CHAPTER 32……………………………………….
This was a situation I had never experienced before, even counting all my past lives.
“Protect the Saintess.”
“Yes!”
A blue light rippled around Alec’s sword. As he charged forward, the monster’s eyes slowly turned toward him.
Was there anything I could do in this situation?
As Alec leapt ahead, the knights tightened their formation around me, filling the gap he left.
Shielded by the knights, I couldn’t see him very well.
Holding the hand of the unconscious Amy, I fixed my gaze on Alec through a narrow gap.
When Alec swung his sword, filled with aura, it rode the wind toward the monster.
But the monster lightly twisted its body to the side and dodged.
As it beat its wings, a fierce sandstorm swept through the forest.
I quickly raised my arm to shield my eyes.
When I lowered it again, the monster was spewing thin streams of fire toward Alec.
He rolled across the dirt to evade, but the monster’s attacks did not stop.
Just watching, my body trembled in tiny shakes at this unfamiliar situation.
What could I do? Did I really have no choice but to stand here and watch?
Even to someone ignorant of swords and monsters like me, it was clear that Alec was being pushed back.
The knights were biting their lips as well.
Alec once again poured aura into his blade and swung, but the result was the same as before.
At that moment, the monster’s eyes flashed. From its wide-open mouth, a sphere of fire began to gather.
Everyone, myself included, sensed the danger.
“Commander!”
“Evade!”
When the monster unleashed the fire toward Alec, I squeezed my eyes shut.
After a brief silence, I felt everyone’s attention converge.
When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
From where I stood to where Alec was, a white, semicircular protective barrier had formed.
The flames touched neither Alec nor the ground.
“Did I do that…?”
I looked down at my hands. White light shimmered around me, as if announcing the outpouring of holy power.
Did I really do it?
Unable to believe it, I looked at Alec. He was looking at me too.
I hadn’t consciously thought about using holy power.
I’d only been thinking that I had to protect him somehow—and the holy power had naturally shaped itself into the barrier I wanted.
It was the first time. I’d never had reason to use it like this before, so perhaps it was only natural.
I felt a little dazed.
The monster let out another deafening roar.
When everyone’s gaze turned back to it, an aura subtly mixed with gold and black bound the monster.
It wasn’t Alec’s aura. At the sudden turn of events, everyone held their breath.
Before long, the monster shattered, its form breaking apart beyond recognition as it crashed to the ground.
The impact made the earth tremble.
In the forest now blanketed in silence, only the sound of hooves rang out.
The owner of the aura from moments ago.
The instant I saw the man riding toward us, my heart dropped with a heavy thud.
The only person standing outside the protective barrier I had made.
I passed through the knights surrounding me and walked toward him.
Seeing Cardin, his entire body drenched in blood, my fingertips began to tremble.
It felt as though I couldn’t breathe.
Was he hurt? How badly?
“Saintess.”
The voice calling me wasn’t his.
Alec, who had come up beside me at some point, called out to me again.
The world that had looked black and white except for Cardin regained its color.
“…Ah. Commander.”
“Thank you for saving us.”
As I withdrew my holy power, I forced my trembling lips into a smile.
“I’m glad.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
This time, it wasn’t Alec who spoke.
It was Cardin, who had dismounted and stepped toward me.
“…Are you injured?”
At my trembling question, he wiped the blood from his face.
“It’s not my blood.”
Only after hearing that did I draw a breath, like someone tasting air for the first time.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
At Cardin’s question, I nodded.
“…Thanks to you, I’m unharmed.”
Alec, standing beside me, asked Cardin,
“Did the monster come down this far?”
He nodded briefly.
Thankfully, the monster we had just seen was the only one.
The knights behind me had finished preparing to depart and were already mounted.
Amy, leaning against a knight, slowly blinked her eyes. It seemed she had regained consciousness.
Only after confirming with my own eyes that Cardin was unharmed did I turn away.
When I approached Amy, she called to me in a small voice.
