Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Aftermath (4)
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[3rd Quarter Saint and Saintess Candidate Evaluation Test Announcement]
- Comprehensive performance evaluated through external missions accompanied by one supervisor.
- Regions and supervisors assigned randomly.
- Saint Candidate Kazan Kashimir, with Grade 1 Inquisitor Hector Blake, to the Viscaya Strait.
- Saint Candidate Robert Hameln, with 3rd Apostle Irene Tenzel, to the Commercial Republic.
- Saintess Candidate Eliya Ruben, with Grade 1 Inquisitor Veronica Aisel, to the Cabensier Imperial Capital.
...
...
...
- Saint Candidate Evan Lane, with Special Inquisitor Isabel Sedent, to the Rayhem Duchy.
- Saintess Candidate Lete Heresia, with 1st Apostle Israfeel Hael, to the Imperial Western Marshes.
“......Hmmm.”
The notice had been posted on the bulletin board. It detailed the content of the third quarter's evaluation test—the first of only two remaining exams.
This was quite different from the Holy Stone test from before or the evaluation tests up until last year.
Should I call the format unique? The cardinals had tested us in all sorts of ways so far, but they rarely sent us down from the mountains.
'Kazan to the Viscaya Strait, Eliya and Dorothy to the imperial capital... And Lete to the marshes?'
It seemed the supervisors were fully briefed on the mission details, as the notice didn't provide much information.
It only revealed where the rest of us candidates, myself included, were headed.
Among them were even the Viscaya Strait—called one of the continent's four forbidden lands alongside the peak of the Hespania Mountains—and the western marshes.
Both were dispatch locations assigned to people I had reasons to worry about for different causes.
“Tch......”
The marshes, especially? Just recalling the nightmare I experienced there five years ago still made my teeth chatter, so I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
I glanced at Lete, who was quietly reading the notice beside me, and blurted out.
“Y-You okay with that?”
“With what?”
“......The marshes.”
I tried broaching the subject with a grave expression, but Lete's face remained utterly impassive.
She just rolled her eyes at me slightly before looking back up at the notice.
Her nonchalant attitude couldn't help but worry me. The marshes weren't a place to take lightly, even setting aside the demon duke that had been summoned there back then.
The quagmire's ferocity—draining mental and physical strength just from ordinary travel—wasn't something easily grasped without experiencing it firsthand.
So I spoke up again, this time in a firmer tone.
“You might not know, but listen closely, Lete. This is advice carved from an experienced person's blood and bones—something worth memorizing. Khup!?”
In the blink of an eye, Lete jabbed her finger into my side. The sneak attack stabbed in with considerable force, stinging sharply.
I raised my trembling hand to clutch my side. Strength drained from my body in waves.
“Wh-What the hell... are you doing......”
“......Hmph.”
What on earth was her problem? I glared at her in utter exasperation, but Lete puffed out her cheeks like she was the one upset.
“......Guess you really don't remember.”
“What? What'd you say?”
“......Nothing? I didn't say anything.”
What was she even doing? As I frowned and straightened my back, seriously debating whether to retaliate with a poke of my own—
“Lady Heresia, Evan.”
A voice called from behind just in time, making Lete and me blink and turn that way.
Two peerless beauties emerged, naturally parting the gathered crowd down the middle.
One was Israfeel, with her water-blue hair cascading like waves, and the other was Isabel, her blonde bangs neatly trimmed to match her personality.
Maybe because it had been a while? Ignoring Israfeel, who glanced my way with a delighted expression, I shot Isabel a reproachful look.
If she was going to show up this soon, couldn't she have stuck around earlier instead of leaving me with Lete?
Of course, I had no real grounds to reproach her, so I just conveyed my sulkiness with my eyes. Isabel, clearly aware, gave an awkward smile.
“Ahem... G-Good thing you two talked it out and made up, huh? Evan. That's, um, commendable.”
“......Yeah, sure.”
Praise like that now didn't exactly thrill me. As I nodded halfheartedly, Isabel flinched and rolled her eyes.
I knew full well it wasn't entirely reasonable to act this way toward her, but somehow, I felt like sulking for a while.
Was this how a son felt after feeling betrayed by his mom, refusing to speak properly for a few days?
I stared silently at Isabel, and she fidgeted under my gaze, staring back.
And silence.
“......”
“......”
Our charged eye contact was broken by third parties.
Lete and Israfeel, watching us with rather peculiar looks. And beyond them, nearby candidates and clergy as well.
“Ahem...! Cough, cough.”
Isabel soon realized how awkward the situation had become and let out a deliberate cough.
Clap! She clapped her hands loudly on purpose and looked around at us desperately.
“I-Instead of standing around, shouldn't we head off with our supervisors? Departures are tomorrow at the latest, or the day after, so we ought to hear the mission details today while we can.”
“......Yeah, true.”
Israfeel hadn't fully dropped her suspicious expression, but she agreed on that point.
Soon, the dozen or so candidates around us began seeking out their supervisors.
Only our group remained in front of the bulletin board: me, Isabel, Lete, and Israfeel.
Lete silently twirled the ends of her coppery hair with her fingertips, while Israfeel fiddled with Isabel's hand for no reason, pretending to be nonchalant.
Finally, Isabel pleaded desperately, on the verge of tears.
“Please take Lady Heresia with you, Israfeel. And stop touching my hand already.”
“Hmmm... Should I?”
“'Should I' isn't the point...! It's your job! Get going already, or else!”
Isabel Sedent spread her palm wide, as if ready to smack Israfeel on the back.
Under her pressure, Israfeel reluctantly nodded and turned to Lete.
“......Hmm.”
“......”
The silence that settled once more wasn't my fault this time. The moment their eyes met, the two women looked awkward and averted their gazes this way and that.
Even though I'd served as a go-between, maybe it was because they'd traded declarations of war once each?
Their lips were visibly dry, so I clicked my tongue and spoke up.
“What if I act like a kid making up with his friends and forcibly grab your hands together as a mediator? Would that be easier for you two?”
“......!”
Lete and Israfeel both startled and glanced at each other. Complicated looks passed between them for a moment, then they both snapped their heads toward me in unison, as if by agreement.
“No need. We can handle it ourselves.”
“Y-Yeah. We'll sort it out between us.”
“If you say so.”
I shrugged, and Israfeel sighed in relief. She clearly didn't want to look bad in front of her little sister.
“W-Well then, we'll be off.”
Israfeel cleared her throat awkwardly and subtly turned her body.
As Isabel had said, it looked like they were going to take some time to explain the marsh mission details.
Lete nodded silently and followed behind her.
“......Jeez.”
I watched their retreating figures for a while, then shook my head side to side and murmured.
“Don't those two seem a bit immature still? Isabel.”
I meant it sincerely enough, but Isabel's expression turned strange for some reason.
She glanced at me reproachfully with troubled eyes.
“It's not just that—you're the root cause of this staring contest, Evan. I don't think that's something you should say.”
“......”
It was a factual smackdown. As I rubbed my stinging chest and tried to look away—
“......Lady Heresia?”
Isabel's voice carried clear bewilderment. I looked up to see Lete striding back the way she'd come, without Israfeel.
Her ear tips were flushed bright red, and she bit her lip. I blinked in surprise.
“Did you forget somethi— Mmph!?”
Then she grabbed both my cheeks roughly. Fixing my head in place with a strong grip, Lete pressed her lips to mine without warning.
A deep kiss with that girl, right in front of Isabel's wide-eyed stare.
“......! ...!?!”
Lete explored my mouth as if to yank out my tongue, then finally pulled away with a pop!
Her face was beet red, her lips glistening with enough saliva for two people.
“......What the hell?”
I wiped my mouth in shock, and she mumbled hesitantly before speaking carefully.
“I forgot to say goodbye.”
“So what......”
“Your declaration.”
She blocked my dumbfounded retort with a raised finger, her cheeks blushing.
“That one... where you said you'd become Saint and claim all three of us openly. I figured I should remind you ahead of time.”
“......”
“As you know, I'll become the Saintess. Unlike you, it's already more or less confirmed at this point. Know what that means?”
When I become Saintess, if you fail to become Saint, you'll lose your choice then.
She whispered that addition in my ear, then flashed a bright smile.
“If that happens, you'll have no choice but to beg for my mercy. Pleading to let you take concubines besides me, just this once.”
“......”
“......So! Go on and try your best. If you really ascend as Saint, then I won't have the authority to meddle in your concubine affairs.”
Lete Heresia declared that with a cute flutter of her eyes.
She raised the corner of her mouth and waved.
“Then I'm really off now. I snuck away from Israfeel because she wanted us girls to chat before the mission, so I'll probably get scolded when I get back.”
Good luck on the evaluation test! With that addition, Lete scurried away.
I... touched my lips, stamped once more with her mark, and gave a feeble smile.
“Isabel.”
“What?”
I spoke with deep distress, and she answered as flatly as possible.
She stepped meekly to my side, and I turned to her, speaking with effort.
“......I think I'm in really deep trouble here.”
“Ah, yeah. Looks that way to me too.”
“......”
“......”
“Help me.”
“......That's not something I can do anything about, is it? Handle it yourself, Evan.”
Isabel the mother remained hands-off as ever.
I let my shoulders slump.