Running Away From The Hero! (Remake)

Chapter 279

Side Story – Memories of a Princess (52)

“I’ll speak on his behalf. Yes, this guy is indeed a very wicked person.”

Ast is wicked. There’s no denying it.

That was the assessment of both me and Lea, who have spent the most time with him. Not just us, but also the wizards who worked with him, the soldiers trained under him, and even the Saintess who met him for the first time, all share this evaluation. I’m sure all the soldiers of the Kingdom of Merdea think the same way.

“That’s undeniable.”

People who’ve spent a long time with him, those who’ve just met him, and even those who haven’t met him at all, all consider Ast a wicked being.

We need to acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged. If we don’t, it leaves a vulnerable spot. The enemy will keep attacking Ast’s wickedness, and we’ll just be defending until we lose.

Right now, saving Ast is the top priority. We must eliminate the Saintess’s reason to kill him.

“Now that even the princess has admitted it, can we kill him?”

The Saintess glared at Ast with sharp eyes. You’d think he was her sworn enemy who killed her parents.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Why not?”

“Even if Ast is a wicked person, that’s not a reason to kill him.”

Punishing criminals is not the church’s job. It’s the responsibility of the state where the crime was committed.

“Although Ast is wicked, he hasn’t committed any crime yet. There’s no reason to kill him.”

And I am part of the ruling class of this state. I have the authority to judge and execute.

“There’s no reason to judge someone without a crime. On the contrary, Ast has made significant contributions to the state. He deserves to be promoted, not punished.”

“No need to promote me!”

“Now’s the time to stay quiet.”

I glared at Ast, who was shouting desperately from behind.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ast isn’t foolish. He knows I’m the only one who can save him now, so he quickly nodded in agreement, unlike his usual self.

“Anyway, this guy is not guilty. That’s the Empire’s evaluation.”

The Saintess bit her lip and glared at Ast. Right now, Ast was only under suspicion, not formally charged. Judging that is my right, not the Saintess’s.

The Saintess’s rights include punishing those designated by the gods, those connected to evil gods, and investigating individuals who threaten the world’s balance.

None of these apply to Ast.

“He…”

The Saintess stared at Ast for a long time but didn’t waver.

“He has committed a grave sin!”

Despite my words, the Saintess didn’t waver. She shouted with firm conviction that Ast was guilty.

“What crime?”

At this point, I was beginning to wonder if he really had committed a crime. I didn’t show it, but I met her eyes steadily.

“On what grounds does the church accuse Ast?”

I made it clear that if she spouted nonsense, it would severely damage the relationship between the Empire and the church.

But the Saintess didn’t waver and held up the bat that Ast had made.

“This is a cursed weapon! It’s so extraordinary that it could be called a weapon of an evil god.”

Again with that weapon. Why does the Saintess have such a grudge against it?

“What exactly is that?”

I had heard Ast explain the weapon before. But there was nothing in his explanation that would make a peace-loving Saintess so eager to kill someone.

Moreover,

“Ugh…”

“Ah…”

“It’s okay. It’s not scary. It’s not scary.”

As soon as the Saintess raised the weapon, the holy knights around her started trembling as if they were terrified.

Holy knights serve the gods. Unlike regular knights who protect their lords, holy knights protect the world under divine will.

They often say, “The gods are always with us.” Holy knights claim to be fearless, no matter how monstrous the enemies are or how dark the sorcerers are. No matter how evil the armies of the dark gods are, they have no reason to fear as long as the gods are with them.

That’s what they claim, but seeing them now, it seems like a lie.

“When I struck myself with this weapon, I realized why the church received such a report. This weapon could only be wielded by a follower of an evil god! And the person who made it is undoubtedly a follower of the evil god!”

The Saintess spoke with confidence, making me wonder, “Why is she so certain?” She had only struck herself with that weapon, and it changed her so drastically.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

Had I made it too obvious?

“Of course not.”

But I couldn’t help it. The Church of Peace was an active organization. If even a small tavern in a village sees several fights a day, how many conflicts are happening across the continent? Thousands, if not tens of thousands, of fights could be happening right now. The Church of Peace aims to mediate as many conflicts as possible to maintain peace.

“People who preach peace have suddenly changed. Because of a mere wooden stick. It’s hard to believe.”

On the other hand, their change could be proof of Ast’s guilt. Seeing the holy knights, who opposed killing Ast just yesterday, change their stance in a day suggests there’s something about that stick.

If this were a lesser nation, his fate might have been sealed already.

“I see.”

The Saintess nodded as if she understood my reasoning.

“In that case…”

Her eyes changed ominously for a moment.

“Your Highness!”

“It’s okay, Lea.”

Even if she is the Saintess, I am the princess of the Empire. She wouldn’t dare…

“Wait, you wouldn’t?”

