The Saintess's Confession
Aria suddenly lunged at Baran. Of course, she had deliberately feigned drunkenness to seize the moment. If not now, when would such an opportunity arise again? Yet the moment she actually carried out her plan, her nerves went haywire.
Gulp!
A strange sensation brushed against her lower body. Come to think of it, she had never once shared skinship with a man. Not only that—she had barely exchanged any private conversations with one either. Her face flushed deeper by the second. Soon, her mind went blank.
“Uh, uh…! Th-that’s…!”
Aria flailed her arms in panic. Baran paid no mind to her flustered reaction and spoke calmly.
“Saintess, would you mind getting off? Your current position is a little…”
“Ah, r-right! I’m sorry!”
Startled, she scrambled to her feet. At the same time—
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Her heart began pounding like mad. It had never raced this fast before. If she stayed pressed against Baran any longer, he would surely hear it.
Hoo. Calm down first.
The plan had gone awry; she was far too nervous to continue any more skinship. Still, there was something else she needed to ask him.
I need to confirm whether Baran was the one who saved me.
When else would she have the chance to ask with just the two of them alone? Aria organized her thoughts and adopted a serious expression.
“Baran.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we step outside for a moment to sober up?”
“Hmm? Very well.”
Baran tilted his head, then nodded. With that, the two left the mansion behind, leaving their unconscious companions inside.
Aria had suddenly suggested leaving the mansion. Baran wasn’t sure why, but her serious expression made it clear she wasn’t planning anything strange. The moment they stepped outside, a chilly night breeze struck them.
“It really does get cold once night falls.”
“Just a moment.”
Baran removed his outer coat and draped it over her shoulders. The dress she wore left far too much skin exposed; at the very least, he could keep her warm this way.
“Thank you……”
She bowed her head, cheeks flushed from his consideration. If Miroel had seen this, she would have shaken her head in exasperation.
Good thing she’s completely drunk.
Just as Baran thought that, Aria fidgeted with her hands and spoke.
“Um, Baran.”
“Yes?”
“What were you doing last night?”
“……”
Aria stared at him with a grave gaze. From the look in her eyes, she clearly suspected the truth—that he had been the one who saved her. Baran considered his options.
Hmm. It’s a bit surprising she caught on faster than in the original story, but there’s no harm in being honest now.
He had simply seen no need to boast about it. Telling the person involved “I saved you!” would only damage his image. Besides, Aria would have figured it out eventually anyway.
“Does it bother you that much?”
“Yes. I have a feeling the person I’m thinking of is you, Baran.”
“……What kind of person did the Saintess have in mind?”
Baran asked, genuinely curious. Aria closed her eyes and clasped her hands before her chest before answering.
“The one who rescued me from the apostates last night.”
“……”
“And the one who defeated the demons that had infiltrated the Holy Federation.”
“May I ask one thing?”
“Of course.”
“When did you start suspecting me?”
“After Sherry mentioned it this afternoon.”
Baran nodded as if he had expected that answer.
So it really was because of Sherry.
No wonder she had pieced it together faster than in the original. After the conversation they had earlier that day, it would have been stranger if she hadn’t noticed. Since the deviation from the original plot had already been confirmed, he might as well answer her question.
“Yes, you’re right. I was the one who eliminated the apostates last night.”
“I see……”
Aria slowly nodded, as though she had already known. Then she asked,
“But how did you know they were apostates? Even our Holy Church couldn’t identify them.”
“……”
Hmm. How should I answer that?
The real reason was simply his knowledge of the game. But if he said that outright, she would never believe him. Who would believe someone claiming they had come from another world and that this was all just a game?
She’d think I was insane—and I’d be grateful if that was all.
While Baran was still pondering how to respond, an idea flashed through his mind.
Ah. This might actually work.
If he used this excuse, she would at least find it somewhat plausible. It might still earn him the “crazy person” label, but it was better than telling the unvarnished truth.
Having organized his thoughts, Baran spoke.
“This might sound strange, but… I’m able to see the future.”
“Pardon? You can see the future?”
“Yes. I foresaw what would happen to you, Saintess, and acted accordingly.”
He had expected her to look skeptical. Instead, Aria stroked her chin, her expression one of dawning understanding.
“So that’s how it was.”
“……”
Why did she accept that so easily?
While Baran stood there inwardly flustered, Aria was busy sorting through her own thoughts.
