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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: A New Bodyguard
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Though I'd said as much, I acted on the belief that since I was the true Saintess, the Sun God would stop me, even if he had to beg the God of Oblivion.
And so, in the sanctuary where the Sun God’s holy relic was enshrined, I struck the jewel box with the dagger-shaped relic embedded with a black gem.
Clink.
‘……?’
But then, as if it had been waiting, the largest red jewel simply fell off.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving the rest of the box completely unharmed.
‘Is it supposed to do that?’
‘That can't be right...’
Both I and Airic, who had been watching with a grim expression, were utterly bewildered.
The box hadn't sustained a single scratch when I’d tried to burn it with divine power, throw it, or even bash it against Jeremy’s divinely shielded head. And now a jewel just falls off after one tap from another holy relic?
Perfectly intact, no less, as if it had only been lightly attached in the first place?
Of course, what was even more absurd was the information that appeared when I grasped the jewel.
Snapping out of my reverie, I gazed at the necklace Jeremy was wearing. The same information that had dumbfounded me earlier surfaced once more.
【Holy Relic Information】
Name: Jewel Plucked by the Sun
Grade: Unique
Possessed By: Traveler Who Guides Souls
Ability: Minor Nullification
Special Note: A jewel forcibly torn by the Saintess of the Sun from the holy relic, ‘Box Made Out of Boredom.’ Contains the tears of its creator.
Forcibly torn, my eye.
I tapped it once with a holy relic, and it fell off as if given as charity. And it gets a name like *that*?
And look at that special note.
Seeing the part about the 'creator's tears,' it seemed the relic's owner had written that part himself.
‘Still, it was a fruitful endeavor.’
I looked at the name of the god who possessed it.
‘Traveler Who Guides Souls.’
The word ‘soul’ in the name confirmed my suspicion—this was indeed a holy relic of the God of Oblivion.
In any case, despite the absurd turn of events, the fact that the jewel had come off perfectly intact meant Jeremy could now offset the Great Sea God's curse to some degree with it alone.
“Still, I’m not as free as when I was holding the jewel box itself.”
Jeremy carefully tucked the necklace back inside his collar.
For some reason, the sight reminded me of how Lute cherished his holy relic, and a small laugh escaped me.
Come to think of it, it’s almost been a month.
I extorted money from the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God, and my divine power is about to increase. I should be able to give him a two-month blessing this time.
Coming here every month must have been a pain. He'll be happy.
“Then just hold on to the box while you’re here. I don’t need it right now, so you can have it.”
“Thank you.”
Jeremy bowed deeply, his face bright.
I could feel his strong resolve to never be swayed by the curse again.
“So, should I go back to my cell now?”
Now what was this nonsense?
“What? Why?”
“It’ll put your mind at ease, Saintess.”
At ease? Who in their right mind would be at ease after throwing an innocent person in a cell?
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll give you your own room. You can stay there.”
“Everyone will be against it.”
“There’s no one here crazy enough to demand an innocent person be thrown in a cell.”
There might be plenty of people who, like Monica, want to give Jeremy a good smack, but no one would want to imprison someone who was just freed from the Great Sea God’s control.
Airic and Seth had agreed on this as well.
“We already decided that when you returned, we would treat you as an ordinary person. Of course, you’ll be under surveillance.”
As long as the curse remains, there’s always a chance he could be controlled again. Surveillance is a must.
“But that doesn’t mean we’ll lock you up. You’ll be given a room that gets plenty of sunlight. You’ll stay there.”
“...Sunlight?”
“That’s right. A room watched over by our god. You’ll live there and protect me. From those who are after my life.”
I realized something after this incident.
I could die here again at any moment. My profession may have completely changed, but the threats to my life remain the same.
The more famous the Sun God becomes, the more threats I’ll face—far more than in my past life.
That’s why I need someone who can truly protect me. Someone stronger than Victoria, who can be my personal, close-quarters guard.
Jeremy was the perfect person for the role.
And later, when Idella shows up, I’ll have him stick with her. They didn’t end up together in the original novel, but maybe they could here.
Or they could just become friends. That would be fine, too.
“I can do that. I can protect you, Saintess.”
