The Last Companion. The Saintess Loves Holy Water (1)
The Two-Choice System appeared before me the moment I encountered the Saintess.
[There is no such thing as zero probability? A crowd from the church proselytizing in the park! And of course, the future Saintess is among them! What will Lee Junwoo choose?]
[1. Wear a mask, conceal your identity, and kidnap the Saintess.]
[2. Betray Minerva and devote yourself to the Goddess Church.]
Choice One was written out in meticulous detail. It felt like a bright future was waiting for me even without checking the answer sheet.
‘Obviously the correct answer is One.’
Anyone would scream that Two was wrong. The moment I betrayed Minerva, my Two-Choice ability would vanish. The one who created the questions was Minerva herself, and I was her apostle. Clinging to another goddess would be pure insanity.
‘…Still, I’m a little curious about the future.’
Just a tiny peek?
The instant that thought crossed my mind, another choice appeared before my eyes.
[Do you really have to look, Lee Junwoo? The questioner might get upset, you know? Are you truly going to view a future where you betray her? Lady Minerva really doesn’t want you to.]
[1. Look.]
[2. I feel so bad for Lady Minerva! I won’t look!]
“…”
Right. Since Minerva hated the idea, I wouldn’t look at the answer sheet—
That was what I intended to do, but the future was far too tempting. Like secretly flipping over the back page of a Kumon workbook, I decided to check the answer for Choice Two.
…
The Hero Party had safely defeated the Demon King.
The magician hadn’t attended the celebration banquet for the Hero Party.
And I stood silently behind the Saintess, acting as her escort.
“Jun Oppa.”
“Yes, Lady Estia.”
“How do I look today?”
“You are beautiful as always.”
“Hehe, I knew you’d say that. I pray that the Goddess’s blessing stays with you today as well.”
Saintess Estia was relaxed. She displayed a benevolent appearance and received the adoration of the people. At the same time, glimpses of a mischievous child peeked through.
I simply stood quietly behind that Saintess.
‘…What the hell is this?’
It was so unrealistic that I was speechless. Why was I just standing there like a slave? No matter how much time had passed, I couldn’t understand this behavior at all.
While I remained motionless, the other members of the Hero Party appeared from afar. Runa and Hare. They had matured with time and grown into beauties beyond imagination.
When Estia saw them, she waved and called out.
“Runa~ Hellooo~”
“…Hello. Estia.”
Hero Runa gave a light greeting and passed by, shooting me a pitying glance.
“Hare, hello to you too?”
“I’m going to kill you…! I will definitely, absolutely kill you…! Always watch your neck…!”
“Ah~ So you were the one fighting with Oppa yesterday? Okay~ Keep working hard so you can kill me, Hare!”
Hare’s body trembled with rage. Then our eyes met. She wore an unbearably sorrowful expression and clutched her chest as if in pain.
“Uncle…”
Then, as if she couldn’t bear to look any longer, she quickly left the area.
‘My head is spinning.’
What kind of relationship was this?
Estia watched Hare flee, then rose from her chair and approached me.
“Oppa did well yesterday, so I’ll praise you today. Here, head!”
Could you not pat my head? My inner voice went unheard. The future version of me naturally lowered his head to Estia.
Having someone far younger than me stroke my head felt incredibly strange.
“Oppa. You protected me well yesterday. Thank you.”
“Yes.”
“Then, as a reward, I’ll give you Holy Water! You really liked it the first time we met, right? Come on, open your mouth, Oppa.”
“…”
The future me naturally opened his mouth. A white light welled up from the Saintess’s hand, forming a small river in her palm. The river flowed like a stream and poured toward my mouth.
Gulp— Gulp—
I drank every drop without missing a single one. Immediately afterward, the future me began to tremble. As if I had lost all sensation in my face, I even slapped my own cheek. Then, caressing the same cheek, I wore an expression of pure bliss.
The answer sheet after that point was brutally torn, as if it refused to show any more.
…
“Am I insane?”
I never should have looked. It would have been better if I hadn’t. Seeing my future self so broken was hard to stomach. And it wasn’t even physical damage—it was my mind that had completely shattered. The shock hit even harder.
“Minerva, you could have warned me properly…”
[I did warn you, Lee Junwoo. You chose it yourself and now you’re blaming someone else? You even confirmed a future where you betray Lady Minerva. Of course you deserve punishment.]
[1. Knock yourself on the head with your fist.]
[2. Shout “I am an idiot” loudly in front of everyone.]
“It’s literally telling me to hit myself. Minerva, can’t you even take a joke?”
Thump—
I smacked my own head. The surrounding citizens looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn’t care.
‘Anyway, now that I’ve seen the future where I end up ruined, the correct answer has to be One no matter what.’
One. Kidnap the Saintess.
There was no need to look at the future. The correct answer was clearly that. I thought about checking the answer sheet, but since it might be necessary during the kidnapping process, I decided to save the two remaining uses.
That meant all I had to do now was tail the Saintess and wait for the right moment…
“Excuse me.”
“…?”
I felt a tug on my sleeve. Someone was holding onto it. The voice belonged to the familiar girl I had just heard.
“Lady Estia. You mustn’t move around so freely.”
“It’s fine. I have something I want to ask this person.”
“Me?”
“How rude. How dare you speak so casually to Lady Estia…!!”
“Holy Knight Eric. Be quiet. I said I have something I want to ask.”
“…Yes.”
Unlike the benevolent appearance she had shown earlier, Saintess Estia’s voice was icy. The current decisive and benevolent figure. The relaxed and mischievous version from the future. I couldn’t tell which one was her true self.
“Don’t mind them. The holy knights are always sensitive about the outside world.”
“…I see. Anyway, you said you had something to ask me.”
