Chapter 15: A Piece of Saint's Mind.

(Sei's POV)

“There, the U-Ulla Dungeon,” Anna announced from behind us. Her voice was raised just enough to reach Hiroto and me at the front even while the intention was just to address everyone inside the carriage.

I followed her line of sight.

An old castle rose from the land ahead, its stone walls cracked and worn by time. A barrier in a form of purple light pillar covered it and stretched toward sky above.

The horses slowed on their own.

Their hooves scraped against the dirt as we drew closer, muscles tight and breath snorting in unease. Even trained animals could feel it. The presence of the dungeon pressed against the senses, oppressive and crawling across the skin.

And yet, that feeling was still not as unbearable as being this close to Hiroto.

I sat behind him on the same horse, my hands folded neatly in my lap and my posture composed. The dungeon’s aura weighed on my mind, but Hiroto’s presence was worse. The choir within my head me stirred, giving nothing but irritation.

“I-I am sorry, Hero-sama.” Anna said as she climbed down from the driver’s seat. “This is as far as we can go, honored Hero Party. The horses will not move any further.”

Hiroto nodded and dismounted with practiced ease. “Then we will set up here. And Anna, you could just call me Hiroto-Sama”

“H-Hiroto… Understood, Hiroto-sama.” I could see Anna’s eyes glazed momentarily before regaining their light.

That’s how easily he could affect people

“Good,” he said calmly, as everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.

Then he turned to me.

“Let me help you, Sei.”

He extended his arm.

I smiled. “T-Thank you, Hiroto sama,” I replied softly, but internally, I gagged.

My face remained serene, but my thoughts recoiled in disgust. Normally, I would have refused politely and stepped down on my own. That was how it always went.

But this time, my blessing was weakened.

That faint, sickening pull returned in my chest and pushed against my will. My hand moved before I could stop it, reaching for his arm. That was the reason I had been riding behind him in the first place. His current was affecting me.

Whether by his luck or the current’s intent, my foot slipped as I dismounted. The ground rushed up toward me.

Hiroto caught me.

Not only did he catch me, he lifted me fully, slipping his arms beneath my back and knees and holding me in a princess carry.

Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting.

My mind screamed the word over and over, louder than the dungeon’s pulse. My heart pounded violently as heat crept up my face and neck. The current throbbed in my head, as if it were pleased with this outcome.

“Hero-sama,” I said gently, forcing my voice to remain calm. “You can put me down.”

“Oh,” he replied, sounding faintly amused. “Sorry about that. Are you alright?”

I nodded, biting hard into the inside of my cheek. “Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

This was his fault. Being made to feel like this was unacceptable.

Worse, he had stolen something precious. My first princess carry was supposed to be Altair’s, not his.

“Girls, we will set up a temporary camp here and prepare for lunch,” Hiroto said as he finally set me down.

One by one, the others climbed out of the carriage.

Elira was first. She practically bolted the moment her feet hit the ground, putting as much distance as possible between herself and what followed behind her.

That something was Kestrel, or more specifically, what Kestrel was carrying.

Elaister’s flying plate.

I watched Elira retreat with impressive speed, her face pale and stiff, while Kestrel followed at a relaxed pace, completely unconcerned.

Serah came last, clearly irritated as she took responsibility for the supply bags.

The current was still flooding in my head. It must be because of what I did to Altair last night. God had decided to punish me by weakening my blessing, exposing me to this wicked force.

Whatever.

I just needed to look at Altair. Even if I could not approach him, simply seeing him would calm my heart. It always did.

I turned and scanned the area.

…Hm?

Where was Altair?

And why was Serah the one carrying the supply bag again?

Hiroto had already wandered off, laughing with Anna as if this were a pleasant outing instead of the edge of a sealed dungeon.

I ignored him and walked toward Serah. “Serah-san, where is Altair?”

She glanced at me. “The mule? That elf took him somewhere.”

…Elaister. Did you not say you would not steal him from me?

“Woah, what is that look, Sei?” Serah added, narrowing her eyes.

“What look?”

“N-Nothing.”

I clenched my hands at my sides.

‘Elaister. When I get my hands on you.’

My gaze drifted toward the dungeon, where the purple light flickered ominously. My mood sank further with every passing second.

‘Could this day get any worse?’

As if god gifted the answer to me, a bright and unapologetic voice rang from above.

“Yo! Miss me already?”

Everyone looked up at once. Everyone except Hiroto, who smoothly tilted Anna’s face back toward him and continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

“Finally,” Serah muttered, dropping the supply bag to the ground with a dull thud. She rolled her shoulder, as if releasing irritation that had been building for far too long.

