Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Francesco Dante (2)
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“È come ha detto la Santa...”
‘As the Saintess said...’
The incomprehensible Italian flowed from Francesco Dante's mouth, and at the same time, a translated voice resonated in my head.
‘It’s hard to believe, but it was all for the Saintess.’
That was what Francesco Dante was saying.
He had received a great favor from the Saintess and vowed to live solely for her in repayment.
This included not only enduring endless agony of death in the gate to protect her but also volunteering as her watcher.
‘It was an order from the Holy Kingdom's Guild Master Gregorio, and I thought that if a watcher for the Saintess had to exist because of it, it might as well be me.’
Even if it hadn't been Francesco Dante, someone would have had to monitor the Saintess anyway.
If that person—acting independently of Gregorio's orders—harbored ill will toward her, it would have been far more dangerous.
Even without ill will, the same risks applied.
He claimed he had judged it best to volunteer himself.
When I glanced at the Saintess, she nodded slightly, as if agreeing to some extent.
Thinking back, she had been monitored but never truly restricted in her actions.
It was her private residence to begin with, so it hardly qualified as confinement.
One could argue it invaded her privacy even in her own home, but on the flip side, it meant her living space had been deliberately made comfortable.
Francesco Dante's claims rang true enough, and since he had literally risked his life to protect her, there was little choice but to believe him.
But that wasn't the end of it—I still hadn't heard the most crucial part.
“...I'm really sorry, but I don't know you...”
What incredible favor had compelled him to play the villain, enduring death's torment countless times just to safeguard the Saintess?
And if it was such a monumental debt, why didn't she recognize him?
We had all heard the story so far, and even the Saintess looked utterly curious as we pressed him to continue.
‘...It’s only natural you don’t remember. Countless people have received healing from the Saintess’s grace, and I wasn’t even directly involved.’
“Healing...?”
Kim Hyeji reacted immediately to the word.
Though her reasons differed, the rest of us were just as curious about what kind of healing he meant.
‘My only granddaughter turned fifteen—precisely 273 days after her birthday—and from that point on, she began suffering from all sorts of major and minor illnesses for reasons unknown... Her life became an endless cycle of surgeries and recovery. A body that had always been frailer than her peers could never have endured it... but she survived thanks to the Saintess’s grace.’
The Saintess’s heals, strictly speaking, infused life force.
They didn’t provide a fundamental cure for illnesses.
I remembered how the whole world had rejoiced at her debut, thinking she’d solved all diseases, only to be swiftly disappointed.
“Then now...”
How was she doing these days? What was the outcome? I couldn’t help but ask, curiosity overriding my restraint.
I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth, but they were out now, unrecallable. Francesco Dante responded with a childlike smile I’d never seen before.
‘One year ago, she was given a full recovery diagnosis. She’s healthy now...’
“Dante... Diana Dante...?”
The Saintess, who had been listening quietly, murmured softly as if something had clicked.
‘Thank you for remembering. Truly... Diana would be overjoyed to hear that the Saintess remembers her name...’
Ah...
This must be why Veronica Estelle was called the Saintess.
I could barely remember the A-grade gear I’d sacrificed for synthesis, yet she remembered the names of everyone she’d healed—countless individuals.
I should take a page from her book and put more heart into my blacksmithing.
“Wouldn’t it be good to bring that granddaughter along too?”
Diana Dante must be absolutely heartbroken right now.
A grandfather willing to give his life for saving his granddaughter surely doted on her endlessly.
Hearing that both he and the Saintess—who had essentially saved her life—had died? Her grief must be unimaginable.
It was a blessing if that was all it amounted to.
She might even lose all sense of purpose and make a terrible choice.
“There might be some risk, but if we can reach out and then use my regular customer ability...”
If contact wasn’t possible, I could just send a regular customer request and pray for the best.
Once registered, I could summon her straight here.
