Mika had managed to stop the rampage of her parent, the Kirin. Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the Gata Niiga Kingdom, Prince Orokani Kuso had arrived.
“Haah…”
Dark circles were clearly visible under Orokani Kuso’s eyes.
“Orokani-sama~♡”
Clinging to Orokani Kuso’s arm was a petite woman with an unusually large chest—Kisogawa Kogomi.
She was a girl summoned from another world, possessing the Saint Skill.
“Kogomi. Can you fulfill your Sacred Duty right away?”
The reason Orokani Kuso and his companions had come to this remote area of Gata Niiga was to the Carter territory.
It was a land bordering the Gata Niiga Kingdom, filled with a vast forest where monsters roamed. Here, Kogomi was supposed to erect a Barrier to ward off the monsters.
“Ugh, that’s so tiring, I really don’t want to do it~”
“…Kogomi. Please. Just set up the Barrier.”
Though he kept it to himself, Orokani Kuso was receiving numerous complaints from various villages and towns. They were upset that the Barrier protecting them had weakened, and the Saint no longer arrived as promptly as before.
The townsfolk would lament, “The previous Saint…”
The previous Saint had swiftly dealt with any issues that arose.
She was a capable person, so where had she gone?
Complaints piled up daily, and Orokani Kuso had been unable to sleep properly due to the overwhelming burden of addressing them.
“So, if I do the work, will you take me to a fancy spa?”
…This woman, despite slacking off, had an endless list of demands.
Since they couldn’t afford to lose the Saint, he reluctantly tried to appease her.
…Mika was different. That fake Saint had grumbled and complained, yet she still took her responsibilities seriously.
…However, compared to Kogomi, Mika was overwhelmingly competent.
Kogomi only complained and never lifted a finger, slacking off the moment he looked away, and when problems arose, she would leave them unreported.
…At first, Orokani Kuso had been captivated by Kogomi’s appearance. But with each encounter, witnessing her poor conduct and bad attitude, his feelings for her had faded.
“…I’ll take you to a spa or whatever. Just set up the Barrier.”
“Fiiine… it’s such a hassle.”
Grumbling, Kogomi moved to the entrance of the forest.
“Alright, here I go…”
Kogomi crouched down and began to pray. By praying, her Saint Skill would activate.
What she was doing was constructing a Holy Barrier, one of her Saint Skills. As she closed her eyes and prayed, wings sprouted from her back.
According to legends, the Saint could construct a sacred Barrier in an instant through prayer.
“Ugh… ugh…”
One hour, two hours… three hours…
Yes, it was slow. Kogomi’s speed in constructing the Barrier was painfully slow.
Orokani Kuso was growing increasingly frustrated.
(Why is it taking so long to set up the Barrier!?)
He thought.
(Mika could create a Barrier in an instant!)
Orokani Kuso had once observed Mika as she constructed a Barrier.
She didn’t possess the Saint Skill. Instead, she used salt, sprinkling it on the ground to create a peculiar magic circle.
And then, the monsters stopped approaching.
(Why is Kogomi so slow at constructing the Barrier!?)
The answer was simple and clear. Kogomi’s level was low.
Indeed, Kogomi possessed powerful skills. But she had never utilized them until now.
As a result, her skill level was low, leading to delays in activating her powers.
Mika had constructed the Barrier smoothly without relying on her skills.
“Goo… gaa… goo…”
Incredibly, Kogomi had fallen asleep while constructing the Barrier.
“K-Kogomi!!!”
Orokani Kuso rushed toward her, raising his voice.
“What are you doing sleeping in the middle of your Sacred Duty!?”
“Huh? I’m not sleeping!”
“Don’t mess with me! Because you fell asleep, the Barrier has vanished!”
The Barrier Kogomi had been constructing had completely disappeared. It was due to her sleeping while activating her skill.
“Re-establish the Barrier right now!”
“Ugh… I’m tired today… I’m just not feeling it…”
…This woman… she was utterly useless. Orokani Kuso held his head in despair.
