saint ch35

Curse (1)

For some reason, I put on my Saint robes, which smelled better than usual, and walked through the academy, thinking.

Wouldn’t it be great if some rich noble suddenly appeared and sponsored me?

I guess I’ve adapted to this life to the point where I’m even imagining things like that.

I was just joking around, but I didn’t really think it would happen.

How many things have come true according to my wishes since I fell into this world?

I’ve been too busy cleaning up messes with all sorts of nonsense in between.

Orion doesn’t seem particularly interested in the Order anyway, so please just stay that way.

As if he heard my words, the incident happened very suddenly.

I was just finishing class and heading back as usual.

At first, it was a torment to be around the non-human Order members every day, but as humans are creatures of adaptation, I was able to manage after about a week.

The fact that they basically had good feelings towards me seemed to play a big role.

Even the most ferocious beast looks cute if it wags its tail at me.

Still, I was uneasy, thinking that they might turn around and try to eat me at any moment.

But as if they didn’t like the idea of me adapting to the new environment and worrying about these things, an incident happened right away.

The Princess’s shield had been more effective than I thought, so no one else had approached me within the academy yet, and I was starting to forget about the other people in the academy.

“Saint Ronan, please spare some time for me!”

Someone said that and blocked the Princess and me.

Haren Thorff.

I could tell at a glance that he was a member of the ‘influential family’ that the Princess had mentioned in passing.

He was blocking the Princess and me head-on, and I remembered his last name.

He was at the top of the noble caste, who were supposed to take a passive approach, so I thought I wouldn’t have anything to do with him and dismissed it, but it wasn’t hard to remember the name.

That’s because I’d been hearing the name Duke Thorff for the past few days.

‘The Thorff duke’s daughter, suffering from an incurable disease that even the Orion Order has given up on.’

“Please, please heal my sister!”

Didn’t they say they were visiting to ask the non-human Order members for help?

Or did they already try and fail?

It’s not hard to guess the story.

It’s not like a family like the dukes would have lacked the offerings to give to the Order.

But if the Order gave up on treatment, it was either because political reasons were involved and they deliberately didn’t treat her… or they really couldn’t treat her.

Either way, if it’s gotten to the point where they’re asking the non-human Order members for help, it’s not hard to guess the Order’s stance.

If political reasons are involved, they would naturally continue with political attacks.

If they really couldn’t treat her, they would have to frame it as if there was something wrong with the young lady herself to cover up the Order’s incompetence in not being able to heal people, despite being the ones who act on God’s will.

If it were just a regular family, or a commoner, they would have been branded as a cursed witch and burned at the stake long ago.

“Saint, Ronan, if you are a true apostle of Orion, please heal my sister’s illness. Then the Thorff dukes will absolutely support the Saint’s actions from now on!”

What a tempting offer.

If this was an offer that came through the Order officially, I would have thought of an excuse to avoid it.

Not only is he a noble, but even if I do well, the Order is likely to take most of the benefits.

But they’ve already been rejected by the Order, and they’re looking for only Orion and saying they’ll support the ‘Saint’ instead of the ‘Order’?

This was an opportunity to secure my own support base among the nobles, separate from what I’m doing now, without going through the Order.

Even considering that he’s a noble, it’s an opportunity I can’t afford to miss.

Maybe they’re not thinking that far ahead, but if there are already enough reasons to separate the Order and me, I can just guide them that way.

“Sir Haren. This kind of approach is disrespectful to both the Order and the Imperial Family. It is appropriate to go through the proper procedures…”

“Princess, are you truly saying that? Have you forgotten what stigma the Order has placed on my sister? Is the Imperial Family really allowed to treat us like this!”

“That’s not what I meant…”

The Princess was flustered by the sudden approach and tried to stop him, but the duke’s son only reacted like a wounded animal.

They must have a deep sibling bond.

Or the stigma that the Order placed on his sister is having a bigger political impact than I thought.

Either way, it’s good for me.

The more desperate the requester, the greater the price they offer.

The problem is whether I can succeed in a treatment that the Order has failed in.

The Order failed and blamed the patient, but if I fail, I have to bear the risk of damaging my Saint title…

Ah.

If I fail, I can blame the Order.

Saying that I’m unable to because the teachings I learned from the Order were insufficient.

I can appeal to the Order that I am one with them, and reduce the risk of failure.

They didn’t even go through them and unilaterally proceeded with a meeting with the Saint, and on top of that, the Saint couldn’t cure her either?

Anyway, the Order already failed in the treatment, so even if I fail again, they’ll just beat up the dukes more for the responsibility I pass on.

Then it’ll be hard for the dukes and me to have a good relationship, but at least the dukes’ main anger will be directed at the Order.

They’ll see the Saint as a puppet of the Order.

If the conclusion is that the Order and the dukes fight even more if I fail?

That’s good for me.

It’s worth a try.

“Azelia, it’s okay.”

I stepped out from behind the Princess, having finished my calculations.

“Saint Ronan. This is too unilateral of an action. It’s a great discourtesy. If it’s really necessary, it’s appropriate to formally request a meeting.”

