Danger!
The moment ‘Resentment’ regained consciousness, that word came to mind.
The Saintess is dangerous.
She’s different from the other Saintesses before.
It was quite common for Saintesses to grow up without any family. Although Resentment was an elf, she was not unfamiliar with human traits. In fact, she felt more accustomed to humans, whom she had observed for hundreds of years, than to the customs of the elves, with whom she had spent her childhood.
The first witch and the oldest confidant of the demons.
For centuries, she had periodically attacked humans, recruited their saints to turn them into witches, and planted spies to observe them. She was well aware of how human society operates.
Saints and Saintesses mostly have no family.
Those who rely on the Church without any family and grow their faith from a young age often display greater holy power than those who grew up in more privileged environments.
At least, the saints Resentment had encountered through her implanted consciousness in Arlil had been so.
But the current Saintess, Clara Anderson, was different.
It is true that she has no family. The information passed on by the spies indicated that she had never left the convent in her life.
However, the strange point was that there were no records of her prior to age 15.
Not that it was impossible, but it was not something entirely strange either.
The number of orphans taken in by the Church is substantial. The Church, which controls the entire welfare system of human society, naturally takes in almost all orphans that arise from society.
If an orphan at a convent is transferred to a distant convent for a specific reason and that happens multiple times, it’s possible for documents to go missing along the way. They were an old institution that preferred physical documents to computer-stored data.
Even if childhood documents are not entirely lost, they might just be gathering dust in the archives of a cathedral in another region.
However, a bit oddly, her transfer documents do not mention the cathedral where she resided before.
But Resentment did not care. She could find the information by confronting her consciousness directly.
She could encounter the consciousness directly and read the past of her target.
In truth, she hadn’t thought she’d fall into that trap in this Church.
The Church knew that the consciousness of a witch existed within Arlil. Yet, they sent Saintesses and Saints because, in the past, they had sent quite a number.
Even if lost, they would resurrect someday. The existence of someone who could use miracles would always appear. Goddess Ariel is merciful. She cannot just watch as humans suffer—
Perhaps the Church believed this until the moment the last Saintess died.
In the past 50 years, no Saints had appeared. Taking advantage of that, the assaults of the demon army were growing stronger, and the rifts in human society were getting larger. Faith was dwindling, and more humans were getting caught up in power struggles, increasingly providing opportunities for witches to infiltrate.
Then suddenly, a Saintess appeared.
The doubt died because at that time, the Saintess was not known to be a Saintess. Jealousy perished by her own excessive greed.
Both incidents occurred independently of the Church’s will, and therefore, they thought that Resentment’s dispatch to Arlil would not happen.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This Saintess was younger than the last.
Thus, Resentment faced the Saintess once more.
But it was different. The current Saintess was completely unlike any previous Saint or Saintess.
There was no trace of doubt, only confidence about the world.
A certainty that she could overcome any witch in front of her.
Was it due to her fanaticism toward the Goddess? She felt like a completely different kind of human with whom dialogue was impossible.
And her past.
It wasn’t just that her childhood past was vague. If Resentment judged based on the past she could see, it was as if she had been born less than a year ago.
—How is that possible?
In truth, it wasn’t completely unfathomable.
Although not based on clear evidence or reasoned deductions, it was merely an outrageous imagination born out of emotion.
What if she was a being created by someone?
Not a human born from a human body, but a being directly created by the Goddess—
If she truly exists as that ‘angel’ that demons and witches mocked so much, existing only within humans’ fanciful beliefs.
Chills ran down her spine.
The Saintess, Clara Anderson, is dangerous.
An entity that must not be approached. Killing a witch was no mere coincidence.
If it was a being directly sent by the Goddess to help humans, then opposing it would be nothing short of foolishness.
But, at the same time, it was an entity that must be eliminated.
The demon army was already in a situation from which they could not retreat. Even if they closed the dimensional gate, the elves, gnomes, and beastfolk who remembered them might interpret the magic where the gate had been and open it again. If they did open that dimensional gate, the war between the demon army and humans would turn into a situation that could flip the present upside down.
They thought they had carefully chosen their invasion points.
They believed they could easily crush a world with no magic or holy power using demon magic.
But their expectations were shattered.
The only intelligent beings living here, the humans—whoosh—rained down flames as if they had evolved solely to burn everything to ashes.
With no magic, no divine power, solely through physical means.
As a result, this war had been ongoing for 500 years. Neither side had anywhere left to retreat. The side that surrenders first loses.
In that war, ‘God’ began to take sides directly.
“We have to eliminate her, one way or another.”
Resentment muttered that way.
……She heard the news just hours later that the one she so despised, Arlil, had grown immensely.
