< Episode 5 > Saintess
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As night approached, Jeonghyeon paused his training for a moment.
**
Lee Jeonghyeon [Level: 1]
[Stats]
Strength: 13 Agility: 10 Stamina: 9 Mana: 6 Holy Power: ???
[Held Traits]
1. (Unrealistic Genius)
2. (Unrealistic Luck)
[Held Skills]
None
**
His Strength had been 6, Agility 4, Stamina 5.
As someone who knew that even dependents called geniuses couldn't achieve such steep growth in just a few hours.
He knew full well how insane this growth rate was.
'Not enough.'
Even so, this alone didn't satisfy him.
From a third party's perspective, it might have seemed like the arrogance of someone who'd had their fill, but.
Because he didn't know when 'those guys' might discover him, he needed to hurry, at least a little.
'The moment I'm discovered, I'll have to repeat that hellish ordeal.'
So.
Even if it meant grinding everything into it, he had to grow as fast as possible.
Because that was the only way he could survive.
So, just as he reached out again to commit self-harm.
A young yet fierce voice came from behind.
"...I'll absolutely never help you again from now on!"
As if a chick were emphasizing 'I'm angry.'
Hopping up and down and chirping indignantly, she glared at him, fuming.
At that sight, he found himself at a bit of a loss, forced an awkward smile, and apologized first.
"Did you have class today and miss it because of me? Sorry."
At those words.
She replied as if her anger were erupting.
"No, first of all, today's the weekend...! And that's not the problem—it's your body... Every time I treat you, it feels like my heart is dropping!"
Hearing that, Jeonghyeon looked down at his own body.
Perhaps because he had used quite a lot of holy power.
His whole body was covered in blood, and his uniform was in tatters.
"...Is that so?"
Perhaps because he'd been dragged around in such states so many times before.
He couldn't even tell what was wrong.
While he wore a puzzled expression, she put on a fierce, combative look and kicked up a fuss.
"No way! 'Is that so?' ...! Anyone who saw you like that would be terrified out of their wits and try to run away, don't you think?"
"I don't think it's that bad."
At those words, she paused her movements for a moment.
Then, with an expression completely opposite from a few seconds ago, she spoke gently.
"So you don't think it's that bad, sir?"
He was bewildered by the sudden change in attitude.
But without paying it much mind, he nodded.
She gave him a benevolent smile and spoke again.
"Being tattered, covered in blood, and on top of that having the skin all over your body torn to shreds isn't that bad... Is that what you're saying?"
Before his suicide, being dragged around in an even worse state for days without sleep had been the majority of his experience.
The thought that this much was fine took precedence.
So, without feeling much seriousness, he nodded.
"I understand your words well, sir."
She flashed a pure white smile, picked up a palm-sized stone that had fallen on the ground, and spoke.
"Come to think of it, I was short-sighted. For a creature whose existence consists only of pain, death itself would be a blessing."
Then her expression turned icy cold.
"So it would be better for me to kill you. Yes. That must be the will of the Goddess."
As if she truly meant to kill him, she quickly ran at him and swung the stone.
"Just die! I said die!"
No matter how you looked at it, telling someone to die wasn't something a priest should say, right?
He slowly stepped back and opened his mouth.
"Calm down."
"Is this a situation where I can calm down? Do you know how absurd it is to self-harm in front of a priest and ask for treatment?"
Now that he heard it, that was true.
It was similar to smashing a phone on the floor right after getting it repaired.
And then asking for it to be fixed again.
'But there's no other answer.'
- A living holy power bomb.
The memory of those days when he even needed permission to breathe.
Gave him the feeling that they would come any moment and put a collar around his neck.
No matter what anyone said, he couldn't stop this training.
"Sorry."
The moment he stopped growing and remained in place.
It became no different from that time when he could do nothing but wait for death.
So after a brief apology.
He dodged her and swung his hand at a nearby tree again to continue his training.
*Kwaang!*
This time, perhaps because too much holy power had been put in.
His arm, which had at least maintained its form, broke completely and hung limp.
While he looked at it with slight wonder, the priestess watching from behind spoke to him with an expression as if she were about to faint.
"Not again! Aaah, seriously! This time even the bone is broken...!"
"......"
"Make an excuse or something!"
"Sorry."
"Good job...!"
When he looked at her silently.
She deliberately pretended to be nonchalant and spoke.
"What, what is it!"
"I didn't say anything."
"I'm just boiling with anger inside, so don't mind me!"
Having finished those words, the priestess who had been treating him bit her lip and pondered for a moment.