“How can I say that I’m fulfilling Orion’s will if I turn away someone who wants my help? It’s just time for me to do my duty.”

“…If you say that, I have nothing to say.”

It’s easy to refute when you bring up old-fashioned, fundamental stories in a place where you’re discussing the validity of political logic.

I took another step forward and looked at the noble in front of me.

“…”

I didn’t even need to see his aura to know that his eyes were filled with anger and distrust.

It wouldn’t be easy for him to have good feelings about me if he’s been suffering from the Order.

I can understand that much.

But I’m someone who prays day and night for the Order to collapse.

I think we can have a constructive relationship, what do you think?

“Your sister is sick?”

“Yes. They say it’s like a heavenly punishment from Orion and told us to give up. They said it was the price for abandoning faith. My sister has been faithful to Orion. Is Orion really someone who inflicts such cruel things on an innocent girl, using the family’s karma as an excuse?”

It was quite refreshing to hear someone express such direct distrust of God since I transmigrated.

Honestly, I don’t know even if you ask me.

Is Orion someone who can inflict cruel things on innocent people?

In my personal opinion, unless they died in some freak accident, I think it’s definitely possible.

Ronan is a dead witness to that theory.

“That can’t be. Orion doesn’t force faith in that way. Even if Haren hates Orion, he loves Haren. That is God’s love.”

“…”

Was it something he had never thought of?

The noble, who had been angry until now, was looking at me with an incredulous expression.

I know.

It’s a ridiculous story.

“Then…then what happened to my sister?”

How would I know that?

Isn’t it just an incurable disease that’s hard to treat even with Divine Power?

“It’s not easy for me to fathom Orion’s intentions either. However, the pain your sister is experiencing is definitely not for the reason Haren mentioned.”

“…Please. Can you see my sister? I will apologize later for not following the procedures.”

Was it because I readily denied the theory of Orion’s heavenly punishment on his sister?

The noble, who had regained some stability, asked politely.

That’s what I wanted.

“Don’t worry about such things. It just means that Haren is worried about his sister. Will you guide me?”

“Saint Ronan.”

The Princess hurriedly intervened when I said I would follow the noble, but I had no intention of backing down here.

It’ll be helpful to the Princess in the long run.

Just trust me this once.

If I fail, I can’t help it.

“I’m sorry, Azelia. But I can’t turn away someone who wants my help.”

“The Saint always makes me look like a bad person.”

“Don’t say that. Azelia is a very kind person.”

I mean it.

The Princess is really in the top 1% of personalities.

I’m always in her debt.

“…I will summon the Imperial Royal Guard. I can’t concede any further.”

That’s what I wanted.

What if I examine her and can’t treat her, and the noble goes wild when I tell him the truth?

“Do as you please.”

And so, I began to cross the academy with the Princess, the Imperial Royal Guard, and the son of the Thorff dukes.

“What is your sister’s name?”

“Helena…Helena Thorff.”

“Was she sick from birth?”

“No. My sister was healthy. When we were young, we used to run around the mountains behind the estate all day.”

Such a heartwarming story to hear.

If the young lady dies like this, will he turn to the dark side and become the vanguard of the Order’s destruction?

…Let’s think good thoughts, good thoughts.

If it goes that far, I could be in the firing line too.

“What do you mean by abandoning faith?”

There was a moment of silence between the noble and the Princess.

“My sister was more faithful to Orion than anyone else.”

The noble’s answer was a little off from my question.

“The Thorff dukes are…”

Just as I was wondering if it was such a sensitive question, the Princess began to speak.

“They are one of the four pillars of the Imperial Family.”

What a great-sounding word.

It sounds cool.

“And the head of the family, Sir Balian Thorff, is a master who is dedicated to the Empire. But the relationship between the Empire and the Order is…”

Ah, I see.

Then there’s a high probability that it’s part of a political ploy?

The noble who was accompanying us seemed to find it strange that the Princess was telling me the honest truth, and he looked back and forth between me and the Princess.

I wonder if he felt that I wasn’t on the Order’s side.

But if they’re such a great family, wouldn’t it be better to sell their favors?

They could at least improve her symptoms a little and make her cling to the Order.

Is there a need to completely cut ties by talking about heavenly punishment?

There must be circumstances beyond what I can imagine…or it must be really hard to treat.

What kind of disease did she get?

Since they’re a noble family, is there a possibility that she was poisoned?

If it’s a common cancer in fantasy novels, and treatments that increase regeneration only worsen the course of the cancer, then there might be a way.

I’ve been thinking of ways to reduce the risk, but what if it’s really hard to treat?

It would be best if I could succeed in the treatment.

Orion, please, just help me this once.

While contemplating various possibilities, I was led to a reception room and finally able to meet the rumored young lady.

The young lady was extremely emaciated, perhaps exhausted from a long illness, and lacked the grace or beauty one might expect from a noble family’s daughter.

However, I didn’t have time to examine the young lady’s appearance closely.

Among the brief information about the young lady that caught my eye, there was one phrase that stood out in particular.

The curse of Divine Inversion.

Wow, they even mark something as serious as a curse.

That’s really useful.

That was the end of my escapism.

…Wait, she’s really cursed?