OMS Chapter 9

When you end up in a situation where you can’t walk but haven’t actually passed out, it’s far more embarrassing than just passing out.

After being princess-carried by a handsome knight and then having him take care of me while I was conscious, I swore to myself:

I will never, ever push myself too hard during purification again.

I’ll always leave enough strength to walk on my own.

Absolutely.

After that, while I was pretending to be unconscious, I ended up falling asleep for real, and by the time I woke up, it was already the next morning.

Considering I had been bedridden for five days the last time, this was a huge improvement.

If I did another purification, I might be able to get an even better handle on things.

As I sat up quietly in bed, Veerant immediately came over.

…Yesterday’s events left an awkward feeling hanging between us.

I couldn’t make eye contact with Veerant.

While I sat there, fidgeting and pressing my lips together, Veerant approached and then knelt before me, bowing his head. His smooth, wheat-colored hair spread out before me, revealing a spot on the crown of his head I usually didn’t get to see.

…Um, what’s going on here?

Why is he bowing to me?

“I deeply apologize for yesterday. I am ready to accept any punishment.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I disobeyed your orders and touched you without permission.”

His words triggered my memory of what happened yesterday.

I had asked if I could borrow his shoulder for support, and he had refused, only to end up carrying me in a princess carry.

Okay, technically, he did disobey my orders and touch me without permission, but this doesn’t seem like something deserving of punishment.

Veerant had probably been worried about how I could barely stand, so he took matters into his own hands.

Honestly, as much as I disliked being carried in such a manner, I was thankful for it.

Even though the thought of a middle-aged man being carried like that by a handsome knight was a bit… disheartening.

“No, you actually helped me out. …Though, I’d prefer you avoid carrying me like that again.”

“Was it unpleasant for you?”

“Well, ‘unpleasant’ isn’t quite the right word… But couldn’t you have just thrown me over your shoulder or carried me on your back instead?”

“If I were to throw you over my shoulder, it would put pressure on your abdomen, which wouldn’t be good for your body. And if I carried you on my back, it would leave your back exposed and defenseless.”

I mean, who cares about abdominal pressure or whether my back is defenseless? We’re in the safest place in the kingdom—inside the inner sanctum and the White Room, where only the Saint and her personal knights are allowed to enter.

I’ve been suspecting this for a while, but isn’t Veerant just a little too overprotective?

“…Let me guess, the other times I passed out… did you also…?”

“Yes, I carried you the same way.”

I knew it.

I figured as much.

Even though I kind of wished I didn’t know.

Kneeling beside my bed, Veerant looked perfectly composed with his sparkling features.

His navy uniform was immaculate, without a single wrinkle, and his golden hair was perfectly arranged.

This marks the third time I’ve been carried like a princess by this guy. It’s such a frustrating fact.

I can’t get mad at him, though, because he was just doing what he thought was best.

But still, it’s a bit infuriating.

Feeling a little irritated by his nonchalant demeanor, I reached out and messed up his hair.

Maybe it was a bit rough, but I was just giving it a good ruffle.

It’s not like I was thinking about making his hair all messy on purpose or anything.

And it’s definitely not that I’m doing this as a small act of revenge to feel better.

While Veerant stood there, frozen in shock, I took full advantage and tousled his hair to my heart’s content.

The softness of his hair reminded me of the dogs we used to have back in the village, and I couldn’t help but smile.

✢

After spending several months purifying the land, resting to recover my sacred power, and then purifying again, I started to get the hang of it.

Since then, I haven’t collapsed once, and I’ve been able to walk back to my room on my own every time.

I still fall asleep immediately after getting into bed, but that’s beside the point. The fact that I no longer have to spend days bedridden is a huge improvement.

Thanks to all the sacred power and blood I’ve been pouring into purification without holding back, the filth has lessened considerably.

While I don’t really feel the difference here in the temple, I’ve heard that the monster attacks across the country have decreased significantly. The people can clearly see the effects, and I’ve been told that the Saint is now being praised more than ever before.

She’s already revered as a living god, so how could her reputation get any higher?

It’s terrifying to think about.

—Thank goodness for Emilia.

The grand reveal of the new Saint is scheduled for two weeks from now, and apparently, people from all over the country are flooding into the capital.

After more than twenty years of searching, the most powerful Saint in history has finally been found.

The inns in the capital and even those in the surrounding towns are fully booked by people eager to catch a glimpse of her. You can see just how much excitement there is.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that people from all over the country have gathered here.

These people, having traveled from far and wide, will all be looking up at the stage with hopeful eyes.

And appearing before them will be a forty-two-year-old man in pure white robes.

…It’s going to be awful.

Absolutely awful.

I can already picture the atmosphere freezing over, like plunging into sub-zero temperatures. Just imagining it makes my stomach twist.

Seriously, thank god for Emilia.

“So, I’ll be circling the capital in a luxurious open carriage, offering prayers in the square, and blessing the people, huh…”

“Yes. During that time, Saint-sama, you’ll be disguised as one of Emilia-sama’s knights and stay close to her.”

“I’ll have to do the praying and the blessing too, huh…”

Apparently, when the Saint offers prayers, everything around her starts to sparkle.

Veerant said that a soft, white light that’s different from normal light magic will radiate out from around me in a five-meter radius.

So there I’ll be, radiating sparkling light while Saint-sama Emilia stands by.

…No matter how you think about it, that’s just too surreal.

To make sure people think Emilia is the source of the light, I’ll have to stick close to her during the event.

“From a security standpoint, it’ll also be helpful if the two of you stay close.”

“Ah, right. That way, we won’t need to split up.”

The presence of the Saint alone is enough to reduce monster attacks, bring peace to the land, and bestow the blessing of the gods upon the kingdom.

The healing magic that only the Saint can use is so powerful that even those on the brink of death can be miraculously saved.

Because of that, many people desire the Saint’s power.

There are plenty of people who wouldn’t hesitate to use underhanded means to get their hands on a Saint, thinking that once they do, they’ll be unstoppable.

To protect both Emilia, the decoy, and me, the real Saint, it’s better to keep us together.

—But, man, I’ll be standing in a pretty conspicuous spot…

I don’t know how many people will be gathered at the event, but I can already tell it’s going to be uncomfortable.

It’s not like I’ll be the one everyone’s staring at, but I still feel uneasy.

As I sighed heavily, Emilia was going over the details for the event.

She was dressed in the pure white, high-quality robes she’ll wear for the reveal. Her long black hair, adorned with golden hair ornaments, looked stunning, and her beauty was almost divine.

But her face was pale enough that I could clearly see her anxiety, and it made me feel a little guilty.

It’s going to be a tough day for both of us.