I Banished the Saintess Myself

Crunch.

Was it just my imagination, or did the sound of Bishop Andre spearing his salad with a fork ring out with unusual clarity? His expression remained entirely unchanged as he brought the greens to his mouth. In any case, they couldn't harm the Hero directly right now. With the entire kingdom recognizing me as their savior, suddenly replacing me while I was supposed to be on leave would look incredibly suspicious.

"Is that so? That you banished Isis yourself, Sir Hero. That is the first I've heard of it." Bishop Andre took another sip of wine and offered a thin smile. Then, like a merchant preparing to pitch a deal, he rubbed his hands together before resting them neatly on the table.

"Of course, I know it's a lie. Ever since Isis left the Hero's party, she hasn't made a single attempt to contact the Church. Still, you put on quite a performance. Anyone else would have been fooled."

I guess fooling him was impossible after all. Well, if he had actually been deceived, that would have brought its own set of problems. I already knew Bishop Andre wasn't the type of man to be swayed by a simple, fabricated excuse.

"Well, for now, the Kairos Kingdom only knows that the Saintess has left the party." Bishop Andre set his empty wine glass on the table and arched an eyebrow.

"So, what is the reason for suddenly telling me such a lie? I offered you a chance to free yourself from the responsibility of selecting the Hero's party members, and surely you understood what I meant... To my ears, it sounds very much like you don't want to accept my offer."

If I took that "opportunity," not only would I incur the protagonist's wrath, but the Holy Church would immediately slip a leash around my neck. The reason they didn't share the details of how Isis left the party with the kingdom was to put me in their debt... no, to shackle me.

"Since you seem to understand the situation so well, let me rephrase. Let's say that I banished both Isis and Aryen."

I thought he would show at least a hint of discomfort at my words, but there was none. The bishop didn't look shaken in the slightest. His gaze, sweeping from my face down to my toes, was chilling. I couldn't afford to show any weakness here either.

"If we do that, the Holy Church won't have to bear any disgrace. And the close relationship between the Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom won't be strained."

"How amusing. Truly amusing. Are you really trying to tear down the achievements you've built up just for that? Do you expect me to believe that?"

"I would be very glad if you did."

Just a tiny bit, but Bishop Andre's mask slipped. I wasn't doing this to entertain him, but the bishop seemed to be genuinely enjoying the situation. Yes, it was better for him to show interest rather than outright hostility.

"Banishing the mercenary from the party was a right delegated to you. You might face some criticism for being self-righteous, but the general public, who aren't involved, will just accept it and move on."

Except ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for the fact that the guy I banished was a crucial part of our fighting force. And except for the fact that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he would eventually become the strongest being in this world.

"But the situation is different if Isis left the party of her own accord. A Saintess who abandoned her faith and duty. What would people think of that? Both the Saintess and the Holy Kingdom would be in a very difficult position."

Just as I was about to let out a sigh of relief, the bishop spoke again.

"Of course, I am on your side, Sir Hero. And your proposal is one where the Holy Kingdom has nothing to lose."

Bishop Andre set his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. That action looked exactly like he was trying to force down the corners of his mouth, which wanted to curl upward.

"But I am curious as to why you are doing this, Sir Hero. It is a matter of personal curiosity. Would you care to give me an answer?"

The bishop's question felt like a test. If I kept avoiding the question, things might get complicated. I decided to stop resisting here and came up with a suitable answer to his question.

"I am the Hero. What people expect of me is to defeat the Seven Calamities, and as long as I defeat them, I will be forgiven no matter what I do."

Because the weight of responsibility the Hero carries is different. Because he is a being who must save the world from threats.

"But the Saintess is different. A single blemish on the Saintess's path is almost impossible to recover from. Even if she helps defeat a Calamity, that is by no means the essence of a Saintess. What people expect from her is benevolence."

Bestowing blessings and love, performing miracles, healing people. A being who must remain purely a saint, untouched by any conflict with others.

"I don't know if Isis wants it, but I hope she remains as the Saintess for the time being. Even if a Calamity is slain, the devastation it leaves behind does not disappear. At that time, a benevolent Saintess will be needed more than a Hero who only knows how to swing a sword."

So, let's not do anything unnecessary.

"To that end, it is better for everyone if the Hero, not the Saintess, drags himself through the mud."

No answer came. Bishop Andre didn't even ask if my answer was sincere. He merely wore his smile like a mask and poured wine into his empty glass. Then, he looked at me quietly and raised his glass.

"I don't know if you've changed, or if you were hiding this side of yourself from the beginning..."

Sip. The bishop moistened his throat with wine again. As the alcohol went down, the glimpses of his true nature that had been leaking through his words and expressions quickly vanished.

