Chapter 37 – The Red-Haired Saint of the Slums – 2

It is raining. The sound of heavy raindrops hitting the ground scatters noisily, but even a few careless footsteps echo clearly. Hiding against the wall, I leaned on my crutches and raised the crossbow. Soon, the voices of three unfamiliar men rang out.

“…Damn it. What a pain this is.”

“Did he really come all the way to this place? It’s a bit… A dirty town for that.”

“On the contrary, that’s why you didn’t come here anymore. Shit. Dirty bastard. Considering what kind of pain the saintess must be suffering from him right now…”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you look for it properly, wizard? Don’t procrastinate and do your best.”

“Do you know who wants to do this? In the first place, detecting mana means finding the traces of mana, not the footsteps of people.

“I think it’s easy for us to find traces in this rain. This isn’t what we do in the first place.”

There was a slight sense of incongruity in their conversation. Didn’t they give accurate information even to the search staff? Even though it’s been over a year since they left the church, nothing has changed. It would have been rather tricky if he had come to the fore by revealing the truth. A clumsy lie only amplifies curiosity toward the truth. The Church often makes more deformed judgments than an asshole like me who has no eyes and no legs.

“Why did he do that anyway?

“Because Romir isn’t like that. I know him. He’s not like that all of a sudden.”

“Then do you really want to say that the saintess did it?

“When did I do that? It’s just…It’s a little weird.”

“We just have to do our jobs. There’s no need to ask questions.”

“Then you should have explained it properly from the beginning.”

As the sound of their footsteps got closer and closer, the worry grew. Is it necessary to kill the old man? It would be more troublesome if the body was found. Maybe it’s better to just leave it alone.

But the next moment, one of them uttered something they would regret for the rest of their lives.

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that… Bloodstain?”

“What?”

They stopped right in front of the wall where I was hiding and looked to one side at the same time. As I turned my head to follow their gaze, I saw a bloodstain that I hadn’t noticed before. I thought it would all have been washed away by the rain. Unfortunately, it seemed that it had not been erased because it splashed under the eaves.

“But… I wonder if it’s just been there from the beginning? This is a town like that.”

“Still, I think it’s worth looking into. If it’s a recent trace, it means that the saintess might have come here.”

“Damn… Bloodstains. I hope it’s not, but I’ll have to check it out anyway.”

They took one step forward. And in that moment, their fate was sealed.

The moment I saw the first guard’s face, I shot my crossbow straight through his temple. The arrow flew silently and pierced his head, and his brain and blood splattered through the rain at the same time.

“Uh…?”

As soon as I confirmed that he was dead, I put down the crossbow and drew an arrow from his waist. And before the second guard could react, he rushed as hard as he could and smashed his body. While he fell and struggled, I climbed on top of him, covered his mouth, and pierced his throat with an arrow.

“Cheuk…!”

“What the fuck!”

When I raised my head, the remaining wizard was hurriedly chanting magic. It’s stupid. No matter how good the equipment was, in the end, the level of those who had not experienced combat was that much. Instead of dodging, I gritted my teeth and prepared for the impact.

“Aaaaa!”

At that moment, the magic bullet he chanted was properly pierced into my head. However, no matter how low my exorcism was, the amount of magic I chanted in such a hurry could not be enough, and the magic bullet left only a few scratches on my forehead.

“Uh…What?”

While he panicked, I removed the helmet from the fallen guard’s head and threw it at the wizard’s head. The mage, who was hit directly in the face with his helmet, fell to the floor and I pulled out a sword from the guard’s waist and used it as a staff to stand up.

“Whoa…”

I looked around, but luckily there seemed to be no more guards. After roughly wiping the blood off my forehead, I approached the wizard.

“Ooooo…”

He struggled with his arms, with half of his face mashed up and tears streaming down his face. No matter how much he is a wizard, he has terrible mental strength. I deliberately cut his left earlobe with my sword and opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

“Ahhhhh! Get out of here!”

“Be quiet or I will make you like me.”

I looked down at him. Then, like magic, the moaning subsided and only the sound of gulping saliva was heard.

“Why are you here?”

“F…To find the lost saintess…”

“Why did the saintess disappear?”

“That…”

Naturally, he hesitated and slurred his words. But as soon as I raised the sword again, he stirred his hand and hurriedly vomited.

“Cult… A priest of the church killed an official under direct control of the imperial family! And he kidnapped the saintess because he was afraid of being reprimanded for that fact… That’s all I know!”

“Oh yeah.”

That’s what I meant to tell you. It was a lie, of course, but a plausible lie had to be mixed with some truth. It is probably true that a direct official of the imperial family died. And the one who killed him must have been a saint. If what she brought was the priest’s head…The case seems to be loosely pieced together. After thinking about it for a bit, I asked one more question.

“Is the Archbishop aware of this?”

“Arch… Archbishop?”

But. Doesn’t this girl have Ali?

“…Well. You’ll find out. Then wake up now.”

“What?”

