Taming the Evil Saintess

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After that, I had to spend half a day in bed.

The backlash from the Mark wasn’t just simple muscle soreness. A metallic scent lingered in my nostrils. The aftershock was so great that even moving a finger felt like a chore.

“Dumbass.”

Ophelia said to me with her crescent moon-like eyes.

Having taken care of me all day, she quickly realized that my condition was merely severe muscle pain and placed her bare legs on top of my body.

It was as if she treated it like her own private room.

“What kind of knight lies down after just a little fight? This is just pathetic. You might as well hand over your knight title to me.”

“…”

“What? Are you upset? If you’re upset, go ahead and hit me! You were strutting around like a peacock, and now you can’t even walk?”

With that, she burst into laughter and started smacking my chest playfully.

“…sigh.”

I wished I could give her a good slap to the head, but even moving my body felt overwhelming.

I never expected the backlash to be this severe.

Then again, in hindsight, it makes sense.

It must be due to the difference between the original owner of the Mark—the Hero—and me.

The Hero has aptitude stats of A in all fields, truly a gift from the heavens. Their potential is beyond what someone like me could ever compare to. It’s only natural that a non-appropriate human using the Hero’s Mark would suffer this backlash.

The Hero’s Mark clearly has an astonishing effect, just like in a game, but if the penalty is lying in bed for a day, it can’t be used actively. Unless it’s a situation where lives are at stake, or a short decisive battle is required, it’s best not to use it.

Anyway, I needed to become stronger myself.

To do that….

Thud.

As I was lost in thought, Ophelia’s adorable foot landed on my chest.

As irritation welled up in me, I saw her wearing a big smile.

She must have been waiting for this moment.

“Can’t you just… leave me alone?”

“Nope! I’m going to keep teasing you. What? Did you think it’d be fun to bother me, but now that the tables have turned, it’s not fun anymore? How’s it feel, huh?”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“Yes.”

Only then did Ophelia seem satisfied, smiling as she started to wildly wiggle her foot on my body. The pain spread, but I didn’t show any signs of it.

More than anything, I remembered the time when I had teased Ophelia while she was bedridden with muscle pain back at the Cathedral.

“Does it hurt?”

“Ah, it does.”

“How much does it hurt?”

“Um, a lot…”

“Well then, keep being in pain.”

“You little…”

I had no excuses, so I subtly turned my head to look out the window.

The scenery of Labre Territory.

Azar didn’t kill us while we were incapacitated. Instead, he generously offered two rooms for Laila and me.

It seemed he had completely broken free from both the Demon King’s Army and his own stubbornness.

“Did the work go well?”

“Yep. I asked for prayers.”

That was the prayer for Azar’s wife, Aria.

Just a few hours ago was the funeral. Azar had finally decided to let his wife go. He asked the Saintess Ophelia for prayers, and she happily agreed.

“What will that man Azar do now? Will he follow us?”

“Well…”

“It’s too soon.”

The double doors swung open suddenly, and Azar walked in, speaking.

Perhaps due to just having sent off his wife, his expression was far from pleasant.

“There’s a lot to handle in the territory. Now that I’ve flung the doors open, I’ve got a mountain of work piled up to deal with. As the lord of the territory, I’ll need to stay here for at least a couple of months until everything is sorted out.”

Azar said that and then gazed out the window.

A melancholic look in his eyes.

Ophelia stuck out her tongue.

“More than anything, I need some time to gather my own thoughts.”

“Then…”

“Yeah. Once everything’s resolved, I’ll follow you. Just like you said. I’ll lend my strength in the fight against the Demon King.”

It was a small blessing amidst the misfortune.

Azar de Elbrecht was a companion that couldn’t be lost.

If performance was ranked in the game, he’d definitely be in the top five of the overpowered characters. His aptitude stats in axe technique were A, and armor and shield techniques were nearly A+. He was the best tank. Thanks to his nuking-type Mark, he also dealt significant damage. He was practically a jack of all trades.

If we were to defeat the Demon King, it was essential for Azar to be by our side.

“And.”

Only then did Azar bring up his business.

He took out two letters from his pocket and handed them to me.

“This is a letter. It seems the Adventurer Guild separately delivered it to your destination.”

“What kind of letter?”

“I don’t know.”

I accepted the two letters.

