Chapter 19: The Saintess’s True Face

Everything happened in an instant.

There were hunters assigned to security, but there was no time to react.

It was so sudden, and no one had expected a child to act in such a way.

How beautiful must a person be to make something like a slap on the cheek seem like a scene from a drama?

The sight of beauty trembling seemed as if time had stopped.

Her long black hair swayed gently as it caught the light, and her milky skin blushed a deep red in an instant.

Her typically stunning and elegant features, which always captured people’s attention, were subtly distorted by the sudden shock.

For a moment, everyone stood frozen, mouths agape from the impact.

“What, what just happened? What did we just see?”

“Did I imagine that?”

“Looking at her build, she seems like a child.”

“Unbelievable. They say kids these days have no manners… but still. To pull a stunt like that on the Saintess?”

“Is this some kind of intrusion?”

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder.

At the center of the controversy stood a figure who seemed to have intentionally hidden their identity, wrapped up as though they were preparing for something like this.

But that didn’t matter.

It was obvious.

“Huh?”

“Get her out of here!”

“What were the security guards even doing?”

“That little brat is embarrassing the whole country.”

“Saintess, are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Dangling.

Despite the small size of the child, the security guards seemed excessively large.

The child hung limply in their arms, making no attempt to resist, swinging helplessly in the air.

She looked almost cute, like a doll.

Among the crowd, whispers spread.

“Tch, she’s going to be punished, no doubt.”

A hunter of national importance from China.

The crime of striking the Saintess, who was in the country on a pilgrimage and performing service, could never be taken lightly.

However…

“Wait a moment.”

The security guards, who were about to drag the child away, stopped and turned to look at Xiao Lin.

She still wore her serene smile and spoke in a gentle, compassionate voice.

“Please, don’t treat the child harshly. It’s not a serious mistake, so there’s no need to drag her away.”

“But this child was being disrespectful…”

“It’s alright. A child can do such things. There’s no need for legal punishment. Just a little scolding will be enough.”

The Saintess smiled kindly as she looked at the child.

It was as if she were showing off her own mercy.

Around her, admiration and praise poured in.

“Is this really the Saintess?”

“If it were me, as soon as that brat slapped me, I’d have kicked them.”

“Her heart is as beautiful as her healing abilities.”

“She really is perfect.”

“She’s like a goddess.”

“Let go. That lady seduced me first with her murderous smile, you know?”

“I wasn’t holding on…”

She briefly turned her head to glance at the crowd and, with another soft smile, returned her attention to the child.

It was a smile that seemed intentionally staged to emphasize her compassion.

“This child just made a mistake. Shouldn’t we all allow them a chance?”

Xiao Lin, like an actress on stage, savored the attention, reaching out to gently pat the child’s head.

The security guards, glancing at each other, lowered the child to the ground.

She crouched down, looked the child in the eye, and, with all eyes on them, spoke gently.

“I’ll forgive you if you apologize. You should have a chance too.

If you apologize in front of everyone, people will forgive you. What do you think? Don’t you have anything else to say?”

Her voice, soft and soothing, was the kind that would surely go viral if she made ASMR content.

Saintess Xiao Lin’s voice was gentle and compassionate, as if she were consoling a child, offering the opportunity to apologize.

But the child showed no reaction to her words.

There was no fear, no embarrassment on the small face.

It was as if the child had no expectations or resistance toward the world, a helpless creature.

The child slowly looked at the Saintess.

Calmly blinking, the child finally spoke.

“I have been granted the authority to execute the judgment of Heaven according to the sacred laws of the celestial realm.”

“…Huh?”

“Well, do you have anything else to say?”

The child asked, as if questioning her, yet there was an inexplicable weight to their words.

An expression of grave determination appeared on their faces.

Jealousy stirred inside her.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen this side of my senior.’

How wonderful it would be if this attention were directed at me.

‘Being a precious younger sibling who receives all of my senior’s love…’

I must meet them someday.

“What should we do?”

“Of course, we cause a scene.”

“Are you suggesting that a Hunter registered with the Association would do something villainous in such a public place?”

“Well, I still think the child is more important. There’s no way they acted without a reason. The remnants of necromancy here make me suspicious.”

“I’m curious about how you gained such unshakable trust from your senior.”

“So, is it decided?”

The two exchanged a glance and nodded in silent understanding.

They were no strangers to one another. As mentor and mentee, their teamwork was flawless.

With just a glance, they knew exactly what needed to be done.

「S-Class Skill, Celestial Demon Arts activated」

「Celestial Demon Law, Exclusive Cloud God Stealth Technique」

「Celestial Demon Stealth Arts」

Whoosh.

In an instant, Celestial Demon vanished.

And with him—

「Using skill」

「Unique Skill: Soul Contract」

「Rank: S」

“You may exhaust all of your mana to form a contract with a soul.”

“The number of undead you can bind is limited, but each one grows extraordinarily powerful.”

“The higher the bond with the contracted undead, the greater the strength.”

From White Soul’s shoulder, a lich’s skull appeared.

Normally, a contract would not have been possible.

But this particular lich had been collected while under the mentor’s guidance during an S-Class Gate expedition.

[Ha-ha-ha! The air of this world! The life force of living beings!]

[…To think you would summon me. I’m grateful.]

One… two…

The true strength of the Necromancer was about to unfold.

The stronger an enemy slain, the stronger the necromancer grew.

That meant there was a high potential for growth.

…It was somewhat eerie.

The skull was quite lovely, and if you stared long enough, it had a certain charm.

Maybe that’s why the bond continued to grow.

“What’s with that person?”

“Ugh!”

“What’s happening… Aaaaah! They have three heads!”

“Ah! It’s the Korean Cerberus!”

The crowd, which had been in chaos just moments ago, suddenly froze with blank expressions, no longer reacting.

Double casting.

The lich’s magic had been unleashed.

They were now seeing hallucinations induced by the curse.

‘It’s difficult to completely deceive people with so many Hunters around.’

But for about 30 minutes, no one would notice.

White Soul was confident.