Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 16

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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Ophelia had spent nearly three years with Elliot. Despite their antagonistic relationship, Ophelia didn’t hate Elliot. In the isolated Holy City, he was practically the only person she could talk to.

To Ophelia, Elliot was a bit of an oddity. For the first year and a half, he was a taciturn knight. And for the remaining year and a half, he was an annoying, ill-tempered bastard who seemed to enjoy tormenting her.

Elliot always maintained a detached demeanor. No matter how much Ophelia cursed at him, he would respond with sharp retorts without batting an eye.

She remembered one time, when she was particularly angry, she had insulted his parents.

‘You’re like this because you were raised by lowly, good-for-nothing parents! Hmph.’

She instantly regretted her words, but instead of getting angry, Elliot simply smiled wryly and replied, ‘Well, you’re right. I’m an orphan. Uneducated and ill-mannered. Therefore, we’ll be adding an extra hour to tonight’s training.’

He was that kind of person. But the Elliot Ophelia was seeing now…

“Elliot?”
“Yes.”
“Are you… okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“….”

He didn’t look fine at all. Ophelia had never seen him so flustered.

His lower eyelids were twitching, and his hand, gripping the hilt of his sword, clenched and unclenched repeatedly. He had been pulling at his hair throughout the carriage ride, leaving strands of golden hair in his hand.

“….”

Elliot stared out the carriage window, a look of anxiety on his face.

Beyond the abandoned fields was a dark, decaying forest. That was where Loren, their destination, was located.

As soon as he had heard about Loren from Evangeline, Elliot had insisted on going there. He hadn’t listened to any attempts to dissuade him.

The atmosphere had been so tense that even Evangeline, sitting opposite him, had given up and arranged transportation for him.

“We can’t go any further by carriage.”

After a while, the carriage came to a stop with a screech. Evangeline opened the door. Elliot silently followed her instructions and stepped out.

“And this area is off-limits to travelers.”
“Why?”
“Because of the monsters. There are dozens of them, at least.”

Monsters.

The word sent shivers down Ophelia’s spine. She had never seen a monster in the peaceful Holy City. But to the people of the continent, monsters were considered minions of the Demon King, embodiments of evil.

“So, let’s stop here for today. I’ll issue you a permit later. I’ll also assign a few knights to escort you.”
“What happens if we go in now?”
“You’ll be fined, according to Imperial law.”
“Ophelia.”

Elliot looked at Ophelia. She tilted her head, and he took the pouch from her inner pocket and handed it to Evangeline.

“Here’s the fine. It should be enough.”
“Excuse me?”
“If it’s not enough, send the bill to the Holy City.”
“This isn’t an amusement park! It’s a fine! A fine! It means you’re not allowed to go in! Can’t you see the ‘no entry’ sign?!”

Evangeline said, exasperated.

“You can get a permit within a week if you apply! It’s dangerous right now! Why are you so impatient?”
“I’m going in.”
“No. Even if you’re fine with it, I’m not. If esteemed guests of the Empire are seriously injured in this backwater…”
“That won’t happen.”

Elliot, as if to end the conversation, started walking towards the dark fields.

Ophelia hesitated for a moment, then shrugged at Evangeline and followed Elliot.

“I’m going too.”
“It’s dangerous. Stay here.”
“I feel slightly safer with you than with that snake.”

Elliot didn’t argue. He simply looked at Ophelia and said,

“Stay close behind me.”
“Obviously.”

Ophelia shrugged. Elliot was clearly agitated. This place, Loren, must hold some significance for him. That thought made Ophelia consider various possibilities.

‘Everyone has a past they’d rather forget.’

That’s what Elliot had said when she asked about his past. The expression on his face then had been one of… wistful nostalgia.

Could this be Elliot’s hometown? Did he not know that it had been attacked? As she walked, lost in thought, she heard a bloodcurdling roar.

“Get behind me.”

Elliot pulled Ophelia behind him, and a beast, a grotesque hybrid of human and wolf, emerged from the dark bushes. Its maw was filled with hundreds of sharp teeth.

“A-a monster! Behind you!”

Ophelia screamed, but…

“…Behind… me?”

Before she could finish, the monster’s head was cleaved in two. Shing. The sound of a sword being drawn echoed belatedly. Elliot was holding a silver sword. When had he even drawn it?

“…There are a lot of monsters. Let’s hurry.”
“O-okay.”

Ophelia stared at the bisected monster, then quickly followed Elliot. She hadn’t even seen him draw his sword. Or swing it. Was that even possible?

Ophelia realized that the swordsmanship lessons Elliot had given her were child’s play. The thought of how smug she had been made her cheeks burn.

“Is this the village?”
“I believe so.”

They arrived at Loren. It wasn’t a large village. Perhaps that’s why the tragedy was so evident. Collapsed roofs. Skeletons of villagers, their bodies ravaged by monsters. A horrific sight.

Ophelia had seen such scenes in books and paintings, but never in real life. This was practically her first time seeing a corpse.

“Ugh…”

The sight made her nauseous. Elliot patted Ophelia’s back a few times, then walked through the center of the village. He stopped in front of an ordinary-looking house.

