Episode 46
Abel quickly ran off with the Holy Sword in hand. Seeing this, Estelle chuckled softly.
“So cute…♥”
“But can the Hero really take down a Hom Tiger already?”
The Hom Tiger. A monster that always roamed alone. Yet, it was said to be no less dangerous than intermediate monsters that traveled in groups, which spoke volumes about the Hom Tiger’s strength.
Of course, among the current Heroes, there wasn’t one who couldn’t defeat a Hom Tiger without a blessing. However, the other two Heroes had 7 and 5 years of experience respectively, which had to be taken into account.
On the other hand, Abel had only been chosen as a Hero a little over three months ago and had barely started his journey.
So, it was only natural for Selin to question this. Even if Heroes grow faster than ordinary people, could he really take down such a monster already?
But Estelle, the Saint traveling with Abel, directly countered Selin’s doubts.
“Don’t worry, just watch~♡”
Seeing Estelle’s confident response, Selin nodded hesitantly.
The Hom Tiger, spotting Abel, roared and charged at him. True to its resemblance to a ferocious tiger, its speed was terrifying. Abel, however, didn’t foolishly try to meet the charge head-on.
*Swish!*
He twisted his body to the side and slashed the side of the Hom Tiger’s front paw with the Holy Sword. Normally, the Hom Tiger’s thick fur and hide made it resistant to ordinary weapons, but against the Holy Sword, it was useless.
As a result, Abel dodged the Hom Tiger’s reckless charge and neutralized one of its strongest weapons—its front paw.
“…Good judgment,” Selin remarked. It was hard to believe such sharp judgment came from someone who had only recently picked up a sword.
The Hom Tiger, seeing the wound on its paw, grew even more enraged.
“Grrrr!!!”
Its roar alone showed how furious it was. The Hom Tiger charged again, swinging its front paw, but Abel twisted his body in the opposite direction to dodge and slashed the other front paw, leaving a deep wound.
Targeting the opponent’s strengths first. Truly good judgment.
With both front paws severely wounded, the Hom Tiger lowered its head, preparing to charge with its massive horn. Like a bull in a bullfight, it charged forward.
This time, the Hom Tiger was even faster. Abel stared it down head-on.
“Wait, is he planning to take it head-on!?”
“…Hmm.”
Just moments ago, his judgment was impeccable, but now this? Selin grew anxious watching Abel.
Even Estelle was slightly puzzled by Abel’s actions. There was no need for this. She narrowed her eyes, watching closely.
Abel lowered the Holy Sword, crouching slightly at the waist and knees. He waited until the Hom Tiger was close enough.
When the Hom Tiger reached the desired distance, Abel dashed forward.
Selin was shocked by the reckless move, and Estelle was puzzled. But what Abel did next left both of them stunned.
*Swoosh!*
“Die, you damn cat!”
Abel deliberately slid across the ground, slipping under the Hom Tiger’s belly. With all his might, he thrust the Holy Sword upward.
*Thud!* The Holy Sword pierced the Hom Tiger’s chest, splitting its belly open. Unable to withstand the injury, the Hom Tiger crashed headfirst into a tree and collapsed to the side.
*Thud!* The massive body fell, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Cough! Hack!”
Abel coughed from the dust, waving his hand to clear the air. Though covered in dirt, there wasn’t a single drop of his own blood on him.
‘…A bit reckless, but well done♥’
Estelle smiled with satisfaction and was about to check if Abel was hurt.
Selin, still in shock, asked Estelle, “…How on earth…did Hero Abel become so strong so quickly?”
Estelle smirked and replied, “Because I raised him♡”
#
After defeating the Hom Tiger, they dismantled its horn and hide and sold them to the Adventurer’s Guild for 40,000 gold.
…Why so little?
“Saint, how much gold did we get from the Forest Wolves?”
“30,000 gold.”
“…The Hom Tiger’s price is similar?”
Forest Wolves are low-level monsters. The Hom Tiger is a fairly strong intermediate-level monster. The price doesn’t match the difficulty difference.
“Back then, there were multiple Forest Wolves, and their manes have various uses, so there’s high demand. Especially for magic research and alchemy. That’s why they’re valuable.”
