CHAPTER 100…………………………………………..
Despite the gentle tone of her words, Priest Fyne, who had ultimately been pushing her own will rather than persuading the others, could not convince the two Pegasi.
Rejection of the Saint Appointment.
Fyne’s smile disappeared from her face as she accepted the fact that she had clearly failed the mission given to her by her master.
“……I wonder what His Holiness the Holy King would think of this.”
The fox-like eyes, now without any trace of laughter, gave off a rather chilling aura.
Flinch.
When Lin’s shoulder twitched, Theodore’s gaze, which had been on his niece, shifted across to the other side.
By the time he noticed, Fyne had put her smile back on and spoke in a calm voice.
“I am merely a servant conveying His Holiness’s will, but I doubt he would be pleased with this outcome.”
With a meaningful smile on her lips, Fyne opened her usually narrowed eyes wide and looked directly at Lin.
“He is merciful, but also strict. You’ll probably hear about the King’s sternness from those close to him.”
“Those close to him.”
Fyne, who didn’t even want to mention the offspring of the outcast, was referring to Kaiden.
The veiled threat hidden in her words made Theodore raise an eyebrow.
“What does the Holy King’s disposition have to do with us?”
“He is the one who leads the noble Sacred Beast lineage bestowed upon us beastmen by the gods. His mercy extends to all beastmen of this continent—how could it not concern us?”
“Isn’t the scope of that ‘mercy’ determined by the Holy Nation? Seems like it doesn’t really affect us.”
“……I will also convey the will of the acting head, who continues the intentions of the previous head of the family, to His Holiness.”
The Pegasus family fulfills the duties of a lord, independent of the Holy Nation, by defeating monsters and protecting their vassals.
It was Theodore’s will to uphold the wishes of the head of the family, his foster father, and the Mercenary King Pelord.
Fyne, eyebrows twitching at the Pegasus family’s stubborn stance, expressed her regrets and departed.
“Have I rejected too much? Will the Holy King be angry?”
Just as an unexpected response—being appointed Saint after the Sacred Beast announcement—had come, Lin, unsure of what reaction the Holy Nation would take next, furrowed her brows and asked.
“That’s nothing you need to worry about, Lin.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Once you’ve clearly expressed your intention, the other party must accept it.”
Theodore calmly met his niece’s worried gaze and spoke.
“If they get angry over that, then they’re the strange ones.”
If there was such a person, Theodore asked that he be informed as well.
Though it seemed like he was imagining a slightly different scenario in his head, Lin trusted her uncle’s words.
If they can’t accept rejection, that’s their problem!
Lin, having decisively concluded this, erased the Holy Nation from her mind again and focused on her own interests.
For example, the conversation she’d been waiting to continue with Kaiden since yesterday.
By chance, she heard good news at the treatment room she visited for a check-up.
“With this rate of recovery! Truly remarkable. I’ve been a physician for quite a long time, but in decades, I’ve never seen a patient like this!”
Even as a physically capable beastman, this level of recovery was exceptional enough that the attending doctor repeatedly expressed amazement.
“If your movements in town remain light, you may move freely. After that, we’ll only need to monitor the wounds.”
And so, the doctor granted permission for her to go out.
Feeling uplifted by the unexpectedly early clearance, Lin turned her head with a bright expression and met Kaiden’s gaze.
Heh.
Seeing Lin’s face brimming with joy naturally softened Kaiden’s expression.
“Kaiden. Let’s go to my mother’s study!”
“Alright, sounds good.”
It seemed that today’s conversation would be full of secrets, like the chocolate chips hidden in today’s cookies!
Lin took Kaiden’s hand—thinking she was just supporting a patient—and stepped forward energetically.
A secret hideout space.
Upon arriving at the study of Lin’s mother, the Grand Mage, they sat around the tea table as usual.
Holding the snacks provided by the maid, Lin turned to Kaiden.
“Now I can talk! It’s safe here!”
This was a place brought for her secret-keeping benefactor. Since it was her precious mother’s space, Lin didn’t let just anyone in.
Kaiden could somewhat understand the significance of this place to the girl even without explanation.
Looking into her sparkling golden eyes, Kaiden nodded with a resolute expression.
“I told you before. I’ve come back through time.”
The time he thought no one would remember anymore.
His red eyes, looking at the girl who was the only one to understand that time with him, seemed calm on the surface but burned like molten lava beneath.
“I decided from the moment I received these memories of the future. This time, I won’t just seek revenge—I’ll save everyone who would be sacrificed in the future.”
He would change things so that the tragic outcome would not repeat.
Muttering to himself as if reaffirming his resolve, Kaiden glanced at Lin’s furrowed brows, then continued.
“Including your grandfather and mother.”
Adding a remark that unconsciously earned him some points, Kaiden smiled faintly as he saw Lin’s face light up.
“You really are a benefactor!”
“……Why do you call me that?”
Lin, smiling widely, answered as if it were obvious.
“You helped my grandfather and my mother, Kaiden!”
“What?”
“In the future! You woke my mother with my grandfather. So you’re a benefactor.”
Lin held Kaiden’s hand tightly, expressing her gratitude.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t hear you in the dream. It’s so nice to say it like this! Kaiden, thank you so, so much!”
Kaiden, caught off guard by the warmth of her hands, couldn’t answer immediately.
Flustered, he blushed, turning his head sideways.
“To say I’m a benefactor… that’s a misunderstanding. We just traded favors.”
“No, no. My grandfather would say the same if he saw the future. Kaiden, you’re the benefactor of our Pegasus family!”
Lin could swear this herself, having seen it all in the future. She patted her chest firmly.
Kaiden, who had denied it for a while, couldn’t break Lin’s stubbornness and turned red, pretending not to hear the “benefactor” title.
Humph. Feeding Lin a snack to divert her attention, Kaiden cleared his throat and changed the topic.
“What I want to talk about today is our power.”
“Our power? You mean divine power?”
“Yes. You have divine power, I have Parma power.”
[In other words, Lin’s power is purification. Both Parma and purification powers fall under divine power.]
Naturally, Caligo, sitting beside Lin, placed her doll’s foot on the edge of the desk to interject.
“…….”
Kaiden, staring at the once-mighty black Sacred Beast now in an unexplainable state, chose to pretend he hadn’t seen the cute doll version.
Turning back to Lin with a serious expression, Kaiden said:
“Lin, your power and my Parma power share the same root.”
Kaiden’s Parma power.
Lin recalled the red waterfall-like power she had seen at the hunting festival.
“I’ve never seen anyone use the same power as me in the future.”
Of course. In the future, she never awakened her power…
Lin’s thoughts didn’t go further.
“There were only fakes mimicking my Parma power.”
“!”
Her attention snapped to Kaiden at the word “fake.”
“Someone mimicked your Parma power, your divine power? How?”
“Technically, they only mimicked the result of Parma power—how it eradicates monsters.”
“The act of eradicating monsters…?”
“They made it look like they destroyed monsters, while in reality, it was the opposite.”
Recalling the fake’s mimicry, Kaiden growled low and revealed their true identity.
“The Holy Nation’s purification ritual.”
Gasp.
Lin inhaled sharply in surprise, as the unexpected ritual was revealed.
“They’re not purifying monsters. They’re feeding them instead.”