Then she spoke to him, her complicated emotions showing.
"Leaving that aside, doesn't it hurt? If the bone is completely shattered... normally."
She tried to say something but soon swallowed it back.
It seemed like something difficult to say.
Deciding to pretend he didn't notice, he lowered his gaze and looked at his tattered arm.
'It hurts less than I thought.'
He didn't know if it was thanks to the terrible pain the collar had given him granting him pain resistance.
Pain within this range was more or less tolerable.
Just as he was thinking this could be quite useful, she strongly slapped his back and spoke.
"Anyway, get plenty of rest until at least tomorrow. Holy power can perfectly treat external wounds, but it can't properly treat internal injuries."
"......"
Leaving aside whether he would or wouldn't. Because he had no choice but to do it, he deliberately avoided answering.
She glared at him and spoke.
"...Leaving that aside, the treatment is taking to you incredibly well. No matter what, if a bone is broken, it should take hours of holy power. Seeing it heal right away... you accept holy power eerily well."
Is that so?
Indeed, recovering this quickly despite a broken bone was unrealistic.
"You're a fascinating person in many ways."
Hearing those words, he had nothing to say and kept his mouth shut, staying still.
Suddenly, a dizzying vertigo rushed into his head, and unable to maintain his balance, he collapsed to the ground.
At that sight, she jumped in surprise and called out to him.
"A-are you okay?"
Seeing her like that, he brought up words he had forgotten.
"I'm hungry."
At those words, she shouted as if her insides were bursting.
"Come on, really...!"
Then she grabbed him and pulled him along as she spoke.
"Do you know that? You're way too much trouble."
"......."
"Make an excuse or something!"
"Sorry."
"Good job...!"
With those words, she took him and headed off somewhere.
* * * * *
Entering a row of shops, Jeonghyeon recalled the words he had heard from Archbishop Lea.
- It seems even trash like you wants to eat proper food. But what can you do? The only food permitted to you is leftover trash.
It was a memory from long ago.
Perhaps because it had been so fucking terrible, the memory still remained.
Thinking that the utter shittiness he had felt then was still vivid, he let out a hollow laugh.
'You fucking bitch.'
He would get revenge someday. Without fail.
While renewing his vow of revenge and grinding his teeth.
The priestess stopped walking and spoke to him.
"It's here. This place is really delicious!"
Hearing that, he silently looked to where she pointed.
It looked ordinary, but it was a rather unique restaurant with a chicken drawn on it.
As he looked at the restaurant silently, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him as she spoke.
"Hurry up and come in."
Then, entering the restaurant, she ordered food familiarly and spoke.
"Honestly, you really don't listen, so I'm a bit reluctant to treat you. But still, I'm grateful for your help, so I'll buy you the meal. So eat as much as you want."
Then she sat down and smiled brightly.
He followed and sat beside her.
Before long, a waiter brought food to him.
'It's been a while.'
Seeing the soup, bread, and a few pieces of meat that came out immediately, he closed his eyes for a moment.
- The very fact that you're eating a proper meal is absurd. It's absurd for trash to eat proper food, isn't it?
Proper food he had thought he could never eat.
This evoked a strange sentiment.
While he was blankly staring at the food, this time the words he had heard at his last meal came to mind.
- I should at least do this much. This would be a last meal befitting you.
Food that had been trampled underfoot and covered in filth.
That vivid recollection enveloped his mind with rage.
Because his emotions were riled up, he only stared at the food without eating, and she, who was beside him, asked as if it were strange.
"Do you perhaps dislike this?"
"No, it's not that."
"Then hurry up and eat. Right now you need nutritious food. So eat up before it gets cold."
Words completely opposite from what he had heard from Archbishop Lea.
Hearing those words, he slowly put the food into his mouth.
The first taste he felt as the warm soup spread in his mouth was.
'It tastes like blood.'
It was the taste of blood, not soup.
Wondering about it, he opened his mouth.
The priestess beside him shouted in shock.
"Wh-what. Why are you spitting up blood while eating...! Healing!"
After receiving her healing like that.
Before long, the taste of blood disappeared.
The umami unique to the soup stimulated his mouth.
'...It's delicious.'
While thinking that food was this delicious.
She, who had been watching him from the side, slowly opened her mouth.
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves."
With a bright, pure white smile.
Her clear, shining blue eyes curving gently, she introduced herself.
"I'm Lucia. Lucia of the Serea Church."
He couldn't help but pause for a moment at the name Lucia.
Of course.
The name Lucia was.
The true name of the Saintess whom Archbishop Lea had so despised.
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