He asked back as if I had said something I couldn’t understand. But I had no intention of prolonging this conversation.

“You’d better get up when you can.”

“Ah… I see…”

As soon as he heard my words, he hurriedly got up from his seat. I leaned against the wall and tapped the handle of my sword.

“Then put them away.”

“That thing…Those corpses…You mean…?”

“Uh.”

“Where…?”

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out.”

He was about to say something more, but he saw my eyes and looked around hurriedly. And he pointed somewhere with his finger in confidence.

“Um… There’s a trash can over there, can’t we hide it inside?”

Was there a trash can? It was very uncomfortable to live with only one eye. I answered without even looking at it.

“Then do it.”

“Ah… Yes.”

He hesitated, then grabbed the first guard’s corpse by the legs and began to drag it to the dumpster. Watching him grunt and move, I returned to my original position and picked up his crutches and crossbow.

A priest of the Ennesic Church. And one official under the direct control of the imperial family. And, the disappearance of the saintess. I don’t know what kind of ripple effect their deaths will bring, but it was clear that it was at least a major event that would shake the city. And in the center was me and my children.

Also. Wasn’t that what you were entrusted with? But even if I could turn back time, I would have entrusted the work to that detective. That’s because my hatred for the archbishop was deep.

“Sss…Cha…”

When he turned his head, he saw that he had already disposed of one corpse and was moving toward another. I watched it and loaded the crossbow with an arrow. I’ll have to get rid of the last corpse. With that thought in mind, I slowly approached him.

“I just need a red-haired girl with a saintly voice.”

“Huh…?”

Sera’s neck vibrated slightly on top of her fingers, and a thin echo passed through her fingers. As I pressed the tips of her fingernails down the middle of her neck, she closed one eye tightly and bit her lip.

“Ugh…”

“Luka.”

Rachel quietly addressed her as Sarah let out her choking moans. I answered, lifting my finger from Sera’s neck.

“Uh.”

“Is that what I think?”

“I’ll have to ask Vanessa for the exact thing. That’s right.”

“Could it be…Was this something that was discussed in advance? You told me about it last night, but I couldn’t remember?”

“No.”

I let out a thin sigh. I spoke confidently, but in the end, it couldn’t have been done without Rachel’s cooperation.

“But I want to ask you. If it’s not you, I’ll be in trouble.”

“Uh… Oh my God.”

She lowered her head, biting her lip as if in trouble as I looked at her seriously. But she soon raised her head and answered in a bright voice.

“Ah! Well, yes. Maybe it’s not what I’m thinking. So, can we put off the answer for now? Until Vanessa arrives…”

Bang!

But then the door opened at just the right time and the priest on her crutches came inside. Rachel closed her eyes tightly, looking at Vanessa’s exhausted face.

“Oh, how can it be?”

“I come into my house, what’s the reaction, detective lady?”

“Can you just call me Rachel?”

“Okay. Miss Moonlight.”

“Damn…”

Vanessa threw his crutches roughly against the wall and sat down on the floor. Seeing her dripping with human bodily fluids even though she came back in the rain like that, I threw a dry piece of cloth hanging in the corner of her.

“How many did you kill?”

“Three. I think that’s all the search forces that came to the slums, at least. Most of them seem to be searching downtown.”

“Did you hear anything?”

“There’s a little bit, but I’ll tell you later. Even I need some time to catch my breath.”

“Okay.”

She stretched herself and wiped her face with her cloth. Her brain sap and blood mingled in clear raindrops. I looked at her and slowly opened her mouth.

“Vanessa. I want to ask you something.”

“You don’t give me a break. What is it?”

“So far, parts of your body have been removed and transplanted to patients, right?”

“For people who might need it. Why?”

“Have you ever transplanted someone else’s body to a patient?”

“No. I didn’t have to.”

She answered, patting her cloth on the floor, looking down to wipe her wet hair.

“I’m a healer, not a swindler who trades organs. My body is something I originally decided to offer to God, so I can use it however I like, but it’s not someone else’s body. They do exist, but that’s trading, not therapy.”

“That means it’s possible.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But you have to keep in mind, this is an act performed under the protection of Goddess Ennessic. So, the recipient must belong to the Ennesic Order. So, if not the priests receive blessings, at least baptism. That means you have to get it.”

“I’m glad.”

“Yes?”

After thinking for a bit, I asked another question.

“And if you mess with a kid named Bella the other day, I’ll get her eyeballs back. Well, I think she said that. Is that even possible?”

“Yes. It’s possible. It’s because no one does crazy things like that. But why?”

“Because I need it.”

“…I don’t know whose body you need, but as I said, it has to belong to the Ennessic Church.”

“Don’t worry. No one can deny that she belongs to the Ennessic Church.”

“Who is that…Ah. Please, please.”

Vanessa clutched her face in despair. And shaking her head, she said.

“Please. Say it’s not what I think.”

“Do you think lying to me will make you feel better?”

“It’s not… Damn it.”

