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The Fierce Saintess

episode 12

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

I might get the goddess name wrong so I will return to it later.

*****

(Ho, so that is the elder sister who took the water and food without permission. Then the one behind her must be her daughter. Still, that woman is well past her youth, yet she has nearly half her breasts spilling out...)

Stowing away into her breast pocket the paper charm written with formulas calculated from the map—specifying the bearings and distances to guide them to the miasma pool they were about to head toward—Princess Kana remained bothered by the widely exposed chest of the lord's elder sister.

Though she had seen several outfits worn by women of this world—such as Shaira, her servants, and Lord Clutchfield's wife—not a single one had opened their neckline so wide. Furthermore, her breasts were lifted to an unnatural degree.

(She is likely pushing them up from below like this and squeezing them tightly into the middle, but if she goes to such lengths just to display her breasts... then she can only be someone with that kind of 'inclination'...)

After pondering various possibilities, the conclusion she arrived at was 'that woman has an exhibitionist habit'. Of course, the person in question, completely unaware of being branded as such by the princess, was spouting a somewhat self-serving logic to her younger brother.

「Oh my, how cruel. You make it sound as if I shouldn't be here. But this is my maiden home, and we only came to greet the Saintess, you know?」

Holding her fan to her mouth, she tilted her head and smiled charmingly, but her ostentatious outfit and flirty demeanor could not possibly reach her enraged biological brother. On top of that, her words and actions—devoid of even a trace of awareness that she had done anything wrong—seemed to rub Clutchfield's nerves raw even further.

Even from the sidelines, it was obvious he was gritting his teeth so hard one could almost hear them grinding, barely holding back from laying hands on her.

「I won't let you pretend you've forgotten what you did when you evacuated to the temple!」

「How rude. If you are talking about the water and food I took, your anger is completely misplaced. After all, I merely relocated the precious water and food to a safer location for you. What could possibly be wrong with that?」

She smiled sweetly once again, as if to say, 'So there's no problem at all, right?' Instantly, Clutchfield's fury swelled even further. In his eyes flickered something beyond anger—something that could rightfully be called intent to kill.

「To carry off that much without permission from me, the lord of this domain, how dare you say such a...」

However, as if throwing cold water on his rage, a bearded man chimed in.

「Ahem! Lord, if I may be so rude, could you save your family matters for later? Right now, we are in the middle of discussing a very important matter: this Saintess's attitude toward the Temple Head, and why she did not immediately come to pay her respects to the temple upon her arrival!」

「Indeed. Furthermore, we hear the Saintess healed the fief's citizens, but we must make it clear who authorized that request. The temple fully intends to demand proper payment from that person for the healing provided, calculated per head!」

The Temple Head also raised his voice at the lord, seizing the opportunity. At the same time, as if believing the first impression was paramount, he tried to speak to the Saintess while glaring down at her, but—

「Say, Burley. Are these people perhaps out of their minds? They demand money despite having done nothing themselves. What utterly wretched creatures. Ah, could it be that in this world, stealing credit for other people's achievements is a prerequisite for becoming a priest?」

Beaten to the punch by Princess Kana's sarcasm disguised as naive curiosity, he was struck completely speechless. What's more, Burley, to whom the question was addressed, chimed in in agreement—

「Oh, far from it! People like these are a very small minority. I hear that most priests strive to act rightly at all times, following the teachings of our state religion, the Church of Drara: 'My eyes are ever upon you, and My guidance ever with your conscience.' Most likely, these individuals alone are under some grand misconception. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing for You, Lady Saintess, to concern yourself with.」

He answered with theatrical phrasing, accompanied by exaggerated gestures. To top it off, even Clutchfield, who had been somewhat displeased by having his anger interrupted, gleefully joined in.

「Indeed! Furthermore, it is no exaggeration to say that the heart of the Saintess sent to this world by God is the heart of God itself. Consequently, anyone who quibbles over her words and actions is the true offender, so please do not mind them in the slightest.」

Princess Kana thought that logic was also somewhat problematic, but since the faces of the priests dazed by this unfolding farce were rather comical, she decided not to say anything about it.

「I see. Then I shall leave them be.」

Saying so, as if nothing had happened, she returned to storing the tools she had used to create the shikigami back into her 'Status'.

Having watched this entire exchange, the Temple Head and his cohort were lost for words in sheer astonishment. Until now, the priests of the temple had enjoyed a position of considerable reverence from the fief's citizens and respect from the lord. Thus, they had assumed that this time too, a slightly overbearing negotiation tactic would instantly force their demands through.

And yet, the Saintess who was supposed to fall under their management showed not a single shred of respect toward them. On top of that, a stern, burly knight talked about them as if they were church outcasts who failed to follow God's teachings, and to top it all off, the lord explicitly declared that the Saintess outranked the temple's priests. Perhaps their shock was only natural.

