Chapter 186 – Episode 186 Demon King’s Army VS Holy Church Nation: Operation to Kidnap Saints (5)
“What is this…”
Seeing the street where her carriage collapsed, the saintess couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
The body of her carriage and the backs of her horses were horribly torn as if she had been attacked by something.
A woman with her black hair struggled under her fallen wagon.
“Hey, save me. Please…”
I didn’t see anyone else besides her.
It was strange that she didn’t even see the coachman, but she had no time to think of anything else.
“Go ahead and save them! Hurry!”
Don’t ignore people in trouble.
That was the basic requirement of a saintess.
The modern saintess was also the person who kept the basic requirements the best.
“But, Holy Lady, now…”
“Because I am on a pilgrimage, I need more help. Did you forget to help those in need?”
“All right.”
At the order of her saintess, the knights rescued the dark-haired woman from being crushed by her carriage.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
A woman who had been crushed by her wagon limped and bowed her head.
“It’s something you have to do, of course.”
The saintess looked at the woman in front of her.
Her clothes were stained with dirt, but if you look at her jewelry or material, you can tell that she is a luxurious fabric.
Wealthy enough to ride in a carriage drawn by two horses.
She was not from an ordinary family.
However, it wasn’t just because of her simple clothes that the saintess looked closely at her.
Her black hair and red eyes were the color of her hair and eyes, commonly referred to as the devil’s color.
“Saintess, it might be the devil that Ariana-sama said.”
“Be on the lookout. If you say so, the small person…”
“What, what does that mean? Oh, are you a devil?”
The woman who heard the knights’ words stood behind her in astonishment.
Her face was terrified as she backed away, limp on her broken leg.
“Is it because of my eyes? Are you making me a demon for that? Was the Holy Church Nation a country that discriminated against people based on appearance?”
“Calm down. It’s not like that.”
The saintess stopped the woman who had a seizure.
“I’m just going to do a quick test. You know, because the world is ugly these days.”
“All right. If the saintess wishes…”
The saintess stretched out her hand to her woman.
The light that started from her hand reached her body.
If it’s an evil being, if it’s a demon king’s subordinate, her power will drive out the unclean.
Whoa!
The light from the sky swept over the woman’s body, but she remained calm. There was no smoke coming from her body.
Besides…
“You have a life.”
“… Yes. That’s right.”
“What a relief. The child is fine.”
“Thank you.”
The saintess felt the small energy of life within the woman.
“Sorry. Because the time is the time.”
“Huh, I’m glad the misunderstanding was resolved.”
Then the dark-haired woman brushed off her dust and bowed her head, putting her hands together.
“Thank you for your help. My name is Skadi Aerosen, a noble from the Northern Kingdom of Asir.”
“Ah, the kingdom of Asir…”
Asir kingdom.
As a kingdom belonging to the northern barbarian coalition, it was the name of the frontline kingdom in the north, which was small in size but bordered on the empire, so there were many warlike people.
I heard that there is a culture where strong power is revered and whoever is strong is respected.
Come to think of it, I could feel the accent peculiar to a northerner in her tone.
“I was on my way down to Saint City because I was interested in hearing that God had descended on the Holy Church. Lucky for you. Meet the saintess.”
“I didn’t expect to meet someone from the Kingdom of Asir in the Church’s territory. But what’s going on? Who did you hurt?”
“I don’t know. Monsters suddenly appeared and attacked the wagon. The knight and coachman who were escorts were kidnapped and disappeared. As you can see I…”
“Monsters in the church’s territory. It is impossible.”
It’s nonsense.
The church’s territory was sacred, so monsters couldn’t exist.
Suddenly, it came to mind that the Demon King’s officers had invaded the mainland.
‘It’s not necessarily like that.’
The officials might have entered and the barrier that blocked the monsters had been breached.
“If it doesn’t bother you, can I accompany you to the next city?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you. There are things I want to ask you on the way back.”
“I see. Oh and…”
The saintess reached out her hand to Skadi’s leg.
The light shimmered and healed her leg.
“Ah.”
Her red, swollen leg was completely healed.
It was her white-skinned ankle.
“Thank you. To receive the blessing directly from the saintess of the church country… I should brag to her father.”
Skadi covered her mouth and laughed.
