Taming the Evil Saintess

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As Ophelia, Erwin, and Cecilia departed, a heavy silence enveloped the campsite.

I wasn’t sure how the outdoor hot spring would be, but knowing them, they were all crazy about baths, so they’d probably return by sunset.

“Finally, it’s a bit quieter.”

Azar seemed to enjoy the rare moment of peace, sitting comfortably with his legs crossed in a chair.

As for Albrecht, that was a given.

“Elliot, are we planning to move north now?”

Albrecht took a sip of tea and asked about our plans. After pondering for a moment, I shook my head.

“No, it seems we need to go back south.”

“To the Empire?”

“More precisely, to the Cathedral.”

Not long ago, while we were at the Ice Palace, Ophelia and I received intel from Yurede and Owen.

At that moment, it seemed better to keep it to ourselves, but now that we had defeated the Plague Lord, it would be right to inform everyone.

I sighed deeply and spoke the truth.

“The Cathedral has colluded with the Demon King’s Army.”

“What…?”

“It’s true. This information came from Owen. It’s likely that a follow-up report has arrived by now, and I’ll check as soon as we return to the Ice Palace.”

Azar’s eyebrows twitched.

Given his past attempt to extend his wife’s life by colluding with the Demon King’s Army, the news about the Cathedral must have felt closer to home for him.

“The Cathedral has colluded with the Demon King’s Army, huh? Does that mean they intend to turn the continent against us?”

Azar asked somewhat bluntly, and I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know the specifics. But according to what Owen told me, that’s the case. I’m not sure what the extent of their infiltration is or if they are enemies…”

“If that’s true, the continent will soon be engulfed in bloodshed.”

“Probably.”

Ophelia often remarks that the Cathedral is rotten to the core, but the fact remains that it’s the center of faith on the continent. If the Cathedral becomes an accomplice of the Demon King’s Army, it’s only natural that the faith of the entire continent would be shaken, leading to inevitable bloodshed.

However…

“Is the Saintess the problem?”

“Not so much a problem as a concern.”

Ophelia, despite her denial, is recognized as the continent’s Saintess. That reputation won’t change even if she isn’t affiliated with the Cathedral anymore. After all, the members of the Purification Church were in a frenzy just seeing Ophelia.

I was somewhat worried that she would be at the center of future religious conflicts stemming from the Cathedral’s incidents.

Merely voicing my concern seemed to soften Albrecht’s expression noticeably.

“Hmm. Good posture. Truly a role model for a knight, no, a gentleman.”

“What delusion are you under?”

“Delusion? Elliot, you don’t realize it, but… most of what you do is for the Saintess.”

“….”

Is that so?

I frowned.

Let’s think. First, entering the Cathedral as a Knight was largely due to Ophelia’s presence. My education of her, requested by Belwin, could be framed as being for Ophelia’s sake. There’s no denying that fleeing with her from the Cathedral was beyond justification… and likewise for what happened at the continent conference. In the Great Forest, I obtained the Branch of the World Tree as a gift for Ophelia, and at the Ice Palace…

“….”

“Did you just realize?”

Albrecht’s mischievous grin persisted, but I shook my head, my expression stiffening.

I couldn’t admit it.

I couldn’t accept it.

“Well, I’m still a hero, you know….”

“You weren’t a hero at the Cathedral, were you?”

“….”

I had no retort left after being completely rebutted.

Albrecht’s glances, filled with ridicule, felt annoying.

In the end, I opted to flip the table over.

The cleanup was left to Gale and Yudiel.

*

“Hey, old hag. Isn’t that too hot?”

“If you call me an old hag, I might just fold you in half.”

While Erwin soaked in the hot spring, looking utterly relaxed, Ophelia only dipped her toes in.

The reason was, of course, the temperature.

She liked bathing, but she didn’t have the courage to immerse herself in such a hot spring.

Seeing this, Erwin teased her, calling her a cat, and Ophelia had nothing to rebut with. After all, she genuinely had a cat’s tongue and couldn’t handle hot food well.

“By the way.”

Erwin splashed hot spring water toward Ophelia as he spoke.

“It’s certainly something to witness.”

“You’ve lived long enough—way too long for that matter.”

Ophelia shot back sharply, but it seemed Erwin had grown accustomed to it and continued.

“Anyway, what a long life it’s been! I get the chance to admire the naked body of this Saintess of the continent.”

His gaze roamed over Ophelia as if to devour her.

