Humans cannot be trusted.
The Lady Virgin Saint had believed that for a very long time. Growing up in an orphanage, chosen as a saint, and engaging in the politics of the Holy Kingdom, she had witnessed all the ugly sides of humanity.
Each time, that twisted belief never betrayed her. Because she trusted no one, the Lady Virgin Saint could rise to this position.
The director of the orphanage, who emphasized charity, was merely scheming to fill his own belly, and the bishops, who preached faith and obedience, were unafraid to indulge in doubt and treachery for power.
Even the Lady Virgin Saint herself was no exception.
Only those who could hide their true intentions and deceive others could survive in the political arena. The Lady Virgin Saint was no exception to this.
There were only two people to whom she showed her true self.
The knight Yulen, who grew up with her since childhood and was like a real sibling.
And Ian Fercurus, with whom she had begun quarreling like dogs and cats not long ago.
In fact, the former was someone who could not be deceived even if she wanted to, and it could be said that Ian was the first person with whom the Lady Virgin Saint truly revealed herself.
At first, she found it annoying and unpleasant.
Everyone fears and dislikes the unknown. This was especially true for politicians and merchants, as it could cause major disruptions in their plans and calculations.
Naturally, the Lady Virgin Saint also hesitated before the unknown. In her eyes, Ian was an inexplicable person.
Using the visionary arts of the Holy Kingdom, he skillfully wielded the Sword Circle’s secrets.
He even possessed blood magic, granted only to those close to the Imperial Court.
She could not discern his identity or his limits. Judging from his ability to subdue her and Yulen in an instant, she could only assume he was at least an Expert level warrior.
Honestly, it bothered her.
Though it was a calculated favor, she felt indignant about the threats and violence she received in return, and when she had to admit complete defeat, whether through force or information warfare, it was devastating.
Thus, it was inevitable that she would snarl at Ian each time they met. Initially appearing flustered, Ian quickly retaliated, and before long, they had become a pair of bickering companions.
Yet deep down, she knew.
The image of Ian that she had witnessed that day still lingered deeply in the Lady Virgin Saint’s heart. A man who unreservedly sacrificed money to save a mere common girl.
In the orphanage, Ian behaved just as he did on that day.
He did not shy away from even the dirtiest children without parents. He worked hard for them and sometimes gave up the profits that fell before him.
She was confused. Yet the reason she could not stop quarrelling with Ian was that it was so rare to encounter someone she could engage with sincerely, without any pretense.
Whenever she faced Ian, the Lady Virgin Saint felt a strange sense of liberation.
It happened that she was being overseen by two reckless juniors, and due to her innate competitive spirit, it sometimes appeared they were disputing over Ian, but it was not bad.
After all, it was merely the same pretense as always. The Lady Virgin Saint trusted no one.
Because she could not trust, she could not love.
For the Lady Virgin Saint, human relationships were merely about arranging pieces on a chessboard. In other words, it was a matter of minimizing pawns on the board while increasing bishops or knights.
If a rook was snagged, it was a stroke of good fortune, and if it was a queen, it had to be captured without fail.
The way this woman, who could not trust anyone, viewed the world was so askew. Occasionally, a dreadful loneliness would sweep over her, but it was alright.
After all, others would likely view her as just another piece on a chessboard.
There were no exceptions. This was a conviction she had maintained throughout her life.
She thought there was no way she could be swayed, but then.
The Lady Virgin Saint’s light pink eyes fell silently upon the man lying in the sickbed.
His breathing was faint.
He looked so fragile that it was hard to believe he was the powerful figure who had defeated monsters and mages, even making short work of the beasts from myths.
That was understandable. After all, due to the price paid in that heroic battle, the man was on the brink of death.
The state of the man she had met again was nothing short of horrific.
Even the Lady Virgin Saint, who had treated countless patients over the years, gasped and covered her mouth at the sight. His physical condition was serious.
With poison spreading through his veins, his blood vessels were stained dark, and from his festering wounds, blood and pus flowed. His insides were torn apart, and he vomited blood and water from his mouth.
If not for the potion he held, he would not have survived.
The potion slowed his heartbeat, enhanced his natural healing ability, and increased resistance to toxins.
It was a wonder how a low-ranking noble had acquired such meticulous preparations. Unless he had a close friend in the alchemy department, it seemed impossible.
The exact reason was unknown to her, but nonetheless, it was fortunate that Ian had managed to cling to life thanks to those potions.
Only then did the Lady Virgin Saint breathe a sigh of relief. And with her trembling hands, still echoing with shock, she took out the half-completed blood potion she had previously given him.
That was the only way to save him.
