Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Saintess Arrives (2)
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The Holy Kingdom of Monarch shares more than half its border with Penheim, making it the neighboring western nation.
Most of its people are devout followers of the Church of Light, and rather than mages, it boasts priests well-versed in white magic—primarily healing and anti-magic spells.
Centered around the capital, Rubier, the nation's territory is divided into four dioceses, each governed by an archbishop in a distinctive centralized system.
Among them, the Northern Diocese of Solfroid was the region best known in Penheim.
It was the base of the Holy Light Knights, La Ruel, led by Archbishop Celusia Frederic.
Just a decade ago, they had joined forces with Penheim to fight against the demonkin.
But after the war ended, relations between the two nations began to deteriorate endlessly.
The spark was the disappearance of the Saintess of the Poor, Eris Frashuhra.
"I'm Erzebet Brunhart, student council president of Pharenchia Academy and princess of Penheim. Allow me to extend a warm welcome to Saintess Caroline Magdalene and her entourage."
"……."
"Saintess?"
"Ah, haha! The long journey must have left you fatigued, Saintess! We thank you on her behalf."
The current saintess was a newly appointed one.
There was a reason the kingdom couldn't casually voice objections to this.
The saintess was chosen not by the church's internal decision, but solely by the goddess's oracle.
Thus, bringing the saintess all the way to the heart of the nation, Pharenchia, was a bold declaration of Monarch's will.
Your kingdom claims Eris Frashuhra is alive. We declare her dead.
Which side is right, exactly?
"Staying in the dorms might be inconvenient, so we've prepared accommodations at the Pharenchia branch of the Temple of Light."
"I see. Is there anything else you need?"
"……."
"Looks like not."
The ones responding were the attendants who had come from the Holy Kingdom.
Their mismatched, exotic attire looked somewhat disorganized.
As an awkward silence hung in the air, Saintess Caroline, who had been standing silently on the platform even then, suddenly pointed her chin toward one direction.
"Who's that guy?"
There was Louis, whom she had just grabbed to scold him sharply for his rude remark from the platform moments ago.
He was playing with Piy's wings.
Erzebet couldn't offer a satisfactory explanation for how he had glared at a saintess of a nation and treated her like a thief.
"He's... just the canteen owner."
"Really?"
But it was the same on this side.
His words were so rude, it was hard to believe they came from a nation's saintess.
Though her inner thoughts might differ, she was worlds apart from the priests who upheld decorum the higher their status.
She feels kind of like Louis...
"I'm leaving."
"S-Saintess!?"
The priests hurriedly followed after Caroline, who turned and walked away on her own whim.
Erzebet stared blankly at them when someone tapped her shoulder from behind.
"Is that really the saintess from Monarch?"
"Kyaa!? L-Louis! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I heard someone talking about me."
Louis kept his hand on her shoulder, muttering that she didn't look much like a saintess.
As Erzebet tried to brush him off, he lightly massaged it.
"Kyaa!? Don't touch me without permission!"
"It's really knotted up. Has it been that tough with them here?"
"Ugh, y-yes! Not only did they suddenly send the saintess we'd kept hidden, but her background is so mysterious... So stop it!"
After the Demon King's defeat, the Holy Kingdom, which had contributed to Helzev's purification with holy water and the salt of wisdom, requested Caroline's enrollment in the academy in lieu of payment.
Goliath had naturally investigated beforehand, but they could uncover no personal details on Caroline Magdalene.
Her very existence was a source of stress for Erzebet, enough to give her nervous gastritis.
Yet Louis eyed the departing saintess's back intently before casually dropping a remark.
"Makes sense, coming from the Blood Codex Brigade."
"Pardon? What did you say?"
"You didn't know? No scriptures, no sword. Those folks don't even act like believers. And she didn't wear her stole or rosary even in an official setting—that means she lives like that all the time."
Despite clear advice from the other priests, she hadn't donned them to the end, so she wasn't from the regular clergy.
It was Louis's explanation, deducing Caroline's identity at a glance.
"Holy Light Knights would be easy to investigate, and the choir doesn't have bodies built for martial prowess like hers. Wandering missionary troupe is possible, but... from my experience, she doesn't seem from there."
"L-Louis?"
"So that leaves just one option. From the Western Diocese of Soldieu, Blood Codex Brigade Inquisitio. Commonly known as heresy inquisitors. The odd part is... they absolutely never produce saintesses."
"W-Wait a minute!!"
Erzebet hurriedly looked up at him and asked.
"How do you know all this in such detail? Are you from Monarch!?"
"Me? Well... "
Louis trailed off, scratching his cheek.
"If I had to say?"
"What the actual fuck!"
Bam!!
The moment she arrived at the Pharenchia branch of the Temple of Light, Caroline entered a corner of the confessional and spat curses.
She kicked the wall repeatedly and tore at her hair.
How the hell did this happen?
From the moment she was suddenly chosen as saintess, she hadn't been in her right mind.
"This fucking bullshit... Why the hell am I a saintess...?"
"Obviously because you didn't follow the church's directives."
"Mikellan...!?"
The voice from the other side of the confessional belonged unmistakably to the man who was a member of the Blood Codex Brigade and her junior.