“Hmm. I thought you were scrawny, but in the right places, you’re actually well-endowed, huh?”

“Ugh!”

“Hahaha! Why are you so flustered?”

“Y-you perverted old geezer….”

In a hurry, Ophelia submerged herself in the hot spring water.

“It’s hot, and yet you’re getting in just fine.”

“That’s because of you!”

“Why? Is it wrong to show this to another woman?”

A playful smile amused Erwin’s lips.

“Why be so shy? You’ve already shown this body to a hero, haven’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“…Huh?”

I thought I heard a splash.

Ophelia slipped, and before I knew it, she was fully submerged in the hot spring.

Bubbles began to rise to the surface.

“What’s wrong with that freezing warrior? Why is that kid acting like this?”

“Uh… maybe she’s running a high fever…?”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“…I don’t think so.”

Cecilia cautiously speculated, just as Erwin was about to pull Ophelia out by her crown.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

It wasn’t evening yet; the afternoon was still young, but it felt like clouds had gathered as Erwin looked up at the sky…

“….”

He was desperately trying to hold onto his consciousness, feeling as though he might faint.

A black silhouette covered the sky completely.

Without a doubt, it was a Dragon.

“Uh, um.”

The Dragon’s eyes glowed a chilling blue, and clear hostility was evident.

The Dragon Fear released by an Adult Dragon is powerful enough to make ordinary folks faint.

Erwin cautiously spoke to the shocked Cecilia.

“…T-That’s not Blackie, is it?”

Erwin quickly glanced to the side.

There lay Blackie, curled up, trembling like a aspen leaf.

*

The first one to notice the anomaly at the Forward Base was the scout’s report.

“A Dragon has appeared?”

“Yes.”

“Blackie?”

“No, it’s not.”

Quickly receiving the telescope and checking the southeast, I reconfirmed that the scout’s report was absolutely accurate.

“That’s….”

Blackie was already large.

It would take at least five Relay Wagons to match its size.

But the Dragon over there was…

“An Adult…?”

So massive that even Blackie looked like a baby next to it.

Without a telescope, I could grasp its size even from here.

An Adult Black Dragon.

It exuded a presence so overwhelming that it was fair to call it a force of nature rather than a mere creature.

The conclusion I could deduce was solely one.

“…It’s come to find its lost child.”

And we were definitely the child-stealers.

This meant a foe even stronger than the Plague Lord had appeared.

The urgency of the situation was pressing.

“Gather your weapons; we need to rescue them somehow.”

That was a swift conclusion.

The Resistance Army would be meaningless here.

With only the minimum number of people, we dashed toward the hot spring.

Of course, I hadn’t fully recovered, so I lagged behind naturally. I watched the backs of Azar, Albrecht, and Emily ahead while I caught my breath by a nearby rock, but…

“Ugh.”

At that moment, a hand emerged from behind a giant rock and grabbed me.

As I hastily tried to lift my Holy Sword, the damp feeling against my nape felt familiar.

I called out cautiously.

“Ophelia?”

“Yeah.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wasn’t reduced to a pancake by a Dragon.

“Are you hurt…?”

My head turned at the sound of a smack.

I felt a hot sensation on my cheek.

“If you look away, you’re dead.”

“….”

I quickly grasped the situation.

“Wait, are you not wearing…?”

“I am wearing something! Damn it, who do you think I am?”

“Then why…?”

“B-but it’s just way too thin now! Anyway! That’s how it is!”

“….”

In other words, she was currently in her underwear.

She must have fled without time to get dressed.

“So where are Erwin and Cecilia?”

“They’re over there fighting the Dragon.”

“Why did you run away?”

“Am I gonna just get crushed and die?”

“….”

“Is that wrong?”

“No, that’s a reasonable decision.”

There was no way to fight a Black Dragon.

The reason Erwin and Cecilia were still alive was likely because the Adult Black Dragon was showing some mercy.

Or perhaps it was just mistaking Blackie for a hostage.

I needed to clear up this misunderstanding somehow. But even if I did, I wondered if that Black Dragon would tolerate mere pests like us.

As I mulled over these thoughts, Ophelia smacked the back of my head.

“Damn you.”

“What now?”

“Am I really going to be left like this?”

“….”

I sighed softly and took off the fur coat I was wearing, tossing it behind me.

I was sure that if I were to turn around, it would end in disaster, so I desperately fought the urge to look back.