze between me and the goblins.

Soon enough, her face contorted.

“W-What the hell are you doing, you crazy fool!”

“Ophelia can handle this.”

“How am I supposed to deal with them?!”

I said nothing and took a few steps back, folding my arms.

And, quite predictably, the goblins began to approach her instead of me.

“Y-You crazy! They’re coming at me! They want to kill me!”

“Yes. It certainly looks that way from where I’m standing.”

The very reason I opted to carry out an escort mission rather than rent a cart was to afford Ophelia some real battle experience.

“You’re insane.”

I grinned as Laila, watching us, looked aghast.