"Watch your mouth, punk. Where'd you sell your manners?"
"Ha, what, you wanna play senior now? Even though you got demoted to deacon in the brigade."
"Shut up. HQ would never make that call!"
"Why not? A heresy inquisitor getting chosen as saintess? You should be ashamed."
"Ugh...!"
Anyone in the church could become saintess.
From knights slicing demonkin on the front lines to priests tending the sick in clinics.
From choir members singing God's love in heavenly voices to missionaries crossing deserts with naught but scriptures.
Except... there were those who could never be chosen.
Even though they led one of Monarch's four ancient orders.
"Just you climbing to the top of the brigade is humiliation enough for us."
"No, I...!"
The Inquisitio's heresy inquisitors.
The church's wolves, who cared not what they did to discern and judge heretics.
They burned scriptures to pose as unbelievers, and tortured the innocent without hesitation if black mages or demonkin were suspected.
They knew full well it defied Hera's will, yet served the church as shadows.
The Blood Codex Brigade suited them best—its name meaning "soaked in blood."
In the long history of the Holy Kingdom of Monarch since the Empire's fall, they had never once produced a saintess.
But—
"Take a good look at that body of yours. Where'd the Blood Ra go? This is practically harlot level now."
What am I supposed to do about it! Fuck, I don't even eat much, but my body's changing...
Her ample bosom, cinched waist, and hips so wide her robes revealed her legs.
The booths were designed so occupants couldn't see each other, but Caroline felt his appraising, unpleasant gaze.
Tsking, she pulled a cigarette from her pocket.
Hoping the hazy smoke would obscure her form even a little.
"Anyway, now that you're in Pharenchia, Senior, you follow my orders."
"Why'd the church send me here?"
"...Obviously for the holy relic's whereabouts."
Had the brigade cut ties with her completely?
Mikellan sighed at the sight of his clueless fallen senior.
"You found its location? The hero's name is unknown, and the kingdom whisked him away right after summoning."
"The church restored the voice records from back then. Precisely from the Penheim royal family. We tracked the mana wavelengths left by the teleport magic."
Slide.
A single photo handed through the narrow slit at waist height.
Feeling her breasts block half her view again, Caroline snatched it up.
"The princess? I saw her earlier."
"Investigate the man beside her first. The hero's definitely with the princess."
"Ha, why? Marry him off if he kills the Demon King?"
"If so, it'd have happened ten years ago. Seems like a different relationship."
"What kind? Hand over that record. Unless you wanna die."
He shouldn't be visible, yet Mikellan shuddered at the blood-red murderous glare.
Blood Ra, Caroline of the Crimson Whip.
The Blood Codex Brigade's vice-captain, whom apostates feared most during her inquisitor days.
But now, just a saintess who couldn't even handle her heavy body.
Her holy power had exploded, but she no longer wielded her former martial might.
"That's my call, so... think it over slowly."
Thus, he maintained composure and left the confessional.
From inside came the grinding of teeth from the fierce-tempered demoness.
The place I was first summoned to was Monarch's capital, Rubier.
When I opened my eyes, I met Terra and Eris, got the holy sword and shield, then teleported to Thessalon.
After that... well, I greeted Whitelett Barencopf, who brought Nova from Bachran, punched the king who offered his six-year-old daughter, and headed straight to Helzev.
My time in Rubier wasn't long, but I knew plenty about Monarch.
Mostly from what Eris told me, and I remembered every word.
I had no idea why the next saintess was here, though...
"Sir? Why lock the basement door?"
"My legs are numb."
"?"
"More importantly, Adella, can you move this? Can't see."
I pushed away Adella's hair, which kept slithering over my face and body.
Seemed like something new from awakening her unique magic circuit—soft and cool to the touch, but visually off-putting.
Like an octopus monster.
Shaking her off, I spotted the saintess approaching the canteen from afar.
Students picking items froze warily, unable to look away.
Not just her fiery hair.
These academy kids lived for magic.
The essence of gravity magic shimmering before them was bound to draw eyes.
Way more intriguing than a magic cube.
Rumor had it physical changes were a saintess trait too. I asked Eris why she wasn't like that, got stabbed in the chest, and suffered chest pains for three days.
Never mention breasts again, especially not around saintesses.
"Ah, welcome... Kyaaak!?"
Crunch!
As I approached the counter, I crushed a cute waddling ice duck at my feet, and Adella screamed beside me.
Ignoring her, she crossed her arms and stared.
"What can I help you with?"
"……."
Her lips twisted oddly, brows furrowed, pondering how to phrase it.
From what I knew, Blood Codex inquisitors blended into suspect groups by perfectly mimicking their ways.
No ego or independence—just experts at extracting secrets by any means.
"Hey, mister, gimme one magic cube. Need it for second-year class and the transfer students' aptitude test this afternoon."
Caroline was no different, convincingly playing a fresh-faced academy second-year.
Though her eyes screamed for a smoke, and she looked nowhere near Liv's age.
Of course, the saintess's overwhelming aura and allure made that irrelevant.
Male students behind her even pulled out their bought cubes to fiddle.
But one thing bugged me—
"100 gold."
Who's calling who 'mister'?