The Excommunicated Saint Wants to Lose

I feel refreshed.
The cleaning cum warm-up ended safely.
I looked around while evaporating the blood on my body with aura.
The things that were monsters… sprawled everywhere.
Blood and flesh were scattered, creating a spectacle.
Maybe I went too wild.
The already ugly scenery had now become a quasi-hell.
Still, the cleanup wasn’t a problem.
The strange birds that had been spread across the sky came down and were having a ravenous flesh party.
Those creatures only flapped their wings from afar while the ground monsters were rushing at me.
They seemed to have figured out early on which side to join for a feast.
“Eat slowly.”
They don’t show any hostility even when I approach right next to them, it must be that delicious.
They even accept my petting hand without rejection, perhaps having developed goodwill towards me.
It made me feel like I’d become some kind of animal keeper.
Watching them gobble up flesh hastily, I even felt a strange sense of affection.
After continuing to watch from the side, I approached one that had finished eating.
“Give me a ride.”
When I asked while pointing to the center of the lake, the creature tilted its head and then extended its back towards me.
“Thank you.”
It was the first time I learned that I could communicate with monsters too.
I wonder if it’s the same for other monsters.
I should check when I meet them next time.
“Let’s go.”
I carefully climbed onto the back of appropriate size.
Immediately, the strange bird took off and flew towards the abandoned temple.
The turbid holy power grew more intense as we got closer to the center of the lake.
The strange bird made whining sounds as if it was struggling.
Meanwhile, I was gripped by a sense of discomfort that seemed to crawl up from deep within my heart.
Holy power purifies evil beings.
Even though its color had dimmed due to dungeon transformation, its essence remained unchanged.
In other words, it meant I was evil acknowledged by holy power.
I felt a little sad, wondering what I had done so wrong.
“Oh noble sun, at this rate I might really become like the ‘Excommunicated Saint’ known to the world.”
At least I was better than the strange bird spewing blood from its eyes and beak.
It was unsettling to say this was encouraging, as it felt like seeing my future.
“I’m sorry. Go back.”
I enveloped my legs in aura and jumped off the strange bird’s back.
With my excellent recovery ability, there was no risk of injury from falling.
After a short time in the air, I landed on two feet on the artificial island created in the center of the lake.
It was a flawless landing.
Except for the slight numbness in my leg muscles.
While massaging my legs a bit, I observed a building that filled one side of my view.
A temple with outer walls impressively painted in harmonious white and red colors.
That was the ‘Abandoned Temple’.
Seeing it in person, I thought it deserved to be abandoned.
It’s inconvenient to enter and exit, and unnecessarily large, so maintenance costs must have been high.
Moreover, being a ‘temple’ made it even more problematic.
Following the goddess’s words to pursue practicality over grandeur, such temples are no longer being built recently.
Anyway, in its current state, it’s just a troublesome dungeon.
It only gains value after successfully conquering it and returning it to a normal temple.
“Whew…”
I trembled in a different sense than when fighting to lose.
Regeneration ability or aura would be useless if my mental strength crumbled.
What kind of trial would the abandoned temple impose on me?
With a tense heart, I entered the dungeon.
At that moment, everything before my eyes turned white.

I was standing in front of a cathedral.
An exterior that directly borrowed some medieval architectural style.
I was overwhelmed by its solemnity.
It was as if reverence was being forcibly imprinted on my eyes.
But where is this?
It wasn’t a place that appeared in .
However, it felt somehow familiar, so I unknowingly entered the cathedral.
“Ugh…”
As soon as I entered, I covered my eyes with my hands.
An intense light like the midsummer sun was pouring down.
It was too bright to be just indoor lighting.
It was a waste of electricity or mana.
Only after quite some time passed could I barely remove my hands and look around.
An empty worship hall.
There were no seats, only red round jewels scattered on the floor.
Beautifully, like a flower bed in full bloom.
However, the moment I turned my head, the jewels lost their value and became ordinary stones.
“Ah…”
Where my gaze landed, there was a statue of the goddess surrounded by a brilliant halo.
It was such a beautiful figure.
To the point where tears flowed involuntarily.
My legs began to move on their own, without listening to their owner’s opinion.
Towards the still brightly shining statue.
“Oh sun…”
This time my lips moved of their own will.
I still couldn’t get used to the feeling of body parts acting on their own.
Still, I roughly understood the situation.
“Please forgive me…”
The fragility that seemed to have been dug up from deep within my heart.
It was a trial within the expected range.
“Please save me…”
I collapsed weakly in place.
More precisely, it was decided by my two legs that had rebelled.
Tears flowed without stopping.
Flowing and flowing until no more came out.