*
“The witch might be lying,” he mentioned, perhaps still struggling to accept the situation.
That could be true. But I believe it is much more likely that it isn’t.
The souls gathered there were not fake.
[There’s much to do.]
I had heard Ariel’s voice, tinged with a bitter laugh.
Even saying the Goddess had said that felt somewhat odd.
Last time, I had to lie and say it was the Goddess’s revelation just to make excuses, but this time it can’t be brushed aside like that. The claim that it’s a revelation from the Goddess only holds weight when battling the Church; saying it to mundane, secular individuals would only create doubts of it being a scam.
Even if there’s evidence of the Goddess’s existence and speculation based on that, the moment when one could feel it in day-to-day life was only when receiving treatment from a healer. Moreover, not many people could communicate with the Goddess, so my testimony was the only evidence of having spoken to her.
What I want to inform must be a fact made public to the masses. If the public cannot accept it, it holds no meaning.
“So, it must be proven. That’s the reason to put the witch on trial.”
Experts were also needed. Those who could examine and interpret the elven records. Clerics who have delved into the realms of consciousness while eliminating magic points. Various experts who could objectively analyze the circumstances from multiple fields.
Come to think of it, where are the pieces that fell from my hands?
I don’t think the pieces that fell when my stigmas formed would still be there. But if someone kept them as holy relics, they would have to be investigated. If that piece has remained in reality, surely the pieces of the elves who sacrificed themselves would also be somewhere.
Even if what fell from my hands isn’t there, if the remains of past Saints remain, they could still be studied. Although I believe the Church wouldn’t easily hand over the remains of a Saint. So, if I can find it, a part of my body would be the most suitable for research. No matter how much of a holy artifact they preserve, they’d have no choice but to return it if I ask for it.
Whether that piece rots away like flesh or remains there like a piece of pottery. Unless investigated, who knows?
Of course, I don’t think I can execute all of this overnight. Gathering all this evidence and experts would take a long time.
Above all, we still do not know where the Witch of Resentment is. It can’t be captured just because we want to.
“If it is a lie, shouldn’t it be revealed precisely because it is a lie? The witch has previously caused harm as well.”
A witch must be a powerful cleric or saint, to begin with.
They might have been forced down such a path, but I believe some might have been deceived by sweet words.
Of course, the information related to witches is quite sensitive, and it’s hardly something that would be found in a mere convent’s library. This too should be investigated at least once. Perhaps I can find something at the central church?
“……”
After a moment of silence, Remir fiddled with the report and then nodded.
“Okay, I understand. It does seem necessary to investigate and come to a conclusion.”
“For now, could you talk to the elders and extract as much information as possible? I’ll do my best on my side too.”
As I lowered my head, Remir immediately stood up, flustered, and repeatedly bowed.
“Oh, no! What I said was merely a passing thought! If the Saintess herself has asked, I have no reason to refuse!”
No, if that’s the reason, I feel even more uneasy.
“And… yes, if this is truth, it surely needs to be revealed. I’ll help to the best of my ability!”
Ignoring his glasses that had nearly slipped down to the tip of his nose, Remir smiled brightly as he said this.
*
The situation was not entirely resolved.
In hindsight, it could be said that it had just begun.
This was not a scale of incidents that could be resolved quickly just because I wanted it handled fast; moreover, forcing a speedy conclusion usually tended to mess things up. Since there’s no rush, I’ll take my time to overcome the obstacles one by one.
Whether the incidents are resolved or not, whether I take my time or not, whether people know the truth or not, time continues to flow and everyday life goes on.
I too was, after all, part of others, and apart from my own struggles, daily life flowed peacefully.
Having peaceful days was indeed a great blessing.
Even now, battles were likely ongoing somewhere on that battlefield, and casualties would continue to arise.
Somewhere, crimes would be committed, and poor souls would starve to death and perish from incurable illnesses.
To be able to spend peaceful days, far removed from all those misfortunes, was undoubtedly a happiness.
Perhaps, there were elves who remained peacefully living behind the sacrifices of others.
Someone once said that one’s happiness can only be possible because of another’s misfortune.
I had never understood that before, but now it seemed I could.
“Why do you look so gloomy lately?”
As I sat, blankly watching Selena, Satsuki, and Jian practicing swordsmanship in the distance, I heard a voice next to me.
“Um— Aah!”
I was startled and almost yelled in response, caught off guard when something cold touched my cheek. Rina was pressing a drink can she had just gotten from a vending machine against my cheek.
Rina chuckled at my surprise as she plopped down next to me.
Popping the lid and sipping refreshing drink, she reminded me of an office worker enjoying a cold beer after a tiring day.
Of course, she wasn’t drinking alcohol, just an electrolyte drink. It was all about the visual, after all. The visuals.
