Chapter 23

The sky was blanketed by massive black birds. Of course, they weren’t actual birds, but magic beasts.

These magic beasts, shaped like giant crows, are Grade 5. While the individual units aren’t a particularly high grade, their habit of moving in swarms makes them notoriously difficult to clear. There is one weakness the general public isn’t aware of: they are resilient against physical attacks but weak against Divine Power.

‘To the future Ivanke, these would be treated as mere trash mobs she passes by.’

I had been appalled when I saw the illustration of the magic beasts flying in the sky being killed in heaps and falling to the ground with a single gesture of hers. But that’s the story for when a real Saintess is present. For us, with nothing but knights, this swarm of Corvus was no different from a total catastrophe.

“Vice-Commander! Wh-what should we do…!”

The panicked murmurs of the knights reached my ears. Residents who had seen the beasts broke into screams here and there. It was absolute chaos.

-Isn’t this the second raid?

-It’s exactly what Belita said.

-At this point, Belita really is a prophet.

The protagonist and Arianne commanded the knights to threaten the beasts and keep them from approaching, while simultaneously evacuating the residents to safety.

‘I need to watch for the right moment.’

Just as Ivanke had done, saving everyone at the very last second would have the most impact. But here’s the thing…

‘Is that guy not going out…?’

Even though the outside had turned into a literal hellscape, the man who was supposed to be the Commander of the Holy Knights stood there vacantly, showing no intent to help. He was staring straight into my eyes with a bizarre expression.

“So… you’re… here.”

What is he muttering?

“You little rat. I wondered where you were hiding.”

Calling someone a “rat” is usually a highly negative, insulting remark used to disparage someone for betraying others or stealing something in secret. Why use such a word on me…?

‘Don’t tell me…’

“You dare steal the Holy Relic of our Order and run?”

Shring—

Ilian drew his sword without warning! M-Madman. This guy, in the Saintess route, was supposed to have the image of a refined, calm, and always kind pushover. Wasn’t he supposed to be the reliable supporter who watches your back!

“Ah, leaving bloodstains behind is a bit troublesome. This is Sir Frederick’s tent, after all.”

‘I need to bail for now—’

Before I could even react, Ilian covered my mouth and grabbed the collar of my neck!

“Mmph!”

Then, he began dragging me somewhere. It was no use even when I struggled violently.

‘How is it that there’s no one on the path!’

Well, the entire force would be focused on fighting the magic beasts or protecting the residents. Of course, no one was there. Damn it! Thus, the place Ilian and I arrived at was a dark, secluded part of the forest where the shadows had fallen deep. Ilian threw me into a small clearing. The impact of hitting the ground sent a jolt of pain through my waist and legs.

“This place is perfect. No one will know even if a few people die here.”

Is this how victims caught by psychopathic serial killers feel? I was so overwhelmed by terror that I couldn’t think.

“S-Spare…”

“Mmm~ that seems difficult. My apologies. Actually, I had many things I wanted to ask, so I was going to take you with me, but I’m short on time. I’m also a bit afraid of Sir Frederick, who might return at any moment.”

‘To think Ilian was a crazy psychopath.’

Reality and games are different. To think I’d realize it in this way.

“I’ll just say you became food for the magic beasts while trying to flee. Right?”

With a face that seemed to lack even a shred of malice, Ilian smiled brightly. As Ilian’s hand reached for the sword at his waist, my mind snapped back into focus.

‘Dammit. You think I’ll just die?’

A burning fighting spirit made my fists clench instinctively.

“Just die already!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his sharply thrust sword aimed for my throat!

“Wait a secoooond!”

In the split second that Ilian flinched at my lung-bursting shout, I didn’t miss the moment. I stepped back and drew the sword at my waist.

Clang!

Fortunately, my neck was protected as our swords clashed in mid-air. I gave myself a mental round of applause for the excellent choice of bringing a sword to look like a knight. But…

‘I actually blocked that?’

Even if Ilian had pulled back some strength halfway through, the speed was by no means slow. Does Belita have surprisingly good reflexes…?

“What… are you crazy?”