“Yes. I suddenly got curious. Just a moment…”
Estia trailed off and began circling me. She seemed to be observing something with great care. She even brought her nose close and sniffed. Each time she did, the holy knights’ gazes grew fiercer, but I deliberately avoided meeting their eyes.
“Hmm…”
‘She’s not a dog. What does it mean for a person to smell another person?’
“Ah, I’m sorry. You smelled, so I unconsciously…”
I had washed thoroughly, yet she said I smelled. The scent the Saintess mentioned was probably something else. Since I could also detect the scent of Grimoire as Minerva’s apostle, the Saintess must have noticed Minerva’s scent on me. It was like a mark that religious figures could recognize among themselves.
“Ah, I understand now. It’s the scent of the same kind. And quite a strong one at that. May I ask the name of the goddess you serve?”
“Minerva.”
The lesser goddess Minerva. Her only apostles were me and the owl. Estia seemed to have heard of her; she laughed in surprise.
“Aah~ So you are an apostle of one of the goddesses belonging to the Goddess Church. I’m sorry for not recognizing you.”
Bow—
Estia politely bent at a perfect ninety degrees. It was a completely different impression from the one I had seen in the future. After apologizing, she lifted her head and suddenly took both of my hands in hers.
“Our Goddess Church welcomes apostles of all twelve goddesses! So, would you like to visit our church sometime…?”
“Visit the church…?”
Those words brought back old memories.
‘Hey kid. Want to come to church?’
‘Ah, no thank you, ma’am! I’m late for taekwondo class, I have to go right now…!!’
‘Come on, just listen for a second~’
‘Aaaargh—!!’
The memory of being scolded by the instructor for being late to taekwondo class came flooding back. Though what left an even deeper impression was the sight of my future self drenched in Holy Water.
Recalling that, I really didn’t want to follow Estia.
“No, I don’t have time today, so I probably can’t go.”
“You don’t have time…? You believe in the Goddess yet claim you have no time to visit her church? Are you a heretic?”
“Why does it have to go there?”
“I’m joking. You might not have time to pray today. I understand. It’s fine if you visit the church next time.”
Estia stuck out her tongue, giving off the air that it had all been a prank. However, the dead-fish eyes she made when I said I couldn’t go to church suggested her true feelings were about fifty percent sincere.
‘Not the church right now. I’ll go later wearing a mask…’
If I followed her now, it felt like I would end up soaked in Holy Water, so I decided to leave quickly.
“Anyway, not today. I’ll definitely visit the church next time.”
“Then thank you! Making apostles happy and comfortable is the duty of our Goddess Church. Please do come by next time.”
Smile—
Estia saw me off with the smile of a café employee. Yet for some reason, that smile felt far too ominous, as if it would swallow me whole.
“…Well then, goodbye. I’m going.”
“Wait just a moment before you go.”
“Hm?”
“Could I possibly call you Oppa…?”
Jun Oppa. That was what she had called me in the future. In that case…
“No. Just call me Uncle.”
“…Really? That’s a shame. I wanted to call you Oppa.”
Smile—
Estia was still smiling, but the ominous atmosphere never faded. It was honestly scary. I should get out of here fast.
I turned my back on Estia and quickly fled into the distance. At that moment, her voice called out from behind me.
“See you next time, Oppa.”
“…”
A chill ran down my spine as if it were the middle of winter. The Saintess of the Hero Party, Estia. What was her true nature?
With those thoughts swirling in my mind, I returned home and began preparing to kidnap her.
***
Inside the church, in a private resting space, prospective Saintess Estia shouted.
“Ugh, I need Holy Water. I’m so tired of acting.”
The benevolent appearance vanished without a trace. A mischievous girl picked up a water cup.
Splash—
She dumped all the water inside onto the floor.
“Estia loves~ Holy Water~”
Humming a tune, Estia soaked the floor with water. The happiest time of her day was approaching, so her mood was already soaring.
However, one disappointing moment from today came to mind.
“…That Oppa was a bit disappointing. It’s been so long since I met an apostle of the Goddess~ If he follows the Goddess, he definitely should have liked Holy Water~ I wanted to share this happiness with him~”
Divine Power that appeared only to those with sincere faith. Estia’s Divine Power had a special constitution. It brought happiness and erased all worries. It submerged people in endless pleasure and forcibly replayed happy memories in their minds.
It was truly a miracle of the Goddess. A miracle for people who lived to be happy.
Estia reached out and began filling the cup with Holy Water.
“Well, he did say he’d visit the church later. I can tell him then, right? Hehe.”
Splash—
I’m sure that Oppa will like it too. Because Holy Water is the Goddess’s blessing. There is nothing in this world that can defy the Goddess’s will.
Estia lifted the cup now brimming with Holy Water. It was white yet radiated brilliant light. Gazing at it with an enraptured expression, Estia recalled the back of Lee Junwoo and spoke.
“That pitiful yet desirable Oppa will soon be mine. Our Oppa who carries such a rich scent of the Goddess—I will make him happy, so just wait a little longer, okay?”
Gulp— Gulp—
Estia drank the Holy Water without hesitation. Her golden eyes quivered at the approaching happiness. She dropped the glass to the floor and collapsed on the spot.
There was no pain at all. Instead, only ecstasy that made her body tremble uncontrollably dominated her.
“Ah, aah… This, this is it… It’s electrifying…”
I’m so happy. The people who don’t know this happiness are so pitiful. The people who don’t know the Goddess’s blessing are so pitiable.
Estia wrapped her arms around her trembling shoulders. Drool dripped from her mouth, but it didn’t matter. Because she was happy. Because she was addicted to happiness.
“G-Goddess… Thank you for granting me… this kind of blessing again today…”
Estia lay prostrate on the floor as if in prayer. The last companion of the Hero Party. The Saintess.
She was a severe Holy Water addict.