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The Fierce Saintess

episode 11

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

When Princess Kana finished chanting the norito, struck her open palms twice, and bowed low twice more, Kaou slowly descended. As he lowered, the words shouted by the domain’s citizens grew distinct and clear.

(It seems it worked well.)

「「「「Saintess-sama, thank you so much! Sacred Beast-sama, thank you so much!」」」」

「「「Thank you! Thanks to you, my wounds have healed!」」」

「「「The well has returned! We can drink the water!」」」

Amidst cheers that nearly filled the area to overflowing, Princess Kana landed in the same spot as before. Clutchfield, his soldiers, and the citizens came running up to her.

「Thank you! No matter how much I express my gratitude, it will never be enough. We of the Clutchfield Domain shall never forget Saintess-sama's favor for as long as we live!」

The lord at the front bowed deeply as he spoke, and the soldiers bowed in kind. Naturally, the surrounding citizens followed suit.

Surrounded by joyful faces—monsters slain, wounds healed, and their water worries gone—and showered with words of gratitude, Princess Kana felt a little embarrassed. Still, she smiled and expressed her gladness that everyone’s injuries were cured. At those words and her smile, everyone bowed their heads once more.

***

It seemed the monsters around the gate had been taken care of as well. Every member of the subjugation unit had returned safely, without a single casualty.

Beside her, Suou—who had removed his helmet—was also surrounded by citizens (mostly women and young boys) and showered with praise: 「White-Silver Hero-sama!」「You were wonderful!」 To them, dressed in armor and helmet of a form they had never seen before with his long white hair tied back, Suou must have truly looked like a hero from another world.

As for Kaou, as Saintess-sama's sacred beast, he was served by everyone from young children to old people, with modest yet heartfelt offerings piled up before him one after another. Among them were delicate flowers picked by a young girl.

Seeing the foxes smiling so broadly they were practically beaming with pleasure rather than mere contentment, Princess Kana teased them with a playful tone.

「You two have your noses stretched out so long that your faces look utterly loose.」

「「That's not true!」」

In a flurry of panic, both hid the area around their noses at the same time. Perhaps their flustered behavior was comical, as laughter broke out among the domain's people.

Just then, the doors of the temple—which had remained firmly shut until now—gently opened, and a white-robed man with a beard poked his face out, entering the princess's field of vision. The man looked around for a moment before calling out to a nearby citizen, seemingly asking a question.

The citizen who was asked pointed in her direction and spoke, causing the bearded man to notice Princess Kana. Although he stared at the princess, he did nothing in particular. Finally, his brow furrowed in displeasure, and he silently closed the door.

(What was that? He looked as if his expectations had been thoroughly betrayed... Well, no matter.)

Though curious about the bearded man’s behavior at the temple, Princess Kana turned back to the domain lord, who was still continuing to offer his thanks, deciding that this took priority.

「Now then, Clutchfield. Though things have been settled for the moment, I would like to hear a detailed account regarding this matter. Is that fine?」

「Ah, yes, of course. In that case, since you must be exhausted, I would like to invite you and all members of the subjugation unit to my manor. Given the situation, I cannot offer anything grand, but we shall prepare a meal.」

Princess Kana turned toward Burley to confirm, stating that she did not mind. As he nodded in agreement as well, she responded:

「Very well, I understand. Then we shall accept your hospitality.」

***

Clutchfield's manor was located about a fifteen-minute walk from where they had been standing. It was a three-story building surrounded by a splendid iron fence with a spacious garden. However, one could see that several tents were currently pitched in that garden, serving as sleeping quarters for many of the domain's citizens.

「The ones here are the families of the soldiers. That fence is enchanted with magic to ward off monsters, so it is somewhat safer than the outside. I wanted to reward the soldiers who fight at the risk of their lives, even if only a little. Fortunately, my wife was understanding as well...」

At that moment, a woman with reddish-brown hair, who had been chatting happily between the tents, noticed them and came running over with a smile. Beside her was a boy with the same hair color but facial features closely resembling the domain lord, running over with a similar smile.

「My lord, welcome back!」

「Father, welcome home!」

「These are my wife and son. Both of you, greet our guests. These are the elite members of the subjugation unit, and Saintess-sama.」

At Clutchfield's words, the two who had rushed forward with momentum as if to embrace him came to a sudden halt.