Seeing my curiosity, Ophelia inched closer to me.

One was a response to the investigation I sent to Owen. Indeed, as I ripped open the black envelope, there were Owen’s information and locations about the list I had sent.

It was quite similar to the game. However, a few named individuals were noted as missing.

If even Owen couldn’t track them down, it must mean…

“Tsk.”

Possessors.

Those guys are dangerous.

Regardless of whether they’re from my homeland or not, they all carry an indelible mark on their bodies.

That alone provided sufficient reason for their eradication.

Of course, I didn’t feel completely sympathetic for them, given their circumstances of being forced into servitude.

Could they be saved?

I needed to look into that matter separately.

Thinking that, I tore open the next envelope. The sender wasn’t listed. However, inside the envelope, there was a seal of a turned cross.

I knew what that seal meant.

“Yurede.”

The symbol of the Inquisition Bureau.

It must be a letter sent by Yurede.

I frowned.

What movement was happening at the Cathedral? Thinking that, I flipped the letter over and read the dry sentence written there, my eyes narrowing.

“He said the Shadow of God is on the move.”

“…”

Ophelia couldn’t hide her surprise at my words and snatched the letter from me to read it.

The Shadow of God.

Unlike the Cathedral Knights, who work for the Cathedral, they are assassins who blindly obey the Pope’s orders.

With their identities shrouded in mystery, even as a Cathedral Knight, I knew little about them.

However, the fact that they were moving meant they were undoubtedly trying to track down Ophelia and me by the Pope’s command.

“Are they strong?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve only heard of them when I was at the academy. But… I have heard they’re the strongest in the Cathedral. They can handle both Sword Energy and Divine Power at the same time.”

So they might be on par with Yurede.

This was troublesome.

Yurede’s tracking ability is the best in the Cathedral.

I couldn’t imagine the Shadow of God would be any worse. Plus, knowing how to use Sword Energy means they’re stronger than most Cathedral Knights.

If several of them come after me, my chances of winning are slim.

“…”

Whatever the case, this was not good news.

Staying in one place for too long risks getting caught.

What should I do then?

Should I just reveal that I am the Hero to the public?

But then, I’d be terrified of the Possessors associated with the Demon King’s Army.

The tendrils of the Demon King’s Army reached all the way to this place, at the opposite end of the continent from the Demon King’s Castle. In such a situation, if I revealed that I am the Hero…

“That won’t do.”

Right. It wouldn’t do.

According to Owen’s letter, the current influence of the Possessors spreads across the continent.

“This has become a bothersome issue. For now, I must leave as soon as my body recovers.”

“…”

Ophelia, hearing my words, let her hand holding the letter drop.

Then she spoke cautiously.

“Uh, Elliot.”

“What’s with you? You look like a kid who broke a plate.”

“It’s not that… it’s just…”

As Ophelia fidgeted, glancing at me, she continued.

“You’re not thinking of abandoning me, are you…?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Um, well…”

Ophelia trailed off.

Noticing her hand tightly gripping the letter, it struck me. Did she really think I’d abandon her just because the Shadow of God was on our tail?

I wanted to reassure Ophelia, but then I reconsidered.

It was time for a little mischief.

She started it, so now it was my turn to return the favor.

“Ah, well…”

I continued my words in the most relaxed tone I could muster.

“It’s not a bad choice, actually. They’re chasing after Ophelia, not me, right?”

“…”

“Honestly, starting a new life as an adventurer with Laila doesn’t sound too bad. I’m good with a sword, aren’t I? I could probably earn a meal anywhere.”

Upon hearing that, Ophelia’s mouth fell open, and she blinked several times.

The silly tuft of hair on top of Ophelia’s head wobbled.

She looked like she had been struck by lightning.

“Really…?”

“…”

“Are you really going to do that…?”

“Um, maybe.”

I couldn’t help but be flustered.

I expected Ophelia to get angry.

Getting angry would have been normal.

However, for some reason, she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

Her eyes were welling up.

“Um, Ophelia?”

“Don’t….”

“Don’t?”

“Don’t leave me…”

“…”

Ophelia whimpered, pleading.

“Elliot.”

Azar, who had been silently watching the scene, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“I really didn’t want to say this but…”

His expression was one of disgust, like he was looking at a piece of human trash.

“You are truly despicable.”

It felt unjust.