SAINTESS [Chapter 42: In her plan]

“But, but, Lord Emissary, she's an unknown foreign woman?!” The Mars commander soldier still hadn't quite processed what he was hearing, his eyes dazed with confusion.

“What's wrong with that? So what if I like that sort of thing, huh?!” Winnie shot the Mars soldier commander a glare. “And unknown? Who said she was unknown? Is that what you think??”

“A-ah, no, no, not at all! Since she's your fiancée, this must've been a misunderstanding!” the commander replied with a bitter face.

After all, he'd never seen an Emissary priest actually marry a foreign woman before. It was truly a rare occurrence in the world, practically unheard of in Mars, where no Mars citizen would ever do something so degrading to their status.

“In that case, we won't disturb you or your fiancée any further,” the commander quickly added. After all, it was his own free choice, he was a noble Emissary priest, and could do as he pleased. That this matter passed over smoothly without him getting into trouble was already good enough!

Immediately, the commander ordered his troops to cease their actions, telling them to go back to their duties and continue patrolling.

The Mars soldiers clearly wanted nothing more than to leave, after all, an Emissary priest was not someone lowly foot soldiers could afford to offend. Who would want to invite disaster at a time like this??

Just leave quickly, don't risk losing your job over this.

Winnie looked toward the temple under construction in the distance. Mars soldiers clad in golden armor were whipping and yelling at slaves, urging them not to slack off.

Winnie silently shook his head. Such a civilization, such a nation, its fall was truly a blessing.

“Hey! You wretched slave, where do you think you're going?!” When a slave flipped a stone block and turned to run, the Mars soldiers flew into a rage and instantly gave chase.

An underfed slave naturally couldn't match the soldiers in stamina. He didn't get far before being tackled, then dragged back.

The Mars people had countless methods of torture for slaves attempting to escape, guaranteeing they'd never forget the consequences of running away.

Well, Winnie knew these were all long-dead people. The scenes before his eyes were merely replays of past events. Right now, he and Isatia were within a domain controlled by a new divine authority, born from the mingling of small fragments of the two divine powers [Eternity] and [Continuance].

This domain had its own set of rules, unchangeable, inviolable rules.

Just like how the word “fiancée” had inexplicably slipped from his mouth earlier, or how the Mars soldiers only recognized tokens, not people, these all indicate the deeply buried dungeon's current state couldn't be easily broken.

Winnie suspects that if he tried to attack these Mars soldiers, he might be caught in some endless cycle, and the soldiers themselves would be absolutely impossible to kill.

“Um, Isatia...? Are you... alright?” Winnie approached Isatia. Feeling any other inappropriate action, he hesitated briefly before crouching down to ask.

“...” Isatia didn't reply, only lifting her gaze with visible effort to silently fix her eyes on Winnie.

“Ah, about what just happened... you're not holding it against me, right? Honestly, I didn't mean to say that, it just came out.”

“I know.” Before Winnie could finish explaining, Isatia suddenly spoke, cold and blunt.

“Ah... huh?”

“You came here for the same reason, didn't you?” Isatia continued. “The names carved on those stone tablets, the slaves' names, are recorded by the family unit. In other words, if a slave still has family, their family members' names must appear on the same tablet.”

“Yes, exactly. That's right.” No wonder it was always easier talking to smart people, they didn't need lengthy explanations. One look, and she grasped the gist of things, even while weakened.

“The reason for that is... well, uh, I suppose you already know, right? Due to certain... well-known reasons.” Winnie stole a quick glance at Isatia.

He was, of course, referring to the engagement contract between the last Radiant Saintess and Emperor Tyrell.

Such a formal engagement, recognized by both the Church and the Empire, if it couldn't be considered legitimate, then no engagement in the world could be.

Moreover, in a sense, an engagement was also a type of [Contract], and Mars people placed enormous importance on rituals and contracts. That was ironclad law in Mars.

“We must both be affected by the divine authority,” Isatia murmured softly after a pause.

“Yes, I think so too,” Winnie agreed. It was better that she understood.

“It seems... I've dragged you into this.”

“Ah??” Hearing those words, Winnie was truly surprised. It was clearly an apology, and he really couldn't imagine someone as strong-willed as Isatia saying something like that.

“You're surprised I'd admit it so openly?” Isatia's violet eyes shot a cold glance at Winnie. “If it's an objective fact, why not just state it directly?”

“No, it's not that,” Winnie shook his head.

“Besides, you didn't do it on purpose. And since it's already happened, there's no use talking about it. We should focus on finding a solution now.” Winnie looked around, spotting a distant Mars city-state towering in the distance.

Since the Mars civilization stood in the desert, even their city-states were earth-toned, with golden domes that shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

Well, although the Mars people were like a bunch of moles who loved digging underground, they were fairly meticulous about city construction.

As Winnie observed his surroundings, he noticed Isatia watching him, and felt slightly puzzled.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Isatia shook her head, withdrawing her gaze.

She had assumed someone like Winnie, accidentally entering such an unknown realm, would either panic and lose his composure entirely, or act recklessly without listening to reason, in short, fall into one of those two extremes.

But instead, he was the one comforting her. That truly surprised her, and made her start reevaluating who Winnie really was.

“Should we... enter the city first, then think of a way out?” Winnie suggested.

“Mmm.” Isatia didn't object, or rather, entering the city had been her original goal.

But then, an awkward issue arose again.

“Do you have any medicine left?” Isatia asked Winnie.

“Ah, you've run out?” Winnie suddenly remembered seeing many empty vials near Isatia's feet back in the shallow dungeon. It seemed she had already consumed all the vitality potions he'd given her.

No wonder a few minor soldiers had managed to subdue her, she had fallen back into a weakened, lethargic state.

