The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 2

Why would the Saint, known to be more virtuous than anyone else, end up in the worst prison? The question didn’t last long. The Continent was now under the Demon King's heel. Naturally, the Saint, the greatest enemy of the Demon Army, became a major criminal.

The 'same execution day as mine' that Kelth mentioned must mean she, too, only has about a week left to live.

"Hey... Saint."

"Please, speak."

The Saint's voice was calm, as if detached. Was she not afraid of me? Well, considering she once stood against the Demon King, there’s no way she’d fear an unknown prisoner like me.

Still, as her senior, I wanted to assert some dignity. But in my current situation, the only thing I could say was:

"Pick up that bread over there."

"......."

"Just walk seven steps to your right. The guard tossed it around there earlier."

That’s all I could manage.

I couldn’t help it. Dignity and all, I was just a half-crippled man who couldn’t even move his limbs.

The Saint, upon hearing my request, showed a slightly surprised expression before moving without the slightest hesitation. One, two, three, four steps to the right... How far is she going?

Contrary to her detached voice, her gait was awkwardly uncomfortable, like that of someone ill or injured.

It didn’t take long to guess why. The Saint was the last hero on the Continent’s side, and ultimately, the Demon Army won the war. There’s no way the key figure of the defeated nation would remain unharmed.

"I can understand if you can’t see, but you seem off-balance too?"

"Please wait a moment. I’ll find it soon."

"Both, huh? Tsk tsk, how did the great Saint end up like this?"

Even when I spoke mockingly, the Saint didn’t take offense. Her face remained expressionless, holding neither hostility nor emotion.

Whether that expression was genuine or a mask concealing her feelings, I couldn’t tell.

"It’s because my love was insufficient."

With that, she fumbled across the stone floor. Moments later, her voice, laced with emotion, pierced my ears.

The emotion she showed for the first time was none other than:

"It seems the bread you were looking for has turned to ash."

Regret.

...Why?

Why was she regretful about my bread being reduced to ashes?

Did she say she'd pick it up only to eat it herself? It was plausible. I couldn’t stop her from taking it, after all.

I realized my suspicion was pointless when the Saint approached me.

"...What are you doing?"

"I followed the sound, so I’m not sure if I’ve reached the right place. Are you in front of me? If so, please respond."

"I’m here, but... what are you trying to do?"

The Saint bent over. The once pristine black nun’s habit gently fell with her movements. Now, though, it was grimy, stained with dirt, and torn in places.

Without a word, the Saint took out bread from her robe and placed it in my mouth. It was far superior to what I usually received in rations. Even better, the soft bread contained sweet cream on the inside.

"Sir Kelth gave it to me. It shouldn’t taste bad."

I didn’t even have time to question it. The luxurious flavor of the bread, something I hadn’t tasted in ages, overwhelmed my senses. My tongue and teeth ignored my mind and eagerly savored the food.

"How is it? Does it suit your taste?"

The Saint gently inquired.

A smile adorned her lips. It wasn’t a dazzling smile but a modest, pure one.

It was also a smile whose true intent I couldn’t decipher. As a villain, I don’t believe in purity. In a world where everyone wears masks, such things exist only in fairy tales.

"It’s delicious. But why are you smiling, Saint?"

"How could I not be happy when I can still give to someone, even in a place like this?"

"Ha, what’s so joyful about that?"

"Love is like cotton candy, ever-expanding. What I’ve given you is also a form of love. Soon, even this grim Tartarus will be filled with love, won’t it?"

"You sure have a knack for spouting nonsense, Saint."

She’s an incomprehensible woman. Moreover, she’s a woman I don’t need to understand.

Five minutes after being in the same space as the Saint, I reached that conclusion.

Whether aware of my thoughts or not, the Saint sat down next to me with a faint smile.

"Then, who are you?"

"Why ask about someone’s identity when it won’t earn you any money?"

Why did I dislike her? A deep-seated aversion bubbled up within me.

That mysterious smile, her talk of love and giving.

These were things I’d never encountered in my life. Perhaps that’s why. Demons instinctively reject the unfamiliar.

That’s why I retorted to the Saint so cynically.

"Are you ashamed of your own name?"

"...I won’t deny it. To be honest, if I reveal my identity here, you might kill me."

"What a dreadful thing to say. I don’t take lives for such reasons."

"We’ll see about that."

I verbally denied it, but unconsciously, I nodded in agreement.

