Chapter 7
The Retired Saintess Raises House Prices Episode 7
Episode 7
I finally met Raphael Winters in my tenth-plus lifetime.
Raphael Winters entered the temple after I became an upper-rank saintess to receive his count title.
The reason was that the conferral ceremony required God's blessing.
While the Great Saintess droned on with her endless speech, Raphael stood like a rigid statue, not moving an inch.
His blood-red eyes, visible through his pitch-black hair grown long enough to cover them, looked exactly like the demons the saintesses described.
He appeared cruel and cold, yet perfectly matched the devil's trait of seducing others with his exquisite features.
He was strikingly handsome enough to make eyes widen, but not the type you could openly gawk at with wide eyes.
Raphael was devilishly handsome, unparalleled by any other knight, but his signature chilling gaze froze anyone who looked at him.
His massive build—head and shoulders taller than other knights, broad enough to hide two people behind his back—added to his intimidating aura.
His height made his gaze naturally look down, as if pressuring others.
‘Fucking scary-looking bastard.’
I'd thought physiognomy wasn't science, but Raphael truly had the face that suited the words "destruction" perfectly.
Destruction free pass award.
Hell-face auto-door recognition.
Time's man who suits ruins best.
Guy who'd get a 3-to-1 casting call from hell's director.
Demon lord's family head.
While thinking up nicknames that suited him inwardly, our eyes met.
His blood-drop-like scarlet pupils stared at me for a brief moment.
Thinking it was just a glance from those emotionless eyes, he suddenly furrowed his brow slightly and pierced me with his gaze.
Raphael glared as if boring a hole through my face, never averting his eyes first.
In the end, I looked away first.
Sometime after that, I heard Raphael Winters had gone to live alone in Valboa Castle in Kinkrid Territory.
Time was really running out now.
I didn't remember how many regressions it took for Raphael to reach Valboa Castle, but in the normal timeline, it wasn't long.
Gotta bolt fast.
After becoming an upper-rank saintess, leaving the temple went relatively smoothly.
How many areas in this capital needed purification, anyway?
The people of this city—no, this country—seemed to fervently believe in demons' existence.
It wasn't just religious faith.
Past records of successful purifications listed incidents caused by things called "demons" or "ghosts."
Like haunted dolls that kept returning no matter how many times discarded; reservoirs with frequent drownings; people who overnight turned into someone else, killed their families, then suicided; folks who heard voices of dead family or close friends deep in the forest, followed them, and never returned.
Sightings of demons were far too common too.
Sprouting horns; floating without legs; someone with their head split in half from the nose up like cleaved by a sword, shuffling forward swinging both arms.
……Was Sword's Edge originally an occult worldview?
The ghosts had weirdly high screen time.
That meant the places I had to visit as an upper-rank saintess for purification prayers were likely "real."
The thought of maybe seeing a ghost for the first time in my life made me tremble…… like hell; I had to get out of this novel before becoming a ghost myself.
Let any ghost or whatever come at me.
As long as I didn't run into Raphael. That guy's a walking disaster.
But contrary to my expectations, during several purification prayers, I didn't see so much as a demon horn, let alone a ghost.
Ah, I did see something horn-like.
My foot got stabbed by a protruding tree thorn while walking.
If that's a horn, sure.
The Holy Knight escorting me freaked out the moment I got pricked.
As if I'd been attacked by something invisible, he shoved me out of the cursed tunnel.
[Hurry out, Saintess! Before the sinister energy seeps in! Demons love blood! Run, quick!]
Even with his face pale from fear, he drew his sword, put me behind him, and warily aimed at empty air.
Hey, even germs would be too scared of your face to approach.
But I'm a devout saintess.
Can't just bolt like that.
[Malik, no! It's too late for me! Leave the wounded me and escape, Knight! Hurry!]
I squeezed out tears that weren't even flowing, eyes shut tight.
Soon my bloodshot eyes welled up, brimming over.
Malik turned to me with a moved expression, then clenched his lips in grim resolve.
[I can't leave you behind, Saintess!]
[Ah, Knight Malik. Such bravery. Moandalla's light shines upon you.]
[Saintess, continue the purification prayer. So we can escape together!]
[Knight Malik!]
[I believe in you, Saintess.]
[I'll believe in you too, Knight Malik.]
I clasped my hands and began the prayer.
[O God who watches over us in chaos. Radiant Moandalla. You test faith, but this humble servant shall answer with unwavering belief.
There is no place Moandalla's eyes do not see, no place his hands do not reach.
Save us. Guide us with light. Let Moandalla's light keep the young ones ignorant of shadow's chill.
Let the world know every land the young tread, every flowing river, is Moandalla's bone and blood.
My steps turn toward you.]
Of course, nothing happened from start to finish of the prayer.
Holy Knight Malik, deeply moved, clasped my hands and shed tears profusely.
Does this idiot really think a miracle happened? Why become a Holy Knight if he's such a scaredy-cat.
The foolish Holy Knight Malik, unable to read my thoughts, grabbed my wrist and led us out of the tunnel just like that.
I wasn't sure if returning unscathed despite the injury was that impressive, but that incident boosted my reputation for piety even more, leading to a tedious audience with the Great Saintess.
[At first, fear flooded me like waves, but knowing God is always with me, no terror or worry remained.]
The Great Saintess, touched, patted the back of my hand etched with the stigmata and smiled faintly.
After that day, I was assigned to even more dangerous areas.
Still, nothing happened.
I'd believe in ghosts if I at least saw some poltergeist object floating mid-air, but truly nothing.
I even suspected it was all a Truman Show tricking me, but after visiting houses where people actually died, it felt awkward not to believe.
This world has "something."
It just doesn't show itself to me.
