Taming the Evil Saintess

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I was only able to be released five days after being imprisoned along with Ophelia.

In truth, the so-called imprisonment was little different from a suite with iron bars. Albrecht said that since we caused a commotion in the city where the entire imperial knight order was gathered, both His Holiness the Pope and the Hero deserved punishment.

It was boring, but since my companions, including Yurede, visited daily to chat, the time wasn’t excessively dull.

After being released, things were ordinary. We borrowed the mansion of a fleeing high noble instead of the destroyed residence. I didn’t ask for their permission. No matter what anyone said, we were the saviors of the city.

“You’re also the destroyers of the city.”

Albrecht scoffed, but I ignored him.

Just as we were enjoying our brief moment of peace, a visitor arrived in the city.

There were three of them in total.

First, the first two were individuals we had invited.

“The Mercenary King and Old Man Olmen have come to visit.”

The Mercenary King Gersen himself made the effort to bring Old Man Olmen all the way to Eastern Port.

As soon as Olmen arrived in the city and saw my face, he clicked his tongue.

“I’d never have thought you’d break my masterpiece… tch.”

“Maybe you should have made it sturdier from the start. What kind of sword breaks after just a year of use?”

“…You’ve really changed, haven’t you?”

“I’m still the same as you remember.”

“…”

Olmen stared at me for a while before looking away.

That silence was oddly uncomfortable, but Olmen took the ruined Holy Sword and gave it a once-over before nodding.

“It’s not impossible to restore, but I’ll need quite a lot of materials.”

“How much do you need?”

“First, I need Orichalcum. Roughly… yes. Four pieces of that bar there should do.”

Since I was clueless about matters like this, I looked at Gersen and asked.

“Can you get it?”

“Are you out of your mind? Four lumps of Orichalcum would cost an arm and a leg right now.”

“We have enough money, though.”

“It’s not about the money. With Elgore’s plunders, the Hell Duke’s lock on the cathedral, and so on… You know what happens when war recurs.”

I tilted my head, and Gersen sighed as he spoke.

“People aren’t willing to part with their material possessions.”

“So you’re saying there’s money, but no goods to purchase?”

“Exactly.”

“Tch.”

I sighed as I looked at the remnants of the Holy Sword.

In order to fix it, I needed materials, but to acquire those materials, I needed money. However, even with money, I couldn’t find anything to buy.

What a ridiculous predicament.

I clicked my tongue and asked Olmen if we could use cheaper materials, but I was met with the answer that it would reduce the strength compared to before.

A no-win situation. While I was deep in thought, Ophelia approached and offered a simple solution.

“Hey, is that Orichalcum really that special?”

“…Well, if that old man says he needs it, it’s probably the main material.”

“…Hmm.”

Ophelia tilted her head, then disappeared somewhere.

Then she returned, struggling with a sword in her hands.

It was the sword of the Previous Hero that I had used during the duel with Elgore.

“Ophelia, why that one?”

“Can’t we just melt this down?”

“…What?”

The sword of the Previous Hero is a relic in itself.

Isn’t it the most valuable sword even in the Treasure Vault of the Saint? The thought of melting it down was both demonic and sacrilegious, and I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

“That’s a stupid idea.”

“…What?”

“Let’s do it right now.”

It was decided.

The sword of the Previous Hero was quite large, so even after repairing my own sword, I had more than half left.

I pondered how to use the leftover iron and heard news that Azar’s axe had recently broken while fighting against Ian, who had become a Chimera.

I ultimately decided to use the remaining iron to make Azar’s axe…

“Ophelia, why do you have that expression?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Your cheeks are puffy.”

“…”

Ophelia squirmed, apparently unsatisfied, with her cheeks puffed up. Her slender fingers brushed against the shield attached to her waist.

“Don’t tell me you wanted to make a shield with the remaining iron?”

“…Is that a problem? I’m really good at using shields, you know?”

That’s true.

If we’re talking about shield techniques, Ophelia is surely at a higher level than I am.

However…

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of engaging in close combat at the Demon King’s Castle?”

“…What do you mean?”

Seeing her expression, I sighed softly. Then I knelt down to match her eye level and rested my hand gently on her shoulder.

“Ophelia, I’m confiscating your shield.”

“…Why?!”

