The Banished Saintess Wants to Lose. - Chapter 4
I let out a massive yawn.
Sitting on this broad rock, staring blankly into the distance, drowsiness kept hitting me like a truck.
Why isn't he here yet?
Without a watch, I couldn't tell exactly, but it had to be at least two hours by now.
It had been more than enough time to cool down the fire in my chest.
Maybe I should just admit my mistake.
Back in the planning stage, it had seemed almost too sweet, and I'd brushed it off.
Endless waiting is the most boring thing in the world when you actually do it.
This had been one hell of a bitter trial by fire.
I was right on the edge of my patience giving out completely.
“Oh noble Sun Goddess, please pull me out of this swamp of boredom.”
As usual, I offered up a meaningless prayer.
If it had been the old days, you would've smiled kindly and talked to me, but now you're light-years away.
“...Do you hate me that much?”
The thin voice that used to slam into the wall and vanish now echoed hollow and empty.
It sounded exactly the same as always, yet today it felt extra empty.
Maybe I should just give up on the whole thing.
All of a sudden, everything felt pointless.
Let the nonsense go and just take a nap instead.
Just as I was about to lie down like a true Maledict Holy Knight, 'eh?'
I suddenly sensed multiple presences from somewhere.
They were clearly approaching from the only entrance tunnel of the Goblin Dungeon.
Finally.
My mood lifted like the sun breaking through clouds.
I'd greet them with the dignity of a dungeon boss.
I straightened my waist and twisted my legs into a firm stance.
According to Giph, I was already known as the “lunatic saintess who got a taste for murder.”
That Maledict Holy Knight was probably thinking the same thing.
So I had to be careful not to break character with my words.
To burn away my will to fight, I had to act as evil as possible.
“I am the mad saintess.”
Time to do a little method acting.
“I want to see blood.”
My lips kept twitching into an involuntary smile, completely opposite to my intentions.
I shook my head and forced a blank expression while dragging up gloomy memories.
Even while I was struggling to sink into the role, the presences were getting closer.
Maybe thirty or so?
Fewer people than I'd expected.
I'd wanted a large party of over a hundred to take me down with the Maledict Holy Knight as the leader.
The number was disappointing, but there was no real problem.
Since they had confidence in their skills, they must've come here planning to fight me one-on-one.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The serious voice came from the center of the group.
At last, the enemies and subordinates I'd been waiting for stepped into view.
“The red nun's habit... so Giph's words were true.”
The middle-aged man at the front of the pack took a step forward toward me.
“...”
My head started throbbing.
“Grant your bright light to these weak ones.”
I greeted them with a smile, wondering if I was imagining things.
The moment I said it, the source of my headache exploded in a loud shout.
“You dare! You dare to speak of the Sun Goddess's grace while wearing an excommunicated body!”
From the way he was talking, this had to be a priest from the Church.
In my position, as someone who hated the very idea, it was truly unfortunate.
“You're really that famous Maledict Holy Knight Derck?”
“Shut up! I won't talk to a woman like you!”
The Goddess always said true importance lay in one's inner self, not appearance.
That's why I never judged people by how they looked.
Their faces were nothing more than obstacles in human relationships.
Whether handsome or ugly, as long as they were kind and polite, that was all that mattered.
But this middle-aged pot-bellied man with a bald spot, just based on looks alone, couldn't I dismiss him?
A sigh slipped out.
He had an appearance that kept a strong wall between himself and my complete strength.
“I swear by the radiant sunlight that I will judge you, Sun Goddess! Grant me the flames of blazing glory!”
Derck thrust his right hand holding the staff high into the air and roared.
“I shall become your flame, Sun Goddess!”
The other priests who had come along raised their swords with shouts of their own.
White holy power filled the cave that had only been filled with cold air.
It was warm yet fiercely burning.
My entire body tingled.
The flame of determination I had prepared reignited.
“Heh... interesting.”
I recited the lines I'd prepared and gathered the mana floating in the air.
“Since my body is hot now, you take responsibility.”
I couldn't use holy power after my excommunication.
That's why I had to learn another way of fighting to survive.
“Form up! The excommunicated saintess is about to use aura!”
Aura.
An essential concept that appeared in every fantasy novel.
With enough training, mana could be infused into weapons or the body, including swords.
It was the only option left for someone like me who had no talent for magic or summoning.
“You all will know what it's like to sink into the shadows.”
That was the end of the prepared lines.
Now it was time to improvise with pure instinct and senses.
Mana wrapped around my arms.
Red aura formed, surging with massive power.
“Here they come!”
I shot forward at high speed.
Toward the priest positioned at the edge.
There was no need for any big technique from the start.
I threw a light punch.
The priest hit in the gut collapsed limply to the floor.
Even though one of their own had fallen, the priests didn't show any sign of panic.
Their swords rushed toward me from every direction.
I immediately retreated and dodged with a bright laugh.
