Chapter 10 The Saint's Regret
Chapter 10: The Saintess's Regret
The Saintess's Regret
Mine, the Saintess, was a devout follower of the goddess Minerva and a revered figure within the Minerva Order.
With her dazzling silver hair and striking blue eyes, she had been blessed with extraordinary beauty since childhood.
Born an orphan—her parents presumed dead in the chaos of war—she grew up in an orphanage run by the Minerva Order's temple, a sanctuary in a world increasingly threatened by the Demon King's forces.
From a young age, Mine possessed immense holy power and an exceptional ability to wield it. She quickly rose to prominence within the Order, eventually ascending to the rank of Saintess by the age of sixteen.
At seventeen, she fought tirelessly against the encroaching darkness, but even her divine abilities were not enough to stem the tide of the Demon King's armies.
Then, in that same year, a Hero appeared from another world.
Yu Ji-hu.
A strikingly handsome young man with black hair, he was the same age as her—seventeen—yet his abilities far surpassed what one would expect. He grew rapidly in strength, pushing back the Demon King's forces with each battle.
And Mine, fighting alongside him, began to taste hope—hope that one day, they might truly defeat the Demon King.
"Let's keep working together from now on."
"Yeah, looking forward to it."
As they fought side by side on countless battlefields, their relationship deepened. They grew comfortable enough to drop formalities—though it was Ji-hu who did so first. Mine, accustomed to polite speech since childhood, still addressed him with respect.
With him by her side, the tides of war slowly turned.
But even so, countless lives were still lost.
"Ugh..."
"Hold on just a little longer. I'll heal you soon."
As she tended to the wounded, as she always did, a pang of sorrow struck her.
'There are too many injured.'
No—if only injuries were the worst of it.
'The dead can never be brought back.'
She could heal the wounded with her divine power, but the dead were beyond her reach. Resurrection was an impossibility.
'Sigh...'
Just as she exhaled softly, Ji-hu approached.
"Mine, are you okay?"
His expression was filled with concern. She forced a smile.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"...Alright. Don't push yourself too hard."
Even as he said that, his own expression carried a shadow of sorrow.
Looking at him, Mine sensed that his grief wasn't just for the lives lost—it was something deeper, as if he had suffered a similar loss himself.
"Ji-hu... are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
He smiled faintly, though it seemed a little awkward—as if he had come to comfort her, only to end up being comforted himself.
'What kind of person is he, really?'
She found herself wanting to know more about him.
This man, summoned as a Hero—what was his story?
Cautiously, she asked,
"Come to think of it, we've fought together so many times, yet I don't really know much about you."
"There's not much special about me. If anything, my sister's the extraordinary one."
"You have a sister?"
This was the first time he had mentioned her. Mine's curiosity was piqued.
"Yeah. She's beautiful and strong. If she had been summoned instead of me, she probably would've defeated the Demon King in no time."
The way he spoke of her was filled with pride—and longing.
"You must miss her a lot?"
"Yeah. She's the only family I have left."
At those words, Mine understood the source of his pain.
'He lost his family.'
She didn't know if the Demon King's forces existed in his world, but it was clear something had taken his loved ones from him.
She hesitated to press further, not wanting to reopen old wounds, but Ji-hu continued on his own.
"Seven years ago, when I was ten, my parents were killed by monsters."
"By monsters?"
Mine found that strange. If his world had people like him—Awakened—surely they would have defenses against such threats.
"It's not like here, where monsters exist naturally. In my world, they come from Rifts—strange spaces that suddenly appear, spewing out monsters."
"So there was no way to prepare..."
"Right."
Ji-hu's expression darkened at the memory. Then, looking at Mine, he said:
"That was when I awakened my powers. And I swore to myself—even if I couldn't save everyone, I'd at least protect those within my reach. So no one else would die like my parents did."
In that moment, he truly embodied the image of a righteous Hero.
And Mine, watching him, felt her heart skip a beat for the first time.
"Then I'll help you save as many people as I can."
"Thanks."
As he smiled gratefully, she smiled back.
Standing beside him like this, their gazes meeting—somehow, it made her chest feel warm.
And so, when the so-called Hero's Party was officially formed, Mine joined as the Saintess.
Alongside Iris, the Empire's genius swordswoman princess; Scarlet, the prodigious mage; and Yenia, the elven archer—it was a group composed entirely of women, but their synergy was unmatched.
Few men could remain composed surrounded by such breathtaking beauties, but Ji-hu was one of those rare exceptions.
Where others struggled to adjust to their allure, he seemed entirely unfazed—as if he were already accustomed to it. Over time, what blossomed between them wasn't infatuation, but something deeper.
Two years into their journey, Mine once asked him:
"What do you think of our appearances?"
"You guys? You're all beautiful. Why?"
"Most people find it hard to act normally around us because of how we look. But you seem... used to it."
"Hmm, probably because of my sister. She's so stunning that I guess I just got used to beauty in general. Hah... that sounds kinda weird, doesn't it?"
He scratched his head awkwardly, but Mine could tell he meant it. She wondered just how beautiful his sister must be.
"I'd love to meet her someday."
As she said this, she imagined holding Ji-hu's hand and introducing herself to his sister.
Four more years passed.
By the time six years had gone by since they first met, Mine and Ji-hu had grown even closer.
The war against the Demon King's forces was still raging, so they hadn't crossed the line into physical intimacy—but they had made a promise.
Once all the fighting was over, they would spend their lives together.
Iris, Scarlet, and Yenia had made the same promise with him, but Mine didn't mind.
She understood that he couldn't choose just one of them—and for her, just being by his side was enough.
But then, the Oracle came.
"This... this can't be."
Scarlet muttered in shock.
"You're right. Something's wrong here."
Mine agreed numbly, staring at the Oracle's contents. She was sure her expression mirrored Scarlet's disbelief.
For a Saintess to doubt the Oracle was unthinkable—yet she couldn't accept what she was seeing.
[I'm sorry, everyone. But I have no choice. For my sister's sake, I have to return to Earth—and this is the only way.]
[Why?! We promised we'd go to Earth together!]
[I'm sorry. But even getting back alone is already pushing it. And right now, using the Heart of the Demon King is my only chance.]
[No! If you do that, the explosive energy clash will put the entire Terra continent at risk!]
[Not my problem. I fought for Terra for six years—now it's your turn to sacrifice for me.]
The cold, callous Ji-hu reflected in the Oracle was nothing like the man she knew.
'Ji-hu would never do this.'
Mine refused to believe it.
The man she had fought alongside would never sacrifice countless lives.
If anything, he was the type to sacrifice himself for others.
'The Oracle must be wrong. It has to be.'
Even knowing that, as a Saintess, she shouldn't doubt the divine message—she chose to ignore it.
Yet she couldn't bring herself to confront Ji-hu about it.
And so, on the day of the final battle against the Demon King, she made a mistake she would regret for the rest of her life.