“Stay in the rear with Emily and support us with Holy Magic. From now on, that will be your role.”

Ophelia grimaced.

“Stop talking nonsense. I fight really well, even better than most demons!”

“True. You might not be beaten in terms of stamina since you can recover with Holy Magic.”

“Exactly, so…”

“That’s a problem for you alone.”

I interrupted Ophelia’s words.

A few months ago, I might have let Ophelia fight in the front lines with her shield, but conditions have changed now.

“Think about the other life inside you.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did Ophelia’s face turn red as if realizing something.

“For you, it’s fine to recover with Holy Magic if you get hurt, but what about the new life inside you?”

“…That’s true…”

“It’s for your sake. And also for my sake. Ophelia, don’t you want to think of me?”

“…Y-yes.”

“Me too.”

When I spoke gently, Ophelia’s guard finally crumbled. As I pulled her into a warm embrace, she murmured sulkily.

“Okay, I got it… cough.”

When Ophelia sniffled, she didn’t look like she was quite ready to be a mother, even if she said it lightly.

*

Earlier, I mentioned the visitor.

Now it was time to explain the last one among them.

“I have come to deliver an imperial decree.”

The last person was a guest we hadn’t invited.

A middle-aged eunuch with a stooped back and long hair tied into a bun handed me a scroll without bowing his head.

It wasn’t against etiquette. A Hero, even, had no obligation to expect a bow from an envoy sent by the Emperor.

“…An imperial decree?”

“Yes. As of last month, Her Highness Princess Adelheit has ascended the throne.”

“…”

Well, Emperor Bolazio III must be reaching an age where he’s feeling unwell. He’d want to rest in the back while having his daughter, who enjoys the support of the entire continent, seated on the throne.

Anyway, Princess Adelheit.

Right after she became the Emperor, she issued an imperial decree to us.

I opened the scroll to check its contents.

“She prepared a banquet to celebrate our hard work and has summoned us to the capital?”

“…That is correct.”

“…”

Stripping away all the fancy words, the contents of the scroll boiled down to the following.

‘Hurry up and come.’

I narrowed my eyes as I folded the scroll.

Adelheit invited us. Her intentions could not be entirely transparent.

Ophelia, sitting next to me, grabbed the scroll and read it. It seemed that only the original recipient could read it, but the eunuch didn’t bother to stop us.

That made sense, since on the surface, Ophelia was the Pope of the Cathedral.

“Then, she…”

“Hold on!”

However, the eunuch shouted in a thin voice, as if there could be no sacrilege against the royal family.

“How dare you refer to Her Majesty in such a derogatory manner! It cannot be allowed!”

“What are you talking about? I don’t listen to someone without balls.”

“Wha…!”

“Do you think sucking the Emperor’s… is gonna give you your balls back? Shut up and keep still.”

“…”

The eunuch looked as if his world had crumbled.

After Ophelia’s sharp retort, she showed no more interest in the eunuch and read the scroll thoroughly, then looked at me.

“Should we refuse…?”

“There’s no way we can refuse that.”

In reply to Ophelia’s question, I let out a deep sigh.

Regardless, it’s an order from the Emperor. If Ophelia, as the Pope, could possibly refuse, I, who has no backing but the title of Hero, had no choice but to comply with her summons.

“We have to go, we don’t have a choice.”

“Then I’ll take it as your acceptance. The carriage will be sent in seven days.”

The eunuch’s face flushed red with indignation as he bowed his head deeply.

With just the Demon King’s castle remaining to defeat the Demon King, the Emperor summoned us at such an important time.

That fact left a sour taste in my mouth.

Perhaps Ophelia felt the same as she slowly approached me and held my hand. I squeezed her hand and gently caressed her cheek.

“It’s alright. Nothing will happen.”

“When you say things like that, something always does happen.”

“I can’t deny that.”

As I forced a bitter smile, Ophelia scoffed.

“Don’t worry. Even if something happens, this elder sister will take care of everything.”

“…Elder sister, huh?”

I stared at Ophelia.

She has certainly matured since the first time I saw her. She has lost her baby fat, and there were signs of growth in places where she used to be skinny.

Now she looked like a proper lady.

I chuckled and said.

“Sure, elder sister.”

“…Huh?”

It was said in jest, but for a while, Ophelia couldn’t meet my gaze.