Chapter 146

EP.146 I’ve Never Been Hit by My Father Before!

A few hours later.

Even as the chaotic situation hadn’t fully settled, and the heat of the incident didn’t cool completely, the relentless passage of time pushed everything forward to that moment.

“Everyone, please be quiet.”

With the solemn statement of the High Judge, a devout silence descended upon the once-noisy Sanctuary.

The highest clergy summoned from various systems.

Nobles occupying their seats even after paying absurd fees.

A crowd gathering like distant clouds visible far beyond.

It was nothing short of awe-inspiring to see everyone focusing on the same direction with one heart and mind.

“The Hero is entering!”

The thunderous cheers that erupted conveyed the unique thrill of those awaiting the grand event of the century.

Although the shaking earth was momentarily stirred by the energetic support of the guests, even that wasn’t enough to extinguish the spark of excitement in the crowd.

“Hero! Please look this way!”

“Kyah! Hero! Please marry me~!”

“Everyone, don’t back down! Even if it means death, defend our position!”

As one of the centerpiece figures revealed themselves, the excitement of the guests skyrocketed from a boiling cauldron to an explosive eruption.

The sight of the Imperial Knights desperately trying to hold back the surging crowd even gave a peek into the fierce battle scenery of a snowstorm.

Tread, tread.

On the vast red carpet stretching towards the Sanctuary, the Hero walked steadily, a true depiction of a painting.

Her usual cheerful demeanor and the innocent smile she always wore were nowhere to be found in this moment.

Only the heavy aura of a hero burdened with a grave mission swirled around as she moved steadfastly.

That’s what most of the crowd would feel.

But the reality was quite different.

‘Please don’t cause any trouble and just stay still! Hero!’

With my hands clasped together, I fervently prayed and prayed.

The determined posture of the Hero constantly heightened my anxiety, as it was nothing more than a superficial shell hastily thrown together.

It was fine that I had managed to stop the violent conflict between the Hero and the Saintess just hours before.

But as a result of that incident, a tremendous lump had spread unutterably large in the Hero’s heart.

It was the cornerstone of my fears that my threat not to speak ever again if she harmed the Saintess wielded its excessive power.

The Hero’s tortured movements, frozen like a mannequin after enduring painful convulsions, were unbearable to watch, as if her blood was boiling.

When her pulse and breath momentarily ceased, I felt dizzy.

After one more prayer, as I leaned in to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, I couldn’t help but think—what if she hadn’t come to her senses just then?

Even now, after some time had passed, the cold chill in my gut was still lingering.

“Now, next is the entrance of the Saintess. We kindly ask the audience to be mindful of the commotion·····.”

“Woooh──!!!”

The sound of applause echoed so powerfully that it swallowed the High Judge’s voice amplified by the sound stones.

The applause reverberated with such intensity that it left me in a momentary illusion of the atmosphere shaking.

And it was understandable.

It was the first time the previously veiled existence of the Saintess was revealed to the public.

“Oooh! Is that the body of the Saintess we’ve heard about in rumors!”

“Ah, it’s as if an angel has descended from the heavens! Truly the pinnacle of beauty!”

“Ah, beautiful·····. So beautiful·····.”

The high-ranking nobles notorious for their grandiose embellishments were one thing.

But even some rookie priests and the soldiers stationed to guard were feverishly praising the Saintess’s appearance, a sight I couldn’t help but find utterly distasteful.

Their obsession with only the superficial beauty of the Saintess mirrored my past actions when I had been too close to see her true self.

“Ha·····.”

As I sighed heavily from a tangle of complex thoughts.

“It seems you’re not feeling well. Lowville. Are you that worried about the Hero and the Saintess? But when I genuinely worried about your safety, you flatly rejected it?”

A sharp voice, prickly as if thorns had sprouted from every word, suddenly sounded from right next to me.

“D-Dawna·····.”

As I momentarily glanced her way with a crooked smile, there stood Dawna, arms crossed and legs crossed, wearing an unmistakable expression of discontent.

Though it was likely an unconscious action, the fierce magic wrapped around her suggested she was royally pissed off.

This was the first time I’d seen such a furious Dawna since I disappeared without a word from the Academy and later reunited with her as an adventurer.

Thanks to that, the bustling audience surrounding us felt strangely sparse, but rather than the air feeling cleared, it seemed to tighten even more—why was that?

I made up my mind to pretend I didn’t know the fact that was already clear in my mind.

“F-Forgive me·····.”

“If you were thinking of offering an apology, it’s better to stop. If you say something like that now, I might lose my temper and I don’t know what I might do.”

For just a moment, the atmosphere around us vibrated with a palpable tension.

That brief moment made it clear I shouldn’t dismiss Dawna’s words as mere annoyance.

I considered turning my head to gauge her expression, but soon dropped that idea.

If her expression was distorted in fierce anger, it would be a blessing in disguise. I could just take it in my body until she calmed down.

But if her gaze was filled with sorrowful tears, I knew I could never meet her eyes front-on again.

No matter how much it was for saving the Saintess, I had trampled a comrade’s genuine concern in the worst way possible, like an utterly heinous criminal.

Good intentions wouldn’t provide absolution here.

How long had it been?

Just when I could no longer endure the hazy silence seeping into my bones, I was beginning to lose myself in the blessing ceremony before me.

“Since when·····. Just when did you know·····?”

In a stuttering tone, as if forcing her stiffened lips to move, Dawna asked me.

Had it been the old me, I would’ve played dumb, pretending not to understand the intent of the question, but if I did that now, it was clear that the area would erupt into flames.

Resigned, I spoke truthfully.

“I thought about it occasionally, wondering if you knew from way back·····. Like how you always got close to me when we spoke, or if you turned your whole body away every time our eyes met—it was quite suspicious you asked me about my ideal type 30 or 40 times too·····.”

“Indeed·····.”

“And when I got out of the lake after washing up, you always appeared right on cue to hand me a towel, and each time, the texture of the clothes I had left behind seemed subtly different as if someone had swapped it for a new one·····.”

“Th-That’s·····!?”

“The knockout blow was on one fateful night when I got thirsty and went to fetch some water. I heard muffled moaning mixed with my name from the tent you were staying in!?”

“Enough!! Enough!! Stop it!!!”

I hadn’t even laid out half the evidence yet, but already the wisdom stick had driven deep into her head.

With such force that I started to think I might have split her head in half.

I had never been hit this hard, not even by my father!

Of course, I’m an orphan.

Tears welled up from a mix of pain and humiliation.

“Ugh·····.”

“Phew·····.”

The heavy breaths mixed with moans of pain and frustration intertwined for a moment.

Was that enough to start losing affection?

As I pondered that while rubbing my throbbing head.

“S-So·····. Wh-What’s the answer·····?”

Dawna, gripping her staff even tighter than when she smacked my head, threw the question at me in a voice smaller than an ant might make.