Not a Saint, Not a Priest, Just a Healer

“Ah, really.”

The priest of the alias called ‘Leader.’

Ceres Olkamain, the priestess of the demon realm.

She was currently grimacing, desperately trying to suppress the rising annoyance.

Her alias, Leader, also means ‘Designer’ in another sense.

As such, she loves to consider various variables, plan meticulously, and finally make everything flow as she desires.

So far, there had been no problems.

Most of the variables were under her control, and any minor issues could be corrected and supplemented, successfully putting everything back on track.

However, that just failed spectacularly.

With a variable she never anticipated suddenly appearing, her ever-smiling face was stripped of all trace of laughter due to the escalating frustration.

“Looks like she’s still a Saint after all…”

The original plan had gone completely awry.

After meeting Yona, she intended to accuse Aege of being a heretic.

Then, imprisoning her in that condition would weaken Aege both mentally and physically through prolonged confinement, and then, in that state, she would present Aege’s death to Yona upon her return from Katus—

That would complete everything.

Yona, who would have her ego shattered and would be unable to maintain her sanity, would undoubtedly lose control and wreak havoc.

In that state, she would collapse the Evian Diocese and unleash an unending wrath upon the Church of the Celestial God—

But that plan had derailed from the very start.

The Saint appointed directly by the Celestial God, Vigrind.

A short-statured girl who was utterly weak and timid, lacking any will of her own, Vigrind.

No one could have predicted that she would suddenly assert herself like that; one could say it was her blunder.

“Alistein, that dumbass…”

Ceres bit her lip and simmered down her fury.

In strict terms, Alistein had made the biggest blunder.

What on earth was he thinking trying to apprehend Aege in front of the Saint? Whatever the reason, it had undeniably strengthened the Saint’s resolve.

“So, I’m saying there’s no need to continue the hunt for the heretic right now, Hero.”

Vigrind, who seemed to be trapped in the obsession of always appearing kind and friendly, was now insisting they return to the Church Region immediately in front of the Hero.

“Saint, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is there something more important than chasing the heretic right now?”

“There is. Many others besides us can track down heretics, can’t they? Plus, it’s been several weeks since we set out to hunt heretics. Have we even had any success during that time? If Priest Aege didn’t directly inform me, I wouldn’t even know! And to think we’re catching white-haired girls under the pretense of hunting heretics—does that even make sense? Is that the will of the Celestial God?”

Quite the stream of eloquence.

One might wonder if this girl was always this articulate, as Vigrind expressed her opinions without a hitch to Ludvik.

“We have to stop this madness. I need to convince His Holiness the Pope. We’re only catching white-haired girls, and nobody has seen any of them come back. Is this what a normal operation looks like?”
“No one has seen the girl. Is this really how things are supposed to go?”

Girls resembling the Heretic.

All those girls shared the same traits.

Either orange eyes or white hair.

Yet, despite being frequently captured and dragged to the Church Region, not a single girl has returned in this current situation.

“Isn’t this the fastest way to find the Heretic, Saint? Besides, if it’s not us, how are we supposed to deal with the Heretic when we encounter them?”

“Warrior.”

Priest Vigrind closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath with his eyes shut.

“So, what has the Inquisition been doing all this time? Are you saying that we can’t even handle the Heretic unless the Warrior or the Saint steps in? Then what exactly is the Inquisition for? If an organization meant to stop Heretics can’t even defeat one, shouldn’t the leader of the Inquisition be ashamed in front of the Celestial God?”

“That’s…”

Ludvik was at a loss for words.

Vigrind’s argument wasn’t wrong.

“I must fulfill my duty to make sure the Church of the Celestial God is on the right path and to advocate the will of the Celestial God. I can’t just let one Heretic bring down the noble tower that the Church has built over hundreds of years. I will meet with the Pope immediately to put a stop to this madness.”

Vigrind’s resolve was firm.

At least, unlike before, he was now looking directly at Ludvik with a determined gaze.

This wasn’t the timid and weak Priest Vigrind who used to glance down whenever their eyes met.

With a straight and unwavering gaze, Vigrind stared at Ludvik.

Her eyes were filled with determination.

“…Very well, Saint. If that is your will, then you must act accordingly.”

“Damn it.”

Ceres, who had been quietly listening to the long discussion between Vigrind and Ludvik, cursed inwardly.

In the middle of the night, with the moonlight obscured by clouds, not even a sliver of light spread across the darkened stars.

The hallway Ceres was walking through was filled with an eerie silence, devoid of any presence.

Even the sound of her footsteps echoed with utter silence.

In such a deep night, walking a deserted corridor, there was no sound at all.

Ceres was trying to find a way to manage the fury rising within her.

Everything was nearly set, and once the groundwork was laid, the rest would follow naturally.

However, Vigrind’s sudden transformation had ruined all her plans.

‘…Should I just kill her?’

Even if she was called a Saint, she was merely a powerless girl with no real strength.

A mere child, small in stature like a little brat.

If she attacked while the Saint was sleeping, being a priest of the Demon Realm, it would be easy enough to take her head.

But that was not an option.

It would be utterly impossible to ruin everything just because of a momentary fit of rage.

She had no choice but to figure out a way to reorganize the situation.

‘Alistein, that cursed bastard, was never worth trusting.’

She never had faith in the head of the Inquisition branch in this backwater town to begin with.

