Chapter 31: 31

31 – Saint Invasion

『No matter how much of a Saint she is, there’s no way she can sense your mana all the way here…right? How’d she find us?』

I left the royal capital of the Demon King Castle.

Using Teleportation, I’m finding the best place to intercept the Saint.

No, actually, I knew this would happen eventually, so I already have a few places in mind.

But…the Saint is so fast that most of those places are unusable.

「No clue. The fact that she knows is all we need to fight, right?」

The place I picked, in the end, is the forest that has been completely affected by the miasma.

The gray clouds made things gloomy.

The domain of the country Eleanor and gang are in is pretty small. It’s a small country.

It can’t be helped since that is all the space that can be secured by using the Demon King’s barrier to keep the miasma at bay.

『God, I am bad at dealing with that woman. She kept glaring at you and smiling when she talks to you.』

Glaring while smiling?

Does that mean her face is smiling but her eyes weren’t? Sounds about right.

「I’m bad with her too. Even though I don’t really know what normal is, I could tell that she was weird.」

Each of the Saviors is weird, but they have human-like feelings…I think.

They wouldn’t risk life and limb to save humanity otherwise, right? Without asking for any reward, no less.

The reason I’m bad with that woman is that I don’t really get her.

The War God utilizes me as a useful pawn, the Swordmaster and Magic Archer treat me like a disciple, I guess, and the Sage is normally apathetic, but she’s serious when she teaches me magic.

I can understand them treating me as the Hero rather than an individual.

However, the Saint was irregular in that area.

『Yeah. I mean, she…she said that she thinks of you as her little brother. It ain’t normal.』

The Swordmaster’s training was hell. I’ve been cut by him for real multiple times.

I got my arms chopped off, neck sliced and heart stabbed more than once.

Humans are adaptable beings, able to get used to things, but they don’t often get the chance to get used to fatal wounds.

But we have a Saint.

The moment our opponent deals big damage to us and thinks that they’ve won…

What if we could utilize that meager moment?

What if we could have the option of counterattacking even after suffering from a fatal wound without missing a beat?

In the midst of a close battle, victory or defeat can be decided in the blink of an eye.

If one move can lead to death, then of course it could also lead to the other.

That’s why everyone, including me, underwent training where the Saint would heal any wound we suffered in order to be able to complete the mission no matter what sort of damage we sustained.

The Six Saviors of this era are truly the strongest in history, right?

That doesn’t just apply to strength.

Even if half our heads were blown off, even if we lost our lower halves, even if our hearts were crushed, we would prioritize completing the mission till our last breath.

「Rainy~~!!!」

Ah, here she is.

Before I teleported, I heard from Vivi’s report that all the bad Demons that got in her way were defeated by her.

Two forts were destroyed, several armies crushed, and four “General” class Demons are no longer of this world.

“General” is two ranks below “King”. That said, it’s a strong enemy that a bunch of regular humans wouldn’t even be able to scratch.

This reckless approach works because she’s breaking through solo without worrying about going back.

I mean, no one would have predicted that one of the Six Saviors would rampage through miasma-soaked lands empty-handed, right?

Even to the Demon armies, a well-prepared assault from the Humans is a threat.

『Hey, Rain! She’s here! Why haven’t you pulled me out yet?!』

Looks like Mika’s been influenced by the freeloader life in the Demon King Army.

In the beginning, she lamented my withdrawal from humanity, but now she’s asking me to point her at one of the Saviors, allies of humanity.

The beautiful woman who knocked over the surrounding trees to get to me wears a holy-feeling habit that’s blue with white undertones.

Her long, wavy yellow hair flutters and her ample bosom sways as she approaches me.

「…Long time no see, Marie.」

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Her name is Marie.

「Honestly…! Honestly, Rain…! Why did you run away from home…?!」

『So that’s how she’s treating this…』

As Mika speaks, the light fades from Marie’s eyes.

