Chapter 4: The Church IV (The Collapse from Behind)
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This time, Siesta was sent to the Ryuguin by the Church—a Cardinal of the Klaatel Church, which serves as the headquarters of the Arcana Kingdom.
Even though it was a church, it was still an organization. Naturally, power struggles existed within it, but since the upper echelons were filled with individuals of overwhelming strength and reputation, the current power balance of the church was quite stable.
In such a situation, it was not surprising that some among the upper ranks of the church began to question the actions of the Hero, and even become negative towards him, leading to a consensus within the church.
In short, Siesta’s role this time was as a representative of a certain Cardinal from the Klaatel Church.
Of course, the Klaatel Church, which possessed not only immense power but also excellent personnel, was well aware of the Hero’s scandals.
Thus, taking that into account, Siesta was given the order to spend time with the Hero directly and assess him, and she was sent forth to his side.
As someone who was respected not only by her peers but also by the upper echelons, and who upheld the ideals of purity and integrity, Siesta’s perspective on the Hero—and more importantly, the Hero whom Saintess Mika was said to be infatuated with—was of great significance.
In other words, the judgment she would make would greatly influence the church’s future actions, making Siesta a decisive figure for the Hero.
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There was little time left until she would communicate with the Cardinal, and not much time remained for her to make a final decision. Within her heart, her report regarding the Hero and her judgment were already taking shape.
However, she felt a sense of hesitation. It was a small feeling, but like ink splattered on a white cloth, it was something she could not ignore. She could not pretend not to notice it.
What hindered her final judgment were memories of him from the past.
Before receiving contact from the Cardinal, Siesta realized that she needed to reflect on herself once more.
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Siesta was pure and innocent, always wearing a smile and never showing anger, known as a paragon of a clergyman.
But she was human, after all. Naturally, she had emotions.
Around the time the Hero was summoned, Siesta had compared her abilities with those of Saintess Mika and had been crushed by her own powerlessness. Since she was someone who knew no jealousy, she relentlessly blamed herself for her own inadequacy.
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He was said to be unable to use magic, and he had never even held a sword.
He was polite, and his conversations conveyed a certain intelligence, but at the same time, he seemed utterly unreliable.
She felt a strong sense of guilt for having summoned him to this world, but aside from that, she was deeply worried about whether a boy like him truly had to challenge the Labyrinth of Invincibility, which had swallowed countless strong warriors and renowned mages, and whether he could even conquer it.
However, it soon became clear that her worries were unfounded.
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Siesta, along with Saintess Mika, was entrusted with a leadership role among the Healing Class prepared for the two boys. Thus, they were the ones who observed the training of the boy from another world most closely and for the longest time.
The first day of training consisted of basic exercises. They started from the very fundamentals, such as how to grip a sword and how to practice swings. In the early stages, many felt that “teaching the summoned one was no different from regular newcomer training.”
But that thought was mistaken. It was easy to forget that they were complete novices. For them, even a wooden sword felt heavy, and after just a hundred swings, their arms would be sore. After fifteen minutes of practice, they would lose their grip strength, making it difficult to even hold the wooden sword.
By that time, the other boy who had been summoned had disappeared from the training grounds, and they would never see him again. On the other hand, the remaining boy’s eyes reflected a strong will that he must accomplish something.
After that, he discussed with the Knight Commander and agreed to intensify the training, not only healing injuries with Healing Magic but also alleviating fatigue from training, allowing him to continue training endlessly.
As a result, the Healing Class Sisters, including Saintess Mika and Siesta, gathered from the church to work tirelessly.
He repeated the cycle of training until he could no longer move, healing, and then training again until he could not move once more—resulting in him completing over ten hours of continuous training from the very first day.
His astonishing efforts led him to transition to practical training within just a few days. From then on, his training scenes became increasingly brutal and harrowing.
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The knights conducting the training certainly held back to some extent. However, it was evident that a boy who had not even known how to grip a sword just days prior would face such a fate.
Before Siesta’s eyes lay the boy, collapsed like a rag doll, battered and bruised. The maids peeking into the training hall let out high-pitched screams at the horrific sight.
Yet, as soon as Healing Magic was cast upon him, he sprang up with vigor, shouting, “I can still go on!!”
For some reason, Siesta found herself following him with her gaze, unable to tear her eyes away.
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As time passed, the training grew increasingly grueling, and naturally, Siesta and Saintess Mika found themselves called upon more frequently.
The boy who had not even known how to grip a sword was able to exchange a blow with a certain knight within just a few days. However, he was thoroughly beaten by that knight when he went all out, rolling over like a rag bag, causing even the novice Sisters to faint at the sight.
The following early morning, he managed to engage in a five-minute spar with the knight in question, and by noon, he had defeated that knight.
It was truly a display of an indomitable spirit.
By steadily and literally training without rest through the harsh daily regimen, the boy’s opponents gradually became stronger, until finally, the Knight Commander himself became his opponent.
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The repeated use of Healing Magic required an enormous amount of Mana, and during the times when Siesta and Saintess Mika took breaks, it became necessary for multiple Sisters to cover for them due to the demanding nature of the work.
Even though they were clergymen, when the boy’s training began, some Sisters wore expressions of fatigue due to the extreme workload.
The Sisters were young and enjoyed gossip as one of their few forms of entertainment. As long as it was not critically defamatory towards others, both Saintess Mika and Siesta turned a blind eye.
On the first day of training, many voices expressed skepticism about the boy: “Will they really be okay?” “He looks so frail and can’t even swing a sword straight; can he really defeat a fearsome monster?” “By the way, where did the other boy go?”
Siesta had admonished them several times to “exercise restraint.”
However, as days passed, gradually, some Sisters began to support him from the shadows.
They would say, “His unwavering spirit is admirable.” “When I healed him and he smiled and said ‘thank you,’ my cheeks flushed.” “I want to talk to him more.”
Thus, the rumors about him became generally favorable, and as the latter half of the training approached, many began to volunteer to accompany him during training.
Of course, Saintess Mika and Siesta, who was the coordinator for the Sisters residing in the Royal Capital, would always accompany him, but Siesta did not feel that this role was a burden at all.
On the contrary, Siesta found herself, without realizing it, feeling joy at each of his accomplishments, just like the Sisters cheering him on, even while thinking, “Is this inappropriate?”
Then, one fateful day, a decisive moment arrived.
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“Nice job.”
That line came from the Knight Commander. The boy’s sword had precisely touched the Knight Commander’s neck. It was the moment he had defeated Gladius, the most renowned swordsman in the kingdom.