“Saintess!”

“Stop, Saintess! She’s the princess of the Empire!”

“Stop her before she causes an incident!”

“But the Saintess is holding that cursed weapon…!”

The reactions of the holy knights made it clear that she was indeed a reckless one.

“Lea, I might need protection.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lea placed her hand on her sword’s hilt. She hadn’t drawn it yet since there was no direct threat, but she would act immediately if the Saintess made a move.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Ugh!”

“It’s okay. Do you think she’d act against the princess?”

As holy knights trying to stop her were struck down with strange screams, one knight, who managed to dodge, looked at her in terror.

“You wouldn’t…”

“Yes, that ‘would.’”

What was she talking about?

The brief exchange between the Saintess and the knights seemed to make them understand, as they all turned pale.

“Run!”

“Where!”

As the knights tried to flee in different directions, the Saintess shouted,

“Dedicate yourselves to the gods! Witnessing the use of this cursed weapon will make the princess of the Empire acknowledge its danger!”

“No!”

“Why us!”

“Because you swore to risk your lives for the gods!”

“Ahhhh!”

“Deputy leader!”

“Forget it! It’s too late! Abandon them!”

After the brief chaos—or rather, pandemonium—about ten knights lay on the ground, writhing or passed out. The Saintess, with a triumphant face, declared,

“This is the evidence.”

It was nonsense but persuasive.

When I saw the Saintess collapse from one strike, I thought Ast had made another bizarre weapon. Seeing even the Saintess couldn’t withstand it, I could understand how regular soldiers were affected.

But seeing dozens of holy knights fall like leaves made me change my mind. Ast had really made a weapon that suited him. With each hit, the knights’ screams and expressions changed, making me realize convincing the Saintess might be difficult.

“I didn’t hit them hard. Even a commoner would find it painful but bearable. Yet, the holy knights scream and collapse from this weapon. This evil power pierces through their divine protection! Such a weapon can only be made by a dark sorcerer or a follower of an evil god!”

Indeed, if the holy knights weren’t acting, that weapon was evil enough to be called a dark artifact.

“…”

As I remained silent, the Saintess pressed her advantage.

“If you think we’re acting, you can bring someone you trust. Or prisoners…”

“Saintess!”

“We are the Church of Peace! The Church of Peace!”

“Experimenting on prisoners!”

The priests, who had been silent while watching the Saintess beat the knights, regained their senses and shouted, but,

“Now is the time to sacrifice a few for the greater good. If more of these cursed weapons are made, the world will be in danger!”

The Saintess declared confidently, with conviction in her actions.

“We must eliminate that wicked being before more of these weapons are made.”

The priests, faced with the Saintess’s resolute declaration, fell silent.

“This isn’t a common cursed item. My prayers couldn’t even lift the curse. Think about it. If a Saintess’s prayer can’t break the curse, how much sacrifice must have been involved in making it!”

Sacrifice… there was some. Some trees sacrificed their branches.

“Speak, wicked one! How many lives did you sacrifice to make this cursed weapon?”

Thrusting the stick towards Ast, the Saintess shouted. I smiled as I looked at her.

“Yeah, Ast. Tell us about the sacrifices involved in making that.”

Had she not seen my expression?

Thinking she had convinced me, the Saintess shouted even louder at Ast.

“Your master commands you! Speak! What materials did you use to make this cursed weapon? The body of a demon? The soul of a pure maiden? Or the blood of children?”

The things she mentioned were all forbidden materials. Using them would make one a public enemy of the continent.

“I’ve seen dark sorcerers use such materials for immortality. I’m sure you used similar, if not worse, sacrifices to create this weapon!”

The tide was turning. The priests near the Saintess, and even the knights who had fled from her, started glaring at Ast.

With all eyes on him, Ast raised his head with a calm expression.

“Do you want to know how it was made?”

“Yes, I’ll give you the chance to speak. What did you use to make this cursed weapon?”

The Saintess looked at Ast as if his guilt was already confirmed.

Looking down, Ast began to tremble.

“Are you afraid? Afraid of your sins being exposed? That’s how the world works. No matter how dark, light will shine through! As long as the gods exist, there’s no eternal crime!”

It was over. Except for three people—me, Lea, and Ast—everyone here must have thought that.

“It was made with… water.”

“Huh?”

The Saintess’s confident expression broke.

“What do you mean…”

The murmuring around us grew louder.

“What are you talking about?”

As the Saintess’s bewildered voice cut through the murmurs,

“I said it was made with a branch of the World Tree given by a high elf.”

“Liar!”

“If you don’t believe me, send a message to the elves.”

Laughing as he trembled, Ast shouted more confidently than the Saintess had earlier.

The tide had turned.