Elira, pale yet also relieved, immediately grabbed Kestrel by the sleeve and pointing at Elaister and her plate.

Elira nodded, the message unmistakable. Get rid of it now. Kestrel obliged without hesitation, flicking the disk upward with practiced precision.

Elaister descended from the sky like false angel and caught it midair without even looking. She landed lightly.

Beside her was Altair.

He stumbled forward a step as his feet hit the ground, barely catching himself before he fell. Dirt clung to his clothes, which were torn in multiple places, and dark stains soaked through the fabric. Some were clearly his blood, red and fresh. Others were black and viscous, unmistakably monster.

Ah. Altair. Bloody and battered.

I covered my mouth and forced my expression into something appropriate. Surprise. Concern. Because if I did not, everyone would see my shameless smile.

Altair looked so good like this. Hurt. Worn down. Dragged through hell and still standing. His shoulders sagged, his legs trembled faintly, and his breath came just slightly uneven. It was beautiful. Precious.

“We won’t miss lunch, you know,” Elaister added cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “I am sure our donkey here is starving for food too.”

She slapped Altair on the back. He coughed.

“Where have you been, Elf?” Serah demanded, arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on Elaister. Ignoring Altair.

“Just visiting a goblin camp. Remember the horse shortage, Blondie?” Elaister replied casually. “At first, I was planning to stock up on filler materials and train my donkey a bit. Though,” she glanced at Serah, then reached into Pandora, “a noble knight like you might want to see this.”

She spat something onto the ground.

A corpse.

It vaguely resembled a goblin, but only barely. Its body was stretched grotesquely, skin torn and reformed in uneven layers. Dark tendrils protruded from its torso, pulsing faintly, slick with blood.

“Demonified goblin?” Elira gasped, taking an involuntary step back. “Has a demon breached this deep into human territory?”

“That cannot be the case,” Kestrel said calmly. There was no disbelief in her voice, only certainty. “Several Black Hand agents are positioned along the nearest human border to this dungeon. They would have relayed information if there had been a breach. The communication network is still active. There has been no silence.”

“So it is cultist work?” Serah asked, her brow furrowing.

“Most likel-“

Kestrel was cut off by laughter.

“Ghahahahahahaha! How naive, Caramel.” Elaister threw her head back theatrically.

“…” Kestrel just flatly stare at the laughing elf, unbothered… As her hand reaching toward a knife on her hip. Mayne slightly bothered.

“Of course, how about you tell us your genius conclusion, elf?” Serah scoffed at Elaister and placed her hand on Kestrel’s shoulder.

“Behold my expertise in looting. I present you this specimen.” She pulled a glass capsule from her coat. Inside, writhed an insect, an unnatural thing with too many legs. Even its legs had legs. Beneath its belly was an ominous mark resembling an eclipse.

Elira visibly recoiled, drifting backward as if her body reacted before her mind could catch up. Serah and Kestrel were the opposite, they leaned in instead, their expressions tense and focused.

“Urgh.” “Explain.” “Elaborate.”

They said simultaneously

“You see, I was-”

I did not hear the rest, I had lost interest, instead, my eyes were fixed on Altair.

My Altair.

He stood beside Elaister with his posture stiff and his hands clenched at his sides. His entire body was tense, coiled like a wire pulled too tight. He looked exhausted, wrung dry of everything he had.

I wanted to step closer. I wanted to heal him. I wanted to touch him and hear the soft sounds he made when pain left his body. I wanted to feel his skin brush against mine, watch his ears turn red, and hear the little gasps he tried so hard to suppress.

I should have been angry at Elaister. No, I should have been furious.

But instead, I sighed inwardly.

I might let her off this time. After all, she was shaping Altair into something stronger. Someone who could stand for me. Fight for me. Bleed for me.

Bleed more for me.

Ghehe.

She was simply fulfilling her end of the deal.

I activated [Appraisal]. His bones and muscles were tense but intact. His soul, however, was still defective. Incomplete. Hollow in places, as if something half of him were missing.

His soul had always been like that since I’m capable of using [Appraisal], maybe that’s why he couldn’t use magic?

Ghehehe. I could fill that.

…Wait, he was not injured.

No. That was not accurate, his injuries were already healed.

I frowned slightly. Elaister was incapable of using [Heal]. My own [Heal] did not even work on her. There was no way she could have cast it on Altair.

Then how?

Ah. I did not like this at all.

More than half of my joy vanished the moment I realized I had been denied the chance to heal him myself.

After all, I was the healer here.