「M-My deepest apologies. I am Belinda, Daryl's wife. Saintess-sama, thank you truly for your help this time. Together with our citizens, I express my heartfelt gratitude. And this is our son, Dalton. Dalton, greet our guests.」

「Nice to meet you, I am Dalton Clutchfield. Um, Saintess-sama! Saintess-sama's healing snow was amazing! My injuries healed all at once, and everyone was super happy! Plus, the White-Silver Hero-sama ran as if flying through the air, and he was super strong and cool!」

The boy spoke in rapid succession before his mother could stop him, his eyes overflowing with admiration and respect. Even Princess Kana felt a little embarrassed.

「I am happy to hear you say so. However, your father is also a fine archer. Furthermore, the soldiers are exceptional as well. It is precisely because they held out until today that we were able to make it in time. Dalton, you ought to take great pride in him.」

He must have been delighted to hear his father praised by someone he admired. The boy's smile sparkled even brighter. It seemed that "his beloved father" had transformed into "his respected, beloved father." The way he looked at his father had become even prouder.

While watching this scene warmly, the princess also addressed the mother, who was firmly grabbing her son's shoulder to prevent him from running wild any further.

「Furthermore, my name is Kana. Belinda, I shall be in your care for a short while.」

「Your words are too kind. We cannot offer grand hospitality, but please make yourself at home.」

「As for the rest... well, my elder sister and her daughter were here until recently, but they are currently taking refuge at the temple...」

「The temple... you mean that tall building over there?」

「Yes. The building itself is sturdy, and multiple layers of anti-monster magic are cast upon it, making it far safer than here. Therefore, starting with my sister and niece, several wealthy merchants from the area have taken refuge there. For my part, I wished to use it as a shelter for the injured, the elderly, and children, but our discussions with the Head Priest did not go well...」

As Clutchfield gave a self-deprecating, bitter smile, the people around him also wore troubled expressions. At this point, Princess Kana's evaluation of the person known as the Head Priest dropped to an exceedingly low level.

In the center of the room they were shown into stood a large table long enough for several adults to lie down on, flanked by a long row of high-backed chairs on both sides. Upon the table were soups, roasted beast meat, sliced wheat buns, and a dish piled high with fruit.

Once everyone took a seat, footed goblets filled with a red drink were distributed by men clad in matching attire. Smelling the aroma of slightly tart fruit and alcohol, Princess Kana guessed it was likely something akin to the wine said to be favored by Westerners.

「To Saintess-sama, the active efforts of the subjugation unit, and the destruction of the hateful, massive miasma pool that has plagued us for so long—cheers!」

At Clutchfield's words as he stood and raised his glass, everyone raised theirs as well, echoing the toast.

While many appeared to drain their glasses in one gulp, Princess Kana—unaware of what kind of drunkenness unfamiliar alcohol might induce—swiftly chanted a purification mantra and limited herself to taking just a sip or two.

And so, from Clutchfield, who had vigorously drained his glass, she was finally able to hear the detailed account of this incident.

「That massive miasma pool formed suddenly about ten days ago. Though we had confirmed several small miasma pools before then, we had never seen one so large. We immediately evacuated all remaining citizens to the domain capital and promptly submitted a request to the Royal Capital for a subjugation unit.」

However, no matter how many magic beasts they slayed, more were born one after another, and the situation grew worse by the day.

「My sister and niece fled to the temple early on. Furthermore, somehow, they took a large portion of our precious food and water with them...」

He wore a bitter expression.

「Therefore, had you all not arrived today, we might have been hard-pressed to find drinking water for tomorrow. No, far from that, it was uncertain whether we could have safely greeted tomorrow morning at all...」

Muttering that he had no intention of giving up until the very end, the lord fell silent. The princess spoke to him:

「I am truly glad we made it in time. By the way, based on what you said earlier, it seems there are still other miasma pools.」

「Yes. There are about three locations, though they are not particularly large.」

「Then let us purify all of those tomorrow as well. Please inform me of the exact locations later. As soon as that is done, we shall head to the next location.」

The lord nodded dependably at the princess, who stated that while things would be tough from then on, they would have to do their best on their own. In that case, Princess Kana asked about something that had been on her mind.

