Chapter 520
Chapter 520
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 520
Chapter Title: Junior Priest Kim Katt
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I couldn't exactly tell the saintess to fuck off, so I just went along with it. To begin with, no one but a demon would have that kind of attitude.
Still, who would've thought something like this could happen in the world? Fucking hell.
Of course, the saintess's beauty was beyond imagination, so it might end up being a nice reward. But not for me. I'd rather head home and fool around with my wives than hang out with her.
I need to get back quick and knock out my daily quests of groping Winia's tits and smacking Risha's ass. The reward? Their affection, of course. Can't skip even a single day.
Well, she's a saintess, after all, so even if it's just lip service, she'll probably take good care of me.
I was a bit uneasy, but I wasn't worried. Just taking that dismembered Vugal squad set to the Alchemist's Guild would net a fortune. No way a saintess would stiff me on that.
"What's with that look? Don't tell me you don't like it?"
As I was lost in those thoughts, the saintess glanced at my face with a blank expression.
Standing next to her, I realized she was about my height, maybe a tad shorter. Roughly five centimeters less? Something like that. She was pretty tall.
"Pardon? Hahaha, no way. Allow me to guide you then, Saintess. Is there anywhere specific you'd like to stop by?"
"This is the first time I've gone out since arriving at the church. What's the famous landmark in this city?"
As if this dump had any famous landmarks.
"The arena, naturally. Isvant is a grand duchy, so the arena has plenty of spectacles to offer."
"Ah, being on the frontier must make it more lively."
Lively?
From her tone, it sounded like arenas in the capital were kinda dead.
"Aren't the arenas in the capital bustling?"
"They're not dead, but there are more human-vs-human matches than monster hunts. As a woman devoted to the faith, I don't find them particularly enjoyable. Tsk, pointless bloodshed between people isn't good."
Makes sense. The capital wouldn't be overrun with monsters like this frontier.
Without monster fights, human bouts would dominate, and even if popular, they'd rub a holy woman the wrong way.
Elise had said the same thing.
"Oh! Ooh! As expected of the saintess! Your benevolence reaches the heavens! Humans shouldn't fight each other, of course! Wow! Hearing you speak elevates my spirit as a junior priest!"
"Junior priests are good at flattery, I see. Why not praise my looks instead?"
The saintess casually shoved her hand into her cleavage again and pulled out a cigarette case like it was nothing. This woman had a weird personality too.
"Yes! You're inhumanely—no! Extremely beautiful!"
"A bland assessment. Try harder."
"Wait, you like that stuff? I figured a saintess would be all ascetic and pure."
Honestly, I'd imagined saintesses as compassionate, all-embracing warm figures... something like Cloude. But Saintess Cardia felt more like a cold, pragmatic boss of a charity organization.
"Hahaha, enjoying compliments on my looks shatters my illusions."
She lit a cigarette and replied nonchalantly.
"Well, being fawned over by men is one of life's pleasures. Church men lack that appeal. And a life devoted to faith is dreadfully boring. When you get a chance to sneak out like this, you gotta enjoy it to cope. Sorry to shatter your illusions. But my looks live up to them, don't they?"
The saintess's life seemed pretty grueling. Probably that extreme environment shaped her personality big time.
"Yeah, I get it. You're a rare beauty, Saintess. Wow, the guys must line up to court you."
"Hah, who'd court the saintess of the Brass Celestial Society?"
She was gorgeous, sure.
But as the saintess of a notoriously violent faith, maybe no bold guy would dare. Was she a spinster too?
"Hahaha, anyway, with a grand demon showing up, you still sneak out for fun. Truly befitting a saintess. Grand demons are just dogshit fodder... er, total nobodies. Shall we head to the arena then?"
"Not really feeling the arena."
"There should be plenty of monsters right now. There's even the star attraction, a troll named Drakus. Or do you not like the violent stuff?"
I should take our Coolcool back for another visit sometime.
When I reunited with Coolcool and saw him shed that name to become Drakus, I thought the world was ending.
"I despise pointless violence. Violence only gains value when used appropriately. Reckless violence is no different from something to be eradicated."
"Ooh."
She had some solid principles, surprisingly.
As Saintess Cardia said, violence must be wielded rightly to uphold justice. That's the core of Fusion Confucianism.
Just recently, Vugal got turned into shit based on that very idea.
Vugal was a soul-torturing, utterly vile piece of shit who deserved every bit. Bastards like that should be ground up alive and chugged.
"I've always thought the same. Violence is for scumbags only. That's how I've lived. Demons, monsters, criminals—you beat them on sight. That's just common sense."
"Hmm... Indeed, your thinking is refined enough for our order's approval. I like your philosophy. Truly righteous. And you seem flexible too—perfect."
She exhaled smoke and gave a cold smile.
"Hahaha, such praise. Well, shall we walk then? The city views are nice."
"Doesn't seem that nice."
"Just saying it."
This place had its charms, but a frontier duchy wouldn't outshine the capital.
Anyway, Saintess Cardia and I strolled while chatting about this and that.
I didn't know the city inside out, so I couldn't play proper guide.
But hey, that's what your mouth is for in times like these.
