The Saintess and the Maid. And the Stick.
“What the fuck.”
The stick shattered the moment I touched it. Cleanly snapped in half, without even a single splinter.
“Ah, fuck…!”
I screamed.
“My romance and dreams…!!”
Where the hell was I supposed to find a stick that looked exactly like a sword? It had an irresistible shape I couldn't bear to resist.
Now it was just a pathetic piece of busted wood with a shattered blade.
“Why? Seriously, why?”
Was this just wood? No way! It couldn't be!
“Anyone would see this as a fucking golden opportunity, right!?”
A path Iris and Eria couldn't see. A space only I could enter. Doesn't that alone mean it's something huge?
And on top of that.
‘A cave embedded in a cliff—doesn't that say it all?’
Was this not a martial arts world or something? Was it because it's a romance fantasy?
“…Fuck. A wooden sword…”
I bitterly clutched my face.
Yeah, that's just my luck.
“Then what's this place…”
I looked around.
There was just a single desk standing alone, which screamed “something's here” at first glance.
“Nothing else but this?”
There really wasn't anything. Did they seriously make this just to toss in this wooden stick? Or wait.
“Did someone already come and take it?”
The thought flashed by.
Yeah, that must be it.
“Right, that's it! Exactly.”
Nothing else explains it. They already stole it. And dropped this stick to fuck with me.
“Fuck off.”
I nearly slammed it down but hesitated.
“…But.”
If they just left it behind.
‘There's mana in it, though?’
Mana was flowing through the stick. A fair amount, even.
‘So it's not just any stick?’
But it didn't look particularly special otherwise.
“…Hmm.”
In other words, it wasn't just a stick.
I picked up the broken pieces for now. Nothing else seemed inside.
‘But there's more path ahead.’
The mana wasn't connected anymore. The energy that had lured me here like temptation was gone.
‘So if I go that way—’
Wouldn't that be fine? I thought about heading out, but my feet wouldn't move easily.
‘Gotta take the people upstairs.’
I had to bring Iris, who looked like she was in agony, and Eria, who seemed mentally broken.
“Hmm.”
Head back first.
With that thought, I turned around.
By the time I got back.
Something was crackling.
“O-oh…!! It… it spread! It spread!”
“I-it works!”
“…?”
Two women were huddled together doing something.
Looking closely, they were trying to start a fire.
How the hell did they manage that?
“Ah, no! The embers!”
“Milady…! The embers are dying down…!”
“Will it catch if we blow? Will blowing work?”
“B-blowing makes it go out, doesn't it?”
“Does it? Then what do we…”
“What are you doing?”
“Eek!”
“Hiiik!”
They jumped at my voice.
Poof—!
“Ah.”
“Eek.”
And the fire they'd just kindled went out.
“N-no… We finally got it going…!”
“How… How do we…”
Eria, who had been staring blankly, suddenly remembered something and asked me.
“M-mage-nim.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know how to start a fire…?”
“A fire?”
“Yes! With magic…!”
With magic? Oh, right?
Come to think of it, I am a mage…
“…I don't know how.”
“…Ah.”
I didn't know how to make fire either. All I could do was shoot arrows and fling swords.
Eria looked disappointed at my answer.
This bitch?
‘…Thinks I'm useless?’
She's a fallen saintess who can't even use heels properly and is totally worthless…!
My pride stung. As I stared at her in disbelief, Iris spoke to me.
“What were you doing inside…? Did you find anything?”
“Ah, found this.”
“This…?”
Iris eyed the stick in my arms.
She made the same face as the useless saintess bitch the moment she saw it.
“…Wood.”
“…You're not hiding your disappointment too much?”
What's wrong with my wooden sword Mk. 1?
“You went through that magic to come back with just a stick…”
“Just a stick? Can't you tell from looking?”
“Why. Is there something special?”
I readily showed it to her.
The clean sword-like shape, even though it was snapped in half.
“…What even is that.”
“You can't find a stick shaped like a sword anywhere else. It's badass.”
“…”
Iris looked at me pitifully.
Her sharp gaze almost made me flinch.
But who am I?
‘Super orphan. Now a single parent.’
Top-tier specs that hold up anywhere.
I didn't back down that easily.
“…Whatever. Go fetch some more of that. It'll make better firewood. Perfect kindling.”
“…Hmm?”
“What's wrong? I said fetch it.”
“N-no, I thought I heard a scream from somewhere.”
Probably hearing things.
And.
“Anyway, I'm not giving it up! Why would I hand over something this precious?”
