Chapter 63: The Saint Who Hates God (2)
After taking a brief nap in a chair, I was awakened by the distant sounds of music and cheers.
It seemed as though the feast had begun in the village.
For a moment, I got hungry at the familiar noise, and that was when I spotted Arwin clinging to the window.
...
Seeing her like this, I was reminded once more that she appeared rather cold when her face was expressionless.
It was strange; she didnt look upset, yet she gave off an aura of anger.
Arwin was peering through the wooden window frame, turning her head to focus on where the noise was coming from.
It seemed like she anticipated that a feast was taking place, and now, she appeared too curious to wait any longer.
...Ha.
She exhaled softly and glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
Then, she froze.
Our eyes met.
After a moment of silence, Arwin asked,
...Youre awake?
I chuckled softly.
I should have woken up earlier. If Id known you were looking forward to it so much.
...
Embarrassed, Arwin turned her head away, but her flushing ears betrayed her emotions.
What about Ner?
She said shes out for a walk...
Is that so? Then lets set out with Ner.
Arwins eyes widen slightly, as if the moment she had been waiting for had arrived.
I had expected her to enjoy it, but I hadnt anticipated seeing such an expression on her face.
Even I couldnt help but feel delighted.
Yes, Arwin replied to my comment.
There was a newfound strength in her voice.
****
Saintess-nim, shall we go?
The hero from the Dragon race, Felix, approached the Saintess and spoke.
The whole party waited for her response.
The Saintess nodded her head and said, Yes.
Thanks to the achievements of the hero party, the city was engulfed in a festive atmosphere.
Although resources were tight, making it different from the festivals before the war, the elements of laughter, song, and a large fire in the square remained the same.
The hero party looked at the celebrating people of various races and headed towards the ballroom, invited by the lord.
Upon entering the ballroom, they found it already occupied by numerous nobles.
All nearby nobles had come to witness the heroes who had protected the surrounding areas.
Upon their entrance, a round of applause greeted them.
Felix, the dragonian warrior, lightly raised his hand in response to the cheers.
The Saintess could hear voices cheering her name as well. She acknowledged them with a subtle nod, answering their enthusiasm.
.
.
.
Soon, the attention towards the main characters subsided, and the ball officially began.
Out of consideration for the Saintess, the party members sat in a more secluded area.
Well done, everyone, Felix said, joining them after a brief conversation with the lord.
It looks like things have wrapped up here for now. Lets rest today and tomorrow, then move on.
The centaur, Acran, handed Felix a skewer of meat.
Felix, fill your stomach.
Felix accepted the food and took a seat.
We finally defeated Tiramal as well. Now only the Demon King and his right-hand remain.
Acran affirmed, Thats how it is.
The war was trending towards an end.
Following the suggestion of hero Felix, the party had been systematically eliminating the intelligent monsters who served as the Demon Kings minions.
Over the course of the seven-year war, excluding the two years of training, they had successfully eliminated four intelligent monsters in five years.
Now, only the Demon King and his right-hand remained.
It was too early to let down their guard, but it was clear they were making progress towards their goal.
Once again, great job, and thank you everyoneAcran, Sylphrien, and Saintess-nim. Lets eat well and rest easy tonight.
Everyone nodded.
Soon, servants appeared and offered them small cups filled with high-quality alcohol.
Thank you, The hero Felix expressed his gratitude and placed the four cups on the table.
Following his lead, everyone picked up a cup.
Alright, cheers, Acran said.
Weve worked hard this time too, Sylphrien nodded.
Lets hang in there a little longer, the Saintess also nodded.
Thank you for your hard work.
Soon, a toast was made, deliberately excluding the Saintess, careful not to touch even a finger to her cup.
The Saintess silently stared at her cup, then moistened her lips with the liquid. for new novels
****
Ner and Arwin watched as a peculiar group entered the village.
Ner held onto my right arm lightly, keeping a vigilant eye on them.
Her ears twitched each time an unusual sound was made.
Arwin couldnt take her eyes off the group either.
She glanced back and forth between me and the group.
Various races wearing colorful clothes, carts loaded with unknown goods, and members cheering.
...What is that, Berg?
Finally, Ner looked up at me and asked.
Thats a circus, I responded to her.
And at that, Arwin took a soft breath.
...A circus?
They are people who perform fascinating tricks. It will be fun to
Ah, I know what a circus is. Ive only read about it, but...
Arwin couldnt tear her eyes away from the circus.
She was fascinated by every single aspect of it.
I said to her, Itll probably take some time for them to start, dont you think?
...I suppose.
