CHAPTER 177
From the results of the Regular Army's Commander-in-Chief election, to the Empress poisoning the Emperor, and the ascension of a new ruler. The world was truly in an era of great chaos. The nobles hushed things up, the Regular Army was displeased, and the citizens were swept up in needless anxiety.

Amidst this unstable situation, a strange rumor recently began to circulate.

A certain Count had lost his daughter in an accident not long ago. He had fallen severely ill from the loss, spending every night in tears. Then, out of nowhere, his dead daughter returned to his side. The Count regained an unprecedented vitality, weeping loudly as he offered prayers. He vowed to never forget this grace for the rest of his life and to follow the one who bestowed it.

Then there was a Colonel in the Regular Army. Long ago, his life had been saved by a close friend who fought back-to-back with him. He always felt a bitter ache in his chest whenever he thought of that friend. But his friend returned to him, too. A precious friend he thought he would never see again for all of eternity. Upon facing him once more, the Colonel couldn't help but pour out tears. The Colonel clasped his hands together and bowed his head. He swore he would absolutely repay this favor.

Like this, stories of people coming back to life had been echoing continuously lately. As long as they weren't evil, anyone could be revived and returned to the side of their families, lovers, and friends.

Of course, not everyone could return. Some who had been dead for too long could not come back due to the collapse of the connection between their body and soul. Or there were those who had reached the end of their natural lifespan and could not be revived. However, many did come back to life.

Every time they came back, their families, lovers, and friends expressed their utmost gratitude and thanks to the one who saved them.

He would say this:
「 I cannot save everyone. But I can bring back someone precious to you at least once. 」

A second resurrection was difficult. Even now, countless people were waiting, hoping for their loved ones to be revived. The next resurrection had no choice but to be passed on to the next person. Those who received this grace did not complain. Rather, they knew full well how shameless it would be to complain.

「 If you wish to repay my favor, please grant me just one thing. No matter how chaotic this world becomes, do not hate the people beside you. Protect the world where your precious person can live. 」

Sometimes, people only realize how precious something is after they've lost it once. Because it's an irreversible event, they finally understand its true value when it is returned to them. The man emphasized this and left for his next destination.

At the man's noble strides, people naturally brought their hands together and bowed their heads. Even those who didn't care about the existence of gods became reverent believers in front of this man.

They clearly remembered who he was.
The Saint.
The one who restored what was precious.
Someone who had previously been vaguely considered a being with the power to save people. Someone who occasionally left behind outstanding achievements befitting the name of a Saint.

Those who welcomed him in person couldn't help but marvel in unison. So much so that the chaos shaking the world was quelled with every step the Saint took. The world cheered at the existence of the Saint and desperately hoped he would bestow his grace upon them as well.

As if answering them, he traveled all over Gladion without stopping. People who had been divided into various factions, busy hating and keeping each other in check, were suddenly sharing stories of the Saint with bright expressions.

With the Saint as a common ground, they had forgotten their hatred for one another. Of course, as time passed, the factions would eventually split apart again. Resurrection was just a temporary measure. A band-aid eventually loses its stickiness and falls off over time. Someday, they would bare their fangs and swing their claws at each other once more.

But for now, even a band-aid was fine. A series of massive turmoils that had nearly shaken the Empire to its core. That chaos was pushed to the back burner under the name of the Saint and slowly began to subside.

Some people said: Wasn't the Saint's behavior just hypocrisy? Wasn't it just a show meant to manipulate people's emotions?

However, those who saw the Saint in person quietly kept their mouths shut. On the path he walked, everyone was brought back to life. On top of that, he accepted nothing in return; he merely exchanged a few words and immediately left.

Without resting even once, without sleeping a wink. Cutting down even his eating time, he wandered throughout Gladion. His appearance seemed to be pleading with them not to hate each other so much. Whether it was someone pointing fingers at him or someone expressing gratitude and respect, he always treated them exactly the same.

As if everyone in his eyes was completely equal.

That was the reason why people adopted an even more reverent mindset in front of the Saint. The Saint did not view anyone differently.

'They're all equally uncivilized savages anyway.'

Whatever his true inner thoughts were... At least, that's how it looked in their eyes.

The Pilgrimage of the Saint of Astrape that would be spoken of in the future. This was the moment that path was born.

The whole world was in an uproar over the Saint. I knew it would turn out like this since I had intended it, but I still felt a bit sour about it.

"Why are there so many over-interpretations of every single thing I do?"

Countless rumors trailed behind my every move, biting at each other's tails. There were an absurd amount of unnecessary details attached to my every action. What the Saint meant by this. Why the Saint made that judgment. Those kinds of embellishments were endlessly tacked on.

What I wanted was to unite the factions before Gladion could be swayed by the 1st and 2nd Princes. If they had a common topic like the Saint, they wouldn't be swayed for the time being.

But lo and behold, people were deeply moved, assigning profound meaning to my every step. Most of it just meant, 'Stop fighting and focus on our one common enemy right now.' But completely ignorant of the truth, everyone was busy making their own wild interpretations.

