Chapter 29: The Swordsmanship Prodigy Saintess

The Birth of a Hero (2)

1.

Holt, a Berserker from the Southern Kingdom.

He was a man full of optimism and fiery passion in everything he did.

Even in a crisis situation where he was surrounded by demons, he wore a faint smile on his lips.

But now...

“Big sis, please save me!!”

His face had gone pale, and he was begging for his life.

“First, please calm down and stand up.”

People’s eyes were starting to focus in our direction.

But Holt didn’t care at all.

He grabbed my foot and clung to it as if he were about to kiss my instep.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing to the Saintess?!”

Rael tried to pry Holt off me.

But Holt resisted with such desperation that it seemed like he’d die if he let go.

The murmurs and commotion began to draw in a crowd.

Being the Saintess already made me the center of attention, now this was just exhausting.

Ugh, seriously...!

Suppressing the strong urge to smack him on the head, I tried to calm him.

“Brother, I’ll listen to whatever happened, so please stand up. You’re disturbing everyone here.”

After much coaxing, I finally got Holt to follow me to my room.

“Brother Rael, please wait outside.”

“I can’t.”

Rael refused firmly.

“That man might try something improper with the Saintess.”

“Improper?”

“Judging by how he’s already laid hands on your body so carelessly, he might have impure intentions toward you. Saintess, men are all beasts.”

Coming from someone who had once been a man, I found the comment... oddly amusing.

But I got what Rael was getting at.

Looking at Holt, who really did seem like the type who might enjoy chasing skirts, one might easily think that.

Still, it was a needless concern.

If someone tried to touch my body with lustful intent?

There was no way I’d just let that slide.

I’d make sure they experienced the worst pain imaginable on this planet.

I smiled and said to Rael:

“Then, does that make you a beast too?”

“I-I’m…!”

Rael flailed, clearly flustered.

“I may be a man, but I…! I would never have impure thoughts about you, Saintess!”

I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked up at him.

“Hmm~ really?”

“I am your guardian knight!”

“So what you’re saying is, if you weren’t my knight, you’d have those thoughts?”

“N-no, absolutely not!!”

“I’m just kidding.”

Watching him stumble over his words was amusing.

Some people were just too fun to tease.

“If anything happens, I’ll call for you right away.”

“I still can’t allow it.”

“If someone’s trying to talk to me about something personal, they won’t be able to speak freely if someone else is in the room, right?”

Rael furrowed his brows in deep thought, letting out a long sigh before reluctantly nodding.

“If you sense even the slightest danger, you must call for me immediately.”

“Yes, I will.”

I entered the room.

Holt was sitting stiffly on the sofa, waiting.

“So then…”

I sat across from him.

“What did you mean by ‘save me’?”

“Big sis, ever since that day, I’ve been suffering terribly.”

“Hold on, hold on.”

I cut off Holt, who seemed about to launch into his story.

“Something’s been bothering me since earlier, what’s with that title? ‘Big sis’?”

“I call anyone I acknowledge as stronger than me ‘Big bro’ or ‘Big sis.’ Since I acknowledge you, I’m calling you big sis.”

(TL: Basically, Holt used “Nunim”, in short of “Noona-nim” for older sister, also “Hyung-nim” is for older brother in respectful speech)

“Don’t call me big sis.”

“Then should I call you big bro?”

“No, don’t use any of those titles.”

What would people think if I was walking around with a huge guy like him calling me ‘Big sis’?

Especially when I’m the Saintess, no less.

I’d rather avoid creating any weird misunderstandings.

“Not being allowed to call big sis ‘Big sis’…!”

Holt let out a tormented groan, as if he were genuinely heartbroken.

Was this something to be so upset about?

Southerners sure are an eccentric bunch. I couldn’t make heads or tails of him.

“Sigh… fine. When it’s just the two of us, you can call me whatever you want. But don’t do that in front of others.”

Holt’s expression brightened instantly.

“Understood!!”

His booming voice rang through the room.

I grimaced and covered my ears.

“Back to the point… What’s wrong? Why were you begging me for your life just now?”

“It’s because of you, big sis! Look at the mess I’m in!”

“Because of me?”

“Thanks to you claiming I defeated the demon, do you have any idea how much trouble that’s caused me?”

A week ago, during the whole demon incident, our party had agreed to give all the credit to Holt.

I had no interest in claiming credit.

More importantly, if it got out that the Saintess had single-handedly taken down a demon with just a sword, it would damage the image of the Celestia God Church’s Saintess.

So it was better to keep that part hidden.

Is that really so important?

Well…

‘A saintess must always act saintly.’

‘As one of the symbols of the Celestia God Church, please be mindful of your conduct.’

Those were the words the cardinal had drilled into my head during a week of Saintess training at the Grand Cathedral.

To the point of brainwashing.

