Chapter 12

It seems I didn’t faint for too long.

When I came to, a bunch of young girls were huddled in front of me.

“It’s the Saint!”

“It’s really the Saint!”

About five of them, with their faces grotesquely disfigured, were looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes.

I blinked at the girls, but my senses returned when I spotted the body of a thief slumped in the corner.

No urge to vomit came.

But cold sweat poured from me like crazy.

As I stood frozen, the young girls cautiously approached and held my hand.

Their warmth snapped me back to reality.

“Who is that man?”

“He brought us matches.”

“Then we sell them to make money.”

“The money goes to the old man, and he gives us a place to sleep and food to eat.”

“He gives you a place to sleep and food?”

“Yes, Saint.”

I looked down at the young girls.

They couldn’t be more than seven or eight years old.

One even looked like she was only four.

All of them had faces melted from burns and were wearing rags that looked like they belonged in a trash can.

They had no shoes on their feet, and the hands of the girl holding mine were rugged enough to make even a construction worker blush.

I frowned.

How can kids who have food and a place to sleep be in such a state?

“Can I see where you sleep?”

“Yes.”

The girls led me away.

Shit.

I needed to get out of here fast.

I had to leave before the Lilia Church folks showed up…

But I couldn’t just walk away from these kids, not when their situation was so dire.

After winding through a few more alleys, we finally arrived at where the girls slept.

“We sleep here leaning against this.”

I was left speechless.

A long, filthy, stinky piece of rotten rope was stretched across the wall.

Children who seemed to be under ten were huddled together, sleeping against that rope.

In a horrid gateway that smelled of mold and rot, where no one would come.

“What do you eat… what do you eat?”

The little girls pointed to decaying vegetables and moldy bread lying near the sewer.

“If we bring in a lot of income, sometimes they give us bread that isn’t moldy.”

I was completely at a loss at the shocking scene.

All fifteen of those young girls bore disfigured burn scars on their faces, bodies, and hands, and they leaned against that rope with expressions that suggested no hope or future.

The guilt of having killed someone began to fade away.

What the hell… what kind of scumbag allows this?

“Why are your faces… why are your faces like that?”

At my question, the girls started to tremble with tears.

“Mom and Dad died early.”

“The factory man took us to work in the match factory.”

“We should have been careful, but we couldn’t, and a fire broke out.”

“It hurt, so they just abandoned us. We’re hungry and have nowhere to sleep… but the old man took us in, gave us work, a place to sleep, and food.”

Some of the shoeless girls had lost toes to frostbite.

One girl was missing fingers, and another had a face so twisted you could see her throat inside.

Honestly, their state made it seem miraculous that they were still alive.

My fists clenched.

I had to run.

The Lilia Church people were coming.

They had said they’d arrive early.

So they might be trying to find me now.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

I had to escape.

A voice in my head screamed that I needed to flee right now.

But…

But how could I just run away after seeing this, damn it?

I had used Time Stop, so would there be any witnesses or footprints?

It would take them a while to find me as well.

So I figured I might have enough time to treat these kids.

That thought crossed my mind.

“Mister… are you really the Saint?”

At the question from a young girl, I quietly knelt down to meet her gaze.

“No.”

I am not the Saint.

I’m just a pathetic idiot born with a gaming skill.

Too timid that I freeze at the slightest incident, and start crying at the faintest scare.

My hobbies included watching gory movies and anime, and in my previous life, I was just an average student at a local university before I suddenly reincarnated.

But I was someone who had the ability to heal these kids right in front of me.

“I’m just a person serving those in need.”

I extended my hand to the girl before me.

“Come here. I will help you.”

So what if I have a gaming skill and I’m a loser?

Let’s be thankful that this opportunity has arisen.

I placed my hand on the girl’s head.

[Using Body Modification Skill!]

I began to touch the girl’s body.

I treated her face, melted from burns, and healed various illnesses clinging to her body.

I fixed her severed fingers and toes lost to frostbite.

As I pushed my still-fatigued mind to concentrate on modifying the kids because I was using Time Stop, blood began to drip from my nose, but I didn’t stop.

No.

I couldn’t stop.

“Ah…”

The girl shed tears as she looked at her healed body.

I spoke to the transformed girl.

“Go and bring your friends. I’ll fix them all.”

The girl ran to get the others.

A limping child.

A girl with a white eye, possibly blind in one.

A child whose nose had melted off, making strange honking sounds when she spoke.

I placed my hands on each of their heads and carefully continued the modifications one by one.

And finally,

Each last child returned to a cute and pretty appearance.

“S-St.!”

“The Saint healed us!!”

“It doesn’t hurt!! I can see now!!”

As the sounds of the children’s giggles filled the air, I couldn’t help but feel tears welling up.

I hugged each child tightly.

“You won’t hurt anymore.”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you, Saint!”

“Now we can sell matches even better!!”

Those words made me frown.

“You’re going to sell matches?”

“Yes.”

“And where will you sleep?”

“Here.”

“……”

“Why?”

