In this world, the Saintess holds a very important position.
Even if she has subpar stats on her own, she could still deal damage to monsters and demons simply through her advantages.
In fact, if the Saintess isn’t present in the later parts, the number of enemies that appear can almost quadruple.
In that case, no matter how hard the protagonist levels up, damage will occur from places that can’t be reached, making the difficulty skyrocket.
Lilith has such a carefree personality, and since we often tease each other without a care in the world, it’s not strange at all that she could be revered and adored.
To put it bluntly, in some situations, the Saintess can be given more preferential treatment than the Princess, Seria.
And thus, it wasn’t surprising that people flocked to Lilith.
After all, even a moderately popular idol gets stalker fans; would they just let a chosen one of the gods be left alone?
“Every time I step outside, it’s like this. Honestly, the Academy is more comfortable.”
Thanks to that, Lilith seems to have gotten quite used to this situation.
However… she isn’t the type to enjoy attention from strangers.
She might say she’s fine, but I bet she’s secretly uncomfortable about it.
That’s why she likely says the Academy is more comfortable.
‘The Academy will soon become uncomfortable too.’
Does she know? Unbeknownst to her, the number of people worshiping the Saintess at the Academy is gradually increasing.
It won’t be long before a religious group forms at the Academy, holding prayer meetings every morning and evening.
And… during every meal time, prayers directed at her will echo from somewhere in the student cafeteria…
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing at all.”
I realized I was looking at Lilith with sympathetic eyes.
Hang in there, Lilith! If you’re struggling, come find me anytime. I’ll make sure to tease you with Seria too.
Anyway, even if one gets used to having someone follow them, discomfort is unavoidable.
Perhaps Seria thought the same since she seemed very concerned about the person following us, but as a Princess, she hesitated to step out in the middle of the street.
As a result, an expectant gaze was subtly directed at me.
Of course. It would be reasonable to have a commoner shield in this situation.
With the eager eyes of a Princess and a Saintess… the pressure was immense, making it hard to refuse.
“Sigh. So? Who’s the one following us?”
So, I decided to confront it head-on.
After all, if I let it drag on, they might follow me to lunch, and I’d be so distracted I might choke on my food.
“That person over there.”
“What? Are you trying to deal with them for me? You don’t have to go that far.”
Without thinking too much, I asked who the stalker was, and Seria pointed to a person.
Lilith, who was fixated on looking intently, abruptly pretended like she wasn’t staring at all, and I just ignored her.
The person Seria pointed out was a man wearing a leather hood.
His exposed arms and legs revealed he had a very skinny physique.
To say he looked like a beggar might be an exaggeration, but he was nearly that pitifully thin with some worn spots on his leather.
However, it somehow felt fitting for someone stalking the Saintess.
People often become desperate when they lack something.
With such a difference in stature, I thought I could resolve it just by saying a word, so I casually approached.
He kept retreating a little, and finally, I chased him into an alleyway that was nearly deserted. It seemed he didn’t want to create a conflict in a crowded area.
Once I cornered him in the alley, the man pulled back his hood to reveal his face.
However… that face was very familiar.
‘What? It’s him!’
I immediately recalled his name. Fanatic Zealot.
Well, he isn’t a significant character, so his name doesn’t really matter.
You can just think of him as a combat character who operates under Lilith’s orders in the later story when she becomes more prominent.
His biggest trait? Above all else, he values the existence of the Saintess, viewing every person in the world as mere accessories under her. A true madman.
Right. It’s not strange for a fanatic to follow her around.
I hadn’t seen him in the early parts, so I didn’t even consider him, but he might have been tailing me without being mentioned in the game.
‘Okay… what to do about this…?’
The fact he appears as a combat force in the later story means he’s incredibly strong.
A difference in levels? Talking is not a solution here; he could likely obliterate this entire area if he wanted to.
I don’t know why this guy is stalking me in such a pathetic state, but trying to understand a fanatic’s actions would be foolish. Let’s just move on.
For now, he’s the most deranged one among the strong individuals I know.
Unlike other fanatics who might act reasonably if their lives are in danger, he’ll take orders from the Saintess until the end.
If the Saintess were to randomly punch a passerby, he’d probably step in, shouting, “Dare you dirty the Saintess’s fist!” and start throwing punches himself.
“So, you must be the one accompanying the Saintess. What business do you have with me?”
