Chapter 12
Chapter 12
“You’re Not Gonna Work”
The next morning, I barely managed to force my heavy eyelids open and climb out of bed.
After waking myself up with a moderately cool shower and swallowing down some warm soup and soft bread that Marie brought me, I headed toward the audience chamber.
The hallway leading there felt much longer than usual.
The aftereffects of visiting the Divine Realm still lingered, making my body feel sluggish and heavy.
Grandpa Pope had told me it was fine to rest if I wasn’t feeling well, but there was no way I could sit today out.
Especially when the Hero Candidate was Cassian, the very same bastard who destroyed our Order in the original story.
“Phew…”
Standing before the massive doors of the audience chamber, I took a deep breath.
A faint divine aura seeped out from beyond the doors.
Probably because all the high-ranking officials of the temple were gathered inside.
Once you reached a certain level, divine power naturally leaked out no matter how well you controlled it.
Besides, they were definitely leaving it unconcealed on purpose to pressure the Hero Candidate.
The people of our Order worshipped Eris, who was not only the Goddess of Love but also the Goddess of Battle, so most of them naturally had somewhat aggressive personalities.
In simple terms, they planned to crush the Hero’s spirit right from the start.
There were always Hero Candidates who got drunk on their own talent and acted arrogantly, after all. This was the Order’s way of silently saying:
“Do not become conceited. This place is filled with powerful people.”
And if the candidate had any ties whatsoever to demons, they would likely show abnormalities in a room overflowing with divine power.
Killing two birds with one stone.
“Saintess, are you really alright? You still look pale.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
I smiled reassuringly at the fidgeting Marie beside me.
Honestly, I wasn’t fine at all.
I was tense because I stood at a crossroads of fate, my stomach churned with nausea, and after lying in bed for a week, my muscles had weakened significantly and my senses had dulled.
I felt better than yesterday after getting proper sleep, but even at best, my condition was around sixty percent of normal.
Not exactly ideal.
Still, it wasn’t all bad.
Because one variable still remained.
Grandpa Pope had said that after suffering through the aftereffects, the murky energy accumulated in my body would disappear, leaving me with a body much more suited for handling divine power.
If manipulating divine power had truly become easier, then it would more than compensate for my weakened physical condition.
“Alright then, time for inspection. Ttarararan ttararan ttararan ttan kung-jjak-jjak kung-jjak-jjak ttararirara…”
“…Saintess?”
I hummed a silly tune to calm my nerves.
Marie stared at me like I’d lost my mind, but I lightly ignored her and focused my attention inward.
Back in the bathhouse, I’d tried to summon Astra and ended up injuring myself internally.
If I recklessly manipulated divine power the same way as before, I might collapse vomiting blood right in front of the doors and end up bedridden again.
That absolutely could not happen.
Carefully. Gently.
Like handling a newborn baby, I slowly guided my divine power.
“Oh?”
A gasp escaped me automatically.
It really was far easier to control now than before.
Previously, it had felt like driving on an unpaved dirt road.
Now it felt like gliding along a perfectly paved highway.
Thump—
I spread divine power throughout my entire body, then lightly bounced in place.
My body felt light.
My condition itself was still poor, but divine power was compensating for a huge portion of it.
‘Hmm. Not bad.’
At this level, I could probably fight at around ninety percent of my usual strength.
And once I fully recovered, I’d probably be even stronger than before.
Going through the risk of becoming a vegetable, visiting the Divine Realm, and suffering in bed for a week had apparently been worth it.
“Haaa…”
After exhaling deeply, I used divine power to equip my Holy Vestments.
I still hated wearing them.
But just as the Goddess said, letting my guard down wasn’t an option anymore.
If Cassian tried anything suspicious, these vestments might become my last line of defense.
…And from now on, whenever I entered the Demon Realm, I’d have to wear them no matter what.
Getting used to them ahead of time probably wasn’t a bad idea.
With that bit of self-rationalization added in, I pushed open the massive doors of the audience chamber.
Inside, all the high-ranking officials of the Temple of Eris had already gathered, including Commander Vargas and Archbishop Bartholomew.