I too found myself captivated by the circus entering the village.
I began to wonder if this had any connection to Hyungs troubled mind.
However, in the end, I shrugged it off and looked for a place to sit.
Follow me.
At my words, both began to move.
Ner was still lightly clinging to my arm, while Arwins gaze was increasingly captivated by the spectacle of the ongoing feast.
The members of my Head Hunter Unit*, led by Baran, were also in sight.
Baran waved his hand and shouted, Vice-captain! Shall we bring some alcohol?
Sure!
How many cups do you need?
The more I got to know her, the more I was surprised by how her polite demeanor contrasted with her appearance.
Or could it be that her personality was strongly linked to the World Tree?
It seemed like she had changed since the incident with the World Tree.
Putting aside those thoughts, I said to her,
Whats so fun about it if you cant even see?
Huh? Oh...well...
For a moment, I looked at the members, utterly engrossed in the circus.
Hahahahaha!
Another wave of laughter filled the square.
I could push through the crowd to get a better view, but the members of the Red Flames were also in the midst of their grieving process.
I didnt want to disturb them just to get to the front.
Here.
I positioned Arwin and Ner next to each other.
Both seemed clueless about what was happening.
Then, I squatted down and placed their butts on my shoulders.
And in that position, I stood up, lifting them onto my shoulders.
Ah...!
Oh!
I lightly gripped their thighs to stabilize them.
In an instant, the two of them grabbed at my face and hair in surprise.
But that was just for a moment.
Ah...!
A cry I never thought Id hear flowed from Arwins lips.
Looking up at her, I saw her eyes reflecting the bonfire, aimed straight at the circus performers.
Her hand covered her mouth as she became utterly engrossed in the spectacle.
Just seeing her like that made me smile.
She didnt seem to have the time to dislike being perched on my shoulders.
Though her sparkling eyes occasionally glanced down at me, she soon returned to happily watching the circus.
Next, I turned my attention to Ner.
...? Arent you watching the circus?
She was staring at me with a vacant expression.
...Ill watch.
Saying so, she slowly turned her head.
In that moment, Ners balance wavered a bit, as if she were still slightly tipsy.
Whoa.
I quickly regained our balance, much like the circus performers.
-Snap!
Simultaneously, something wrapped around my body.
...?
Upon checking, it turned out to be Ners tail.
Her tail coiled around my torso, helping to maintain balance.
...Berg.
Hm?
She gave me a sidelong glance, checking me out again.
...Hehe. Never mind.
She smiled.
I looked at her, bursting out laughing.
...We should drink together more often.
Ner chuckled softly, grinning widely.
Wow...!
Something must have happened; Arwin suddenly pressed down on my face in astonishment.
Her ears wiggled up and down.
At the sight of them, I eventually burst into laughter too.
It felt like I was also able to set aside the burden of losing my comrades.
****
The Saintess left the ballroom and headed for her lodging.
Staying any longer didnt seem like it would bring any smiles.
Her mind was already too cluttered with thoughts about him.
The happy memories that started to surface only pained her further.
Upon entering her assigned lodging, she immediately took off her clothes.
Quietly climbing onto the bed, she prepared to find some solace.
Tears flowed freely from her eyes.
They were the same familiar tears she had always shed.
But it was okay.
The war was nearing its end.
Just a little more endurance, and she could return to him.
She would kneel before him and ask for forgiveness.
When the threat of the Demon King would vanish and the world found peace... when it would be safe to be with him, then she would live her life by his side.
From then on, she would also set aside her duties as the Saintess and simply stay by his side.
She had already decided on this.
There was no other future for her.
Hadnt she endured all this time with just that thought?
She had heard that he had become a farmer in a remote village.
Living each day safely and earnestly, alone.
She always imagined appearing before him like that once the war was over.
What would he say to her?
What should she say to him?
Would he forgive her?
Even if he didnt, it didnt matter.
She would beg until he did.
She could let go of all the dignity she had built up as the Saintess.
In this way, they would return to the past.
Nothing would stand in the way of their happiness.
They would hold each other tightly, just like before.
Whispering love as soon as night fell.
Traveling the world and marveling at beautiful things.
Forming a covenant of love, becoming a married couple just as they had promised.
Each would only have eyes for the other.
...I miss you, Bell.
Sien whispered.
She thought of her other half, who had protected her countless times when she was younger.
Only by imagining such a sweet dream could she fall asleep.
The End of The Chapter
[ TL: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 5 chapters ahead of the /readingpia
Join Our Discord for regular updates and have fun with other community members: /invite/SqWtJpPtm9 ]