I Can Hear the Saint’s Inner Thoughts

Episode 3 – The Saint’s Inner Thoughts are Heard (3)

“That’s everything. Let’s get moving again. We have to get back to the others.”

“Did you buy more food again? You’re really consistent.”

In Victoria’s hands, which had secretly gone somewhere, were skewers of lizard tails. Not just one, but a whole bunch, enough to be considered a simple impulse buy.

– This is, delicious…!

As if confronting Victoria’s inner thoughts, her lips were quirked upwards, a snort accompanying her amused expression.

“Would you like some? The shadow lizard’s tail is quite palatable.”

Victoria nibbled her lip as if offering me a bite. I sighed at the sight.

“You’re putting way too much faith in my perception-blocking magic, aren’t you? What if you get found out as a Saintess here?”

This is Tartaros, the Demon Realm teeming with all sorts of demons and monsters. It’s a dangerous place we finally arrived at, having been ordered by the Emperor to subjugate the Demon Lord.

“Isn’t Master Astal the strongest mage on the continent? If I can’t trust your magic, then whose magic am I supposed to trust?”

Showing no fear of hiding her identity in the Demon Realm, Victoria even made a V sign with her fingers while grinning at me.

Victoria often enjoyed these kinds of deviations. She’d say that life is meant to be enjoyed, and it’s a loss not to, and she’d even grab my hand and lead me along.

“Magic is never omnipotent. It’s closer to a study of failure. When flaws are discovered, they’re fixed, leading to improvement.”

I relayed what I had been taught at the Blue Magic Tower where I previously resided. A maxim my mentor, the Blue Tower Lord, always insisted I stress.

Fire-creating magic was born from days spent shivering in the cold, and hiding magic was born from situations where lives were at risk if they weren’t used.

My perception-blocking magic, too, had the weakness of being broken if discovered by a mage more skilled than myself.

“…If I hear it one more time, I’ll probably grow calluses on my ears. You are a truly stiff person.”

– The intellectual side of you is so cool…!

I frowned as I heard what I surmised was Victoria’s inner voice. Even so, aren’t those two statements a little too contradictory?

‘Can a person’s inner thoughts really be this different?’

I scratched my chin, lost in thought. Even using magical mind barriers and dispelling magic, I could still hear her inner voice.

Her inner thoughts were completely different from her outward attitude.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

– I wish Master Astal would try one too! Then we’d look like a couple…!

Victoria looked at me, her eyes wide, as if pleading. Beautiful eyes, like a star-filled sea was dwelling within them. Now that I knew she liked me, I was becoming even more aware of her.

“…….”

*Chomp.*

– H-He ate it…! And so wild too! So manly!

To ignore Victoria’s loud inner voice, I broke off a piece of the lizard skewer in her hand and bit into it. Rich juices and soft flesh that tasted like chicken.

“…Well, it’s not bad.”

I commented on the lizard skewer that Victoria had bought. Honestly, it was a dish with a flavor that I couldn’t truthfully call bad.

“Hehe, you know, I have an eye for good food. Back in the Holy Kingdom, I used to sneak out and go on food crawls, too.”

– The only joy I had in that hypocritical place where no one was on my side was finding and eating good food.

Hearing Victoria’s thoughts, my body went rigid. A saint, by definition, performed miracles impossible in reality.

Not just raising the lame, but also turning a penniless beggar into a rich man buried in gold.

Even I, who had been obsessed with magic research before joining the hero party under the Emperor’s command, had heard the rumors, so I could only imagine the gazes of those around her.

“…What’s wrong?”

Victoria, noticing I had suddenly stopped walking, asked me, puzzled. Because the hand she had grabbed earlier was still firmly clasped, she had no choice but to stop as well.

“Ah, you have sauce on your lip. May I, for just a moment?”

Victoria, seemingly oblivious to the reason for my agitation, took a step closer, narrowing the distance.

The distance closed, our breaths nearly brushing.

“There, all done. To think I have to take care of even this, you really are like a child.”

Victoria, even standing on tiptoe, wiped the sauce from my lip with her own hand, an act of affection. And then, as always, she didn’t leave out her usual condescending remark.

– The sauce that touched Astal’s lips….

Victoria stared blankly at her own finger for a moment. A resolution in her heart made me uneasy.

Surely not, surely not what I think she’s about to do.

She wouldn’t really do such a thing, would she….

– That means…indirect kiss.

*Lick*.

Without hesitation, Victoria licked the sauce off her finger. As if it were nothing, rather boldly and daringly, she was engrossed in the action.

“…What’s wrong? We’re lovers from today, aren’t we? This is natural.”

– I hope he doesn’t think I’m a weird woman…? Let’s be confident. It’s day one after all. I’ll just say I didn’t want to waste food.

I sighed inwardly. The way Victoria was glaring at me, as if I were the strange one, was absurd.

She was clearly the one who did something shameless, breaking the agreement of not making physical contact without mutual consent.

“We agreed that before physical contact, we’d need the other’s permission…”

“I thought silence meant agreement. And it was because I didn’t want to waste the food, so please don’t mind it.”