In the meantime, the knights moved aside the wagon blocking the road.
“Then get on. I will drive you to the next city.”
The saintess proposed to Skadi.
“But, saintess, I am on a pilgrimage…”
“We have been disrespectful to this man. It’s an apology for him. Even God will forgive this.”
“… All right.”
“Thank you. Saintess. You are also a kind person.”
Skadi got on the saintess’ carriage.
I didn’t see the saintess getting into her carriage.
Skadi’s face with a cold smile at her coachman.
***
“Is this okay?”
Seiji said as she looked at Amy, who had climbed into her saint’s carriage.
Skadi Aerocene.
It was a false identity that Amy had created on her own.
As she ventured through various regions, she learned the local dialect, and Amy created the status of an aristocrat in the Northern Kingdom.
Her dialect was so convincing that it was mistaken for a native.
She pretends to have been attacked by a monster and joins the group of saints.
It was their work.
It was Amy’s operation to be exact.
Originally, when the elves and dragons attacked her saint, their purpose was to intercept her in a chaotic situation.
But as soon as she heard that the saint had purified Ariana, she changed her plans.
She told me the route that Elena’s minion changed.
Upon hearing that the main unit was false and that she would form a separate unit and move, Amy made her identity on the spot and pretended to be a noble in the north and hid among the saints.
It was a risky operation for her, but Amy said she was confident.
If he didn’t care, he could be purified by the saintess and fall back down the wrong path.
‘I’m a saint too. She is chosen by the Demon Lord and leads the Demon Lord Church. Don’t worry, I know how her saintly power is manifested. Her power won’t work on me.’
Fallen maiden.
If she had been an ordinary nun of the Demon Lord Church, her identity would have been exposed as soon as she was exposed to the sacred power of her holy maiden.
But Amy said she was confident.
I actually managed to infiltrate it.
I don’t know what the secret of the fallen saintess was to keep her true identity from being discovered by her saintly power.
‘Don’t the saint woman candidates know each other’s faces?’
‘No. How big is the continent? Although I was a candidate for a saint in the past, we’ve never seen each other’s faces.’
‘Still, if Amy uses her powers, she will be found out.’
‘You don’t have to use magic. There are times when it’s more effective not to use magic.’
Amy’s smile was more relaxed than ever.
‘I will send a signal. Then you can attack her.’
She seems to have infiltrated safely, but…
“… It will be fine. Even if her saintess looks like that, she is a reliable person in her work.”
Rebecca said in a dull voice.
She couldn’t read the expression on her face as she wore the iron mask, but her voice was full of faith.
“Then we have no choice but to trust and wait.”
“Yes. We have to wait. Elena is by my side, so even if I get caught, I won’t be easily beaten.”
The two officers, who had been hiding in the grass watching the saintess’ party, calmly followed them.
Now that the elves and dragons had failed, it was an opportunity for them to monopolize the reward.
***
The saintess saw Skadi, an aristocrat from the Northern Kingdom, sitting in front of her.
She didn’t feel anything from her.
She couldn’t feel the demon lord’s magic or evil energy.
The only thing I can feel is the weak mana.
She was a woman who seemed far from combat.
Clearly, even the saintess’ strength was not affected.
However, it was suspicious that it appeared so well-timed.
Her saintly instinct was warning her.
Keep doubting
But…
“There are so many strange things in the city of the Holy Church. Unlike our kingdom of Asir, the city is large and lively. It was really nice to feel the warm breeze.”
“But when they saw my eyes and hair, everyone was scared and hostile. I understand. Even in our kingdom, they say that the color of my eyes is the color of the devil.”
“The sun is already setting. Time goes by so fast when I talk to the saintess, right?”
There was no doubt in Skadi’s words, actions and appearance.
“I will rest here for the night. Holy Maiden.”
“All right.”
The knight commander opened the carriage window and reported.
“Tomorrow afternoon we will be in the next city. Reinforcements will be assembled there, so now we can strike back.”
“Don’t be vigilant until the end.”
“All right. Holy Maiden.”
It was night like that.
“I can’t get in the way of the saintess, so I’ll sleep in another sleeping bag.”
“No. Miss Skadi, let’s sleep together.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
The saintess’ deep doubts about Skadi were resolved.
No matter how she looked at it, she had no room for doubt.