Is this what that is? Like those language arts test questions that always say, 'Identify the speaker's intent.' The kind of problem where the speaker themselves doesn't even know what they meant, but people interpret it however they want and declare it the correct answer.

"Honestly, you brought this on yourself, Harua."

Babiyen, who was sticking close to my side and reading a paper filled with rumors, nodded.

Why are you agreeing with it on your own?

"All I brought upon myself was working hard to save people."
"Then why did you push yourself to save people without even sleeping?"
"Because the situation was urgent. We had to suppress the backlash against the 1st Princess before it erupted, so it was a race against time."
"Yes, that was probably your intent, Harua." Babiyen sighed and shook her head side to side. "But it doesn't look that way in the eyes of others. To them, you look like a Saint trying to save others even if it means whittling away your own body."

Of course, it wasn't that I didn't intend for that at all. I thought the image of a Saint was necessary in the first place. But apart from that, excessive interpretations put me in a tough spot. It's going to be like this no matter what I do from now on, isn't it?

Excessive expectations quickly lead to disappointment. Knowing that fact all too well, worry preceded everything else.

"Just consider it the result of everything you've done so far blowing up," Babiyen said.
"I think the same. More than anything..." Aranseol lightly rested her head on my shoulder. "I don't think other people's perspectives are necessarily wrong. How you appear in the eyes of others is also the result of the things you've done."

In the first place, humans are beings incapable of revealing themselves completely. Everyone has things they hide and things they don't want to show. Therefore, you can't say that the way others see you is definitely not 'you.' Because you are the one who lived a life that made you appear that way.

And I suppose that applies to me right now, too. Whatever my intentions were, people will all think whatever they want.

"Because no one can completely understand another person," Aranseol said.

She was right.

"And a world where those kinds of people live together is what this world is."

I met her gaze. I could only guess at the intentions lying beyond it; I couldn't know them completely.

"Yeah, I suppose so." I nodded, accepting Babiyen and Aranseol's words.

I am the Saint.

Even if I denied it, it was the title everyone around me called me. If that's the case, I should reap every possible benefit I can get while living as the Saint. Right now, there is only one thing I want to secure above all else.

To live in this damn world without any problems, even in the distant future. A stepping stone to ensure that fewer bastards like me show up. I was going to build that stepping stone.

Because of this incident, many things were changing for the future. So I had to move even more proactively.

Whenever discord arose within the Regular Army, my appearance would usually put an end to it. To them, I was their benefactor, and simply siding with the same benefactor was enough to stop their quarrels.

The same went for the nobles. The 1st and 2nd Princes were absolutely not going to take this lying down. Thus, both factions prepared schemes behind the scenes. The 1st Princess's faction stepped up in their own way and thwarted them time and again, but there were limits to that. If the 1st Princess's faction went all out, it would become an all-out war. Therefore, they couldn't afford to move rashly either.

So, the moment I obtained information, I stepped in. There were people I had saved in both the 1st and 2nd Prince's factions. Because I had specifically targeted key figures and revived their loved ones, neither faction could ignore me.

"Saint, if it is your request..."
"Yes, of course we will follow it."

The nobles treated me politely and revered me as an important figure and their benefactor. No matter how high their status, in the end, people were all the same.

"Resurrection magic is truly terrifying. Before anyone realized, you've become the most important figure in Gladion's politics, Harua-nim."

Vanessa spoke to me quietly. Vanessa, the one who controlled the shadows of Gladion's politics. Even from her perspective, she seemed to deeply feel the danger of Resurrection magic.

"It won't last long."

But it wasn't like I viewed this situation all that positively either. Gratitude doesn't last very long. Humans are hypocritical beings, selfishly focused only on their own circumstances.

Just look at borrowing money. When borrowing, people bow their heads, even drop to their knees, and express profound thanks. But when it's actually time to pay it back, they make up all sorts of excuses and reasons, convinced of their own logic, and refuse to pay.

The grace of Resurrection is the same. Eventually, as time passes, it will fade and lose its power. And gradually, they will put their own greed first again.

I'm not particularly disappointed by that. It's just the natural order of things.

"I am just a bandage. I'm merely stopping the bleeding for a little while."

By the time the urgent bleeding stops, forms a scab, and leaves a scar... that's when they'll start revealing their true desires in earnest. So, I absolutely have to achieve my goal before then.

Black Dawn.
I had to annihilate those bastards.

Chirp, chirp, chirp—

Before I knew it, summer had arrived once again. Summer allows for fun times like summer vacations, but the heat raises the discomfort index. While an inexplicable sense of unpleasantness quietly loomed over the world...

"Harua-nim!" Lululio's voice rang out. "Aigis-nim has returned-ssumda!"

Aigis had returned. That meant the Lord of Souls had also returned.

The chance to finally put an end to this had arrived. My eyes quietly flashed, and the people beside me finished their preparations.

"Let's go."

We headed to the Regular Army to hunt down Black Dawn.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas~