The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 75

Saint

It was confusing.

“Excuse me, are you alright?”

Was it because his eyes were being crushed by the fingers of a ghost?
No, that wasn’t it.

“Your eyes aren’t focusing… You should’ve stayed in the hospital.”

Was it because his eyes were in pain?
That wasn’t it either.

[…Hey, just pretend you don’t know. That woman is seriously psycho.]

Was it because he was close to dying, or because of the angel floating beside him with a radiant light?
It was definitely that.

It was fortunate that his vision was impaired. He could use his eye condition as an excuse for his strange gaze.

“…Sorry for suddenly yelling. Something got in my eye…”

It wasn’t something that just “got in”—his eye had practically been gouged out, but he had to make something up quickly.

“But… could I perhaps get a quick checkup? I’m still worried since I haven’t properly confirmed the injury from the Holy Sword…”

Still, he needed to confirm one thing: whether this was an illusion created by the Sage crushing his eyes, or if it was something that truly existed.

“Of course. Is there an empty room where I can guide you?”

“Yes, please.”

“We’ll also—”

“No… This is just a simple treatment, so let’s go alone.”

At that, a few people’s expressions stiffened. It was certainly a strange and awkward request to make upon meeting someone for the first time.

“Leo, no matter what, that’s—”

“Please… Just in case.”

At his words, Lumine nodded without hesitation. The Saintess beside her mumbled something, but they were too far for him to hear clearly.

“But Priestess!”

Even when the Holy Knight shouted loudly, Lumine only responded with a gentle smile.

“It’s alright. I’ve heard plenty about Sir Leonardo’s character and reputation.”

That smile seemed to ease everyone’s caution, and they stopped holding him back. The angel’s expression next to them was slightly contorted, but he pretended not to notice.

[See? That’s what real personality looks like.]

Of course, the Sage was worse. Wasn’t it obvious that a beautiful saintess, who had even become an angel, was better than an old man with dementia who’d forgotten who caused this mess in the first place?

…It had to be. If even the saintess ended up like that, this world would have no hope left.

* * *

The room they entered was a secluded sickroom in the mansion where Leo had been treated after he passed out. It was a remote, quiet corner, rarely visited by other knights or servants.

“…Um, Sir Leonardo.”

As Leo closed the door, Lumine asked in a gentle tone.

“Yes, Priestess Lumine.”

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

The Sage seemed a bit surprised by her perceptiveness, but Leonardo, being used to it, wasn’t startled.

“Did you already know?”

“…Yes, it seemed that way based on your condition and tone.”

Sometimes, experience gained from conversation could enhance one’s judgment more than experience from battle.

“Then I’ll get straight to the point.”

Leonardo pointed to the angel behind her, his gaze once again fixed on her directly.

“Since when have you been able to see her?”

Lumine’s expression froze for a moment. However, she quickly regained her composure, offering a smile once more.

“…Her? Is there someone else here?”

In some ways, it was impressive. If it had been him, he would have at least stammered or broken out in a cold sweat.

That must mean she was quite skilled at hiding things.

In contrast, the woman standing there—whether she was a saintess or an angel—was expressing every emotion clearly on her face.

“I understand why you’d be cautious. After all, I’ve been hiding it ever since I first saw her at the age of 13.”

The more calmly he handled the situation, the smoother their communication would be.

“…Could it be… you can see her too?”

“I could even describe what she’s doing right now.”

At those words, the saintess gave him a slightly doubtful look, then broke into a sly smile. She leaned forward, pressing her chest close to Leonardo’s face.

[Did you see that? I told you, she’s a crazy pervert. I suspected she had some pedophile tendencies… What a mess…]

Why had humanity been saved by such lunatics?

It was truly something to lament.

“Could you start by asking her to move her chest away from my face?”

Leonardo gave her a cold, indirect rebuke without batting an eye. His sharp words left her slightly flustered, and her face turned red.