The air was taut with tension, like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
The moment I entered, everyone’s gaze focused on me.
Seeing me dressed in full Holy Vestments, most of them looked surprised.
Leonid tilted his head.
Commander Vargas coughed awkwardly and looked away.
Archbishop Bartholomew’s eyebrows wriggled up and down like caterpillars.
I greeted them with a light nod and slowly walked to my seat.
My place was directly beside Grandpa Pope.
“Looks like I’m the last one.”
“Yes, Saintess. You were the last.”
Grandpa Pope replied with a gentle smile.
“I hope I didn’t keep everyone waiting.”
“It’s fine. There’s still some time before the Hero Candidate arrives. How are you feeling?”
“Not one hundred percent, but manageable.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Grandpa Pope smiled softly at me before turning his gaze forward again.
There was still some time before Cassian entered the chamber, so I closed my eyes and leaned back into my chair.
“We are ready. Bring in the Hero Candidate.”
While I sat breathing slowly with my eyes closed, calming my mind, Grandpa Pope’s voice echoed through the hall.
I slowly opened my eyes.
At the same time, my senses sharpened instantly.
Straightening my back, I observed the man entering through the opened doors.
Black hair.
Sharp eyes filled with blood-red irises.
A tall frame well over 180 centimeters.
A body packed with practical combat muscle.
‘Hmm… Well, I can see why Marie made such a fuss. He is ridiculously handsome.’
But his attitude and overall demeanor completely ruined that handsome face.
His swaggering walk.
The insolent gaze casually scanning the audience chamber like he was sightseeing.
The crooked grin hanging from his lips.
And most importantly, those dull, unfocused crimson eyes.
Altogether, he looked less like a Hero Candidate and more like some third-rate mercenary from the back alleys.
‘What’s with this punk-looking thug bastard?’
The Cassian from the original story, faintly preserved in my memory, wasn’t like this.
He was meticulous and arrogant.
A snake-like bastard who knew how to hide his filthy intentions behind a mask, slowly worming his way into people’s hearts and destroying them from within.
But the bastard standing before me now?
Forget a snake.
He looked like some shallow street punk who spent his days extorting people and drowning himself in alcohol.
‘Still, this could all just be an act to lower people’s guard. I can’t relax yet.’
Besides, despite the thick divine aura filling the audience chamber, he showed no signs whatsoever of feeling pressured.
I focused divine power into my eyes and examined him more carefully.
And what I saw made me instinctively frown.
‘That… is supposed to be Cassian?’
This was the man who swallowed an entire one of the Seven Great Holy Orders in the original story.
Even weakened and ranked last among the seven, the Order of Eris was still filled with countless holy knights and high-ranking priests.
At bare minimum, he should possess strength on Commander Vargas’s level and the composure necessary to hide meticulous schemes.
But the bastard standing before me now was…
“Aah, so this is the famous Order of Eris? I expected more from an audience chamber. It’s kinda plain.”
Cassian stood crookedly and spoke in a rude tone.
At once, thick veins bulged on Archbishop Bartholomew’s forehead.
Looks like an argument’s about to start.
That gives me time to think.
Resting my chin on interlocked fingers, I stared at Cassian and mulled things over.
“Hero Candidate! This is a sacred audience chamber. Show some respect!”
“Huhhh? Old man, why’re you yelling so loud? Once I become the Hero, all of you’ll be under me anyway. Might as well introduce ourselves now.”
Cassian ignored the Archbishop completely and snickered.
I tuned out the bickering and continued observing him, gradually feeling more and more baffled.
This guy.
He genuinely sucks.
Sure, being a Hero Candidate probably meant he could beat an ordinary holy knight, but he wasn’t even remotely a threat to me, let alone Leonid.
And if I asked whether he possessed some meticulous master plan?
That was questionable too.
Making enemies with the Archbishop right from the start and drawing suspicion to himself was just stupid.
Unless his plan was to raise the old man’s blood pressure high enough to make him collapse clutching the back of his neck.
Though honestly, thanks to dealing with me all this time, the Archbishop probably wouldn’t go down from just this much.
