Kidnapped the Saintess of the Hero Party

3 – I will wander

One had to be able to win if anyone picked a fight.

Deciding to head into the wilderness was a natural progression.

Since the end of a past life spent praying for most of the day wasn’t particularly beautiful.

Including, of course, the Demon King, the Hero’s party, and kingdom’s court magicians.

All of them could become enemies.

So, it was decided.

“Let’s wander.”

# # #

From the day of waking afresh, two years and ten days.

Time flew quickly.

Fortunately, the time was not wasted.

At the age of seventeen, he had reached the level of High Knight, something he only achieved at the age of twenty-five in his past life.

Though he was a genius in his past life, he had died.

Now, he felt superior than before but still insufficient.

Satisfaction can come after killing the Demon King.

There was still a distance to reach.

Watching Shia immersed in prayer, Lucion too offered up a profound prayer in his heart.

“Shia…?”

A solemn aura wrapped around the praying Shia’s shoulders. An energy pulsing as much as the veil draped over her. It was the divine power primarily used by priests. But already? The aura settled on her shoulders was recognized as a sign of awakening. In the church, it was represented as a hand of the Goddess placed on the shoulder of the priest. Alternatively, it was also said to that they had become a ‘Spiritual Body.’ In reality, it was only that an amount of divine power too massive to contain within the body was flowing out around it. Yet, one had to reach this level to be capable of combating the middle bosses of the Demon King.

Among the scholars of the Demon King’s army, there were many shamans who managed curse magic. Becoming a spiritual body gave freedom from curses. In his previous life, amongst the priests of the church, only Lucion managed to attain the ‘Halo’ level. This turned him into a saint. It was a glory. In truth, more detailed stages existed, but people talked about the awakening stages of a priest as Spiritual Body, White Wings, or Halo (glory) for simplicity. The point where prominent changes start to occur is from these stages.

Upon becoming a spiritual body, divine power would settle on the shoulders. For the White Wings, the divine power pulsated out from the back, while at the Halo level, it seemed like a halo of light floated above the head. In reality, nothing was visible, but some people claim to see wings and a white ring, merely an optical illusion. The tasks one could carry out varied depending on the stages reached. The spiritual body could only cast buffs on themselves.

The White Wings could influence the hundred members of their party. Of course, the Spiritual Body, with sufficient effort, could share a few buffs with others. From the level of White Wings, one could be deployed at the squad level. Priests of the White Wing level were the most active.

The next stage, the Halo, involves being dispatched to various regions. Because they have the ability to protect ten thousand people, they can protect a region and can become archbishop if there is a doctrine. I was already on the Halo and have spread out my sacred power around the orphanage. In that way, everyone in the orphanage comes under my protection.

“Sigh…”

Sia drew a deep breath. She had finished praying. As she got up and turned around, I got up from my seat, clapping. I caught her eye and spoke.

“Congratulations.”

Sia looked dissatisfied. But I congratulated her sincerely.

“Sion…”

“Yes?”

“You’ve already done this long time ago.”

That is true.

But it’s me.

I deliberately wore a rather unsightly smile.

“That’s because… it’s me?”

“Wow.”

My cheekiness must have reached the sky.

I laughed.

“Catch up if you can, or you’ll never beat me for the rest of your life.”

I never let her win in the past two years.

Even if it was a physical competition, I never went easy on her.

I had to train her hard, because stamina was such an important factor. If the basic physique is low, no matter how much it is multiplied by sacred power, it becomes zero. In my past life, high-ranking priests never neglected physical training.

‘They say a healthy body houses a healthy spirit.’

It was a statement he could agree with a hundred times over.

“Is it possible to catch up with Zion while we’re still alive…?”

There was a sigh from Shia, as if she was exhausted.

Well.

He wasn’t sure either.

He could only muster a smile. One filled with sincere hope for the chase.

# # #

“Sigh,” thought Lucia, watching the man who was celebrating with her.

A man who bore a striking resemblance to herself.

His golden hair was more beautiful than her own. There was purity in his bright blue eyes.