Ilian was momentarily flustered by the clashing blades, but he quickly regained his composure and began to push his sword against mine with added strength. I pushed back with all my might, but it wasn’t enough. Ilian’s blade continued to draw closer and closer to my throat…! If this continued, death was inevitable…

‘I-I’d rather.’

If it’s come to this, I have to make a gamble even if it means sacrificing something. I suddenly let go of the tension in my sword, and the momentum caused the trajectory of Ilian’s blade to shift. That didn’t mean the sword missed me entirely, though. Instead of my neck, the blade began to dig into my shoulder, but I bit my lip and endured the pain.

‘Now!’

Ilian wore a sickening smile, seemingly certain of his victory. In other words, he was at his most vulnerable! Using my freed sword, I drove it straight through Ilian’s torso! Looking back and forth between my face and his own abdomen, Ilian wore a look of utter disbelief.

“Cough!”

Soon, a surge of dark red blood spilled from Ilian’s mouth, and he eventually collapsed, his body going limp in agony. It didn’t look like he would be getting back up.

‘…Did I do it?’

It seemed I had survived somehow. But was this really “surviving”? The sword wound that started at my shoulder stretched all the way to my shoulder blade. My condition wasn’t much better than Ilian’s. The blood won’t stop…

‘This is it. I’m dead.’

Actually, maybe it was for the best. To be honest, the quest requirements were absurd. I didn’t want to do this anyway. This was fine…

Ding!

R-Recovery Potion?

“Fine” my foot.

If I can live, I have to live. I refuse to die in a place like this! I purchased the recovery potion instantly.
…!!!

Immediately, a small glass bottle appeared in my left hand, which had been empty a second ago. It looked exactly like a health potion you’d see in any game. Since my right arm was immobile, I quickly twisted the cap off with my teeth.

A pleasant popping sound was followed by a sweet aroma… Suppressing the urge to keep smelling it, I poured the potion over my shoulder. In an instant, the burning heat and the sensation of torn flesh vanished! I looked down at my shoulder; the wound had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

‘The performance is insane.’

To turn a walking corpse into a perfectly healthy human in such a short time.
It really was a health potion. Specifically, one that restored you to Full HP.

‘But how did I do that?’

They say superhuman strength emerges in life-or-death situations.

‘No, can that really be explained by “that”?’

Even if he was a “nepo baby,” the man was still a Knight Commander. He wasn’t someone an ordinary maid like Belita should be able to handle. I recalled the sensation when I gripped the sword earlier. I didn’t know why, but a strange pleasure had washed over me the moment my hand closed around the hilt.

A body that moved with agility. Could it be that Belita originally knew how to use a sword?

…Since I didn’t know Belita’s past yet, I had no way of knowing. Thinking about it now was meaningless. The most important thing right now was…

‘Is Ilian someone who is allowed to die?’

I looked down at the motionless Ilian and continued my train of thought.

‘Can someone else replace Ilian’s role?’

I couldn’t be sure. In the game, the only figures representing the Church were Ilian, the Pope, and the Cardinal who assisted the Saintess. Even if he was a major supporting character, maybe Ilian didn’t strictly need to be alive…

No. Wait.

‘Wasn’t it Ilian?’

The person who first recognized the Saintess and personally escorted her from this village to the Holy City?

Could I really say Ilian’s power had no influence on her eventual appointment as Saintess?

Was there anyone else as authoritative and favorable toward the Saintess as Ilian? Could I even find such a person here?

“…”

I calmly shook Ilian’s shoulder.

“Hey, Sir Ilian. Can you hear me?”

“…”

“Sir Ilian?”

Dammit, did I stab him too hard? There was no reaction.

“Ugh…”

Just as I was about to give up, Ilian miraculously groaned!

‘He’s alive! …Well, that’s a relief.’

But his complexion was deathly pale. The bleeding showed no signs of stopping. It was obvious that if I didn’t use a potion, he’d be crossing the Styx in no time. Judging by the speed at which I was healed, this item was an all-purpose elixir that provided total recovery just by being applied.

