I Wanted a Cute Girl to Cast Healing Magic on Me, So I Kept Protecting My Allies—and Ended Up with an Overprotective Party - 34

Chapter 34: Almost Couldn’t Make It Through

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The day after they spent a night in the royal capital, everyone was seated around a table in the inn’s dining hall, eating breakfast, when Karinka-san brought up the topic of an audience with the Saintess.

“Saintess-sama… That’s the person who came during the joint expedition the other day, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“She was so beautiful!”

That cheerful remark came from Emil.

“I thought so too. As a fellow woman, she’s someone to admire.”

Apparently, Miya agreed with that sentiment.

“If I remember correctly, she came that time to cast a barrier spell on all the participating adventurers, right?”

“Exactly. Thanks to her, everyone was able to proceed safely for a long time without encountering any monsters.”

“And Emil happened to be able to cast that barrier magic too. That’s what this is about, right?”

“After all, barrier magic is a spell that only the Saintess can use.”

Indeed, Emil really did seem like a saintess. She had long, radiant silver hair and wore a pure white robe. She was a kind, gentle beauty with a reserved demeanor—though recently, her sense of personal boundaries had been rather skewed.

“I still can’t believe that I might be a Saintess…”

“That’s why we’re going to meet Saintess-sama to find out for sure. Let’s go.”

Among the party, only Karinka-san had been inside the castle before, so we all relied on her for information regarding the proper etiquette and procedures.

“Um, I don’t know anything about proper etiquette. I might accidentally do something rude.”

“It’ll be fine. Audiences with the Saintess aren’t that formal.”

We took the regular carriage line to a spot near the castle. The area was a beautiful cobblestone plaza with a fountain in the center and rows of stalls. This place was more crowded than anything I had seen before.

A road stretched far from there to the castle—visible even from this distance.

It looked exactly like what you’d imagine a castle to be. The reddish-brick buildings had blue roofs in various styles—pointed, rounded, or perfectly triangular. Together, they looked like a grand complex. From afar, this place was imposing and tempting to explore.

The road leading to the castle was bustling with many people besides our group. Apparently, as long as one followed the proper procedures, getting an audience with the Saintess wasn’t particularly difficult.

After walking the long road for about ten minutes, they finally reached the castle gates. Naturally, guards were posted there, so once again, we left Karinka-san to deal with the formalities.

Soon enough, we were granted entry and waited in a chapel-like room inside the castle. Dozens of people sat on long benches, and those called by the knights passed one by one through an ornate set of doors. Saintess-sama was supposedly on the other side.

After waiting for about an hour, it was finally our turn to be called into the room. There stood the same woman from the joint expedition, with a grand stained-glass window behind her and two knights at her sides.

Saintess-sama  wore a white hooded robe embroidered with fine details, and her beauty was almost divine. Physically speaking, she was likely in her twenties, but if someone said she’d watched over the world like a goddess, you’d believe it.

Following the instructions Karinka-san had given to us beforehand, we behaved appropriately and showed the minimum level of respect.

People came to Saintess-sama for all sorts of reasons: confession, personal troubles, or simply to express gratitude.

Man, being a Saintess must be exhausting.

Listening to strangers all day sounded more like spiritual training.

Saintess-sama stood on a platform about two steps above where we were, with a knight to either side. They stood below, facing her. After the introductions,  we left the talking to Karinka-san.

As for me? No way! There’s no way I can do the talking!

“Thank you for coming. What brings you here today?”

“Actually, Emil here recently used a barrier spell.”

“A barrier spell, you say?”

“Yes. It’s widely known that only those with the potential to become a Saintess can use barrier magic. We’ve come to humbly ask for your opinion, Saintess-sama.”

“I see. Emil-san, could you please step forward?”

“Y-Yes…!”

Emil nervously climbed the steps and stopped in front of Saintess-sama.  She adjusted her position so the others could see. To the left stood Saintess-sama, to the right, Emil—very close together.

“You’re quite adorable. Emil-san, would you try casting Heal on me?”

“Heal…?”

Saintess-sama! That’s way too dangerous! Even if you’re the Saintess, there’s no guarantee you can withstand Emil’s Heal!

I wanted to shout it out. But I wasn’t brave enough to speak in this solemn atmosphere. 

I mean, withstand Emil’s Heal? Having the strength to withstand a healing magic… It really doesn’t make any sense, huh…

“U-Um… B-But I thought Heal only works when there’s an actual injury?”

“That’s true, but don’t worry. Even without the healing effect, I can determine your aptitude through the flow and amount of magic.”

“U-Understood! But, um… Where should I pretend the injury is?”

“Let’s say the face. It’s a vulnerable area after all.”

Out of all places, it’s the face?!

It seemed Saintess-sama was pretty courageous. She didn’t shy away from risk. 

“Got it, the face then. Please excuse me.”

Ah! This is bad!

I could instinctively feel it. Emil was going to touch Saintess-sama’s face. That had to be borderline blasphemy. Wouldn’t she get arrested for that?

“Heal…”

But I was too late. Emil stepped forward, gently cupped Saintess-sama’s cheeks with both hands, and a faint green light enveloped her face. Saintess-sama must’ve felt like she was ascending to heaven. However, her expression remained composed and even conveyed a strong sense of resolve. A complete contrast to how me or Miya reacted when getting healed by Emil. 

As expected from a Saintess..!

The green light faded, and Emil stepped back.

“Um… How was my Heal?”

“Let’s see. Emil-san, you certainly have the qualities of a Healer—and something else, something unique. But I can’t say for sure just yet. Could you return tomorrow?”

“Yes!”

Emil rejoined us, and Saintess-sama asked us another question.

“Does Emil-san always cast Heal on your party members?”

Karinka-san answered on our behalf.

“Yes. We’re always helped by Emil’s Heal. Rikuto and Miya here as well.”

“I see. So everyone can be healed thanks to Emil-san’s Heal.”

Thus ended our audience with Saintess-sama—for now. We would need to return the next day. We decided to take the rest of the day off and enjoy sightseeing in the royal capital together.

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[Just after Rikuto and the others left the room (Saintess-sama’s POV)]

After Rikuto and his companions left, Saintess-sama instructed her knights to step out as well. Once they did, she was alone in the spacious room.

She made her way with slightly unsteady steps to her usual high-backed chair—not luxurious, but not plain either. Sitting down, she looked up at the ceiling and recalled what had just happened.

T-That was so dangerous…! What is that girl!? Was that really Heal!? And she just grabbed my face out of nowhere! That was so nerve-wracking… I seriously thought she was going to kiss me! I almost had my first kiss stolen by a girl…! What would’ve happened if I’d let my guard down?! I’m the Saintess, I have to stay composed or everyone will worry!

In truth, Saintess-sama had not been okay at all. During Emil’s Heal, she had barely managed to stay conscious. Had she reacted strangely, she might’ve caused unnecessary concern to those around her.

As the Saintess—a symbol of the nation and a sacred figure—she had to maintain a dignified presence. She willingly worked for the people and genuinely wished for their safety.

What about the other three? Those people aside from Emil-san? They said they’re always saved by her Heal… Could it be… Their entire party consisted of incredibly amazing people? Ah… How am I supposed to explain this tomorrow…?

Thus, a memory Saintess-sama would never forget was etched into her heart.

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