“…Alchemy!?”
There’s alchemy here too!? This was the first I’d heard of it.
“Interested in alchemy?”
Of course. I loved watching *Fullmetal Alchemist*. Do they have transmutation circles and stuff here too?
But if I got too excited, they’d probably tease me, so I played it cool.
“Ah…yeah, a little.”
“Alchemy is much more complicated than magic. I doubt your Hero brain could even grasp half of it♡”
“…You don’t know that.”
I’m confident I could handle equivalent exchange.
“Well, let’s save alchemy for later when we have more time. For now, let’s find an inn to stay at for the night~♡”
“…Sure.”
Alchemy. I’ll definitely learn it someday.
As we left the Adventurer’s Guild, Selin, who had been waiting outside, greeted us with a bright smile. She’s pretty too.
“Finished your business?”
“Yeah, we got 40,000 gold.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. The horn must’ve been in good condition.”
…So that’s considered a lot? Hom Tigers aren’t worth much, huh.
“Where are you headed?”
“Looking for an inn.”
“Oh, if it’s an inn, there’s one over there. I saw a lot of travelers going in earlier.”
“Ah, really?”
Won’t have to waste time looking for one then.
The place Selin mentioned was indeed an inn. She’s got a good eye. The innkeeper, a middle-aged woman, asked us, “How many rooms do you need?”
“One.”
When the Saint answered, Selin was shocked and exclaimed, “Eh, Saint Estelle? Only one room?”
“Yes.”
The Saint looked at Selin as if there was no issue.
“But…the Hero is a man, right? Sharing a room is a bit…”
“Ah, it’s fine. There’s no need for you to worry, Selin. The Hero is a v-i-r-g-i-n, after all~♡”
“What does that have to do with anything!?”
…Wow. I’m touched.
Yeah, that’s the normal reaction. What does being a virgin have to do with it?
…Chloe wasn’t in her right mind either.
The Saint tilted her head and said, “A virgin Hero wouldn’t have the courage to pounce on us, right?”
“What kind of logic is that!?”
…That damn woman. I was holding back, but now I feel like just going for it.
In the end, due to Selin’s strong objections, we rented two rooms. The innkeeper handed over two keys, and the Saint said, “I’ll sleep with the Hero.”
“…Huh?”
“What!?”
…Why are you sleeping with me?
“Saint, that’s a bit…”
“Just kidding~♡ What were you expecting, you pervert♡ Hehe.”
“♡”
“…Haha.”
What a crazy girl.
The innkeeper called out to me as I watched the two saints head upstairs.
“Young man.”
“Yes?”
“Our inn has great soundproofing. Feel free to visit her at night, okay? Want me to get you some condoms too?”
…The women here are seriously out of their minds.
#
Selin followed Estelle into the room. She looked at Estelle with a puzzled expression.
“Saint Estelle.”
“Yes?”
“…Don’t you like the hero?”
“…What!?”
Estelle was startled by Selin’s question and gave her a look that said, “What are you talking about?” But Selin had already figured it out. Anyone who saw the two of them up close and didn’t notice would have to be a fool.
Every time Saint Estelle looked at Abel, her eyes practically dripped with honey. That wasn’t a look you could have unless you liked someone.
But there was something Selin didn’t understand. Why did Estelle talk to him like that earlier downstairs? If she liked him, why act that way?
“You like him, don’t you? Hero Abel.”
“…W-What are you talking about? How could I like someone like him? A virgin, a loser, and a pervert? No way!”
“…You’re a terrible liar, Saint Estelle.”
“Eek…!”
Estelle frowned slightly and confronted Selin.
“So what are you saying? Are you telling me you’re after our hero too, Selin?”
“Huh?…No. I don’t have any such thoughts…”
Sure, Abel was good-looking, but it hadn’t been that long since they met. He seemed like a nice person, but it wasn’t enough time to develop feelings like that.
This wasn’t some fairy tale where people fall in love at first sight.
Selin’s indifferent reaction left Estelle flustered. When Chloe had asked her a similar question before, Chloe had confessed her feelings and turned the tables.