Saving a man on the brink of death for a mere 10 points. It put Ivanke’s Divine Power to shame. However, in a situation like this, the high performance was actually a problem. There was a chance that a fully healed Ilian would attack me again the moment the potion touched him.

‘Can I not just heal him halfway?’

…Of course not.

First, I tore the hem of my skirt to make strips of cloth. I pulled Ilian’s hands behind his back and bound his joints firmly, making sure the knots were hard to break even with force.

It was a smooth process thanks to a survival video I once saw on YouTube about “unbreakable knots.” The thin fabric was surprisingly tough when layered, and I tied him to a tree so he couldn’t even wriggle.

‘Well, this should be safe.’

Since there was still a chance he might break free through sheer strength, I leveled my sword at him. You can never have too many safety measures.

‘Phew, now shall we bring him back to life?’

After wiping the sweat from my brow, I held the sword in one hand and the potion in the other. Because I had moved his injured body around to tie him up, Ilian’s condition had worsened. I hurried to pour the potion onto his gasping abdomen. The purple liquid, looking almost like poison, began to soak into the open wound.

I hadn’t seen it clearly when healing myself because I was in such a panic.
Even though I only poured a little, the gaping wound closed perfectly. My jaw dropped in amazement.

So this counts as an achievement too. Anyway, seeing this unscientific phenomenon made it hit home once again that this was a fantasy world…

“Gasp!”

Amidst my wandering thoughts, Ilian’s eyes snapped open. He tried to feel the area where his wound had been, but obviously, he couldn’t move.

“Sir Ilian.”

Startled, Ilian looked up at me with a pale, lifeless face.

“Y-You?”

“Are you alright? I assume you are.”

“What happened…”

“I healed you.”

“No, what do you mean by…”

Tying a blood-covered man to a tree and pointing a sword at him… somehow, I felt like I was the villain here. Ilian’s eyes, looking at me as if I were a maniac, certainly contributed to that feeling. Even though he was the one who tried to kidnap and murder me out of nowhere, it felt incredibly unfair.

“I have something to ask you.”

“What?”

Well, that was that.

First, I had to dig into why this guy attacked me so suddenly. If he was capable of explaining himself, I had to win him over.

“Why did you call me a rat?”

Ilian twisted his body threateningly.

“You! Because you stole it!”

“I didn’t.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

His reaction was even more passionate than I expected. It didn’t seem like he was suspecting me based on mere guesswork. Yet, it was hard to imagine he had actually witnessed it.

‘I escaped quite well. If he’d seen me, he would have caught me on the spot.’

Then how on earth did he know?

“Do you think I took no precautions with the Holy Relic? I can feel my energy so clearly coming from that pocket on your left chest, and you dare deny it!”

“Energy?”

Ilian’s expression turned strange.

“Do you… not know what Mana is?”

I knew.

Wasn’t it the standard form of energy in fantasy worlds?

I remembered the game describing that while there was no magic here, knights used Mana to fire sword energy or reinforce their blades.

“Every person has a unique Mana. You might not be able to distinguish someone else’s, but you can recognize your own. It’s very faint, but I left a trace of my Mana on the Holy Relic. That’s how I knew.”

Good grief. Is it like a fingerprint?

This specific use of Mana never appeared in the game!

“Of course, it’s hard to sense if it’s too far away… Ah, for heaven’s sake. Why am I explaining this to you?”

Just as I was about to talk back to the grumbling Ilian, the situation in the village—which had seemed manageable—began to deteriorate.

-It’s a total mess

-But where did Belita go?

-Wait, I’ve seen that priest before

-That’s the priest who supervised the oath or whatever

-Why is he here? lol

Ilian must have felt something too; he stared down the mountain and spoke.

“The demonic energy is vibrating all the way up here. Even the Imperial Knights seem to be struggling… This is no time for this. I need to lead the Holy Knights and help them immediately.”

“…”

“You, put that sword away for now…”

“Sir Ilian. I…”

If I stalled any longer, my plans and everything else would be ruined. I put on my most villainous expression and opened my mouth. It was time for his “repentance.”