Saint, You’re So Vulgar!

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#018. I’m Sorry for Getting Excited

Heretics and witches.

Words that simply cannot be overlooked.

Reflecting on the horrific acts they have committed throughout history only amplifies this sentiment.

They are those who, despite the existence of a god who created the world, worship something evil.

One could even say they are something other than human, harming and torturing the children of their parents under the guise of faith, devouring them.

When did they first come into existence?

I can’t pinpoint an exact moment, but scholars say it has been since the ‘beginning of creation.’

In truth, since the records have become faint, they have been enemies of the church since the time of the first kingdom… from the age of birth when the current Saintess served as both queen and priestess.

They were reminiscent of cockroaches.

No matter how many times you kill them and dispose of them, they simply reappear from somewhere else.

As if it was only natural, they would throw the world into chaos with their audacity.

There was a particular time when their transgressions peaked.

It was when the witches, known as the heretical Saintesses, made their appearance.

If those witches are to be blamed for ending the age of birth in the first kingdom, then one can understand how terrifying they truly are.

“At first, I had my doubts. As always, I was roaming the continent hunting heretics when I stumbled upon a gigantic underground tomb. Isn’t that strange? Those thoroughly organized little deviants had gathered there, over five hundred of them.”

Halia continued with a cold smile.

“There were simply too many to call it a thriving force. Creating a base violates their nature. Yet, they did just that. It was odd. Too odd to endure! So I invaded. And that’s when I discovered this!”

She pointed at the aberration she had brought.

“Can you recognize it?”

Asher squinted at her words, observing the aberration again.

Moments later, his eyes widened in shock.

“…Stigmata?”

“Oh! Bershia! You’re the first to notice it again!”

Halia beamed with delight.

However, Asher’s expression grew increasingly serious.

The reason he could immediately discern the difference from other aberrations was because he had previously faced them.

He could now compare with the aberrations he had encountered up to this point.

‘Aberrations cannot maintain their form even after death.’

The only case where this could occur is when an aberration bears the stigma.

Flustered, he realized this late.

Amidst that, Halia stated.

“Exactly! It’s the stigma! Fragments of the power bestowed by the god of heretics!”

The god of their parents influences this land through revelation.

The heretical god was different. It bestows its power on individuals to directly incite chaos.

The pinnacle of that power is the ability, and those who receive it are the witches.

The stigma was the symbol of the witches.

Asher quickly grasped how serious the situation was.

The emergence of witches signified a rallying call for the heretics.

It meant that hundreds of heretics grouping up in various places across the land would churn out such evil things in a line.

In other words,

“A great chaos or war is coming!”

Innocent people would either become scapegoats for those aberrations or perish in their madness.

Not only Asher but also Judith and Rubena seemed to realize this, gazing intently at the aberration with grim expressions.

It was Rubena who spoke up.

Her voice trembled terribly.

“W-what should we do…?”

It wasn’t a remark of resolute responsibility.

Rubena’s complexion had turned pallid to a shocking degree.

Asher narrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, Halia said, “Hmm! Good question!” and continued speaking.

“First…”

The talk continued.

Asher’s heart raced with anxiety.

*

The meeting ended amidst various communications.

Asher, feeling impatient, hurriedly crossed the church.

He needed to find Bershia.

They had to discuss this situation together.

So he dragged her out from where she had been lounging in the barracks and took her to the personal garden to relay everything.

Her response was as follows.

“Ah, I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you for a while, and it turns out Lady Halia is playing at hunting again?”

“This isn’t a time for such carefree talk!”

Thump!

Asher struck the table.

His serious demeanor clearly indicated how gravely he viewed the matter.

However, Bershia merely rested her chin on her hand, crossing her legs.

There was no hint of urgency in her smile.

“Sir Knight.”

“Yes!”

“Shall we calm down for a moment?”

“What do you mean calm down in this situation…!”

“If that’s not possible, what can you do about it?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m asking what you can do, Sir Knight. Right now.”

Asher stiffened slightly; it wasn’t from fright but from the cold aura emanating from her.

Yet that sensation soon faded away.

“Now, let’s think slowly.”

Bershia moved her chair closer.

She wrapped her arm around Asher’s shoulder and gently patted him.

Funny enough, at that moment, Asher felt relieved.

For a brief moment, he wondered why he had shrunk back, but it didn’t last long.

Bershia began to speak.

“We are on standby until we are ready, right?”

“Yes…”

“First, the Saintesses must go on covert missions across the continent. However, because we don’t know what may happen, we’ll operate in pairs. We’ll focus our investigation where heretical gatherings are suspected.”

