Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 29

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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As expected, it was Ured, the Holy Inquisitor. He smiled wryly when I entered the room, as if he had anticipated my presence.

“I knew you’d be here. I couldn’t find any trace of you at the border, so I assumed you’d be in Shadowhold.”
“….”

Ured had come to Shadowhold with Ophelia before, chasing after me.

He knew Elderian. It was natural for him to visit the mage tower looking for Ophelia.

I had been careless. I inwardly regretted my mistake and observed Ured. He was wearing his usual thin holy robes, but as one of the most skilled Inquisitors in the Holy City, he would surely be concealing weapons beneath those wide sleeves. I sat down opposite him, cautiously.

“Did you come alone?”
“Yes.”
“Was this His Holiness’s order? To capture Ophelia?”
“This was my own decision. No one knows I’m here. Unlike the knights, the Inquisition, while respecting His Holiness’s will, is not obligated to blindly follow his orders. We have a certain degree of autonomy.”

Ured smiled faintly. His expression was still unreadable.

“Then why are you here?”
“For an inquisition, of course. To determine whether you, Sir Elliot, are a heretic.”
“Just so you know, I didn’t leave the Holy City with Ophelia because I’m a heretic.”
“That’s not for you to decide. Only God knows the truth.”

Ured said coldly.

“I’ve heard the whole story. You took the Saintess from the punishment room and escaped the Holy City, defeating five Holy Knights in the process.”
“It was unavoidable.”
“I know. I sensed the remnants of divine power on my way here. I saw how intense the battle was.”

The tracking abilities of Inquisitors were unmatched in the Holy City, and Ured was among the best.

“I understand why you were so enraged. I don’t agree with the punishment room either. But I’m concerned that you might have… ulterior motives for kidnapping the Saintess.”
“….”
“I don’t want to have to execute a former comrade.”

Ured’s eyes narrowed.

“Or perhaps you were a wolf in sheep’s clothing all along. To think you deceived me, Ured… that’s a painful thought.”

Killing intent emanated from Ured. I felt a sense of pressure and placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.

“What are you going to do with Ophelia? Are you going to take her back to the Holy City by force? Even if it means bloodshed?”
“His Holiness might order me to do so. But that’s not for me to decide. It’s God’s will.”
“God?”

I frowned at his words, and Ured suddenly placed his hand on the table, revealing a dagger hidden beneath his sleeve.

“I don’t believe your devotion to the Saintess was a lie. You swore to give your life for her. And what you said at the Inquisition was also true. So, I’m going to give you a chance to convince me.”
“How can I convince you?”
“Swear before God that you are not a heretic.”
“Swear?”
“Use a geas.”

I had been wondering when he would bring that up. Geases were used not only in dangerous situations but also to prove one’s faith and devotion. And to Ured, a geas was practically a divine revelation.

“Use a geas to prove your devotion. Ask the Heavenly God for his guidance.”

Ured urged me, and I licked my dry lips. I had already used a geas. I could use another one, but I didn’t want to make another deal with God. Becoming the hero was already more than enough.

“There’s no need for that.”
“What do you mean?”

I met Ured’s cold gaze and removed my glove, revealing the Hero’s Mark on the back of my hand.

“Is this enough?”

It should be. The Hero’s Mark.

The most sacred and powerful of all God’s blessings. It was even higher in rank than the Mark of the Heavenly God.

There was no need to prove its authenticity. Someone of Ured’s caliber could tell it was real just by sensing its aura.

“….”

Ured was speechless. Or rather, he was too overwhelmed with emotion to speak.

“Ah… ah…”

After a few minutes, Ured abruptly stood up. His face contorted, and he grabbed the dagger from the table, holding it upside down and pressing it against his chest.

“I… I… I was so blind! So foolish! To think I doubted the hero chosen by God! I was the deceiver!”
“U-Ured?”
“I’ll atone for my blasphemy with my…”
“You crazy…”

I punched him in the jaw.

“So, you punched him? Why not just quit being a paladin and become a street brawler? You’d be good at it.”
“It was Ured’s fault.”

I sighed, looking at the unconscious Ured.

Who would try to kill themselves for failing to recognize the hero? He was a fanatic, even by Inquisitor standards.

Ophelia, who had rushed in after hearing the commotion, looked at Ured and me with disbelief, then noticed the Hero’s Mark on my hand and frowned.

“You were supposed to hide that.”
“I had no choice. Ured wouldn’t have listened to reason.”
“That’s true.”

Ophelia nodded, having experienced Ured’s persistence firsthand during their two months together.

“So, what are you going to do about him? You can’t kill him.”
“I’ll… resolve this peacefully.”
“Whenever you say that, it always ends in violence.”
“This time, I’ll really talk it out.”

