Book 7: Chapter 14: Escort of the Saintess

“Sir Halt!”

Somebody called out to me while I was strolling the Holy CIty’s mainstreet.

“Hi there. Erm, Shin, is it?”

“Yep, I’m glad you remembered me.”

It was the holy knight that had been with Seira when we saved them yesterday. He had been looking for me, it seemed.

The main street was crowded, so it was  quite surprising that he managed to spot  me. My interest was piqued a bit, so I checked Shin out with my magic vision, and that’s when I noticed that there was mana gathered around his eyes.

He was probably searching for me using magic vision, or a skill corresponding to that.

“Do you have a moment?”

“Yeah.”

Tina and I went our separate ways after we left the Great Shrine, and the other girls went with her. The negotiations for the dungeon management were successful, and since that was our main reason for coming to the Holy City of Sanctum, everyone decided to tour the city.

Originally, I also planned to do the tour with everybody else after we finished the negotiations. Unfortunately, there were several things that bothered me since I came here, and now that there was another thing added to my to do list, I requested that they let me be on my own, just for today until tomorrow.

I was the one who suggested this trip, and yet I was  going solo… Sorry, guys…

I had to make up for this somehow!

Shin took me on top of the protective wall of the Holy City. This place was off limits for commoners, and it was a bit far from the busy streets, so we didn’t have to worry about being overheard.

He went out of his way to bring me to such a place, so maybe we were  going to discuss something confidential.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Actually, the Saint is set to leave the Holy City at dusk, I feel like something is fishy about this.”

“…She just returned yesterday, right? Does she leave the city incessantly like this?”

“This trip is already scheduled beforehand, so that in itself isn’t suspicious, but…”

Shin was worried about the fact that though Seira was  the most important person in the Holy City, she could only take one guard with her.

Moreover, Elmia was the one who would accompany her. So,  there was no issue with that since she was the captain of the order of holy chivalry. 

However, Seira was normally guarded by a minimum of 5 guards every time she had a trip outside the Holy City, and yet, she wasn’t allowed to travel with them this time around.

The knights did not receive their orders from Seira, but from the priests. Duke Ifel governed the Holy City, but the Great Shrine was managed by five priests who did everything related to the management of the place and conducting the rituals. Those priests did not give their permission to the other holy knights aside from Elmia to travel together with Seira.

“The trip this time’s for the baptism of Saint-sama’s successor.”

A  spring, said to be the place where the successive generations of candidates were purified before they became saints, and it was located in a mountain a short distance away from the Holy City. 

Seira and Elmia would head towards that spring, together with the saint candidate.

“The priests said that holy knights could not go with them if they were men, and that it is the custom. But it’s been two hundred years since the last baptism, so I’m not sure if that’s true or not. Besides, I’m no longer allowed to see Saint-sama, so I can’t confirm it.”

Elmia was the only female holy knight currently serving the saint. There were a few women among the knight apprentices, but they were not acknowledged, apparently.

“The mountain where the Purification Spring is located is considered as sacred ground, so I get why we can’t enter, but I think it’s better if she can have more guards at least while travelling. She’s just been attacked yesterday by a warlock, you know?”

Shin was right, I thought. Two warlocks appeared, and they had targeted her. Even if they couldn’t step inside the sanctuary, the guards should still guard her on the road. 

“Indeed… By the way, did you use your eye to check if there’s something wrong with the priests?”

“Yes, the mana flow seemed normal — eh, wait, what!? Y-you know that I have the Magic Eye!?”

So Shin has the Magic Eye, apparently. I read about it in an ancient manuscript, so I knew a little about it.  It was quite a rare skill.

“I didn’t know that you had the Magic Eye, but I thought that you possessed a skill related to the eyes. You searched for me using that ability, didn’t you?”

“Whoa, awesome! As expected, I’m right in asking Sir Halt. I have something to request of you, Sir Halt.” 

“You want me to escort the Saint?”

“You read my mind. Yes, I want you to escort Saint-sama, but please, I want you to do it without being discovered by her… I think if it’s Sir Halt, then you can do it, right?”

Escorting Saint Seira, who was seasoned in magic, and Elmia, who had a keen combat sense, without getting discovered —

That’s possible.

Actually, I already thought that there was a possibility that she would be attacked by warlocks again, so I secretly stuck a teleportation circle on her.

Seira wouldn’t notice this magic circle, since it normally consumes the minimum amount of mana possible, and it also merged with her mana.

It would be automatically activated once Seira called for help, and it would then summon me.

In short, it would be as if I was right beside Seira as her guard.

By the way, I arranged it so that a flaming knight would appear in my stead in case I was in the bath or using the toilet. If I didn’t do that,then my butt would be exposed right in front of Seira. (E/N: lmao)

Of course I thought all  about those points through.

And so, there was no problem regarding the terms for being the escort.

“I understand. Leave the protection of Saint Seira to me. I would do that without being exposed — well, I’ll do something about it.”

I wouldn’t follow Seira around, so there was no way she would notice it.

‘….Eh?’

Oh, right, they would do the baptism so that the saint candidate would become a full pledged saint, right?

In that case….if the baptism went on without a hitch, and if Creator God-sama would issue the oracle with perfect timing, then I would be able to help Seira resign from her post as the Saint!

I finally found the perfect solution for the condition set by Creator God-sama.

There was no need to sweet talk Seira.

All I had to do was to be on standby and guard her until she and her successor would reach the spring, then ensure their safe return.

I was suddenly hyped up about guarding Seira.

If I fulfilled the conditions without a hitch, then I could start working on the management of the dungeon next week.

“By the way, I’m curious, why did you pick me to do that job? We were only acquainted yesterday.”

“I thought that if it was Sir Halt, then you could absolutely protect Seira-sama, given that you defeated the warlock, no sweat. Besides, I felt like I could entrust this matter to you, since you are the husband of the Heroine Tina.”

Heh, Seira-sama, huh.

So, Shin, don’t tell me you’re carrying a torch for Seira?

Then, in that case, you were trusting me because you thought that I wouldn’t lay a hand on Seira, given that I already have a wife?

Did you know?

I have multiple wives, you know?

If you really like a woman, then you should protect her yourself.

Don’t rely on others just because your boss stopped you.

If you go around doing that, then she’s going to be taken away, you know.

Tina was my number one, so I wouldn’t approach the girls on my own.

Still, I wouldn’t refuse anyone that would come to me.

Especially if said woman was as gorgeous as Seira.

———–

T/N: Sorry, late again! XO

E/N: personality changed aaaaaa. Halt staph being so scummy. I hated his last lines in this chapter lmao. I really want a girl to betray him hard.  -_-