Chapter 17
<☆Congrat☆ Birth of the Arte Sect Saint ☆ulations☆>
<I’m so happy~ Our Saint has arr☆ived☆>
<Sect, holding on was easy ~As long as our Saint is here, we are the world’s strongest~>
The walls of the sect building, which had been like a pure white snowy field, were now completely covered in red writing.
Of course, I had hoped the sect would change a little.
‘But I never wanted it to change like this!’
Moreover, the red dye used to write the letters was dripping down onto the floor, making it look even more eerie.
‘Is this summoning a ghost? Is it some doppelganger mantra?’
With the front of the sect looking like this, who in their right mind would think this is a normal place!
‘Ugh, my head hurts already.’
The fact that the coachman had also seen this scene made it even more depressing.
‘Are my parents or Lucian going to listen to me now?’
I barely got their permission, and I’m worried they’ll see this, be horrified, and object.
Forcing my sinking heart to lift, I entered the sect with Tete.
The feeling of walking down into a semi-basement was still strange, but I’d get used to it eventually.
“Arte! Arte! Arte!”
“Ah, Saint! Please save us—”
…And that prayer leaking through the door cracks too.
*Creeeak—*
I took a deep breath for no reason and opened the sect door.
I thought they’d rush at me as soon as I opened the door like last time, but the believers were deep in prayer.
‘Should I be relieved by this…?’
Thinking I might be a disturbance, I quietly slipped inside.
Finding the sect leader among them wasn’t difficult.
Because I could see a familiar face through the doorway connecting the prayer room and another room.
Especially in this space, lit only sparsely by candles, that particular area was leaking a bright light.
But his expression.
‘It’s a bit strange?’
Tilting my head, I carefully entered the room where the sect leader was.
*Creeeak.*
Hearing the door sound, the sect leader whipped his head around to look at me.
His face, which had been subtly stiff, instantly brightened.
“Hahaat, Saint-niiim!”
This time too, like an overly excited country puppy, he grabbed both my hands and shook them up and down vigorously.
He shook them so frantically that even Tete, held in my other arm, showed irritation.
I gently petted Tete to calm him down and looked at the sect leader.
“You came at the perfect time. The, uh, offering… just arrived!”
“Ah, offering… Offering?!”
I had just heard something I never expected.
‘You said there was no such weird custom!’
I looked up at the sky with a face demanding an explanation.
Arte seemed surprised too, quickly put away the dedication phrase, and frantically pulled up the status window.
*Ding.*
[No! Our sect has never done this before, really?!]
[It’s true! Believe me! Sect leader, sect leader, no!!!!]
[Why are you suddenly like this! Can’t you see my messages!!!]
Arte cried out desperately, but there was no way the sect leader could know.
On the contrary, he even gave me a look that said, ‘I did well, right?…’
Right at that moment.
*Clang.*
The sharp sound of metal clashing rang out right nearby.
Reflexively turning my head, a man holding an iron chain came into view first.
He was a man with a somewhat sly-looking face. He unhesitatingly pulled the thick iron chain he was holding.
Where that chain connected and touched was a person.
No, it was more than that.
Pointed, long ears, hair and eyes of a light green color that seemed to rustle like trees in a forest.
‘That appearance is clearly…!’
The leader of the Arte Sect had offered an elf, called a child of the ‘God of Earth and Charity,’ to Arte.
‘Ah…’
I was so shocked my mind stopped working properly.
For a long moment, I couldn’t say or do anything, just stared at them.
*Clatter.*
The iron chain fastened around the elf’s wrist made a sharp sound as it shook again.
‘Gasp!’
It sounded like a screeching noise. I barely managed to snap out of it.
At that moment, my eyes met his as he stood before me.
“……”
“……”
No matter how I looked, he seemed to be around my age. His eyes held a deep-seated fear.
Confusion and terror of not knowing where he was, resignation wanting to give up on everything.
‘How can people do something like this?’
A surge of anger welled up inside me.
“Let him go.”
My instinct moved faster than my thoughts. I reached out to remove the chains binding him.
But.
*Thwack—!*
“No matter if you’re the Saint, you cannot lay a hand on an offering to Arte-nim!”
