Taming The Evil Saintess – Chapter 36

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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The sun had already set. The desert nights were harsh.

Azar gave us a room but ordered us to leave the territory at dawn.

So now, Ophelia, lying on a luxurious bed for the first time in a while, rubbed her stomach and yawned.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Ophelia asked.

“We have no choice but to leave. He’s not going to change his mind. He’ll probably force us out if we stay.”
“Really?”
“His wife will die eventually. We’ll come back then and try to persuade him again.”

Azar, like in the game, was incredibly stubborn. There was nothing we could do for now. I wanted to find the dark mage, the transmigrator, and deal with him, but that would make Azar an enemy.

A strategic retreat. That was my decision.

Ophelia frowned.

“You’re going to let his wife die? That’s too cruel.”
“Is it crueler than what you did to the servants?”
“…Shut up, you bastard. You’re just as bad.”

I chuckled when she glared at me.

“We have to cut our losses. Old friendships, family grudges, even a beloved wife.”
“But…”
“You’re still a child, Ophelia. You wouldn’t understand. But on the battlefield, when a comrade falls, it’s more important to eliminate the threat than to heal the wounded. Azar’s weakness is Aria.”
“That’s true.”

Lyla, who had been listening silently, nodded. I had fought Geldmere to protect my comrades in the mercenary group. Azar had to let go of his wife.

With even Lyla agreeing, Ophelia didn’t argue further.

An awkward silence filled the room. Lyla, seemingly uncomfortable with the quiet, excused herself to get some snacks.

Ophelia and I were left alone.

“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Are the gods… really good?”

Ophelia asked, looking out at the darkness of the night with a strange expression. Azar’s words seemed to be bothering her.

“I… I never wanted this damn Mark. But they gave it to me anyway, and now they want me to work my ass off for them, to even give my life for them. Is that… really for our benefit?”
“Gods are gods.”
“I suppose so.”
“They’re idiots.”
“….”

Ophelia turned to me, her green eyes wide.

“Why are you so surprised? I hate the gods too. A lot.”
“…But you’re a Paladin… a Hero…”
“And you’re the Saintess.”

I spread my arms.

“Look at us. We’re both far from devout. And what happened? Instead of punishing us, they gave us Marks. The Hero’s Mark and the Saintess’s Mark. Even Azar, who joined the Demon King’s army, has a Mark bestowed by God.”
“…That’s true.”
“Isn’t it ridiculous? Whether they’re good or not, they clearly have terrible judgment.”

Honestly, I didn’t want the Hero’s Mark either. Defeat the Demon King? With my skills? It seemed impossible. I could only try my best.

Ophelia chuckled.

“Yeah. The gods are idiots.”
“Indeed.”

I sat down on the edge of Ophelia’s bed.

“We just have to fulfill our duties and live happily ever after. Enjoying everything life has to offer.”
“…Yeah.”
“Of course, we have to overthrow the Holy City first.”

Come to think of it, Ophelia had said something about me becoming her servant once she was free. It sounded horrible then, but now that I was the hero, it didn’t seem so bad.

I was bound by duty, just like her.

“Once everything is over, and you’re free, I’ll… take care of you, even if I can’t be your servant.”
“H-huh?”
“We’ll buy a nice house somewhere sunny, flaunt our titles as Hero and Saintess, and live comfortably. As the heroes who defeated the Demon King. We’ll be rolling in money.”
“….”

Ophelia blinked, then her body trembled slightly. Her face turned crimson, and she buried her face in the pillow.

“Ophelia?”
“Don’t… don’t say my name, you idiot…”
“Why are you angry again? Did I do something wrong?”
“I’m not angry.”
“….”
“I’m not!”

She growled, and I gave up, turning to look out the window. It had started to rain.

Click.

“Something’s wrong.”

Lyla rushed into the room. Her vertically slitted pupils were constricted.

“It feels… strange.”
“Strange?”
“The miasma… it’s getting stronger…”

I looked at Lyla, her voice trembling, and my face hardened. Dragonoids, despite being only partially dragon, still had dragon blood. And dragons were the ancient enemies of the Demon King.

They had an instinctive aversion to miasma. It was in their blood. In the game, the dragonoid companion had a passive skill called “Miasma Detection.” A dragonoid’s instincts were rarely wrong in situations like this.

“Hey! Look!”

Ophelia yelled, and I turned to look out the window. The rainy desert landscape was gone. A dark, opaque film covered the window.

Someone had trapped us inside the castle.

“…A barrier.”

A familiar tactic used by those bastards who had sent the Black Eagle Mercenary Group to their deaths countless times.

