The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

149 – 149. The Pilgrim of Black and White (1)

One day, I asked that person.

You’re being too reckless.

What kind of resolve does it take to be that desperate?

The sight of that person, who had leaped into the life-and-death battlefield without hesitation to save countless crowds, was enough to evoke shock and shivers.

It was merely luck.

How long could this streak of bad luck continue?

Yet, that person boldly and courageously headed toward the death zone more than anyone else.

The honor of victory is not important.

Glory and pride are but fleeting vanities.

To end a war that devoured innocent lives, they accepted the calamity of war. The noble sacrifice, striving to save nameless crowds even at the cost of becoming a cursed being, deserved recognition from the benevolent One True God.

“One True God? I have no intention of seeking recognition from a lady who’s probably enjoying her tea time right now.”

“Y-you’re being irreverent! The merciful One True God is always watching over us!”

Kaang-.

With the scepter of the Holy Night, they struck the person’s head.

The person then rubbed their struck head, expressing their displeasure.

“No matter how much I pray, Mother Earth does not listen.”

“That can’t be true…! The oracle was given to save the countless crowds swept away by disaster. Thanks to the oracle of the Holy Kingdom, we were able to gather like this.”

“To be precise, it was because a girl blessed with the miracle of the Saint established a reverse harem at the Imperial Academy that the Saint’s party was formed so easily. Mother Earth probably had nothing to do with it.”

“R-reverse harem?! That’s not what it is!”

Kaang-.

They struck again with the scepter of the Holy Night.

A bump rose on the person’s head, having been hit in the same spot twice.

“To speak such irreverent words about the One True God and the Second Saint of the Holy Kingdom…! Repent at once!”

“It’s the truth, though. Saint of the Reverse Harem.”

Hero. Swordmaster. Mercenary King. Sage.

The greedy Saint who is in a relationship with four heroes representing the current world.

How impressive.

How did she manage to captivate four men at once?

If you want to witness the art of managing a harem, seek an audience with the Second Saint of the Holy Kingdom. Beatrice, who has conquered all the handsome young men with her pure charm, will gladly share her strategies.

The person shrugged their shoulders, continuously protesting.

“No! That’s not it! It’s not like that!”

“Alright, alright. So just put down that damned weapon.”

As they threatened, gripping the scepter of the Holy Night like a baseball bat, the person showed a look of shock and waved their hands in denial.

It was almost a reflex.

How many times had they been hit to react in terror at the sight of the scepter?

“When will this war finally end?”

Can someone like me really defeat the Demon King?

Can a mere country girl bring an end to the war?

I have never doubted the sacred divine will.

Yet, every time I recall the prophecy of the one true god, who promised I would become the savior of all, doubts creep in.

Despite countless victories, the Demon King’s army and the cultists remain as formidable as ever. No matter how hard I try on the front lines, it feels as if I am blocked by a thick, dark cloud, and I cannot see any chance of success. Like a child throwing a tantrum, I revealed my anxious heart to that person.

“It will end.”

“How can you be so sure every time? No matter how much the Earth Mother has delivered her prophecy…”

“I don’t believe in the Earth Mother’s prophecy. I believe in you.”

“I’m just an endlessly weak and cowardly woman. Every time I think of the harsh sights of the battlefield, my hands tremble uncontrollably.”

I am scared.

And I was terrified.

Death beckons.

Every time I participated in the battlefield, I was threatened by death.

The pure white saint, blessed with miracles and the prophecy of the one true god, was nothing more than a petty coward. I harbored a cowardice that secretly wished to cast aside a fate as heavy as a mountain and flee from reality.

Can I ever repay the Earth Mother’s favor?

Can I truly live up to the expectations and trust of countless believers?

With every accumulation of disbelief and doubt, it felt as if my entire being would snap. Each time I faced the believers hoping for a miracle of salvation, I felt a deep sense of humiliation towards my own powerlessness.

“I feel the same. I talk about certainty, but it’s all just bluster.”

“That’s excessive humility. Until now, Edanant has saved tens of thousands of people. How can you call that mere bluster?”

“It is bluster. It’s just reckless flailing. Until now, I’ve only been lucky.”

“…….”

That can’t be true.

Edanant is different from someone as worthless as me.

