The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.209 Invasion (3)

I realized something this time.

When a person gets angry to the top of their head, their heart can actually become calm.

Isn’t it something like “cold head, hot heart”?

When I heard it verbally, it didn’t resonate much, but experiencing it firsthand, it couldn’t be a more accurate expression.

“Looks like you came to save me! Ha Gye In!”

“·····”

Every time the Holy Sword hung limply from the vine shook like a vibrating massager, the voice of a woman filled with joy echoed directly in my head.

The moment my vision, previously cramped by the unknown woman’s scream, suddenly opened up.

It was the only voice that felt oddly familiar. So it was you after all.

Why did my blood pressure rise, instead of being happy about finding my lost belongings?

In fact, I already knew the answer.

“Ha, Ha Gye In…?”

Did she sense some bad energy from me as I caught my breath in silence?

A tinge of deep anxiety began to swirl in that once lively voice.

“Wait, wait a minute! Why are you coming at me with such a scary face? You’re here to help me, right? Right? I’m right, aren’t I? Say, I’m right! Right now!”

Thud thud.

Using the heavy breath that escaped my lips as propulsion, I slowly took a step forward.

It was right after that.

The Holy Sword, helplessly hanging on the vine, began to shake wildly from side to side.

“Hyah, hyahhh—!! I-I need someone! Help me! Please save me—!!!”

It was a pretty sad sight to see her scream in fright even though I hadn’t even said anything yet.

But that didn’t mean the boiling anger within me would subside.

How could I repay the grace of the person who just saved me from the possibility of Apis melting me down into a ladle like that?

This frustration couldn’t be subdued with just a bit of brewing.

Thinking that, I placed my hand on the sword at my waist.

“Intruder.”

“─!?”

Boom!

That spine-chilling voice pierced my ears like a drill.

The overwhelming Pangongseong that followed abruptly cooled the heated emotions swirling in my brain.

“Ugh!”

My body, swept away by powerful force, rolled on the ground like a leaf falling in autumn.

Thanks to bracing myself with my outstretched hand, I managed to regain my footing, albeit late.

However, it seemed I must have hit something wrong somewhere, as a trickle of dark red failure flowed from my forehead.

The fact that I could have thwarted this sudden attack with minimal damage was nothing short of luck.

It goes without saying that my hand had already reached the sword sheath.

If it weren’t for the murderous intent weighing down on my head, I might’ve ended up dead without even knowing what hit me.

Those few days of being beaten to death by Apis during intense training were surely of great help.

“Wha-what’s going on!? What happened!?”

From the Holy Sword I inadvertently held up at the epicenter of the explosion, a bewildered voice spilled out, but I decided to ignore it.

I briefly felt the impulse to smash this damned old thing, but given that I was in a situation where one weapon was sorely lacking, I kept it for now.

Hoo…

Regaining my scattered breath, I hurriedly scanned my surroundings.

Now that the option of waiting quietly there until my comrades found me had vanished, engaging with the enemy was unavoidable.

I could have chosen to turn tail and run, but I quickly let that thought go.

Running away was impossible.

Even for me, after just one round of sparring, I could ballpark the stark power difference between my opponent and myself.

“May I ask who you are…?”

I threw the question over the thick cloud of dust, but the only return I got was the unpleasant silence that felt like mud clogging my throat.

Drip.

As cold sweat trickled down from my chin, one drop, two drops, three drops began to seep into the ground.

Soon enough, that moment approached.

“Intruder. Excluding.”

“─!”

Clang!

A mountain-like force resonated through the firmly gripped sword’s hilt and sent my posture tumbling once more.

Fortunately, this time I managed to block the attack without sustaining a single wound.

But the ominously deadly vibration that transmitted from the blade constantly flickered a horrifying future in my retina, should I fail to fend off this attack in time.

Thank goodness I had kept a watchful eye on the movement of the dust clouds.

If I had carelessly chased after the main body’s movements, my body would have been torn in two by now.

“Ooh… ”

“·····Ugh!”

Clang! Clang!

Through sparks that flew as blades clashed, the shadowy figure of the attacker was revealed.

