The Birth of a Saintess
“S-Saintess...? What does that...?”
Yura stammered in bewilderment at Adel's words.
“Exactly what it sounds like. If you want to save Yohan, you need the power of a god from the light lineage. To weaken the demon's power and extract the spirit stone.”
“But...”
“What? Your brother swallowed a demon's spirit stone for your sake, and now you're worried about becoming a saintess instead of a witch?”
[It's only natural to be scared. Becoming a saintess means contracting with a high god.]
[Yeah. Where else are you gonna find someone like her? Cheeky even in front of an ancient god. Heh heh.]
Garon and Kalderet chuckled as they looked at Adel.
But unlike them, Adel was dead serious.
“Sometimes people have to do things they don't want to. We're short on time. Yohan's condition is worse than you think. For a man, his whole body becomes a vessel, with demonic power spreading throughout.”
He continued gravely.
“Keep in mind, Yohan is dying even now.”
“I-I...”
Yura muttered in a trembling voice.
In truth, there was a reason Adel was being so forceful.
'The Nell Church.'
The largest religious order on the continent, with countless devotees worshiping a pure-blooded god. He might be able to acquire them easily.
'If Yura becomes the Nell Church's saintess, I won't need to use Ralka as leverage in dealings with the church.'
That would give Ruinxen even more freedom to operate.
And if the slave city of Cratel gained the Nell Church's protection, it would be safe from the surrounding kingdoms eyeing it.
“Of course, it's not just about using you. I can help you get what you want.”
“What I want?”
“Recognition from your tribe.”
“...”
“Yura, from what I see, your father is Unt, the tribe's leader, right?”
She looked shocked at Adel's question.
'It's not far off for Yohan to succeed Unt as the Razell tribe's leader.'
Dealing with a girl not even fifteen was no challenge for Adel.
But he believed this deal required honesty—no lies, only secrets.
“It's not surprising for a child whose existence can't be revealed to be abandoned. But you're lucky. At least you know who your parents are.”
“What do you...?”
But the sharp-minded Yura instantly grasped what he meant.
“No way...”
“That's right. I'm an orphan. A war orphan. I don't know who my birth father is. I fled to the desert to survive the wars, and now I stay with the Ulan tribe.”
Adel told her plainly.
“As Hien's eighth son.”
She gazed at him with shock—and a hint of loneliness in her eyes.
“Do you know what abandoned kids need to survive? Proof of their own worth. I'll create that worth for you.”
Yura's eyes trembled at his words.
“You'll gain value no one in your tribe can touch.”
He held up the ring again, bringing it to her face.
“When you become the saintess of the Nell Church, with its vast followers, it's only natural their priests and knights will follow you. I hear the Razell tribe lost their village in a tribal war. Right?”
“I could never...”
“You won't know until you try. You can't say if you can or can't without facing it.”
Adel replied.
“And your brother didn't swallow that spirit stone just because he could. It was for you.”
He set the ring before her and stood.
“Well, I can't force you. The choice is yours. But one thing's certain: you're the only one who can save Yohan now.”
'In his previous life, Yohan received the Holy Kingdom's blessing. They wouldn't choose someone with no potential.'
Those with fairy blood had strong affinity for light lineage gods.
'I can afford to hope.'
Even with fairy blood, contracting a high god wasn't easy.
'She's clearly less capable than Yohan. But in god contracts, personal ability matters less than resolve.'
Squeeze—
At that moment, Yura snatched the ring.
“I-I'll do it.”
She said in a trembling voice.
“Sir Adel.”
She looked at him with tense anticipation.
“Then what worth are you trying to achieve?”
“Me?”
Adel smirked at her question.
“I don't have any.”
“...Huh?”
Yura stared at him, baffled.
“I don't care about recognition from others. I'm not making everyone acknowledge me—I'm making it so they have to.”
At his answer, Yura smiled faintly as if she'd expected it, slipping the ring onto her finger.
Shwaaaaa—!!!
Dazzling light burst from the ring, and Yura squeezed her eyes shut.
“Karono.”
Adel said, gazing at the light.
“Yes, speak.”
“Spread the word. From the continent to the straits. Make sure everyone knows. From now on, you're the one with the most eyes and ears across the continent.”
“You already knew what I'd do.”
Karono said, surprised that Adel knew he'd form an information guild.
“I'll make sure the entire continent hears it.”
“Good. Relay this.”
“As you command.”
“A pearl has been born from the mud.”
