25-241

EP.241. [The Sinful Man Eugene Schneider Appears to Save His Sister in Crisis.] 

“Wow! This monster looks so cute, Charlotte!” 

Little Eugene Schneider was reading a monster encyclopedia with Charlotte. The book was filled with illustrations of hideous monsters, but Eugene’s eyes widened at the sight of one that looked anything but repulsive. 

“Owlbear! Its head is an owl, but its body is a bear! It’s so strange and unique, Charlotte!” 

It was the high-tier monster, Owlbear. 

“Oh... So that’s what my dear Eugene found-an Owlbear? Hmm... My lovely little brother thinks a high-tier monster like an Owlbear is cute?” 

“Yes! Look at its eyes! And its body is so round, I want to pet it! It would be the best pet, Charlotte!” 

Charlotte, finding Eugene’s reaction adorable, coaxed more out of him. Eugene, meanwhile, stroked the illustration in the book, not knowing what to do with himself. 

“But Eugene, if you approach an Owlbear and touch it with your little hands, it would do this...” 

Swoosh... 

Seeing her little brother’s cute reaction, Charlotte set the heavy encyclopedia down beside the bed. 

“Rawr!! It would gobble up our cute Eugene Schneider just like this!” 

Grab! 

“Waaah! Sister~~~!!!” 

She hugged Eugene and laid him down on the bed. Eugene, startled by Charlotte’s performance, flailed his arms in surprise. 

“Owlbears are really ferocious monsters, Eugene. They’re classified as high-tier, but in close combat, they’re almost top-tier. Don’t let their round appearance fool you-it’s dangerous to approach them.” 

Pat, pat, pat. 

“Haah... You scared me, Charlotte...” 

Snuggle, snuggle, snuggle. 

Charlotte patted Eugene’s head to comfort him, and he snuggled into her arms. 

“Owlbears claim a territory and kill to protect it. That’s why they’re so ferocious. It’s better to isolate their territory and go around it rather than confront them directly.” 

“I see...” 

A monster’s tier is determined by more complex factors than an awakened person’s. Strength, difficulty, and unique traits all play a role. Owlbears are high-tier in absolute level-not the trickiest monsters, but in close combat, their physical prowess is top-class. Their regeneration and ferocity make them feel even tougher. However, their range isn’t wide, so avoidance is usually possible, and various strategies have been developed. That’s why they’re classified as high-tier monsters. 

“So if an Owlbear took up a critical position, it would be a real problem, right, Charlotte?” 

“In theory, yes, but it almost never happens. They usually nest in remote forest caves. See, the encyclopedia says so.” 

After hearing Charlotte’s explanation, little Eugene imagined the worst-case scenario of a ferocious Owlbear occupying a key area. Wise and loving Charlotte reassured him that such situations were unrealistic. 

But- 

‘An Owlbear showing up in a place like this!!’ 

It happened for real. At a mountain pass with no caves, a dump-truck-sized Owlbear stood imposingly before Charlotte. 

“Grrrrrr...!” 

About 150 meters ahead, the Owlbear lay flat, watching Charlotte and her companions. When ready to attack, it stands on two legs and roars. For now, it was in full alert, sizing up the humans before it. 

“What is going on, Bishop-Nun Charlotte? An Owlbear in such an open area!” 

Tap tap tap tap! 

The senior and high priestess nuns, having finished off the surrounding monsters, quickly gathered behind Charlotte, whispering in shock. 

“I can’t make sense of this either...” 

Likely, a dimensional rift had formed nearby, and the Owlbear crossed over and settled here. But Charlotte, unaware of the rift, could only shake her head in disbelief. 

“Can we defeat the Owlbear with just our strength, without any expert combat awakeners, Bishop-Nun Charlotte?” 

A high priestess nun behind Charlotte asked anxiously. 

‘Of all things, an Owlbear. If it were a top-tier magic monster, it would be easier...’ 

Owlbears’ regeneration and close combat prowess make them a poor match for priest classes, whose melee abilities are optimized for fighting groups of mid-tier monsters with area-of-effect damage. Their concentrated firepower is lacking, so against a monster like this, they’re more support than main attackers. 

