This should be enough.
I did ask them to tell me about what happened in the Realm, but having spent a long two years there, I was at a loss as to where to start explaining.
Still, since they asked me to tell them, I couldn’t lie, so I roughly shared the experiences I had there and what I did.
“…”
The more I explained about the Realm, the worse everyone’s expressions became.
It felt as if they had heard something they shouldn’t have.
Since I had decided to share stories about the Realm, I thought it was better to give a complete and unfiltered account of what happened…
I told them everything about what kind of monsters lived there and what kinds of events occurred.
Not every moment resulted in battles, and not every battle resulted in countless deaths. The Realm is simply an ecosystem composed of monsters that have come from the Demon World, and the role of the Grand Duke is primarily to prevent those monsters from entering the Empire.
It was mainly about dealing with monsters that had thrived to the point of disregarding the barricades set up to prevent them from crossing, or subduing those who were able to challenge the barricades.
However, the entrance to the Realm was so vast, and the monsters living inside were so numerous, that while other soldiers got their days off, I, who had to go around treating people, had no days off at all.
Naturally, Dannes, who followed me around, also had no days off and often seemed very exhausted.
And he must have seen many bodies that were horribly mangled because of me.
As I mentioned before, I felt less disgusted by the sight of humans being destroyed, as if they were broken 3D models in a rendering program, but for ordinary people, it was different.
Of course, Dannes had a hard time as well.
“[Of course, the Realm you will see is much better than what I just described.]”
How could I show such a thing to kids who were only in their first year?
They would probably get a tour of the places primarily inhabited by weak monsters.
The stronger monsters living there would be too much for even the current Grand Duke to handle.
Ah, of course, catching one or two wouldn’t be difficult.
But because there were countless powerful monsters, the Realm earned its title as hell.
Besides, no matter how strong the Grand Duke is, there are not that many soldiers capable of defeating upper-tier monsters… If high-level monsters were to show up from various places seeking to invade the Empire, it would be difficult to stop them.
If such an incident were to occur, it would mean that something had happened in the Realm, and the Grand Duke wouldn’t be able to handle it alone.
‘And soon, that incident will likely occur.’
The boss of this semester lies dormant there.
We have to go there to obtain useful items.
“That’s right. Aria has been working hard all this time.”
Evan said this and praised me in a way that felt a bit awkward.
Why is he suddenly being so nice…?
“The Empire… has such a place…”
Uriel, who had listened to my story most intently, made an angry expression once my explanation about the Realm ended.
She must have been trembling, feeling that her sword was crying out.
The princess knight of the Empire…
She is one of the characters who can join the hero’s party in the game, and due to her balanced stats and overwhelming tanking ability, she is indispensable for stable subjugation.
Even participating in the subjugation of the Demon King is simply about going after a Demon King that threatens the peace of the Empire, so it might seem very noble, but unfortunately, the Realm is not a place that Uriel can handle by herself at this moment.
Of course, it is true that she possesses great talent and power due to her strong royal blood, and that she is strong for her age, but the current state of being less than halfway through the first semester means that she would be lucky to be able to defeat upper-tier monsters at the cost of her life.
Originally, we wouldn’t have been able to enter the Realm at our current level.
The final boss that is about to appear is practically the first boss in the storyline, which makes it feel like a tutorial raid.
However, that is merely the story within the game; the reality is that we must face monsters capable of destroying the Empire alone, hence we cannot afford to be careless.
Of course… that might be information that everyone doesn’t know.
I’ve already mentioned this to Asclyna so she’d be ready, so I have no immediate worries.
I was contemplating how to proceed and to whom to give the items obtained from the subjugation when Stella mumbled in a pitying voice from beside me.
“I heard that the people of the Realm treat Aria like a goddess… So that was the case…”
Hmm.
Well… I don’t think it’s an unusual thing.
In a place where people die day after day, suddenly appearing and saving everyone within reach would indeed make me look like a true goddess from their perspective.
However, the more people I save while others die before my eyes, the members of the Grand Duke’s faction have developed doubts about the power of the saint, and it seems they harbor some negative thoughts about the Romanian goddess instead.
I have heard it mentioned a few times…
From a relatively mild term comparing me to a madwoman who forces power upon people because she lacks the courage to sacrifice herself for the creations she made, to calling me a sadistic woman who enjoys seeing her own child in pain.
In severe cases… well…
There were discussions so intense that I was concerned that the goddess who granted me power might take it back if she heard them.
Well, given that they are neither people of Valkran nor believers in the Romanian Church, I suppose there isn’t anything like divine punishment.
Seeing them make remarks that could be seen as blasphemy casually made me realize how low my trust had fallen.
‘Hmm… I truly seem unfit to be a cleric.’
And the most surprising part is that it’s all my fault.
Though it’s fine to save people in an attempt to fulfill my selfish desires, as a saint, I should be encouraging more people to believe in the deity, yet the fact that they distrust the goddess and I am revered as a goddess might mean that even if it wasn’t my intention, the goddess might dislike me.
But well…
Is that something I should concern myself with?
It just happened this way.
If they wanted to complain, they shouldn’t have granted me powers that required me to suffer as much as I healed others.
While I did indeed enjoy the pain internally in order to save many people, from the perspective of others, it might seem that I have saved an extraordinary number of people.
In reality, having such powers and going around healing people is no easy task.
It’s hard to believe that previous saints were said to have done this.
Originally, I created my character for concept play, but I ended up in the game and became a saint saving many people, so it isn’t all bad.
“The Realm…”
Evan wore a complex expression, seemingly lost in thought.
‘Shall I stop here.’
Everyone was silent, likely considering my detailed recounting of my experiences in the Realm, which didn’t seem to improve their complexion.
Continuing such discussions wouldn’t be good for everyone.
“[Shall we all go out together after today’s class?]”
For now, let’s build some camaraderie that will allow us to form a party.
I feel bad for the Emperor of the Empire, but to safely subjugate the Demon King, having Uriel is essential.
She is certainly a fiercely cherished daughter…
‘But since they used me, they must pay the price.’
For reference, my name holds great value as a symbol of the Holy Kingdom of Valkran and is revered as a goddess in the Realm, so it’s quite expensive.
Therefore, if they plan to continue using my name in the future, I believe they should pay a rental fee.
‘I must bring her along.’
Above all, Uriel is incredibly beautiful and has a great figure, just like a princess of the Empire should be.
Stella might be more attractive than me, but she’s somewhat lacking in that area, while Uriel is different.
In order to ensure the stability during the upcoming subjugation of the Demon King, and to bolster Evan’s resolve, I must bring Uriel into our party.
I resolved internally to make sure Uriel joins our party for the slaying of this boss.