“I was summoned by the academy headmaster to receive a formal thank-you, other students are looking at me like I’m some kind of hero, and everywhere I go, people are gossiping about me.”

Holt rattled off everything he’d been going through.

“Hmm… isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not if it’s a deed I didn’t actually do. Getting treated like a hero based on someone else’s achievement really weighs on my conscience.”

I’d say just enjoy it, I wanted to tell him.

But someone as honest as Holt wasn’t the type to enjoy a lie.

“Well… there’s not much we can do, is there?”

I rested my chin on my hand.

“Please bear with it, for my sake.”

“But… is there really a need to hide it?”

Holt asked, clearly not understanding.

“I just don’t get why you’re hiding your strength, big sis.”

“I’m not hiding it because I want to. The Papal State told me to, so what can I do?”

They keep insisting that the ideal Saintess must act a certain way.

“But what can they actually do? I mean, if you decide to use swordsmanship in public, what power do they even have to stop you?”

Come to think of it…

“You’re right.”

I’d pegged him as someone obsessed only with fighting, but maybe Holt was capable of some thoughtful reasoning after all.

He had a point.

The Papal State told me not to reveal my sword skills, but even if I do, what can they actually do about it?

What? Excommunicate the Saintess?

I’d been too blindly obedient when I didn’t have to be.

“So let’s keep it simple.”

I shook my head.

“Let’s just say it was you who defeated the demon.”

I don’t feel like explaining everything from beginning to end again.

At this point, there’s no need to tell the truth anyway.

All that mattered was that the demon was defeated.

“Why not treat this as an opportunity?”

“An opportunity…?”

“If people are already seeing you as a hero, then how about actually becoming one? Turn the lie into truth. Honestly, I think you’ve got what it takes to become a real hero.”

I mixed in a little praise as I spoke.

“...I see!”

Should I call him simple-minded? Or just incredibly positive?

“If people see me as a hero, then I’ll just become one for real!”

“Yes.”

“And to think big sis had such expectations for me…”

“Expectations?”

“I understand now. If big sis wishes for me to become a hero, then I’ll train even harder in swordsmanship from now on!”

Wait, when did I ever say I expected anything from him?

I said he had the potential to be a hero, not that I expected it.

Well… not that I don’t expect it either.

The way he stood his ground before the demon shows he’s got guts.

He’ll definitely go far someday.

“Right. Do your best.”

Holt’s face brightened, as if a burden had been lifted.

This might be the first time I’ve had a serious counseling session.

Over the past few days, people had come to meet me one-on-one under the guise of counseling, but maybe… I’ve got a knack for this?

“By the way, wasn’t the demon actually a swordsmanship department assistant professor?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you know anything about that?”

Holt shook his head.

“Have you ever been to their room?”

“No, never.”

Hmmm…

Not helpful at all.

“Do you at least know where it is?”

“That I do know.”

The Swordsmanship Department’s faculty dormitory.

The very last room on the second floor.

That’s what Holt had said.

“Could you show me the way?”

“I can show you the way. But you won’t be able to get in right now. The Magic Department is investigating the place, so there’s a magic barrier to keep out anyone not authorized.”

“That’s not a problem.”

There’s no reason to refuse a request from the Saintess, especially when she’s offering to help uncover clues about the incident.

“Just guide me there.”

“Of course.”

I left the room.

“Saintess, is everything alright?”

As soon as I stepped out, Rael inspected me closely, concerned for my well-being.

“I told you, you're worrying over nothing.”

I gave a small laugh.

“Anyway, we’re heading to the Swordsmanship Department now.”

“And may I ask why we’re going there?”

“I heard that the demon was actually an assistant professor from that department. So I'm going to investigate that person's room.”

“Understood. I’ll guide you right away.”

“I said I’d be the one to guide her.”

Rael turned to glare at Holt.

His expression was clearly full of displeasure.

“Go back.”

His tone turned icy.

It seemed Rael didn’t like Holt—

And honestly, considering what Holt had pulled back on the first floor, it wasn’t hard to understand.

“Come now. I’m the one the big s—I mean, the Saintess—personally asked to guide her.”

Rael looked at me as if to confirm the truth of that claim.

“He is a student of the Swordsmanship Department, after all.”

“I’m also a student of the Swordsmanship Department.”

“Yes, but you use this dormitory. If we’re investigating a room in the other dorm, wouldn’t it make more sense to be guided by someone who lives there?”

“As expected of the Saintess!”

Holt chimed in with praise after every sentence I said.

“...Fine,” Rael muttered with a sigh.

He gave Holt a sharp glare.

“You, walk ten paces ahead of us.”

The two bickered the entire way.

Rael grumbled about everything, while Holt cheerfully brushed it all off.

Sigh…

Maybe I should’ve just let Holt leave and snuck out the window after all.

I was starting to regret assigning him as my guide.

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