Submission
Red lightning struck again.
The shield consecrated by the Goddess melted like a popsicle, and the knights screamed and writhed on the ground. The Church's knight squad, numbering in the dozens, was crumbling—barely holding against a single girl.
The knights desperately defending the front line and those clutching the half-nude corpses of their comrades, sobbing, were all mixed up together.
“Over there! Support before the barrier breaks! Hurry!”
“Ah… Emil… Please, please… Ah, ah… Hic…”
…The remaining mana is slowly reaching its limit.
I feel my strength draining from my whole body, and my hands trembling. I don't even know how many times the barrier has already broken.
The knights are holding on hard, but it's clear they're slowly being devoured by fear.
…It makes sense.
As comrades disappear one by one, turning to ash.
The Saintess was slowly walking towards this side.
With empty eyes. Without hurry, without anger—like someone coming to do what must be done.
Yes, admit it. With power alone, I can't defeat her.
…Now, I have no choice but to submit. Further struggle is meaningless.
“…Lady Saintess, I understand you're angry. But… is it necessary to direct that anger at the innocent knights of the Church?”
…The barrier was released.
If I receive the Saintess' attack now—everyone here will die. Including me.
Some knights were in panic, their expressions almost giving up.
The Saintess looked at the Cardinal with disbelief, a smile on her face.
“That doesn't sound like a thing to say… Don't. It's all… your doing. Why are you acting like victims?”
“We swear we have never attempted to harm the Saintess. Even if the Saintess rejected the immediate succession… that's something we must work harder to change your mind on, not something 'beasts' would do.”
“…I won't believe it. More, I don't want to hear it.”
I feel the skin on my body tightening.
…The phenomenon caused when ultra-high density mana moves around the 'Great Mage's' vicinity when gathering.
I can't be pushed back here.
If I am, I die.
Instead… this might be the perfect time to strike at the vital point.
Especially, since 'Lady Saintess' is the type where the vital point is visible, that's fortunate.
Deliberately, I stood in front of the Saintess with arms spread wide.
With the intention to kill if she wants to kill.
“…Very well. If you intend to kill us all and turn us to ash, please do so.”
“As the priest closest to the Goddess—isn't it only natural for one who has chosen the Saintess by the Goddess to die paying for her anger? No matter the reason, it's all our fault.”
The Saintess' shoulders twitched slightly.
…Yes, no matter how strong the power, the core is still a teenage girl.
“However… those gathered here are the elite of the Church. If all the knights and priests here die… we won't be able to revive 'that man' lying over there ever again.”
“Unfortunately… the curse inflicted by the beast's familiar cannot be undone by anyone. If you don't believe it—I can't persuade the Saintess, but.”
The Saintess spat out one word forcefully.
“…Shut up.”
At the tip of the Saintess' hand, a huge red light vortex gathered densely while pointing at me—but strangely, my mind was calm.
That child can't shoot.
…She knows better than anyone that if she shoots, her brother will die, and she won't be able to revive him.
The hand raised by the Saintess started trembling slightly.
Now, it's time to finish this.
“Saintess… do you wish for meaningless slaughter? Or… do you want to save your brother.”
It's a needless, obvious question.
The Saintess remained silent for a long time to that obvious question, then finally spoke.
“…I will. Saintess.”
“In exchange, in exchange… there is a condition. My brother must always… be by my side. Again… you must save him.”
…In the end, that's it.
The Saintess' wish is just for the well-being of a pathetic man.
Among the wishes recorded for Saintesses so far, isn't this the most pitiful… and dangerous one?
Wealth, honor, power, strength… they fade over time, but true love does not.
The Saintess concluded with a tone close to coercion.
“If my brother dies… I will die too, and all of you here—will die.”
…I won.
I lost a few precious talents, but compared to the Saintess 200 years ago, it's cheap.
From here on, there's no point in saying much.
“…I will remember. Saintess.”
After finishing the words, the pitch-black dark sky—as if it had never been—changed to a blue sky.
---
“…Cardinal, are you inside?”
“Come in, Cheryl.”
Late at night.
Opening the door and entering, the Cardinal was leisurely enjoying black tea.
“…What do you plan to do now. In the Church… before the Saintess ascends, they are calling people murderers for killing them.”
The Cardinal answered with an expression like “no choice”.
“If there hadn't been such strong poison, the Saintess would have submitted. Cheryl? And I can't say it openly, but… I know this is a cheap price. And the problematic part will just be erased. It's a good ending for you too.”
“…We always choose the most cowardly option. It's impossible to erase grief just by erasing memories.”
