𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝
“Saint Kyrie! I will banish you from this country.”
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. . . . . .The one who said that to me, Kyrie (16), was this country’s crown prince, Momok-sama.
I live in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Geta・Niega, so I have seen him several times.
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But. . . . . .It’s a mystery.
Momok-sama and I have no connection at all.
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I’m working earnestly in the Grand Temple owned by the Celestial Guidance Church, as a saint.
Between prayers, duties, and volunteering, I live a busy but modest life. . . . . .
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Why am I being banished?
I don’t understand.
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“You do not talk back. That means you admit your guilt.”
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. . . . . .No, I am not refusing to talk back, but rather, I cannot talk back.
I was raised as the only daughter of a couple who ran a bakery in the royal capital.
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But one day, robbers broke into our house.
My parents were killed, and I was near death when my prayers reached God, and a miraculous power awakened within me.
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I not only lost my parents and repelled the robbers, but the shock made me lose my ability to speak.
However, I guess it’s a silver lining that the power of a saint settled in me.
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Afterward, I was taken in by an orphanage run by the Celestial Guidance Church, and then I began to work as a saint at the Grand Temple. . . . . .
Oh, I digressed.
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Anyway, I can’t speak.
The people of the temple and the city know this. . . . . .
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But it seems that Momok-sama is unaware of my circumstances.
I pull out a notebook from my pocket.
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Since I can’t speak, I can only write in this notebook to communicate. . . . . .
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“That’s right, Momok-sama~a♡ This woman bullied me♡.”
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. . . . . .A fawning, nauseating voice.
The voice came from a woman standing next to the crown prince.
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Haslea. She’s a saint like me, belonging to the Celestial Guidance Church.
She’s one year younger than me, and it seems she was transferred from a rural temple to the Grand Temple in the royal capital.
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“How could you do this! Haslea is our promising saint! Thanks to her coming to the royal capital, the divine barrier that protects the city has been strengthened!”
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. . . . . .In this world, there are very powerful beasts called monsters roaming around. . . . . .supposedly.
I say “supposedly” because I’ve never seen one myself, having been raised in the royal capital and never ventured outside.
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The divine barriers covering the towns and cities protect the people from these monsters.
The god who created this world placed barriers against monsters at various places for the peace of the people.
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However, the power of these barriers deteriorates over time.
That’s where the saints come in.
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With the power of the saints, the divine barriers are reinforced.
This system allows the barriers to be maintained, and people to live peaceful lives.
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The Celestial Guidance Church sends saints to various places to maintain the barriers.
Since Haslea was dispatched here to the royal capital, as Momok-sama said, the damage from the monsters has significantly decreased. . . . . .or so I hear.
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Well, I hardly go outside, so I can’t really confirm it.
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“Kyrie! You have great power, and you were jealous of Haslea, who is loved by the people of the royal capital, weren’t you?! That’s why you bullied her, there’s no doubt about it!”
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. . . . . .Even if you say that, I have no memory of it.
Rather, Haslea is loved by the capital’s citizens?
Where did that information come from, I wonder?
As far as I can see, Haslea seems quite unqualified as a saint.
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She hardly prays to God and doesn’t fulfill her duties, like going to the slums to distribute food.
She doesn’t reach out to help those in need, and even if there’s an injured person, she doesn’t use the healing power of a saint.
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Frankly, I don’t understand why she was sent to the capital’s Grand Temple.
Also, her words and deeds are terrible.
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She behaves nicely towards rich nobles, but is not kind at all to orphans and commoners.
As a result, she is quite disliked by the people of the capital (from what I have observed).
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Jealous of such a Haslea?
You must be joking.
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“Haslea is a treasure of this country! The sin of hurting her heart is grave! Therefore, Saint Kyrie! I will exile you from this country!”
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. . . . . .Momok-sama declares it loudly.
Next to him, Haslea wore an evil grin.
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This is, well, that.
Has she ensnared Momok-sama? Perhaps she seduced him.
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Well, indeed, she looks quite good.