He ripped open the dilapidated door and stepped inside. He knelt beside a small skeleton in the corner of the room, the size of a young boy.

“Do you… know them?”
“Perhaps.”

Elliot picked up a pendant hanging from the skeleton’s neck, its string broken. For a fleeting moment, Ophelia noticed Elliot’s hand trembling slightly.

“Let’s go, Ophelia.”
“Huh?”
“There’s no need to stay here any longer.”

A worn pendant. An equipment item from Sword & Magic Chronicle. An accessory the hero started the game with. Its effect was negligible: +5% experience gain.

A cheap, common item destined to be replaced by better accessories and sold for one gold coin later in the game.

But this pendant was now in my hand. There was no mistaking it. Even though I had only seen it in crude pixelated graphics, it looked exactly the same.

“….”

The hero was dead. Now that I had confirmed it, there was no reason to stay in Loren.

“You’re back already.”

Evangeline was waiting for us outside, a disgusted look on her face. A blue-haired man stood beside her. He looked familiar.

“Who is this?”
“Owen. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

Owen, the attack dog. One of the Empire’s Mark bearers. A thief in the game. A versatile character specializing in reconnaissance and trap disarming. I had used him quite often.

“I’m glad you’re safe. I was about to send Owen in after you.”
“….”

I ignored Evangeline and stared at Owen. He shrugged and stepped forward, offering me a handshake. I ignored his hand and spoke.

“Owen.”
“Yes?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“…We’ve just met, and you’re already speaking informally?”
“Yes. This is a personal request, not from a knight of the Holy City. Consider it a commission.”

Owen’s expression changed. He was probably the best information gatherer in this world.

The hero, the central figure of the story, was dead. The hero was the protagonist of this world. And the protagonist had died in a place where he shouldn’t have, where he couldn’t have died. This wasn’t a natural disaster.

“What kind of commission?”
“I want you to find out who’s behind the destruction of this village.”
“…Hmm.”

Owen studied my expression, then chuckled.

“What a sudden and rude request. Do you have some connection to this village? Some lingering attachment? Or is this a request borne out of a paladin’s sense of justice? You don’t seem like a particularly devout person.”

He was clearly mocking me. I frowned. Even Owen was different from the game. In the game, he rarely spoke.

Owen, the Mute Hound, the Silent Dog. That was his nickname. But now, he was not only talking, but also spouting nonsense. I wanted to sew his mouth shut.

“….”

Normally, I would have just laughed it off, but I was not myself.

The hero was dead.
The Demon King wouldn’t be defeated.
The world would be destroyed.

My plans were in ruins. I lost control and grabbed Owen by the throat, lifting him off the ground. Owen wasn’t small, but I was strong enough to lift him with one hand.

“Hey! Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!”

Ophelia yelled in surprise, but I ignored her and slammed Owen against a nearby tree.

Thud!

“Ugh.”

I glared at the stunned Owen.

“I apologize, but I’m not in a good mood. I don’t have the patience for your bullshit.”
“….”
“Do as I say. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

I immediately regretted my words and added,

“Ophelia will, I mean.”
“….”

“Cough, cough. Damn. I thought I was going to die. That killing intent…”

Owen coughed, rubbing his sore throat. A surprise attack. He had tried to dodge, but he couldn’t. It was a novel experience for him.

“Haha.”

He chuckled dryly. Owen was the top agent of the Imperial Intelligence. He even possessed a Mark from God, specializing in information gathering.

Even Evangeline, or the Director of Intelligence, couldn’t order him around.

Do as I say. He hadn’t heard those words in a long time.

‘Contact the Holy City if you find anything.’

Elliot had left after making that threat, but the red handprint on Owen’s neck remained. He knew Elliot would come after him if he didn’t comply.

“I guess I have no choice but to investigate.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“It’s a level two priority.”

Evangeline sighed and asked,

“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“About Elliot, of course.”

It was strange enough that he had insisted on coming to Loren, but his demeanor had completely changed after hearing about the monster attack.

He hadn’t been intimidated by Owen, a Mark bearer, and had even attacked him. Well, Owen had provoked him, but still… He was no ordinary knight. Perhaps that’s what it took to be the Saintess’s escort.

“In any case, he definitely has some connection to this village.”
“Do you think it’s his hometown?”

Evangeline wondered. Owen shrugged.

“That’s the most likely explanation. I just gather information. Analysis is your job… but…”

Owen stopped and crouched down. On the path leading to Loren lay a dead monster.

“Did that knight kill it?”
“Probably. The body’s still warm.”

Owen lifted the monster’s head. A thin, red line bisected its face.

“A single strike.”

Elliot had only been carrying a one-handed sword. Had he really killed a monster with a single blow? It wasn’t impossible. A Sword Master of the Empire could easily do it.

Even Owen, though swordsmanship wasn’t his specialty, was confident he could kill a monster with one blow if he put his mind to it. However…

“A clean cut. As precise as if it were made with a cutting tool. Even with the aid of mana, that’s… impressive.”
“He’s a monster.”
“Indeed.”

Owen couldn’t believe that Elliot was merely a Sword Master.

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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.