Dark mages. It was their specialty.

“It seems they don’t intend to let us leave peacefully.”

We left the room and headed towards the central hall. Ophelia, following us, asked,
“Hey, is that bastard Azar trying to kill us?”
“I doubt it. Even if he’s joined the Demon King’s army, he wouldn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.”
“It’s probably the dark mage acting on his own.”

Lyla added, and Ophelia’s face crumpled.

“Is the dark mage strong? Can we kill him?”
“Usually, the dark mages themselves are weak. It was the same in Nua Dhil and in the north. But they’re troublesome opponents, because…”

Clang!

A demon suddenly jumped out from a corner of the hallway, swinging a sword. I blocked it with my scabbard, and Lyla crushed its skull with her axe. It was a low-level demon, something even Ophelia could handle.

“As you can see, they use minions. They trap miasma within the barrier and use it to strengthen demons and monsters, engaging in a war of attrition.”

Mercenary groups made up of convicts and slaves were no match for dark mages. That’s why I hated them so much. And so did Lyla.

“So, what do we do?”
“Kill the caster. In this case, he’ll be in the basement lab.”

Slash.

Another demon appeared. I didn’t need Lyla’s help this time. I drew my sword and bisected it.

“….”

I flexed my hand, noticing a strange sensation. My body felt… lighter.

‘This is…’

The geas. It seemed to enhance my physical abilities when I was with Ophelia. Not a bad side effect.

“Let’s go to the basement. He’ll be there.”
“Okay.”

Ophelia and Lyla nodded, and we headed down to the first floor. And there…

“There seems to have been a disturbance.”
“…Milord.”

Azar de Albrecht stood there, wearing his helmet. His expression, barely visible through his long hair, was tired.

Before I could say anything, Ophelia stepped forward.

“Hey, move.”
“I can’t. It seems my… associate wants you dead.”
“So you’re going to kill us?”
“….”

Azar sighed and said to Ophelia,
“I’ve heard about you. Ophelia Meredith, the Saintess. And Elliot, the Holy Knight. Esteemed guests, indeed.”
“….”
“But you can’t go any further.”
“The dark mage is using you.”
“I told you, I know.”

Azar said calmly,
“I know, and yet… I have to stop you.”

“You stubborn idiot. Your wife, rotting in hell, would have some words for you, wouldn’t she?”
“N-now, there’s no need for such provocations…”

Even Lyla was taken aback by Ophelia’s harsh words. But Azar’s expression remained unchanged.

“You can call me stubborn, foolish… it doesn’t matter. He said he could save Aria if I gained the Demon King’s favor. I don’t know if it’s true.”

He placed his hands on his hand axe and shield.

“But I can’t give up. Even if it seems foolish to others.”
“This is insane.”

Ophelia shook her head. Well, that was Azar.

“Ophelia, stop it.”
“What?! He’s the idiot!”
“I’m not blaming you. But you can’t change his mind with words.”

Then… I drew my sword, imbuing it with mana. The blade glowed gold, and sword aura erupted from it.

Azar’s eyebrows twitched.

“Lyla, I’ll create an opening. You take Ophelia and go.”

Lyla nodded, understanding my intentions. I looked at Azar and grinned. There was only one thing I could do.

“I’ll beat some sense into you.”

Violence wasn’t always the best solution, but it was often the second best.

“Haha.”

Azar chuckled dryly. Lyla, carrying Ophelia on her back, headed towards the basement stairs. He didn’t stop them.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to if he tried.
We were finally alone.

Azar spoke.

“Impressive sword aura. You’ve surpassed the level of a Sword Master.”
“It’s nothing special.”
“Before we fight, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Are you a transmigrator?”
“….”

I was speechless for a moment, then I understood. Azar had met a dark mage from the Demon King’s army. He knew about transmigrators. And now, I, a suspected transmigrator, had come to see him with Ophelia.

The dark mage, considering what happened in Nua Dhil, would be wary of me. It was a logical conclusion for Azar to reach.

“So, you were right.”

Silence was an affirmation. Azar nodded, then said,
“He told me that in that… game you call it, I was a great warrior in the Demon King’s army, defying even the gods.”
“Huh.”

That dark mage must have been quite the smooth talker.

“Is it true?”
“No. You weren’t a commander in the Demon King’s army. You were a reliable companion in the hero’s party.”
“He said the hero was dead.”
“He is. Which is why I’m stuck with this shitty job.”
“What do you mean?”

Azar’s eyes narrowed, and I took off my glove. There was no point in hiding it anymore.

“…This.”

Azar’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the Mark on my hand.

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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.