I scolded Victoria as if I were protesting, but she was showing her thoroughness by already having an excuse prepared.

“Or, perhaps, did your heart flutter?”

– I wish his heart would flutter for me.

I was at a loss for words. This saint, maybe revealing her inner thoughts wasn’t part of her scheme? I even started to speculate about it.

I had never even once considered dating Victoria, a saint, yet now she was becoming increasingly aggressive, and I could feel that something was wrong.

“Even though it’s a contractual relationship, please do not forget that today is the first day. Please be more considerate of your partner.”

As if she could see right through my thoughts, Victoria fiddled with her hands, enjoying the moment.

“If you were to become serious, I’d be the one in trouble.”

– I will make you look back at me.

As if she would never let go of me, she made a vow within her heart.

* * *

We both moved towards the place where our other companions were gathered. A shabby, old inn, set far from the roads where demons and monsters roamed.

It was a confined space, barely enough to fit the five of us, but it was the only way to stay hidden from the enemy’s eyes.

“We’re back.”

“We have returned.”

Our companions were already at the table, deep in conversation.

“You’re finally here. Why were you so late—huh?”

Among them, the red-haired warrior, Kyle Dragonica, tilted his head slightly while looking at the two of us.

Like someone who had just seen something strange.

“What, why are you two holding hands?”

Kyle noticed the change between Victoria and me faster than anyone. He even let out a small gasp, his smug smile almost irritating.

“Ah, it’s just… Victoria said her hand was cold so…”

I uttered a lame excuse, trying to smooth over the situation, but then came a grip that held my hand even tighter.

“…The two of us have decided to start dating, as of today!”

Victoria held onto my hand like she’d never let go, boldly revealing our relationship to the others.

“Victoria, you…”

“Why are you so embarrassed? Be proud that you’ve become the partner of a devout saint like me.”

– By making this statement publicly, you won’t be able to deny it later!

Even though our contractual relationship would be over in just a month.

“What? Is that for real?!”

Kyle and the other companions looked shocked at Victoria’s confession.

We were the most frequently arguing pair in the party, so this kind of reaction was to be expected.

“How on earth did our Victoria end up with a guy like Astal…”

“There’s a saying that the ground hardens after a fight. Actually, you two might be more compatible than anyone else.”

The spirit mage, Anima, and the divine archer, Tarion, were sharing their thoughts. Unlike the others’ acceptance, her reaction was one of disbelief, as if she didn’t want to accept reality.

“Well, we all have someone we’re dating. I guess I always figured you two would eventually get together…”

Kyle tapped my shoulder, his gaze full of pity, but the corners of his mouth twitched as if he was trying to hold back a laugh.

“You two, yesterday you couldn’t even stand the sight of each other…! Human affairs, they’re truly impossible to figure out!”

Did that even happen? It had become so routine for her and I to trade barbs that I couldn’t even remember anymore.

Victoria and I had the worst first impression, and the constant snark and insults that followed showed no signs of stopping.

“No, I think you two are lying.”

At that moment, someone stood up.

An Ursine woman with orange hair and eyes, with bear ears atop her head. Anima Silverbroom, known as the Noble Spirit Caster.

“I’m Victoria’s best friend, you know. You have no idea how much she used to badmouth you.”

She was grinding her teeth, clearly suspicious of our relationship. Since we were the only two women in the party, it was only natural that we’d become close.

Unlike me, who uses alcohol and cigarettes like water, she, the saintly figure who lives a life of temperance, naturally had reasons to curse me.

“…….”

I kept silent in that situation. It wasn’t like I liked Victoria, and I only felt a sense of pity towards her.

Our paths in life were too different, and we both seemed to have painful wounds that made understanding each other difficult.

“It’s not a lie, Anima. Astal-nim and I are lovers starting today….”

“…In that case, who confessed first? Say it at the same time, on three. If your answers don’t match, I’ll know you’re lying.”

“T-That’s….”

Victoria looked flustered by Anima’s interrogation. She stared at me, her eyes full of helplessness.

– Oh, what do I do? I didn’t expect this…. No, I was finally able to get closer with this contract relationship as an excuse, if this happens, we might grow further apart….

Victoria’s inner voice, the one I heard in my head, was noisy. It was only her inner thoughts I was hearing, even in front of other people.

– Do I say I confessed… or do I say Astal-nim confessed…

It didn’t seem like it was some kind of magic or curse. If it was, I should have been able to hear everyone else’s thoughts too.

– Actually, I want to say I received a confession from Astal-nim… But then our answers might not match. He is a stubborn person, after all.

Victoria was struggling with her thoughts, without me knowing.

“One….”

Seeing her try so hard to consider me, a feeling started to well up deep inside my heart.

“Two….”

As a man, my pride couldn’t allow this. Even if it was just a contract relationship.

– Ah, Astal-nim?! Why are you suddenly interlacing your fingers…?

I read Victoria’s thoughts, and the moment I understood she wanted to say I confessed, I intertwined my fingers with hers.

“…Three!”

“I confessed first.”

“Astar confessed to me.”

Thanks to that, the moment Anima’s cheer ended, Victoria and I were able to synchronize our stories.