He said this confidently, as expected of someone like him.
How bold of him to act like he was merely observing, even after getting caught while stalking. He probably believes there’s no issue with watching over the Saintess.
Well… it indeed won’t be problematic. He isn’t likely to cause harm.
In fact, he might jump in to help if someone tries to harm her, right?
However, I couldn’t leave things as they were.
The notion that there’s no issue only applies to Lilith.
Fanatics tend to be incredibly lenient towards themselves and what they believe in.
That means they are incredibly strict about everything else.
If I touch the wrong nerve, I might trigger something unpredictable. For all I know, this guy could blow up without a second thought.
‘What do I even do…?’
The more I thought about it, the more it gave me a headache.
Even if I told him to leave, he probably wouldn’t listen. Plus, making an excuse feels too much trouble.
With the Princess and the Saintess watching closely from behind, should I just tell everyone that this guy is a fanatic?
As my thoughts started drifting toward giving up, a pretty decent idea popped into my head.
So… could it be?
“Lu. Rafipipi. Niesain. Naphaia. Hartnemia. Ferujina. Lilith.”
“…How do you know that!”
The names I just muttered are those of past Saintesses.
Some of them can’t be known by normal means, but as I casually brought them up, goodwill began to gleam in his eyes that were previously directed at me.
Then he cautiously asked, “Do you perhaps believe in the same doctrine as I do?”
“If that pendant you’re wearing is genuine, then yes.”
The pendant he wore was a symbol of the sect this fanatic believed in.
Yes, a preposterous choice I came up with was to act as if I were part of the same group.
“What a joy to meet a fellow believer in a place like this! I am Fanatic Zealot; just call me Fanatic.”
“Nice to meet you, Fanatic. I am Rudion, a commoner without a family name.”
“Class does not matter in faith.”
With a very social greeting, we shook hands.
After all, this fanatic was operating individually and had no means to share information; this would be enough to establish some trust.
Mimicking the speech of a believer worked like a charm, and he completely fell for it.
As a result, I could see that his eyes no longer contained suspicion.
Though he seemed to have some lingering questions.
“By the way, how is it that you are walking alongside the Saintess?”
Why was a believer like me walking alongside the Saintess, Lilith?
To him, it must have seemed quite odd.
There was no need to lie here; I blended some believer-like speech into the truth.
“Ah, I was fortunate enough to encounter her as a classmate at the Academy.”
“So then, those light-hearted remarks directed at the Saintess earlier…”
“Naturally, it was all an act. I couldn’t burden the Saintess.”
“Hahaha! So that’s how it is. I was about to classify you as an irreverent one!”
He laughed heartily, but the implication was chilling.
Most who are labeled as irreverent by fanatics start with kidnapping and end with torture and murder.
“I should have thought it through more thoroughly. My perspective was too narrow.”
“It’s alright. I would have misunderstood as well.”
Somehow, it seemed like I managed to get through it, but to be honest, I was a bit on edge.
What would happen if he figured out I was lying?
Hmm, whatever it is, it feels like a huge mess… but it’s unlikely anyone would find out anyway.
If they do find out, I’ll deal with it when the time comes.
‘Is this enough?’
For now, it seems I’ve gained his trust.
Should I plan to wind down the situation now?
“By the way… don’t you have something more important to do?”
“How do you know that…?”
At my casual probe, he showed a rather shocked reaction.
How did I know, you ask? That’s because fanatic types all act based on their belief and purposes.
It’s only natural for them to prioritize every one of those actions.
If we were to nitpick, it wouldn’t matter that much, but for him, it’s a matter of belief, so it’s best not to poke the bear.
“There are many ways to know.”
“You must be a person full of secrets.”
Even when I vaguely skirted around the issue, it seemed to hit home with him, which worked to my advantage.
Have I done enough by now? I subtly suggested that he should step back.
“Don’t worry too much and go on with your tasks. I will definitely protect the Saintess, no matter what happens.”
“Hmmm, is that so? But you, after all, are still an Academy student…”
As expected, it wouldn’t be easy to unravel.
He had confidence in his strength and seemed to genuinely want to protect the Saintess directly.
“Then would you like to test that?”
In the end, I had no choice but to draw my sword.
No matter how strong he was, as long as it wasn’t an actual battlefield, I held the upper hand.
“Shall we see what it’s like to parry?”
swish
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