The cawing of crows echoes faintly from afar.
The sky is draped in a grayish hue, veiled by heavy clouds, and everything is submerged in an endless gray curtain.
By day, sharp clangs of metal and the roar of crowds fill every corner, while at night, only a gloomy silence reverberates. This is the eastern outskirts of the continent ruled by the Solatis Empire.
It is the frontline facing the hostile Kaladwen Kingdom.
Squish-squish-
A woman with jet-black hair steps out of the military camp, smoking a cigarette.
With every step on the gray ground, a sound reminiscent of treading on ashes softly resonates. Her violet eyes are sharp, yet they hold an inscrutable loneliness and regret.
Eventually, she halts in front of a tent sitting quietly.
The woman flicks her cigarette a few times before dropping it and leans her head inside the tent.
“Saint, do you have a moment?”
Inside, a second woman is seated. She has bright pink hair, contrasting with the somber ambiance.
“Oh, I’m fine. What brings you here, Princess…?”
The woman referred to as princess glances at the thick book in her hands.
It’s a hefty volume containing information about demons.
‘…Are you interested in demons?’
Curiosity arises, but she soon sets it aside and gets to the point.
“There’s an officer with a fatal injury. I’ve applied first aid, but if you don’t have urgent matters, I’d appreciate it if you could attend to this first.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll head over right away.”
“Then I’ll guide you.”
The woman known as the Saint,
Lilian, rises from her seat with a gentle smile.
As she steps out of the tent, the stench of iron and the subtle scent of blood brush against her nostrils.
Under the dark sky, the scent of the battlefield feels unbearably heavy.
Despite that, Lilian finds this place far more comfortable than the high society.
In society, she was always seen as a traitor and an unworthy saint.
At times, she was called stupid simply for being of common birth, and at worst, she had to endure the scornful gaze of others who labeled her a harlot.
Cold gazes always looked down on her, and no one extended a helping hand.
Not even the close friend she once trusted.
But here on the battlefield, it was different.
Here, everyone welcomed Lilian and needed her.
Their trust rekindled the warmth of humanity within her.
Of course, ever since being betrayed by a friend she relied on, she has been unable to completely trust anyone again.
“Is there anything uncomfortable?”
The black-haired woman walking alongside her inquired quietly.
Lilian nodded, maintaining her smile as she replied.
“Thanks to you, Viviana, I’ve had quite a bit of convenience.”
The black-haired woman, Viviana, chuckled lightly.
“Honestly, it’s unexpected. I thought you’d run away within a month.”
Lilian also chuckled lightly in response to Viviana.
“Oh dear, hearing that makes me a bit sad.”
Viviana observed her with an indifferent expression and then nodded.
“But seeing how you’ve managed to endure so far, you seem unexpectedly strong.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
Viviana took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth.
A spark ignited at her fingertips, and the tip of the cigarette slowly began to burn.
As Viviana exhaled, the smoke blended with the air of the battlefield.
“I was quite surprised to see that a saint, who should be praying in a temple, suddenly came all the way to the front line.”
Lilian replied with a soft smile.
“Really? The Emperor seemed quite pleased.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”
“Right. I’ve already realized I’m a consumable, so there’s no need for you to worry.”
Viviana raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Lilian again.
Contrary to the rumors of her being pure and innocent, she seemed more down-to-earth.
“May I ask why you came directly to this battlefield, Saint?”
Viviana inquired quietly.
Lilian hesitated briefly, but her smile remained steadfast.
“How could I just lay down and rest when the soldiers are sacrificing their lives for us?”
Her soft voice was imbued with warmth.
Her answer was kind and gentle, but Viviana’s eyes, in contrast, became cold and still.
“Saint, I truly despise lies.”
Lilian’s smile faltered for just a moment.
“……”
“The only one on this continent who can brazenly lie before me is just one person. Take heed.”
At Viviana’s cold statement, Lilian let out a hollow smile.
“Hehe, as expected, Princess, I can’t fool you.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Lilian walked in silence for a while, then glanced at the gray ground before speaking.
“Actually, I came to strengthen my powers as a saint.”
Viviana looked at Lilian with a puzzled expression and retorted.
“Powers?”
“Yes, there are always people here who need healing. It’s the perfect place to develop my abilities as a saint.”
Lilian’s gaze landed on a soldier wrapped in bandages in the distance.
Soon, her pink eyes filled with sadness and compassion.
“Of course, my sincere desire is to help those fighting for us.”
Lilian closed her eyes sadly.
“My gratitude for their sacrifice, which allows me to live comfortably in the empire, is equally sincere.”
Viviana watched her for a moment and then quietly asked.
“…Is there a different reason you want to strengthen your abilities?”
Lilian nodded quietly.
“Yes. I want to save one person.”
Viviana furrowed her brow and pondered Lilian’s words.
“Save?”
Lilian looked far into the distance and smiled faintly.
“Yes, perhaps I became a saint just to save that person, hehe.”
Viviana didn’t reply to her statement.
Under the gray sky, the two women continued on their way in silence for a moment.
Viviana watched Lilian for a second.
At first glance, she seemed to be smiling softly, but the emotions reflected within were too vivid.
In her dimmed eyes burned a unmistakable resentment.
It was something only those consumed by vengeance would possess.
‘What a lovely face to talk about salvation with those eyes.’
Viviana chuckled internally, leisurely exhaling cigarette smoke.
“This time it’s my turn. Princess, why are you always fighting at the front line?”
