S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 34: The Saintess's Thoughts

Chapter 34: The Saintess’s Thoughts

[Side: Betrayed Adventurer]

“—And that’s how it went down.”

““”Serves them right~~~~~!!!!”””

“…Was this really okay?”

The night after my first conversation with Ciel, we were gathered once again, talking through the farseeing crystal.

Things had moved at lightning speed since yesterday.

By the end of the day, I was interrogated, the ladies decided everything, a script was drafted,

and before I knew it, I was forced to record that video.

Apparently, by the morning (which is today), it had already been shown to the Hero’s Party.

Something felt off—this was supposed to be my revenge (?).

But somehow, Elmie and the others were way more enthusiastic about it.

I only voiced my wishes, and before I knew it, they had decided the penalties…

Well, I agreed to it, so I guess it’s fine.

“But still, why did you even offer them a way to lift the curse? I heard that curses from the Souther Sky Faith, especially those using dark magic to weaken the soul, are usually permanent… And honestly, I don’t even need the money that much.”

“You might not need the compensation, but just cursing them isn’t enough. Think of it as dangling a carrot in front of them.”

So Maria explained.

If they were simply cursed, they would either get used to it or break under the pressure.

Eventually, it would stop feeling like punishment.

But as long as there was a condition to lift the curse, they would keep clinging to the hope of freedom and invest their efforts into making amends to me…

“Humans will cling to even the smallest bit of hope… even if it means enduring suffering for a long time. Abel, you understand that well, don’t you?”

“…Yeah, I do.”

I nodded, remembering the past three years when I had nearly died countless times, all in the hope of seeing Millia again.

…But to use that same desperation like this?

This whole condition for lifting the curse—

Elmie had voiced her concerns, Frey came up with the initial idea, Maria fine-tuned the details, and Ciel gave it her official approval.

It was a masterful collaboration.

Cruel. Women are scary…!

“Thanks to Miss Alvia filming Abel’s fight, their pride must be completely shattered by now!”

“It was… quite an arousing display—ahem. Yes, both of them were thoroughly crushed.”

While I sat there in silent horror, the ladies casually sipped from their drinks.

Turns out, the Guild Master had secretly recorded my fight, and they had used Kamul’s connections to get it broadcasted in the guild news.

All to utterly destroy the Hero’s pride.

Brutal.

Honestly, it was the right move since Yuto looked like he was about to do something stupid…

but still.

And now, they had turned the church into their personal party spot, with booze and snacks everywhere.

Right in front of the Saintess, no less.

She remained expressionless, but she didn’t seem to mind.

As I let out a wry smile at Elmie and the others celebrating, Ciel, looking a little apologetic, finally spoke up.

“Lord Abel, regarding the dissolution of your oath… unfortunately, you’ve also been given a penalty.”

“It can’t be helped. This punishment is something the Souther Sky Faith applies to anyone who breaks the oath—I’m no exception.”

The Souther Sky Faith’s penalty was meant as a form of punishment for those who failed to uphold their vows.

Depending on the circumstances, it could serve as compensation for the victim, but it was originally designed to apply to both parties involved, whether they were at fault or not.

If the oath was broken, both individuals had to bear the consequences.

No matter how much effort I put into the relationship, it wouldn’t completely exempt me—only mitigate the severity.

And the punishment? A one-year ban on marriage.

It was probably meant to be a time for self-reflection and careful thought.

“Well, I think it’s fair. Honestly, it could’ve been worse, and I’m guessing you pulled some strings to lighten it, right? Thanks.”

“Ha—!!! …Ahem, of course, it’s only natural.”

Ciel’s voice cracked for a moment, sounding like her heart stopped briefly.

What’s with that reaction?

Elmie and the others shot her disapproving looks…

“Buuut~ you know, it’s just a ‘ban on marriage,’ right~?”

And just like that… Frey, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, suddenly clung to me!

Her usual softness pressed against me, and—just like always, I could feel it clearly…!

“Fuuu~”

She blew a warm, alcohol-tinged breath into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

But it didn’t stop there—

On the other side, I felt an equal massive presence pressing against me…!?

“Abel, you know… things like ‘dating’ or ‘common-law marriage’… those are totally fine, right?”

“—!?”

Maria’s teasing words snapped me back to reality, and I instinctively turned to look at Ciel in the recording.

Her face was flushed red, but she gave a small nod.

“T-That’s technically true… but for Lord Abel to have multiple partners…!? I-I guess… as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters…!”

