It Wasn’t Healing, It Was Training Magic

The Saint, Freya Badanis.
Due to her beautiful appearance and character, everyone in the church admires her.

Arsen Gray was no exception.
Every night, before going to sleep, he thinks about Freya,
and listens to stories about her from his mother.

And writing down the stories he hears in his diary,
and reading it often has been his long-time hobby.

Sometimes he even writes letters on his own.
Even if he doesn’t give them to the Saint.

Having grown up in the church and seen the Saint for a long time, the depth of his affection was even deeper.

That’s why he’s been working hard for a long time.
To catch the Saint’s attention.

“Arsen, only you are the man suitable for the Saint.”

Especially because his mother, the High Priest, further fanned the flames in his heart, he naturally thought.
That the Saint would eventually choose him.
That only he was the man suitable for her.

But.

“I heard the Saint has taken an interest in a male healer.”

The shocking fact he heard through his mother.

For the first time, the Saint had shown interest in someone else.
It’s not that the Saint wasn’t interested in humans.
It’s just that this was the first time she had shown interest in one individual person.

And a man at that!

He became anxious.
The thought of someone other than himself receiving the Saint’s attention,
was something he didn’t even want to imagine.

“Why don’t you try preparing once?”

So he registered.
To take the healer’s exam.

“Son. Mom will prepare everything well. Just do the healing magic as you’ve been doing. I’ll even specially teach you the chant given only to High Priests, so don’t worry.”

High Priest Gray had the same thoughts as Arsen.
She firmly believed that only her son was the man suitable for the Saint.

“Anyway, I heard the guy who applied this time is a nobody. Rather, this is a good opportunity to receive the Saint’s attention. If you pass, I’ll use my power to have our Arsen assist the Saint.”

Arsen, believing firmly in his mother’s words, took the exam,
and when he succeeded in healing magic, he was certain.

I’ve done it.
With this, the Saint will only look at me.

Not that pretty boy-like guy called Zick,
but Arsen Gray himself.

But reality was cold.
Unlike himself, that guy called Zick calmly demonstrated magic and.

“Wow! A man can do that much?”
“That must be a miracle.”
“It’s like the Saint…”

He demonstrated healing magic as excellent as the admiration heard from around.

‘That can’t be!’

This can’t be.
No, it shouldn’t be.
Because only he should monopolize the Saint’s attention.

So he used his mother’s authority to deny that guy called Zick, but.

“That is the power of the holy One God. It is pure healing magic.”

The Saint appeared here.
Arsen, who recognized the Saint faster than anyone else, could only hang his head,
and when he saw her approaching Zick.

“S-Saint?”

Arsen’s world crumbled.

The Saint, who appeared from who knows where, flashed a smile at me as soon as she appeared.
That familiar eye smile, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere recently.

I think it was even today.

“Ah, the one I saw at the written exam today…!”
“That’s right, Zick-nim. I couldn’t introduce myself then. I’m Freya Badanis. Although inadequate, I hold the position of Saint in the church.”

The Saint, Freya, bowed her head and greeted elegantly.

When I saw her at the written exam venue, she was covered with a robe so I couldn’t see her face properly.
Moreover, I was consistently annoyed at the time, so I didn’t even make eye contact.

The face I see only now.

Her pink hair, reminiscent of cherry blossoms announcing spring, is impressive.
Especially the harmony of her soft facial curves and warm smile is like a single flower.

Among them, her brightly shining pink eyes gave a strong impression as if piercing the soul of the person looking at them, and the soft light enveloping her seems to make one’s heart feel at ease.

Freya Badanis,
The dignity of a Saint is felt to the very ends of her skin.

While everyone was dumbfounded by her appearance,
Freya calmly approached the patients.

“Examiner, I’ll check the patients for a moment.”

The patients she approached were all those on whom I had used healing magic.
After examining them one by one thoroughly, she opened her mouth.

“I, Freya Badanis, the Saint of the church, can promise in my name. That the magic Zick-nim showed is not the evil arts of demons, but the power of sacred authority that has come down from heaven.”

And she testified to the people.
Staking her authority and name.

“If, if the Saint says so.”
“Who would deny the Saint’s words. Of course not. Ahem.”

The confusion subsided,
and the cold gazes of the crowd shifted from me to Arsen.

He had tried to slander me using even the authority of his mother, the High Priest,
but it was dismissed by Freya’s testimony.

Rather, Arsen, who had given false testimony, received cold glares.

“As the Saint, I watched this entire exam, and rather, I found something interesting from Arsen Gray. Show what you’ve hidden in your bosom, Arsen.”
“Wh-what do you mean, Saint? What do you mean I’m hiding something?”
“The potion you drank just before the exam. You should still have that bottle hidden in your bosom, right?”