I remembered. Even during the war between the Demon Army and the Continental Alliance Army, the Saint never took unnecessary lives with her own hands.

There were even rumors that she healed and released the Western Duke of the Demon Realm after capturing her as a prisoner.

But didn’t Kelth say just hours ago that the Saint lost to all the Demon Dukes except me? Did that mean the Western Duke, the demon she spared, repaid her mercy with blood?

Truly a shameless demon. That’s why I liked it. A perfect example of a demon’s nature.

"What brings the noble Saint to a place like this?"

"I committed a crime."

"Only the worst criminals end up here. What crime could you have committed to warrant this?"

"A crime of disrespect."

"Pfft! A Saint charged with disrespect? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard!"

"It was disrespect toward the Demon God, so in a way, it’s not entirely inaccurate."

"You’re relentlessly optimistic."

The Saint beamed with a bright smile. When I first saw her, she had maintained a stoic expression.

"But don't you think you should tone down the smiling? I don't care, but still."

"They say smiles bring blessings."

"Are you smiling to receive blessings? But just a moment ago, you weren’t smiling at all."

"That’s because... the current situation itself can be considered a great blessing. At least, that’s what I think."

Why was it that, even with her voice cracked and faded, it was filled with such bright hope?

Truly, from head to toe, she was a human being composed of nothing but incomprehensible aspects. That is what a Saint is.

"How is being trapped in the Infernal Hell considered a blessing?"

"If I were trapped alone, it would’ve been lonely, but since you’re here with me, it’s not so bad."

"We only met for the first time today. And to top it off, I wouldn’t say we’ve ever been on good terms."

"That’s all right. Once inside Tartarus, everyone becomes equal prisoners. What’s the point of dragging grudges from the outside in here?"

There wasn’t a trace of pretense in her words. Could something so positive truly come from the depths of a human’s sincerity?

At the very least, I had never seen it among the humans I’ve killed so far.

"Just sitting here beside you and having this conversation fills me with joy."

"Well, I can understand that sentiment. Being alone is just too boring."

"Isn’t that true? By the way, what brought you to this place?"

"Why are you so curious? You’ve been asking so many questions since earlier."

"Because, with my humble skills, I might be able to lessen your sins."

The Saint sat demurely beside me, chattering away. Her knees rested against the scorching stone floor.

Why would she try to lessen sins that don’t even exist and that I never even asked her to address? Truly, an incomprehensible woman.

"Who asked you to lessen anything?"

"Bestowing grace is the duty of an apostle of God, after all."

"......."

Truly a foolish human.

The very reason she was dragged here was ultimately due to the grace she bestowed upon the Western Duke of the Demon Realm. Does she not realize that? Or is she stubbornly pretending not to?

Whatever the case, I would call her foolish. If it’s the former, then she’s simply ignorant. If it’s the latter, then she’s incredibly obstinate.

"So, feel free to speak openly. Humans don’t go to church to confess for no reason."

"This isn’t a church. If anything, it’s a place closer to hell."

"If there is a sincere heart, wouldn’t that place itself become a church?"

"Saint, you certainly enjoy talking nonsense."

"How long will you continue to avoid it?"

The Saint lifted her head toward me. Despite her eyes being covered in bandages, I felt an overwhelming sensation as if my inner self was being pierced through.

"What do you mean, avoid?"

In that moment, I felt a pang of guilt. So, I answered evasively.

Judging from her expression, it seemed I had made a grave misstep. A rather serious one.

"Are you afraid of facing your own sins?"

"Who wouldn’t be? No creature, even a demon, is exempt from that fear."

"Are you a demon?"

"You didn’t know? Have your sensory organs broken down as much as your damaged eyes? Who did that to you? The Demon King? The Demon God? The Western Duke of the Demon Realm?"

"There you go again, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere."

If I let it slide, she’d undoubtedly continue pestering me incessantly.

In Tartarus, where conversing with the Saint was the only form of entertainment, I didn’t particularly mind our talks. Still, I wasn’t willing to endure the hassle.

"Sigh, fine. Since you’ve asked so earnestly, I’ll tell you. My sin is…."

Just as I was about to continue, a searing pain enveloped my throat.

Throb-!

Clatter-!

It was because I had spoken far too much since meeting the Saint. On top of that, the pain from the seizure I had been suppressing to keep the conversation going took the opportunity to strike.

"Gah! Cough, cough…!"

Harsh breaths and rough coughing erupted simultaneously. It felt as though I was hacking up my lungs.

