When I Infiltrated the Enemy Nation as a Slave, the Yandere Beauties There Started a Civil War Over Me - Chapter 26: The Saintess

Chapter 26: The Saintess

“Do you know who I am!? Let go of me!”

Despite the overweight man’s loud protests, the two men ignored him and forced him into a carriage.

I wondered if the church held that much power, enough to do something like this in public, just because the saintess had been insulted. Or perhaps their influence had grown so large that they could get away with it… maybe both. As I was thinking this, the carriage began to move.

They were likely heading to the church they had mentioned earlier…

“A carriage, huh…”

If I ran at full speed, I could probably catch up, but following them without being noticed would be difficult… Should I give up?

Just as I considered it, I noticed that the carriage was moving at a pace that wouldn’t strain the horses, meaning I could keep up by staying hidden and tailing it carefully.

So, with full attention to my surroundings, I followed the carriage for several minutes until—

“That’s…”

Something came into view.

A tall building with an arched entrance that seemed to lead to a door, with several windows that gave off a unique atmosphere. Symmetrical spires stood on either side—it was the church.

I had only seen pictures of it before, but seeing it in person was far more impressive than I had imagined. As I stared at it, the three men stepped out of the carriage.

“You dare bring me to a place like this! Let me go at once!”

The overweight man continued to shout, but as usual, the two men ignored him. One of them raised his voice toward the church.

“O Saintess! We have brought a sinner before you. Will you please purify this man of his sins with your divine judgment?”

As he finished speaking, the large doors of the church opened.

From inside, a woman emerged, dressed in a white robe with gold accents and red patterns on the sleeves. She had long, golden hair and pink eyes.

“Is that… a saintess’s robe? So, that must be her…?”

Even from this distance, I could see her strikingly beautiful eyes and features. Her long hair was perfectly maintained, silky and shiny, and she stood tall with a well-proportioned figure. That woman… she was the saintess.

“…”

She certainly had the presence one would expect from someone called a saintess. As I took it all in, she began to speak.

“Very well… Can you explain the nature of his sins to me directly?”

She smiled softly as she asked this, but the overweight man shouted in response.

“Ridiculous! I have no sins to confess!”

“It seems the sinner is unaware of his own guilt… In that case, please speak on his behalf and explain his sins to me.”

The saintess spoke to one of the men holding down the overweight man, and he nodded before explaining.

“This man was in a restaurant in the city, loudly making… remarks about the Saintess that I cannot bring myself to repeat.”

“…To mock someone who owes their life to the grace of that divine figure is the same as mocking them as well. Truly, a grave sin.”

“What’s so sinful about it!? I merely called you a fool because you’re a foolish woman opposing the war with the nearly defeated Sandrotheim Kingdom!”

Hearing Sandrotheim Kingdom being insulted made my blood boil, but I somehow managed to control my anger—

“Silence.”

It wasn’t me who responded, but the saintess. Her eyes darkened, and the gentle smile she had worn vanished. Her voice, now cold and heavy, sent chills as she addressed the overweight man.

“Hiii!”

The man yelped in fear, but the saintess was unmoved, shaking her head as she continued.

“Anyone who fails to understand the greatness of that divine being can only be described as a fool. But perhaps, even someone like you could change your mind. So, let me briefly explain why I oppose the war with the Sandrotheim Kingdom.”

“W-Who are you calling a fool—?”

Even though the overweight man felt fear, his pride barely held him together as he tried to speak—

“Listen quietly, or would you prefer to lose your head right now?”

“Hiii! I-I’ll listen!”

Terrified by the obvious change in the saintess’s demeanor, the man gave up any further protest. Her shift in tone was concerning, but I was more interested in hearing her reasoning for opposing the war with the Sandrotheim Kingdom—something that had been on my mind from the start.

As I listened intently, the saintess began to explain.

“Long ago, before the Elenorde Empire and Sandrotheim Kingdom were at war, I was still part of a ducal family as the daughter of a duke. Despite my status, I longed for freedom and secretly left my family to travel abroad. Of course, I knew the risks, but I had enough money to handle most situations.”

A saintess, and yet also from a duke’s family… I see, that explains why the church and the saintess hold such immense power.

“However, reality was not so kind… Near the Sandrotheim Kingdom, my carriage was attacked by bandits. They knocked out the coachman and then came toward me… While I had some knowledge, I had no means to defend myself at the time, so I was prepared to lose both my purity and my life—but then!”

The saintess clasped her hands together, her cheeks turning red as she continued.

“That’s when I met him—that person. He swiftly overwhelmed the bandits and saved me! If it hadn’t been for him, I would have lost everything, including my life… But he saved me!”

She continued, now touching her own body as she spoke.

“Not only that, when I offered him money as a reward, he refused it. Instead, he invited me to the Sandrotheim Kingdom, treating me with the same respect and hospitality as royalty, providing me with a room and meals. I asked him why he would do so much for someone from another country… and he told me that his duty was to ensure the happiness of people, no matter which country they came from. In that moment, I felt as though I had met a truly divine figure, overflowing with compassion.”

—Treated the same as royalty…!?

The only people who could offer that kind of treatment would be a duke or royalty. But something about this story feels familiar to me, like I’ve heard it before… Is it possible that I know who this person is?

I thought hard, recalling the dukes and royals of the Sandrotheim Kingdom, but I couldn’t match this story to any of them.

Just then, the saintess, having calmed down and stopped blushing, spoke again.

“I could never condone attacking and destroying the country where such a noble person lives… Especially when I have yet to repay him for his kindness. Oh, my heart aches at the thought that he might be in danger as we speak…”

She paused, but then her cheeks flushed again, and she placed her hands on her face as she continued.

“I want nothing more than to meet him again, and now that I am fully grown, I want to offer myself to him in ways I couldn’t back then… to express my love through the act of—no, this isn’t the time to talk about such things.”

The saintess regained her composure, the blush fading from her face, and gave a small smile.

“Well, what do you think? After hearing my story, do you now understand the foolishness of continuing the war with the Sandrotheim Kingdom?”

“U-Understand…? I… can’t possibly…”

“I see… But I’m sure that his deep compassion wouldn’t abandon even someone like you. You don’t look well—please, take him to that room for now.”

“Understood, Saintess.”

The two men nodded at the saintess’s command and led the man into the church. Left alone, the saintess placed her hand over her chest, her face glowing with a look of happiness, as if lost in thought.

—That saintess is likely the person Cecifelia mentioned, the one with the unique personality and exceptional talents within the church.

“She’s definitely… unusual. No, it feels like something even beyond that.”

However, based on her story, it’s clear that she doesn’t harbor any hostility toward the Sandrotheim Kingdom—if anything, she seems to be more sympathetic to it.

She even said that if she met the person who saved her again, she would offer herself to him. I don’t know what she might do, so I’d rather not let her meet this “noble person” she keeps mentioning. But maybe, as the prince of the Sandrotheim Kingdom, if I approached her indirectly, she might agree to help.

With this valuable information and knowing the location of the church, I decided to head back for now so I wouldn’t be late again. I could come up with a plan later.

…Still, I can’t help but wonder—who exactly is this “noble person” she keeps talking about?