Even so, Lucion’s gaze held a powerful gravity. Even for Lucia, who could see one’s divine power, the source of his compelling presence was unknown.

‘Does he hold some kind of secret?’

She couldn’t just dismiss it as mere sensation. However, she didn’t ask. After all, Lucia, too, had secrets she couldn’t voice.

Lucia could see the white energy hovering in the air.

Others couldn’t see it, she was told.

From the Holy Books, the Holy Celebrations, in the eyes of the clergy, the white smoke was even thicker.

It was denser and thicker around the people who seemed to be powerful, who were considered good, those who were constantly on the move. Their identities could be easily inferred.

‘It seems to be divine energy.’

And this was the problem.

Lucia glared at Lucion.

A strange entity before her eyes.

Lucion’s divine energy was not simply surrounding him. One day, the white energy had exploded, filling the room, and now it had escalated to a point where one could no longer see any other white energies around him.

“Why is that?”

“It’s become larger than before…”

One day, she had wanted to see just how enormous Lucion’s divine energy was. So she tried distancing herself from him as much as possible, but the result was unbelievable.

A village that took a half-hour walk from the orphanage. She could only leave Lucion’s territory after she reached the village.

“Does that make any sense?

“I pray every day like this, while Lucien just plays around.”

Yet, Lucien is growing faster.

It’s an incomprehensible event.

What’s more, I don’t like it.

I couldn’t dare try to catch up.

Initially, we were similar.

However, about two years ago, Lucien began to grow rapidly.

The divine power swirling around him danced as if he was delighted, wrapping Lucy warmly when near her.

Lucy could feel it.

‘He’s protecting me.’

Lucy grabbed her chin and glared at Lucien.

Despite the apparent warmth and smile, it was too bothersome.

Watching the handsome young man praising her in front of her eyes, she could only pout her lips.

“I knew it. I can’t trust Lucien.”

Lucien doesn’t get angry. He simply tilts his head.

Although he wasn’t trying to get angry, it was irritating.

Lucy frowned.

‘Knowing everything.’

Although Lucien reached out his hand, Lucy ignored it and left the orphanage alone.

“I don’t know.”

Sion didn’t follow.

Well, he didn’t need to.

‘He’ll know wherever I am.’

Being protected by Sion was a pleasantly unique experience, but conversely, it was also slightly melancholic.

Catch up, huh. If I were you, I couldn’t say those words so easily.

He might not know, but Lucion should have a divine power stronger than any bishop in the kingdom.

Does Lucion know that?

‘I’ll do it even if he tells me not to.’

‘Just see how strong my competitive spirit is.’

Strength filled my steps.

Traces of seriousness spread across my face.

‘I will surely catch up.’

I will catch him and tell him frankly.

Now you follow my words.

#

Lucion confirmed that Lucia was going towards the forest.

He didn’t tell her, but even if she fell down a cliff somewhere, she wouldn’t have a scratch.

‘Even if the ground collapses.’

Lucia should be intact

Although it makes me feel a bit sorry for being suspicious.

His view didn’t have Sia.

To the extent that we know where she is, and that we can ensure Lucia’s safety using a miracle called divine power. And that was enough.

‘You went to the waterfall.’

It seems like Shia was trying to train herself by going under the waterfall.

Wild beasts appear in great, very great numbers.

‘The dangerous ones aren’t Lucia, it’s the beasts that encounter Lucia.’

They can’t die peacefully when hit by Lucia’s fist.

I know the power of that punch, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

When overly surprised, Lucia often showed her anger. So far, Lucia had split more than a thousand rocks in half in order to vent her anger.

‘I’ll have to struggle a bit to restore this time. I just take it as it is…’

She already possesses a punch that could send any sufficiently skilled knight to the other side with one hit.

With a smile that Lucia strongly disliked, Lucien started preparing to leave the orphanage.

#

“Right, are you going to the church after all?”

The director of the orphanage seriously asked Lucien and Lucia, who were now of age to leave the orphanage.

He examined Lucien’s serious face. Lucia, after all, would just follow Lucien.

