<Chapter 20>

“Where are you hurt?”

“Huh? Oh… I’m not hurt.”

Temenos’ gaze hurriedly swept over my body. His eyes stopped on my bloodstained clothes and hands.

“You’re saying you’re not injured with this much blood?”

“Ah, this isn’t my blood. It got on me from someone else…”

As I explained, I felt embarrassed.

‘Can’t he see the others?’

Plenty of people here were covered in blood, yet Temenos seemed solely worried about me. Feeling self-conscious, I forced a smile.

“You know I don’t get hurt even when I’m hurt.”

“So you decided to trust in that and walk into such a dangerous place?”

“Yes.”

I nodded, and his expression beneath the half-mask turned terrifying.

Gasps echoed around us, but amidst the tension, someone bravely rushed toward me.

“Saintess!”

Before I knew it, someone clung to my waist with such force that even Temenos stumbled back.

Shocked by the leech-like grip, I tried to peel the person off. But before I could, their desperate voices rang out.

“I beg you, please grant me the same miracle as before. Please, heal Finn!”

“Finn?”

“My lover. He might die at this rate!”

Before I could respond, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me somewhere. She was so strong that I could only stammer as I was pulled along.

“Wait… is he already dead?”

Seeing the limp man lying among the groaning patients sent chills down my spine. I quickly checked if he was still breathing.

The woman burst into tears upon seeing me.

“He saved me when the landslide struck! He pushed me out of the way and was buried under the debris. If he hadn’t done that, he’d still be fine. H-how am I supposed to live without him…”

Fortunately, he was still breathing. I quickly grabbed his hand and prayed inwardly.

‘God, please!’

“You can’t die, Finn! If you die, I’ll follow y—”

A golden, white light burst forth, sprinkled with radiant particles, enveloping Finn’s body.

Moments later, when the light subsided, Finn opened his eyes.

“Wh-What’s going on? Why am I here?”

“Finn!”

The woman threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she clung to him.

“Thank you, God! Thank you!”

The northern residents have offered a prayer of gratitude to God.

Northern faith rises. (+5)

Underneath the glowing notification window, Finn, still disoriented, patted her back.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying? …Wait. Weren’t we on our way to Winstein?”

That’s when murmurs reached my ears.

“Young Master Finn….. with Count Maynard’s daughter?”

“Her lover? Seriously? Since when?”

“Clara Maynard!”

A thunderous voice boomed from behind us.

An enraged man, who was clearly Clara’s father, glared at us from where he lay injured, unable to rise.

‘Oh, so this was a secret romance hidden from their parents?’

Judging by the whispers around us, this wasn’t just any secret affair—it was a full-blown Romeo and Juliet situation.

I wasn’t about to get tangled up in their drama. Jumping to my feet, I clapped my hands.

“Silence! First, we need to focus on saving the injured!”

“Y-you’re right!”

“Saintess! Please, help this knight here first—he’s in critical condition!”

“Over here too! Someone’s badly hurt!”

Requests for help erupted all around. I grabbed the hand of the person closest to me and called out.

“I’ll treat the unconscious ones first. Dr. William, please triage the most critical patients!”

“Yes, understood, Prospective Duchess!”

“Prospective Duchess?”

Gasps of shock echoed from the crowd as they realized my status. Ignoring the noise, I swiftly began healing the nearby patients.

Fortunately, none of the patients were beyond saving. As I healed about five people, something shook the ground.

THUMP!

The ground shook with a tremendous impact. Fearing it was a second landslide, I reflexively crouched, but then I heard startled voices around me.

“Good heavens, look at his arm…”

“Truly, they weren’t lying when they called him a monster…”

Whether his sleeve had been ripped apart intentionally or had burst from his bulging muscles, Temenos’ left arm, covered in golden scales, had nearly doubled in size compared to his right.

With that arm, he was lifting boulders larger than a person and moving them aside effortlessly.

Thanks to him, the knights I had healed were able to grab their shovels and start digging through the dirt and debris.

“Truly, the very embodiment of a monster……”

“Seeing you babbling like that, I guess you’re doing well, huh?”

“Ugh!”

The men babbling about the “monster” froze, staring at me with startled expressions.

They were clearly in better shape than the injured patients I had been treating earlier, though their arms and legs were wrapped in so many bandages they seemed unable to help.

