Chapter 66 False Saintess (3)
The False Saintess (3)
After an intense battle, the second dimensional rift finally closed. They said the monsters would grow stronger the deeper we went, and indeed, that had proven true.
There hadn't been any Irregulars like that monster capable of mental interference, but overall, this wave was far stronger than the first.
No wonder Abel had tested me, saying that if I wanted to join the subjugation expedition, I'd have to prove myself by defeating him first. The monsters from the Other World were so formidable that the thought even crossed my mind.
Had it not been for that month of training, I couldn't even begin to imagine how many times I would have died here.
It also made me realize, all over again, just how complacent I had been until now.
"Haaah..."
I flicked the blood off my rapier and sheathed it. Staring blankly at the droplets scattering like dust in the air, I suddenly felt a hand patting my shoulder. Turning my head, I saw Yurp smiling slyly at me.
The moment her question—Do you like Abel?—resurfaced in my mind, I deliberately avoided her gaze.
Unbothered, she stepped right in front of me again.
"Do you have a moment?"
"Ah, well..."
[Why hesitate? Just say yes or no.]
Silpi's scolding reached me from the side, as if my awkward hesitation was frustrating to watch.
Normally, he was so petty, but at times like this, he acted strangely cool.
Fine, fine.
Giving a slight nod of agreement, Yurp immediately grabbed my hand. Though still bony, her grip now carried a vitality that hadn't been there before.
Distracted by its warmth, I barely registered her pulling me toward a tent.
Kal, who had been resting nearby, watched us with a pleased expression. When our eyes met, he gave us a small wave.
"I have some business to attend to, so I might be a little late."
With those words, Kal soon left. Yurp kept watching until his figure disappeared completely.
Only once he was fully out of sight did she finally exhale a sigh of relief. I couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so wary of Kal, but I didn't press the matter.
She roughly yanked the tent flap open and dashed inside. Following her in, I took in the unfamiliar interior.
Glancing sideways, I saw Yurp's eyes sparkling.
"You do like the Duke, don't you?"
Though phrased as a question, her tone made it clear she was already certain. Unable to outright deny it, I eventually nodded.
Her eyes gleamed even brighter.
"Y'know, believe it or not, I'm actually an expert in love advice."
"Is that so?"
Frankly, it was hard to believe just by looking at her.
Noticing my doubtful gaze, Yurp crossed her arms and glared. Just as I tensed, thinking she'd caught on, she pointed out something else entirely.
"Id, speak casually with me. I'm barely fourteen, you know."
"Mm... If it's not rude, then sure."
Was her request to drop formalities a sign she wanted to get closer? The prickly girl from a few days ago had vanished without a trace.
"So, wanna hear my love advice?"
She boasted that, appearances aside, she had successfully matched over ten couples back in the Holy Kingdom. Somehow, her bragging came off as endearing, and before I knew it, I let out a quiet chuckle.
Misinterpreting my laugh as disbelief, Yurp frowned.
"Then ask Kal later. He doesn't lie about stuff like this."
"Yeah, sure."
"So, what do you say?"
She asked again, her gaze brimming with such eager goodwill that I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
If I turned her down, she'd probably sulk and refuse to talk to me for a while. I didn't know her well enough to be sure, but that was the impression I got.
[Love advice to steal someone else's fiancé? Now that's amusing.]
That "someone else" is me, you know?
[Heh, that's why it's funny.]
Silpi muffled his laughter behind a hand, thoroughly entertained. Seeing him do it while wearing Abel's face made me want to flick him on the forehead.
But doing so would probably earn me a weird look from Yurp, so I held back.
§
"Pfft—kuhah!"
Laughter spilled out from behind the hand covering his mouth. Abel, unable to hold back any longer, burst out laughing outright.
Even as I narrowed my eyes and silently stared at him, he showed no sign of stopping.
"Kuhuh—so, you're saying you agreed to take love advice from that Saintess Candidate?"
"...Could you stop laughing?"
"If our positions were reversed, you'd be laughing just as hard."
The idea that the person he was engaged to—disguised as someone else—was receiving love advice on how to steal him away was, when he thought about it, downright absurd.
But I hadn't been able to refuse Yurp when her eyes lit up at the thought of helping.
Never mind that he and I were already on such close terms that we called each other by name.
"Lately, there's been nothing worth laughing about—quite troublesome, really. Thanks to you, I've finally been able to let go of some tension."
"Shut up."