Freya gave a nod to the Holy Knights guarding her.
Then the knights approached Arsen,
and found a certain vial in his bosom.

A potion with an unpleasant green glow.

“This potion was the ‘Mana Enhancement Potion’ prohibited by the church, an item of demons. Will you still deny it, Arsen Gray?”
“Th-that… it’s not mine.”
“Then whose is it? Are you saying someone else put that in Arsen Gray’s bosom?”

Freya’s cold, sunken contempt was directed at Arsen.
His face turned pale, and sweating profusely, he shouted.

“I didn’t mean to do it. Mother gave me the potion and ordered me to! I did nothing wrong. Absolutely! I didn’t mean to do it… sob…”

Arsen, who was stammering and whimpering, finally burst into tears.
And in doing so, he also reported his own mother.

After that, the incident quickly came to a conclusion.
At Freya’s order to bring in High Priest Gray, High Priest Gray and Arsen were judged on the spot, and

Freya coldly passed judgment.

“Arsen Gray, who gave false testimony, shall have his tongue cut out according to church law. And High Priest Gray, who violated church law and distributed illegal drugs, shall be stripped of her qualifications, and along with her son Arsen Gray, be sent to a reeducation facility. That is all.”
“We will follow the will of the One God.”

The Holy Knights solemnly escorted the two away, and

“S-Saint! Please forgive me just this once!!”
“Mom! Why did you make me do this? It’s all because of you, Mom. Waaah…”

The incident seemed to have come to an end.

“Zick-nim, are you satisfied with the results? I wonder if you found anything lacking… Ah, I should apologize first. Zick-nim, on behalf of our church, I sincerely apologize.”
“We apologize!”

When the Saint bowed her head in apology,
the other High Priests around.
And all the priests and Holy Knights bowed their heads.

Directed only at me.

“If you feel the punishment for those two is insufficient… we could discuss it further in a private consultation…”
“No, no. I’m satisfied.”

I quickly answered Freya’s question.
Of course I am.

I thought cutting out the tongue was already a cruel enough punishment,
but to think they’d even be sent to a reeducation facility.

That place has had a notorious reputation since the war with the beastkin.

All the personnel are composed only of heresy inquisitors, and it’s a place you can’t leave until you’ve fully paid for your sins.
Even if you pay, can you really get out?

It’s called a reeducation facility, but it’s just hell where you’re tortured until you die.

“Is that so? That’s good then, but if you find it lacking, please don’t hesitate to have a private talk with me somewhere nice. Don’t feel burdened, just feel comfortable…”
“No. No. It’s fine.”

I firmly declined.

The Saint, Freya.
As explained earlier, the people of this religion are frightening.
Especially among them, the actions of that pervert Saint who enjoys self-harm are generally unpredictable, so it’s best to avoid her.

To the point where I thought of her as the person I least wanted to get involved with after possessing this body.

‘To think I’d encounter the Saint here.’

I was planning to just take the exam and run away,
but to end up meeting her face to face.
My luck is really rotten.

After the incident concluded, the exam proceeded normally.
And as soon as the end of the exam was announced, I bolted.

‘I don’t want to come here ever again.’

It was just regrettable that I had to visit one more time,
to check the exam results and receive the certificate.

After all applicants had left,
only the High Priests and the Saint remained in the exam venue.

“Is it really possible with a man’s body?”
“I’ve never seen such a sacred and noble light… It was a beautiful light that could appear in the scripture.”

They were still caught up in the lingering impression of the magic Zick had shown.
Those who had been watching the exam venue from afar were simultaneously unable to hide their shock.

You see as much as you know.

The magic Zick demonstrated was great magic that absolutely could not be treated lightly.
The High Priests who recognized this at a glance were so shocked that they had to relieve it even by talking.

“Ahem… especially that magic shown at stage 6… wasn’t it even more excellent than the Saint’s healing?”
“Hey, you. You really have no filter in front of the Saint.”
“Hup…!”

Some of the High Priests who were continuing the discussion started to gauge the Saint’s reaction.

The Saint is at the top position in the church.
They couldn’t dare go against her.
Fearing they might have offended her, they closed their mouths and maintained silence.

“No. It was clearly magic superior to mine.”

Freya admitted plainly.
Denying the facts didn’t suit her character.

No, honestly, it was a power that couldn’t be compared to her own magic.
It was a power imbued with holiness that humans shouldn’t casually judge.

It wouldn’t be wrong to see it as the very authority that came down from heaven.

‘Ah, I want to experience it once too.’

Freya thought she wanted to feel that authority directly with her own body.

She hoped that day would come.

No, even if it doesn’t come, she will make it come and taste it.
Freya licked her lips.