Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 21

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“Ugh!”

The elf, hit in the groin, vomited everything in his stomach. He thrashed around so violently that I had to grab him to prevent him from falling off the tree.

After a while, his screams subsided, and he curled up into a ball.

“Does it hurt?”
“G-gasp…”
“It should.”

That was the point. Don’t worry, I hadn’t ruptured anything. I looked around. The other rangers didn’t dare approach me after seeing their leader incapacitated.

While I might have gone a bit overboard, there was an element of revenge in my actions.

‘Damn elves.’

That’s how elves were portrayed in Sword & Magic Chronicle.

They acted all high and mighty, but they were more devious, petty, and annoying than any other race.

I had fought countless battles against those elves in the Great Forest, who seemed to pick fights at every opportunity. They were so persistent that I dreaded encountering them more than even the Demon King’s commanders.

It was similar in this world as well. The elven slaves who joined the mercenary group were all incredibly proud, causing trouble and contributing nothing.

So, I hit him with Eight years of pent-up frustration.

“What’s your name?”
“G-gasp…”

I kicked the leader, who was still struggling to breathe, in the side. Pain could be cured with more pain. A sort of… counter-poison.

“U-Uthmund…”
“Uthmund? Which tribe are you from?”
“Binheim…”

The Binheim Tribe. The tribe led by Erwin, the elven Mark bearer and master archer. One of the most influential tribes in the Great Forest.

“Alright, Uthmund of Binheim. I was attacked. I felt the fear of death. Is there any reason why I should forgive you?”
“It was a misunderstanding! We were trying to protect you…!”
“Protect me? You just shot an arrow at me. A poisoned arrow, at that.”
“….”

Well, I knew it was just paralytic poison after a quick taste, but it was still a hostile act. Uthmund, sensing my displeasure, explained,

“We didn’t intend to kill you… We were trying to stop you from entering the dark elves’ territory…”
“So, you pointy-eared bastards resort to poisoned arrows before even trying to talk?”

The rangers’ eyes widened at the insult, but none of them dared to approach. They wouldn’t want to experience the same fate as their leader. As expected, the only universal law in this messed-up world was the law of the jungle.

I crouched down, meeting Uthmund’s gaze.

“Anyway, you’re right. I’m going to the dark elves’ territory.”
“Dark… elves? That’s no place for a human… Why are you going there?”

Uthmund’s voice was almost pleading. I felt a pang of sympathy.

“Dark magic.”
“D-dark magic?”
“I’ve heard that a dark mage is operating within the dark elves’ territory.”
“That’s impossible.”

Uthmund denied it. Dark elves, as their name suggested, were vicious and cruel, but they didn’t use dark magic.

They were even more stubborn than high elves, obsessed with maintaining the balance of the forest and adhering to their principles.

“Haven’t there been more monster sightings lately?”
“….”

Uthmund frowned.

So, there were monsters. Elderian’s words seemed more credible now.

“Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. I received this information from a reliable source, and I intend to hunt down that bastard and make him pay. I don’t care if it’s the dark elves’ territory.”

Normally, I wouldn’t barge into the dark elves’ territory like this. But he had killed the hero. He had cut my only lifeline.

“Understood? Then tell your Chieftain. I’m going north, no matter what. So, don’t get in my way.”

I snapped my fingers, a thought occurring to me.

“On that note, you’re going to guide me.”
“Guide you? You want me to guide you to the dark elves’ city?”
“What else? You said a human would be killed if he went there alone. It should be fine if I go with you.”
“But there’s a delicate diplomatic tension between the high elves and dark elves! If I, the Ranger Captain of Binheim, go to Nua Dhil, it will be seen as a political move!”
“And attacking a Holy Knight of the Holy City isn’t a political move?”

Uthmund was speechless. I kicked him in the side again.

“Let me explain your current situation. You don’t have a choice. You can choose between the worst option and the slightly less worse option. The Holy City or the dark elves? Who do you want to make an enemy of? If you have to choose, the dark elves are the better option, wouldn’t you say? If the Pope expresses his displeasure with the elves, what do you think your Elven King will do?”

Arlon, the Elven King. The true ruler of the Great Forest. Uthmund wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.

“The person I serve is quite important, you see. It will take less than a month for the news to reach the Papal Office. A blink of an eye in elven years.”
“Are you threatening me? A wise guide of the forest, a high elf? In the Great Forest, no less?”
“You’re perceptive. Yes, I am.”

His claims of wisdom were hardly convincing, considering his current predicament.

I raised my knee, and Uthmund, as if experiencing PTSD, averted his gaze.

“Is this the will of the god you believe in?”

He suddenly asked.

“To eradicate heretics? Is that your mission? According to the information I’ve gathered, you’re a Holy Knight. Eradicating heretics is the Inquisitor’s job.”
“Hmm…”

It was an understandable misunderstanding. But I didn’t bother correcting him.

One of the advantages of being a paladin was that you could justify everything as God’s will.

“Yes. It’s all God’s will.”
“Huh.”

Uthmund sighed and chuckled dryly. He looked up and reluctantly nodded.