No wonder he looked so worried the very first time he saw me.
Even though it had been their first meeting, Baran had been deeply concerned for her. At the time it hadn’t made sense, but if he could truly see the future, everything fell into place.
This must be what the Sun God meant when He said someone who twists fate would come.
If Baran hadn’t saved her, she would have died right there. She had been completely exhausted after bestowing blessings upon the students. Had the apostates ambushed her in that state, the result would have been horrific. Thanks to Baran, that fate had been averted. To her, the man standing before her was nothing short of a savior.
“Baran.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
“?!”
The next moment, Aria threw herself into his arms. A soft weight pressed against his chest. Baran’s eyes widened in surprise—he had never expected her to embrace him like this.
“Do you know something, Baran?”
“What is it?”
“Before any of you arrived, the Sun God sent me a message.”
“Hmm. What kind of message?”
“He said someone who would twist fate would come. And that the one who would set me free would appear.”
“……”
Baran remained silent. Aria continued without pause.
“At first I wondered if such a person would really come… but now I see that the Sun God spoke the truth.”
“It must have been difficult for you.”
“Yes. Honestly, being confined every single day was exhausting.”
No matter how grand the mansion, being trapped inside was bound to take its toll. Her every action was watched by the holy knights, and even the slightest misstep could spark unsavory rumors. For someone who had only just come of age, the stress must have been immense.
On top of that, she must have been constantly aware of the apostates’ desires as well.
Baran looked down at her with a sympathetic gaze and gently patted her back. At that moment—
“That’s why I’ve decided to transfer into the Academy this time.”
“Excuse me?”
The words that left her mouth were completely unexpected. This had never happened in the original story. Originally, she was supposed to head to the front lines after the second year, never crossing paths with them at the Academy. Yet now she was suddenly talking about transferring?
Baran asked quickly, just to be sure.
“Uh, do the Pope and the professors know about this?”
“Yes. I spoke with the Pope and we decided on the transfer. There’s no safer place than the Academy, after all.”
“And the professors?”
“I mentioned it to them this afternoon.”
“Ah……”
So that was why the professors had been treating him so well. Of course the Academy would welcome the Saintess with open arms. He hadn’t expected this kind of butterfly effect.
“Of course, it won’t be an immediate transfer. We’ve decided on the second semester. I heard a few other people will be transferring as well. So…”
She quietly stepped out of his embrace. At the same time, the fountain in the garden began to spray water.
Shaaaaa.
“I hope you won’t give your heart to the other ladies too easily. All right?”
She smiled brightly—more beautiful than any smile he had ever seen from her before.
Hidden Quest — Earn the Saintess’s Favor
🎁 Reward: Affection increased. Future events altered.
At the same time, Grillish—the demon officer who had been active in the Broden territory—fell into quiet contemplation.
Hmm.
Chris, the son of a Demon Army corps commander, had boasted to his father that he would kill the Saintess. In the end, he had died instead.
Losing a direct subordinate is painful, but…
Still, they had gained something worthwhile. There had once been a family that the current Demon Army commander, Gram, had annihilated long ago—the Roden family, said to be descendants of the hero. The entire Demon Army had dispatched an entire corps to wipe them out. As a result, every last drop of Roden blood had been severed… except for one survivor.
Originally, they should have been celebrating, but the operation had not been a complete success. One person had escaped. The entire Demon Army had searched for her traces, yet they had found nothing—until now.
Chris’s death had finally revealed her location.
Just in case, I placed a spell on Chris’s body. Lucky me.
If Chris died, his memories would flow directly into Grillish’s mind. And among those memories was an unexpected harvest.
To think she was hiding at the Academy.
The hero’s descendant who had fled from him was now concealed within the Academy.
If I bring her head to the corps commander, obtaining the Demon King’s blood should be possible.
Therefore, this information could not be shared with anyone. Who knew when such an opportunity would come again?
It’s a bit troublesome that she’s at the Academy, but…
If he used his abilities when their guard was lowest, breaching their defenses should still be feasible.
The Academy’s final exams are coming up soon.
Using the exams to deal with Luden would be more than enough. Having sorted his thoughts, Grillish snapped his fingers.
Flash.
In an instant, the horns on his forehead vanished, and his appearance shifted into that of a human. Then he began walking toward the Academy’s royal capital—unaware that Baran, a variable within the Academy, had already prepared countermeasures.