Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 80

EP.80 A Trip to the West

How did things end up like this?

Just a short while ago, Kyle had been enjoying an exciting academy life.

Why was he now heading west, and with his brother and sister, no less?

After some thought, Kyle came to a conclusion.

‘It’s all because of those Western Raiders… no, the Western Kingdoms Alliance.’

The Kingdoms Alliance had dared to commit a heinous act against a sacred body.

This had enraged Jonathan, leading to their descent, and Kyle had followed in the process.

In other words, whatever they did from now on would be considered self-defense.

Of course, it was also partly Kyle’s fault for informing Jonathan about the incident.

If he had kept quiet, his brother and sister wouldn’t have rushed over like this.

But people tend to unconsciously forget their own influence.

Moreover, informing his hometown seemed like the most natural thing to do, so he didn’t consider it his fault.

How could they do such a thing to his body, even harming themselves in the process?

If they were weak, they should have put in more effort, not resorted to such vile acts.

To Kyle, it felt like seeing a crime and not reporting it to the police.

And it wasn’t just about getting stronger; their bodies would completely collapse over time?

These were truly worse than Satan himself. They deserved divine punishment!

“We need to find everyone involved.”

“Punishment is necessary, but we must ensure it never happens again.”

Leo and Lea were just as furious as Kyle.

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to harbor hatred towards the entire Alliance yet.

But this could change, which was the most crucial part.

“Kyle, what do you think?”

“Well, we should see how the Alliance responds first, brother.”

“Let’s hope so. Truly.”

As the three siblings discussed seriously, the carriage began to slow down.

The door opened slightly, and a member of the Brotherhood of the Sword knights cautiously peeked in.

“Excuse me. The priests are ahead, and they’re asking if you could step out of the carriage for a moment for a prayer for those heading to the battlefield.”

When the imperial army moved to the battlefield, the priest would often see them off.

Their prayers and the belief that the gods would protect them gave the soldiers courage.

The imperial family also encouraged these actions to boost the army’s morale.

It seemed the main church had sent a message to the local branch.

The local branch had gathered people and were waiting.

“Getting out of the carriage is fine. But can’t we just walk from here?”

“Or running would be good too.”

“Brother, sister, please….”

Other nobles might take it as an insult to be asked to step out of the carriage.

But Jonathan found the carriage extremely uncomfortable.

The knight, slightly flustered, stammered and said he would ask.

“Those must be the priest.”

Leo pointed to a group of priests.

They seemed to have been sent by the local branch in anticipation of the army’s arrival.

As the legion halted, the priests began their solemn prayers.

Duke Schrelitz and the Brotherhood of the Sword knights were also nearby.

It was now rare to find anyone in the Empire who didn’t believe in the priest.

Except for one place, Jonathan, located at the northern edge.

“Praying doesn’t build muscles.”

“Praying doesn’t reduce muscle loss.”

Leo and Lea were making very Jonathan-like comments.

At least they had the decency to say it from a distance.

It wouldn’t be good to say such things right in front of the praying priests.

“Brother Kyle.”

As Kyle watched the priests pray, he heard a whisper beside him.

“Huh?” Kyle turned his head quickly, and there stood—

“Saintess!?”

The saintess who had been at the academy just yesterday, why was she here?

Could there be two saintesses? Or perhaps she had a twin hidden behind a veil!

“Shh! Please keep it down. My presence here is a secret!”

“What?!”

“I heard you disappeared with the Brotherhood of the Sword knights of the Schrelitz ducal family. The only place the ducal family would head to is the battlefield, right?! I don’t know the reason, but since you’re going to the battlefield, I wanted to give you a proper blessing….”

“Wait a minute. Does that mean you came here alone, Saintess?!”

“No, I didn’t.”

The answer came from another woman standing next to the saintess.

“…Wait, why are you here?!”

The woman was none other than Priscilla, the head of the order.

Why was someone responsible for guarding the main       here?

“I took a leave of absence.”

“What?”

“To be precise, I requested it. I heard other Jonathan members besides you were coming.”