I could feel it.
Their movements were well-trained.
“Don't get discouraged!”
At Derck's command, the priests charged in unison.
Their movements enhanced by holy power.
Various swords, long and short, approached from all sides.
They slashed, stabbed, and threw.
p>
Countless attacks hit at the same time, yet their lines never overlapped.
Impressive.
Our Church's priests really are this strong?
Compared to Giph, they were a bit weak, but priests excelled at this kind of coordinated fighting.
If multiple people could fight as one, the sheer number was a massive advantage.
“Keep swinging those swords! Don't stop!”
The threatening offensive showed no signs of stopping.
But unless these were priests who had reached a high level, they couldn't pierce my Sun-bask habit, which was harder than plate armor.
Most of their slashes were naturally absorbed by the habit, giving me breathing room.
Whenever they showed a gap, I threw my fist.
Even though I was holding back, one after another they fell.
I kept moving and thrust out my aura-wrapped fist.
As the number of people with the clear advantage gradually decreased, the weakened offensive became even more obvious.
Half of the priests had already fallen to the ground.
The battle was tilting heavily in my favor.
The winner was already decided.
I punched the priest who had been resisting until the very end right in the face.
His stubbornness was admirable, but his opponent was too weak.
Every single priest who had charged me was now on the ground.
I walked over slowly and opened my mouth.
“This is boring.”
The breathing that communicated perfectly with nothing but eye contact was satisfying.
But something was still lacking to give me the defeat I wanted.
At the very least, absolute power was lacking.
Even if ants gathered together, they couldn't beat a tiger.
Especially since I wasn't using holy power to threaten anyone.
Exactly, my stock of holy power was too weak to be used for anything else.
“All of you lack faith.”
Even the elite priests they brought had such shallow belief?
Even if the numbers were high, taking down a boss with just one skill was impossible.
“It's over?”
After the battle started, I approached Derck, who had been standing in place shouting the whole time.
“If you were going to do this, you should've brought more people.”
I was secretly hoping to hear that this whole thing was a trap.
There was no way they would've come here blindly against someone as infamous as me.
“You're really the Maledict Holy Knight? That's nothing like the rumors.”
The ugly appearance was a minor issue.
Holy power, attitude, personality.
The overall impression completely mismatched what I'd heard about him.
“The difference is the same for you, woman.”
Derck wiped the sweat from his forehead and ground his teeth.
“Why aren't you killing these guys?”
“...What?”
It hadn't been a mishearing.
“Kill them all! Send them all to the Goddess! Punish the sin of having their blood on their hands!”
“...”
Only now did I notice the shape of the staff gripped in Derck's right hand.
“...You crazy bastard.”
A tool that absorbed the holy power that scattered into the air when an acolyte died.
A kind of dark ritual to accumulate massive amounts of holy power in a short time.
“You brought them all here to kill them?”
I hadn't been the target.
The desire for defeat had narrowed my vision and I hadn't noticed until now.
“Small sacrifices are necessary for a great cause. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do.”
His sincerity was clear.
That's why my anger rose even higher.
“Aren't you ashamed to look your Goddess in the eye?”
“I am the Maledict Holy Knight! It is my duty to judge evil! How could a woman who lost her colleagues go mad and defy my great purpose...”
I punched him in the jaw.
A cracking sound as Derck's body collapsed to the floor.
“You don't deserve to serve the Sun.”
The holy power Derck possessed was at a horrifying level.
Not even a handful of sand.
He was practically just an ordinary person who didn't even know the doctrines.
I could roughly guess how this guy had become the Maledict Holy Knight.
Deception and political maneuvering.
Longstanding weaknesses of our Church.
He had probably manipulated public opinion, stolen his subordinates' achievements, and built up his fame.
And he had used the staff to periodically replenish his lacking holy power.
The sin of greedily sucking in the Goddess's grace through such lowly means was nothing.
“Didn't you say you wanted me to commit a sin?”
I don't create innocent deaths.
As long as I don't provoke my temper,
“I'll grant your wish.”
I stepped on his neck with my right foot wrapped in aura.
The stone floor of the dungeon turned bright red.
The sharp smell of blood spread, emphasizing the victory I had just won.
“...”
In the end, he couldn't hold out and just got annoyed.
Since I was done with it, I immediately headed out of the dungeon.
“Is it over?”
As soon as I came out, Giph greeted me.
Lying under the tree shade near the entrance, peacefully waving his hand looked a bit irritating for some reason.
“Derck used pressure from another organization. That's why only the priests of the Nuset Church came to deal with you.”
His unnecessarily kind explanation drained all the energy out of me.
“Move me to the inn... I have no strength left.”
“Hmm, I have some news that will restore your vigor.”
“What is it?”
Giph paused for a moment, then grinned.
“The newly chosen hero has arrived in Serda.”
“...”
That was truly the news that brought back my energy.