Vanessa and Rachel. And Sera’s eyes were fixed on me at the same time. Feeling not very happy, I opened my mouth.

“So. Do you think it’s possible?”

“…Which part of the saintess do you need?”

“One place is enough.”

“Where are you?”

“Vocal cords.”

“Who will receive the vocal chords?”

“…Rachel.”

When I gave the last answer, even I was speechless. In the end, everything depended on Rachel’s response. Vanessa, who had been silent for a long time and lost in thought, slowly opened her mouth.

“May I ask why?”

“To find Barbie, I need a saint. And at the same time, I need someone I can trust. In the current situation, the only one who satisfies the latter is Rachel.”

“Luca…”

Sarah called my name in a crawling voice, but I ignored it and turned my gaze to Rachel.

“Fortunately, the saintess of the Ennessic Church has never shown any special abilities to people other than to spread her legs for money. So, if they look similar, everyone will be fooled. Fortunately, both have red hair and their bodies are similar. You can fool them with clothes. And as for looks, it doesn’t matter because Rachel is good at disguise.”

“Uh…How did you know that?”

“When we first met, you faked your identity and tried to get into the baronet. I think forging papers isn’t the only thing you specialize in.”

“Well… Damn it. It’s no big deal to me just changing my face.”

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and scratched her head. Vanessa looked at him and opened her mouth again.

“So. Are you saying that the rest is solved by faking the voice?”

“That’s right. With Rachel’s agreement, of course…”

“Luca!”

Then, a voice that sounded like Sera’s scream was heard. Only then did I make eye contact with her.

“Luca…What do you mean by this? Did I misunderstand? Huh?”

“You understand correctly.”

“I just need to do well. Do what you tell me to do, die when I tell you to die, and just… Just do what you tell me to do. But why do you need that woman? If I just listen carefully, that’s enough!”

“You must pay for your sins.”

I got up from my seat. Then, step by step, he approached Sarah.

“Until now, you’ve been stealing other people’s lives, haven’t you?”

“I am…”

“The academy’s genius mage. The hero of the warrior party who defeated the demon king. The saintess of the Ennessic Church. You stole Ellie’s talents and got positions you couldn’t dare imagine.”

“That…That’s…”

“Are you going to say no now?”

I stopped right in front of Sera’s eyes. She stumbled, as if weighed down by the sudden karma, then leaned her body against her wall.

“That’s Ellie… Go…”

“You stole it. Ellie’s life.”

“…”

Sarah couldn’t deny it. She looked at me with her shaky eyes, and eventually she lowered her gaze to the floor, avoiding my eyes. But I grabbed Sarah’s chin and lifted her up so she could look me in the eyes.

“How long did you think you could live with a stolen life?”

“Luca…”

“Be quiet. Sera.”

I ended up squeezing her neck with her fingers. In an instant, her voice was swallowed by the back of her tongue, and a gasp was heard.

“I’m not interested in your opinion now.”

Sarah looked at me with an expression as if she was about to cry. There was even a desperate expression in his blue eyes, but it didn’t reach me. Probably, no matter how many hours I stare at it, my heart wouldn’t even wake up.

“Great.”

Then, a word from Vanessa was heard. When I turned her head, she was looking at me with a thin smile.

“Until now, there has never been a fun moment while transplanting a body. I think I will enjoy it a little this time.”

Just like Sera, there was a bit of hatred in her blue eyes. I nodded her slowly, then turned her head towards Rachel.

“Rachel.”

“Ah… Damn it.”

She covered her face with her hands. I turned to face her.

“Can you do that?”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’ll have to find a harder way.”

“Ahaha…”

“Rachel.”

After thinking a little, I got down on one knee on the floor. I heard gasping and gasping behind me, but I didn’t care.

“I’m sorry, but you’re the only person I can trust right now.”

“OMG…”

“Will you become a saint for me?”

I looked up at Rachel for the first time. Two cheeks slightly flushed and small shoulders trembling slightly. And her bright red hair that flows over it. On one side, she reminded me of the innocent Sera.

Rachel hesitated a lot and bit her finger. I looked up at her for a while as she was in that posture without even moving her. Soon, Rachel let out a sigh as her shoulders drooped.

“I didn’t bother to tell you, but you know I’m getting more and more into debt, right?”

“Sorry.”

“I’m begging you, so please don’t say you’re sorry to me…”

She met Sarah’s eyes for a moment. I don’t know what kind of glances might have flowed over her head, but she certainly wasn’t happy. Rachel closed her eyes and pondered for a long time before she finally threw her words out as if pouring out.

“Okay. Damn it.”

At Rachel’s words, Vanessa gave a cruel smile. Rachel muttered as if to hypnotize her.

“I think it’ll be fun. And he said it’s possible to get it back… Well, actually, I have very little to lose…”

“So. Are you going to do it?”

“All right.”

And, finally, he looked straight into my face and said.

“If you want it that way. I’ll become the real hero’s fake saintess.”