The Hero Proved It
"Are you insane? What if someone hears you?"
Lina whispered right into my ear, her voice barely audible.
"Just stating facts."
"Please, just shut up. You'll get arrested for blasphemy."
Lina clamped her hand over my mouth as she whispered that, her face tense as she stared at Jena. But Jena didn't really care what commoners thought of her. To put it simply, it was like no one gives a damn what roadside grasshoppers think.
"Blasphemy, my ass."
I chuckled softly at Lina's words. I'd called Jena trash-smelling, not Goddess Gaiana. Hell, I had the confidence to curse Gaiana out right to her face if she appeared.
'You balance-obsessed bitch!'
Contrary to what people believed, the goddess didn't favor humans in particular. To her, roadside grasshoppers, nameless weeds, and humans were all just the same living creatures. The only ones she discriminated against were the Demon King infused with the Demon God's power and his minions.
According to her logic, the Demon King was a disease disrupting the world's balance, and I was merely a special medicine to cure it.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm not getting punished for blasphemy."
I said that to Lina, who was anxiously tugging at my hand. A hero chosen by the goddess—blasphemy? Even if I openly badmouthed Gaiana, the Gaiana Church would cover it up rather than expose it.
"Here they come."
I told Lina, who was staring at me in disbelief, and turned toward the village entrance.
A lavish white carriage adorned with gold was slowly entering the village. It bore the saintess's insignia. The villagers wouldn't recognize it, but they knelt intuitively and began praying toward the carriage. Only the Holy Knights and I stood watching.
Only after I stood still did Jena finally notice me. I could see a few Holy Knights glaring at me with clear displeasure, but I calmly waited for the saintess to disembark.
Soon, one knight opened the stopped carriage door, and Saintess Marian Delarossi appeared.
Sky-blue hair symbolizing the goddess, porcelain skin, and her distinctive reddish-brown eyes scanning the surroundings. Like Jena, Marian looked at me standing there with a curious expression.
I'd visited the temple to get some common potions, and Marian said to me, "Your sacrifice is certainly worthy of respect. But don't think you can demand anything from me because of that."
I didn't think she said it because she was stingy with potions. From her position, handing out a few hundred wouldn't make a dent.
Still, her words were surely driven by resentment. Because after defeating the Demon King, I'd opposed her ascension to Pope of the Gaiana Church.
Actually, I didn't care if she became Pope or not—I hadn't really opposed it. I'd just refused her request to take my side.
"Just a few potions?"
"'Just' is relative. Even if I like you, I can't misuse the church's assets at will."
Marian had spoken to me as if she were some righteous pope. Of course, she wasn't wrong. Being Pope didn't mean she could use church property freely.
In normal circumstances, I might have felt a bit hurt but accepted it. If I hadn't known she was hoarding high-grade potions for youth-preserving baths and splurging on luxuries with devotees' donations.
"Is it because of that time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm asking if you're doing this because I didn't back you when you ousted the previous Pope."
"Ha? Don't say things that could be misunderstood. The former Pope stepped down feeling his own inadequacies—no one forced him."
I'd let out a hollow laugh at Marian's shameless words. She'd asked me herself, and everyone knew she'd pushed him out. Only she denied it.
Well, compared to the mysteriously deceased emperor, the Pope had kept his life, so maybe she felt bolder.
"Sadly, solve your own problems. You're not a child, are you?"
That was the last thing Saintess Marian said to me. Then her self-proclaimed attendants chased me out of the Gaiana Church.
Back then, I had no hero powers left and was corrupted by demonic energy, far from normal.
"Even if I had the right to demand something from the goddess, would you still act like this?"
That's what I'd thought as Marian's people drove me away, vowing to pay her back someday.
'Marian Delarossi. Long time no see, you trash bitch.'
Seeing her ignited rage in me. But it wasn't time to explode yet. I just bared my teeth in a grin at her.
"Everyone, rise. I'm not worthy of such excessive greetings."
Marian, who'd been watching me silently, called out to the kneeling, praying villagers.
Saintess Marian Delarossi. She was the complete opposite of Jena in personality. Greedy and scheming at her core, but she perfectly played the saintess on the surface.
Even I, who'd never left her side, hadn't seen her true colors until after the Demon King fell.
'Well, that's because I was an unparalleled idiot.'
I gave a self-deprecating smile as I watched her. A gentle smile on her lips, warm gaze toward the people. To any outsider, she radiated benevolence and holiness.
Glancing at Jena, I saw her grimace at the saintess's act. Simple reason: the saintess's origins were disgustingly lowly to Jena.
The empire capital's filthiest alley—a brothel was where the saintess was born. Naturally, the saintess, with her massive complex about it, hated Jena too.
"...Is that you, by any chance?"
While I glanced at Jena, the saintess approached me. She stared at my face and asked, and I slowly nodded.
"Wh-what?!"
"No way, the oracle was real?!"
The Holy Knights and Jena were shocked at my affirmation. I learned later, but at that point, most in the Gaiana Church didn't believe the saintess had received an oracle.
That's why they were so stunned.
"...Do you know what I asked?"
"Perfectly. You're not the only one who communes with the goddess."
I replied to the saintess. Her eyes sparkled at my arrogance, and Jena and the Holy Knights bristled like they wanted to charge me.
Lina kneeling beside me gaped at me in shock, and even the villagers who'd ignored me blinked at the unfolding conversation.
"Y-you bastard. Do you know how grave a sin your words are?!"
Finally, one Holy Knight drew his sword and aimed it at my throat.
Despite the cold blade at my neck, I calmly looked at the saintess. She was the only one who could resolve this.
"...What is this?"
The saintess asked the knight coldly at his outburst. She was technically in charge of this group. But even just answering her, he'd acted on his own.
Of course, he wasn't alone. The knight aiming at my throat was looking toward Jena.
"Saintess. Even if an oracle came, we can't trust this man's words so easily."
"...That's why we're confirming now, isn't it? If he's truly chosen, isn't this rude?"
"The oracle was only heard by you, Saintess. Leave this to us."
I smirked listening to the saintess and Jena. Polite words, but sparks flew between their glares.
"Sigh, I'm still in charge here."
"...It's just procedure to protect you, a saintess with no power."
I slowly reached out toward the two bickering over control, hand toward the sword at my throat.
Grabbing the blade barehanded, the knight panicked.
"Then, if I prove it?"
"...Pardon?"
"That I'm the one you're looking for. I'll prove it."
I said, then slit my throat on the sword tip. Dizziness and red blood spurted from the wound.
"Kyaaak!"
Lina screamed immediately, villagers stunned. The knight yanked back his sword and retreated, saintess and Jena staring dumbfounded.
'Nice faces.'
I chuckled at their panic. That was enough to seize the initiative.
As I smirked, the neck wound healed rapidly. Goddess Gaiana's blessing—the Immortal Body.
"How's that? Proof enough?"
I asked saintess and Jena, but they couldn't respond.
Then—
"A m-miracle! The goddess's miracle!"
At the village chief's words, all villagers knelt and prayed to me—the behavior they'd shown only the saintess.
Carson, who'd tried to chase me out when I first arrived, and Aunt Emily, who'd spread nasty rumors about me—everyone did it.
Only Lina stared at me in undisguised shock.
I scanned the villagers, then asked the saintess again.
"What? Still not enough proof?"
"...No. You are truly chosen by the goddess."
The saintess knelt before me in reverence, other Holy Knights following with awe. Only Jena glared, things having gone awry.
'Not bad.'
I savored the thrill as villagers, saintess, and Holy Knights all knelt praying before me.