WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Dark Fantasy Doctor Was Mistaken for a Saint ◈
Chapter 93: The Intent Was Good (4)
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* * *
The morning after rescuing the people beneath the overpass.
My destination that morning was somewhere other than the clinic.
“Otto. Let’s go to the cathedral today.”
The Empire’s largest cathedral stood on the western side of Civitas Square.
Otto knew the place well.
Every time he fainted, he had ended up relying on this cathedral.
Perhaps he had the same thought as I did. The moment I mentioned the cathedral, he thought I was going to visit someone in the hospital.
“Who are we visiting, sir?”
“No. I have business in the north wing today, not the west wing.”
I was not going there to visit anyone.
“I need to discuss what happened yesterday with the diocesan head.”
The overpass collapse that had targeted me yesterday.
It was not as major as the disastrous failure of this spring’s subjugation, but it was still a significant incident.
I needed to speak with the diocesan head about relief for the victims, their treatment costs, and the black mages’ future movements.
“We have arrived, young master.”
“You know not to call me that outside, right?”
“I know.”
Otto stopped the car in front of the cathedral’s north wing.
It was also called the Diocesan Office.
At the end of a stone path lined with statues representing the Twelve Gods, a vast white building towered over us.
“It’s overwhelming every time I see it.”
Otto muttered as he followed me.
He was right. The Diocesan Office was enormous.
Some might grumble about such extravagance on already cramped land.
But there was a reason it had to be this large.
“Saint, those people over there are...”
“They’re moving sacred relics that have been made.”
Holy knights were loading wooden crates onto carriages in the direction Otto indicated.
Sacred relics.
It was the collective term for special objects containing divine power.
The special silver bullets I used, the clerical robes Gregor tore apart day after day, and even holy water in the broadest sense could all be considered sacred relics.
There were also the highest-grade holy water used as an ingredient for elixirs, armor that could block an instant-death curse several times, and maces that could purify unclean undead in an instant.
The sacred relics produced at the Diocesan Office were treated like strategic supplies and distributed throughout the Empire.
Considering that it was effectively a sacred-relic factory supplying the entire Empire, this building might even be on the small side.
“...The sunlight is harsh. Would you like a parasol, Saint?”
“My mask is enough, Otto.”
As an aside, the Diocesan Office was a place where sunlight shone down without smog.
There was no better catalyst or symbol for divine magic than sunlight.
That was why the Imperial Family even assigned spellcasters here to manage the sunlight.
“Come on, Otto. The diocesan head is wait...”
Under the warm sunlight, I stopped midway through climbing the temple steps.
Someone was standing at the top, casting a long shadow as they looked down at us.
“...Gregor?”
Gregor stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at us.
The moment Otto spotted the muscular man, he quietly hid behind me.
Otto was supposed to be my bodyguard.
Watching this, I felt his place in my mind shift a little from bodyguard to totem.
Leaving Otto behind, I climbed the stairs.
“Gregor. Good morning.”
“Good morning, Saint! Otto!”
Gregor saluted with his usual friendly smile.
But unlike his normal exaggerated theatrical voice, he sounded closer to an ordinary holy knight.
Otto’s eyes widened.
“Could it be... the Diocesan Office’s senior holy knight has been replaced...”
“That can’t be the case, Otto.”
That might have sounded insulting.
But Gregor did not mind and simply smiled.
“It is understandable that you would be surprised, Otto. But now that I have pride, I no longer need to put on airs. Please do not worry.”
“...?”
Otto had no idea what Gregor and I had discussed yesterday, so this change seemed unfamiliar to him.
Gregor winked at Otto.
“If you miss the old me, I can show you my muscles.”
“There’s no need for that...”
“I’m joking.”
Gregor chuckled and took the lead.
“The diocesan head is waiting. I’ll show you the way.”
Even as we walked, Gregor followed the proper etiquette of a holy knight.
On the way to the diocesan head’s office, passing priests and holy knights greeted Gregor and me.
“Has your injury from the last training session healed?”
“Yes, Sir Gregor. I believe I can return to morning training next week.”
“That is good news. I will be waiting.”