However, ignoring the stunned priests, someone addressed Princess Kana. It was Charlei, the lord's elder sister. Based on her past experience, her social standing and charm had granted her almost every wish, so she was confident this time as well. With a smile, yet in a tone that looked down on her listener completely:

「Oh my, Lady Saintess, wait. You simply must grant my wish. After all, I went through the trouble of coming all the way here for that very reason, you know?」

At those words, the princess—slightly curious as to what kind of wish an 'exhibitionist' might have—decided to hear her out for the time being.

「A wish, you say?」

「That is correct. The truth is, I sprained my foot the day before yesterday, and it still hurts a bit. So, I thought I would have you heal it with that glowing snow of yours, Lady Saintess.」

Saying so, she lightly pulled up the hem of her dress. Instantly, the gazes of the bearded man and the white-bearded old man—who were supposed to be stunned—converged on her slightly exposed ankle. However, contrary to her expectations, Princess Kana completely lost interest upon hearing such an overly mundane request. Making a blatantly disgusted expression:

「How utterly foolish. For something like that, you can just have that drooling old geezer over there heal you. I refuse.」

Gesturing toward the Temple Head with her chin, she returned to her previous work.

Meanwhile, having been refused treatment, the Dowager Duchess's face contorted in shock. 「...W-W-What...」 she sputtered, utterly lost for words, until she seemed to reject reality altogether; wobbling on her feet, she collapsed backward toward her daughter behind her.

「Mother, are you all right?」

At those words, the bearded man finally seemed to snap back to his senses and barked aggressively at the princess.

「Hey! This lady is the Dowager Duchess of Bamford! To show such an attitude when a person of her stature took the trouble to come here! Just because we were lenient on you for being an otherworldly Saintess, you've grown arrogant! And calling the Temple Head an old geezer?! How impudent can one slip of a girl be!」

Behind him, the Temple Head, who had been called an old geezer, had veins bulging on his forehead as his mouth opened and closed like a fish. His original plan had been exceedingly self-serving: 'Upon arriving at the manor, immediately dominate the scene with an intimidating presence, reprimand the Saintess, and make her bow down. After that, command her to make the glowing snow fall to heal the Dowager Duchess's foot, and as soon as the spell's effect was confirmed, force the lord who used the Saintess without temple authorization to apologize and hand over a reward.'

However, those plans were thoroughly shattered, and to top it off, he had been called an old geezer. Outraged that he had never been so humiliated in his life, the Temple Head made a massive blunder driven by rage: he resorted to physical force.

Of course, he was aware that knights of the subjugation unit and local fief soldiers were surrounding them, but except for the lord, most were low-ranking nobles. He reasoned that if they quickly seized the lord and the Saintess, he could handle whatever came next using his own authority as a man born into a count's family and the power of the Dowager Duchess.

「S-Seize this impious Saintess and the lord! We shall drag them before a divine trial this instant!!」

At those words, several well-built men standing at the back burst forward. They were all technically priests, but they doubled as the Temple Head's bodyguards and were quite confident in their martial prowess. However, the moment Princess Kana's magic power flickered ever so slightly—

*Splat!*

Every single man who had charged forward was flat on his face on the floor, unable to move. They probably never dreamed that several grown men could be subdued in an instant by a single young girl. Lying prone on the floor, their eyes were wide open, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.

「W-What, resisting us?! How insolent! Hey, get up immediately and—」

But the Temple Head spoke no further. For he, along with all the white-robed men present, ended up flat on the floor as well.

「W-What are you doing! We are priests of the sacred Church of Drara! Do you think such savagery will be permitted—」

The princess snorted in disdain at the shouting bearded man and slightly increased the pressure of her magical power. Instantly, silence fell. Of course, squawking noises like crushed frogs—「Gugeh!」 and 「Gyogoh!」—could be heard here and there. Unconcerned with such trivialities, the princess turned to her loyal fox, wearing a slightly mischievous smirk.

「Truly unpleasant fellows. Do you not think so, Suou?」

「Indeed, most truly!」

Answering Princess Kana's question with a bow, the white fox with the flame pattern raised his head, grinned, and swirled his front paw.

「Baku!」

With that word, thin cords appeared and wrapped around the men multiple times, completing their restraint in the blink of an eye.

「Quiet at last. Come to think of it, a hollow perfect for dumping trash was created yesterday. Suou, I am sorry to trouble you, but go dump these fellows there. Ah, but before that, Kaou. Strip off everything unnecessary. Things like those gold chains hanging from their necks and their rings will be of at least some small help in restoring this land.」

At those words, the white fox with the flower pattern also stomped her paws in delight.

「As you wish~! Datsu!」

Instantly, everything except their underwear was stripped off and piled in front of the princess. Naturally, rings and gold chains were among the stack, and right at the top sat a bundle of keys.

「Then Suou, I leave it to you.」

「Right away, Princess!」

Holding multiple cords in his mouth, Suou flew out through the door that had remained open since the men entered, with the priests dangling at the ends of the cords. In doing so, heavy thudding sounds like *thump, crash*, along with groaning voices, could be heard, but because they vanished into the distance in an instant, there was no way of knowing who suffered what.