It’s just that she happened to have an accident in front of her procession and that she has devil pupils.
But she couldn’t decide on that alone.
-Don’t discriminate based on appearance.
It was one of the main laws of the Holy Church.
Even if she suddenly turned into a demon, she never thought that she would lose.
“It’s an honor to be able to sleep in the same tent as the saintess.”
Skadi, who was lying next to her saintess, her eyes twinkled like a child.
Knights were standing guard in front of the tent.
“Good night. Miss Skadi. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
However, Skadi kept tossing and turning beside me, probably unable to fall asleep.
Skadi, who had been tossing and turning for a while, came to the side.
“Hey, saintess.”
“Yes?”
“I heard that the Holy Church has a ritual to forgive one’s sins.”
“That’s right. If you confess your sins and sincerely apologize, God will forgive them.”
“I have a confession to make. Will you listen?”
“… Yes. Are you okay. What sin have you committed?”
Originally, she should have confessed her sins alone in church and performed a separate ceremony to forgive the person who confessed, but she tended to think that a saint’s will was more important than her place.
“Actually, I lied to the saintess.”
“Are you lying?”
“Yes. Actually, she didn’t come down to see the saintess…”
“Then?”
The saintess was nervous for a moment.
Her hands wriggled under the blanket to perform the spell.
To raise her divine power at any time.
“I ran away from my country.”
“You ran away?”
“Yes. Actually, I came down after killing her father.”
“Father?”
“Yes. Count Aerocene… No, the bastard has been forced to hit me since I was young. Because I’m the devil’s child… That he must purify me with his own blood and semen…”
“…”
“I am a dirty woman. She lost her virginity because she was raped by her father who gave birth to me. It’s dirty. My father said he would not marry me to another man. He said that a demon child like me shouldn’t be passed on to another noble…”
“Then what I felt earlier… ?”
“That’s right…”
The saintess shut her mouth.
How could such a terrible thing happen?
Abhi Rani raping her own daughter.
Even her…
“… Is that why you killed him?”
The saintess’ voice trembled.
She was feeling her pity.
“Yes.”
“How did you kill him?”
“When the youngster pounced on me and fell asleep from exhaustion, she stabbed her throat with a secretly prepared awl and killed her. I came this far with the help of a coachman and a knight who felt sorry for me. Actually, I came to the Holy Church to escape.”
“Tell me everything. I am listening.”
“I am a cursed child. This child… I am… She should never live…”
Skadi’s voice was full of water.
The saintess patted Skadi on the shoulder.
“But after I ran away, I was attacked by monsters, and I lost all of my friends who helped me, Yui. I have nothing left now. Saintess…”
“God will take care of your pain.”
“Doesn’t I believe in the church’s god?”
“Yes. Because God is merciful.”
“Okay…”
Skadi shed a tear.
The saintess looked at Skadi and bit her lip.
Because her troubles are so heavy and painful.
I don’t know what to say.
She had heard many confessions, but this was the first one that was so heavy and painful.
The saintess opened her heart to the desperate confession of her daughter who killed her own father, a woman who could only live by killing him.
Her slight guilt that she had suspected a man who had no side of her in this land opened her heart more easily.
“Are you okay.”
The saintess held the weeping Skadi in her arms.
The vigilance she had had had long since been let go.
To the saintess, Skadi was a very pitiful child.
Because she was the child she had to lead.
“I will help you. I’ll take all your troubles with you. Listen to God. Your body is not dirty. God will hug you.”
“Maybe… ?”
“Yes.”
The lady Skadi in her arms continued her words with a crying voice.
“Saintess, I have one more thing to confess.”
“Please speak.”
“I lied.”
The voice has changed.
There was a chill in her voice that had gone from crying.
Goose bumps ran down her saintess’ spine.
“What is that… ?”
The saintess’ words did not follow.
A thin, sharp awl stabbed her throat.
The moment something more like a needle than an awl pierced her throat, the saintess realized that she couldn’t make out her voice.
“Ah… ?”
“Actually, I am not Skadi. Holy Maiden.”
“Eww… Ah?”
“You were careless. Isn’t her divine power omnipotent? I know very well.”
Skadi’s eyes changed.
“I will tell you the details later. Good night.”
The saintess lost her consciousness.