Kyle shook his head vigorously, indicating that she absolutely shouldn’t.

‘No, Commander. My brother and sister are on a different level from me.’

It would take at least two, maybe more, of the top 10 warriors to face them.

Only then could it be a proper fight.

No matter how strong Priscilla was, she couldn’t handle them alone.

“But the saintess requested an escort, so I followed her here. I had quite a hard time catching up with the imperial army during my leave.”

Priscilla’s face was covered with signs of fatigue.

It made sense, given that she had to follow the saintess on her leave.

“But it’s unexpected to meet all the Jonathan members here.”

Priscilla’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

Kyle quickly understood what that light meant.

Even if it wasn’t as intense as Yurika’s, a warrior’s fighting spirit couldn’t be absent.

Leo and Lea also sensed Priscilla’s aura and were glancing sideways at her.

It was clear they were itching for a chance to spar.

It seemed they were holding back only because Kyle was there.

“Please, Saintess, let’s talk. I need to greet those people over there.”

“Go ahead.”

“Commander, not here. Do it later. Please.”

At Kyle’s warning and plea, Priscilla nodded.

She was aware that her primary duty was to guard the saintess.

And she would soon realize that facing them alone was too much.

“I never expected you to go to the battlefield.”

Once Priscilla left, the saintess spoke in a worried tone.

Kyle exaggerated his reaction, as if to ask what there was to worry about.

“It’s just a needless worry, Saintess. You saw it, didn’t you? I even sparred with Commander Priscilla….”

“I’m not doubting your strength, Brother Kyle. What I’m worried about is….”

The saintess tapped her chest lightly.

As Kyle tilted his head in confusion, the saintess continued.

“The battlefield is a place where lives are taken. And that act is not just a matter of strength or weakness; it’s incredibly dangerous and tragic.”

“…Ah.”

Kyle finally understood what the saintess was concerned about.

She wasn’t worried about Kyle getting physically hurt but rather about him getting mentally scarred.

No matter how strong one was, taking a life was an entirely different matter.

Kyle’s own experiences in combat were limited to a few duels.

He had never taken someone’s life.

It wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Hurting a person was different from killing a monster.

Even though both involved taking lives, the stress involved was incomparable.

“The brothers over there are, of course, good people. But you, Brother Kyle, are especially kind. So, I worry that your heart might get hurt.”

“…I understand what you’re worried about, Saintess.”

Kyle couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration and gratitude.

Was this what it meant to be a saintess? Was this why all the characters unknowingly relied on her?

He felt genuinely fortunate to have grown close to such a person.

“Please take care, Brother Kyle. I pray that both your body and heart remain unscathed.”

The saintess held Kyle’s hands tightly.

A faint golden light seemed to linger for a moment before disappearing.

“Thank you, Saintess. And I’m sorry for making you come all the way here….”

“No, I wanted to come. It would hurt my feelings if you said that, Brother Kyle.”

“Understood. But, Saintess?”

“Yes, Brother? What is it?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

Kyle hesitated, wondering if he should ask this.

It was a question he had wanted to ask since he took Nell with him last time.

But he had missed the timing, and now seemed like the right moment.

“Last time, you gave me a blessing, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“As I recall, you kissed my forehead then….”

“…Huh? Oh, um… yes, I think I did! Didn’t I? Maybe?”

“You did. But when you blessed Nell and today, you didn’t do that.”

The saintess’s face turned bright red at Kyle’s words.

She blinked rapidly and kept averting her gaze.

It was clear to anyone that she was desperately trying to avoid answering.

Seeing her like this, Kyle couldn’t help but smile.

If this were a typical male protagonist in a romance novel, he wouldn’t have noticed at all.

He wouldn’t realize that the woman in front of him had feelings for him.

But Kyle wasn’t like that. It would be strange if he didn’t notice.

What could be better than getting closer to his favorite character?

Just as he was about to tease her a bit more, his Jonathan instincts kicked in.

“Could it be that the type of blessing has changed? If so, what effect does it have on the body?”