Taming the Evil Saintess

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The journey back to the Ice Palace wasn’t as arduous as the trip there.

The Erosion Zone had long since faded, and right in front of us were the Rulier Siblings, leading us. As soon as we arrived at the Ice Palace, a grand welcoming ceremony was prepared.

“Well done, Hero. I was right to trust you.”

Tsar Ryudmila officially declared the extermination of the Plague Lord and expressed his unwavering support for the Hero in every way possible.

“Knight Elliot, about Lady Oksana…”

“For now, it’s better to keep it a secret.”

“Yes. I thought the same.”

We decided not to disclose the facts about Possessor Oksana to the Tsar. I was worried that the Tsar, burning with a desire for revenge, might do something strange. Cecilia seemed to feel considerable guilt about deceiving her lord, but the justification of the grand cause eased her conscience.

After all, perhaps due to the long-term suffering from the Plague Lord, the capital of the Ice Palace was in a festive mood since we arrived, making it the perfect stage for Ophelia to go wild.

“Ophelia, don’t drink.”

“Hey! I’m an adult!”

“No, from what I see, you’re just a kid.”

I didn’t want to witness a drunken Saintess behaving like a wild deer, so I quickly resolved to leave the Ice Palace and head back to the Empire.

Right before departing the Ice Palace, I decided to send a letter from the Adventurer Guild.

“Who are you sending it to?”

“Yurede.”

“Why that guy?”

“…Well, there’s no one as keen-eared as Yurede regarding the situation of the Cathedral.”

Upon hearing Yurede’s name, Ophelia looked horrified, but I dismissed her concerns and sent the letter detailing the meeting place and date.

After a moment’s consideration, I sent one to another person as well.

“Can we join you?”

Just before we departed, Gale and Yudiel arrived, expressing their intent to accompany us.

With the Purification Church no longer present, the Resistance Army no longer had to live under persecution. However, it seemed that Gale and Yudiel, being naturally inclined to guiding, wanted to follow the Hero’s Journey rather than live comfortably in the Ice Palace.

They wouldn’t be a burden. They were guides, like NPCs in a game. They’d surely be of great help on our future journey.

But it wasn’t for me to decide their company.

“Well, what do you think?”

“Um.”

Ophelia, the party’s real power, scanned Gale and Yudiel with a critical eye and playfully poked Yudiel’s chin. As her cold gaze landed on him, he let out a small hiccup.

Time passed, and Ophelia nodded.

“Well, I don’t think it’ll be a problem; they’re no longer a threat.”

“A threat?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

In the end, Ophelia’s approval was granted.

We chose to use land routes instead of waterways on our way back to the Empire.

With winter arriving and the rivers freezing, it was also due to the fact that Blackie was no longer small enough to fit on a ship.

“Hehe.”

“Are you that pleased?”

“Yeah. It’s awesome!”

Ophelia seemed to be in high spirits.

At least while traveling by foot, there would be no worries about motion sickness, so she soared around like a fish out of water. The overflow of energy from Ophelia would fall on Blackie and the Rulier siblings to handle.

After nearly a week of making a beeline alongside Ophelia, we finally entered the Empire.

As soon as we secured lodgings in a nearby small town, we headed straight to the Adventurer Guild.

There, just as hinted in the previously sent letter, Inquisition Officer Yurede was waiting for us with a sly smile.

“It’s been a while.”

Inquisition Officer Yurede was in some form of disguise, and his appearance was quite bizarre.

Wearing a fedora and sporting a fake mustache, he looked completely different from the usually gentle-faced Yurede, resembling some sinister businessman.

“Wow, that really doesn’t suit you.”

“Saint Lady, is the first remark you make after months really that harsh? This unworthy Yurede is deeply hurt.”

Seeing him spout nonsense, it was clear that this was indeed our Yurede.

Of course, there was another figure at the table—one of the companions I summoned through the Adventurer Guild’s postal service.

“Hey, Hero. I’ve heard stories about you all over the continent.”

A huge scale. Claws, vertically slit pupils. And the battle axe strapped to her back.

“By the way, it’s pretty cold up north; my scales are standing on end.”

My long-time friend, the Dragonkin Warrior Laila, was grinning as she welcomed us, just as she had been the last time we met.

Meanwhile, Ophelia turned pale upon laying eyes on Laila.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Um, well… there’s a story behind that.”

Just a few weeks ago, she had heard a horrific tale regarding the origins of the Dragonkin from the Black Dragon Nuar.

Ophelia could no longer think of Laila in a kind and lovely way.

Well, she never was one to have kind and lovely thoughts in the first place.

“So, why did you call me?”

“I need your help.”

“My help?”

“You don’t like religious folks, do you?”

At my question, Laila chuckled and nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course not.”