Every priest and holy knight who greeted Gregor seemed to like him.
From behind him, I spoke quietly enough that only Gregor could hear.
“You are loved by many.”
“Thanks to the Saint’s guidance, I was able to open my eyes.”
“I’m glad.”
Before long, we arrived in front of a door bearing a plaque that read [Raymond Lailic].
“Please go in.”
“Thank you for guiding us, Gregor.”
Knock, knock.
When I entered, an elderly man wearing purple epaulets rose from his seat to greet us.
“Saint. Thank you for coming. Were you injured yesterday?”
“Thankfully, I was unharmed thanks to Mr. Gregor’s efforts. I’m grateful.”
“I should be the grateful one. Gregor has visibly improved since yesterday. I can only thank the Saint, and the Chief God who led us this far.”
The archbishop made the sign of the cross over his chest.
I followed suit and offered a brief prayer.
The diocesan head’s eyes widened slightly when he saw it.
“I did not expect the Saint to know a prayer of thanks.”
“Indeed. People say I give the impression that I would not believe in the gods, too.”
“I did not mean it that way... Still, since the subject has come up, may I ask? Do you not believe in the gods?”
“Of course I do. My parents were healers as well. There is no way I would not believe in the gods.”
It was not a lie.
I believed in the gods.
More precisely, I believed that they existed and watched over humanity.
In a world where miracles of divine power existed, denying the gods’ existence would be foolish.
Besides, as someone who had possessed another body, I had no choice but to believe they existed.
So I believed in the gods.
I simply did not ask anything of them.
Well, I did offer a prayer of thanks once in a while.
After all, my biological parents had been clergy.
I observed enough religious etiquette not to tarnish their reputation.
“The Saint’s parents must have been exceptional healers. Would it be all right if I prayed for their happiness as well?”
“They passed away long ago.”
“I am sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
“Not at all. Still, to be acknowledged by the diocesan head... My parents in heaven will surely be pleased.”
That was enough small talk.
“Now, let us get to the point. I have assigned the victims rescued beneath the overpass yesterday to appropriate healing facilities. The Church will cover their treatment costs.”
Yesterday’s incident had been a disaster situation, after all.
And in disasters such as this, the Church generally handled relief for patients.
Of course, if the Church acted like this for every disaster, this would not be a dark fantasy.
There was only one reason they were moving like this.
“The Church will take responsibility for resolving this matter. Please do not trouble yourself over it, Saint.”
Those people had been civilians caught up in a conflict between me and the black mages.
If black mages continued to attack civilians in order to target a saint, people might eventually point fingers at me.
They might say innocent people were being placed in danger because I unnecessarily walked around the streets.
Unfortunately, not everyone could be noble.
Public opinion like that could easily arise.
That was why the Church made certain to compensate the victims.
A saint was the face of the Church, and the Church prevented saints from being blamed for incidents like this before it could happen.
In fact, because the Church had acted this way throughout history, people caught up in such incidents almost never blamed saints or saintesses.
“We will handle every complicated matter related to this.”
“Ah, I would like to personally cover the repair costs incurred during yesterday’s protection detail.”
“Because of Gregor?”
I nodded.
“So I would appreciate it if the Church did not penalize Mr. Gregor.”
“Understood. No cleric will dare bring up a matter the Saint has chosen to overlook.”
The trouble caused by Gregor’s mistake among the collateral damage was quietly settled as well.
Just as the conversation was wrapping up.
“By the way, Saint.”
“Yes?”
“Gregor’s clerical robe returned severely damaged yesterday. Could you perhaps tell me how fierce the attack was?”
“...”
I tightly shut my mouth.
Gregor, standing beside me, folded both hands neatly in front of his chest and tapped his fingers together.
That alone was answer enough.
A vein stood out on the diocesan head’s forehead.
“...Gregor?”
Archbishop Raymond’s voice dropped low.
Gregor could not say a word and shrank back. I spoke on his behalf.
“That was only true until yesterday. Mr. Gregor is improving now, so...”
“Saint.”
“Yes?”
“Whatever else may be true, this child’s habit of taking off his shirt in battle existed long before he confined himself to his room.”
“?”