She blurted it all out in a rapid, flustered tone—but I couldn’t focus on that anymore.

Because in that moment, I felt a hand gently grip mine.

The one holding my hand… was Elmie, her face flushed red despite having barely touched her drink.

“So… Abel… you better be prepared, okay?”

With both sides completely taken over by these seductive sisters, all I could do was stare at Elmie’s bright red face in stunned silence.

And just like that—

The night quietly slipped away.

[Side: ???]

After cutting the connection, I—Ciel Alfanum—collapsed onto my bed.

“Hah… hah… Even through the crystal, the overload is too much… I can’t handle this…!”

I hugged myself, writhing slightly with an awkward smile that even I found a little unsettling.

I am a Saintess.

As a child, I never had freedom.

Every day was spent in prayer and training, dedicating myself to faith and devotion.

It wasn’t painful… but it was true that I had no freedom of my own.

Perhaps feeling sorry for me, my father at the time gave me light novels to read—

Of course, nothing too inappropriate for a future saintess.

It was a gift not from a priest, but from a father.

 My favorite of them all was the romance novels.

As a “saint” and a servant of God, I longed for something like a dream.

 I will develop an interest in “love”, which is sweet and sour and sometimes bittersweet, in reality.

Among all the books, my absolute favorite was romance novels.

For someone like me, a Saintess and a servant of God, they were nothing short of a dream.

The bittersweet, sometimes heart-wrenching stories of love captivated me, and I found myself drawn to the idea of romance even in reality.

Hearing stories from followers and fellow clergy members who had experienced love only deepened my fascination.

There were so many different forms of love and romance, and each one pulled me further into their enchanting world.

Time passed, and I embarked on a journey to defeat the Demon King as part of the Hero’s Party.

There was Yuto, the naive Hero who had just been summoned from another world and struggled to adjust.

Ed, the older, calm, and level-headed member who often played the role of mediator.

And Millia, someone my age, passionate about magic and determined to defeat the Demon King.

Our journey involved solving various incidents to help Yuto grow stronger, and gathering the items and weapons needed for the Demon King’s defeat.

At first, our group often split up by gender, so I spent a lot of time with Millia.

Everything was new to me, and I was often confused, but thanks to Millia’s experience as an adventurer, I was able to get through it.

We supported each other, opened our hearts, and eventually became best friends.

But after about a year, I started feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

The number of emergency requests sent to the Hero’s Party had started to decrease, and sometimes, they were even canceled altogether.

Feeling uneasy, I used the intelligence network of the Souther Sky Faith to investigate what was happening behind the scenes.

And that’s when I learned about him.

A silver-haired swordsman, a rising adventurer known for wielding magic blades.

He was a mysterious figure, as if possessed by something—silently working behind the scenes to support our journey, removing obstacles in our path, and dedicating everything he had to helping us.

Even when covered in wounds, even when on the brink of death, he never stopped—a man who fought like a relentless berserker.

At first, I couldn’t understand his relentless obsession and found myself afraid of his incomprehensible actions.

But when I learned the reason behind them, that fear disappeared like mist.

He was fighting for the woman he loved—someone in the Hero’s Party.

I remembered it all.

In the early days of our journey, I often saw Millia reading letters—sometimes smiling, sometimes looking troubled, her expressions constantly changing.

The countless items, tools, and gifts that kept arriving…

They must have all been from him.

So precious. Too much. This is painful.

Back when we started our journey, the Hero had told me about certain concepts from his world during our casual conversations.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand them…

But on that day, it hit me like divine revelation—and I understood it with my entire being.

“This… this is what they call a ‘devoted fan!’ “

Loving his partner from afar, never giving up, doing whatever he could to support her, no matter how small his contribution might have been!

Once just a lowly C-Rank adventurer, he pushed himself beyond his limits, rising all the way to A-Rank for the sake of love!

Aaaahhhh!!!

No, no, no—this hits all of my weak spots.

I can’t help it—this is exactly the kind of thing I absolutely love!

It had been a long time since I last read any romance novels, but I read his report at least ten times, rolling around in pure excitement.

I even went further, conducting additional investigations into their past—how they were before they separated, their reputation in the royal capital, and even stories from their hometown.

In the end, I drowned in an ocean of admiration and heartfelt emotions.

And on top of that, they even had a Soulbinding Oath?

My admiration for them skyrocketed to unbelievable levels.

