The ‘fallen saint’, charmed by the great demon.
That was what the once revered as a saint Ceres was called.
“When you think about how hard Ceres worked for others…”
Complained Erie, but she knew there was nothing that could be done about it.
The Holy Church was the most popular religion in the continent, and was known for being merciless against opposing forces.
And after opposing said church, the environment around the saint traveling to save the world and her companions was harsh.
The names of the ‘fallen saint Ceres’, ‘dark hero Arc’, and ‘the witch of destruction Erie’, had already spread far and wide. And with people constantly after them, it seemed impossible to lead a normal life.
And so, they trusted the words of Wilhelmina, who saved them, and traveled to the island where god lived… They were starting their journey to Arcadia.
“Arc, Erie… Are you all right?”
They were resting along the way, as they crossed a mountain to escape the country, away from people’s eyes.
Unlike their regular travels, having to constantly watch their backs was taking a toll on their stamina, and even more on their spirits.
But…
“Of course.”
“Me too. Actually, are you all right, Ceres?”
Both responded to her with smiles.
It would be normal for people’s hearts to break in those circumstances, but they were strong.
And so, Ceres wanted to be someone who did not embarrass them.
“Yes. Even if I’m not a saint, what I can do didn’t change.”
Ceres’ robes were already pretty dirty, but so were Arc’s armor and Erie’s robes.
No damage was too much of a price to pay for the Holy Church, if they got to kill them.
And since they did not know where their enemies lurked, if they stopped in a town, there was a chance that said town would suffer damage.
They could not expose other people to that danger.
That was something they all agreed on, so this was a different kind of journey, compared to when they were lauded as the party that would save the world, and were welcomed anywhere.
“Even though you couldn’t find softer people anywhere…”
Apparently the other two did not hear Erie’s whisper, as they prepared dinner.
Suddenly, as he stirred the pot, Arc laughed.
“But still, dark hero? Fufu…”
“Arc, are you an idiot? Why do you sound a bit happy?”
“I mean, it sounds stronger than someone just called a hero, right?”
“…Well, dark doesn’t necessarily mean bad, but it still leaves a bad impression.”
“Hm, but…”
Arc looked like he was thinking about what Erie said.
“You’re called the witch of destruction, right?”
“Yes, so?”
“Don’t you think that it’s more fitting for the dark hero to stand next to the witch of destruction?”
“Wha!?”
Hearing that so suddenly made Erie’s face turn red.
She unconsciously turned to Ceres, who was watching their back and forth with a smile on her face, almost laughing.
“Y-you idiot! Is that something you just blurt all of a sudden!?”
“Ouch!? Why did you kick me!? I was just saying that it’s nice to be together as partners.”
“…There! Ceres, don’t grin too!”
“It’s fine, isn’t it? I’m called the fallen saint too, so we all match.”
“Geez… This airhead combo…”
It was true that Erie thought she did not fit in a party with a hero and a saint. If the witch of destruction was put on a scale of good and evil, her power would definitely lean completely on the evil side.
At the very least, she thought many times that she was different from the two representatives of virtue. And so, hearing that they were like her made her happy, so…
“She’s embarrassed.”
“She is.”
“I’m not!”
Even if the whole world turned against them, she would protect those two.
“It smells nice… Yes, very… Very nice.”
“…!?”
The three of them immediately moved upon hearing that sudden voice.
Arc moved in front, with Erie standing next to him, and Ceres a little further back to assist.
They took battle positions, and looked at the one who spoke.
“Arc, watch out! We’re not dealing with an ordinary person!”
“I know…”
From the point of view of an ignorant person, this woman with blonde hair gently flowing to her back seemed like a nun.
If she was not releasing that ominous magic energy, that is.
“Don’t glare at me like that. Fufufu… It’s going to boil.”
“Who are you!?”
“The golden cross, the crimson habit… Are you…”
There were not many in the continent that could match Erie’s magic energy.
And Ceres only knew one nun who, despite taking a vow of poverty, wore a habit that reminded people of blood, and showed off gold, the symbol of greed.
“Cara Marguerite, the fourth seat of the seven great mages!?”
“Kufuh! What an honor it is to be recognized by the saint.”
Cara grinned with a nasty smile that was not befitting of a nun, and released even stronger magic energy.
“Kuh!? Why is one of the seven great mages after us!?”
“Because the kingdom issued a request for your capture. Not that the kingdom matters anymore, but…”
“Arc! Ceres! Even if she’s one of the seven great mages, she’s still just one person! We can…”
The wind suddenly ran.
“Erie, watch out!”
“Wha!?”
Arc stopped the unseen blade with his sword.
At the same time, from the raging wind around them, a green-haired knight appeared.
“And so, let us introduce ourselves.”
“…”
“You already know me, the fourth seat, Everlasting Darkness Cara Marguerite. And this is…”
“…The third seat, Divine Wind Seti Balder.”
Cara laughed, and Seti remained emotionless.
Although their expressions contrasted, both housed immense magic energy that made real monsters.
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Thanks for the treat.