Chapter 9: Saintess VI
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Is this a dream or reality?
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The girl awoke after a month had passed. Though she had been afflicted by a part of the Forbidden Spell used by one of the most powerful Cardinals, her extraordinary ability in Light Magic allowed her to heal herself completely by the time she regained consciousness.
By the time her awareness returned, her superior, Odyssey, had already ascended to the position of Pope. Upon hearing the news of her recovery, he hurried over to see her, having prepared only minimally. After a month apart, they exchanged words of encouragement and shared information about what had transpired during her unconsciousness. However, that was not the main purpose of his visit. After a brief exchange, Odyssey informed her about the fate of Cole, the candidate for her partner. This was the crux of the matter.
Cole was to be executed by hanging as soon as the situation settled. The reason for the delay in carrying out the sentence was that Odyssey had granted Cole’s final wish to apologize to the girl.
The following day, though still far from fully recovered, she insisted on accompanying Odyssey to see Cole.
When she received Cole’s apology, she realized that he no longer harbored any malice. At that moment, she pleaded with Odyssey, the Pope, for Cole’s life and forgiveness.
However, Odyssey stubbornly refused her request. Cole had targeted a fellow disciple out of selfishness and had even used a Forbidden Spell. Odyssey’s judgment was, understandably, firm.
Yet the girl declared that she would not leave until the Pope rescinded Cole’s death sentence, kneeling before the prison.
Odyssey, thinking it foolish, left the two of them there. But later that night, after finishing his work and preparing for bed, he found himself concerned about the girl.
Thinking it was unlikely, he made his way to Cole’s cell, where he found the girl motionless, fervently praying to God for Cole’s redemption. After a brief glance, Odyssey left without saying a word.
Odyssey was a man who had climbed to the position of Pope by adhering to his strong beliefs. He was not one to easily change his mind. The girl, destined to inherit the title of Saintess, was equally resolute. As both stood firm in their convictions, another week passed.
During that week, Odyssey had ordered his subordinates to report on the girl, who continued to pray in front of the prison. Though he grumbled about being vexed by her unwavering will, he was also worried for her well-being. Finally, he decided to visit Cole’s cell for the third time, intending to persuade her to stop her actions and return home.
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Before him stood the girl, still recovering from her illness. Yet, despite this, she had spent an entire week without ceasing her prayers to God. She had not consumed a single drop of water or a morsel of food.
What a noble spirit she possessed! No, it was not merely nobility; it was a golden spirit that combined both nobility and indomitable strength. Odyssey was moved to tears as he witnessed her extraordinary mental fortitude.
As for Cole, he was so deeply impressed by the girl that he felt a devotion to her that equaled his faith in God.
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This incident marked the beginning of a complete alliance between the current Pope and the former Cardinal, who had once been a powerful figure. Thanks to their recommendation, the girl became a candidate for the next Saintess.
Not long after, as if by divine will, the then-current Saintess Mika stepped down from her position, and the girl inherited her title, name, and immense Mana, becoming the new Saintess Mika.
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Saintess Mika—after inheriting the title from her predecessor, she continued her relentless training and sincere prayers, dedicating herself to the people.
Years passed, and she was destined to meet the summoned boy.
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When speaking of her, one might think that the girl—Saintess Mika—was a perfect being. Indeed, she was referred to as the “Divine Reflection” not only by church officials but also by the common folk.
However, she was still just a human.
This is a story that took place a few days after a certain boy was summoned. When he first met Saintess Mika, he described her as a “robot with an unchanging expression.” This was not an exaggeration.
Indeed, there was no falsehood in her heart that cared for others. Though she had never been particularly expressive, after joining the church, she made a conscious effort to maintain that demeanor.
For the people she sought to save, there was no distinction between age, gender, or social status. She approached everyone with the same attitude, devoid of emotion. This was her commitment.
Yet, half of her motivation was genuine, while the other half was a self-deceiving rationalization. Most importantly, she was unaware of this herself.
Her emotionless expression was a mask. The girl donned this mask to protect herself from the tragedies she would witness in the future.
The catalyst for her mindset was undoubtedly the injury of her father.
The fear of losing a loved one—that was the reason she began to empathize with others. Simultaneously, it became a deep-seated trauma etched into her heart.
The emotional scars she bore were so intense that they awakened her to powerful Healing Magic, despite being a girl without any magical knowledge. As time passed, her trauma transformed into a strong aversion to death, but since it was a wound from her childhood, it was buried deep within her heart.
By the time she became the Saintess, she likely no longer remembered the original emotions—the circumstances that led her to start healing others. It had become exactly as she had once intended.
She must maintain her composure. She must distance herself from fear.
She unconsciously imposed this behavior on herself, stemming from her aversion to death. What began as a conscious effort eventually became her norm.
Thus, while revered by the citizens as the compassionate Saintess, she became a calm and collected figure, a Saintess with an iron mask, regardless of the circumstances.
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Her mask, layered and fortified, was so resilient that whenever it cracked, it was repaired, and whenever it threatened to peel away, it was tightened even further. This mask boasted overwhelming strength, as evidenced by her expressionless application of Healing Magic to the boy who lay collapsed like a ragged cloth.
Yet, this unbreakable mask, which no one had ever managed to shatter, was broken by a single boy.
The time spent with him while conquering the Mirror Labyrinth was special for Saintess Mika. They fought back to back at times, trained through the night, and strolled through the market together.
Each of these moments was trivial, yet they were treasures to her.
She cherished those memories, like radiant jewels, storing them carefully in her heart’s treasure chest. Often, she would open that chest and reflect on the days spent with him.
And as she thought of the memories they would continue to create together, she smiled softly to herself.
More than the boy felt their time together was special, for her, those moments spent together were unique in her life.
She harbored feelings for him that rivaled her devout faith that made her a Saintess.
The expressions Saintess Mika directed toward the boy were solely for him. He remained unaware, but the look she had when she splurged on the Soup Kitchen and fell into debt, as well as the expression she wore when she heard about sweet treats, were all things no one had seen before—expressions she had seemingly lost.
Every one of her expressions was directed only at him, meant solely for him.
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Yet, in the end, all her feelings, thoughts, wishes, hopes, bonds, connections, past, present, and future—everything was distorted, taken away, desecrated, and lost. Now, they no longer existed.
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This is the second story for today. I will be promoting it for the next few days.
The digital version of Volume 1 of the comic will be released. The release date is July 16th. Thank you for your support!