“…You really can see her…”

“…I have a similar condition.”

[Don’t compare him to that woman.]

Of course, it was obvious. A beautiful angel was far more pleasant to look at than a dying old ghost.

Naturally, though, there was still room for doubt. Any sense of expectation had long since been crushed underfoot, thanks to the so-called Sage.

[I don’t want to in front of that crazy woman.]

Despite being told to disappear before, the Sage had always wandered around. Now, suddenly, he was throwing a tantrum.

That would certainly put the Sage in an uncomfortable position.

[…Fine. Alright. Just don’t start whining about the pain.]

Reluctantly, the Sage recreated his spirit form. But for some reason, Leonardo felt his strength drain from his body, and a sharp pain in his chest followed.

“…Aagh!”

“Are you okay?!”

[He’s fine. He won’t die.]

The elderly ghost, experienced with death, kindly answered from Lumine’s side.

“…Huh…? That voice…”

She didn’t seem to have heard him clearly. While she sensed something was off, without the Sage’s stone as a catalyst, it appeared she couldn’t fully perceive him.

“{Why are you here?}”

Suddenly, a flash of light filled the room, and the voice of the angel echoed in his head. It was a sensation similar to telepathy.

[I should be asking you that. Did you downgrade from saintess to pigeon?]

“…An… angel…?”

Lumine, also struck by the flash, seemed startled, as if she could now see the Sage as well.

{Such a vulgar ghost could never be an angel. Reflect on yourself, Brother Lumine.}

“…Ah… yes… I apologize…”

Seeing Lumine, who always maintained a calm face, look so flustered indicated that even she sensed something wasn’t right.

[I’m more normal than you, you crazy woman.]

{Look at that crude language. It’s the typical speech of a malevolent spirit…}

[Better than shoving your chest in a boy’s face, you pervert.]

Their ugly argument continued with neither side willing to concede. It was fortunate that the only people present were priests and mages.

“Let’s all calm down first. How about we start by explaining the situation?”

In this fiery confrontation, Leonardo barely managed to keep the situation under control, guiding the conversation in a more peaceful direction.

“For starters, on our side—”

[Wait, let the pigeon go first.]

He wasn’t acting like a child, but rather like an old man with a useless sense of pride.

“Oh, in that case, I—”

{Wait, such an insult to Brother Lumine is unacceptable… No need to respond, Brother.}

What the angel said seemed reasonable, but her words only served to fuel the fire.

[I’m talking about the one who’s devolved into a bird and hasn’t entered her coffin despite everyone else being dead.]

…Wasn’t she just insulting herself?

Faced with that blunt insult, Leo decided to back down.

“…Since our Sage is at fault, we’ll explain first.”

[Hey! This is a battle of pride…!]

“If you care about pride, just keep quiet. You’re the one who’s been dragging us through the mud the whole time.”

The Sage clutched his head in frustration while the saintess smiled victoriously.

{You’re so kind and virtuous, it’s almost a waste to have you near a Sage. Have you ever considered joining our Church of Light?}

“I’m afraid that, being corrupted by this malevolent spirit, that would be difficult.”

{Oh… may the Light bless you…}

Though the malevolent spirit muttered beside him, Leonardo ignored it and explained the situation. Given the circumstances, he had no choice but to reveal the truth about his regression.

“In summary, Leonardo has come from the future, after obtaining the Sage’s Stone, to return to the past?”

Though the details were lacking, the saintess’s summary was fairly accurate.

“As hard as it is to believe, that’s correct.”

{…What a tragic fate.}

The saintess wore a genuinely sorrowful expression, offering her sympathy.

{…How could someone endure over two years with such a wretch… truly…}

Her pity was well-deserved, of course.

[Shut up. You’re the same, you fanatic.]

{How hard must it have been to be tormented by such a depraved spirit…}

“He…heuk… It even lunged at me, asking me to check its internal organs… Ugh…”

Even now, because of that, she has trauma and can’t eat organ dishes.

