Chapter 16
The Retired Saintess Raises House Prices Episode 16
Episode 16
Lavel stroked his mouth, trying to wipe away the disappointment unconsciously rising on his face.
“……When the knights wake up, say the saintess prayed. Don't make things tiring with unnecessary talk.”
“But I didn't pray. Just now, Lord Winters drew his sword……”
“Just say what I tell you.”
“I couldn't do anything like a fool. Lord Winters swung his sword. How on earth did you…… No, more than that, what brings you here? I thought your territory was in the other direction.”
“No need to know.”
Lavel turned to leave, then warned the saintess once more.
“If the Temple contacts me about this incident, I'll come find you and kill you myself.”
Shuana's horrified retreat was the same as everyone else's.
The look of fearing Lavel, avoiding him, wanting no involvement whatsoever.
Treating Lavel like the plague.
Damn it.
Lavel muttered a quiet curse and vanished into the forest like a ghost, leaving no trace—moving with the familiarity of someone who'd traversed it many times.
Minutes passed after Lavel Winters disappeared between the trees and bushes.
A belated sigh of relief escaped Shuana, slumped amid the still-unconscious knights.
“Ugh, damn. Almost got tangled with that walking apocalypse.”
She'd even nearly asked Lavel 'how' he'd done it without thinking.
Absolutely not.
She couldn't let curiosity get the better of her about the original male lead's hidden settings. What if she got hopelessly entangled?
Left alone, he'd go mad and destroy the world as in the original, ending the novel.
Then she could go home, so no need to insert herself as a helper or side character by his side.
Opposed to extra episodes.
Shuana gritted her teeth and clutched the ground.
“Wait. Isn't this a perfect chance to escape?”
The ghost had strangled Mikhail unconscious, no one knew Lavel came, and no knights were awake yet.
Shuana sprang to her feet.
Time to run!
Then came a groan, 'Ugh……,' as Mikhail stirred.
Shuana swiftly kicked his head.
He passed out again.
I always give my best. Even if it's knocking out a Holy Knight who passed out from being strangled.
Really time to run!
Another groan sounded. An apprentice Holy Knight she'd thought unconscious twitched and slowly woke.
Too far to kick his head, and more than one or two were stirring.
With no choice, Shuana slumped down, clasped her hands, and began her flame prayer show.
“Oh God! Holy Moandalla! Save these young ones!”
Save me too!
* * *
Whether because Mikhail had taken a direct hit from the evil spirit, or due to Shuana kicking his head and wildly slapping his cheeks, he didn't regain consciousness for hours.
In the meantime, the knights who'd fainted from the ghostly energy all woke and came to their senses.
The youngest knight to recover first praised Shuana, who had prayed like a white-robed angel amid the hellish scene of everyone collapsed.
“If not for the saintess, we'd all be dead!”
Shuana's fame rose again, unasked for.
Getting famous would only make escaping harder.
Shuana responded with her signature faint fake smile.
They'd spend another night in the forest.
The vast maze-like woods, and with their cult leader captain out cold, they couldn't find the way out.
Having missed the perfect escape opportunity, Shuana's guts twisted in frustration at the whole situation.
‘What kind of knight order is this sloppy?’
Fuming, Shuana thought the Holy Knights were a ragtag bunch that'd crumble if you took out the boss, but she kept it to herself.
Most were likening her to an angel in praise, and she was outnumbered anyway.
With even her sole ally—the professional fainting ghost—gone, the frail-bodied saintess had no moves left.
Best to smile benevolently in times like this.
A sweet smile.
These damn bastards.
A beaming grin.
As the ragtag knights pitched tents for camp before sunset, they gathered near Shuana like shy elementary schoolers.
“We still haven't escaped the forest…… Could the saintess offer a purification prayer before sleeping?”
“Oh my, of course. Naturally.”
Now a freestyle cult hip-hop top rapper who could spit prayer lines on the fly, Shuana finished passionately.
Leaving the moved onlookers, she said she'd pray for Mikhail too and entered his tent.
Pray?
Kill him?
How long until they notice if I do?
Right on cue, Mikhail's eyelids fluttered.
Shuana hurriedly gazed at him with worry-filled eyes.
“Captain, are you coming to? Are you okay?”
“Ugh, ugh…… What happened.”
Shuana decided to follow Lavel's words.
For some reason, that apocalypse-seed male lead had seemed disappointed in her.
He probably wouldn't send cryptic notes anymore.
She needed to obediently do as told and slip from the original male lead's interest.
Shuana held Mikhail's cold hand and let a single clear tear fall.
“Yes, Mikhail. I prayed to God to save you. I begged Moandalla with all my heart to let you live.”
“……Then why does my face hurt so much? Feels like someone beat me senseless.”
“Earlier, you slapped your own face wildly.”
“Me?”
“Yes, it was so scary. You're okay now, right?”
Mikhail, remembering nothing (of course not, it never happened), couldn't hide his confusion.
“……Yes, aside from my busted lip. But I only remember being strangled, not my cheeks too.”
Shuana quickly pressed her index finger to Mikhail Severino's lips.
“Shh. That's not important at all. Mikhail. No, Captain Mikhail Severino. Compared to the joy of returning to God's embrace, how trivial is such pain.”
“You're right.”
Convinced by Shuana, Mikhail nodded.
He'd thought it was over when the evil spirit made him strangle himself and drag him away.
Mikhail gripped her small hand tightly.
“……Saintess Shuana. Thank you for risking danger to save me from evil.”
“Not at all. Helping others is my duty.”
Mikhail Severino's usually icy cheeks faintly flushed rose-pink under the yellow lantern light.
Suddenly, Shuana recalled Mikhail's words in the carriage.
Not long after departing for Floriana, Mikhail had said,
[Sometimes, on these distant trips, a saintess and knight don't return together.]
What if she turned the empire's top cult hunter to her side?
This could be useful.
Shuana smiled as pitifully and beautifully as possible, held both his hands with hers, bowed her head, and murmured loud enough to be heard.
“I'm so glad you're alive, Mikhail Severino.”
Help me escape. Captain.
Nietzsche said,
God is dead.
Shuana says,
You're dead.