Being with big shots ramps up the tension, but one upside is the words flow easy.
All thanks to the army drilling that into me.
You don't yap in the night ammo depot, you die.
Like that, I spiced up tales of Kim Katt upholding justice for the saintess. Mostly stuff fitting her "righteous violence" vibe.
"Hah, quite the appealing exploits. You really get what righteous violence is."
"Don't you actually like violent stuff?"
She seemed to dig the bandit-slaying story especially.
Her eyes lit up with genuine enjoyment.
"Only the righteous kind."
"You know your stuff."
Glad that time with the Isvant lady paid off. Pretending it was like that made it even easier.
But one question popped up.
"By the way, as a saintess, aren't you a beast in a fight? Gotta be able to grind paladins alive to get appointed, right?"
"You have a lot of preconceptions, junior priest."
"Nah, not preconceptions. I have a friend who's a Radiant Cross Society nun, and she's terrifying. She won't rest till she's minced monsters into burger meat."
In my mind, saintess was what Elise would become after grinding experience and climbing ranks.
No doubt Saintess Cardia was mad for the blood of the impure too.
"You have connections in the Radiant Cross Society?"
She blew out smoke and eyed me.
"Hunting monsters, smashing criminals, grabbing heretics—it builds connections naturally. You know about the Ezatsu incident, right? I fought in that holy war too."
"Now I see—you're a war hero through and through."
"Guardian of the parks—no, incarnation of justice."
With that setup, Saintess Cardia started explaining the saintess role.
"This saintess focuses on receiving reports from the rear and issuing directives for solutions, rather than frontline combat."
"Ah, like a commander? That's tough in its own way."
That explained the nitpicky reports.
Issuing orders meant bearing full responsibility. One wrong call could cause huge losses, so demanding precise intel was natural.
"Yes, very tough. Limited troops, mountains of problems... Fix one spot, casualties pop up elsewhere. Send forces there, another crisis erupts. The world's chaos leaves no rest for this saintess."
She sighed as she spoke, so I nodded along and comforted her appropriately.
"Hahaha, but your tireless work day and night keeps the world stable, doesn't it? Still, the church is too much, sending someone as dedicated as you to the boonies. Wouldn't it make sense to dispatch underlings for outpost duty?"
"Exactly. I hate it... I'll have a mountain of work waiting back home. So, this saintess plans to rest a bit here."
"A righteous right! Even the gods might approve!"
Somehow, I'd become her confidant. We stopped walking and sat on a bench to talk.
"Hah, as if Lord Verde's will matters. When this saintess says she's tired."
"Even gods can't fix overwork, it seems. But proper rest is key to enduring the job."
"True enough."
"I hope for a peaceful world someday. Then you'd get weekends guaranteed."
"Not sure that'll ever happen... Sigh."
The saintess chain-smoked. No real smell, though. She said it wasn't bad for health, just an expensive luxury.
This world's smokes varied.
Adventurer cigs were toxic trash. I'd started in the army, but in this world, I auto-quit.
No point smoking and tanking your lung capacity—death probability spikes. In sword-eat-sword life, every breath counts. I toughed it out.
Survival was priority one.
Watching her smoke brought back cravings.
"Care for one, junior priest?"
"No thanks. Quitting."
"I see. Quite ascetic."
Anyway, we sat on the bench, gazing at the fountain while chatting away. Our shared interest in purging evil kept topics flowing.
"You tell stories well, junior priest. Good call dragging me out. Without this excuse, I'd be stuck immobile in the church. Thanks."
So asking me out was just for a breather.
"Busy with the Andromalius stuff?"
"Demon gates too. Infiltrating demons are a headache."
Plenty to keep her swamped.
After a pause, she looked at me.
"This saintess allowed a date with you mainly to gauge your character."
"Pardon?"
"Despite your Mirkeshan background, you serve the world and justice. Sure, some worldly motives, but that's human nature—fine by me. This saintess quite likes you, junior priest."
Sudden, but liking me was good.
But such words meant she had an agenda.
"So, how about switching to paladin?"
"Knew it—that was the goal?"
Figured as much.
"Since I'm out here in the sticks, scouting talent seems fine. Didn't you mention troop shortages? Better secure when you can. You seem suited, junior priest."
All work, down to the bone.
"Hahaha, sorry—got my ethnic faith. Can't convert."
"I see. Pity, but fine."
As long as Fusion Confucianism existed, no other gods allowed.
She tucked the cig case back into her cleavage and continued.
"Then let me ask again. Interested in a job?"
"Pardon? A job?"
So that's what it boiled down to.
Dragging me around, probing—it was all to test if I could handle tasks.
"Best use talent when available. Paladins are stiff-headed, hard to utilize. And these church folks aren't my direct subs—issuing orders feels awkward."
Even as saintess, she worried about optics?
"What about me?"
"You're an outsider, right? Easier directing someone motivated by pay over faith."
"...Surprisingly street-smart?"
Her mindset aligned with mine in parts.
"Hah, of course. Saintess seats aren't won by gambling. Anyway, back to business—since arriving in Isvant, reports have piled up. But manpower's limited. So, I'd like our junior priest to take on a task."
"Can I hear it first before deciding?"