With an unsettling aura that felt very different from Lili and an unbelievably beautiful appearance I had never seen before…
Hmm, could this woman be the Saint that Nameless mentioned?
I wasn’t sure, but… it must be.
If that’s the case, it would explain why I’m feeling this unexplainable discomfort, and the outfit she wore, though white, resembled the typical garb of religious zealots.
Especially with that flashy rosary hanging around her neck, it seems odd that she’s not really the Saint.
Then, is she trying to hide the fact that she’s the Saint?
“Uh… excuse me…?”
As Nameless and I stood by in silence, the woman tilted her head, giving a somewhat awkward expression.
Hmm, to be honest, I don’t really want to get involved… but if she really is the Saint, I shouldn’t just ignore her.
Look at that, even the Mage looks startled with her mouth agape!
After letting out a small sigh, I stepped past Nameless to stand before the presumed Saint.
“Are you the Saint from the rumors?”
“…! How did you know that!”
The Saint’s already big eyes widened even more as she reached out to cover my mouth.
The moment she touched me felt uncomfortable.
I took a step aside, moving quickly.
“Whoa!”
Could it be that she didn’t expect me to evade her hand? The Saint began to topple forward, hand still outstretched.
Should I catch her? No, I’d really prefer not to touch her…
While I pondered this for a while, the Saint ended up face-planting on the ground.
– Thud!
Hmm, too late now.
“Ow ow…”
She groaned softly and squirmed before sitting up.
Her red eyes made the situation look quite embarrassing.
It was a bit amusing, and the corner of my mouth twitched, but no matter how funny it was, it felt too malicious to laugh at someone who just fell, so I held back and asked,
“Are you okay?”
“…Yes.”
Of course, I didn’t reach out a hand to help her up.
I really didn’t want to make contact with her…
Nameless, who had been silently watching, let out a small sigh before approaching the Saint, bowing slightly and extending his arm.
“…I’ll help you.”
“Oh! Thank you.”
Only then did the Saint smile brightly and take Nameless’s hand to stand up.
Seeing her like that made me frown a bit…
Well, that’s understandable.
Nameless’s kind nature probably wouldn’t allow him to ignore her in that state.
Hmm, of course.
After successfully getting back on her feet, the Saint dusted off her knees and smiled sweetly at Nameless.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
“We’ve met before, right?”
“If you mean the mountains… then yes, that’s correct.”
What? Did they already know each other without me knowing?
My brow furrowed even more intensely.
Something didn’t sit right with me.
I glared at Nameless, demanding an explanation, and he, looking a bit sheepish, came closer and started to whisper in my ear.
“When the Master left for the village first….”
“Hmm…”
Here’s what Nameless explained.
While we were making our way from the cabin to the village, I had dashed out ahead on the pretext of a test, leaving Nameless behind alone. The Saint and a man who seemed to be her knight had come looking for us in the mountains we lived in.
They had exchanged only a brief conversation while asking for directions.
I felt a bit better seeing Nameless sweating bullets trying to explain himself, but…
I still didn’t quite like it.
He had made new acquaintances without me knowing? And didn’t bother to tell me?
I think I need to scold him properly someday.
With a huff, I turned my head to look up at the Saint.
I hadn’t noticed before, but this Saint… is quite tall, unlike me.
Of course, “tall” is relative in comparison to Nameless; she still seemed a bit shorter when put side by side.
But still… isn’t this the ideal height difference everyone talks about?
For some reason, my chest felt tight, and I shook my head vigorously to clear away my distracting thoughts.
Let’s think about that later…
What’s more important is, ‘Why did the Saint come to talk to us?’
“Oof!”
I poked Nameless in the ribs slightly and approached the Saint.
“So, what’s the reason you’ve come looking for us?”
The Saint glanced at Nameless and nodded, as if realizing something.
Then she turned back to me, smiling brightly as she spoke.
“It seems you’re having a bit of trouble finding a carriage.”
“…So?”
“I borrowed a carriage with one of my companions, and if it’s all right with you, would you like to share it with us?”