“Mika wasn’t like this…”
While Mika had a low motivation for her work, she had always completed her assigned tasks steadily and reliably.
He had never received reports of her sleeping on the job.
He had never heard of her abandoning the construction of a Barrier midway.
…He had thought that was what a Saint was supposed to be like.
But… he had been mistaken.
Mika was exceptional at her work, while Kogomi was exceptionally incompetent.
(I made the wrong choice…! Damn it! What a foolish mistake!)
Recently, Orokani Kuso had come to realize his error. But it was too late.
Mika had been abandoned in the snowy mountains and had… died.
“Orokani Kuso-sama?”
…Sighing, Orokani Kuso felt defeated.
This trash was hopeless.
Then, he would have to resort to his next plan.
“Orokani Kuso, I have a report.”
At that moment, a subordinate approached Orokani Kuso.
“We’ve captured a baby Kirin!”
“Oh! Well done!”
A smile returned to Orokani Kuso’s face for the first time in a while.
“What’s a Kirin?”
“…A legendary beast. It is said to possess holy powers and has the ability to repel evil.”
Orokani Kuso had quickly realized that this useless Saint was incapable of anything.
Thus, he had been considering his next move.
If the Saint was no good, he would rely on the holy beast.
He had ordered his subordinate to capture a Kirin.
He had received information about a Kirin sighting through a certain channel (a back route).
He had commanded his subordinate to capture the Kirin a few days ago.
And today, his subordinate had successfully brought back the Kirin.
“Look! It’s coming this way!”
Another subordinate dragged a deer-like creature toward him.
With its shimmering scales of five colors, it was indeed the Divine Beast—Kirin.
“Pii—!”
Around the neck of the baby Kirin was a heavy collar.
A Slave Collar. A special Magic Tool acquired from a slave trader.
By putting this on, one could enslave the creature and force it to obey.
“Pii! Pii! Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”
The baby Kirin, tears streaming down its face, desperately tried to escape.
“Don’t you dare run away!”
With a yank, the subordinate pulled on the chain.
Electricity coursed through the baby Kirin’s body.
“Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”
The baby Kirin collapsed, utterly exhausted.
“Wow, so this is a Kirin. So, Orokani Kuso-sama, what will you do with it?”
“…I’ll have it set up the Barrier in your place.”
“Eh, really? Yay! I get to relax!”
Though she had been indirectly told she was being sidelined, Kogomi seemed to interpret it as a chance for her to take it easy.
Well, at this point, she was of no concern to him.
“Now, Kirin! With your holy power, create a Barrier to repel evil!”
“Pii, pii…?”
However, the baby Kirin merely tilted its head at Orokani Kuso’s command.
This child had just been born.
It didn’t know how to create a Barrier.
Yet, Orokani Kuso was unaware of this child’s infancy.
“What’s wrong, Kirin! Hurry up and set up the Barrier! Are you not going to do it?”
With a slap, Orokani Kuso struck the Kirin.
“If you don’t, I’ll kill you!”
Threatened with death, the baby Kirin finally reached its limit.
It cried out louder than ever before.
Gogogogo…
“What, what’s happening!?”
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.
“An earthquake!?”
“Pii—!”
The baby Kirin’s cry caused its power to go out of control.
A massive earthquake struck, and the ground began to crack.
“Waaah! Hiiiii! It’s an earthquake!”
The subordinates, along with the buildings and villagers near the forest, were caught in the chaos.
“Why!? Why is there suddenly an earthquake!?”
Crack!
Nearby trees in the forest fell, threatening to crush the baby Kirin.
“This is bad!”
If the Kirin died, there would be no one left to set up the Barrier!
“Someone! Help me!”
And then, it happened.
Thud! Someone had braced themselves against the falling tree, protecting the Kirin.
“What!? Y-You are…!?”
Indeed, standing there was none other than… the Saint, who was supposed to be dead. It was Nagano Mika herself.
“I’m glad I made it in time. You must be the Baby Kirin, right? I came to help you.”
【★☆I have an important request☆★】
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