The Expelled Boy Does All Sorts of Things with the Onee-sans He Saved.

Chapter 006: Elena Part 1 – How I Ended Up Here

(Elena’s Perspective)

What is faith supposed to be?

I fought for my Lord and for the people.

So why!? Why me!?

Has God abandoned me?

～～～～～

I — Elena = Shell = Valois — was born into a devout family of believers in the Anis Holy Kingdom.

My country is the headquarters of the Anis Faith, which worships the Goddess Anis, and is ruled by the Pope as its supreme leader.

My family held a fairly high position within the knight orders.

I trained and studied every day with the goal of becoming the Commander of the First Knight Order.

Thanks to my natural talent with the sword and excellent academic results, I entered the academy at age 10 by skipping grades and graduated at the top of my class just three years later. I was overjoyed when my family praised me.

After that, I was allowed to join the knight order as an apprentice.

I was truly happy. It was my first step toward realizing my dream.

For the first year, my main duty was guarding the Holy Capital and the Grand Cathedral. That same year, I won the swordsmanship tournament.

As a result, I was given the great honor of serving as the bodyguard for the Pope’s granddaughter.

Lady Maria was the same age as me and treated me kindly. We built a good relationship, not just as protector and charge, but as friends.

During that time, a major incident occurred — the problem of the current Pope’s successor. In the Holy Kingdom, the next Pope was normally chosen by vote among the cardinals.

However, Maria’s grandfather, Pope Vasileus III, was committing atrocious acts unthinkable for a leader of the Anis Faith in order to make his son (Maria’s father) the next Pope.

He assassinated cardinals and priests who opposed him and framed their families for crimes, throwing them into prison.

The events carried out by the man later known in history as the “Blood Pope” revealed to the world that the Holy Kingdom was no longer a pure nation.

Naturally, people began attempting to assassinate him and his family.

It was true that her grandfather was guilty, but Maria herself had done nothing wrong!!

I protected Maria everywhere she went. I became her sword and her shield.

Two years after I became her bodyguard, Maria told me:

“Elena, I have made up my mind. I will stop my grandfather.”

Her aquamarine eyes looked at me with strong determination. I nodded in response.

“Maria, I am your sword. I will follow the path you have chosen.”

We secretly coordinated with others and made preparations.

Half a year later, during the festival held across the Holy Kingdom to praise the Goddess Anis, we took action.

By then, almost only those closest to the Pope still supported him.

Twelve out of the fifteen knight orders sided with Maria and joined the operation. Together, we stormed the Grand Cathedral.

The operation was a success. That day, later called the “Day of Restoration,” was the day the people of the Holy Kingdom were freed from the Pope’s reign of terror.

Maria stood before the people and apologized. Even though she was one of the heroes who led the effort, she was still the Pope’s granddaughter. She bowed deeply, saying she must apologize for the sins of her family.

I stood beside her, watching her with pride. I strongly believed she was the one who should become the next Pope.

Many others felt the same, and a month later, Maria was enthroned as Pope Maria I.

I still remember how her golden hair shone in the morning sunlight on the day of her enthronement.

Thanks to my achievements, results, and Maria’s own strong wish, I was able to obtain the position of Commander of the First Knight Order — my long-cherished dream.

Becoming the Commander was good, but it naturally required me to produce results worthy of the title.

The Commander of the First Knight Order had the duty to accept all challengers at any time. Over six years, I faced more than 300 challengers and defeated every single one.

The same was true on the battlefield.

My first battle as Commander came five months after my appointment.

The enemy was the long-hostile Kalos Empire, led by one of their most distinguished generals, Baturo.

He was famous for his simple but effective tactics — charging at the front himself and slaughtering enemies. I was ordered to defeat him.

Even though it was my first battle in this role, I felt the heavy responsibility that came with being the First Knight Commander.

On the day of the decisive battle, I waited with my large shield and sword ready as Baturo charged.

I turned his mounted charge into a one-on-one duel.

His battle axe struck with tremendous weight. I nearly lost consciousness several times, but I endured and found a momentary opening, thrusting my sword into his flank. The blade sank deep — a fatal wound.

He used his last strength to resist, but I quickly responded and pierced his throat.

The moment Baturo collapsed, a roar of joy erupted from the Holy Kingdom’s army.

With this battle, I solidified my position as Knight Commander.

After that, I spent busy days fighting on the front lines and assisting Pope Maria.

I also engaged in fierce battles for several years against the new female general of the Empire.

