Saintess Village: Hypnosis and Healing in the Red Glow
The name Saintess Village carried a slightly nocturnal, faintly embarrassing vibe, yet remarkably, no single word could convey in one breath just how extraordinary a place it truly was. It was literally the village where the Saint Tribe lived, after all.
Just as Dyna had once referred to herself as a Here-knight and claimed her companions as members of the Here-knight tribe, the Saintesses also belonged to the ancient, official race known as the Saint Tribe.
The only real difference was that while Here-knights were born into it from the moment of birth, just like Dyna, the Saint Tribe was acquired through personal awakening. No matter where or to whom they were born, no matter what race they had lived as their whole life, the instant they awakened their Holy Power, they earned the right to reside here as a Saintess.
“Still, I’ve always wondered—who do the Saintesses pray to? Back in our day, the only options were Buddha, Jesus, or Allah.”
“From what I heard, it’s the light of creation. I don’t even know the name. I don’t care either. But Saintess… suddenly it reminds me—did humans even have Saintesses?”
“No, as far as I know, we didn’t have anyone we called Saintesses in the same way. Maybe?”
As expected, the Elf—self-proclaimed anthropology expert—lit up with eyes sparkling at my question, as if something had just clicked.
But since I hadn’t been particularly religious, I knew nothing about the subject, and the Elf couldn’t get the answer she wanted. With the same sharp glare she’d given me when I disembarked from the train, she shot me a warning look.
“I’ve said this before, but you’d be better off not acting superior toward the Saintesses. You know the place is heavily guarded, and if the Saintesses see you…”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s just that you’ve been thinking weird thoughts about Saintesses lately. No hidden meaning.”
“Don’t tell me you saw the same thing on the train as before…”
“N-no, shut up! Why are you bringing up the train story?!”
The Elf’s face flushed scarlet the moment I poked at her embarrassing incident, her voice rising in protest.
It seemed the events from earlier were still fresh in her mind.
That worked like a charm.
Right as we stepped into the entrance of Saintess Village, the sky suddenly darkened as if clouds had gathered. Bright, seductive red lights bloomed from all around, painting the surroundings in a lewd glow.
“Ah, are you a patient? You look pale.”
“No, I was just passing through…”
“Tired? How did you know our Holy Power is the ultimate cure? While I rest, our Saintesses will fill this full of your Holy Power pocket~♥”
“My ailment this time is… ahh, your pants are bulging so much…♥ Cosplay? Cosplay treatment costs extra, but ahh, this much~♥”
“Hehe, I broke my arm on purpose just to meet you and told myself to cherish my body, yet here you are, a naughty boy. Come this way. Let’s have some fun with the Saintess~♥”
Among the lewd lights, the Saintesses appeared—tall, curvaceous women in tight outfits hugging every passing person before dragging them into their establishments. Some offered Nurse Academy uniforms and cracked-bone casts to injured customers, haggling in the alleys. Others, unable to hold back their overflowing Holy Power, dragged in “patients” who had deliberately wounded themselves just to meet them for private healing in the back alleys.
Healthy medical procedures never stopped from the buildings and side streets.
“Hmph, horny monkey.”
“…”
I was no less dissatisfied than the Elf in her revealing outfit as she clicked her tongue at me.
Maybe the way my eyes sparkled every time made her even more annoyed.
Avoiding her gaze, I pushed aside the curtain and spoke to the one-eyed lizardman driver.
“Take me to Peloponnesos.”
“Oh, that’s great! You visit there too, sir? I got a recommendation and went a few times—my patellar tendonitis vanished in a flash!”
“It really works wonders.”
Pulling on the reins, the lizardman driver adjusted the path.
I pulled the curtain back into place and immediately asked the Elf.
“But why do we call him a driver when he’s steering that lizard? Shouldn’t it be dragon driver?”
A driver refers to the person who controls a cart or carriage.
Yet the creature pulling our carriage was a two-legged lizard like the raptors from Jurassic Park.
Of course, there were actual horse-riding rickshaws, but even so, this wasn’t a horse-drawn carriage. It was called a dragon carriage. So calling the driver a driver felt slightly off.
She had a large scholar’s pouch on her chest—an Elf who should know the answer—but she just let out a fart and turned her head.
“Hmph, I don’t know. Don’t make me drive.”
“Celestin?”
“I said don’t make me drive!”
Even though she was the one who had brought me here before, she was still furious about the train incident.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Th-that… for trying to have sex with you?”
“W-what nonsense?! That’s not the rule! That’s when I could have said ‘You didn’t know what you were doing and still want to apologize?!’!”
Like always, no matter what I admitted, the Elf’s ass-perseverance personality bounced like a green pine tree on a mountain.
I had no choice but to obey her words.
“Sorry, I don’t know what I did wrong?”
“Why the question marks?! And if I say that now, I won’t have anything to say! You stupid monkey!”
Her anger was rising, but this was the Union capital. Saintess Village was always bustling with patients, so she couldn’t casually draw her gun like in the wasteland.
With her holster still visible, she glared and smacked me repeatedly with the handle of her revolver like an axe.
I could have resisted, but I was hypnotized by the swaying breasts in front of me, so I endured every single outburst of her mischief until bruises bloomed across my body.
After some time and a lot of twists and turns, we finally reached Peloponnesos.
Unlike the flashy lights and flashy buildings of other Saintess Villages, this one was simple: a plain white marble building with the sign “Peloponnesos” and a lion emblem. The Elf, who had been staring at every corner in dissatisfaction, suddenly walked straight inside ahead of me.
“Was this the day?”
“I have no idea where she’ll suddenly run off to. Hello.”
I greeted the receptionist at the entrance, a familiar face, and stepped inside. The hospital-like layout meant the lobby, counter, and main hall were packed wall-to-wall with patients.
“Make way! Coming through!”
“What’s with this monkey beastkin?”
“Barely any fur? No tail either.”
People from every race—beastkin, Elves, and even Here-knights in full armor—formed a line between the walls. I pushed through and approached the counter. Seeing my familiar face, the receptionist greeted me cheerfully.
“Welcome! Oh, long time no see! Where are you hurting today?”
“Dizziness and bruises lately. What about Nemea?”
“Right on cue. Nemea is in the waiting room talking to Celestin about something urgent. Should I show you to the treatment room right away?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course! Nemea said to connect you immediately whenever Ice Man comes. This way.”
Just as I finished speaking, another receptionist appeared to guide me.
The people waiting gave me the side-eye, muttering “That’s weird.” But I ignored them and followed the receptionist smoothly to the treatment room.
“Today the atmosphere is tense. The guards at the entrance usually greet patients warmly, but…”
“Word is that heretics appeared recently. The whole village is in chaos.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
Strange. Even though I was just a normal patient, the guards in the hallway corners were glaring fiercely.
Internalizing that the town wasn’t blessed by Saintesses, I entered the treatment room after the receptionist opened the door.
Immediately, a tall Lion Beastkin Saintess stood before me—Nemea’s twin sister and her bodyguard, Leo.