“Right.”

There had been a certain bastard who, in our days in the Northern Mercenary Group, came to us as a chaplain, bestowing blessings. He proclaimed that since we were sinners, we’d go to hell, but to find the light there.

It was an utter humiliation.

Finding a god in a life where each day was a fight for survival wasn’t easy. In the end, the enraged mercenaries kicked his ass several times, forcing him to leave with his tail between his legs, abandoning both his god and holy war.

Given that history, both Laila and I didn’t harbor any good feelings towards religion, especially after witnessing the abuse inflicted on Ophelia in the Cathedral.

“Um… sounds like quite a bad story.”

Yurede, who had been quietly listening, drew a cross in the air, and Ophelia chuckled.

I shrugged and rested my hand on Laila’s shoulder.

“Anyway, we plan to topple the Cathedral.”

“The Cathedral? Are you insane?”

Well, that’d be the normal reaction from an outsider.

I glanced at Yurede, who spoke to me with a serious expression.

“About that matter, Knight Elliot…”

“What?”

“I have something important to relay.”

Seeing his expression, it didn’t seem to be good news.

*

“The Imperial National Church has noticed suspicious movements from the Cathedral.”

In a separate room within the Adventurer Guild, Yurede first cast a Holy Magic spell for soundproofing before bringing up the matter.

“The National Church sent an inspection team a few days ago for a surprise check on the Cathedral.”

“There are allegations of collusion with the Demon King’s Army, and they sent an inspection team casually?”

“It might sound foolish, but that’s the nature of faith.”

“…Um.”

Well, I guess it’s possible considering they’re a bunch of rigid folks.

I didn’t need to hear Yurede’s next words to predict what they would be.

“But that inspection team hasn’t returned.”

“Yes. It wouldn’t be strange to consider it an act of hostility. In fact, some factions within the National Church are preparing for holy war.”

The Cathedral had fallen, and the National Church was preparing for a religious war.

There’s a term for this kind of situation.

“It’s a total mess.”

“Correct.”

“What’s the Empire saying about this? Didn’t you travel with Owen? You should be privy to their situation. Didn’t that Evangelin woman say anything?”

“Currently, the Empire has delegated the matter to the Church.”

“Why?”

“On the Eastern Coast, Elgore’s pirate group has appeared.”

“…Damn.”

Things just keep getting worse.

It seemed the Empire was focused on addressing immediate threats.

Believing uncertain rumors about the Cathedral before allocating military resources would be a foolish risk against Elgore’s pirates, who were known terrorists.

We were caught in a double bind now.

“So, before the National Church declares war, we need to handle this among ourselves?”

“That’s the gist of it. However, we also have the Saintess on our side.”

“What do you mean?”

Yurede gave a wry smile and removed his fedora, revealing his golden hair.

“The Saintess is the symbol of religion on the continent. Ultimately, it’s only Saint Lady Ophelia who can mediate this series of wars.”

“What does that even mean?”

I frowned.

Ophelia’s influence is immense as the continent’s Saintess.

What Yurede was likely trying to say…

“To unify the chaotic continent and take on the role of a new religious leader, that is, the Pope…”

“Shut it.”

I slammed my hand on the table.

Bang. Whether it was from the surge of bloodlust or simply because I wasn’t feeling it, the room shook, breaking even the soundproofing magic Yurede had cast.

However, Yurede didn’t seem flustered. He merely maintained a calm smile, as if he had expected my reaction.

“I completely understand the feelings of the Hero. However…”

His sly smile only served to fuel my anger more.

I grabbed Yurede closely by the collar.

“Did you not see what Ophelia went through in the Cathedral? You wouldn’t. After all, you accepted it, knowing all along. Everyone, including you, knows that placing that kind of burden on Ophelia is a trashy thing to do.”

I looked straight into Yurede’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not that pious. I’d sooner cut down the goddess herself than tell Ophelia to become a Pope.”

“…”

“Are you okay with that? Then go ahead and interrogate me using your fancy title of Inquisition Officer.”

I took off my gloves and revealed the Hero’s Divine Mark.

“If you dare to judge the Apostle of the divine, that is.”

Yurede blinked, listening to me, before bursting into a chuckle.

“I see.”

“What’s so funny?”

“No, I’ve come to understand.”

“What?”

“It seems you truly cherish the Saintess more than the continent’s worshippers or the gods themselves.”

“…Hmm.”

Hearing that directly was still awkward.

In front of me, Yurede drew a cross and leisurely leaned back in his chair.

I was curious about what he was about to do when he seemed to look behind me.

“…”

I subtly turned my body back.

“…Ah.”

There stood Ophelia, her face so red it was nearly crimson, gazing at me and fidgeting with her lips.