However, the gears of my life — which had been dedicated to serving this country as a knight and as a believer — began to go mad.

Four years after becoming Knight Commander, opinions started to arise that it was time for Maria to marry.

The doctrines of the Anis Faith allowed even the Pope to marry.

I fully supported the idea, believing Maria deserved ordinary happiness as well — I had no idea this would be a terrible mistake.

Some time later, Maria grew close to a man named Wolf.

This man had only recently become a priest but rapidly closed the distance with Maria.

This was when it started. The once-kind Maria began to distance herself from me, and the country’s politics turned horrible.

In just a few weeks, Maria made Wolf a cardinal.

She then announced her engagement to him.

Something was wrong. It was far too strange.

I went to Maria’s office and directly appealed to her — to cancel the engagement, to focus on politics, and to properly look after the people.

However, Maria only looked at me as if I were garbage. Her once-beautiful eyes seemed clouded.

I was sentenced to three months of house arrest on the grounds that I had insulted Maria.

Even while confined, I continued sending letters to Maria, but received no replies.

After my house arrest ended and I returned to duty, the sense of unease inside me would not disappear.

And then my daily life began to collapse.

First, members of the First Knight Order appealed to Wolf, claiming I was unfit to be their commander.

I had not been negligent, and I remained undefeated in martial skill. What made me unfit? Upon investigation, I discovered that those who complained were sneaking out of the knight barracks at night to visit illegal brothels and embezzling order funds.

I immediately dismissed them. However, Wolf’s order later overturned the decision.

Because of this, I received more hateful stares and behind-the-back gossip.

Two months later, I was summoned by my family. They said I had been rude to Wolf and was causing trouble for the household, demanding I apologize immediately.

It was strange. Everything was wrong. Not just Maria — my family and the knight order had all changed.

There was nothing left but to deal with Wolf myself. I headed to Maria’s location.

There, I found both Maria and Wolf.

“Maria!! That man is dangerous!! You must escape from him right now!!”

But Maria’s reply was shocking.

“What are you saying? You are the one who is strange for causing so much trouble for my beloved.”

“What… are you saying…?”

I looked at Wolf. He wore a disgusting smile.

“Seize her. This is high treason.”

I was subdued by the knights.

I was put on trial. There was no one left to defend me.

“She may be a demon.”

Wolf declared this and had me crucified.

From there, the torture began. “Confess that you are a demon.” “Hurry up and say it.” My hair was ripped out, my left arm was severed, and my right leg was also cut off.

“Why!? Why, Maria!? Is this… is this really the right thing to do!?”

The torture was carried out even in front of Maria. Despite my desperate pleas, she watched without changing her expression.

Then she said one thing to me:

“You have been abandoned by God.”

Snap. Something inside me broke.

Abandoned. So easily. So cruelly. What had my life been for until now?

I no longer had any will to resist.

Wolf grinned and took me to a waterfall near the Holy Capital, then dropped me into the basin below.

My life was over. So horribly, so sadly, and so easily. What had I lived for?

However, my story did not end. When I regained consciousness, someone had picked me up. After receiving basic treatment, I was thrown into a cell. My consciousness faded again.

The next time I woke up, I was lined up on the street. This was a slave merchant. The former Commander of the First Knight Order was now being sold as a slave — what a farce.

But in this condition, no one would buy me. I was passed from place to place and eventually laid down in the basement of one shop.

I no longer had any strength. I could only wait for death.

Suddenly, I saw a familiar figure in front of me. It was the “Black Panther of the Empire,” whom I had fought for many years.

Something must have happened to her too. Even though she was an enemy, I felt sympathy. The other woman was the Warrior Chief of the opposing Union whom I had seen at a previous meeting.

For some reason, I felt a little glad. I wasn’t alone. So this was how my life would…

“Please give her to me!!”

Those words brought a bit of awareness back. It was a boy, smaller than me, with brown hair.

The boy said he would buy someone like me.

Then my vision suddenly went dark. When it returned, I saw a luxurious ceiling.

『Extra Heal!!』

I heard the boy’s voice.

A warm light enveloped my entire body. Sensation returned to the arm and leg that had been missing. I could feel my hair again.

Suddenly, the boy’s face entered my view — desperately casting magic. And this was Extra Heal, an extremely rare spell that only a few cardinals could use.

A boy this young could use it. So that was it.

I realized I was born to serve this new “Master.”

This person is my destiny…

Ah, my Lord… please guide me.

I will follow you for the rest of my life.