Beer. I want a drink after so long.
If I were to drink, I’d have to wait years ahead.
Following Rina’s lead, I opened a drink can and immediately took a sip. The cool, sweet liquid slid down my throat, filling my stomach pleasantly. Of course, it felt different from the unique crispness of beer.
“Hah.”
I let out a small sigh. While Rina had already drained her can and crushed it in her hand effortlessly.
The crunch sound was loud, but Rina didn’t seem bothered at all.
What could I say? Even just drinking a can of beverage made her look exceptionally free-spirited.
It felt as if she lived life without caring about anyone’s gaze, completely indifferent to what transpired beyond a five-meter radius from her. Her attitude suggested she couldn’t care less whether others were happy or suffering. I kind of envied that carefree demeanor.
Well, others might scorn her as being oblivious.
When my mind gets too complicated, I often envy those who go about without a care.
Though if I told Rina that, she’d probably smack me.
……For someone with that attitude, her grades on pop quizzes were noticeably higher than mine, but that didn’t matter in the context of what we were discussing.
“Rina.”
“What?”
I called out without much thought, then realized I didn’t quite have anything I wanted to say upon hearing her reply.
“……”
But Rina didn’t push me for anything.
In front of us, on the dais, another sparring match was taking place. Aurora and Linea were at it. The time of mutual vigilance had long passed, and the tension between them had pretty much dissipated. Back when they were assigned to keep an eye on me, they were almost adversaries, figuratively speaking.
While the Inquisition and the Miracle Investigators are not exactly opposing institutions, if either had to investigate a single incident, they would naturally find themselves at opposing ends.
It’s a matter of distinguishing whether someone is a heretic or a saint.
Beyond that, there seemed to be some ulterior motives as well.
At least, it appeared that Andrea intended to draw me into her organization before I became a Saint. There was a setting where she had a great appetite for talents. Matthew, the Miracle Investigator, was hardly ever around, so I wasn’t sure what he thought.
As for Aurora, she still periodically contacted Matthew Turner, but it seemed more like catching up than a formal investigation report now.
Anyway, even if the boundary of differing institutional affiliations had nearly vanished and a sense of camaraderie or friendship had grown, they still viewed each other as rivals in some way.
Linea always acted as if Aurora was younger than her, and Aurora often pushed back against that, as well. It seems they squabble in private when I’m not around, from what I’ve heard.
Especially during their match-ups, they fought almost daily like Rina and I did.
Linea was a typical swordswoman, while Aurora was a typical magician.
The light slicing through the air and the sword cutting light was quite a spectacle.
Ordinary life.
Maybe because I had just witnessed piles of corpses and the devastation of villages, this everyday sight seemed oddly surreal.
Even after returning from the battlefield, I never felt like this.
Even if I had gathered those souls and sent them back to the Goddess, I would likely never forget that sight for the rest of my life.
“Hmm?”
As I drifted in thought, Rina made a sound beside me.
“Is something going on?”
“No, it’s nothing. I just think someone’s come in.”
In truth, it wasn’t unusual for someone to come in. All facilities in the Academy were open to students long after class. Whether it’s a classroom or the auditorium after school, any student could use them at any time.
So, it wasn’t unusual for students at this time to come and go in the auditorium while we were engaged in our club activities.
Thus, regardless of who might enter, it shouldn’t be particularly surprising—
But this time, the student entering was a bit different.
Generally, students who would even bother to use the auditorium after class were a certain few, and naturally, we quite knew them as we were often here after school.
Conversely, those students also were aware that we were here.
However, among those students, a pure-blood elf did not exist.
And there is only one pure-blood elf at St. Ariel Academy.
“Ramihi?”
As I muttered, Rina showed a hint of discomfort.
Unlike Rina, who lived freely, just looking at Ramihi was suffocating due to his self-discipline. Not to mention, Rina was not good with him due to their opposing natures.
“Clara.”
Despite such an elf approaching us, I thought it typical of Rina not to budge. Moving aside for someone else would be a blow to her pride in many ways.
Though Ramihi’s gaze subtly flicked toward Rina, they didn’t exchange any words.
“Ramihi.”
And I was just as uncomfortable.
And that was only natural. After all, I was the one who had half-destroyed his hometown.
“…….”
Ramihi observed me quietly before turning his gaze toward the dais. The three practicing below, Selena, Satsuki, and Jian, and Linea and Aurora, who had just finished sparring, were all looking our way.
“Hmm.”
Ramihi looked at the kids before meeting my gaze again.
“Was it the Duel Club? I would like to join too. Do you happen to know who the president is?”
……It seems a bit of turbulence is about to arise in my peaceful life.
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