“I have no choice. I’ll guide you to the dark elves’ city.”
“You’re more cooperative than I expected.”
“I have no choice. I don’t know what your comrade in the capital will do otherwise.”
“What?”

I frowned.

Comrade? In the capital?

I had never heard of such a thing. I had avoided cities after entering the Great Forest to avoid trouble, heading straight north.

“What are you talking about?”
“The Inquisitor in the capital. Isn’t he your comrade?”

Uthmund tilted his head.

An Inquisitor. I hardened my expression.

“Just curious, what’s this Inquisitor’s name?”
“I heard it was Ured.”
“….”

Ured. What was that fanatic doing in the Great Forest?

—

“Hey. Stop it. It’s distracting.”
“The three daily prayers are important. Would you like to join me, Saintess?”
“You said three! This is the fifteenth time today!”
“Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, but the desire for faith is righteous. The more, the better. Praying five times more means your faith will be five times deeper.”

Ophelia felt like she was going to lose her mind. Everyone important in the Holy City seemed to be… strange.

Elliot was annoying, but not bothersome. He wasn’t devout, and he was relatively reasonable.

But this damn Inquisitor… Ever since they arrived in Elvendel, the capital of the Great Forest, had been praying incessantly. His fanaticism had led to several arguments with the high elf nobles.

One of the chieftains, unable to stand it any longer, had offered them a luxurious villa, allowing them to rest in relative peace.

“Never mind…”

Ignoring Ured, Ophelia rested her chin on her hand and looked out at the scenery from the terrace. Towering ancient trees, massive vines, and the characteristic wooden houses of the elves hanging from said vines.

The Holy City was beautiful, but the Elven capital had its own unique charm.

“It’s been a while…”

Ophelia had spent her entire life in the Holy City. The only time she had been outside was when she was briefly invited to an Imperial diocese after becoming the Saintess.

Even then, she hadn’t been able to enjoy herself due to the knights’ overprotective presence and the Pope’s watchful eye.

No, back then, the concept of “enjoying herself” didn’t even exist. She was a machine, programmed to smile on command.

Now, it was different. Ophelia had left the Holy City of her own volition. So, she could finally relax and appreciate the beauty of the Great Forest…

“…I shouldn’t be relaxing.”

She suddenly came to her senses. The peaceful atmosphere had lulled her into a false sense of security, but Elliot was probably still heading north. The dark mage he was after was in the northern part of the Great Forest, in the dark elves’ territory.

Archmage Elderian had told her that. In exchange for the information, Ophelia had to spend three days and nights entertaining his apprentice, Emily Vallière.

That had been an ordeal in itself.

Just the thought made her sick. Ophelia spat over the terrace railing, then stood up and smacked Ured on the back of the head.

“Hey, let’s go. We don’t have time.”
“We’re leaving already? We’ve only been in the capital for two days. I haven’t even hired a guide yet…”
“We can just pay someone extra. We don’t know what might happen to that bastard Elliot.”
“Saintess, Sir Elliot is a great knight. As long as he carries God’s will, he will not be defeated by heretics.”

Ured said, and Ophelia couldn’t disagree. Although she hadn’t seen him fight seriously, Elliot’s skills were different from any other knight she had seen. However…

“I have a bad feeling.”

Ophelia touched the Mark of the Heavenly God on her shoulder.

She didn’t care what happened to Elliot. She still believed that. But a part of her was worried, and the skin around her Mark tingled.

A feeling she had never experienced before. If Elliot died, the Pope would surely reprimand her. It must be anxiety about that. Ophelia decided to interpret this inexplicable feeling as such.

“…Hmm.”

Ured smiled warmly and made the sign of the cross.

“You care about Sir Elliot, don’t you?”
“W-what?! No, I don’t! Don’t make assumptions!”
“No, I understand. Your benevolent heart is with Sir Elliot.”

While Ured was referring to her devotion to Elliot as a fellow servant of God, Ophelia couldn’t help but interpret it differently.

She remembered the conversations she had with Emily during their three days in Shadowhold.

‘Saintess! Do you have someone you’re interested in?’
‘Interested in? What do you mean?’
‘You know… hehe.’
‘Know what?’
‘You know.’
‘Well… I don’t know what you mean, but there is someone I’m… concerned about.’
‘Gasp!’
‘I wonder where that bastard is wandering around. Causing me so much trouble.’
‘Gasp!’
‘Why are you gasping?’
‘Saintess, you’re experiencing forbidden love!’
‘What? This isn’t love!’
‘Oh, I know. I can tell.’
‘No, you don’t know shit.’
‘Oh, it’s such a romantic love story! I want to grow up quickly and escape this gloomy place, so I can experience forbidden, passionate love like you, Saintess!’
‘You littl…’

“…Bitch.”

Ophelia clutched her burning cheeks and glared at Ured.

“Ured.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to be burned at the stake?”
“Dying engulfed in your holy flames… that would be a glorious martyrdom. I’d like to be immortalized in a mural.”
“….”

Ophelia, her face pale, buried her face in the terrace railing.

She wanted to kill them both.

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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.