I looked at Gregor as if demanding an explanation.
Hunched over, Gregor muttered.
“Th-that is... When I fight, this great one gets excited...”
“...”
Ah.
So apart from his past trauma, he had always had a habit of taking off his shirt?
After hearing the circumstances, I stopped defending him any further.
Gregor looked at me as if the sky had fallen.
“S-Saint! Please do not abandon this great one!”
“Sometimes, discipline is necessary.”
“Th-that cannot be...!”
I left Gregor’s fate to the diocesan head and rose from my seat.
“May I look around the Diocesan Office while you two speak? I have a personal interest in sacred relics.”
“I will assign attendant priests and holy knights to you. Please look around as much as you wish.”
Leaving the diocesan head and Gregor behind, I left the room.
Just as I stepped into the elevator with the attendant priest serving as my guide, shouting echoed from the diocesan head’s office at the end of the corridor.
“You are how old now?! You are a senior holy knight who should be an example to everyone!”
“Haha... Please do not worry, Saint. It happens often.”
Gregor’s adjutant gave a dry laugh.
Then the elevator doors closed, and I could no longer hear anything.
* * *
Inside the room after Director Schun and Otto had left.
Sniff.
Leaving the sniffling mass of muscle sitting on the sofa alone, the diocesan head pressed his fingers to his brow.
“Gregor. Think about your age. Your younger sister is a saintess. Should you not be more mindful of your conduct as well?”
“I... I have always been proud of my younger sister...”
“That is not what I mean.”
The diocesan head let out a deep sigh.
“One of you is Rank 4 but cannot behave with propriety, while the other has the title of saintess yet dislikes people... You siblings are remarkably talented, so why are you always like this? Perhaps it is because I only worked at the healing center and could not pay enough attention to you.”
“I am grateful simply that you took us in. She respects you as well, diocesan head.”
“Then could the two of you please listen to me?”
“...I-I am sorry.”
The diocesan head repeatedly rubbed his face.
He had clearly lived his whole life as the eldest son of the Chief God.
Why were the children he had taken in all like this?
They were not bad children.
But they made him question whether he had done something wrong as a parent.
“Enough. You are improving thanks to the Saint, so hearing that news may help her improve a little as well.”
The diocesan head sighed deeply.
“Whew... You will be following the Saint to the Academy the year after next. She is also determined to enroll.”
“Yes. That is right, Father.”
“If so, please make sure she does not cause trouble there. In particular, persuade her not to issue a challenge to the Black Saint. Please.”
“I will try.”
“Whew... Please just do not cause trouble together.”
The diocesan head sank into his chair.
* * *
And at that very moment, Julian...
He held the score report Erika had handed him after returning from the Academy entrance examination, speaking with her.
“...Eri?”
“...Yesss.”
“So, you poured all your battle aura into trying to defeat the proctor in the second-round sparring test, depleted your willpower, and fell asleep during the written exam?”
“...Sorryyy.”
“Whew...”
Should I be happy about this or not?
=======================
Imperial Academy Admission Assessment Results Notice
To: Erika Nihirit
Thank you sincerely for applying to this Academy’s admission assessment.
This year’s admission process selected 2,000 applicants from 22,431 examinees, and...
...
This Academy would like to inform you that you may apply again during next year’s admissions process. We sincerely wish you continued diligence and progress.
Please submit any inquiries regarding this notice in writing to the Academy Admissions Office.
Imperial Academy Admissions Committee
Second-Round Sparring Rank: 1/6,478
Third-Round Written Examination Rank: 3,544/3,546
Overall Assessment Result: Failed
=======================
Looking at the score report in Julian’s hand, Erika let out a foolish little laugh.
“Hehe... But since I got first place in the second round, I’m exempt from next year’s second exam...”
“...”
“Sorryyy...”
“...”
“But I’ll be enrolling with Freya...”
“...”
“Sorryyy...”
Author’s Note
I was late because of yesterday’s innate vital energy. I am truly sorry.
Footnotes:
“Innate vital energy” is a traditional East Asian medicine concept referring to inborn life force. The author uses it as a deliberately grandiose excuse for being late.
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