Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 12

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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The situation was quickly resolved thanks to Ophelia’s arrival.

Ured, with a look of utter adoration, latched onto Ophelia, showering her with praises and diverting the attention away from me.

After an hour of being fawned over by Ured, Ophelia excused herself, claiming she had urgent business, and practically fled the Papal Office.

“This is the worst.”

Ophelia grumbled, kicking a pebble on the street.

“You didn’t tell me that’s what they wanted.”
“You were dragged away before I had a chance to speak.”
“Anyway!”

The triumphant air she had upon entering the Inquisition was gone. She seemed quite embarrassed about her pointless meddling.

“I’m surprised, though.”
“About what?”
“That you came to my defense.”

I honestly hadn’t expected Ophelia to show up. I thought she’d be more likely to celebrate my misfortune than to barge into the Papal Office like that. She was usually terrified of even the mention of the Papal Office.

It was surprising that she would go through such trouble for me.

“….”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes.

“You used a geas.”
“That’s right.”
“I told you, if you fail to fulfill the geas, your soul will no longer be yours.”
“What does that have to do with you? You hate me, don’t you?”
“…Yes. I hate you more than anything in the world. I wish you would just bite your tongue and die.”

Ophelia sighed deeply.

“But I’m the one who’s going to kill you. Not those damn Inquisitors.”
“How terrifying.”
“Isn’t it? If you bow your head to the ground and beg for forgiveness right now, I might spare you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Bastard.”

Ophelia cursed and turned her head away. Her words sparked a strange sense of competitiveness in me.

“So, what did you say back there?”
“Huh?”
“At the Inquisition.”

Ophelia frowned, trying to recall.

“I asked them to… show you leniency…?”
“Before that.”
“…I said I came to save you.”
“And before that.”
“….”

Ophelia glanced at me. Of course, I hadn’t forgotten.

“What did you say about my personality and face? Let’s hear it again.”
“I think I said you were handsome…”
“So, in your eyes, a bug-eaten face is considered handsome?”
“…You heard everything, didn’t you, damn it.”
“Do you want night training after all?”
“…No, that’s…”

Ophelia’s voice trailed off. Well, she had done it for me, hadn’t she? Even if it was ultimately pointless, I shouldn’t dismiss her intentions. I had seen it on a dog training channel on YouTube. You have to praise good behavior.

“I’m just kidding.”

I chuckled and placed my hand on Ophelia’s head, ruffling her silver hair.

“Don’t pat my head! Do you think I’m a child?!”
“To me, you are.”
“I’m not!”

I continued to pat her head until she stopped resisting. She pulled her hood low and walked ahead of me. She had suddenly become quiet.

The dog trainer was right. Impressive.

“….”

Ophelia suddenly turned around, a mischievous look on her face. She stuck her tongue out at me.

“…She really is a child.”

I muttered under my breath, making sure she couldn’t hear.

—

The workday at the Imperial Intelligence began at dawn. There’s a saying: ‘Words spoken during the day are heard by birds, and words spoken at night are heard by mice’.

In that sense, the Imperial Intelligence was the mice.

“This place is a rat’s nest.”

Evangeline sat in the director’s office, sipping her tea, and muttered. The Intelligence headquarters hadn’t changed at all since she had last been here.

The musty smell, the drab wallpaper, the sinister interrogation devices… An ordinary person would go insane within days working in this place.

Evangeline, who had applied to become an administrator just to escape this dreary place, hated it with a passion. The fact that she was here meant it was a matter of great importance.

“So, what did you find?”

A dark, secluded room. The man sitting opposite her leaned forward, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

Evangeline frowned. She would never get used to that smile. He was someone she usually avoided, but she had no choice under the current circumstances.

Owen, the attack dog of the Intelligence. One of the Empire’s three Mark bearers. He was the most skilled agent in the entire Intelligence agency.

“Elliot. No family name. Spent about four years in a mercenary group before becoming a knight. Served for about six months before becoming the Saintess’s escort knight.”

Owen slowly recited the information he had gathered. It wasn’t much different from what Elliot himself had told her.

“So, he’s just a paladin?”
“On the surface, yes.”
“What do you mean by that?”

Owen shrugged. His blue hair fell over his eyes.

“One could say he’s exceptionally skilled to be escorting the Saintess after only six months.”
“Well, that’s impressive, but not unusual.”
“True. However… I find his past… suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
“Isn’t it strange for a former mercenary captain to suddenly become a paladin?”
“He was a captain?”
“Of the Black Eagle Mercenary Group.”

Owen said, placing the paper he was holding on the table. The Black Eagle Mercenary Group. Evangeline had heard of them.

They were affiliated with the Empire. Her eyes widened as realization dawned.

“…The expedition beyond the Wall?”
“Yes. The mercenary group made up of slaves and criminals. A suicide squad that explores the lands beyond the northern Wall. Convicts sign up, lured by the promise of a pardon, but few ever return alive. I hear the one-year survival rate for new recruits is less than ten percent. Even lower for those who stay longer.”

Owen crumpled the paper in his hand.

“I had the opportunity to visit once. It’s not a place for humans. Not an environment where faith can flourish. For a commoner recruit to survive for four years and become the captain… it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“…That’s impressive.”
“If he weren’t affiliated with the Church, I’d want to recruit him for the Intelligence.”

The northern lands were a desolate wasteland teeming with monsters and barbarians.

It was also where the Demon King’s castle was located. If he had survived there for four years, his skills must be exceptional.

“He’s too valuable to be wasting away in the Holy City.”
“What about the possibility of him being a Shadow of God?”
“Unlikely. I’ve received some recent intel.”

Owen grinned. It was the expression he always wore before revealing something important.

“A few days ago, he was summoned to the Papal Office. To the Inquisition, to be precise.”
“…The Inquisition? Did he commit a crime?”
“Apparently not. He came out unscathed and even received a recommendation to become a Holy Knight.”
“…Huh.”

He’s quite something. Evangeline thought.

A recommendation to become a Holy Knight just two years after becoming a paladin? That was almost unheard of in the history of the Holy City.

“In any case, he definitely has some connection to the Saintess. And the fact that he’s also connected to the Inquisition…”

Owen shrugged. He gathered informations; now it was Evangeline’s job to analyze them.

Evangeline stood up.

“Keep investigating. Find out how he joined the mercenary group, his family background, everything.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes. This needs to be investigated thoroughly.”
“Priority level?”
“Level two, for now.”

Priority level two. That was the level assigned to Mark bearers. Owen, unable to hide his surprise, put the documents in his bag.

If Evangeline was this interested in him, there had to be something more to Elliot.

“…I wonder what it could be.”

Owen chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck where his Mark was located.

Knight Elliot. He had to be someone important, with a powerful backer.

—

Thwack!

“You… you fucking commoner with no backing! Do you want to die?! I told you to stop!”

Crack!

“Argh!”

The wooden sword flowed like water, striking Ophelia on the head. She landed on her backside, groaning in pain.

The satisfying thud resonated in my hand. There was no better punching bag than Ophelia.

“You… you bastard! Are you laughing?! Do you find this funny?!”

Ophelia yelled, but I simply grinned. Honestly, it was fun.

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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.