Chapter 17: Determination

The village of the Holy Sword.

Now that it has truly produced a warrior of the Holy Sword, it should be called the village of the warrior.

The village was busy preparing for the festival, but there were some who could not hide their anxiety.

“Ugh….”

The village chief gave instructions to the busy villagers, then left alone and lit a cigarette.

“What should I do now…?”

When someone who was at odds with him becomes very successful, he tends to become envious and jealous.

The village chief hated Lucius.

There were many things about him being compared to his son, but he also hated the person who took Lucius in, so he hated Lucius.

And because he hated Lucius, he tried to do bad things to the witch Lucius saved.

“Witch…”

The witch’s gaze at him was filled with irritation and anger, but at the same time, there was a look in her eyes that seemed to understand the village chief.

Yes, a look of understanding.

She looked at the village chief as if she thought, “It’s natural for a man to lust after me,” something she had never felt even from her own wife.

The witch knew everything, but she spared the village chief.

The witch showed mercy to the one who tried to kill her.

The witch showed mercy to the one who tried to harm her in a secluded place.

Was this a one-sided misunderstanding by the village chief?

No.

If it was the village chief’s misunderstanding, the witch would have been truly indignant at what the village chief was trying to do and roasted him.

Or, when the goblins attacked, she would have thrown the village chief as food for the goblins.

However, she was merely proceeding with the awakening of the hero.

The witch did not kill the village chief, and the village chief received a favor from the witch.

“She… is a saint!”

The red lotus magician.

Although she did not specifically deny being called a witch, the way the witch understood, overlooked, and showed mercy to her dark desires and crimes was just like a saint herself.

Unlike those who were called saints simply because they received the stigmata from the religious order, she was a saint who truly knew how to show mercy to foolish humans.

“Crimson lotus magician. Thank you, thank you again.”

The village chief dropped the ash from his cigarette and prayed silently.

“You saved not only my life, but also my son’s life, thank you very much.”

Although his son was still hiding in the corner of the room, fearing that Lucius and the witch would come to kill him, the village chief understood his son and came to defend the witch.

“Whoa….”

Thick smoke rose into the sky.

The village chief looked at the cigarette smoke slowly rising into the sky and turned his head.

“What the hell?!”

“…”

Right next to the village chief was a woman with brown hair.

“D, Droniel?”

“…Village chief.”

Droniel.

The prettiest and most beautiful of the village girls, the woman the village chief secretly thought of as a potential daughter-in-law.

At the same time, the woman who liked Lucius and caused her son to hate Lucius.

The woman who tried to say something to Lucius as he was leaving, but Lucius refused to follow her, saying it was dangerous.

“What’s going on?

You’re packing so much…”

“I, I have to go see my father.”

“…It’s dangerous.”

The village chief was startled and tried to stop Droniel.

“Why does Lord Odron suddenly want to meet you?”

“I want to learn swordsmanship from my father…

Because I want to follow Lucius?”

“Yes.”

Droniel’s eyes were serious.

“You’re just going to stay in the village because you’re weak?

That can’t be happening.

Lucius needs a woman by his side to take care of him.

He doesn’t need someone to do his bidding, but a woman who will hold him when he’s having a hard time.”

…

The village chief felt goosebumps running down his back.

Although the opponent was clearly an ordinary village girl, he could see the silhouette of the kingdom’s strongest knight and swordsman behind Droniel.

“…Blood is thicker than water.

But Droniel, the outside is dangerous.”

“It’s the territory right next door anyway.

It only takes a day to walk there.”

“…That’s true.”

“And you said that the hero of the holy sword has appeared.

Then the knights from the territory will come looking for you soon.

Some of them might know me.

The village where the lord’s hidden daughter is located was attacked by goblins.”

“…”

Droniel’s words were correct.

“I came to this village to escape the political marriage of an old nobleman’s concubine, but I will not hide anymore.

I am an adult now.”

The village chief was worried about many things, but he could not break Droniel’s will.

“…If you want to live as a noble, it could be extremely difficult.”

“I don’t want to live as a noble.

I want to grow strong enough to be with Lucius.

That’s why I came to say hello.”

Droniel bowed.

“Goodbye, chief.”

The chief couldn’t stop Droniel from leaving.

The contract he had made with Count Odron was “Droniel being able to live freely!”

If the count finds out that his daughter has a crush on the Hero of the Holy Sword, he’ll definitely try to take advantage of it.