“Then why did you ask me that…”
“Oh, I was just curious. You’re always so mean to the hero. I wondered why you’d act like that if you liked him.”
Estelle debated whether to answer or not. But since her feelings were already exposed, hiding them seemed pointless.
Selin had already said she wasn’t interested, and her reaction made it clear she wasn’t a threat like Chloe. Estelle decided to be honest, feeling like she was consulting Selin.
“…Because the hero is cute.”
“Huh?”
“His reactions are so cute, I can’t help it!”
“…Oh, so you were teasing him?”
“Huh? Of course I was teasing him.”
Selin tilted her head, making a thoughtful sound. She wondered if she had misunderstood the meaning of “teasing.”
“Usually…when people tease someone they like, they don’t go that far, right?”
“…Huh?”
Estelle’s eyes widened as if she had no idea what Selin was talking about. Selin was speechless at her expression.
“…No?”
“Who taught you that teasing someone means saying things like that?”
Estelle hesitated before answering.
“…The nun who raised me.”
“…Oh, so you grew up in the church.”
Selin thought it was pretty messed up to instill such wrong ideas in a child. So, the reason Estelle talked to Abel like that was largely due to that nun’s influence.
“From what I’ve seen, Hero Abel seems to understand that you don’t mean it. But even if he knows it’s not serious, hearing mean things over and over can still get annoying.”
At Selin’s words, Estelle recalled the times Abel had gotten angry before. Seeing Estelle nod slightly, Selin chuckled.
“Saint Estelle, if you really like the hero, why not try being a little nicer to him starting tomorrow? He’d appreciate it.”
“…Nicer?”
Estelle imagined it in her head. Herself complimenting Abel, telling him he was handsome and cool.
Just the thought made her cheeks burn. When she had whispered “You were cool” after defeating the Chimera, she had been so embarrassed.
“…I-I can’t do it.”
“Huh?”
“I’m too embarrassed to say things like that!”
Selin thought to herself at Estelle’s reaction.
‘How can someone who’s embarrassed by that casually call someone a virgin…?’
Selin sighed deeply.
“Saint Estelle, how old are you?”
“…Seventeen.”
“You’re still young. I thought we were around the same age.”
“Huh? Then how old are you, Selin?”
“I’m not that old!…I’m twenty-two.”
She was five years older than Estelle. Selin gave Estelle some advice.
“Saint Estelle, it would be good for you to be a little more honest with your feelings.”
“…Do I have to? I thought there was plenty of time to take it slow…”
“Do you think the hero will always be by your side?”
“…Forever?”
“…?”
Selin gave Estelle a look that said, “What are you talking about?” and Estelle returned a look that said, “What’s the problem?”
“…Heroes are people who are always on the battlefield to defeat the Demon King. How can you expect him to stay by your side forever?”
“Huh? I’ll just protect him, then.”
“…Huh?”
Selin didn’t understand Estelle’s words. It wasn’t the hero protecting the saint, but the saint protecting the hero?
Sure, the sacred artifact that had captured Selin before was tough enough that she couldn’t break free, but the idea of a saint protecting a hero didn’t make sense.
Even if the current Hero Abel was relatively weaker than other heroes, he was still chosen by the Holy Sword. One day, he’d have the strength to crush a saint.
But protecting the hero? That was absurd.
‘She’s not even a ‘real saint’ herself…’
“Heroes have to fight high-risk monsters like Behemoths, Leviathans, and even Amon-Class monsters. They even take on dangerous missions like infiltrating nests to kill Mothers. How exactly do you plan to protect him then?”
“…Ah.”
Estelle seemed to understand. Selin nodded, but Estelle hadn’t actually understood in the way Selin meant.
‘She doesn’t know, does she?’
Estelle was different from other saints. At the Solaria Church, her true status as the proxy of the goddess had never been announced, at her own request and the Pope’s decision.
“It’s fine.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Selin. But I’ll take your advice to heart…thank you.”
Through her conversation with Selin, Estelle had gained some insight. The insight she gained from talking to Selin was…
‘I should tone down the teasing a bit.’
Estelle had no intention of stopping the teasing altogether.
