CH 80

After going back to the inn and washing myself, I accepted the hidden mission reward that popped up in the chat window.

[The ‘Blessing’ and ‘Reaction’ effects are doubled as a reward for achievements.]

[The duration of ‘Blessing’ and ‘Reaction’ is doubled as a reward for the achievement.]

Enhanced effect and increased duration.

I felt uncomfortable because the time of blessing was up to three hours a day, but I thought it went well.

“Ciel, please bless me.”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, blesses you.]

I lightly held the stone I picked up and concentrated my holy power.

Crackㅡ  

After a while, the stone in my hand split into several pieces. Is it because my power has doubled?

If this reward had been made before the fight in the cave, I thought that even dealing with Queen Arachne alone would have been worthy. Although it’s in the past.

In the evening, after a while, the lord hastily held a banquet for Kyle and his knights.

And it was prepared with two magnificent chairs attached like the seats of a king and queen.

I sat next to Kyle with a strange feeling.

By the way, the lord just sent a wink. He seemed to be praising his own sense, but I’d like to have a few words with him.

“It’s a happy day when the Saintess extinguishes the fire of war. However, the monsters scattered from the mine are still targeting the people without being wiped out.”

Kyle said with a stern expression to the generals who were excited about the well-prepared food table.

“Please refrain from drinking tonight.”

The knights looked a little disappointed at Kyle’s words.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. Still, it’s a happy day…”

The lord glanced at him and said to Kyle.

Yet he opened his mouth without a single brow twitch.

“It looks like you want to be at the forefront of the sweeping battle tomorrow.”

At his words, the lord stepped back.

“I… I apologize. Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“If I had to pick one of us who deserved a drink.”

Everyone’s eyes focused on Kyle’s words.

He licked his lips.

“Among us, it’s only the Saintess.”

At that, the knights nodded.

They seemed to think that since I had blocked the gate that would have led to great bloodshed, the biggest credit was on me. In addition, a huge number of monsters had been wiped out.

“Saintess, shall we bring you a drink?”

The lord immediately asked me.

“N. I’m fine.”

“Alright. Then… Let’s start the banquet.”

After a while, the lord gave a signal and the performance started. Soon, the banquet hall was filled with the voices of the loud people.

“How is the situation outside?”

“We also sent enough meat and bread to the soldiers.”

Kyle calmly took care of his men even in the midst of a noisy banquet.

The lord was eagerly talking about this and that in front of him, and he seemed full of will to look good to him.

I was munching on the food in front of my eyes when someone turned to me and said.

“Excuse me, Saintess.”

“Yes?”

“I heard that even though all the priests put their full effort, you blocked the gate that was getting bigger by yourself. Through the Saintess, I feel that the Gods exist.”

[The God of Love, Odyssey, shrugs.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, raises his nose.] 

(fyi, it’s like being extremely prideful)

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, wags his tail.]

“Moreover, they say that the Saintess slaughtered powerful monsters with your powerful holy power.”

“Bless the Empire. Blessings on Ares”

The Gods were shrugging at the people who often came to me and bowed their heads while stamping their gazes.

The music gradually changed to a cheerful atmosphere. The dance time has come.

The noble ladies of Ares glanced at the dignified knights from the capital. The knights also wanted to approach and ask for a dance, yet they were in a mood to be wary.

“Ariel.”

Hearing Kyle’s voice, I turned my gaze to him.

He glanced outward.

“Enjoy yourself suitably, and come out.”

“…Pardon?”

Then he walked out first.

It seemed to him that I was looking at them because I wanted to dance.

“Your Highness. Will you just go?”

“I’m exhausted from travel sickness. I’ll have to go to bed.”

He left the banquet hall, though he didn’t look tired at all.

His servants followed quickly after him.

The knights seemed a little awkward at first when they noticed Kyle went out, yet they quickly asked the ladies to dance.

Not wanting to be the focus of people, I slowly walked toward the door.

A few knights looked at me, but I gestured with my index finger over my mouth and escaped without the lord looking. If caught, there was a strong possibility of him bothering me.

When I came out, a sharp horse stopped in front of me. It was a horse I had ridden before.

I opened my eyes wide and looked up. Kyle, who had exited the banquet hall ahead of me, leaned over and extended his hand.

Seeing my puzzled expression, he opened his mouth.

“It took quite a while.”

“You told me to come out after having fun.”

Kyle laughed at my words.

“I did.”

Then he turned his body, grabbed my hand, and lifted it towards him with force.

I climbed up like I was being hugged in front of him with the feeling that my body was floating. Burdened by the posture, as if I was hugged like a princess, I hurriedly crossed one leg over the other.

Of course, the fact that he was still close behind my back is burdensome.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, feels a little sorry for your empty hands.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, licks his lips remembering the thigh incident.]

Ugh, the mistake of the hunting festival that I don’t want to remember was about to come to mind.

“Go!”

Soon he started running the horse.

The horse kicked off the ground and ran through the lord’s castle. It was somehow embarrassing to see the soldiers glance at me.

The wind swayed my hair.

“Where are we going?”

As we were about to leave the gate, I asked him.

“You’ll find out when we’re there.”

Kyle didn’t give an easy answer.

After leaving the lord’s castle, the horse rode through the darkness. The soft half-moon moonlight was shining, yet it was dark outside.

In modern times, even in rural villages, lights are often turned on, but in this world, in a rural area like this, it was almost natural to leave the castle.

“I can hear the sound of wild animals.”

Hearing the wolves, I muttered, and Kyle’s voice came from behind.

“Are you afraid?”

“That can’t be true. I’m with the Sword Master.”

The only thing that intimidated me a little was the darkness and desolation, but I didn’t think something might appear and harm us.

“That’s a pretty good answer.”

Kyle’s voice was heard.

I said nothing more. Soon the horse climbed and descended a rather steep hill and stopped at the shore of a quiet, secluded lake.

The man who got off the horse before me held out his hand. I got off the horse as if I was, once again, being hugged by Kyle.

We soon started walking closer to the lake. I walked along Kyle at a slower pace.

The vast lake contained the Milky Way in the sky.

“Was this our destination?”

Kyle responded to my words.

“Don’t you like it?”

Step by step, I stood on the edge of the lake.

The lake at night is also quite pretty. It feels like I’m  in a country like Switzerland.

[The God of Art, Mond, loves the scenery of the lake.]

“I like it. The atmosphere feels nice, though?”

I looked at the twinkling stars in the lake.

There were hundreds of times more stars than the ones I saw when I looked up as a child.

“I need to hear about this thing earlier.”

As I stared at the surface of the lake, I heard Kyle’s voice.

I turned to him.

It was dark, so I couldn’t see his expression very well, but I could tell he was looking at me.

“I looked at the corpses of the monsters.”

It was what he expected to ask.

“I can’t understand that the holy power has made their condition to that extent.”

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, is curious about what happened in the mine.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, is curious about what happened in the mine.]

Even the Sword Master, Kyle, who sent a giant spider in one blow, wouldn’t be able to easily deal with the corps alone.

However, no matter how saintly I am, the fact that I, a healer, killed all those monsters… It’s nonsense.

“Traces of a strong attack, as if it had been hacked to pieces. It wasn’t even a sword scar, it was very irregular scars.”

I had felt that I wasn’t the main character of this story and that I was not in my place.

But now it’s time to become the real main lead.

The contract with Diego Vester.

Until he defeated the Demon King Leto, I had to carry out my contract with Diego.

“What happened?”