I’m a Fake Saintess But the Gods Are Obsessed With Me

At that time, the Emperor’s voice was heard.

“How about the Saintess participating directly in the Hunting Festival with the Crown Prince?”

Turning my head, I saw the Empress, who had whispered something in the Emperor’s ear, grinned and straightened her body.

Kyle spoke to the Emperor instead of me.

“It’s dangerous for her to go barefoot in a forest with monsters.”

Then the Emperor responded to his words.

“Can’t you, the Sword Master, protect her? Well, then maybe you can get closer… Hmm.”

Perhaps, the Empress used this as an excuse to trick the Emperor.

“But we don’t know what kind of unexpected situation will happen..”

“Last year, the High Priest came as a representative of the temple, and he personally took the lead in purifying the forest. He infused divine power into the rocks of Els Valley. And these days, I heard that Els Valley is infested with monsters again.”

The Empress spread a fan and cut off Kyle’s words.

Kyle’s eyebrows twitched at those words.

“It’s different from the High Priest, who is a skilled swordsman. Don’t force her.”

At his direct words, the Empress’s forehead narrowed for a moment.

“If you think of the people who live by gathering minerals and medicinal herbs in the Kinston Mountains, doesn’t the Crown Prince force them?”

The tip of her lips rose.

“…”

“In addition to subjugating monsters at the Hunting Festival, if the Saintess goes to Els Valley and purifies Kinston through its rocks, there will be a lot less accidents this year. There is a reason why the Saintesses in the past have been carrying out purification activities every few years.”

It was a logical story. As if it has been prepared in advance.

“The Empress is right, but the Saintess’ choice is up to her.”

At the Emperor’s last words, all the nobles’ eyes turned to me.

I stared into the Empress’s sharp gaze. After a long, heavy silence, I opened my mouth.

“Let’s do that.”

It was expected that they would push me to the hunting ground by any means they could anyway.

At my calm answer, Kyle hardened his eyebrows and the corners of the Empress’ lips rose a little.

“But it doesn’t seem like it would be fun to ride a carriage to the hunting grounds.”

Soon, I pointed in the other direction with my index finger.

“I’m going to ride that horse.”

Someone had their eyebrows twitched at my words, and the corner of the Empress’ lips, which had risen, hardened.

I went on talking.

“Sir Alberto doesn’t seem to be a good horse rider, so he’ll ride in my carriage.”

Alberto rolled his eyes and protested to me.

“What do you mean I can’t ride a horse?! I never say that!”

I got up from my seat with a calm expression and walked out, standing in front of the Emperor.

“Your Imperial Majesty. Less than a month ago, I saw Sir Alberto trampling on a child with a horse in the square. The child almost died.”

At those words, the Empress’s expression hardened, and he was also startled.

I turned to Alberto and asked him.

“Hitting him, trampling on him, and running without looking back as if he was like a dwarf hanging from an angry bull.”

He clenched his fists till his face turned white.

“Do you have any proof that I did?”

“I treated that child with my divine power, that’s why there are many eyewitnesses. You still can’t remember, so I guess you didn’t even know you had trampled on a child.”

The Emperor looked at Alberto and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Is that true?!”

“Your Imperial Majesty! That’s…”

Alberto’s eyes lost their way and were shaking.

After a while, the Emperor clicked his tongue.

“Huh. I know that you’re weak in swordsmanship, but your horse riding skills are serious.”

Maybe he remembers it too.

However, it couldn’t be said that he killed a child like a fly’s life, so Alberto didn’t say a word to the Emperor and only his fists were trembling.

Ah, I’m so relieved.

I neatly arranged the conclusion by bringing up this story, hoping that he would be punished.

“So, for each other’s safety, it would be better for Sir Alberto to be in my carriage. I ride on Sir Alberto’s horse.”

“You can’t!”

The Empress’s eyes were trembling with an anxious light.

I felt like I was about to burst out laughing inside her transparent look.

“If he goes to the Hunting Festival on horseback with skills he doesn’t even know that he trampled on a child, isn’t it rude to the Imperial Family and nobles who are participating in the Hunting Festival today?”

The whispers of the nobles reached my ears.

Breaking the noise, Kyle opened his mouth.

“It’d be better to do what the Saintess said.”

The Empress’s hard-faced, bitter eyes turned to Kyle, yet he continued to speak with cold eyes.

“The Saintess, I will cover her safely.”

No monster would dare to harm you if you were covered by the Sword Master.

When even Kyle agreed, the Emperor looked at Alberto and ordered.

“Let him ride in the carriage. And the Saintess…”

The Emperor’s gaze turned to me.

“You’re wearing a dress, would it be okay?”

I pondered for a moment and then said to the Emperor.

“I think it would be uncomfortable. Can I borrow some extra clothes?”

***

To escape the temple, I sometimes went to the stables and tried a few times to ride a horse, but I was able to ride a horse quite nicely.

“It suits you pretty well.”

Kyle’s hard gaze was directed straight ahead, but I could understand what he meant.

I straightened the cuffs of the shirt, which seemed to fit me, and grabbed the reins.

Perhaps because it was worn by high-ranking nobles, the quality of the clothes was good and elastic. And Alberto’s horse was quite a steed.

With Kyle, I carefully led the horse’s head and entered the entrance of the hunting ground.

My mission today was to get to Els Valley, the heart of the mountain, without getting hurt, and energize a special rock.

Monsters are mutated from the dark power, and it was said that the energy of darkness weakens if you inject holy power into it.

For safety, the Paladins were following us.

The Kinston Mountains weren’t bad, and the incline was gentle enough for carriages to pass. While it took three full days to reach the border with other mountain ranges, Els Valley was within three or four hours.

“You must have wanted to hunt to your heart’s content, but I’m sorry to keep you tied up.”

I looked straight ahead and said to him.

“So, it would be better if we go quickly and find freedom for each other.”

Hearing my words, I heard him burst out into a small laugh.

“By the way, when did you learn to ride?”

“Just from time to time.”

Kyle licked his lips as if he was having fun as he watched me draw my horse skillfully.

“You really exceed my expectations every time we meet.”

His exposure and smile in the bright sunlight stopped my eyes blankly.

And the moment he turned his head to me and our eyes met. A noise was heard breaking this moment.

“These damn jerks. Can’t you go slowly?”

I turned around and saw a temple carriage led by three horses.

The temple carriage was strong, but it wasn’t a combat one, that’s why it wasn’t good for shock absorption. This means that the feeling of a rocky surface or an uneven surface is conveyed inside.

“Aaaargh!”

A voice filled with anger was heard again.

I deliberately slowed the horse down to match the carriage.

The carriage drew closer. In the window, Alberto’s distorted face was visible.

[The God of Art, Mond, frowns and expresses displeasure.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, looks at his displeased face and growls.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, washes his eyes with holy water.]

“Horrible.”

Kyle’s voice, who stopped talking, was heard.

There was a reason why they all reacted so violently.

“Damn it. Damn iiiiiit!”

Not knowing I was looking at him out the window, Alberto was grinding his teeth.

And his body, which was poor for a man, was covered with the dress I was wearing earlier. It fits just like mine.

Seeing Alberto in my dress and enraged in a carriage, I thought I would burst into laughter.

After all, the dress was uncomfortable, so the words of the Emperor who suggested that I and Sir Alberto switch clothes were a good move.