I had a piece of my mind, feedback, for Elaister. I didn’t care how bad she treated him, but there had to be a rule on how she handled my Altair.

“Elaister-san.”

My voice cut cleanly through the overlapping chatter, kind and calm, yet sharp enough to draw attention.

Elaister turned her masked face toward me, and one by one the others followed her movement. “What is it, Saint?” she asked, her tone casual, almost amused.

I stepped closer and lowering my voice, I leaned toward her ear so that only she could hear me, close enough to sense the faint hum of her artifacts beneath the mask.

“Would you help me with lunch?” I whispered. “And do your artifacts also make you forget your pain? I can sense your injury, you see.”

For just a moment, something slipped.

Like a child who only begins to feel pain after noticing blood on their skin, one of Elaister’s knees buckled. Her balance faltered, subtle but unmistakable.

Then she recovered instantly. Her posture snapped back into place, obnoxious and theatrical, as if nothing had happened at all.

“Well well,” she said loudly, breaking into exaggerated laughter. “It seems like you are all going to taste my cooking prowess once again, GHAHHAAHHAHA!”

Serah let out a tired sigh, clearly unimpressed. “You still need to explain more of this ‘must be from the dungeon’ nonsense, Elf.”

Her eyes flicked toward Kestrel, who met her gaze and nodded once in agreement.

“I will confirm the goblin nest locations Elaister mentioned,” Kestrel said. In a single smooth motion, she soundlessly leapt into a nearby tree, vanishing among the branches as if she had never been there.

Serah turned next to Elira. “You know what to do.”

“I know, I know,” Elira replied, already walking toward the sealed dungeon. Her eyes were narrowed in sharp focus, her usual unease replaced by professional concentration. “I will analyze the dungeon seal.”

Serah had commanded the party without Hiroto’s approval, but I know he did give them. I could see it in their eyes.

Before long, the area near the camp grew quieter. Only Serah, Altair, Elaister, and I remained.

Serah’s gaze settled on Altair, her expression openly contemptuous. “Elaister said you fought those goblins and lived?”

Altair won?

The thought sent a rush of joy through me so sudden it almost made me dizzy. In my mind, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tight, spinning in place like a child unable to contain her happiness.

“Y-yes,” Altair stuttered, his voice small but earnest.

Ah.

“Unbelievable,” Serah scoffed, clicking her tongue.

Hey, my Altair would never lie. If you doubted anyone, it should be Elaister, not him.

‘Grrr’ A quiet growl formed in my thoughts.

“I will guard Elira while she analyzes the seal,” Serah said at last. “You set up the camp.”

She turned her back to us, but not before she swung her arm.

The strike came without warning, a sudden backhand aimed straight for Altair’s face.

I did not move. It’s not like I want and could. He would get hurt anyway.

Ghehe.

To my surprise, and I was certain I wasn’t the only one who noticed, Serah’s eyes widened for the briefest instant as Altair reacted just in time. He threw his arms up and blocked the blow.

He was fast, but not strong enough compared to Serah’s strength.

There was a sharp crack as Serah’s fist collided with his forearms. The impact sent him flying backward. His body hit the ground hard, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop in the dirt.

I turned my face away, not because I could not bear to see him hurt, but because I needed to hide my smile, again.

Coincidentally, Elaister turned her head toward me at that exact moment and caught it.

“Ain’t you one piece of work, Saint,” she muttered under her breath.

“Oh, you are smiling too,” I replied lightly. “I know you are under that mask.”

“I am the insane mad scientist,” she said flatly. “You are supposed to be the Saint. Our smiles are not equal, especially in this context.”

Both of us turned as Altair’s voice rang out.

“I got it.”

He was standing again.

His arm was swollen and red, trembling slightly from the impact, but his feet were steady. He was upright, breathing hard, refusing to fall.

Ah.

This was what I loved about him. Even when broken and bloodied, just like that day long ago, he still stood. He always endured. That quiet, stubborn devotion filled my chest until it almost hurt.

For a moment, Serah stared at him with genuine surprise, her mouth slightly agape. Then she scoffed and turned away.

“The camp better be finished before we get back,” she said, walking off in the direction Elira had gone.

“Let us go, Elaister,” I said, already turning toward the cooking area.

“You are not healing him?” Elaister asked, falling into step beside me.

“I will wait until it gets worse,” I replied sweetly. “His gratefulness will be even sweeter after basking in that pain for a while.”

“Seriously,” Elaister muttered. “This is why I hate this world’s god.”

“Spoken like a true Heretic,” I said, smiling to myself.

つづく