The Banished Saintess Wants to Lose.
The meeting had finally ended.
I stretched my tired arms and legs upward, eager to relieve the ache from hours of boredom.
Truly, it had been more tedious than I could have imagined.
During the discussion on whether to keep me as a Public Enemy, there had been at least some tension. But afterward, it had been nothing but endless yawning and fighting drowsiness—almost like torture.
If only I had managed to glean even one piece of useful information, but it seemed fate had other plans.
Nothing but a repetition of ordinary opinions being exchanged.
I had already known every fact being reconfirmed anyway.
The only thing of any real significance had been that Krbalt, the First Heaven among the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings, had been added to the list of Public Enemies.
Now that everyone knew he had revived and was rampaging about, that alone carried weight.
“Everyone has done well,” Eluke said, scanning the room and lowering her head.
Her face remained hidden beneath her robe’s hood, but she seemed to have regained her composure.
Just like me.
There was no way my heart would waver even when things didn’t go exactly as I planned.
“You may all return now,” I said, rising from my seat at once.
I intended to leave swiftly.
“My disciple, why are you in such a hurry?”
“I have urgent business to attend to,” I replied, trying not to drag my feet.
There were quite a few awkward situations if I lingered.
Selen would no doubt try to speak with me again.
After all, what misunderstanding would arise from seeing me belittle myself?
Since I couldn’t bear it, I decided to simply flee.
Meeting Riella would be equally uncomfortable.
Unlike Eluke, her expression still seemed clouded by lingering disappointment.
I had learned how to comfort strangers through the life of a Saintess during my time with the Hero Party, but I had no idea how to soothe a disappointed friend’s heart.
That was precisely why I should escape the scene now.
“Go on your own,” Master said, waving his hand dismissively as he remained seated.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I must adjust the schedule with the mercenary captain,” he answered.
“...Understood.”
It was a decided battle between Master and Lefis.
He seemed genuinely committed to it.
Thanks to that, I would finally be able to reveal myself in public for the first time since my notoriety had spread.
“Then I’ll be going ahead.”
Selen, who had been watching for an opportunity, tried to approach, so I hurriedly moved away.
“Wait just a moment...”
I ignored her and stepped out of the building of the Purple Magic Tower’s Serda branch.
After walking for some time, I turned back to see her still chasing after me with all her might.
The streets of Serda, where the Hero’s appearance had caused pandemonium, had become a wall of people.
Taking advantage of a gap in the crowd, I slipped into a back alley.
Why did she want to talk so badly?
At least I would try to shake her off first by moving the mana within my body.
Aura Stage 1.
I carefully spread it throughout my entire body so that no mana leaked out.
Naturally, so that it moved like mana floating in empty space.
This way, I could erase my presence.
I had never actually experienced chasing anyone before, so she probably wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down with a battle coming up.
I continued walking carefully, without slowing my steps.
After moving diligently for some time, I finally reached a spot where I could no longer sense Selen’s aura nearby.
Relaxing, I released my stealth.
Then, suddenly, a wave of self-loathing welled up.
Why was I running away like this?
As the exiled Saintess, I should have kept my vicious image intact.
Once I became close to people, didn’t everything just get unnecessarily complicated?
Lately, things kept going wrong.
Plans fell apart, and the problems I had to solve kept piling up.
All I wanted was to lose comfortably.
Yet I was drifting further and further from that refreshing defeat.
My strength faded, so I trudged along sluggishly, then summoned my resolve and quickened my pace.
Our Sun-bask was waiting alone and lonely for me.
She had been fidgeting, saying she didn’t want to be left behind, so I had to drag her away.
By now, she might even be crying.
I needed to reach her before it got too late and comfort her.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived at our temporary lodging, the Watercress Inn.
Even after all this time, it retained its shabby, bluish appearance.
Except for being an uninhabited inn, it was in a truly pitiful state that made me want to switch elsewhere immediately.