Thus, after the man had exhausted all the resources worth an entire castle, he was finally healed. Even so, he remained unconscious for several days.
It had already been a week since he was treated as a critical patient, and even visits were restricted.
The Lady Virgin Saint visited Ian’s hospital room whenever she had time. Using the flimsy excuse of being the attending priestess, of course.
She had to draw a line between public and private, yet the Lady Virgin Saint touched her forehead and let out a soft sigh.
She did not even know her own feelings. The Lady Virgin Saint could only look down at Ian with pity.
Why, with such even breathing, was he not waking up?
She had so many questions.
Why did he risk his life to protect the children, who were, after all, just orphans?
There were countless dying orphans across the continent. Even today, at least hundreds had likely lost their lives.
Life unheeded by anyone, that was how the world treated orphans.
And how did he manage to fight without being broken?
The injuries were beyond what could allow for continuation of fighting. Yet, he had managed to move somehow and destroy the Flesh Nest. It was an achievement that required extraordinary willpower.
Why, with such complicated feelings, was she looking down at Ian?
At that moment, a small moan escaped the man’s lips. The Lady Virgin Saint’s eyes widened.
Had he finally regained consciousness?
Suddenly, her mouth felt dry. Her fingertips stiffened, and her tense pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly. She did not even know why she felt this way.
She clearly had many things she wanted to say, yet thinking about facing the man alone made her mind go blank, and no words came to her.
It was in that fleeting moment when she was gulping down dry saliva.
The man’s eyelids slowly opened.
His golden eyes, filled with holy light, revealed themselves to the world. He furrowed his brows momentarily due to the brightness, then quickly turned his gaze toward the Lady Virgin Saint.
The heartbeat of the Lady Virgin Saint reached its peak.
Fumbling, her lips moved to speak.
Just as she was about to say something, the man’s mouth finally opened to utter a dry voice.
“……Holy Power pouch?”
The Lady Virgin Saint’s hand dove into the side of the patient’s waist.
A pitiful scream followed, of course.
“Ultimately, the children of the orphanage have relocated.”
After hearing a long explanation of what had transpired, that was the remark I made.
Due to my bland reaction, the Lady Virgin Saint’s expression turned sullen.
I did not know what sort of reaction she had expected, but it seemed she anticipated something more dramatic than this.
However, it was unavoidable for me. That was all that came to mind, and since I had only regained consciousness a few minutes prior, I couldn’t very well respond like a clown.
The Lady Virgin Saint let out a sigh as if she had given up and added more to her explanation.
“Don’t worry too much. They were carefully selected and sent to a suitable place.”
“I knew you would do that, Lady Virgin Saint.”
“Hmph,” the Lady Virgin Saint responded to my words with a somewhat sulky demeanor.
“Until just now, you thought I had run away, didn’t you?”
“Who would have guessed you gave the order to mobilize the temple? Isn’t that a defunct regulation?”
Even with my words, the Lady Virgin Saint still seemed upset, displaying her displeasure quite openly.
Yes, when she arrived at the temple, she abruptly referenced some defunct regulations, summoning priests and guards.
Then, they rushed into the forest. I heard that their contribution was significant in subduing the Flesh Seeds which had gone rampaging after losing the Flesh Nest.
If I had known that, I would have preferred to wait a little before entering. Despite my complaint, the Lady Virgin Saint merely scoffed incredulously.
“It was possible because you were holding the Flesh Seeds down there. That was precisely what you wanted, wasn’t it?”
In any case, her words flowed smoothly.
I shook my head and looked out the window in silence.
The gap was too enormous.
Until I lost consciousness, I had been in that hellish cave, yet upon waking, the familiar scenery of the Academy unfolded before me.
Thus, I felt even more confused. It felt as if I had merely been dreaming.
Perhaps it was because of the whisper I had heard just before blowing up the Flesh Nest. At that time, an unidentifiable voice had advised me.
In hindsight, it might have been an auditory hallucination. I had inhaled too much gas emitted from the Flesh Nest.
As I sank into such thoughts, the Lady Virgin Saint cautiously opened her mouth.
“……Don’t you have any more questions?”
My eyes turned to the Lady Virgin Saint, looking as if she had asked something unbelievable.
The party had returned safely, and the children of the orphanage had gone to good places—there couldn’t be better news. There was no particular curiosity left.
Then the Lady Virgin Saint appeared frustrated and began to pound her chest. Her prominent bosom showcased its buoyancy.
“Don’t you want to know the amount for disposing of the monster carcasses, or the rewards that the Holy Kingdom or Empire may bestow, or how many extra points the Academy might give for practical training?”
“Isn’t it information I’ll learn soon enough?”
“…Well, still!”