“Saintess…”
Her face was stained with fear.
“Shh. It’s all right now. It’s over.”
I raised my arm and gently stroked her cheek.
“Saintess, are—are you hurt anywhere?”
Even in her fear, she worried about me. I lowered my brows softly.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry.”
With tears welling in her eyes, Amy pressed her lips together.
“I’m sorry for showing you such a disgraceful 모습.”
“It was all new to you. Even if it weren’t, it was a frightening experience. Amy, it might be best for you to return to the temple now.”
Amy hesitated to answer. I slid my outstretched hand down and placed it over hers.
“It’s really all right.”
At the gentle pat, she seemed to choke up and began to cry.
“It’s a dangerous place. Going back isn’t strange at all. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.”
For her sake, since she couldn’t answer easily, I asked a knight,
“Sir Knight, could you escort Amy back to the temple?”
The knight glanced once at Alec. He nodded briefly, as if agreeing with my decision.
“Understood, Saintess.”
“Saintess…”
“Then I’ll see you at the temple. I’ll leave her in your care.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
I bestowed a blessing upon the two of them. May the god’s protection be with them on their way.
The knight gave a short bow and pulled on the reins.
I watched the two of them retrace the path we had come.
Amy was hidden behind the knight, but for some reason I couldn’t help imagining her shoulders slumped, which weighed on my heart.
“Saintess, we should depart again as well.”
“Yes. But before that…”
I closed my eyes briefly and bestowed a blessing upon them too.
May the god’s protection be with you.
Of course, with Cardin as well.
After glancing once at the carriage, I asked Alec,
“Commander.”
“Where is the coachman? Is he hurt?”
“He was sent ahead on horseback.”
“I see.”
“Shall we go now?”
Alec held out his hand to me.
Since I couldn’t ride in the carriage, I needed help mounting a horse.
Just as I was about to place my hand on his—
“I will escort you.”
Alec and I both turned to look at Cardin.
Striding forward with his black horse, he repeated what he had just said.
“I will escort you.”
I waved my hands and refused.
“Ah, no. It’s all right.”
Cardin turned his head slightly and looked at his horse.
“Going with me will be the safest option.”
I stared blankly at him as he spoke with such certainty.
There was no emotion in his voice, yet my heart began to pound for no reason.
Alec glanced around at the knights for a moment, then bit his lip.
Judging by his silence, he seemed to agree that staying with Cardin would be safest.
“…Then I’ll leave it to you.”
I looked at Alec and asked belatedly,
“Is that all right?”
After a brief pause, he answered,
“I will guard you from behind.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, let us go.”
Cardin held out his hand to me. I placed mine atop it.
“Have you ever ridden a horse before?”
“No. It’s my first time.”
He looked up at the horse for a moment, then said,
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
My blinking eyes suddenly widened like lanterns.
Cardin grabbed my waist. As he lifted me lightly, I gasped and sucked in a breath.
Only after I was seated atop the horse did I open my tightly shut eyes.
I knew horses were large just by looking at them, but being on top was an entirely different feeling.
My hands, unsure where to go, and my wandering gaze trembled uncontrollably.
It was higher than I’d expected, frightening, and hard to keep my balance.
I bit my lip tightly and squeezed my eyes shut again. At that moment, the wind carried his scent to me.
It was mixed with the smell of monster blood, but when I caught his scent, I slowly lifted my eyelids.
He mounted the horse with practiced ease and sat behind me.
When Cardin moved his arm forward to grasp the reins, I unknowingly held my breath again.
Unable to lean against him or pull away, I froze in place.
“Is the smell too strong?”
“…Pardon?”
“I failed to consider that the scent of blood might be unpleasant.”
I quickly shook my head.
“No, it’s fine.”
When he didn’t respond, I denied it again.
“Really, it’s not.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes—yes.”
“Then, lean back.”
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Cardin released one hand from the reins and wrapped his arms around me.
