The Saintess's Reward

A chill ran down my spine. I slowly turned my head. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Behind the shade of a tree, golden eyes were boring straight through me.

Yuriel.

She emerged from the darkness one step at a time. The benevolent smile of a saintess graced her lips, but the look in her eyes belonged to a fanatic who had met her god.

"......Sunbae."

Her gaze locked onto my blood-stained hand. It wasn't mere appetite. To her, my blood was a holy relic—the only sacred nectar that could save her.

"You're hurt? That must sting... A flaw on such a precious body..."

She licked her lips as she drew closer, looking ready to pounce and devour my hand at any moment.

"Stop."

I issued the command coldly.

"......!"

Her feet halted instantly. The instinct driving her forward was forcibly restrained by a single word from me.

"Senior. Didn't I tell you?"

I raised my bloodied hand and smiled with icy detachment.

"This is a reward. I give it only when I want to, and only when I allow it."

"Ah......"

Her pupils trembled. The fear of being abandoned. The terror of never tasting this sweet salvation again completely overpowered her.

"I-I'm sorry... How dare I... I was just so worried..."

She hunched her shoulders and lowered her head. The greatest saintess in the world was fidgeting anxiously, reading the mood of a mere F-class junior.

"I'll wait... Until Sunbae calls for me... I'll behave myself behind the tree..."

Her eyes were pitiful, like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. I let out a sigh and softened my expression. Truthfully, I had reached my limit as well.

"Come here, Senior."

I called her with a gentle, benevolent face.

"You've held back so well. I should give you a proper reward, shouldn't I?"

Tap—!

Without the slightest hesitation she rushed forward and dropped to her knees before me. She didn't care in the slightest that the saintess's pure white robes were dragging through the filthy dirt.

"It must hurt... Sunbae..."

She cradled my bloodied hand with both of hers as reverently as if receiving a holy grail. The instant her skin touched mine, her body shuddered violently.

"The wound... is deep. If we leave it like this, it will scar."

"Then would you treat it for me? With the power of a saintess."

"Yes... Yes... In the most perfect way possible... I'll perform 'Holy Purification.'"

Her eyes grew hazy and unfocused. Without even waiting for my reply, she brought my palm to her lips.

Lick.

A hot, soft tongue touched the torn flesh. The moment the sting registered, a miracle occurred.

Sizzle—

Wherever her glowing tongue traced, the ripped skin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drew together as if magnetized, knitting itself whole. The immense holy power erased the wound the instant her tongue made contact. But to her, this was far more than simple healing.

"Mmm... Ngh...!"

Yuriel's body shook wildly. The second my blood touched her tongue, every single one of her brain cells screamed in electrifying pleasure.

"Haa... Ahh... My brain... My brain is trembling... Sunbae..."

Her pupils rolled upward as if they might flip completely. Like an addict, she could no longer maintain her sanity.

"The taste of death... is so intensely good... I feel like I'm going insane... My mind is turning white..."

Slurp. Sluuuurp—!

She took my fingers into her mouth one by one, sucking them clean, licking up every last drop of blood from my palm. The mixture of holy power and saliva produced wet, obscene sounds.

Chuuup. Chuuuuurp.

"More... Please give me more..."

Her mouth was smeared with red blood and clear drool. The saintess's dignity had vanished completely, leaving only a beast ruled by pure instinct.

"Purification... Purification complete... Sunbae... Haa... Haa..."

I clenched and unclenched my now-pristine hand. Far from pain, it overflowed with vitality.

"Senior."

"Y-yes? Shall I... continue? The other hand? Your feet as well?"

Her sparkling eyes scanned my entire body. I chuckled and shook my head. Then I looked straight into her eyes and spoke seriously.

"Yuriel, thank you. Truly."

"......"

"I survived because of you. I mean it."

I smiled brightly as I told her.

Yuriel's body froze like a statue. Her eyes widened into perfect circles. Her lips quivered, and clear panic flooded her face.

"......Pardon?"

"I said thank you. If not for you, I might have died from blood loss."

"Th-thank you...?"

A lifetime lived as a saintess. She had healed thousands, but their gratitude had always been directed at the tool called 'Saintess.' Yet this man, even after witnessing her ugly, filthy addiction, was thanking her.

A shiver ran through her—not in her mind, but in her heart.

"Ah......"

Clear liquid spilled down her cheeks.

"Huh? Senior? Why are you crying?"

"I don't... I don't know... Hic..."

She tried to wipe her tears in confusion, but they wouldn't stop. Like a child whose defenses had been completely stripped away, she clutched tightly at the hem of my clothes.

"Hehe... I'm happy... That someone like me... could be of help... That I was useful..."

She hadn't been abandoned. This man did not despise her. On the contrary, he needed her.

She buried her face in my lap and sobbed uncontrollably. They were a saintess's tears, but they flowed not from repentance, but from the joy of salvation.

That was when it happened.

Whoooosh—!

The tree leaves shook violently as wind coalesced in midair.

"Hey! Human!"

A urgent voice accompanied silver hair whipping in the breeze. It was the elf princess, Iris. She came running into the clearing, panting heavily.

"Are you okay?! Earlier a sylph told me... that you collapsed after grabbing your hand...!"