“We don’t have any expert-level combat awakeners in the defense force. We have to handle this ourselves. Senior nuns, please buff me and the high priestess nuns. That’s our best option.” 

Swoooosh...! 

Charlotte’s Goddess’s Mace radiated holy power. She was ready to fight. Priest magic is mainly buffs and debuff removal, but against a non-magical Owlbear, debuff removal is pointless. So Charlotte planned a desperate melee, powered up by her companions’ buffs. 

“We’ll follow your lead, Bishop-Nun Charlotte.” 

Swoooosh...! Swoooosh...! 

The three high priestess nuns’ maces also glowed with holy power. It was a determined scene. For support classes to take the front lines was a last-resort tactic. 

Shuuuu...! Shuaaaa...! 

The rear senior nuns’ buffs enveloped the four at the front. 

“Let’s go!” 

-Fwoooosh!!! 

Surrounded by buffed holy power, Charlotte charged bravely at the Owlbear, followed by the three high priestess nuns. 

“Grrrrrr!!!” 

-SMASH!!! 

The crouching Owlbear stood up on two thick legs, its size seeming to grow by half again. 

“Kneel before the Lord, monster!!!” 

-FWAAANG!!! 

Charlotte, now right in front of the Owlbear, leapt and swung her Goddess’s Mace savagely. 

-SMASH!! 

Despite its appearance, the Owlbear was agile and flexible, dodging Charlotte’s attack by leaning back. 

-FWAAANG!! -THUD!! 

It swung its blue-clawed forepaws at Charlotte, but the high priestess nuns behind her blocked the attack with their maces. 

-CHUAAA!! 

Charlotte, having anticipated this, landed and launched an upward strike. 

-KWAAANG!! 

Her second attack landed squarely on the Owlbear’s jaw. 

‘Too shallow!’ 

But it was shallow. Unlike a drake’s hard scales, the Owlbear had soft, springy, elastic skin, absorbing the blunt force. 

-KUAAANG!! 

Unfazed, the Owlbear immediately countered with a headbutt, striking Charlotte’s mace guard and sending her flying about six meters. 

“Urgh!” “Be careful, it’s unpredictable!” 

The two high priestess nuns filled the gap left by Charlotte. 

“By the Goddess’s power! As Bishop-Nun of the Radiant Church, I will-!” 

-FOOSH!!! 

Unable to watch her companions in danger, Charlotte charged in again, not fully recovered. 

‘Ah...’ 

But the continued battle made Charlotte painfully aware of her disadvantage. This battlefield was nothing like the sheltered Holy See. 

‘Eugene... Jeanne... Is this the kind of hellish path you’ve walked?’ 

She thought of her siblings, realizing they must have felt this way when they first became mercenaries. 

“Have you been very tired, sister?” 

Charlotte had received special training since her mid-teens, including physical conditioning. On days she came home exhausted, Eugene always looked after her. 

“I’m a bit tired, but it’s bearable I’m trying hard to protect my siblings” 

Seeing Eugene, Charlotte would smile even when exhausted. 

“I’ll get stronger. Strong enough to protect you, so you won’t have to go through this hard training!” 

Despite being frail, Eugene was determined to protect and care for his beloved sister, which touched her deeply. 

“I’ll look forward to it, Eugene~ You must grow up healthy and strong to protect your sister, okay?” 

Hug... 

Charlotte hugged Eugene, not truly expecting him to protect her, but wishing for his health. 

To Charlotte, Eugene was someone she wanted to care for and protect. 

‘Eugene... This might be my last moment...’ 

Facing the Owlbear, Charlotte found herself wishing Eugene would suddenly appear to save her. 

“-Khaaaaaa!!!!” 

-FWAAANG!! 

The Owlbear’s massive forepaw swung at Charlotte’s head. 

But at that moment- 

-FWOOSH!!! 

A spray of dark red blood shot up before Charlotte’s eyes. The Owlbear’s paw, aimed at her head, had been severed. 

And the one who cut it was none other than- 

“Don’t hurt my sister, you cute owl-bear.” 

Eugene Schneider, wielding his greatsword.