The Lady Virgin Saint, nearly flustered and wanting to say something more, exhaled a sigh and subdued her momentum.
That was how it went; her gaze shifted toward me with a look that said, “What else could it be?” I merely shrugged.
“Well, may I be discharged now?”
“…Well, yes.”
Though I had yet to regain full consciousness, I had been told my body had already healed long ago.
Now that I had regained consciousness, there was no reason to be confined to the hospital room any longer. Perhaps due to having rested too long, my muscles and joints felt stiff.
It seemed I would need to diligently train for a while to return to peak condition.
Having received confirmation from the Lady Virgin Saint, I collected my belongings, donned my uniform, and strapped on my sword and hand axe.
I then thought about what had happened to Senior Delphine’s sword.
It had looked incredibly expensive, and I almost broke into a cold sweat at that moment but quickly calmed myself down.
After all, Senior Delphine was rich, so she would be fine. If it came down to it, I only needed to repay her using the bounty for defeating the monsters and mages.
As I took my first step forward, the Lady Virgin Saint suddenly recalled something and asked me.
“What was Guildford thinking?”
My gaze flickered toward the Lady Virgin Saint. She was muttering to herself, not even looking at me.
“He’s a mage, isn’t he? A villain who sold orphans. But why, to go so far as to request a contract to resolve the situation? And he had countless opportunities to kill us. He even trained you…”
“He probably wanted to die.”
My blunt response caused the Lady Virgin Saint to look at me. Yet her eyes still held doubt.
“But, if so, wouldn’t it have been easier to simply die or surrender?”
“Maybe he didn’t want to die.”
Upon hearing my playful words, the Lady Virgin Saint narrowed her eyebrows. In an agitated tone, she opened her mouth.
“What nonsense is that…?”
“Isn’t the human heart more complex than that?”
As I said this, I couldn’t help but grin. The Lady Virgin Saint’s eyes widened in shock.
“And you are no different, Lady Virgin Saint.”
“…Me?”
“That ‘mere orphan’ remark.”
The Lady Virgin Saint fell silent, seemingly shocked. A faint ripple of emotion began to flicker in her light pink eyes. Only then was I able to feel certain.
That comment about “mere orphans” was not something directed at others. Rather, it was a dagger aimed at herself.
“It’s a phrase used to belittle oneself because of being from an orphanage. You’ve actually worked hard to send the children from Guildford orphanage to good places.”
The Lady Virgin Saint remained silent. She seemed to be pondering for a moment, avoiding my gaze. Whether she did or not, it was time for me to leave now.
Finally, I offered her some comfort.
“Whether they are orphans or not, it doesn’t matter. To me, you are still the Lady Virgin Saint. That rude Holy Power pouch of yours.”
At my words, the Lady Virgin Saint seemed to fume and glared at me, but as soon as our eyes met, she wore a blank expression. I couldn’t understand why.
Perhaps only she would know; I no longer cared, and I stepped forward once more.
One step, two steps. Just before I was about to leave the hospital room.
“…Why did you do it?”
Her voice was filled with emotion.
The torrent of feelings poured out as words. When I subtly turned my gaze away, the Lady Virgin Saint was glaring at me, rising from her bed.
“Isn’t there no benefit to it at all? It doesn’t matter if the orphans die or live; there are plenty who wouldn’t care. Most importantly, you were on the brink of death! If luck had been against you, you would have been participating in a funeral right now!”
Her words were a chill cynicism toward the world, as well as rage.
So, I listened quietly to her words. To accept her sincerity.
“Did you want to appear so kind?! There were many methods! You could have just escaped and taken credit for defeating the mage! One battle to risk your life would suffice! Just leave the Flesh Nest to others; it would have been more rational…”
“Lady Virgin Saint.”
My voice was low.
A single word, calm and steady, was enough to silence her.
Her confused gaze turned toward me.
There were many answers I could give. Perhaps the Flesh Nest could have spread further, perhaps he wanted to protect the orphans, or even general notions about how not all humans can make rational choices.
However, more than any of those words, a more precise answer came to mind.
I replayed the whisper I had heard one day.
“…Immanuel.”
That was all there was to it.
The Lady Virgin Saint’s gaze dulled again, and I moved my feet.
Though I heard a voice calling after me as she came to her senses, I no longer paid it any mind.
The sunlight was warm, and the weather was clear.
The clear sky seemed to bless this day.
As I stepped out of the temple, I was greeted by the softly pouring sunlight and, without thinking, I looked up at the sky.
I wondered if he could see me from there; perhaps he had already fallen into hell.
Thus, I decided to bury the memories of the old man deep within my heart.
Yes, it was a day when the Lord walked with me.
I went to find Senior Delphine that night.