Jeremy nodded eagerly. His face was bright, clearly happy to have a purpose.
“If the Great Sea God’s faction sends anyone else, I’ll take care of them. I’ll kill them good.”
...Did he really have to say that so cheerfully? Well, he has a lot of pent-up anger, so I’ll let it slide.
*Knock, knock.*
“Saintess. The potion-making team is here to see you.”
It was Monica, announcing the visitors.
When I told them to enter, she came in carrying refreshments, followed by three members of the potion-making team.
“We’ve brought this batch for sale, Saintess! Three hundred bottles for the pre-orders, for a grand total of one thousand!”
Zenrique exclaimed energetically.
Perhaps because the quantity was double that of last time, each of the three was pulling a trolley.
“The faster we sell, the faster we make money, so we gave it our all!”
Zenrique gave a thumbs-up, his face still shadowed by dark circles. His expression, however, was radiant.
“You got a nice taste of that bonus pay, didn’t you, Zenrique?”
After we sold out the first batch of prototypes, I immediately gave the three of them a bonus for their hard work.
The one who’d been happiest was none other than Zenrique. It looked like he’d pulled another all-nighter, hoping to relive that joy.
“But it’ll all be for nothing if you work yourself to death. Pace yourself.”
“The prestige of the Sun God’s Grand Temple is at stake.”
Wolfgang said, his face looking just as haggard as Zenrique’s. Anyone would think they’d been devout followers of the Sun God since birth.
“By the way, who is this?”
Zenrique tilted his head, looking at Jeremy, who was sitting across from me.
Monica, who was setting desserts down on the table, answered for me.
“Who do you think? He’s the kidnapper who foolishly attacked the Saintess, got his head bashed in, and ended up pledging his loyalty.”
“...”
“...”
A silence fell over the room at her blunt words.
As if the head I’d bashed had started to ache again, Jeremy glumly rubbed it.
The wound should have healed long ago thanks to the curse-lifting blessing, but it seemed he sometimes suffered from phantom pains.
“A kid…napper…?”
Just then, Lana, who had been standing timidly in the corner ever since greeting me, showed her first reaction.
Like Pavlov’s dogs, Zenrique and Wolfgang flinched and quickly stepped aside.
Leaving Jeremy to face Lana.
“Th-the one… who hurt the Saintess…?”
Monica quickly took refuge beside Zenrique and Wolfgang.
Wait, if they’re retreating like that...
“How dare he… How dare that bastard harm the Saintess…”
Just as I wondered if I should intervene, Lana pulled something from her robes.
Zenrique leaped back at the sight of the bottle she was holding. It was filled with a dark purple liquid that looked anything but ordinary.
“Lana! That’s a deadly poison made with alchemy! You can’t use that, no matter how angry you are! What if you hit the Saintess!”
A deadly poison. The timid, kind Lana was about to throw deadly poison at someone!
At that terrifying proclamation, I quickly backed away as well.
A Lana who’s lost her temper might actually throw it!
“Lana!”
Perhaps seeing my horrified expression, Zenrique shouted again.
Thankfully, his voice seemed to get through to her. Instead of throwing the poison, Lana grabbed Jeremy’s arm and started pulling him.
“G-get outside! I’m going to make you hurt, too!”
But no matter how monstrous her strength, Jeremy was the one chosen by the Great Sea God to be the next Captain of the Holy Knights.
Unfortunately for her, he didn’t budge an inch.
“I won’t die even if you hit me with that. You’ll have a better use for it later, so don’t waste it.”
It seemed he was trying to give her genuine advice, in his own way...
But did he have to say it while munching on a cookie? It sounded completely sarcastic!
“Y-you…! After what you did to the Saintess, you have the nerve…!”
Just as I’d thought, Lana took it that way, and her face flushed red with anger.
Surprisingly, however, her words also seemed to hit their mark with Jeremy.
“...I’m sorry.”
Jeremy put down the cookie he was eating and apologized, looking dejected.
He even glanced at the vial, as if contemplating whether he should just let her hit him with it.
Even Monica, Zenrique, and Wolfgang, who had retreated to a safe distance, were subtly nodding, egging her on.
It was complete and utter chaos.