Hmm, sharing, huh… honestly, I should accept without thinking too hard about it.
There’s no bad condition for us.
But isn’t it suspicious that there are no bad conditions for us at all?
I squinted at the Saint, trying to gauge her intentions, but she continued to beam at me, looking like she didn’t have any ulterior motives.
Hmm, what should I do?
Glancing back at Nameless for advice…
“It seems to me that you should decide, Master.”
With that not-so-helpful guidance, he merely stepped back.
“Ha…”
Why is it that he only becomes unhelpful in these situations?
With my forehead pinched, I glanced back at the Saint, who was eagerly awaiting my response with sparkling eyes.
I bit my lip, pondering my response with an exasperated sigh.
“…Well, I don’t see a reason to decline.”
“Does that mean you’ll come with us?”
“Yeah, alright, thanks.”
Upon hearing my answer, the Saint somehow began to bounce up and down with joy, then, as if realizing the attention she was attracting, she began coughing awkwardly to regain her composure.
I watched her, my eyes icy cold, before turning back to Nameless.
Well, the business is settled, so I guess we can head back.
My head was starting to ache from the sudden turn of events.
To be honest, I really didn’t want to ride in the carriage with the Saint.
I mean, come on, she’s radiating discomfort so fiercely—why would I want to share a journey with someone like that?
But… there was undeniably a clear reason I had to overlook my discomfort and agree.
She’s heading to the same destination we are?
This kind of coincidence doesn’t just happen.
Surely, a person like the Saint wouldn’t come to that far-off place without a good reason, and since what we’re looking for is ultimately the sheath for the sword that the Demon King used, it could very well be for the purpose of sealing or retrieving it, right?
This needs to be verified.
Moreover…
I turned to look at Nameless, who was gazing at me with a worried expression.
“Master, if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to share the carriage.”
Hmm, I’m not so sure.
Maybe in the original world, Nameless and the Saint ended up together without my interference?
It could just be a wild assumption, but with no information about the original story, I can’t be sure.
I felt a wave of melancholy wash over me.
No matter how much I dislike the Saint, her beauty is an undeniable and obvious fact.
Besides, Nameless wasn’t any less good-looking than her, making them a rather fitting pair, don’t you think?
In a different scenario, perhaps they could have become a couple after some event and lived happily ever after.
Suddenly, my chest felt tight.
It wasn’t because I was jealous that this beautiful Saint might take my well-raised Nameless away.
It hurt to think that my involvement might have erased such a future.
I really shouldn’t have come down from the cabin.
Or maybe I shouldn’t have taken Nameless in from the beginning.
My head began to throb with waves of oppressive thoughts flooding in, and I raised my hand to rub my forehead.
“This is why I preferred to hide in the mountains…”
But I guess I shouldn’t think like this.
All of this was my choice.
Accepting Nameless as my disciple, coming down from the cabin, all my decisions.
I casually glanced back at Nameless.
He looked a bit anxious about my attitude, nervously biting his lip and sweating profusely.
He looked just like a puppy waiting for its owner after making a mess, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Hmm, really, I should be the one apologizing…
But since he likely wouldn’t realize that, I gave his head a rough ruffle.
“Truly, whenever I feel down, just seeing your face makes it better.”
“…Huh? Is that a good thing?”
“Of course it is, a good thing.”
“…Oh, I see.”
With Nameless behind me, making a rather subtle expression, I approached the Saint again to continue our conversation.
“Should I just call you Saint?”
“Well, for now it’s a secret… If it’s alright, could you call me Elia?”
“Hm, alright.”
Just in case, I inquired about her name, but Elia… it’s a name I’ve never heard before.
Nodding, I continued speaking.
“Where’s your companion?”
“Oh, I forgot to introduce you, sorry.”
“No worries, just don’t mind it.”
Elia looked around, searching for someone, and then suddenly raised her arm high in the air, waving.
“Lucius! Come here for a second!”
Hmm, her companion is named Lucius.
I turned to glance at the man Elia called, observing him closely.
…He’s taller than Nameless.
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