I bit my lip, desperately swallowing my pessimistic response.

Fear is like a contagious disease.

I was terrified that my fear might be transmitted to Edanant, so I had no choice but to swallow my anxiety.

“It’s okay, you’re doing well.”

“…What?”

You’re doing well.

I heard the words I most wanted to hear from the person I trust the most.

Tears welled up.

Even knowing it was just empty words meant to bolster my courage and confidence.

Could they see the dark fear coiled within my heart? Surely, as a versatile person who acted with the ease of someone possessing foresight into the future, they must have.

“No matter how scary it is, no matter how afraid you are, you never run away. You always prioritize your duty as a saint and save countless people. You’re far more remarkable than the one true god who merely watches from the celestial realm.”

“Ugh…!”

That person said with a bright smile.

My face flushed with the gentle comfort that followed the smile.

I didn’t know how to respond.

It struck me even deeper because it was a heartfelt consolation from someone who usually showed only mischievous sides.

I became so embarrassed that I could hardly meet their gaze. So, to hide my face, which had turned as red as a kettle on the fire, I quickly turned to the side and let out a groan.

“Taking advantage of my brief absence to target Bea!”

“Edanant…! The flirt who steals the hearts of innocent maidens every time he visits the village! If you’re aiming for Bea too, I won’t let it slide, especially for the sake of the Tower’s reputation!”

As I continued chatting with that person while gazing at the campfire,

My companions returned.

It was the mercenary king Felix and the sage Madveigh.

With the return of the hero and the swordsman, the heavy atmosphere instantly became lively.

Felix and Madveigh grabbed Edanant by the shoulders and forcibly pulled him away. Maximilian and Regnas exchanged faint smiles as they watched the raucous scene.

* * *

Though tormented by the brutal war, I was incredibly happy in that fleeting moment, thanks to the comrades who always stood by my side.

A fleeting light.

The echoes of the past descending upon the dead.

Beatrice’s consciousness, completely eroded by the calamity of death, faded with a faint smile. And a new persona took control of the body.

“Ethan… Edanant.”

I repeated the name of the person I felt both sorry for and grateful to.

At the same time, the witch with flowing white hair stepped forward, breaking the seal formed by the cold of death.

Drip-drip-.

Drip. Drip-drip-drip-!!

Beatrice does not exist.

Nor does the calamity of death that was summoned as a necessary evil.

A third persona.

A phenomenon born from the forced merging of the saint’s miracle and the divinity of death.

The blackened, twisted cold wind swept through the Demon King’s castle. In response, the members of the saint party, now fallen into cursed existence, let out sharp roars.

“…You’ve come.”

As the new divinity born from the Creator God and the God of Calamity announced its arrival—

A vortex of magical power erupted.

It was certainly not far from the Demon King’s castle.

Beings of the current world used long-distance teleportation magic to launch a surprise attack on the demon realm. As the currents of magic struck the surroundings, demons and monsters liberated from the gray of the end times surged in like a cloud.

“Defend it. You insects.”

The reason the demons and monsters gathered was to guard the Demon King’s castle.

However, for the newly born Death Demon King, such actions were nothing more than a bothersome interference.

Eda Nante.

I must meet that person soon.

Those who obstruct the meeting with that person, vividly etched in my mind, are all hindrances, regardless of their power or race. Thus, I decided to slaughter all the forces of the demon realm that had gathered around the Demon King’s castle.

“Twist and contort.”

The white-haired witch extended her hand.

Her grasp was aimed at the seal of the holy sword firmly surrounding the Demon King’s castle.

Crack-!

A thunderous sound echoed as if lightning had struck.

The cold wind, transformed into a sharp storm, continued to batter the seal of the holy sword like a siege engine. However, the seal, which contained the sanctity of the holy sword and even squeezed out its own life force, did not budge an inch.

It cannot be broken from the inside.

It would take at least several hundred years for the seal to exhaust its power.

The Death Demon King, realizing this, ground his teeth and cursed the owner of the holy sword.

“Maximilian…!”

The witch, enveloped in cold, had her eyes gleaming.

The left pupil burned with pure white, symbolizing the saint’s miracle,

while the right pupil blazed with pitch black, manifesting the calamity of death.