The first to break the silence was Lilian’s voice.
“It’s a family matter.”
“What? Is that all? It sounds so bland.”
Viviana paused for a moment and took a deep drag from her cigarette.
There was no need to say anything in particular, but there was also no reason to hide.
Besides, strangely enough, Viviana felt a certain kinship with the saint.
“I have a debt I must repay.”
“A debt? You have one, Princess?”
“Yes, I’ve committed an irreversible sin.”
“…But what does that sin have to do with standing on a battlefield?”
In response to Lilian’s curious question, Viviana suddenly recalled a letter she received months ago.
A single envelope sealed with her precious family insignia.
The message within was short and succinct, yet it carried great weight.
“If I defeat the enemy alliance and bring peace to the empire, I was promised my sins would be forgiven.”
“Oh my…”
Lilian’s gaze wavered.
She wore an expression that suggested she was contemplating for a moment before studying Viviana intently with cautious eyes.
“It sounds to me like you’re just being used, Princess.”
Viviana took a heavy drag on her last cigarette. At that moment, as the smoke dispersed, her voice became firmer than before.
“That may be true. But I don’t care.”
Sensing it was not the right time to probe deeper, Lilian smiled gently and turned her gaze forward again.
“Hehe, in the end, it seems we both came to fight for our precious ones.”
“Perhaps so.”
“Since this is fate, how about we show each other our precious ones one day?”
Viviana frowned slightly as she replied.
“…That sounds like a futile task.”
“Hehe, I see.”
Lilian brushed off her words lightly, smiling silently.
Viviana, handing no further interest to that Lilian, resumed her pace.
An unfortunate first meeting between two protagonists, intertwined with sins for one and vengeance for the other.
It wasn’t as grand as any mansion, but it was the place where I could rest most comfortably on this continent.
The mansion of the Blanc family.
“I can do this… I can do this…”
I took a deep breath in front of the office door.
Even from outside, my mother’s fragrant scent wafted delicately into my nostrils.
Realizing I could identify my mother’s scent from far away made me feel strangely perverted, yet I couldn’t help it.
She was just that wonderful.
Even if everyone in this house was just a created game character, my mother was irreplaceably precious to me.
I wished just a little more for my mother to love me fervently.
Just a little more, I hoped she desired me to the extent that she couldn’t live without me.
That’s why I’m engaging in such bizarre behavior.
“Ugh… she really has to like it…”
I cast a brief glance at my reflection in the window.
My face, lightly flushed with a red hue, was accompanied by twitching cat ears.
I was wearing the cat headband I received from the recent banquet.
Seeing the enthusiastic reactions from the other young ladies made me wonder if my mother might like it too.
If it weren’t for that expectation, I wouldn’t have put this strange item back on my head.
Taking one last short breath, I knocked on the office door.
“Mother… may I come in?”
The answer didn’t take long.
“Well then, come in, Tina.”
As I savored the warmth of my mother’s voice, I slowly opened the office door.
Mother was seated at her desk, absorbed in her work as usual.
Perhaps her vision had slightly deteriorated; she wore glasses with shiny gold frames.
Watching her engrossed in her tasks made my heart thump faster.
“Just sit tight for a moment. I’ll finish this up quickly and come over.”
Mother said this and then started moving her hands again.
The sound of the pen scratching filled the office, and I gazed at her with a bashful smile.
While waiting, a mischievous thought sprang to mind.
I pressed down on the cat ears on my head and slowly approached her.
Absorbed in her papers, Mother didn’t even seem to notice as I got right in front of her.
I quietly knelt and crawled slowly on all fours.
Luckily, the arrangement of the desk allowed me to sneak under it.
Before I knew it, my eyes landed on my mother’s pale thighs, and I slowly poked my head out.
Then, I gently pressed my cheek against her thigh.
Thump-
“Ugh?!”
My mother’s shocked scream echoed throughout the office.
As she hurriedly lowered her head, she met my gaze, which was hidden beneath the desk.
“Hehe… Were you surprised, Mother?”
I rubbed my cheek against my mother’s soft thigh while looking up at her with wide, sparkling eyes.
“W-what on earth is this…!? Oh…?”
Mother’s voice raised as if preparing to scold me, but it was only for a moment.
Once she saw the cat ears perched on my head, she froze as though struck by lightning.
“T-those ears…”
“They’re a new accessory. The young ladies said they were cute… so I wanted to show you, Mother.”
At my words, Mother fell silent.
She merely stared at me with wide-open eyes.
A calm silence began to envelop us.
In that stillness, my face grew hotter.
I knew she wouldn’t fuss like the other young ladies, but I never expected her to be entirely speechless.
Could she dislike it…?
“U-um… what do you think…?”
Mother’s silence was too uncomfortable.
Unable to endure the awkwardness, I shyly took her hand and gently guided it to stroke my head.
Normally, my mother would have lovingly ruffled my hair, but now her hand remained cold and motionless.
Looking up at her with moist eyes, I asked in a trembling voice.
“Is it… not good…?”
“…..”
All I received in return was cold silence.
But somehow, I sensed something coming from that silence.
Soon, the inevitable happened.
Mother continued to stare at me, not blinking.
Gradually, the rationality seemed to seep away from her blue eyes, which had a vague expression.
And then.
Drip—
A stream of bright red blood flowed from Mother’s nose.
“M-Mother?!”
“Ch-cherub…”
A short gasp escaped her lips.
With her eyes unfocused, Mother fainted right there.
“Mother?!?!
