Hmmm?
Within the sword lies the spirit, Esthel.
She currently faces a situation that she could never have anticipated.
The spirit who, upon the goddess’s command, was created and for a long time assisted many heroes in sealing the Demon King, played a significant role in their success.
In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all the heroes grew greatly thanks to her, to the extent that they were able to defeat the Demon King.
However, there was one important fact to note.
That fact was none other than the goddess creating her in a feminine form.
And during the long years, other than her primary duties, she mostly lived idly within the Sacred Sword, finding each era’s hero’s story incredibly interesting.
And among them, the most interesting was…
‘Hmm… This smells of love indeed.’
Stories of human love!
When considering that women generally empathize greatly with love stories, laughing and chatting boisterously, it makes even more sense why she, from her perspective, would be interested in love stories involving the hero, who was practically like her son.
Moreover, the other party wasn’t some wicked woman but rather the…
‘Love with the saint!!’
Have you heard of the term “cliché”?
During the long time she served as the hero’s Sacred Sword, she had not never encountered such cases.
Naturally, throughout history, it was quite common to see heroes and saints falling in love and engaging in various antics.
She had witnessed humans engaging in intimate acts many times.
There were heroes who cared about her presence, and others who, overwhelmed by love, forgot about her entirely as they shared passionate moments together. At first, she felt envious, but then she found it intriguing.
Over time, this grew into something more…
Yes, such people are commonly referred to as “vile lovebugs.”
“Oh… No way… I knew Evan liked Lady Aria, but I never thought of the opposite.”
Even though he entered the confessional room, weapons were forbidden inside, and Evan seemed intent on hiding his sins. Thus, she couldn’t go in together, but…
The moment she heard the thoughts coming from inside, all her boredom disappeared!
The reason was none other than the person who entered the confessional just happened to be Aria.
Seeing her act bashfully, it was apparent that the sin being confessed was sensitive. Yet her attempts to urgently switch the listener to someone else were uncharacteristic behavior for Aria.
Until recently, the saint was as cold as stone, and something seemed to have changed, though the exact timing remained unclear. When did this transformation occur?
After reflecting briefly, Esthel recalled the change had started.
“Upon reflection, something seemed off after the last trial.”
Until the trial, everything seemed normal, but after the trial, it appeared as if Aria was avoiding Evan.
Initially, she thought nothing of it when Aria suddenly announced her intention to take confession, until she heard the thoughts inside. Instantly, Esthel’s analytical circuits kicked in.
This urgency in the thoughts, along with the request to switch the listener…
Had it been the usual devout Aria, she wouldn’t have even been embarrassed, let alone noticed any feelings toward Evan since she lacks the ability to discern such matters. Besides, Aria would’ve continued the confession as usual—her inability to write forcing her to communicate through thoughts.
And so, the news of her confessions spread far and wide: “There’s a saint in that room.”
However, this time, during her first confession since returning after a long while, there was no way she could tell who was inside.
Especially since the first person to hear her confession happened to be Evan.
“What kind of coincidence is this…!”
Even more shocking was the revelation that…
The saint herself was undoubtedly aware that Evan liked her.
This was the most shocking fact of all.
Esthel had thought Aria would never notice; someone so innocent with no knowledge of love wouldn’t recognize affection, not with her limited understanding or ability to notice such emotions.
As far as Esthel knew…
Which meant that Aria had, without her knowing, experienced something enlightening about love.
“Clearly, something noteworthy must’ve happened during the trial.”
There was simply no other explanation for the current situation.
“Should I just ask Evan then?”
Asking Evan what happened during the trial won’t seem odd. In fact, it would be strange if the Sacred Sword didn’t inquire about an event during the trial.
Hmm…
…Though asking privately and in detail might seem somewhat inappropriate.
Besides, she had already asked him once before, making it slightly awkward to do so again.
At that time, Evan had simply explained that the trial consisted of living in a perfect, happy world, where the sole challenge was his determination to defeat the Demon King.
Could anything more be inferred from that?
No, given what she knows now, that explanation was insufficient and left her in doubt upon seeing Aria’s increased awareness of Evan.
“Am I being too uncaring…?”
Although the trial was supposedly over since she returned from the lower realms not too long ago, she decided against delving further since Aria didn’t seem inclined to talk.
This won’t do.
I need to hear it directly from Evan.
“Although it feels like I’m manipulating this innocent child…”
What else can be done?
This is how they both grow!
And I can help their relationship progress, can’t I?
—
“Hmph…”
– Evan~
“Wha-what?! E-Esther?!”
The instant confession ended, and Evan jumped at the unexpected sound of Esthel’s voice, wondering what was wrong.
– So, what sin did you confess?
“B-but, I said I couldn’t talk about it!”
– Hmm? Just from your embarrassment, I can already guess, can’t I?
“Er… well, tell me then.”
Ah, you cheeky one,
Are you challenging me to a pride battle?
Esthel stifled a laugh inside.
‘Oh, Evan, you’re just too cute.’
There were times she regretted how such innocence would eventually fade after one experiences life’s trials, but at present, Evan radiated such freshness that it was truly delightful to tease him.
– Alright~ Let’s see… What kind of shameful thoughts could make our innocent Evan deserve confession?
“…gulp.”
– Love? Lust? Perhaps you’ve started to harbor romantic feelings?
“N-no way that’d happen!”
Oh, look at this one.
He reacts too perfectly.
Esthel’s grin stretched wide, and anyone who saw her might mistake her for a demon.
Fortunately, since Esthel’s astral form hadn’t materialized, no one could see her menacing look.
– Is that so? Then what sin did you commit?
“Uh… t-that…”
– You can just tell me truthfully, Evan. I already know everything, you know~
“…”
– And I also know who you like, don’t I?
“W-what?! How do you know that?!”
– Everyone knows the methods, don’t they?
“Just admit you heard my confession, alright? Tell me!”
– How could I? There’s a spell cast, and as long as it’s not broken, even I, as the Sacred Sword, can’t hear things inside~
“…”
That’s the truth.
No matter how powerful a sword might be, there’s no way to hear what’s being said inside the soundproof barrier alone.
She could only hear the thoughts Aria had sent. Thus, Evan had no real choice but to be suspicious without any strong evidence.
Caught in this frustrating situation, Evan squeezed his head in his hands and let out a moan.
– I’ll help you Evan… After all, I’ve been the one to bring every hero’s love story to fruition~
It’s a lie.
In reality, she had merely observed their struggles with amusement, offering no real advice.
Of course, Evan, unaware of this fact, would surely believe it sounded like a devil’s temptation: someone like Esthel, who has lived for so long, might actually know something.
After pondering deeply for a long while, Evan finally…
“…Alright.”
succumbed to the temptation.