The chief let out a deep sigh.

“…Can I beat the saint?”

“Ha.”

Droniel twisted the corners of his mouth.

“I’m Lucius’s childhood friend.”

“Thank you, saint.

We’ll be going now.”

“Hmm…”

They left the cave, but the saint showed no signs of leaving.

It seemed more advantageous for me to have the saint join as a companion, but it was difficult to lose the initiative in the group.

“The center of the journey should be Lucius.

Lucius should be the key man who sets the direction.

There may be many people who give Lucius directions, but Lucius is the one who decides.”

“May the goddess’s blessings be abundant.”

“Wait a minute.”

The saintess blocked our path as we were about to leave.

“Where did you say you were going?”

“We’re going to a village.”

“So which village?”

She was persistent.

“I understand that there is a village of the Holy Sword nearby.

How about going there?

We will accompany you safely until then.”

I wanted to ask if this wasn’t an accompaniment but a kidnapping, but the person I was talking to was the saintess.

“It’s okay, saintess.”

“I’m worried about sending only the two of you.”

“That’s okay too.”

“You don’t have to decline…”

“Oh, just like that.”

I wanted to slap the saintess and tell her to get out of here, but I had to hold back.

The moment I slapped her with malice, my hand would burn with divine power and disappear.

“We…”

“I’m sorry, Saint.”

Lucius stopped me and bowed to the saint.

“Master has decided to register me as an adventurer.

We are going to Normans, where the Adventurer’s Guild is located.”

The saint raised her head toward Lucius without saying anything.

Suddenly, the two began to stare at each other in silence, and I winked at the female knight behind the saint, who was probably the leader of the Knights.

“Can we part ways?”

The blonde knight blinked once upon meeting my gaze.

She seemed to have realized my strong will to part ways.

But.

Slowly, slowly.

The knight approached me.

The woman, who was a head taller than me, took something out of her bosom and…

“There will be a security check when you get to Normans.

If you present this as proof, you will pass right through.”

“What is this…?”

A blue crescent moon brooch.

The woman placed the brooch firmly in my hand and held my hand tightly.

“What is your name?”

“Bell.”

“Bell….”

The knight looked at me for a while and smiled faintly.

That smile was like a snake that would devour me, and I felt goosebumps on my back for no reason.

“It was nice meeting you.

Saintess, you should go now.”

“Yes…”

The saintess seemed to be feeling sorry in her own way, but she couldn’t delay any longer.

“Goodbye, Lucius.

See you next time.”

“See you again someday, Yan.”

“Huh?”

In the meantime, not only did they exchange names, but they called each other by name.

Did Lucius do a good job, or was the saintess really that into Lucius?

“Bell,”

“We’ll have a deeper conversation later.”

“Your name?”

“Huh?”

“I think I’m the only one introducing myself.”

The knight blinked blankly for a moment before smiling faintly.

“My name is LiliesCaesarcross.”

“Master.”

Lucius asked me cautiously from behind with a worried voice.

“Won’t our identities be discovered if we go to the village?”

“Hmm.

Of course not.”

We’ll be discovered.

Definitely.

“But I don’t think it’ll really matter even if we’re discovered.

Just because I’m a warrior doesn’t mean I have to be with the sect.”

“Master, the Red Moon Church…?”

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Red Moon or the Blue Moon.

Sects or religions aren’t my concern, and I just need to catch the Demon King.”

The Red Moon Goddess Church and the Blue Moon Goddess Church are all the same.

“Or did you fall for SaintYan?”

“No.”

“It’s like a sword.

I almost cut you.

Why?

You look so handsome.”

“…I’m not interested in women like that.”

“Then do you like men?

Are you gay?

Ugh.”

“Master….”

Lucius frowned and cursed with his eyes.

“I like women.”

“That girl from my childhood?”

“Haa….”

The way she fiddled with the ring made it seem like she wanted to take out her holy sword and strike me.

“I’m joking.

But think about it.

It would be helpful if the saintess joined the party.”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous if she influenced the master?”

“There’s a way to solve all of that.

It won’t be an immediate solution, but we can get the materials and make special items.

We can get everything while we’re shopping for clothes.

Hehe.”

I pointed toward the village.

“Let’s go.

To Norman.”

After registering as an adventurer, we will search for traces of the Demon King there.

For my revenge.