But regret is always too late, no matter how quickly it comes.

“Oh my, isn’t that Elder Ceres?”
In an instant, the anger vanished from Ceres’s face, replaced by a gentle smile.

If missing the presence approaching from the opposite side was a mistake, then it was indeed a mistake.

One of the last people she wanted to encounter right now, Priest Aege, was approaching her with a beaming smile.

“Priest Aege, what brings you out at this late hour?”

“I was just on my way back from inspecting the orphanage at the Cathedral. It’s a cold season, and I was worried there might be children kicking off their blankets while sleeping.”

Aege beamed a bright smile at Ceres and lightly bowed her head in greeting.

“You’ve had quite a day today, haven’t you, Priest Aege? So much has happened, hasn’t it?”

“It certainly has. The Saint was remarkably sharp today, I almost found myself in quite a predicament.”

“Is that so? It seems like the Saint and the Hero will be returning to Infulla soon. However, it seems they will stay a few more days to discuss matters with Bishop Poby.”

“I see… That explains it.”

Ceres looked at Aege with a puzzled expression.

What exactly did that mean?

As the thought crossed her mind, a sudden wave of discomfort surged within her.

“In a few days, a relief event is planned in the back alleys of Evian. Due to the recent incidents involving the Dark Association, there have been reports of deaths in the alleys. We are sending some food hurriedly as a preparation, and soon we will hold the event in full scale. The Saint has also hinted that she will attend.”

“A relief event…”

Upon hearing that, Ceres seemed deep in thought.

After waiting for a moment without any response from her, Aege looked at Ceres with a curious expression and called her name again.

“Elder?”

“Ah, sorry. I just thought that’s very much like the Saint.”

“Right?”

Aege’s face lit up with undeniable joy.

She remembered Vigrind being an unstable child in many ways.

She had worried a lot when she became a Saint, but now it seemed she had truly grown into her role as a Saint, which brought her immense happiness.

“Indeed, that’s right. It does feel like the Saint, making me think the same.”

Ceres smiled widely, pondering that perhaps there might be a very natural way to get rid of the Saint.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon for unfortunate incidents to happen during events in the back alleys.

And it was plausible that the Saint might just happen to be there.

Even with strong security, such things could happen.

*

“I need to see Vigrind. If it’s Vigrind, she will surely put an end to this madness.”

Yona’s resolve was firm.

The cart she’d seen had a bunch of girls with white hair packed inside, leaving Yona momentarily speechless.

Then she suddenly grabbed Alebians by the collar, demanding an explanation of what was happening, forcing Alebians to let out a long sigh and eventually explain the current events.

As a result, the cart was now heading back to Evian.

Though it was three days into their journey to Lukasia and turning back would require some time, not stopping in between and continuing to run would surely get them there much faster.

Yona, being reasonable, didn’t mention storming into Evian.
She didn’t mention anything about attacking Evian.

Hiding nearby Evian, she waits for the hero’s group to arrive and meets Priest Vigrind to talk—

That was Yona’s plan.

“But it could be dangerous. Instead, let’s go to Katus first, absorb the demon, then…”

“Shut up, Alebians. You want me to see all those poor kids sacrificed because of me? You’re insane. Meeting Vigrind will solve everything.”

Yona, who was holding back, was admirable.

Alex thought so and gazed at Yona.

Even so, he couldn’t completely suppress his anger, as magic was swirling from his lips.

“…The Saint might know as well, Yona.”

Kaiyak stepped in to stop Yona.

Going back to Evian and meeting the hero’s group—there are dozens of doubts about this.

But Yona didn’t pretend to hear Kaiyak’s words.

“Alex, do you think the same?”

Alex, quietly watching Yona.

He had once been a member of the Cathedral, and though he had left, his essence was still a knight of the Cathedral.

He couldn’t help but wonder what would become of those girls if they were taken to the Church Region.

Is it more urgent for Yona to gain strength by going to Katus?

Or should they stop this madness by meeting the Saint, as Yona suggested?

Alex was also shocked inside.

No matter how crazy the Church of the Celestial God was, he never thought they’d go this far.

“I think you’re right, Yona. We must stop the sacrifice of innocent girls.”

“Yeah. So don’t think about changing my mind. Let’s go to Evian. We need to go to Evian, wait nearby, and meet Vigrind. Mr. James, can you help us?”

“Of course. It’s only natural.”

James couldn’t hide his stiff face.

Can this still be called a religion after such deeds? That question filled his mind.

“…Alright, pretty girl. Let’s do it your way.”

At the words of Alebians, Yona let out a sigh.

She had been secretly tense.

Once the tension eased, suddenly, Alex’s earlier words weighed on her heart.

“Hey, Alex.”

“Yeah?”

“About that statement regarding innocent girls…”

“Yeah?”

Alex looked at Yona.

Suddenly, that gaze felt so burdensome that Yona blushed involuntarily.

“…Um, it doesn’t mean anything special, right? Like, it could have been boys instead of girls…”

“What do you mean?”

Alex questioned.

But Yona couldn’t bring herself to explain.

At least she realized that imagining something else from that statement was strange in itself.

“…Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Avoiding Alex’s gaze, which looked as if he was questioning her sanity, Yona felt a deep sense of self-doubt.

If it had been boys taken instead of girls, would she have said the same? She felt foolish for wanting to ask that.