The chapter 6 of the Saint is out.
Part One, Section One: “The Saint of the kingdom of Parnacota”
Chapter Six
“I-I’m sorry for keeping you two up so late. Thank you for being with me.”
My first duty as a saint of the kingdom of Parnacota concluded right before the day changed.
Honestly, I wanted to create a few more barriers and make preparations to keep my promise to Prince Oswald about making rain, but Leonardo and Lina stopped me.
They told me that I was already overworked and it would be unforgivable if I broke my body due to exhaustion. These were such unfamiliar words.
“You are already working at least five times more than the previous generations of saints. Besides, you’re handling things that’re unrelated to the duties of a saint, such as medicine recipes and dam blueprints.”
“If you push yourself too hard and get too immersed in your work, you might end up getting sick, you know. No matter how much we asked, you rarely took breaks.”
The two of them tearfully approached me, pointing out that I was working too hard, and I began to doubt if something was wrong with me.
I had been told that for a saint, falling ill was out of the question, so I was extra careful about taking care of my health, and, aside from my childhood, never got sick.
With healing magic and meditation, I could dispel most of my fatigue, so taking a 15-minute break allowed me to stay energetic even after a full day of activity…
However, I felt bad about keeping them with me for too long, so I decided to follow their advice and wrap up today’s work.
“A-Anyway, let’s take a day off tomorrow. At this rate, it will become really tough for you, Lady Philia!”
“It seems like even the Parnacota Royal Family was surprised by your today’s work. They insisted that you should definitely take care of your body and rest tomorrow.”
“To rest…? But if the saint takes a break, won’t it negatively impact the country’s welfare?”
Both Leonardo and Lina were also recommended me to take a holiday tomorrow.
No, no, if I take a whole day off like this, demons will come to some town, and it will be a disaster for the country, won’t it be a loss?
“Your well-being is more important than the interests of the country, Lady Philia!”
“Don’t push yourself too hard! It is not something that you must get used to!”
“Well, but… this country is in a dangerous state. At least tomorrow, I must put up barriers to the east and south… As a saint, I cannot compromise on this. You two can take a rest, I’ll be okay.”
I understood that for ordinary people, working from early morning until late at night could be quite challenging.
As a result of my training, I could now go without sleep for a whole week, but I realized that it was heavy labor for the two of them to keep up with me.
That was why I suggested that I would go about my usual activities alone starting from tomorrow.
“Not so fast! I, as a skilled butler Leonardo, cannot take a break when a young lady is putting in so much effort!”
“I feel the same! As someone walking the path of a maid, it’s unthinkable for me to ignore my master’s hard work!”
I didn’t fully understand, but it seemed like both of them would accompany me in my work again tomorrow.
If that’s the case, then at least… I’ll do what I can on my part.
“Saintly Heal!”
Grasping both of their hands, I used my original healing magic.
This magic was effective for fatigue recovery, nourishment, and even worked well for chronic problems such as lower back pain and shoulder stiffness.
Prince Julius referred to it as the “unpleasant magic that reduces visitors to hot spring inns,” and it was not well-received… Nevertheless, after it your tired body should feel better.
“A-Amazing! It feels like my robust body from those days has returned! This is incredible! My entire being is filled with energy!”
“Mr. Leonardo, your hair has turned completely black! It feels amazing. It’s like after a deep sleep… My body feels so at ease.”
From that day on, both of them accompanied me in my saintly duties every day.
Even though the working hours were reduced compared to before, it appears that the people of this country are still pleased with the results.
The kingdom of Parnacota was famous for its formidable knights, but fights against demons took a toll on them too. Everyone especially appreciated my help in that aspect.
There have been times when I was told that I was taking away the soldiers’ job, so I’m relieved.
I was starting to get used to life in the new country. Yet, the more I investigated places like demon nests, the more I sensed ominous signs of potential trouble emerging…
At this rate, there was a possibility that neighboring countries might suffer significant damage.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Y-Yes, indeed… There’s a possibility that something terrible may happen.”
I recorded the size of the demon nests and the aggressiveness of the appearing demons, and then compared it to my notes and ancient manuscripts to formulate a hypothesis.
Maybe, for the first time in 400 years…
“Is something the matter? Lady Philia… You have a troubled expression.”
Maid Lina skillfully took down with her dagger werewolves, death grizzlies, and other creatures that looked like wolves and bears, all the while talking to me. Even though demons within the barrier were weakened, she reliably struck their weak points with a single blow. Perhaps, she was quite a skilled master.
Butler Leonardo was also overwhelming them with his incredible kicking technique; I had recently realized that both of them were also acting as my bodyguards.
“Well, I don’t have definitive proof yet, but the Demon Realm may be getting closer to the Surface…”
In my archaeological research, I had discovered that every few hundred years, the Demon Realm draws closer to our Inhabited Surface, resulting in a significant increase in the number of demon nests and causing substantial damage.
The current situation was extremely similar to the foreboding state from 400 years ago.
In other words, there was a high possibility that the number of demon nests would increase dramatically soon.
“I-Is it going to be that dire!? So, that’s why you are diligently setting up powerful barriers all over the country…?”
“That’s right. The ‘Pillars of Light’ do tend to disrupt the scenery, and I believe many people may dislike them… However, I still prioritize the lives of the citizens above all else.”
“Scenery…? No, I don’t think anyone will be concerned about that… Anyway, this is a serious matter. I’ll report it to the Royal Family right away.”
When I responded to Lina’s question, Leonardo, who just returned, looked anxious and said he would report it to the Royal Family.
It was still speculative, and I didn’t have any concrete evidence yet, so I didn’t feel very enthusiastic about it.
“Nevertheless, there’s no solid evidence that the Demon Realm is getting closer. My remarks are solely based on predictions from statistical data.”
“What are you talking about!? With the knowledge you’ve already shared, Lady Philia, how many people have been saved in such a short time… Even if you are wrong, we can only be grateful that nothing happened. No one will blame you.”
Leonardo said that so confidently, but as a saint, I didn’t think I could just do a job half-heartedly…
“That right! Everyone makes mistakes: humans, saints, it doesn’t matter. And even before being a saint, you are still a human, Lady Philia, so it’s okay to make mistakes. Moreover, we should all work together to address these problems and seek solutions collectively.”
Even Lina kindly reassured me that it was okay to make mistakes.
Indeed, it’s better to devise a plan promptly, and if I make a mistake, I should sincerely apologize and report it.
And so, Leonardo informed the Royal Family about the possibility that the Demon Realm was getting closer after 400 years.
Then, on the same day, Prince Oswald established an emergency response headquarters.
I couldn’t believe that he would take action so quickly based on my unreliable information… His flexibility really caught me off guard.
Now, the only thing that worried me was Mia, whom I had left behind in my homeland. Because I become the saint of Parnacota, I could not erect barriers or perform any such tasks there.
So, at the very least, I will write a letter to my sister. I’ll urge them to conduct investigations throughout the entire country and devise countermeasures…
If we act swiftly, there should still be time. If, as our parents said, many people cooperate with Mia…
It was saddening that there was nothing else I could do but send this letter, so I sent it to my homeland while praying for her well-being.
No comments:
Post a Comment