“─!”

I had my doubts, and yet it turned out to be true.

Bronzed skin, snow-white hair, and red eyes.

Additionally, the dense Holy Power wrapping around her body was irrefutable evidence that this girl was one of the Saint Candidates from before.

“Th-that’s──!”

Thud! CRACK!

I tried to initiate a conversation, but an unannounced violent impact cut off my words, or rather, my breath.

Cough—!

With pain that felt like being struck on the ribs with a giant hammer, my body flew like a ball.

There appeared to be no blood from my mouth, so thankfully my insides didn’t seem to be damaged, but it definitely felt like at least one or two ribs were broken.

Thump!

My body, which had soared through the air like a stone skipping across water, slammed into a tree.

“Thank goodness. Intruder. Weak. Alone. Can easily win.”

“Ugh…”

My consciousness, wavering, was steadied by the pain in my ribs.

Given her posture of lifting one leg, it seemed that unexpected impact had been her kick.

Never take your eyes off the fight.

A fight isn’t just fought with weapons.

The advice that had become a part of me through Apis’s teachings flashed through my mind a beat too late.

To think she could deliver such lethal kicks with those bony legs.

Could this also be an application of her Holy Power?

As a seasoned clergy and adventurer myself, being floored by a girl that barely stood half my height was utterly humiliating.

Hoo… Uck…

With the Holy Power granted by the Saintess healing the wounds on my ribs, I carefully examined her appearance.

Overall, her impression bore quite a resemblance to the previous Saint Candidates, but…

Only one arm was clad in armor, and instead of wielding chains, she swung a sword directly.

In many ways, there were considerable differences.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the Holy Power she wrapped herself in was considerably weaker compared to the others I had seen.

This is just a hypothesis, but…

Could it be that the one before my eyes is actually of a lower rank than the other Saint Candidates I’ve seen?

If that’s the case…

Whoosh—!

“──Ugh!”

Bang! Crack!

Without a moment to tie up my thoughts, her savage onslaught continued.

I narrowly avoided a blade that was aimed precisely at my head.

Although the sword strike grazed my cheek, it was nothing compared to the condition of my crushed back from the giant tree.

“How? How did you dodge?!”

Did she never think I’d evade her attack despite my broken ribs?

Suddenly, her head tilted in confusion.

Watching the person who was dead set on taking my life behave innocently like a child sent an incomprehensible wave of dread over me.

It was like being a bug in the hands of a curious child.

The look in her eyes, keenly observing my body about to break, resembled that of a child about to tear the wings off a dragonfly.

Whoosh—!

Ugh—!

While her focus momentarily wavered, I swung my sword with all my might.

Clang!

That desperate strike was helplessly blocked by her blade, but my objective wasn’t to defeat her, but to create some distance.

“Huh? You’re weak! Much weaker than me! Why aren’t you dead yet?”

She met my full-powered attack without hesitation and suddenly widened her eyes, expressing a light curiosity.

That was a cheeky remark that would surely hurt a prideful warrior’s feelings.

Fortunately, I didn’t fall into that category.

And I instinctively realized.

That faint gap was my chance to survive.

Whoosh! Clang!

“─!?”

I threw my sword at her like a boomerang, and the sound of hard metal shattering echoed all around.

Amidst the commotion, I quickly concealed myself in the dark of the forest.

“Running away? You won’t escape.”

I knew it.

I understood that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to escape from her.

But while escaping was impossible, buying time was something I could definitely manage.

The fact that this dungeon was based on an area I was familiar with turned out to be an unexpected boon.

If my memory served me right, this place was a small forest located on the outskirts of the city wall.

If I run here for about 15 minutes, I should reach a door leading into the city.

Once there, despite not being able to hide all day, I could find a spot to stay hidden for a while.

I had 4 miracles left. Geographic advantage. The miracle lent by the Saintess.

With these two advantages, I’d manage to hold out until my comrades come.

That plan of mine went awry when—

“AHAHAHA! An intruder! An intruder!”

“─!?”

The moment I ran into another Saint Candidate that appeared right in front of me.

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