Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 19

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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Braid, the self-proclaimed King of Beggars in Shadowhold, was terrified.

He was a well-established figure in the city’s underworld, having seen and done it all in Shadowhold. He was confident that nothing could faze him.

But this time was different.

“…Confess. What did you see?”

The handsome man standing before him… Braid gulped, noticing the toned muscles beneath his holy robes and the glint of a blue blade tucked inside his wrist.

An assassin. A highly skilled one. That was the only explanation.

“I-I don’t know anything…!”

He was genuinely bewildered. Braid had finished collecting his dues from the stalls, had a few drinks with his underlings, and was on his way to a brothel.

Or rather, he was on his way when this man abducted him.

He hadn’t even sensed his presence. He woke up in a dark, damp cell that smelled like a sewer.

“Hurry up. This place reeks.”

Behind the man stood a woman, arms crossed, a look of disgust on her face. Probably the man’s employer.

As Braid hesitated, the man’s strong hand gripped his face.

“Look at me. Don’t look away. I can hear your eyes darting around.”
“Y-yes…”
“Do you really not know anything?”
“I don’t.”
“Ignorance is a convenient excuse. Even in this darkness, God’s eyes are always watching you.”
“God?”

Slap! Braid’s head snapped to the side.

“How dare you utter the word ‘God’ with your filthy, blasphemous mouth?”
“….”

What did he want from him? Braid was beyond frustrated, but he kept his mouth shut. The man held all the cards.

Braid decided that his best course of action was to cooperate if he wanted to live.

“What do you want to know?”
“I’m looking for a dark mage. Wasn’t he here?”
“Here?”

Shadowhold, the Magetower City. There were dark mages here. Even with the mage tower’s regulations, there were always those who practiced dark magic in secret.

He was about to speak, but the man’s fist slammed into his lips.

“No. I’m not looking for some insignificant dark magic practitioner. We’re looking for a heretic capable of destroying an entire village.”
“…An entire village? There’s no mage here capable of that.”

Such powerful magic would require someone on the level of the Archmage, even Braid knew that much.

Shadowhold, despite its nickname, was just a lawless city with a massive wealth disparity.

“You’re not lying. Good. If you were, I wouldn’t be able to forgive your sins.”
“…Uh.”

As Braid struggled to find a response, the man said,

“Be grateful.”
“T-thank you.”
“This too is God’s grace.”

The man smiled faintly and made the sign of the cross.

What kind of charade was this? He wanted to protest, but he couldn’t.

The man’s eyes widened as he leaned closer.

“Then let me ask you something else. How many sins have you committed in your life?”
“E-excuse me?”
“I’ve heard about you from your underlings. The King of Beggars. You must have been involved in some of the many sins committed in this city. That’s what I’m asking about.”

Braid gulped. He couldn’t lie; the man’s eyes were glowing with a golden light.

Magic? Probably.

Braid responded in the most subservient voice he could muster.

“I-I’ve never killed anyone. I just… took a little money from wealthy people. Borrowed, I mean.”
“Hmm.”

The man nodded, seemingly satisfied that he wasn’t lying. A silver flash.

Slash.

“Aaargh!”

His hand, below the wrist, was gone.

“This is divine punishment for your thievery. I should have taken both hands, but I’ll be lenient since you cooperated. Repent and cleanse your hands of sin.”
“Ugh…”
“Hey! You crazy bastard! Why did you cut off his hand?!”

The woman behind the man finally reacted, stepping forward in surprise.

The man calmly wiped the blood from his blade.

“Is there a problem? He committed theft. That goes against God’s will.”
“W-well, yes, but that was a bit sudden.”
“I am a blade forged to cut down heretics. I must be ready to be drawn at any moment.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. I am devoted to my faith.”
“….”

Braid screamed and thrashed around. The woman finally cast a golden healing spell on his severed wrist.

“You…”

Despite the pain, Braid was more confused than anything. He spoke, fearfully,

“Are you… with that crazy swordsman?!”
“What?”

The woman responded, not the man.

She lowered her hood.

Silver hair, emerald eyes, delicate features.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, but that wasn’t important right now.

“Who’s this swordsman? Tell me everything.”
“I-it was a week ago…”

Braid struggled to recall.

“A madman with blond hair came to our territory and… cut off the hands of all my beggars…”

The memory was still vivid. A man had appeared out of nowhere and caused havoc in their territory, severing the hands of more than ten beggars. And then he had left, as if nothing had happened. He hadn’t understood it then, but now, with his own hand severed, he had a hunch.

“What did he look like?”
“I-I don’t remember clearly, but… he had blond hair.”
“….”

The woman’s face hardened, and she stepped back. The man shrugged.

“It seems we’ve found who we’re looking for.”

Braid was terrified by the woman’s expression. Cold emerald eyes, a beautiful face frozen in a mask of fury. She looked like a demon.

“Where did that bastard go?”
“Uh…”
“If you don’t want to lose your other hand, tell me everything you know.”

Braid knew. They were after that man.

—

“Achoo.”

I shivered, feeling a sudden chill.

“Are you catching a cold?”
“No. Someone must be talking about me.”
“Probably those beggars whose hands you cut off.”
“Maybe.”

I chuckled and stretched. My body ached after being crammed into a small cargo wagon for days.

“The air is fresh here.”
“We’re right at the edge of the Great Forest.”

It was refreshing to be outside. The sky was clear, and a vast expanse of towering trees stretched out before us.

The entrance to the Great Forest.

There was a significant elevation change at the border, so the Empire operated a lift. A large crowd had gathered in front of it.

“This is the border of the Great Forest. You’ll need a separate identification since this isn’t Imperial territory.”
“Won’t my Imperial ID work?”
“The pointy-eared bastards are obsessed with their own regulations.”

Owen handed me a small package. Inside was some travel money and a wooden tag that served as identification.

I hadn’t expected him to be so thorough.

Owen, noticing my surprise, scratched the back of his neck.

“It’s my duty to be prepared, since I accepted your commission.”
“I didn’t pay you anything.”

Owen had arranged the carriage, connected me with the Archmage, and even provided me with supplies for the Great Forest.

I hadn’t paid him a single copper, and I had even choked him when I gave him the commission. Yet, he was being so helpful.

“You don’t have… a thing for me, do you?”

I asked, just in case. Owen frowned, then glared at me, realizing what I meant.

“If you weren’t a knight of the Holy City, I would have drawn my sword by now.”
“I’m just kidding.”
“I’m helping you because you’re the Saintess’s escort knight, and I believe you’ll be useful to me. I’m investing in you.”
“I’m not that important.”
“You might think that, but the Imperial administration seems to disagree. And so do I.”

Owen’s expression was serious. I turned away, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

From here on, it was the Great Forest.

Owen couldn’t follow me.

I had to go alone.

I couldn’t deny these feelings of unease, but it was still better than my mercenary days.

“Let’s go.”

Just as I was about to step forward…

“One last thing.”

Owen called out to me. I turned around. He was holding up his fist.

“I hope you succeed in your revenge.”
“….”
“I mean it.”
“…Uh, thanks.”

What was he talking about? Owen would sometimes say strange things like that.

I shrugged it off and crossed the border.

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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m still new to translating as this is my second novel to pick up, so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.