「You too, O Holy Sword. Have you abandoned your duty to lead your wielder? What are you doing? If you cannot even lead the Hero back onto the righteous path, then I must ask what is the point of you having sentience.」

『…I really hate her.』

Looks like she hates her now.

That’s right, when talking with ordinary people, the Saint is like a down-to-earth, gentle, and constantly smiling holy woman. …At least that’s how it feels like…

「But I’m glad you’re alright, Rainy. Your big sister has been worried sick this whole time, I could only eat three meals a day, I could barely sleep, and I was so lonely that I could only keep my sanity by hugging tightly onto the clothes you left behind…!」

She says what she thinks when she’s with the Saviors, she requests Mika to act as a holy sword, and she treats me like this for some reason.

If she just doted on me like her little brother, I probably wouldn’t be this bad at dealing with her. Is that even a normal way to treat someone, I wonder?

「Goodness, could this be your rebellious phase? That won’t do, Rainy. We Six Saviors have been chosen by God. With our powers combined, it is our mission to eradicate evil monsters and restore peace to the world, yes? The time for age-appropriate games can come once everything is over and done with. So, be patient until then. A lot of people are losing loved ones and land to Demons all across the world, so there is no time for luxuries and pleasures. For the sake of the innocent, we who have been branded by the Savior’s Crest are to be the sword of God and strike down the wicked. I am aware that you have been working very hard even after running away from home, Rainy. It gives me great pleasure to know that you have not forgotten the mission. But I had a thought. You can do more, Rainy. You could dole even more justice, and save even more…!」

Honestly, I didn’t even hear half of that.

She teaches me how to behave around people, but on the other side, strongly demands me to be more of a Savior.

It is this imbalance that I have a little trouble dealing with.

Marie started tearing up and then tears started flowing out.

「Come now, let me hug you. Then, let’s go home, hm? We have some time before the next mission, so I must punish you.」

「Punish?」

「Yes. Naughty children deserve a good spanking.」

「Spanking.」

「Even should your bum turn red and swell, I shall steel myself and I will not stop until you repent. But if you reflect upon your actions properly, your big sis Marie will heal it all away.」

Hm.

「I don’t plan on going back.」

「…What?」

Marie looked at me with utter disbelief.

「I’m enjoying the life I have here.」

Also, I don’t want to be spanked.

Marie looked me over once again.

And then, she started sniffing.

「…The sea…seafood cuisine and…women! Women! Women! Children seem to be mixed in as well, but I can smell the scent of countless women! Rainy! You’re cheating on me!」

「Wait, hold on. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.」

「I knew it was too early to send you on a solo mission…! I told you to be aware of strangers…! On top of being cute, Rainy is strong and kind, so of course, everyone would desire you! Those wicked Demons… To entice my dear sweet Rainy… They must be destroyed.」

「Marie.」

That came out in a deeper tone than I wanted.

「R-rainy… What’s with that tone…? You’re scaring me…」

Despite not being frightened at all, she looks at me with a shocked expression.

「I decided to do this on my own. I already told you earlier, but I’m not going back. Besides, I can’t let you destroy that place.」

『Yeah! Yeah, you fake sis! Why don’t you go back to Human Territory already!』

The Saint cast her eyes downward sadly.

「……Is that…so? So your mind has been affected that much…」

In the next instant, the surrounding trees were blown off the ground and the area becomes barren.

Marie released her mana.

The only ones that withstood it were Mika and me.

「I am Marie, the Saint. Upon my name as one of the Six Saviors, I shall purify Rainy’s tainted heart. Also, O Holy Sword, you are unfit to be Rainy’s sword. I will break you.」

『This woman is insane…! L-like I can be broken by the likes of you!』

「…Rain, the Hero, also of the Six Saviors. In order to continue my life as a freeloader, I will defeat you. Also, there is no sword fit for me more than her.」

『Rain…!』

「F-freeloader…?! Wh-what the heavens does that mean…?!」

…I may have said too much.

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