Winnie didn't ask about the specifics of Isatia's illness. That would be too intrusive, none of his business.

“You're curious, aren't you?” Isatia instantly read Winnie's expression and knew what he was thinking.

“I am, a bit. But I figured you probably wouldn't want to talk about it. After all, that's why you came here, right?” Winnie shifted toward the distant Mars city-state.

Isatia remained silent.

“Can you still stand?” Winnie asked.

Isatia didn't answer. Her actions told Winnie everything, she struggled even to sit up, and any attempt to prop her body up caused her to slump back down.

“Alright... I guess not.” Winnie shook his head. “Then...should we still head to the city?”

“Go.” Isatia's voice was clearly weak, soft and faint, yet her resolve and presence remained firm and unwavering.

“Okay, fine. But, Isatia... you do understand, right? I can't possibly carry you there without touching you.” Winnie spread his hands helplessly.

“No problem.” Isatia naturally understood. After a pause, she spoke each word deliberately.

Now wasn't the time to worry about minor details.

“Got it.” Then, Winnie turned his back to Isatia, crouched down, wrapped his arms around her slender, soft thighs, and guided her arms to wrap around his neck, lifting her onto his back.

Hmm, weight-wise, she was just a tiny bit heavier than Aesphyra, barely noticeable, almost the same.

With Winnie's current physique, carrying someone of a slender build like her was no problem at all.

Normally, due to the awkward engagement issue between them, Winnie always kept a respectful distance from Isatia to avoid suspicion, fearing any physical contact.

Why did he act so quickly this time? Because Winnie understood priorities. This wasn't the moment to hesitate, right now, they were in a divine domain. If the divine authority had a will, ending their lives would take mere moments.

In a crisis, when your life was on the line, Winnie's common sense took over.

Wouldn't it be utterly foolish to hesitate now? If Isatia herself wasn't fazed, why should he, a man, overthink it??

Hmm, now they can both feel each other's body heat. The softness and fragrance unique to a young woman instantly spread through Winnie's back and hands.

This was probably the first time Isatia had been this physically close to a non-related male. But Winnie figured she probably didn't feel much, after all, she was an emotionless ice block.

It was also Winnie's first time carrying a beautiful girl like this. He'd had even closer contact with Aesphyra and Mirexia before, so he wasn't particularly fazed by this.

Isatia remained silent.

This was the first time she'd ever been so helplessly limping in someone else's arms, especially someone who wasn't close to her, a male classmate at that. It meant trusting her safety entirely to another person, relying solely on him.

Logically, Isatia should hate this feeling. She'd always rely only on herself. To her, only the strong controlled their own fate, only the weak had their lives dictated by others.

Well, at least that was how it should be.

But for some reason, ever since entering the buried dungeon, she'd developed a faint sense of dependence on this blue-haired man.

This invisible relining might not even be something Isatia herself had noticed.

The rules of the divine domain didn't just affect Winnie.

'Virtue + 30.'

'Current Virtue: 2714.'

But for her, this was the only chance she'd had so far.

She had come here at great risk to resolve her bloodline issue, only to collapse helplessly at the exit.

Although Isatia wasn't heavy, and Winnie could carry her easily, the distance to the city was still too great. By the time Winnie arrived, he was already panting.

“Ugh... though this is a dungeon created by divine authority, who knows how vast it actually is?? Could it really be as large as Mars Kingdom itself??” Winnie complained.

“Am I heavy?” Isatia suddenly asked.

A chill ran through Winnie. For some reason, he sensed this was a deadly question. Even though he had zero dating experience, his instincts screamed at him.

“Ah, not at all, not heavy! It's just... the journey's a bit long, that's all.” Winnie laughed it off.

“Just tell the truth. Only the weak avoid objective facts out of fear.” Isatia's words carried no emotional inflection.

“...” Well, compared to Aesphyra, she was admittedly a bit heavier.

But it makes sense. Winnie knew why Isatia weighed more. First, she was taller than Aesphyra. And second...

Well, it was that same old issue. Just by carrying her, Winnie could feel the soft mounds pressing against his body. It wasn't hard to guess why she weighed more.

After all, certain areas had considerably more fat than Aesphyra, how could she not be heavier??

“Well, compared to others I've carried before... yeah, maybe you are a bit heavier.” Winnie admitted honestly. Only when he saw no change in his Virtue value did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Isatia indeed showed no emotional reaction, after all, she had no interest in the opposite sex. Why would she care about a man's opinion?

They reached the city. Two Mars soldiers blocked their path, eyeing their strange clothing and foreign appearances with hostility.

After Winnie showed his pass, the two soldiers instantly became respectful and immediately let them through.

“You've carried other girls before?” Isatia asked.

“Yeah.” Winnie thought it was no big deal, might as well say it.

“Isatia... I don't know exactly what trouble you're in, but I assume you came for the two divine powers, [Continuance] and [Eternity]? To cure your illness?” Winnie guessed.

“You're about thirty percent correct.” Isatia didn't hide it, speaking directly.

“Ah??” Thirty percent? Wasn't that oddly precise??

“Winnie... carry me around. Through Mars city.” Isatia said seriously.

“Ah? Oh, okay.” Isatia wouldn't do anything pointless, especially not now, when they were trapped in this buried dungeon. She couldn't possibly just want sightseeing, right??

“Don't worry. I'll take you out the same way you came in.” As Winnie pondered, the Isatia on his back suddenly spoke. Although her voice was thick with exhaustion, her tone still carried the confident assurance of the Imperial Princess of Tyrell.

Winnie fell silent.

If Isatia had anticipated entering the buried dungeon, then she must have had a way out.

But would things really go according to her plan?