“If you are going to the church, I can recommend you to the kingdom’s church. It will be a much better choice than going to the village church.”

The former Chief of 100 Knights, Rustan.

Since his retirement from the knighthood, he has been essentially a recluse, caring for homeless children and helping them grow healthily to reintegrate back into society.

In his previous life, Lucien had tried to serve him, but later he could not even hear news about him.

When Lucien took over the Velbet estate, the orphanage had disappeared without a trace and no one knew where it had gone.

I had looked up the director’s national heritage out of curiosity, but nothing stood out. He had simply retired due to being superseded and, due to aging, had to cease operating the orphanage.

A textbook-desirable life.

The manifestation of it is in front of me.

The retired knight was already in his sixties, but his eyes were still clear.

“No, I won’t go to the church.”

At Lucion’s response, Rustan nodded as if he had expected it.

“Hmm… So, where are you heading?”

For Rustan, sending these two young men away from the orphanage was a bittersweet experience. But it was also a joyful one.

Like seeing a student graduate from school.

It was the joy of seeing them grow.

Lucion couldn’t honestly admit to the twinkling-eyed orphanage director that he was a “wanderer”.

“I will stay in the kingdom and then join the knights.”

“What?”

Rustan, who was once a white knight, sparkled at his words.

He wanted to introduce his acquaintances, reveal the proud fact that the kids he raised chose to become honorable knights right away. But he realizes that his fellow comrades in the knight order, like him, have already retired.

Still, it still made for good conversation.

Rustan planned on sharing the story about the two kids he raised, in length.

Rustan took out a necklace from his pocket.

“Take this.”

“This is…”

A badge with a code inscribed on it to identify the fallen knights.

Lucion was handed a silver necklace, with the name ‘White Knight Rustan’ inscribed on it.

“When you go to the knights, present it. It’s my gift and also my blessing.”

“Understood.”

Rustan opened a drawer and pulled out a bundle.

“And, this is your seed money. It’s the money you have earned from your work over the years.”

“I see….”

Lucia, taken aback, hurriedly tried to refuse. The orphanage’s situation was obvious after all. Extending both hands, Lucien pressed Lucia’s wandering, unsure hands with determination and gave her a sign. “You’re too kind,” he said. Of course, Lucien didn’t want to accept it either, but part of it was for educational purposes. “Thank you. I appreciate how you have taken care of me. Director.” He thanked him sincerely. If it wasn’t for this orphanage, Lucia and Lucien would have never met. He doesn’t remember much of his childhood memories. In his two lives, his memory had worn down to some extent. But seeing the face of the forgotten orphanage director brought joy to Lucien. He had a life with purpose. He had to move forward. Lucien stood up, holding Lucia’s hand. Lucia, sensing the cue, also got up. He took one last look at the face of the orphanage director. His hair was bleached white but was perked up strongly, his face lined with distinguished wrinkles, his still robust and bold demeanor. But above all, the brilliant glow of intelligence in his eyes. He saluted the image he just took in with his eyes. “Thank you very much.” Rostan was taken aback. Of course, he was feeling the sensation of a student graduating. But Lucien bowed in a manner he had never taught, a knight’s salute. And not just any salute, but utterly straight and true. Lucia, in her own way, said her goodbyes.

“You….”

Rustan did not ask too deeply.

Lucien.

What’s his true identity?

In his past life, Lucien was a knight commander who had slain hundreds of thousands of demons at the border and a lord, as well as an archbishop. But there’s no way for Rustan to know this.

Knights who have rolled countless times in a battlefield can tell their opponent’s spirit.

Rustan recognized Lucien.

“I should be thanking you. For giving me such joy.”

Heehee. Rustan turned and sat back in the chair, laughing.

He didn’t want to show his face watching Lucien leaving.

And so.

Lucien left the orphanage with Lucia.

#

“Okay, now we’re starting to live on the streets.”

“Ugh.”

Lucia made a gloomy face, but she couldn’t hide her childish expression of subtle anticipation for a new world, which was not the orphanage.