「Furthermore, a considerable number of magic beast carcasses are scattered about. Is it fine to leave those as they are?」

「There is no need to worry. The meat of most magic beasts cannot be eaten because the magic power within it is too concentrated. However, bird-type magic beasts can be eaten once the magic power is drawn out to a certain degree by soaking them in clean water for a while, so they can be utilized as food. In addition, feathers, pelts, and fangs have various uses, so all remaining citizens will work together to handle them.」

At those words, the princess recalled the scene she had witnessed earlier and understood that it had been for the sake of eating.

(No wonder everyone was plucking them so earnestly.)

Afterward, Burley stated that he wanted the request documents for reconstruction prepared by tomorrow, mentioning that while the Chancellor would likely contact them at a later date, they were free to use the preserved food and wheat flour they had brought as immediate provisions. With that, the administrative talk concluded, and the gathering transitioned purely into a time of eating and drinking.

At a suitable moment, the princess asked Belinda to guide her to her sleeping quarters, but it seemed the men's banquet would continue for quite some time.

***

「What on earth happened? Surely the gate of the defensive wall hasn't been breached already, has it?」

In the central reception room of the temple, an old man sporting a long, white beard interrogated a man who had returned after checking the situation outside.

About an hour ago, when a loud noise suddenly echoed and the ground shook violently, the Head Priest, Adcock, had prepared for the worst-case scenario. However, since nothing in particular happened afterward, he had ordered the priest, Baker, to check the situation outside a short while ago.

Though Adcock believed that the interior of the Dorara Church's Clutchfield Branch Temple would remain safe even if the domain capital were wiped out by magic beasts, he could not say with absolute certainty that a "what if" scenario was impossible. However—

「No, far from that, it seems the Saintess came from the Royal Capital alongside the elite squad of the subjugation unit. The townspeople were celebrating, saying they defeated the magic beasts and purified even that massive miasma pool. Furthermore, they said the Saintess sang a mysterious song that made glowing snow fall, healing the injured...」

Despite it being a report worthy of rejoicing, the deep bitterness evident in Baker's words left it unclear whether he was catering to his listener's feelings or speaking from his true heart. However, it was certain that his report was not the outcome Adcock had desired.

「Hah?! A Saintess, you say?! I have heard no such thing! No, to be sure, I heard talk that they were going to perform a Saintess summoning, but I have heard nothing about it succeeding, nor anything about her heading in this direction. What on earth is the meaning of this!」

In truth, no communication whatsoever had arrived from the Great Temple in the Royal Capital. To be precise, a letter notifying them of the Saintess summoning's success had already been dispatched. However, the princess and her party had simply arrived faster than the letter could reach them—though there was no way for them to know that.

「Furthermore, healing the domain's citizens on her own authority? Who on earth asked for such a thing without the temple's permission!」

He did not voice his original plan—which was to open the temple doors at the absolute last moment, invite the citizens and domain lord inside, and display their own benevolence—instead purely directing his rage at the current situation.

「Above all, a Saintess is originally someone who belongs to the temple. In that case, upon arriving in this land, she should have come to greet me first and foremost!」

Naturally, that anger was directed toward the Saintess he had never even met.

「Since she is someone from another world, she may not be very familiar with our circumstances.」

In that case, we simply need to teach her properly, said a portly man, echoing the old man's sentiments.

This man, Arlo Babbitt, was the president of the Babbitt Merchant Guild, which conducted business extensively from the northern to eastern regions. Having been caught up in this commotion during an inspection of a branch store, he had taken refuge in the temple alongside his subordinates. Naturally, he had paid a considerable sum for the privilege in the form of a donation.

Just then, a middle-aged woman wearing a high-quality yet somewhat provocative dress chimed into the conversation with a giggle.

「Saintess she may be, but she is ultimately just a little girl from another world. It cannot be helped if she is ignorant° of this world's circumstances. Even if the Head Priest does not get so angry, if we explain such matters directly°, it will be resolved immediately. She is likely staying at the lord's manor around this time anyway, so why don't we join her tomorrow morning?」

She gave a captivating smile, suggesting they could teach her various things at that time. Her pale blonde hair, styled into large curls, was loosely pinned up. Though her dark indigo eyes were of a shade very similar to those of the domain lord, no sincerity could be found within them. Instead, the mole beneath the right corner of her mouth emphasized her sensuality.