The birth of a new saintess.
“Y-Yohan!!”
After over a week of sleep, he slowly opened his eyes at Yura's voice.
“Thank your sister for life. Without her, demonic qi poisoning would've left you half-paralyzed at best, if you were lucky.”
“...”
Yohan sat up, glaring at Adel with the eyes of an untamed beast.
“What do you want from us?”
Crack—!!!
Without hesitation, Adel smacked the back of Yohan's head.
A dull thud echoed, and Yohan pitched forward from the impact.
“...!!!”
“...!!!”
The onlookers couldn't hide their shock at Adel's sudden action.
“Wh-what the hell!!!”
“Hey, you think I'd tell you my demands and you'd fulfill them? After saving a snot-nosed brat with nothing to offer.”
“...What?”
Yohan was dumbfounded by the scolding from Adel, who was only a few years older.
“When someone's saved you, show gratitude before your pride.”
“...”
Adel leaned down toward the fallen Yohan, speaking softly.
“Try it.”
“Wh-what...!”
Yohan panicked under Adel's piercing stare.
Smack—!!
Another hit to the head, and Yohan instinctively knew resistance was pointless.
“Hurry up.”
“...Thank you.”
Yohan muttered, lips pursed.
Only then did Adel smile in satisfaction.
“Good. That's more like it.”
Yohan looked up at him.
“I want one thing from you. From now on, bow to no one.”
“What...?”
“Swallowing the demon spirit stone instead of your sister was brave, but she contracted with Nephrem for you. Like it or not, Yura must live as a god's contractor now.”
Yohan glanced at Yura, his eyes mixed with guilt and gratitude.
“I'm leaving soon. When I return from the desert, the continent will have changed more than now—but compared to the upheaval we'll cause, it's nothing.”
Adel patted their shoulders lightly.
“You'll be at the center of it.”
Thump-thump-
For some reason, the siblings felt a strange stirring. The words of a boy only slightly older made their hearts pound fiercely.
No, more than that, they doubted if they were worthy of such a pivotal role.
But Adel was different.
'The Liberation King, the Mad Dog, and Nephrem's contractor...'
He couldn't help but grin.
Even one of them could shake the continent, and now they were all gathered under him.
And that wasn't all. Ruinxen's Queen Spider, the root of the continent's dark forces, had become his follower.
'This continental trip was a huge haul.'
Adel smirked, savoring the faint demonic power pulsing in his heart.
“Yohan. Once your strength recovers, learn the sword from Karono. The Nell Church will come for Yura. To them, the saintess is vital—but also a tool to exploit.”
“Then...”
“You protect her.”
“...Understood.”
Yohan unwittingly used formal speech with Adel.
“Don't worry. If you receive Nephrem's blessing through her, no half-baked church knight will dare touch you.”
Adel had no doubts, knowing Yohan's potential well.
“And when you trust your own power, return to the Razell tribe.”
“...Pardon?”
“No more running. Now it's time for you to go to them. The church's saintess and her guardian knight. That's a status to hold your head high, right?”
“But...”
Yohan's eyes wavered.
“Take the Razell tribe. That's the task I give you.”
Though still anxious, Yohan slowly nodded.
“Karono. Contact Ruinxen for supplies. They'll provide troops to hold the city until it's rebuilt.”
“Understood.”
'But Ruinxen alone has limits.'
It quenched the immediate fire, but bringing Ruinxen's forces to Cratel would weaken Ruinxen.
A misstep could leave both cities vulnerable.
'That gives me one more reason to unify the desert faster.'
“But in the end, you must protect yourselves. Form a plan using the slaves here to defend the city.”
“Understood.”
Karono replied confidently.
“And you all.”
Adel opened the room's door and stepped onto the terrace.
Below the tall building, former Cratel slaves stood in orderly ranks, awaiting his command.
“Don't forget. There's no third freedom.”
His voice, infused with mana, echoed across the city.
“The chains left after this freedom can only be broken when death comes.”
Snap—!!
Snap—!
Snap—!!
As his words ended, Karono knelt on one knee in salute, and the entire city followed suit.
The slaves gazed at Adel with eyes full of admiration.
“Do your utmost to survive.”
Rooooaaar—!!
Rooooaaar—!!
They roared with all their might.
[Intriguing. In the slave city once deemed the worst, the noblest saintess is born...]
Kalderet watched the sight of the entire city kneeling to one boy.
[The fiercest king has appeared.]