Could even this somehow be part of a larger plan?
Or was it simple arrogance, believing that someone like the Archbishop couldn’t touch him?
My head hurt.
Why?
Why did the entire Order collapse to a pathetic bastard like this in the original story?
Did he have some hidden power?
Was he concealing his true strength?
Did the Order have a traitor inside?
Or, worst-case scenario…
Was he so overwhelmingly above me that I simply couldn’t perceive his level?
It sounded absurd.
But considering how calmly he acted inside a chamber overflowing with divine power, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility completely.
‘Damn it. My head’s gonna explode.’
There were either too many possibilities or none at all.
Stupid prophetic dreams.
If they were going to show me anything, they should’ve shown me this bastard’s true nature instead of some useless future where I was cuddling up to a man acting cute.
“Haa…”
I let out a long sigh and shook my head.
‘…Yeah. Thinking too hard doesn’t suit me. Let’s handle this the usual way.’
The Hero Candidate examination included a combat test.
A simple evaluation to determine whether the candidate possessed the minimum strength or talent required to become the Hero.
Using that as an excuse, I could pressure him directly.
If I drove him right up to the brink of death—or simply tried to kill him outright—he’d have no choice but to reveal whatever hidden trump card he possessed.
And if there really was an insider helping him within the Order, they’d inevitably react to save him.
The audience chamber buzzed noisily with arguments.
Using the commotion as cover, I looked toward Grandpa Pope.
He sat with his chin resting on his hand, eyes slightly narrowed as he observed Cassian.
‘That’s an odd expression.’
He looked suspicious.
Had Grandpa Pope sensed something strange about him too?
I continued staring at him.
Sensing my gaze, he shifted his eyes from Cassian to me.
Perhaps he understood the thoughts in my eyes, because he silently gave a faint nod.
Do as you wish.
That was probably what he meant.
“Everyone, quiet down.”
Having reached my conclusion, I quietly spoke while lacing my voice with divine power.
Instantly, the audience chamber fell silent as everyone’s attention turned toward me.
And among those gazes, Cassian’s crimson eyes locked onto mine.
Sticky.
Sinister.
Just looking at them made disgust crawl up my spine.
“Oh? So you’re the famous Saintess? The Silver Sacred Spear?”
Before I could even speak, Cassian addressed me first.
Without permission, he confidently strode toward me.
Leonid and Commander Vargas immediately placed their hands on their sword hilts, but I lightly raised my hand to stop them.
Stopping directly in front of me, Cassian openly let his gaze roam across my body.
Then he slowly licked his lips and flashed a vulgar grin.
“Damn, you’re way prettier than the rumors said. And those clothes are incredible too. Guess waiting two weeks wasn’t a waste after all.”
…This fucking lunatic.
Picking a fight with the Archbishop wasn’t enough, now he was provoking me too?
“I noticed you staring holes into me earlier. Did you fall for me or something?”
“……”
Where exactly was this bastard getting his confidence from?
The sheer absurdity made a laugh escape me.
“First of all, personality: failed. I doubt anyone here would object to that.”
I slowly rose from my seat and faced him directly.
I wasn’t short for a woman, but the fact that this lanky bastard was tall enough to force me to look up at him irritated me immensely.
He continued staring down at me with that mocking grin.
And the place his gaze kept drifting toward was—
Ah, fuck it.
I’ve had enough.
“You’re not gonna work.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I shot my hand toward his face.
“Huh?”
Cassian tried to retreat in surprise, but I was faster.
My palm violently seized his slick, punchable face.
Then, gripping his head, I exploded divine power through my body and charged forward.
KWA-KWAAAAANG—!
In an instant, we crossed the wide empty center of the audience chamber.
Dozens of meters vanished in a heartbeat as shattered floor fragments exploded upward.
The moment I released his face, Cassian staggered backward several steps.
“Personality: failed. Which means it’s time for the combat examination, you disrespectful Hero Candidate.”
Alright.
Time to see exactly what kind of cards you’ve been hiding.
I curled my lips into a vicious grin.