I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 94

“By any chance, has your daughter ever been kidnapped?”

“…Yes. But how do you know that, Priest?”

The woman, who had been explaining on behalf of the timid-looking girl, soon teared up as if she had met a savior in a living hell. She clung to my clothes, crying sorrowfully.

“Ugh, Priest, yes! My daughter was kidnapped by a stranger last year and barely made it back. She almost died! She was found by the Holy Knights who happened to pass by after being buried alive in the mountains. Because of that, my daughter developed mutism!”

“Ah…”

“Please, Priest. My daughter is incredibly smart. I’m not just saying this. She’s a young lady with a bright future ahead of her as a Stella. Please, believe me.”

Even if it’s a simple magic, the fact that she learned healing magic over someone’s shoulder means she definitely has talent. Moreover, the future of someone from an ordinary family and someone who is a Stella differs greatly. I fully understood the desperate heart of a mother. The cause of her mutism was also extremely unfortunate.

The face of the old woman I saw in the warehouse momentarily flashed through my mind. I vaguely guessed that it was the work of them or those with the same purpose, but that didn’t mean there was a way to solve it. I held the woman, whose legs were half-collapsed, and helped her stand up with an apologetic expression.

“I believe you. I know a friend who went through a similar experience.”

“R-really? Then did that person regain their holy power?”

“Unfortunately, not yet.”

“…Ah.”

At my negative response, the woman, who had been trembling, sat down weakly as if she had lost all hope. Watching her daughter, who was trying to support her mother with tearful eyes, I bent down. Holding the crying woman’s hand tightly, I spoke.

“If I find a way, I will definitely contact you.”

I remembered Hemosi, who had cried for a long time holding onto Oscar. The lively girl couldn’t hide her gloomy expression even in front of me.

Thinking of her forcing a smile and returning home, saying she would get better with rest, made my teeth grind. I decided that this was a task that must be solved for Hemosi, who was a beloved neighbor and was like a younger sibling to me.

“Healing magic is never easy, even if it’s simple. It’s amazing that she learned it.”

But for now, all I could do was encourage her.

“I will look into it diligently. In the meantime, take good care of your mother.”

I offered the best comfort I could to the girl with big blinking eyes.

* * *

“Are you asking if there is a magic that can steal holy power?”

I told Sister Elexi about Hemosi’s situation and the story of the mother and daughter I met in Yetvan. I checked the mailbox, hoping that Hemosi might have shown some improvement while I was in Yetvan, but the letter delivered to the Grand Temple two days ago only contained the unfortunate news that Hemosi’s holy power had not yet returned.

Sister Elexi pondered my question for a moment before speaking.

“Dark magic works on the principle of temporarily stealing someone else’s magic, but even such dark magic doesn’t completely root out someone’s magic. Therefore, it would be difficult to completely take away holy power.”

“I see.”

I hadn’t asked with high expectations. If it were something Sister Elexi could answer, it would have been resolved when Hemosi was still at the Grand Temple.

My mind, working faster than ever, had already found the next target. Since it’s similar to dark magic, a dark mage would know best.

And I knew just the right person.

“…But I have a guess.”

“What?”

Unexpectedly, Sister Elexi said something I didn’t anticipate. As I asked with wide eyes, she looked at me with a dry expression and spoke.

“I will investigate this matter separately, so you focus on your training. I heard you received a star from Cardinal Hameron. Soon, you will have to compete directly with Primis Starring.”

“…Yes.”

Although there was no word of praise, thinking about what would happen next made me too nervous to care about such things.

In the novel, Duna Valorem is utterly defeated in this competition. Although the selection of the Great Saint has been hastened due to the poisoning of Chelin Sniter in this unexpected development, in the original work, Primis Starring had honed her skills immensely through various events. It was natural that Duna Valorem couldn’t even be considered a rival.

But.

I clenched my fist, thinking of the pond in Yetvan that had regained its blue water.

Just as I achieved summa cum laude and received a marriage proposal from Carmel Peidos, I resolved to change the original story once again. I couldn’t be miserably pushed into a supporting role after coming this far.

[I’ll hear the answer after I become the Great Saint.]

And, there was an answer I needed to hear.

I nodded once at Sister Elexi, thinking that I would look into Hemosi’s matter again after the competition with Primis.

* * *

“The main duty of the Great Saint is to maintain the barrier!”

Sister Elexi’s voice resounded loudly. Amplified through the loudspeaker, her voice carried an even more intimidating charisma than usual.

Although many people have shed blood for the Holy Kingdom, the main protector of the Holy Kingdom is not the Holy Knights or the mages, but the barrier created by the holy relic. It protected the Holy Kingdom from foreign invasions in the past and is the foundation upon which the Holy Kingdom stands today. Even in the event of future destruction, the barrier created by the holy relic would likely play a decisive role.

And it is the role of the Great Saint to reinforce and maintain that barrier. That’s why the criterion is based on the amount of holy power.

Having received stars from the cardinals and thus obtained the minimum qualifications in other areas, it was now time for Prim and me to compete based on our holy power.

“Create a barrier, pressure your opponent, and endure. Only those who can maintain the barrier while struggling are suited for the position of the Great Saint.”

As in the original work, the main focus of the competition was the barrier. As Sister Elexi’s words ended, Prim and I ascended the stairs to the platform of the arena. This huge arena, used only for national martial arts competitions, was now occupied only by Prim, me, and a few key figures from the Grand Temple, including the Pope and the Cardinals.

“Don’t get too excited just because you did something in Yetvan.”

As we joined in prayer before the competition, Prim whispered provocatively.

“I know it wasn’t entirely your own strength. You should know your place.”

“…”

Instead of answering, I glanced at her. Pretending to pray with her eyes closed, she was clearly full of venom.

It wasn’t entirely my own strength, huh.

Indeed, although it wasn’t intentional, I did receive help in the process of earning the star. However, recalling her previous words, I felt a strange sensation.

[Honestly, what have you ever done on your own? You’ve just benefited from men.]

Last time, I mentioned Peidos Carmel, so I naturally thought the subject was Peidos. However, when I was in Yetvan, Peidos was staying in the purification area with Prim.

At this point, the words ‘men’ that were said back then started to bother me anew. At the time, I simply thought it was a slip of the tongue, but now I began to think it might not be.

Why did Prim use the plural form that day? As if she knew about my dealings with Keene.

“…Then, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check my power today.”

But I couldn’t back down. Not willing to lose, I finished my prayer and headed to my spot. Prim also walked to the opposite side, ready for the duel.

The rule was to not move from the line drawn on the floor and to compete using only barriers. The method of the duel was to gradually expand the barrier from the designated spot and collide with the opponent’s barrier. The one who created a stronger barrier and broke the opponent’s barrier would win.

The ability to create large and strong barriers, and the ability to maintain them for a long time.

The one who excelled in these two aspects would become the Great Saint.

“Begin.”

Thud. Thud. With the sound of drums, a blue flag was raised. At the signal to start, holy power began to gather in Prim’s hands.