"Take it easy," I told myself. "This is a serious matter concerning the Church's internal affairs. I don't think getting involved would be a good idea."
"Brother Hero, let's not waste time. Take a seat!"
The hero felt humiliated by the saint's behavior. That was why he disliked her—she had strange reactions, an unusual way of thinking, and, most of all, she could see right through him. She knew his true self, and that made him uncomfortable.
These thoughts tormented him.
Despite himself, the hero sat back down.
"Good, then let's continue. We'll discuss Brother Douglas's situation later. Since the hero doesn't seem interested, I assume he already has his own thoughts on the matter."
"Before we move on to the next point, I would like my brothers to explain to me in detail what happened and share their impressions."
Heseh then recounted everything that had happened so far without omitting a single detail. Occasionally, Butler joined in, explaining what had occurred with Demigra as well. The hero and Gilam were the only ones listening attentively; they had nothing to add.
Everything being said only made Gilam more anxious. Initially, he was just another brother responsible for the administration of a chapel. He had done so with devotion, which had led him here. Now, he found himself in the same room as the saint, and the information he was hearing was so shocking from his perspective that he couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"I understand better now. A third party manipulated that woman to attack our targets, and in the same motion, she attacked us as well? I wonder if deploying Demigra was meant to cover up the traces. But I suppose Brother Douglas didn't expect things to unfold this way. In the end, however, this serves his interests well."
"If what Brother Douglas is planning is so wrong, why don't you just stop him?" asked the hero.
"Because we are brothers."
Salle Folle replied inwardly.
"And in the end, what he plans may prove useful—who knows? The only reason I'm involved in this matter is that I still have hope," she said, observing the hero with a composed gaze.
"What exactly is he planning, and what hope are you referring to?"
"Finally interested in Church affairs?" the saint asked curiously.
"What a strange guru. Tch."
"Guru?" The saint didn't know the meaning of the word, so she pondered it for a few seconds before moving on. She had no particular thoughts about what the hero had just said.
"I will ask Demigra for more information later, and we will discuss this again. We will also find a way to honor our brother who died on this mission. It wasn't supposed to happen this way."
The truth was that even though the decision to move the meeting date forward came from the Church, the details of how the matter would be handled were not entirely her own. She was an important figure in the Church, but she was not the Church itself.
The reason she was rarely around was that she was always on a mission. So whenever the Church made a decision, she took note and acted upon it. She couldn't be aware of all the ins and outs of every situation.
This troubled her greatly. Most of the Church's brothers were devoted, but sometimes they strayed from the path.
"But well, standing around here won't give us a shared vision of the situation, my brothers. Now, regarding the hero..."
The hero looked at the saint with a serious expression and straightened his posture.
"Saint!"
"You recently made a request through the Celestial Kingdom to retrieve the sacred sword in our possession."
If you already know that, why drag things out? Too many formalities for just a piece of metal. If not for the system and the Celestial Kingdom's schemes, I wouldn't even bother.
"Yes, I believe I need the sacred sword. The danger looming over the world is growing, and the sooner I get used to it, the better."
"My boy."
The hero tensed upon hearing the saint say that. He truly hated this feeling. She was perhaps one of the few people who could make him uncomfortable, and he couldn't defeat or humiliate her to resolve the issue.
"You must understand that the hero's summoning by Celestial was not official. You may have inherited the title of hero, but for now, you do not have the capacity to fulfill it."
"What? Even with my strength, you're saying I'm not capable, Saint? Those words—can you bear the consequences of saying them?"
"Yes! As a hero, you are still lacking something."
"Everything you do, hero, also has its own consequences. I hope you won't act in a way you'll regret later."
Mission: Convince the Saint
Tch!
"What are you talking about, Saint? This world you want to protect so much—don't you see that, because of your pride, you're putting it in danger?"
"Pride? Hero, do you remember what I told you last time? I truly regret your summoning into a world you know nothing about. You have suffered greatly because of our selfishness, and we cannot fully compensate you for it."
"But it is our duty to protect our world, and you have chosen to take on this responsibility. However, wanting and being able to do something are two different things. Everything I do is for your own good. You do not yet have the required abilities. Instead of cursing the world and those who put you in this situation when the day of your failure comes, I advise you either to prepare properly or to give up."
Give up? As if it were that easy!
Mission: Convince the Saint
"I think the Saint worries too much. I know you're running out of time."
"The Seven Disasters!"
The saint blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected the hero to bring it up first.
She then signaled to Heseh and Butler. The two understood immediately and left the room. Gilam also grasped the situation and took his leave as well."