I’m not sad, but I am sad.
My chest hurts as if it’s being torn apart.
Even though I know it’s an illusion created by the abandoned temple, it’s hard to come to my senses.
I even have the complacent thought of complying and becoming comfortable.
“Be quiet.”
A chilling, cold voice.
Everything around me turned dark.
Except for the goddess looking down at me with red eyes.
“There is no salvation for you. You will suffer even in death. Only tears will comfort your soul.”
Words close to a curse were deeply embedded in my chest.
I closed my eyes in resignation.
“Aren’t your words too harsh?”
No, I opened my eyes wide.
This level of mental attack couldn’t completely shake my heart.
“I’m disappointed. I don’t understand why you treat me like a serious criminal.”
“How dare you…”
“Be quiet. Aren’t I speaking right now?”
This situation is all fake.
That goddess is fake too.
Therefore, there was no reason to mince words.
“Why can’t you abandon corrupt priests and holy knights when you so easily turned your back on me?”
I spilled out words I couldn’t say at any other time.
Fully loaded with my usual frustrations.
“Is it because you’re weak-hearted? But why did you excommunicate me without any warning?”
This was for conquering the dungeon.
It was legal because there was a legitimate purpose.
Take it or leave it.
“Yes. The goddess cast you away like an old shoe.”
Perhaps because the attempt to break my mind wasn’t working at all.
The fake goddess changed her appearance.
“I am the one who saved you.”
The Demon Lord.
The very one who had miserably defeated me and my companions.
“Come to me.”
The fake Demon Lord spread his arms towards me.
“I can become your sanctuary. I will embrace your wounded heart.”
“What nonsense, you crazy bastard.”
I might have listened quietly if it was the goddess, but I couldn’t stand the Demon Lord’s absurd words.
I coated my right hand in aura like leather.
“I’d rather bash my head against a wall and die than join forces with you.”
“Change your mind. I will periodically give you defeat…”
I extended my right hand without hesitation.
My fist planted into the Demon Lord’s chest.
“I prefer losing to righteous heroes.”
“Foolish…”
The Demon Lord’s body crumbled.
And the cathedral shattered, revealing a dark space filled with dust.
The interior of the abandoned temple.
The dungeon had been conquered.
Fortunately, it ended without major problems.
“…Oh sun, I was presumptuous just now. I’m sorry.”
My reason, which had briefly left, returned to inform me that I had gone too far.
“Additionally, I’m sorry for waking up the Sun Catcher through improper means. Still, I believe you know my true intentions.”
I came straight to the center of the temple.
When the dungeon transformation is released, the holy power returns to its original pure state.
But since this place has lost its status as a temple, it can’t stay.
Therefore, the holy power that has lost its way heads towards the noblest object nearby.
Right now, that was the sacred artifact Sun Catcher.
“Wake up.”
A softly emanating radiance.
The large amount of holy power floating in the air flowed into the Sun Catcher.
-Hello.
Only after absorbing for a while longer did an elegant female voice reach my ears.
It was the missed and welcome Sun Catcher.
-I am Gloria, assigned to assist the Saint. It’s an honor to meet you.
But why is she like this?
“Why did you change your way of speaking? And what’s with Gloria?”
-……
Is she flustered?
The voice cut off and then returned.
-Clitia-nim?
“Did you sleep well?”
-Oh my! What happened to you! Did you perhaps regain your position as a saint? But where is this? It doesn’t seem like the Sky Temple… Don’t tell me the Nusette Order collapsed while I was asleep! Oh no! What should we do now?
So noisy.
This is indeed how the Sun Catcher should be.
“I’m still excommunicated, this is an abandoned temple, and our order is fine.”
I answered briefly summarizing.
-Oh… So you woke me up through improper means?
“Don’t you like it? Are you going to abandon me too?”
-How could I ever do that!
The Sun Catcher showed an intense reaction to my casually thrown question.
-I like you, Clitia-nim. Honestly, I was annoyed by how the other saints always pretended to be demure!
Words imbued with sincerity, not flattery.
It wasn’t much, but I felt pleased for no reason.
“Will you help me no matter what I do?”
-Of course. That’s my role.
“Even helping with unauthorized entry into the Purple Magic Tower?”
-What? What did you just say…
The Sun Catcher couldn’t continue speaking for a moment.
-This is a malfunction in the language processing function, right?
“It’s not malfunctioning.”
-You’re saying you’ll enter the Purple Magic Tower without authorization! That place is impregnable with security magic spread all over! You’ll definitely fail and collapse!
“I know.”
The shameful sense of defeat I’ll feel if I succumb to the security magic.
“That’s why it’s good.”
It was most welcome.