Then, to Clutchfield, who was watching the scene with admiration, Princess Kana said:

「Now then, the place where Suou went to dump that trash is the hollow formed during yesterday's purification. If nothing goes wrong, he should return in about a day. By then, take control of that building. Here, these are likely the keys for it.」

Saying so, she handed over the bundle of keys that sat atop the pile of clothes. Clutchfield bowed his head once again and thanked the princess, who smiled and remarked that at least they could recover the water and food now, but—

「W-Wait a minute, Uncle! Why have you been bowing your head to someone like this since earlier?! That makes no sense!」

Clutchfield's niece, who had been helping her collapsing mother sit down and fanning her with a fan until now, suddenly raised her voice.

「I've been quietly watching, but who on earth do you think you are?! Not only are you rude to the revered priests, you treat them like trash, and you refuse the wish of my mother, a Duchess! On top of that, you act so high and mighty toward my uncle! Honestly, who do you think you are!」

「Well now, even if asked who I think I am by someone who has not even introduced herself...」

Princess Kana thought there was no real point in answering, but the girl seemed to grow even angrier at her attitude.

For until now, except for royalty and family members, those who spoke to Chantelle—a duke's daughter—as an equal were limited to members of duke families of equal standing. Therefore, she had thought the Saintess, whom she considered entirely beneath her, was not even worth speaking to beyond what was strictly necessary.

And yet, the Saintess before her eyes now acted more high and mighty than anyone present, giving not the slightest damn about their noble status. She could not stomach that.

Furthermore, by nature, a Saintess was supposed to be a woman who smiled mindlessly while performing healing and purification magic as commanded by the priests.

「So what if your magical power is a little strong?! A Saintess should act like a Saintess and quietly heal the injured and sick! Come on, don't just stand there, hurry up and heal my mother! She feels even worse because of you! This is an order!」

「Say, would it have been better to have them dumped as well while we were at it?」

Ignoring the enraged, blustering niece, the princess asked the lord. However, unaccustomed to having her words ignored, the niece reached out to grab Princess Kana's arm to force her to face her. But—

*Thud!*

「Hiiieee!」

A chunk of ice about the size of a child's fist struck the back of her hand. Glancing sideways at the niece, who was clutching her hand and trembling violently with rage:

「My, Kaou, my thanks.」

「Oh, Princess, it is my utmost honor!」

「What is the meaning of this?! Refusing to listen to me, a duke's daughter—I will absolutely not forgive this!」

「Why must I listen to what you say? Moreover, I see no reason whatsoever to grant your mother's foolish wish.」

「Of course there is a reason! I am a Dowager Duchess, and you are the Saintess! Healing people's wounds is a Saintess's job, isn't it?! So do your job!」

The mother, who seemed to have finally regained consciousness, joined the conversation between her daughter and the princess, putting on display her own self-serving logic once more, but—

「If you put it that way, I am Kana of the Tsuchimikado family, whereas you are merely an exhibitionist woman. I have neither the inclination nor any obligation to heal an exhibitionist.」

Those words seemed to hit Clutchfield's funny bone. After all, his elder sister—who believed she was showing off her proud physique—had just been called an exhibitionist. Right now, he turned to the side, covering his mouth with his hand as he desperately fought back laughter. Of course, the person in question was turning bright red with rage.

Just then, Suou returned, so—

「What shall we do? Shall I have him throw them out as well?」

Princess Kana asked the lord once more.

「I don't think that will be quite necessary.」

Saying so, the lord happily jingled the bundle of keys Princess Kana had handed him.

「With these, we should be able to recover both our water and food. After that, we can simply throw them into a carriage and kick them out of the territory, so there is no need to worry. Until then, I'll just throw them into a cell.」

「If you are fine with that, I do not mind.」

Reacting instantly to the somewhat ominous word 'cell', the mother and daughter protested in shrieking voices.

「I am not fine with it in the slightest! Wait, Daryl, you can't be serious?!」

「That's right! Besides, if you put us in a cell, Aunt Belinda will surely be saddened!!」

「I highly doubt my beloved wife would be saddened to learn that the people who hosted tea parties without permission from Belinda—the mistress of the manor—and arbitrarily replaced room decorations were thrown into a cell.」

Clutchfield's response was cold, showing that appealing to emotion would have no effect.

「Ah, Uncle must be deceived by this woman! Maybe he's even been brainwashed! Wake up, Uncle, this woman surely isn't a Saintess at all—」

「Ah, how noisy. Suou, Kaou!」

「「Right away!」」「Baku!」「Datsu!」

Accompanied by the white foxes' voices tinged with slightly mischievous laughter, a new pile of cloth was created. Naturally, beside it lay the two women, rolled up tightly in cords.

「Quiet at last. Now then, if you are going to the temple to retrieve the water and food, it would be best to take Burley, Henry, and the others with you. Can I count on you two?」

Looking at the two as she spoke, both of them nodded. Thus, along with the lord who said, 「Then I leave it in your capable hands,」 the elite unit of the subjugation force set off for the temple.

*****

I was hoping she was going to slash them. This is more like Mildly Annoyed Saintess rather than Furious Saintess.

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