Vol 2: Chapter 10: The Only Exception

The Saint and The Hero of Salvation

The Only Exception

She had said something she couldn't take back... Reno let her emotions get the better of her and yelled at Chris, but it was too late when she realized what she had said.

The worst thing is, the thing she hated most to said to someone, she ended up yelling it at Chris, her benefactor, of all people...

"...Ah, n-n... no."

She wanted to immediately deny what she had just said, but no sound came out. Some kind of force was at work, and that force would not allow her to apologize to Chris.

It was as if it wished for the two of them to be torn apart like this, as something filthy and slimy invaded her mind.

The majority of Reno's mind had already been invaded by that Charm. A hideous emotion that was different from self. Just like the three childhood friends who had been by Aleph's side, Reno was on the verge of falling. There was nothing she could do on her own.

As everyone remained speechless, they noticed Chris looking at Reno.

Her face was not one of anger or contempt towards someone who had said such terrible things, but a very calm and loving expression... she was looking at Reno with no trace of ill will whatsoever.

Except for one thing, the tears flowing from both of her eyes, and the gaze filled with compassion... Chris was crying quietly with a gentle face. The person she had thought of as her beloved little sister... had denied her family.

She was laughing and crying at the same time. It was as if the very essence of the sad saint had been laid bare. When the priests in the church saw her face, none of them could speak.

"Reno-chan, thank you for being so honest. You really are a kind girl, Reno-chan..."

Despite the cruel abuse, the devoted saint expressed her gratitude to the girl.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I didn't notice Reno-chan's suffering... Reno-chan accepted me as family. I thought that I was able to heal her loneliness, that I was able to support her... I misunderstood... I was really foolish. In the end, I didn't understand anything."

The saint's confession continues. Her sorrow is contagious to the viewers, to the point where the people around her seem to give up first.

"I don't want to make Reno-chan feel any more sadness! So, Reno-chan, once you receive the goddess's blessing, I will ask the hero to take Reno-chan in."

"Eh...? What... Onee-."

"...I, I couldn't become a part of Reno-chan's family. But I believe that the hero who said he loved Reno-chan will definitely make her happy."

As she said this, Chris turned to Reno with a smile. It was a smile that seemed to congratulate her from the bottom of her heart, but also a little lonely.

"I want Reno-chan to be happy. If that can't happen with me... if I can't heal your loneliness... then I want to entrust you to someone you want. I will never leave you alone... didn't I say that? So, I will make sure you don't feel lonely..."

As she said that, Chris suddenly looked down. Tears were dripping from her face onto the floor of the church. The tears were spilling out in great numbers, as if she really didn't want to be separated from Reno.

What could Reno or the other priests say to the Saint who was crying loudly without making a sound? No one could speak to the Saint who was speaking with such determination.

Eventually, after shedding her tears, the Saint raised her face, looked at Reno again, and spoke.

"So, I'm going to leave Reno-chan. For Reno-chan's happiness."

Chris declared with a determined smile. It was a conclusion she'd come to only after suppressing her own emotions and thinking about the other person.

The girl cannot be happy if she is around someone she hates, so she says she will disappear.

The surrounding priests seemed to sense her determination, as some of them burst into tears on the spot. Some were unable to maintain their sanity due to the Saint's tragic determination, and collapsed on the floor crying.

Sacrificing even herself and wishing solely for the happiness of others, isn't this exactly what the ideal Saint should be? Her nobility makes everyone turn their attention to the Devoted Saint.

The gazes directed at her were of respect, and at the same time, of conviction that to this saint they could entrust the fate of people.

Without even realizing it, Chris had captured the hearts of the church members. It was the moment that the presence of the Saint of Devotion was engraved in the royal capital.

"Danak, I have a favor to ask of you."

The holy maiden called out to the priest Danak.

"Wh, what is it, Saint-sama?"

"May I bestow the blessing of the Goddess of for Reno myself?"

"The Saint-sama herself?"

"Yes, please. I want to do something for Reno-chan as a final thing. I can't support her anymore..."

When the lonely Saint smiles at Danak, Danak, understanding her feelings, takes her feelings into consideration. Reno is shaking from beginning to end, and it is unclear what she is thinking.

Hayato's brainwashing and Chris's farewell words had already left her heart on the verge of breaking.

"Well then, Reno-chan. From me, and from the Goddess, I will bestow upon you a final gift."

Chris moves to the opposite side of the central platform where Reno is standing to bestow her blessing. Here, the Goddess bestows supernatural powers known as skills.

These powers can be either useful or useless, but those who obtain excellent skills here can gain things that can change their lives, such as defeating demon lords or developing human resources.

Now, the time has come for Reno to receive that power as well.

"I am a sent angel. Grant the goddess's new blessing to this child of God!"

As a saint, Chris was qualified to bestow the goddess' blessing, so she was able to give it to Reno.

As Chris prayed to the Goddess, a rainbow-colored light appeared directly above Reno and slowly entered her body.

"Oh, a rainbow of light is unusual! This must be a rare skill!"

The old priest had seen the blessing of skills given out for many years, but had rarely seen a rainbow of colors. The skill bestowed could be determined to some extent from the color of the light, but a rainbow was an unknown quantity, so he became extremely excited.

"With this, the blessing was delivered safely to Reno.... Thank you for your hard work, Reno. Thank you for everything. Although it was only for a short time, I am very happy to have become a family with you, Reno."

Chris bowed deeply to Reno, then passed by her and headed to the church exit, and with that, Chris and Reno were completely separated.

Reno will become a family with the hero, and Chris will resume her journey with Aleph.

--Unless there's some kind of exception.

"Th-This is! What a rare skill!!"

The old priest saw Reno's skill on the Skill Searcher and was excited, despite his age. The other priests gathered round, chattering. They were curious to see what kind of skill it was, based on the old man's reaction.

"Zefty-sama, what skills has this girl been bestowed upon her?"

The priest, unable to bear it any longer, asked the elderly priest Zefty. Zefty took a deep breath and then began to tell everyone.

"The skill the girl was given is 'Mindful Guard'! It completely defends against malicious mental interference and nullifies any effects received; it's a rare skill seen once in hundreds of years!"

"Oh, how wonderful! However, there are no people these days who possess dangerous skills that distort the mind. Although it is a rare skill, it's a waste of a treasure... if it were a different time, it would have been very useful."

The priests were making a lot of noise, but the two people were both caught up in different situations.

One of them is the young girl, Reno, who had had false malice planted in her heart and had been invading her mind like sludge. Her filthy emotions are now cleansed, and her true feelings are restored... At the same time, the memories of her mind being manipulated by malice begin to swirl inside her.

Just because the brainwashing has been completely undone doesn't mean she can undo what she did before. There's no way there is something that convenient. Even if you can remove all the malice in your heart, you can't change the past...

Yes, she did it... the memories of hurting someone important remain, and now her heart has been purified and returned to normal, but the sins she committed begin to sting.

Even after being freed, the young girl, Reno, is tormented by deep self-loathing and anguish. That's how deep the power of charm and brainwashing can be.

The other person is the saint who had been speaking of her sad resolution just a moment ago. She listened to the priests' words with a look of shock on her face, making it hard to believe that she had been crying just moments before.

What was the saint's true feeling, that was filled with sorrow, at this time?

Reno-chan's brainwashing resistance has reached its maximum.