NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Sincere Efforts
The festival in the Elf village had concluded. Some inebriated elves had returned home to rest, and no one outside was aware of the happenings.
Ira must have ensured their silence.
After largely healing Pia’s injuries, Ray took a seat at a table to rest and was taken aback when a young elf brought him news.
“Huh?”
Someone was seeking him?
He had a vague idea of who it might be, so while he was surprised, he wasn’t intrigued.
“How many people?”
“Huh? Just one person.”
“Just one?”
Ray cocked his head in puzzlement at the elf’s response.
Just one person. Could it be that the saintess had come alone?
An unforeseen circumstance had arisen, causing confusion.
Why had she come alone to the Elf village?
Moreover, according to what he had been told, she had even erected a tent and was camping.
Ray hastily moved.
Why in the world had she come?
‘To convince me? Or to relay a message?’
Numerous thoughts crossed his mind, but nothing was definite.
Before long, his brisk steps had led him out of the village.
As he arrived at the entrance and walked a bit further, he noticed a few elves standing there.
Ray addressed them.
“I’m here.”
“Ray.”
“Where were you? Today’s feast was for you.”
“Did it seem like you were having a grand time without me?”
The elves had indeed reveled more than anyone else, even in his absence.
Aware of this, they coughed awkwardly and evaded his question.
“Ahem.”
“But who was looking for me?”
In response to his question, the blonde elf pointed in a certain direction.
Following his finger, Ray spotted a clumsily erected tent.
The surrounding area was shrouded in darkness, but a faint light emanated from the tent, giving it a somewhat magical appearance.
In the midst of the light, he saw a face he hadn’t seen before, but felt familiar.
The person he had been thinking of.
The saintess, Iriel Velliaiz.
He didn’t understand why she was camping alone in such a place, but since she had made the journey here, it was appropriate to inquire about her intentions.
Ray slowly advanced towards her.
Iriel didn’t seem to notice his approach and remained kneeling with her hands together in prayer.
It didn’t seem like the right time to talk to her, so he quietly waited. But then, two elves approached from behind and shook their heads.
“It’s no use. She’s been in that position since sunset.”
“It must have been at least three hours…”
Ray looked at her in surprise upon hearing this.
Her focus was incredible.
Maintaining the same posture for three hours and concentrating on one thing was not as easy as it sounded.
Despite her enjoyment of bloodshed to the point where she could be mistaken for not being a saintess, her heartfelt devotion to serving God was genuine.
Of course, that didn’t mean he condoned causing harm to others because of it.
‘But she’s been like this for three hours… She’ll probably get up soon.’
Ray had no choice but to wait for her.
He was certain that it was she who had driven the elves’ guardian, Pia, to such extremes.
If she were to lose her mind and attack the guards, he would be the only one who could stop her.
So, it was safer to stay here and keep an eye on her.
Even though she was known as a saint, he didn’t completely trust her.
‘It won’t be long, just a moment.’
He spent the time chatting with the elf guard on duty.
Waiting for this amount of time wasn’t difficult for him.
Ray, a man with a heart as wide as the ocean, was not a narrow-minded man who got hung up on small acts of patience.
Iriel, who he thought would wake up soon, remained unconscious for a while longer.
The elf guard had even changed shifts twice.
Finally, she stopped her muttering and finished her prayer.
Iriel sighed and massaged her stiff neck.
Then, without a sound, a voice spoke from beside her.
“Do you… pray… all day long……. Do you tell the gods about what you had for dinner yesterday…….”
The voice was like a scratch on her soul. She felt a chill run down her spine.
‘Could there be a demon in a place like this?’
She swiftly enveloped her right hand with divine power.
Then, she whipped her head around as swiftly as the wind.
There, gazing down at her, stood a saint with a haggard expression.
She was so startled that she couldn’t even muster her usual smile.
The strange demeanor of the saint made her feel threatened, prompting her to take a step back.
“Saint?”
“Saint, prince, whatever, why are you here?”
He exuded an oppressive aura of exhaustion that seemed to demand, ‘Just state your purpose.’
She was the one who had slept outside, so why did the saint appear like a beggar?
She genuinely didn’t anticipate encountering the saint in this manner again.
She had arrived, believing that if she waited long enough, she would eventually meet him, and was prepared to wait as long as necessary to uphold the word of the gods.
Despite her intention to wait for him, why was the saint waiting for her?
Furthermore, his gaze seemed to warn, ‘If you utter something unnecessary, I will kill you.’
After completing her prayer, Iriel was unsure how to deal with this unexpected challenge.
‘Oh, God.’
She had just finished conversing with God, but here she was, seeking His guidance again.
She had prepared for any potential conversation she might have with the saint, considering the pros and cons of each possibility.
Yet, oddly, whenever she actually engaged in conversation with the saint before her, the discussion never followed her plans.
She, who was renowned among all the saints for flawlessly executing her duties.
The noble man, possessing a heart as vast as the ocean, who didn’t dwell on minor acts of patience, stated,
“Speak quickly, or you will regret it.”