[Enough, it’s your turn. I’m already disgusted, so hurry up and start talking.]

“…Ah…! Yes!”

Lumine barely managed to keep her composure in the midst of the historical greats’ disgraceful and chaotic behavior and began her explanation.

The Sage, who had quietly listened, nodded his head and gave his thoughts.

[Even after dying, that woman’s still a deviant.]

{They say the wicked only see wicked things… How pitiful…}

[Seriously, she’s always been a fanatic, pedophile, masochist, and sadist. It’s rare to find someone this evenly messed up. Right?]

It was impossible to agree or deny.

{Silence!!}

The former Saint, now an angel, rarely raised her voice, and this situation turned in the Sage’s favor.

[Hey, attaching yourself to a 7-year-old kid from the beginning makes you a pedophile.]

{That’s just how you think. I only acted with pure doctrine and goodwill…}

[So why did you make it a habit to visit public baths full of children at every available moment?]

At those words, the Saint flinched for a moment, and her angel wings flapped furiously.

{I… I don’t understand what you mean…}

[Did you say your name was Lumine? There’s a huge old tree in the grand cathedral at the temple, right? Dig up the part where the roots turn black. I’ve copied and hidden that pedophile’s diary there.]

It was a strangely detailed and precise geographical description, enough to arouse suspicion. The angel beside her was already drenched in cold sweat.

{You copied that?! How foul can you be?! You truly are disgusting!!}

[You do realize that you are the owner of that filthy diary, right?]

At this point, it was hard to tell them apart. It would be best to just label both of them as equally vile.

[Where do you get off pretending to be clean when you smeared breast milk on a newborn to make them suckle from you? Do you not understand the concept of a bottle?]

{Silence!! That wasn’t my intention!!}

[Let’s be real. You chose that child because they were to your taste, didn’t you?]

It was the first time Lumine had looked at someone with such contemptuous eyes. It seemed even Lumine had caught on to the former Saint’s perversion.

Perhaps that’s why Lumine was able to reach this level of enlightenment.

[Hey, what was that about? Healthy proselytizing? Beating criminals with religious texts and stabbing them with crosses until they converted—socially speaking, that’s torture.]

{Those are lies! Don’t listen to him, Investigator Lumine!}

[And when you treated them, you’d share in their pain, getting off on it like some sadistic masochist. That’s who she is.]

It was a story he had heard somewhere before. He sincerely hoped that the angel involved in getting him closer to Lumine had not also been part of that vile harlot’s schemes.

[Well, thanks to you, the number of believers did increase, right? Wow, incredible! Truly, the great Saint!]

{Shut your mouth!!}

[Then give me a proper rebuttal. Oh, and the way she acted when she got drunk was even more ridiculous. I’d never seen yellow holy water in my life until I…]

Thwack

The former Saint, now an angel, delivered a powerful blow, her anger barely contained. The ghostly Sage’s head went flying.

“…A-Angel?”

{I have exorcised an evil spirit that spewed demonic lies. Pay no mind.}

At this point, it would be better if both of them just disappeared to the afterlife.

[…Did this woman just strike first?]

The Sage’s ethereal form soon reformed, and he hurled a mana bolt in retaliation.

{Gah…!}

[Want me to roast you into a crispy chicken?]

Even though Leo was using his mana, he said nothing and merely watched the fight unfold.

“…Um… Shouldn’t we stop this?”

Watching the great historical figures come to life and engage in battle, Lumine cautiously asked.

“If they were the type to listen when told to stop, would they be acting like this in the first place? Don’t you think?”

Lumine glanced slightly and answered again.

“…No.”

“Then let them be.”

After all, it was entertaining. Perhaps it would be better if either the angel or the spirit ended up permanently incapacitated.

Accepting this, Lumine continued to watch the rare and peculiar spectacle unfold beside him. The only shame was that they had no drinks to go with such an excellent show.