The priest who had brought the elf sharply slapped my hand away.
My palm stung, perhaps scratched by the priest’s ring.
“Gasp! How dare you be rude to the Saint, Priest William!”
Belatedly, the sect leader tried to stop the priest named William. But he was rather brazen.
“Sect Leader, it is the Saint who is being rude. No, is this person even really the Saint in the first place?”
His furrowed brows were tense with wariness.
“Ha, but there’s no way this person would lie. She came to the sect as soon as the oracle descended…”
“Sect Leader, I’ve held my tongue until now because you seemed happy, but there’s more than one or two suspicious points.”
“What do you mean…”
“The oracle, for instance. It hasn’t even been 30 minutes since the word came to you, and she arrived, didn’t she?”
“Y-yes.”
“Your pure and innocent nature, do you think I don’t know it? You must have been swept up in it. It’s all this woman’s scheme!”
William cut off the sect leader’s words and rattled on. He was trying hard to sound logical, but it was blatant nonsense.
‘Would you look at that?’
Something smelled fishy.
A mere priest acting to sway the sect leader, and instead of being happy about the Saint’s appearance, he’s frantic to drive me out.
And look at that. He even casually changes my称呼 to ‘that woman’ for someone who might be the Saint?
‘It’s certain.’
It might be a hasty judgment, but I was convinced.
‘That guy is a con artist.’
I met a thief in the morning and even had him arrested, so why wouldn’t I meet a con artist in the afternoon?
‘Looking at him, he’s probably after the sect’s donations, right?’
The sect leader seems gullible, so he must have been the perfect target for that con artist.
I decided to stay quiet for a moment to hear what else he would spout. Seizing the opportunity, the con artist pushed me hard backwards.
“Ugh!”
“How dare you enter this holy place with lies! By the looks of it, you even stole those clothes to pretend to be the Saint! Get lost, you wench!”
*Ding.*
[Arte stamps her feet as she watches you fall.]
[Arte harbors sharp anger at William’s behavior which has crossed the line.]
[Arte quietly picks up the sword she made to commemorate the completion of her favorite novel.]
“Ugh… I’m okay.”
“See, Sect Leader! She’s a completely insane wench, isn’t she!”
What are you talking about, you con artist? I wasn’t talking to you!
But this confirmed it. His behavior, desperate to drive me out whether I’m the real Saint or not.
‘He’s definitely a con artist!’
I glanced at the sect leader; he was fidgeting uncomfortably but didn’t come to my side.
‘Tsk tsk, he’s completely fallen for that nonsense.’
I don’t know if it’s because he’s a pure priest who has only served God, or if his nature is just easily fooled.
‘Well, I thought reform was needed anyway.’
Might as well clean everything up while I’m at it.
*Brush, brush.*
I stood up, brushing off my hands which had become messy from hastily breaking my fall when I tumbled.
The con artist wore an extremely flustered expression at my unexpected reaction.
‘Whatever.’
He seems to desperately want me to leave crying, but I refuse!
I defiantly twisted my lips into a sneer and scoffed at him.
Completely ignoring the con artist, who was fuming with anger, I shifted my gaze to the elf.
His trembling eyes gradually calmed as he looked at me.
Was he trusting me? If so, I had to repay that trust.
‘Just a moment, I’ll save you quickly.’
I boldly reached my hand out towards him again.
“Wha-, this wench has lost her mind!”
*Whoosh!* The con artist’s hand came towards me with a heavy sound.
But it couldn’t push me away like before.
Because.
*Whoooosh!*
I had used the healing power Arte gave me to my heart’s content.
In an instant, the dim space became as bright as if exposed to the midday sun.
“Gasp!”
The con artist choked on his breath at the sudden light.
“The warm divine power of Arte-nim! Ah, Saint…!”
Fortunately, the sect leader recognized the divine power perfectly and began shedding tears.
Amidst the commotion, I kept my gaze fixed straight on the elf.
“……”
“……”
So that no more fear would dwell in those eyes.
At the same time, his wrists, which had been red and bloody from the manacles, were also completely healed.
And the one who cheered the most at this was…