"I will accept this for now. As a member of the Holy Church, watching what choices the Hero makes from here on out might prove quite rewarding."

Silence fell after Bishop Andre's words. I didn't have much of an appetite, but I couldn't just sit there blankly watching the bishop chew his salad. I picked up my fork again and began to eat. Annoyingly, the meat was delicious.

"Doesn't it taste good? I don't call it the hidden gem of the Royal Capital for nothing."

Breaking the awkward silence, the bishop spoke first. Feeling like he was teasing me for eating late, I nodded reluctantly. It was annoying, but the taste was undeniable. Even as I speared the sliced meat and brought it to my mouth, the bishop continued to pick at his salad.

"Why don't you eat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meat?"

"Because I feel sorry for them."

"...Pardon?"

"It's not for religious reasons, but out of compassion. I like animals more than you'd think."

A crazy bastard is a crazy bastard. Well, if someone didn't know this priest's true identity, they might just nod and move on. But knowing Bishop Andre's true identity, he just looked like a lunatic to me. Regretting asking the question, I quietly chewed my meat. The sound of me crunching the meat and the bishop crunching his salad overlapped strangely.

"The Royal Palace will summon you soon, Sir Hero."

I raised my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyebrows. Summoning the Hero suddenly at a time like this could not be for a good reason. Thinking of the royal palace, where all kinds of dark schemes and bullshit would be flying around, I felt a headache coming on.

"From what I heard last time, they are planning a hearing. The palace ministers must have pushed for it actively, since it's a rare chance for them to raise their voices." The bishop spoke in a dry voice, spearing the last remaining chickpea on his plate.

"It seems the people in the palace still think of me only as a political tool."

"They say that once you become a politician, you use everything you see as a tool to secure your own safety. It seems you are no exception to them, Sir Hero." The bishop spoke as if it were none of his business and set his fork down. Somehow, his eyes seemed slightly different from when we first met on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.

"If you can answer roughly like you did today, you should be able to shut their mouths."

"Why are you telling me this?"

The bishop smiled. "I found myself liking you more after our brief conversation today. Truly, it seems I misjudged you all this time."

When my face contorted in disgust, the bishop burst into a hearty laugh. What kind of nonsense is he talking? I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up. I had no desire to go for a second round with this man or walk home arm-in-arm.

"I'll be going first. You're paying for the meal, right?"

"Yes... well."

"Thanks for the information. Goodbye."

I downed the rest of the wine in one gulp and turned around. My mouth felt as bitter as my mood. I took one last look at Bishop Andre and practically fled the restaurant. Still, thanks to him, I was able to clearly decide what I needed to do first. I let out a sigh and stepped into the dark alley.

"How strange." Bishop Andre smiled as he stared at the spot where the Hero had disappeared. With his narrow eyes, he looked exactly like a snake sitting in a chair, smiling.

"He wasn't that clever of a person before."

Under the pretext of relieving him of the responsibility of selecting the party, he had intended to shackle the Hero's feet and reclaim the Saintess. Isis's mistake would certainly deal a blow to the Holy Church, but keeping the Hero in his debt... no, placing a shackle on him, was a definite advantage.

Yet, the Hero chose to take the blame himself, avoiding the shackles while leaving the Saintess be.

"Did defeating the Third Calamity have that much of an impact?"

On top of that, the Hero had not let his guard down even once from the moment he met the bishop until he left. He remembered that the Hero hadn't been this wary when they met in the past. Had I been too lax?

The bishop tapped the table merrily as he savored his wine.

"Well... as the Hero said, I will just quietly watch for the time being."

There was no harm to the Church. That was why he could afford to stay still even if the Hero acted outside his control for now.

The bishop took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. A bright yellow light flickered at the tip of his knobby index finger. It was the sacred flame of a Holy Art. He brought his finger to the tip of the cigarette, took a long drag, and lit it.

"May the grace of God be with the Hero on his path."

Tobacco smoke escaped from the bishop's mouth like a shroud.

It was the weekend. The weather was also terribly nice. Even the Hero should rest on a weekend like this—like hell he should. Today, I dragged my heavy body out of the house again and was talking to a soldier at the checkpoint leading out of the Royal Capital. My original plan was to get some proper rest, but my mind had changed after my conversation with Bishop Andre. There was no time for the Hero to rest.

"You're working hard even on the weekend, Sir Hero."

"You as well, guard."

Today, Daphne, who was always by my side, was not here. There was no protective magic wrapping securely around my body. Today, there was only me, and the Holy Sword hanging at my waist.

...Let's go.

I drew the Holy Sword and began to walk into the quiet forest where a gentle breeze blew.