Short stature, fluffy pink hair, large chest.
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A look that some gentlemen would be pleased with.
On the other hand, I have a chestnut hair color and a slender figure, so I have an appearance that is not very well-liked by men.
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Well, maybe it can’t be helped.
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“Kyrie. Not saying anything back means admitting your guilt, you know?”
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. . . . . .That’s why I can’t speak, Momok-sama.
I try to write it in my notebook, but. . . . . .
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“Looking away in front of the crown prince, how rude!”
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He says, hitting my hand hard, causing me to drop my notebook.
There’s no way I can argue now.
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. . . . . .Hasn’t Momok-sama heard from Haslea over there that I can’t speak?
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“That’s right, Kyrie-san. It’s rude to look at your notebook while Momok-sama is talking.”
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. . . . . .This woman knows I can’t speak.
After all, I took care of her as a senior when she was assigned here.
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Well, I was soon removed from that duty.
Oh, I remember her saying then, [Kyrie-san scolds me every day and bullies me].
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Haslea was that kind of woman.
. . . . . .It’s the same now.
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Haslea probably didn’t like me.
So she’s trying to oust me by getting the crown prince on her side.
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Well, I don’t think I did anything to be hated so strongly.
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“Silence will be taken as consent. Therefore, I will exile you from the Geta-Niega Kingdom! I, Momok, the crown prince, will do this arbitrarily and with prejudice!”
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. . . . . .Wait?
Is it okay to exile a saint without the king’s permission?
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Well, it doesn’t matter to me who’s about to be expelled, and I don’t have the power or authority to resist the crown prince.
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“Take that woman away.”
“Goodbye, Kyrie-sa~n♡ . . . . . .Forever.”
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🔸
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I understood Haslea’s true intentions when the carriage carrying me left me in a large forest and returned.
It seems I’ve been left behind in the forest.
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There are not only monsters in the forest but also wild beasts.
I might be eaten at this rate.
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Just as I thought that, a large bear attacked me.
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“GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
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I just prayed to God.
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May this beast. . . . . .
Not commit the “mistake” of attacking me.
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“Gu, gya. . . . . .”
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Then the bear stops.
Thank goodness. . . . . .it seems my prayer to the gods was answered.
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I take out some dried meat from my bag.
It’s one of the preserved foods that the lady in the dining hall gave me when I left the temple.
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I place a lot of meat in front of the bear.
. . . . . .Then, a small bear that looked like a child appeared from behind the bear.
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It must have been hungry.
But still, it should not attack people.
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Animals that attack people are exterminated as pests by adventurers.
If that happens, the child will be left behind, which is pitiful.
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My thoughts must have reached the gods, and they must have calmed this bear down.
Thank you, gods.
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“Squeal. . . . . . whimper. . . . . .”
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The cub comes closer and licks my hand.
Good for you, little one.
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You didn’t lose your Okaa-san.
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[Thank you, Onee-chan!]
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. . . . . .Yes?
What is this voice?
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There’s no human-like figure around.
Where did that child’s voice just come from?
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[Big sister, can you hear my voice?!]
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Eh?
Me?
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[It’s me! Right in front of you, me!]
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. . . . . .Could it be from this bear cub?
No, that’s strange.
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Why can I hear the bear’s voice?
To begin with, can it hear my voice. . . . . .?
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[Yeah! I can hear you! Hey, Mom!]
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The cub says that to the big bear.
But the mother bear seemed puzzled and tilted her head.
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[! I get it! Onee-chan, come here]
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The little cub pulls my hand.
And then puts my hand on the mother bear’s body. Then. . . . . .
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[W, What’s with this human? Aren’t you afraid of me?]
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! I can hear the voice. . . . . .!
What’s going on?
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[! C, Can you hear my voice?!]
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Y, Yes. . . . . .
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[What’s going on? A human who can hear us monsters’ voices. That’s unheard of!]
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. . . . . .Eh?
M, Monster. . . . . .? Were this bear and her child monsters. . . . . .?
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