Even the door at the entrance creaked unsteadily.
I carefully opened it without tearing it and entered the empty lobby.
A space so quiet it was almost eerie.
Normally, inns served as both restaurants and taverns, but this one did not.
“Welcome,” a voice called.
Droplets of water coalesced in mid-air, and a water spirit appeared.
Unlike our familiar waitress Warty, who had a youthful figure.
“Would you like to stay the night?”
“I’m already staying here.”
“My apologies.”
He didn’t even ask which room and vanished.
A service that never troubled its guests.
That was why I didn’t want to switch to another inn.
I climbed the clean stairs to my room anyway.
The stale air greeted me as if it had been waiting.
I cracked open the windows to let in some fresh air and removed my mask.
Now I felt truly free.
After all, the robe had been the best way to hide my identity.
I wiped the sweat from my face and removed my robe as well.
Then I picked up the Sun-bask that had been neatly folded on the bed.
“How have you been?”
“Why did you come so late!”
The voice cried out the moment I touched it, filling my empty heart with joy.
“How could you leave me behind like that!”
“I came as quickly as possible, didn’t I?”
“I really hate you.”
I soothed her gently and laid her down on the bed.
It was the first time I had relaxed without the Sun-bask since my excommunication.
“You haven’t done this for such a long time!”
With a story to share, her tone lightened as if she had been sulking.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Back then, you used to admire me while looking at my bare body.”
“...Did I really do that?”
“Even until the early days of joining the Hero Party.”
It was a fitting time.
Back when I still hadn’t grown accustomed to the changes.
“But how was the meeting? Did you get any new information?”
“Ah, I’m still just a crazy woman.”
“What?”
Confused by the Sun-bask’s reaction, I bragged about the results I had achieved at the meeting.
“You said you’d sugarcoat it, but was there really any need?”
She reacted as expected, displeased.
“I’m not a kind person.”
In the end, that was the main reason for her rejection.
A banished Saintess wanting to maintain a noble image was absurd.
Now was the perfect opportunity.
It suited my hobbies.
“While being kind...”
“Stop it.”
“So are you going to catch the Demon King’s First Heaven Krbalt now?”
As the Sun-bask closest to me, she immediately changed the subject.
“Using the experience of fighting alongside Liam, right?”
“It won’t be as easy as you think.”
There was only one way to harm Krbalt.
A weapon infused with holy power.
Just holy power alone could resist, but anything beyond that would be impossible.
It was necessary to combine sacred energy with physical force.
A condition only the Hero or Saint could manage.
That was why, in the past, I had guided him to possess me and had Liam deal the final blow.
It had been a difficult extermination even then.
Now, it would practically be impossible.
“You’re not even stupid to get hurt again?”
“That’s true.”
It was troublesome.
It was the most annoying problem among the ones I was currently carrying.
“But how did that elf manage to break free from Krbalt’s control?”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking.”
My Master was naturally unharmonious with spirits.
He could perceive them, but he couldn’t communicate or exert influence.
Even spirits from the natural world were the same.
That was why he was the only elf who was not a spiritist.
How had he managed to shake Krbalt off his body?
It was a surprisingly large question.
“You know many strange techniques. Was there some unusual method?”
It was possible.
Having torn through the boundaries of aura and magic, he might have prepared countermeasures.
“You keep thinking about it.”
My head hurt, so I stopped guessing.
“For now, let’s just go back.”
I picked up the robe that had been thrown over the chair where I had laid the Sun-bask.
“I’ll take you to a place with many people.”
“Great!”
It seemed she had been holding it in until now, and her prompt urging made me hurry outside.
Just in case, I put on the mask again.
It was time for a light, leisurely city outing.
***
The shopping district of Serda was bustling.
Restaurants, clothing stores, and weapon shops lined the streets.
Vibrant signs and colorful exterior walls.
People urging passersby to adjust their steps according to their purpose.
Having lived a life intertwined with nature, my mind was completely at ease.