After all that healing, it felt like they were bound to get sick again and die soon.

I had healed them, and I thought I could just head out and say goodbye, but my feet wouldn’t budge.

“Do you know where the Sun Church is?”

“Yes! We know!”

“Go there and tell them the Saint sent you. They will take care of you.”

I thought maybe the Sun Church wouldn’t have overflowing funds either.

So I said that hoping I could send money for these kids in an anonymous donation every month.

“No! We don’t want to leave the Saint!”

“Me neither!”

This is the best I can do.

I can’t do more than this.

The Lilia Church might still be looking for me!!

If I get caught, that’s burning at the stake, kids!!

“Please let me go now…”

As I cautiously tried to push the kids away and make my escape, at that moment,

“He’s right here!!”

“It’s the Saint!!”

The sound of clanking armor filled the air.

Before I could do anything, the knights from the Sun Church stormed into the alley where I was standing.

“Saint! It’s the Saint!!”

Seeing the knights made my face pale.

I’m doomed.

NOW! I need to run!

Damn it.

I was so exhausted, it was a wonder I was even standing.

Even with Time Stop, I doubted I could escape this alley.

In the end, I found myself unable to flee, awkwardly surrounded by the kids.

“Saint, did you really… heal the children?”

Cold sweat streamed down my face as I forced a smile.

Thankfully, it wasn’t Lilia Church.

“I just did what I had to do.”

“Ah… you are truly…”

Could you take care of these kids?

I was about to say I needed to leave and asked them to take care of the kids.

But just as I began to speak,

A group of people followed the knights from the Sun Church into the alley.

A thief, half-conscious and drooling, was being dragged in by policemen, handcuffed.

Isn’t that thief dead?

He’s alive?!

That scoundrel deserves worse than what’s coming.

But that was okay.

The problem was the group of priests in white robes that followed closely behind.

A drop of water in a circle.

Ah… why are you guys here?

“Not long after the Saint disappeared, members of the Lilia Church heard rumors and came directly to our church. Thus, with the miracle of tracking, I was the one to guide them here.”

The miracle of tracking?

Why the hell is that a thing?

Why is there even such a thing as a tracking miracle?!

“I see.”

I still kept a smiling face.

My expression had just frozen like this.

This was the end.

A burning at the stake ending.

I’m such a pathetic idiot.

I should have just run.

I should have healed them quickly and used Time Stop to escape.

Why the hell did I poke my nose into their business?

No!

Why is this my fault?!

With tracking miracles around and keeping things hidden from me, you from the Sun Church are worse!

Right before being burned at the stake, I healed so many people! Surely I could shout “Just give me a break, I’m not a heretic!” and get out of this mess somehow!

As I thought this, the priests from the Lilia Church carefully approached me.

I stood frozen, watching them come closer.

The bald elder leading the Lilia priests was staring at me with an expression that was hard to describe.

“Oh goddess. Truly… are you the Saint? Have you been sent by the goddess?”

I had no idea how to respond.

No matter what I said, I’d probably get caught.

I just stood there, frozen and trembling.

As I didn’t react, the bald elder stretched out his hand, spotted with age spots.

“Sign of the Saint. If you truly are a true apostle sent by the goddess… then show us the mark.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Yeah.

Of course, they’d want to validate me with all sorts of tests only Lilia’s believers would understand.

Mark of the Saint?

Do I have that?

I’m doomed.

I’d probably end up living my life branded as a heretic who falsely claimed to be the Saint.

As I stood there frozen, the bald elder couldn’t wait anymore and took action.

“Forgive my rudeness. I’ll verify it.”

He waved his hand anxiously.

The knights of the Lilia Church approached me.

They carefully and calmly began to remove my clothes.

All the dirt and filth from rolling around with the poor and healing witches fell away piece by piece.

I stared blankly at the sky with a hollow expression.

…What a waste of life.

Is this really how it ends?

So empty…

The knights, ignoring my daze, meticulously inspected my naked body.

I just stood there with my arms outstretched, letting them have their way.

I had given up completely.

I was so scared my brain froze, and I couldn’t think of anything.

Just before being burned at the stake, I thought my only chance was to cry pitifully and try to wave some sympathy. That was all I could think.

“There’s… no sign of the Saint.”

“There are absolutely no signs!”

The knights of Lilia yelled.

Yeah.

There’s none.

It would be weirder if there were.

Should I just start crying now?

Should I kneel and beg not to be burned at the stake with some sad performance?

“The purest body shall come forth! Aaah!! The words of the scripture have come to pass!!”

“That’s right! The Saint sent by the goddess!!”

…Huh?

“O Lilia! Aah! Praise the Goddess of Grace!”

The knights knelt before me in unison.

The priests of the Lilia Church also knelt.

The Sun Church people were tearing up, making the sign of the cross, while the police gazed at me filled with respect and reverence.

“Oh, Saint of the Goddess! Lead us, humble servants!”

Seeing the bald elder shout emotionally made me blink in confusion.

What in the world is happening right now?

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