“…We're freezing to death here, and you're worried about a stick? Hand it over now!”
“Are you insane? I told you it's not just a stick!”
It was an especially precious stick with mana flowing through it.
Hand it over as kindling? No fucking way.
Iris clicked her tongue at my firmness.
“So what now? You wanna freeze to death in this situation?”
She was starting to get frustrated and angry.
Seeing that, I pointed behind me.
“Let's go that way. Found an exit path down there.”
“…You see it as a path, but to us it's still a wall. How do you expect us to go?”
“That's why we'll figure it out from now on. Can't expect milady to tough it out with her body like this.”
“…Well, that's true.”
Just as our opinions weren't aligning and conversation stalled.
Thud.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Rumble—!!!!
Something big crashed, and an echo came from behind.
“What…!”
“Th-the wall!”
Eria and Iris reacted at the same time.
Wall? It still looked like an open path to me.
“Why? Did something collapse?”
“The wall collapsed…”
“For real?”
Why the fuck is this real? A wall collapsed?
As I wondered, Iris stood up.
“…You said there was a path?”
Her furrowed face confirmed her body was in bad shape.
“Yes. Found it earlier when I went down.”
“Let's go…”
Eria supported Iris.
“Milady…!”
“Thank you.”
I watched them, then went ahead first.
To check if the collapsed wall was real, Iris and Eria entered.
We reached that spot.
The desk ahead, and the path behind it.
I pointed there and asked.
“You can see that too, right? Not invisible or anything?”
“…I can see it.”
“Good, that's a relief.”
She can see it? Thank fuck.
I led them forward.
Unlike the descent, this was an upward path.
Maybe we can get out if we're lucky?
As I thought that.
‘Ah, but what about the eyes?’
The cursed eyes that would fall outside.
Even if there's a way out, snow means nothing.
Thinking that as we climbed.
‘Huh?’
Light gradually appeared.
Good, there was an exit.
I peeked outside.
“Huh?”
“What's wrong?”
“No snow falling.”
“What?”
Iris's eyes widened at my words.
She pushed past me to look outside.
“…What…!”
No snow was really falling.
The blizzard that had been raging moments ago was like a lie—the world was bright.
What the hell. What's going on?
‘Fucking mood swings much?’
Reminded me of my sister's time of the month. Her mood was total rollercoaster.
Is this bitch the same?
“Didn't you say it snowed for three days straight?”
“…Yes, definitely… It should have…”
Iris looked just as confused.
Once every hundred days. Snow that poured for three days straight stopped ridiculously quick.
‘She said I collapsed in the cave for less than a day—’
At most a day.
That's all that passed.
What the hell happened?
“Well, good is good, right?”
“…No…”
“Uwaa… L-let's go together…!”
Eria followed behind.
The sun-blazed world came into view.
‘Hmm.’
Nice?
Thank fuck.
“Perfect. Milady's not well. We can head back quick.”
“…Yeah.”
Iris nodded.
The blood on her abdomen was still dark.
“Hoo…”
“Let's hurry. It's a ways from here.”
A bit faster pace, about an hour.
Remembering the search party, we had to move.
Back to the grand duke's estate.
Figure out what happened later.
As I thought that and moved.
“…”
Thump.
Thump.
My heart pounded again.
I stopped.
‘This feeling.’
What? What's this?
Like Peter something prickly? An inexplicable unease and chilling sensation hit me.
I rolled my eyes.
“What's wrong?”
“Mage-nim?”
Iris and Eria, who were moving, asked me.
That was when.
“…!”
Iris suddenly gripped her sword at her waist.
Right after.
A voice echoed nearby.
I turned my head.
Iris was already moving.
She drew her sword and swung behind her.
Clang—!!
“…Kuhk!”
The sword stopped as if hitting an invisible wall in the air.
Seeing that, my body froze too.
A pale white arm extended from a robe.
And the thick mana emanating from it.
An unknown aura and foul stench hit me.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
My heart raced.
Felt like it would burst inside me.
Iris gasped at the being behind.
“No way…?”
Iris seemed to know what it was.
“De—!”
Squish—!!
“Guhk!”
Before she could finish, Iris's neck was grabbed.
The voice hung in the air.
That instant.
Weeeeng—!!!!
The circle in my heart started spinning wildly on its own.
Vrrr—!!
The broken stick in my arms vibrated like mad.
As if it had been waiting for this moment.
Holy Sword (Broken) reacts.
Mana Bloodline convulses.
Eye of All Things hungers upon the demon race.
Magical Path inherits privileges.
From now on.
You hold absolute position against Demons.