「Oh, if it isn't the Dowager Duchess Bamford! You are truly beautiful today as well! Oh my, is Young Lady with you as well?」

The merchant offered flattering compliments and addressed the young girl standing directly behind her. Though she possessed facial features remarkably similar to the Dowager Duchess, her daughter, Lady Chantel, had grayish-gold hair and pale light-blue eyes, leaving her somewhat lacking in glamour.

However, the men present naturally possessed enough discretion not to speak such thoughts aloud.

「Indeed, it may be just as the Dowager Duchess says. In that case, may I trouble you tomorrow morning? Setting that aside, Madam, I heard you sprained your foot last night. Are you alright to walk? If you wish, I could treat it right now...」

Though the Head Priest appeared to be nothing more than an old man well up in years, he kept his eyes glued to the widow's cleavage, reaching out to pull her hand in order to have her sit by his side. However, the widow skillfully dodged his attempt, as if accustomed to such advances.

「My, Head Priest, thank you. But if possible, I would like to have Saintess-sama heal it. You see, that glowing snow mentioned in the story earlier? Was that what it was called? I was thinking of having her make it fall upon my foot.」

「Oh, what a wonderful idea! If we do that, we can witness the Saintess's true capability, and the Saintess will have the honor of healing Madam! How kind and intelligent you are!」

「My, Mother, are you going out of your way to have the Saintess heal you?」

「Because, Chantel, no matter how many common domain citizens she heals, it won't bring her much honor. But if she heals me, that's a different story. Don't you agree?」

「Even so, there's no need for us to go out of our way to visit her...」

「Well, I don't know what kind of person she is, but she is technically a Saintess, so it would be pitiful if we didn't show her a certain degree of respect. We also have to save face for Daryl as the domain lord. Besides, if she can truly make glowing snow fall, wouldn't you want to see it too?」

「I suppose so. If it's true, we could even use it as entertainment for my birthday.」

「My, that sounds lovely! In that case, we must certainly invite Prince William as well! After all, you are the leading candidate to be the prince's fiancée.」

The moment she said that in high spirits, her brow furrowed as if she had suddenly remembered something unpleasant.

「There seem to be a few stubborn fools in the Royal Capital who suggest making the Saintess the prince's bride, but there is no way someone ignorant of this world's circumstances could handle such a grand responsibility. Honestly, why can't they understand even such a simple matter?」

「Indeed, it is precisely as you say. Young Lady, I hope you will certainly invite my humble self on that occasion as well.」

The merchant, making no effort to hide the slimy gaze he directed at the mother, made his request with exaggerated politeness, but—

「If I remember to.」

Chantel's reply was blunt. However, the merchant—well accustomed to such attitudes from nobility—was not to be stopped by such a response.

「Please do not forget that I was the one who lent you the mage equipped with a Magic Box this time.」

「I know that!」

(For a mere merchant, how arrogant can he be to think he's put me in his debt over such a trivial matter!)

Although Chantel thought this, she knew he was a man who still had utility, so she decided to smile for the time being.

***

The following day, after receiving detailed maps from Clutchfield to purify the remaining three miasma pools, Princess Kana and her party were preparing to depart in the entrance hall when—

「Where is the Saintess?!」

A group clad in white robes entered, shouting at the top of their lungs. Standing arrogantly at the head of the group was an old man with white hair and a long beard. Directly behind him stood the bearded man who had glared at Princess Kana yesterday.

「Who are they?」

「They are the priests from the temple.」

「Ah, the ones who hid in a safe place by themselves without lending a hand while the domain lord was in trouble. I have no business with such people. Step back.」

「What insolent tongue! When the Head Priest himself has gone out of his way to come here, what utter rudeness!」

At the princess's contemptuous words, the bearded man raised his voice. However, there was no way Clutchfield would remain silent regarding such rudeness toward the princess, who was both their benefactor and guest.

「The rude ones are on your side, Head Priest. I do not recall inviting you. Furthermore, coming here so early in the morning—what do you intend by this?」

「My, Daryl. I brought them along.」

「Sister... why are you here?」

At the domain lord Clutchfield's deeply displeased words, everyone's gazes gathered upon him.

*****

Can you smell it? Kana's going to cook them to oblivion.

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