I didn’t think Ured would betray our secret. To him, the hero, chosen by God, was more important than even the Pope.

“Ugh…”

I splashed some water on Ured’s face, and he gasped, opening his eyes. He looked at Ophelia and me, then shuddered.

“Ah… ah…”

Ured spread his arms and knelt.

“This unworthy Ured! The hero and the Sai…”
“Cut the crap. Listen to me. And stop trying to kill yourself.”

I interrupted him. Now that I had revealed my identity as the hero, I could speak to him informally.

Ured blinked in response.

“First, Ured, you can’t tell anyone about the Hero’s Mark. Especially not the Holy City.”
“Why? The Hero’s Mark is a great blessing from God. We must inform our fellow servants…”
“It’s God’s revelation.”

Such a convenient excuse. It worked on most clergymen. Ured’s face lit up.

“Leaving the Holy City, taking Ophelia with you… it was all God’s revelation. Right?”
“…Ah… ah…”
“….”

Ophelia looked at me as if I was putting on a ridiculous performance. I agreed. But it was the most effective method.

“So, go back to the Holy City and report to the Pope. Tell him that the kidnapper and the Saintess seem to be heading north. I’ll give you some evidence.”
“North? Why?”
“Because we’re going south.”
“South?”

Ophelia asked.

“Why south?”
“The Ice Palace in the north is too close to the Demon King’s castle, and you don’t want to go to the Great Forest in the west. The Eastern Continent is too far. That leaves only one option.”

A vast desert stretched across the southern part of the Empire. Several small city-states formed a loose alliance there.

It was a somewhat barbaric region, but it was an important location in the game.

“We’re going to the Auriga Desert.”
“I-I’ll follow you! Please, let me accompany you on your journey! I, Ured, will dedicate my life…”
“I told you to be quiet.”

I chopped him on the head. Ured, seemingly biting his tongue, remained silent for a while.

“Just stay in the Holy City. I’ll contact you if I need anything.”
“….”
“Be my eyes and ears. Understood?”
“Is this God’s will?”
“Uh… sure.”
“Then I understand! A crucial mission! I will do my utmost to assist you on your journey!”

Ured’s eyes burned with renewed zeal. Ophelia, looking at him with disgust, turned to me.

“The desert? I hate the heat.”
“It won’t be that hot.”
“Do we really have to go to the desert? We could just stay in the southern part of the Empire. We have plenty of money.”
“I’d like to, but…”

There were several reasons for going to the Auriga Desert. Now that I was the hero, I had to defeat the Demon King, for my own survival.

The Demon King was powerful. In Sword & Magic Chronicle, you needed the optimal party composition to defeat him. The maximum party size in the game was six.

But this wasn’t a game. The more companions, the better. I could use numbers to overwhelm him, something that wasn’t possible in the game. So, I planned to recruit as many companion characters as possible during our journey.

The Auriga Desert was the perfect place for that. It was far from the Demon King’s castle, relatively safe, and home to several powerful Mark bearers from the game. And more importantly…

“I have an old friend there.”
“A friend?”

Ophelia raised an eyebrow.

“You? Elliot? A friend?”
“What do you take me for?”
“A loner, obviously. You didn’t have any friends in the Holy City.”
“Ophelia.”
“….”
“There’s a saying: birds of a feather flock together. So, are you a loner?”
“I’m not!”
“You don’t have any friends besides me, do you?”
“That’s not true! I just choose not to make friends! And who said you’re my friend?!”

Ophelia glared at me, her fists clenched, and I averted my gaze. I had a few connections in the Auriga Desert, remnants from my past.

It wasn’t a time I remembered fondly, but they were comrades who had faced death with me. They had said they were returning to their home in the desert, so I could probably meet them there. Assuming they were still alive.

“Just curious… no particular reason… and don’t get the wrong idea…”

Ophelia suddenly began.

“I know it’s not true, but… this friend of yours… isn’t a woman, is she?”
“What do you mean?”

I looked at Ophelia, trying to gauge her intentions, but she was looking away. Or rather, she was pretending to look away, but her gaze was fixed on me.

“Just curious.”
“…Hmm.”

I hesitated for a moment, then replied casually,
“She is a woman, in a way.”
“…What?”
“Biologically, yes, she’s female.”

Ophelia’s eyes wavered, then her expression turned cold.

“Why?”
“Why what? It’s not my fault she was born a woman.”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s just… strange.”
“It’s not strange.”
“…You having a female friend is strange!”
“Ophelia.”
“What.”
“No dinner for you tonight.”

I said firmly.

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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.