“Yes, understood. I’m glad you get it, but…”

“Ah, I understand it better than you do, Sir Knight.”

A question flickered in Asher’s eyes.

Bershia chuckled and said, “What you’re worried about is this, right? Why on earth are we sending Saintesses out into the field? Why not let them be protected as part of the military?”

“That’s true, but…”

Halia’s orders felt suspicious and also dangerous.

The Saintesses were an irreplaceable asset.

In such a crisis, they should be kept in the most defensible locations, not sent wandering around.

Yet Bershia provided an answer Asher had not anticipated.

“To be precise, Lady Halia doesn’t need the Saintesses.”

“Yes?”

“What she needs is another resource that’s closely attached to the Saintesses.”

In that moment, Asher released a sigh.

“…Ah!”

“An elite knight. A resource like you.”

“Elite… really?”

“Yes, absolutely. There are fewer than fifteen elite knights across the entire continent’s church. The church’s ultimate weapon, a one-man army.”

Asher, who was utterly immune to flattery, forgot his previous embarrassment and turned red.

He struggled to suppress a smirk as he replied in a crawling voice.

“W-well, I’m not that great…”

“You are! Oh dear, back to the point. It’s a situation where we need to draw out all elite knights, but wait?”

Bershia tilted her head, grinning slyly.

Asher intentionally avoided her gaze.

“These useless Saintesses are employing these precious elite knights as their attendants?”

“Such expressions are…”

“It’s the truth. Take Rubena, for instance; she’s been calling that impressive Lord Heisenberg bald and using him as a porter. Judith has taken others for biological experimentation…”

“W-what?!?”

“…Oh, was that a secret? Should I not have mentioned it?”

“Wait a minute! Biological experimentation? What on earth is that…?”

“Well, I got permission from the person, so let’s just move on. Anyway, Lady Halia is the one utilizing them properly… No, since Lady Halia is an elite knight herself, we should treat her as part of the main force, right?”

It felt like he had heard words he shouldn’t have listened to.

Asher recalled who Judith’s escort was.

It was even someone he knew.

“Oh! Cadets! Eat up while you’re growing up!”

His senior had given supportive words, encouraging him during their earlier days, bringing bread secretly without the instructors knowing.

Suddenly, he thought, wasn’t the senior’s permission more of a coerced allowance?

He hadn’t seen that senior in over three years; was he still alive?

Could it really be the person he remembered?

At that moment, Bershia snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Anyway, that’s the reality. The appearance of witches is a matter significant enough to summon all elite knights, and to exclude them for the purpose of escorting a Saintess seems like a waste, right?”

“Oh, yes…!”

“And above all, it’s nearly impossible for the Saintesses to be in danger. They are traveling in pairs, right? With two elite knights assigned, there’s little chance of a major incident occurring.”

“That may be true, but we…”

“Then what? Are you saying you should wipe them out with battle prayers? I mean, you probably would live just fine, considering how tough you are.”

Bershia said this while gently tousling Asher’s hair.

It was then Asher understood why Bershia could remain calm.

She had exceptional insight.

While he was marveling at that, Asher let out an awkward laugh.

“No, isn’t it rather fortunate?”

Asher didn’t want to run away from the threat of witches just because his body had changed.

Since he was a knight, he wanted to directly fight against the danger and be of help.

Like she said, if worst comes to worst, he could use battle prayers.

As long as there were no enemies around, he had confidence he could win somehow.

Feeling embarrassed by his late return to composure, Asher spoke.

“I understand. I’m sorry for getting excited…”

“Oh, come on, female fish…”

“Yikes!”

“I was just telling you to relax.”

“Don’t lie! I’m not falling for that anymore! And stop touching my hair! How long are you going to keep petting me?!”

“It’s mine! Am I supposed to say it’s my body right now? Then, I….”

“Aah!!! I haven’t said anything yet! Hey! Take your hands off! I warned you!!!”

In the end, it was still the same flow.

Bershia concluded the conversation with banter.

Asher tightly grasped Bershia’s wrist as she tried to slip it into her pants and bit it, as if intending not to let go.

His desperate struggle had been successful.

Of course, that only meant he had stopped her hands.

“So how did our problem go? Did it pass by unnoticed?”

“Don’t even mention it! How chilling it was…!”

Was it because the tension had eased? He had let slip unnecessary words.

“Pff…!”

Bershia burst out laughing.

“Feminine… eek! Curse you…!”

“Hrk! Hrk…!”

Asher felt a deep grudge against Bershia.