His voice was tinged with anger.
Iriel responded hesitantly.
“I have something to discuss with you, Saint…”
“Did you come here to converse with me or to talk with your God?”
He uttered with a sigh, his magnanimity apparent.
At these words, Iriel couldn’t respond impulsively.
The saint resembled a frenzied boar, in a state of extreme excitement.
She wasn’t sure how long he had waited for her, but it was certainly an entire day.
If she misspoke now, he would return to the village.
She swallowed.
‘I need to state my purpose.’
The sight of the saint panting heavily was enough to stir her survival instincts, causing her to question if she truly was God’s chosen one.
Iriel shook her head to dispel her wavering faith and said with a forced smile,
“Would you accompany me to the holy land……”
Ray interrupted her.
“Do you intend to apologize?”
“I cannot apologize, but… instead, I will demonstrate my sincerity through my actions here.”
Her eyes were steadfast, reflecting her sincerity.
Ray scowled as he observed her.
“So, you won’t apologize, and you want me to witness this, correct?”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all!”
“Then how do you plan to demonstrate your sincerity?”
Ray asked, filled with skepticism, and the saint promptly responded.
“While I cannot verbally apologize due to my position… I can express it through my actions.”
Ray sighed at her baffling words.
Being a saint was a challenging role.
Did she mean that she couldn’t articulate properly because she was anxious about God?
He shook his head and asked again.
“What does an apology through actions entail?”
In response to Ray’s question, Iriel raised her slightly lowered head.
“I will reflect on my actions until all the elves here are satisfied.”
Her statement was unprecedented.
If there had been any officials from the holy land present, they would have hastily gestured to stop her.
Sleeping on the streets as a form of penance was perhaps even more difficult than a verbal apology.
However, whether she was a saint or not, she would never verbally apologize, even if it cost her life.
But whether she was a saint or not, it was irrelevant to Ray.
His only condition for going to the holy land was an apology, and she was willing to offer it in her own way, so he had no intention of stopping her.
The only issue was whether the elves would accept it.
Most of the elves were unaware of what had transpired outside their village.
To his knowledge, only four individuals were aware of the incident outside the village: Ray, Aila, Pia, and the elder.
For now, it was acceptable for her to sleep on the streets in front of the village. However, it would likely take a significant amount of time for those four to forgive her.
If the saintess left her position for too long, the holy land would dispatch troops to search for her, and the same incident would occur again.
Ray pointed this out to Iriel.
“If you abandon your position, the holy land will come searching for you. Then the elves and the holy land will clash again. Have you considered that?”
She looked at Ray with mild surprise.
Just a moment ago, he had resembled an enraged wild boar, but now, he was clearly looking towards the future.
He appeared to be a teenager but had profound thoughts.
She admired him inwardly and responded as if it was a matter of course.
“Of course. That’s what the prayer was for. I have already informed God. Even if I am a saintess, the holy land cannot act to find me against God’s will.”
“…How can I believe that?”
“Of course, there is no way to convince you.”
She spoke with her chest puffed out in pride.
He almost let his guard down due to her refreshing demeanor.
Ray tilted his head at her inexplicable confidence.
She continued her words slowly.
“But even if my words are false, there are many ‘elves’ here who can see through my lies in an instant. And there are also people here who can subdue me in a moment.”
She implied that there was no reason for her to lie when taking such a risk.
It was indeed a valid argument.
Even if she lied, as long as the saintess could be subdued, she could be taken hostage.
Furthermore, she did not appear to be a foolish woman who would fabricate a lie that could be instantly exposed.
On the contrary, she seemed unusually astute for her age.
Ray pondered for a moment.
‘An apology doesn’t necessarily have to be verbal.’
He mulled over this and contemplated the potential outcomes.
Since the Saintess had communicated her intentions to God, this God entity would likely reveal his will to the Holy Kingdom in some manner.
This would make an invasion by the Holy Kingdom highly improbable.
Moreover, even if the Holy Kingdom decided to amass troops and invade, the Silia Kingdom would not remain passive.
The act of gathering troops in their kingdom to search for the Saintess would be a significant affront to their pride, and if the Holy Kingdom brought troops to find the Saintess, they would be stopped at the border.
Additionally, since the Holy Kingdom worshipped God, disregarding God’s will could be used as a reason to demand reform in the Holy Kingdom.
No matter how he considered it, there seemed to be no substantial issues.
Ray nodded his head.
“Proceed. But whatever happens to you is not my concern. If the elves demand your return, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
With his approval, Iriel’s smile widened even more.
As he was about to depart with his weary body, Iriel hastily called out to him.
“Saint!”
Perhaps it was because he had stayed awake all night. Even though he had alleviated his physical fatigue and dirtiness with Clean magic, his mind was still exhausted, and his natural irritation was accumulating.
“Why, what is it now?”
“…Where should I… wash up……”
As she spoke, her voice became fainter.
In proportion to her voice, Ray’s eyebrows furrowed.