My entire body trembled violently. The pain of my limbs being torn apart flared up once more.

Would I lose my ability to speak forever? The Saint couldn’t even see my expression—how would I endure the remaining week?

Ridiculous worries crossed my mind. Talking to the Saint wasn’t even necessary. Besides, wasn’t my futile destiny one where I awaited execution a week from now anyway?

Just then, the Saint leaned toward me.

She hurriedly undid the front of my shirt and placed her hand on my chest. Her small yet rough hand made contact with my bare skin. It was a hand that had experienced countless battlefields. And yet, it carried a warmth and comfort that seemed paradoxical.

What on earth was she trying to do?

"Oh righteous, merciful, holy, and noble Lord, I beseech You."

The Saint’s voice lowered. Though it was merely her tone that changed, her entire aura transformed in an instant.

"Please, bestow Your mercy upon this wretched and pitiful lamb. With Your boundless compassion, heal this lamb. Let a clear song flow once more from a throat that has fulfilled its purpose…."

With each word she uttered, a white glow began to radiate from her hand. That brilliantly radiant light was none other than the Holy Power unique to clergy.

…Holy Power?

Wasn’t Holy Power completely incompatible with me?

"W-wait a minute…!"

Zzzzing-.

Was this woman insane? She was attempting to heal me, a demon, by infusing me with Holy Power!

Injecting Holy Power into a demon was even more dangerous than giving dark magic to a holy knight. Unless she intended to kill me, it was an inconceivable act.

"I-I’m a demon… cough! Cough!"

Even though she must have heard me say I was a demon, the Saint didn’t stop infusing Holy Power.

Could she have forgotten already? No, that couldn’t be. She must be deliberately mocking me.

She was likely lulling me into a false sense of security with kindness, only to snatch away hope in an instant—doing something as vile as what witches might do.

Damn it, I was a fool for feeling reassured and letting my guard down around her.

"Though this lamb was raised in a corrupt environment, all life is Your child. With a generous heart, embrace this young lamb warmly. We pray to You, who protects, refines, and loves us…."

Woo-woong-.

Wrong. Her Holy Power is already seeping deeply into my chest. I lack the ability to reject the Holy Power flowing into me, so I am undoubtedly going to die.

Ah, to meet such a hollow end like this! If only I could have been executed in style at the Empire's Square guillotine a week later!

Truly, what a damnable woman. That creature they call a Saint.

"...This humble servant fervently prays."

Hwa-ak-!

"......."

Jjeolgeureok-.

But.

Why can I hear the sound of convulsions when I’m supposed to be dead?

I've never heard of a rumor where one can still hear sounds after death.

"You."

Where has the pain in my throat gone?

I firmly believed it was a curse that would never leave me for the remaining week of my life.

"How is your body feeling?"

Why does this woman flash such a pure smile at me?

Judging by how her smile seems directed at the space next to me, she must surely be blind. But even so, what could possibly make her so happy that she smiles like that?

I’ve never seen a smile like that before. Not even during the happiest moment of my life, when I avenged my sister's killer, could I smile with such purity.

If anything, I recall sobbing in a half-mad state at that time.

Does she truly believe that smiling brings blessings? If so, she must be an incredibly foolish woman.

Foolish yet innocent and pure.

"Then, will you now tell me?"

What a truly naïve, blind, stubborn, and clumsy woman.

Otherwise, how could she burn what little Holy Power she has left for me, knowing full well that I am her enemy, a Demon?

She’s a pushover. Perfectly ripe to be exploited by someone. If people call such a woman wise, I would seriously question whether their eyes are those of an Orc.

"The sins you’ve committed—I will bear them with you."

"......."

I hate it. A revolting sense of rejection wells up inside me. It’s chilling to the bone.

Her foolishness, her stupidity, her stubbornness, her naivety.

Her purity, her integrity, her positivity, her nobility.

I hate it all. As a Demon, I cannot possibly understand her. Furthermore, I have no desire to understand her.

"...Before that, let me ask you one thing."

By the way, what exactly did the Saint do? What kind of trick did she use to heal my vocal cords so perfectly?

"Deflecting the question again… Sigh, ask comfortably."

"Demons are the embodiment of sin. I’ve never heard of Holy Power that can heal even a Demon."

"Hehe, that’s understandable. This power is very, very special and also the most noble in the world."

"What exactly is the nature of that power?"

At my question, filled with doubt, the Saint responded with a pure smile. From her parting lips came a word I could not possibly empathize with.

"Love."