With an exaggerated sigh, I flopped dramatically onto the sofa. Puffing out my cheeks like I was staging a silent protest, I sharply turned my head away.
Yet his laughter still trickled out, unstoppable.
"...Hey. Abel."
"Ah, my apologies. I'll stop now."
When I shot him a glare, Abel stifled a chuckle and, true to his word, stopped laughing. He didn't look particularly sorry, but I decided to let it slide.
It wasn't like I actually wanted a sincere apology from him anyway.
"So, how is she doing?"
"Not bad. She's stopped fasting—at least enough to eat porridge now."
"Is that so? That's a relief."
"A relief? Were you and Yurp acquainted too?"
Abel paused briefly at my question. He mulled it over before letting out another quiet laugh.
"Not particularly. We're hardly anything to each other."
"Really?"
When I pressed him again, Abel nodded easily. There was no sign he was lying.
Not that he had any reason to lie about something like this in the first place.
"Why the curiosity? Could it be... jealousy?"
"...Me?"
I pointed at myself in disbelief. Abel smiled faintly as he replied.
"If not you, then who else would be jealous?"
"...I'm not."
Even as I narrowed my eyes and denied it, the smirk on his lips didn't fade. For some reason, his expression made my blood boil.
He clearly had no intention of believing me no matter how much I denied it.
"Ugh, think whatever you want."
"Hmm. I suppose I will."
At this point, no amount of arguing would change that infuriating face of his.
Abel, with that playful glint in his eyes, would just keep laughing no matter what I said.
And the worst part? Even that expression looked like something out of a painting—so beautiful it was maddening. Was this why appearances mattered so much?
Adel's body was undeniably beautiful, but compared to Abel, it paled in comparison. If Abel ever cross-dressed, he'd probably be prettier than me.
...Now that I think about it, that just makes me angrier.
"Well, enough small talk for now."
Wiping the smile from his face, he picked up a sheet of paper lying on the desk.
It was covered in densely packed Imperial script—so much so that it was hard to read from a distance.
"The Emperor has begun to move."
"...Him?"
"Yes."
Abel flicked his finger, and the paper floated into the air before drifting slowly toward me. Catching it, I scanned its contents.
It detailed a series of incidents between the Holy Kingdom and the Imperial House.
"His next target... is the Holy Kingdom."
"Correct. He's always considered them a thorn in his side."
The alliance between the Holy Kingdom and the Arieh Empire was superficial at best—countless covert hostilities had always simmered beneath the surface.
They just never spilled into the open.
Unconsciously, my hand drifted to my neck as Abel spoke. The lingering soreness from when I'd been strangled prickled faintly.
The raw terror of death I'd felt then resurfaced in my mind.
I tried to hide the trembling in my fingers. But Abel, noticing my fear, looked at me with quiet concern.
"You're still afraid, it seems."
"...Yes. It's only been a month since I nearly died by his hand."
"It's a fear you'll have to overcome someday—if you want to grow stronger."
"I know."
Though his words were stern, his voice carried unmistakable worry for me. The unexpected warmth made me scratch my cheek awkwardly.
"If the Holy Kingdom is his next target, then we'll have to go there too, won't we?"
"That's why this Subjugation Expedition is so crucial."
The reason Abel had personally involved himself in this expedition.
By fostering goodwill with the Holy Kingdom through this campaign, we could later rely on their support to oppose the Emperor.
That was the path Abel had laid out for us.
"We'll need achievements, then."
If I recalled correctly, Yurp had mentioned in passing that the Holy Kingdom operated strictly on a merit-based system.
Only those who accumulated achievements and demonstrated piety were granted high positions—that was the Holy Kingdom's way.
And those achievements usually came from vanquishing evil and championing righteousness.
"Right. We have about a week left before the expedition concludes."
"Wouldn't the Panacea Talisman I wrote be enough of an achievement?"
"That's a merit earned by you as Id. Not by me."
"...Ah. You're right."
So that's why Abel had been cutting through monsters at the front lines every time.
All of it—for the sake of building ties with the Holy Kingdom. To secure their aid and thwart the Emperor's plans.
Had Abel been laying the groundwork like this all along, just to kill the Emperor? Suddenly, I found myself curious about his personal reasons.
Not just the Emperor's atrocities—but whatever private grudge Abel held against him.
But I didn't voice that question.
We weren't close enough for me to ask something like that yet. And... it felt like it might be tied to wounds buried deep within him.