“Well, what else can we do. When the God's lightning of anger strikes down… this much survival rate is incredibly high. If the survival rate is this high on the Eastern Front, they'll be praised as heroes? Some grief… must be overcome.”
“…What will you do with the Saintess.”
The Cardinal pondered for a moment, then continued.
“Must separate her from the secular world. Have her declare separation from her brother herself.”
The aide found the Cardinal's optimistic attitude not to his liking.
The Eastern Front can last at most 2 years… Will that disobedient Saintess really become the savior of humanity in there? If things go wrong… might she not fall into something worse than the 'beast'?
So, that thought suddenly came to me.
The artifact created long ago—to subdue the mighty 'evil'.
The 'thing' sleeping quietly in the Temple basement, unknown to anyone.
“…I think we should apply the 'leash' directly to the Saintess.”
The Cardinal answered lightly, as if knowing the aide's mind.
“Even if we force her to stay, it won't solve it. Originally, one or two water drops… we don't know when they fall, but when hundreds—thousands, tens of thousands of water drops fall, it erodes even stones. Calmly… with careful brainwashing, there's nothing we can't do. Cheryl.”
“…If that's the case, I won't ask further. Cardinal. Rest well.”
Just as the aide was about to leave the office with an uneasy expression, the Cardinal added.
“Ah, I almost forgot to tell you. The education department—it’s you, Cheryl.”
The aide stared at the Cardinal with a complicated expression for a long time, then, since she knew from experience that the one who could communicate with her wasn't the right one… she gave up and left the office.
---
…This is the first time I've been to such a good place.
Clean clothes with a good smell, a room decorated gorgeously with gold and silver, and delicious food…
The bed is soft and fluffy.
No, no… I must not be swayed.
Clearly, my brother suddenly changed because the Church did “something”.
Or, really… it was because I was really by her side.
Anyway, it's fortunate.
I was shirking in front of the Cardinal for a long time, so my brother is inside my room.
…Of course, the bed is far away because it's not good to be close.
Just then, a knock sounded.
“…Saintess, this is Assistant Cheryl. May I come in?”
Cheryl…? Ah, that annoying ajumma.
All the good feelings were shattered. I should have dropped lightning on that ajumma…
“Come in.”
“…Is there any discomfort while resting?”
“Well, no particular.”
“That's good. It seems you like it. What we… have prepared diligently at the Church level. Ah… not that, I came to talk about the education you will receive as the Saintess.”
“…Education?”
“Yes, anyway… since you've lived a life different from ordinary people, we think education is necessary at the Church level. If needed, you can enter the academy with special admission… in many ways, it's not bad to accumulate knowledge.”
“Then, why not just go to the academy or whatever and learn?”
“Even with special admission, you have to take a test to see if you have the minimum qualifications. Especially since the Saintess will go… you have to go to the academy in the capital, and since it requires very high basic mana knowledge… simply with strength or skill, admission is impossible…”
“Give it to me. That test, the exam paper.”
---
…Yes, one thing is certain.
The Goddess, this time's Saintess chose very, very, very wrongly.
Not only from the slums, but lacking any humility.
Even arrogant. Knowing that the power she has is the Goddess' blessing… trying to lightly surpass the ivory tower of knowledge.
The academy test in the capital is already difficult and complex.
A test of truly 'demonic' difficulty that even prodigies fail repeatedly… Can a slum runaway solve it? Unfortunately, the Goddess gives 'power' but not 'wisdom', so it's a truly arrogant story.
Well, it's obvious.
If there's even one solvable problem, it's fortunate.
“…Here it is. Saintess.”
I brought one exam paper from last year's test for the Saintess.
The Saintess immediately started looking at it calmly. But what… it's not a problem that can be answered by looking…
…Is she writing the answers right now?
I also, although not the academy, know how high the level of the academy entrance exam is because I graduated with the highest scores. I even failed the entrance exam at the academy in the capital…
Then—the Saintess, in just 15 minutes, wrote all the answers to the entrance exam and returned it to me.
…Almost, answers infinitely close to perfect.
“The problem isn't that difficult. The nobles were acting like they were solving hard problems… it seems the nobles just solve a few easy problems from the [Basics of Mana] without skill and enter the academy? The academy doesn't seem to have high expectations either…”
Yes, it's certain.
I—and apparently the Cardinal too—were mistaken.
Brainwashing? No…
We must fill the 'leash' on that arrogant little girl. For the sake of the Empire's peace—to serve eternally.
To prevent that immense power and innate talent from shining properly, the thing that blocks the light—is our priests' duty.