But what entered Iris's eyes was a perfectly fine Roy and the saintess Yuriel, who had her face buried in his lap and was crying.

"......Huh?"

Iris's expression turned ice-cold.

"Saintess? What exactly are you doing there?"

"......"

Yuriel slowly lifted her head. Her face was wet with tears. Yet her lips were still smeared with my red blood. The moment she saw Iris, the gentle lamb-like expression from moments ago vanished completely.

She licked the blood from her lips with her tongue and smiled elegantly.

"Oh my, if it isn't the barbarian of the forest?"

"Barbarian? Have you lost your mind?"

"This is a sacred ritual, and since I am the senior, isn't it rude to speak so casually?"

Yuriel's eyes gleamed with arrogance. It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had been sobbing in my lap just moments ago.

"Hey, human. What did you do with this woman?"

Iris snapped at me. Half worry, half jealousy.

"Ah, well... It was an emergency treatment..."

"What kind of treatment? It smells weird! Anyway, get up. I'm taking you with me."

Iris grabbed my arm and pulled. Yuriel seized my other arm. Squish—!

"Let go, barbarian."

"You let go, you perverted saintess."

The two women's gazes clashed in midair.

"Goodness, both of you, please stop."

I firmly shook off their hands and made an X with my arms. My mind was occupied with only one thing: the Adelia I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had met for a mere 0.3 seconds. Her plea to save her and her tears kept echoing in my ears. I needed to return to the dormitory quickly and plan my next move.

"I'll be heading back to the dormitory now. I'm tired."

In the end, both women stuck close to my sides and followed me all the way to the dormitory entrance. The sky had already grown dark.

"Stop following me. There are too many eyes watching... This is the male dormitory."

"Hmph. See you tomorrow, human. Don't get hurt."

Iris grumbled and vanished along with the wind. Yuriel brought her lips close to my ear and whispered.

"Junior, lock your door properly. Something smells strange around here."

She left behind an unreadable smile and disappeared.

"Haa......"

It had been a stormy day. I dragged my exhausted body toward the dormitory building.

My entire body was a mess of blood and dirt. Although Yuriel had healed my hand, the metallic stench of blood on my clothes, the scent of the saintess's saliva, and the smell of sweat all mingled together. If I entered the room like this, the odor would be overwhelming.

I headed for the water tap beside the dormitory entrance.

Splash—!

When I turned the faucet, cold water poured out. I cupped a handful and splashed it onto my face.

"Pwah......"

The cold water against my skin seemed to cool some of the heat that had built up inside me. I rolled up my sleeves and scrubbed the bloodstains from my neck and arms. Without soap I couldn't remove every mark, but at least I no longer looked completely horrific.

I swept back my wet hair and entered the building. The hallway was pitch black. The mana lamps must have been broken; they weren't even flickering. I felt my way along the wall and walked slowly.

My room was 302, at the end of the corridor.

......Tomorrow is the dawn.

The closer I drew to my door, the heavier my heart felt, as if a stone had been placed upon it. It was bone-deep terror of death. I had always died at that time of day.

The first time, my neck had been snapped and a dagger driven into my heart. It was unmistakably murder.

But what was more frightening was the second death. I couldn't even tell if I'd been bitten by insects or died from drinking water.

The reasons were absurdly trivial. Yet that very triviality had stolen my life. As if the world itself had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠decided to erase me, bizarre deaths caused by overlapping misfortune and curses.

I wonder what ridiculous reason will kill me this time.

It felt as though the shadow of an invisible reaper was tightening around my throat. If I could just survive tomorrow's dawn safely, I might be able to twist this cruel chain of causality.

"Seriously, repeating the first day over and over is exhausting."

The deeper my thoughts grew, the more my attention scattered. Focused on the darkness behind me and invisible threats, I completely missed the presence right in front of my door.

I inserted the key and opened it.

Creak.

The moment I swung the door wide and stepped inside—

"......?"

Thud!

"Ah...!"

Thrown off balance by the door's momentum, I stumbled and fell right on top of someone.

Thump!

I tumbled onto the edge of the bed. Before I could even register the impact against the floor, I felt something soft and squishy beneath both my hands. And a familiar scent that stung my nose.

"Mmmh...!"

A strange moan escaped the person pinned beneath me. Moonlight that had been hidden by clouds poured into the room through the window.

The person under me had long platinum-blonde hair, crimson eyes, and wore an academy uniform with its tie loosened.

"......Adelia?!"

It was her. The same woman who had tried to kill me earlier and then cried in my arms. Why on earth was she in my room? That question lasted only a moment.

Because my hands, thrown out as I fell, were now firmly gripping the soft mounds pushing out from beneath her thin uniform shirt.

"......!"

Her face flushed as red as a ripe apple. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her lips trembled with shame and embarrassment.

"Extra... Right now... Where... are you touching...?"

I quickly pulled my hands away from the regretfully pleasant sensation. At that moment, a red system window appeared before my eyes.

Her crimson eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness. She held no dagger, yet the aura around her suggested she might snap my neck at any second.

In that instant, the worries I'd had in the hallway seemed laughable.

......Ah.

Cold sweat broke out as I swallowed a dry laugh.

I guess I won't even make it to dawn, will I?

Because it looked like I was about to die right now.