“While His Grace the Duke is personally out here working to restore the site, you’ve just been sitting around feeling guilty, haven’t you? Right?”

“Y-yes, of course…”

“If only my arms were fine, I’d be helping right now, but, well…”

“That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

I smiled benevolently.

Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, I prayed silently.

Immediately, a radiant white light burst forth, enveloping the two men.

I personally tore off the bandages wrapped around their arms and legs and called out to Kei.

“Sir Kei! Bring me two shovels!”

“Yes, Prospective Duchess! Here they are!”

“Good. Now that you’re healed, get moving! Start digging, quick!”

Even without counting those two, there were plenty of people trembling in fear as they watched Temenos from a distance.

Seriously? While people are still trapped under the dirt?

“If I were you, I’d spend less time flapping my gums and more time digging! If your arms and legs are fine, pick up something and start working, now!”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“Understood, Saintess!”

“As long as they’re breathing, I can heal them completely. If you find anyone injured, report to me immediately!”

With Temenos lifting massive boulders out of the way, others followed with shovels and pickaxes, clearing the dirt.

No matter how severe the injuries, one prayer from me was enough to fully restore them.

Despite healing so many people, I didn’t feel even the slightest drain on my divine power.

It was like… using a phone while it’s plugged into the charger. The battery never dipped below 100%.

‘Well, considering I’m practically the only follower of God left in this world, it makes sense for Him to channel all that surplus divine power to me.’

With so many able-bodied workers now digging, the landslide site was cleared in no time.

“Last one! This is the final survivor! Your Grace, please lift this boulder over here!”

THUMP!

Under the massive rock that Temenos lifted, half-buried in the dirt, was a man who appeared to be a knight of Winstein.

Being the last to be found, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had suffocated to death. Fortunately, he was alive.

“Oh my God, Sir Klein…”

Kei’s voice trembled with despair as if he knew the man. Without hesitation, I began to pray.

‘Dear God, this is the last one. Please restore him completely, from head to toe.’

Although I had already healed dozens of people, the light radiating from my hands remained as vivid and strong as ever.

When the light faded, Klein opened his eyes, blinking in confusion.

“Sir Klein!”

“…What on earth…”

“Thank goodness! You’re alive… Wait, huh?”

Kei, who had been digging through the dirt covering Klein’s lower body with a tearful expression, suddenly looked startled.

“S-sir Klein… are you really opening both your eyes right now? H-huh…?”

Kei stared at Klein as if he’d seen something impossible, completely dumbfounded.

Isn’t it only natural for his eyes to be fine after I healed him? Why is he reacting like that?

At that moment, Temenos stepped closer and asked Kei, “Are you sure there are no more missing people?”

“Ah, yes, Your Grace. That’s correct. We’ve already confirmed with both count families.”

“I leave the cleanup of this site to you. Finish restoring the road before returning.”

“Understood!”

After giving his orders, Temenos strode over to me and asked, “Do you still have business here?”

Judging by the menacing look in his eyes, I figured it was safer to say no even if I did. I quickly shook my head.

‘Thank goodness there’s really nothing left to do.’

I didn’t even need to double-check that Klein was the last survivor because…

Sub-Quest Completed!

 

*All patients were found and successfully treated in time.

You have received 1 Divine Oracle Token as a reward.

This notification popped up, confirming it.

Additionally, my faith score had increased:

◆ Ultimate Objective: Save the World

◇ Current Objective: Raise Northern Faith to 100

 

*Northern Faith: 78

*Key Items in Possession: 3 Divine Oracle Tokens

 

▼ Replay Divine Oracle

Thanks to the gratitude and prayers offered by the people I healed, my faith score had skyrocketed to 78.

At this rate, I’d probably reach 100 within a day or two. The thought made me grin widely.

But my satisfaction didn’t last long.

“By the way, how did you get here?”

“Me? On horseback.”

Temenos, holding my wrist as he walked ahead, suddenly frowned and turned back to me.

“You claim to have lost your memory, yet you remember how to ride a horse?”

“Of course not. Sir Kei brought me here.”

“…Brought you here? How?”

“Well, I rode behind him like this……”

I mimed wrapping my arms around someone’s waist, glancing cautiously at Temenos’ reaction.

‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this…’

Sure enough, Temenos’ eyes blazed as he glared at me.

“You’re telling me you wrapped your arms around another man, even though you already have a prospective husband?”
 

<To be continued>

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