Loving only each other, with such unwavering devotion—it was the peak of romance!

At that point, I was all in.

They instantly shot to number one on my all-time favorite couple rankings!

“Sigh… They were my favorite couple, though.”

But… by the time I realized all of this, it was already too late.

Six months after I first learned about Lord Abel—just when I had finally built up the courage to ask Millia about him—

I saw it.

My so-called best friend and that useless, smooth-talking, good-for-nothing Hero, indulging in an act so despicable that it made my stomach churn.

When the Hero was first summoned to this world, he had been timid and unsure of himself,

screaming in terror during battles.

But over time, as people showered him with praise, he changed.

He became arrogant, conceited—acting as if the entire world existed just for him.

To outsiders, he maintained a charming, heroic front, but behind the scenes, he drowned himself in luxuries, indulging in fine food, and seducing women.

Now that I think about it, Millia had shown similar signs.

The wealth, luxury, and attention she received as part of the Hero’s Party were nothing like her humble adventurer days. It all went straight to her head.

While I was busy obsessing over their love story, things had spiraled out of control beyond the point of no return—and she made a mistake that could never be undone.

She had made an Oath of Soulbinding, yet she betrayed it… I should have stopped her.

But instead, I quietly turned my back on the scene before me.

If I were to tell him what was happening…

I didn’t want to ruin his happiness.

I didn’t want to trample on his feelings.

I couldn’t bear to see my favorite couple fall apart.

I didn’t want to see them suffer.

My selfishness held me back, and because I hesitated, things only spiraled deeper into the mess.

Even when I tried to confront Millia, she was already too far gone—completely infatuated with that man, unwilling to listen to reason.

And that useless, pathetic excuse of a man…

I knew trying to talk sense into him would be pointless.

As for Lord Abel…

Back then, he was still just an A-Rank adventurer.

Millia seemed so fascinated by the title of Hero, and I feared that if I mentioned Abel, she might say something awful about him.

I wanted to at least warn him—many times, I reached out to the crystal to contact him… but I could never bring myself to do it.

If he found out about Millia’s betrayal, it would shatter him.

And if I was the one to tell him, I’d be the cause of his pain.

Just thinking about it made my hands tremble, and in the end… I couldn’t do it.

But—no, deep down…

That wasn’t the only reason.

As a Saintess of the Souther Sky Faith, I had thoughts that were utterly unacceptable for someone in my position—towards someone bound by the oath of my faith.

I was jealous.
Jealous of Millia, who was loved so deeply, so strongly, and so kindly by him.

There were countless times when he had saved my life too.

How could I not fall for someone like that…?

But his heart was entirely devoted to Millia.

And my so-called best friend didn’t even realize it.

It frustrated me. It made me furious.

If she was going to keep taking advantage of him without ever knowing how much he loved her…

Then I wanted to take him for myself.

I wanted to be the only one he loved.

Even though I knew the feelings of his companions and the affections of his party leader…

I still harbored a selfish desire to have him all to myself.

…What if?

What if, by some twist of fate, Lord Abel were to find out about Millia’s betrayal on his own?

If he was hurt—if he was completely shattered—

And if I were the one to comfort him…

Wouldn’t his unwavering love turn toward me instead…?

Such thoughts crossed my mind.

“How disgusting.”

I hugged myself, feeling the weight of emotions that my white priestess robes couldn’t conceal.
Lying on my side, I pulled my legs in close—the deep slit of my skirt slipping, revealing the bare skin of my thighs.

—If only this body of mine could be tainted and ruined.

“It’s all my fault… everything that happened with Millia.”

From the very beginning—

Even before I had the chance to make the worst possible choice—

I never had the right to be with him.

Before Millia was swayed… the Hero first approached me.

If I had accepted his advances back then—Maybe my beloved wouldn’t have been hurt.

I regret it more than anything.

My selfish desire to see my favorite person smile…

In the end, my actions only caused him the deepest pain.

I know all too well that, to him,

I am nothing but a troublesome presence.

But… even knowing that, I can’t stop loving him.

So from now on,

I’ll dedicate myself to supporting him quietly from the shadows.

I won’t wish for him to be mine anymore.

I just… want him to be happy.

[Side: The Burdensome Fangirl Saintess]

That day, Saintess Ciel’s authority as a high-ranking cleric was suspended, and she was removed from the Hero’s Party.

No longer the Saintess, no longer the Pope’s daughter—
She was now simply Ciel.