Then we’d have the tearful reunion of grandfather and granddaughter—presumed dead—plus her meeting with the Saintess who saved her.
All we’d have to do was wipe our eyes and cheer them on through the.
So right now...!
‘...Diana Dante. You all know my granddaughter well.’
“Pardon?”
What did he mean by that, all of a sudden?
The Saintess aside, even we knew her? That implied she was famous.
We weren’t even the same nationality—how would people from Korea know someone all the way in Italy unless they were top-tier Awakeners? Even A-grades were too numerous worldwide to track individually.
So who could she possibly be...?
‘The new Saintess that Shin Yujun just explained to me. That’s my granddaughter...’
“Ah...”
Should’ve just stayed quiet.
——
‘Thanks to her valued abilities, I—a non-Awakener—could join the Holy Kingdom and even volunteer as the Saintess’s watcher.’
Just like Twilight Guild’s Guild Master Eom Taesoo had mentioned: joining guilds through family or connections.
Evidently a thing in far-off Italian guilds too.
‘Everything was fine until then... but day by day, Diana’s personality, demeanor, aura—everything about her changed.’
Francesco Dante and his granddaughter spent less and less time together, under the pretext of her Awakener training.
‘She’s an adult now, so independence isn’t strange, but she was no longer the Diana I knew...’
The psychological distance between them grew endlessly—far beyond what mere time apart could explain.
‘Our meetings grew farther apart, and on the day of the gate raid, catching even a distant glimpse of her was after twenty days. And yet...! Even when our eyes met, she showed no reaction whatsoever.’
Listening to his account, one word sprang to mind.
Yena and Hyeji had probably thought of it too.
Cult.
I’d suspected as much before, when the Saintess explained the Holy Kingdom, but this incident made it impossible to dismiss as rudeness.
Using eleven people—including the Saintess—as bait had been possible only because of the guild members’ blind faith.
And among those eleven were the Saintess and his own granddaughter.
Far more plausible to assume the Holy Kingdom—a group closer to a religion than a guild—had brainwashed her, rather than her willingly choosing such horror.
Brainwashed by their Guild Master Gregorio, that was the rational conclusion.
“Saintess. Does Gregorio have any ability to brainwash people...?”
“...Not that I know of. He’s good at earning trust and faith, but I’ve never suspected it came from a skill or ability.”
‘Hmm. Not brainwashing, then.’
Not something to brush off, of course.
If anything, it was reasonable to view it as a dangerous power even the Saintess couldn’t detect.
And precisely because she hadn’t sensed it, I was convinced Gregorio possessed a brainwashing-related skill.
If someone like her—an S-grade, world-class powerhouse—could be so easily brainwashed, the entire world would already be under the Holy Kingdom’s thumb.
At the very least, he’d have recruited every S-grade Awakener worldwide into his guild.
The fact that hadn’t happened meant his brainwashing had limitations.
That explained why the bait members selected alongside the Saintess were low-rankers.
And Diana Dante, despite her high rank, had fallen completely under his sway...
‘How did that happen?’
Honestly, I had no clue.
High rank but mentally fragile? Or just the type susceptible to it?
I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but considering Diana’s life story, she probably had some exploitable vulnerability.
“We should meet her at least. But rushing off isn’t wise. Better to prepare thoroughly and not act hastily.”
The Holy Kingdom was riding high as world saviors right now.
Even with witnesses like the Saintess and Francesco Dante, overturning public opinion overnight would be tough.
‘It’s fine. I’m truly grateful, but this is my burden to bear. With a life debt already, I can’t impose further... I’d have no way to repay the favor.’
“No refusals. I’m the kind of Guild Master who backs her members solidly. Right, Hyeji?”
“Grandpa Dante’s too honorable for it not to work!!!”
‘G-Guild member...?’
Grandpa Dante showed his first flustered expression.
“It’s an amazing guild with an S-grade healer on constant standby for treatments and all sorts of perks.”
“...What?!”