“Hey, there’s a monster food specialty shop!”
Even so, when I heard the Sun-bask’s excited chattering, I felt satisfied.
“Wow! Look at that person. They’ve got a cat on their head.”
That was fine.
I didn’t stop talking the whole time we walked, like background music.
Thanks to that, I felt happier as well.
Simply walking was already beneficial for mental health.
“Let’s head back now.”
I had enjoyed myself enough.
Wandering without a specific purpose was starting to feel burdensome.
“You’ll come again next time, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Let’s go in now.”
Surprisingly calm, she accepted it without complaint.
She didn’t even pout about waiting a little longer.
I decided to make time like this more often, impressed.
With a faint smile, I was about to head back to the inn when
“Excuse me, do you have a moment?”
A man with a gentle voice approached.
“You’re the priest from the Nuset Church we saw earlier.”
The priest who had participated in the Public Enemy meeting with me.
We hadn’t exchanged a single word, but I remembered his face.
He had even been wearing the robe’s hood, so how had he recognized me?
I had no sense of accomplishment from enduring the discomfort.
“You must be the elf from the adventurer guild?”
“What do you want?”
Unable to help it, I used a tone similar to my Master’s.
“Someone wishes to meet you, adventurer.”
“Don’t tell me it’s the Grand Patriarch?”
“Correct.”
I didn’t like it much.
It wasn’t time to exterminate anyone, and I didn’t want to meet any members of our church.
“Is there no other way?”
“I’ll go for now.”
The reason I accepted was simply whim.
After all, I might learn about the current situation inside the church.
“Follow me.”
I followed the priest through the crowd.
After walking for about ten minutes, I stopped in front of a small restaurant located on a quiet street.
Outside the shop stood a few priests and holy knights in a line, like guards.
They must have rented the entire establishment.
“This is the place. Please enter.”
The priest who had come with me waited outside, while I entered alone.
The small, cramped interior was immediately visible.
It had the feel of a famous eatery with decades of tradition.
A pungent, spicy aroma hung in the air.
“Welcome.”
The Grand Patriarch Damon was alone inside the restaurant.
He had even been forced into a corner seat.
“I already ordered the food, so please eat quickly.”
When I approached, he was eating something I didn’t recognize, perhaps a noodle dish.
Red broth and thick noodles.
It looked surprisingly spicy, but since he was the type who got queasy after eating too much, I simply swallowed without tasting.
“If you had just said what you needed to say.”
My tongue, displeased for not being able to taste the specialty, spat out the words roughly.
“Um, to be honest, I wanted to apologize.”
“I don’t remember you having to apologize for anything.”
“It’s about the exiled Saintess.”
I should have left it alone.
But since I had already heard, I couldn’t just walk away.
“During the Public Enemy meeting, I wavered too much. I should have made a clear stance.”
“...Apologizing with just that? As the Grand Patriarch?”
“My position doesn’t matter. I only felt burdened because I was left to struggle alone.”
He was overly kind.
Yet he didn’t seem foolish and instead had a dazzling aura.
The holy power he carried was at a considerable level.
He was an adherent close to the ideal.
It would be unfair to compare him to the saint who cursed and killed.
“In truth, I was torn apart by conflicting feelings about whether I should acknowledge the achievements of the exiled Saintess.”
“Your church has decided to oppose the exiled Saintess on its own without thinking. That’s not right.”
At my words, Damon thought deeply and shook his head.
“Actually, our church does not oppose the exiled Saintess.”
“...What does that mean?”
My heart began to race.
Together with the sudden surge of hope.
“The goddess who appeared in the Pope’s dream granted us a revelation.”
I pretended to be casual and concentrated all my spirit.
“The goddess only wishes to distance herself from the exiled Saintess. She told us not to even make contact.”
“......”
I removed the mask and began swallowing my share of the noodles.
I didn’t even taste the flavor and simply swallowed them down my throat.
I just wanted to focus on nothing.