The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Curse of the Rain-Summoning Serpent Part 4

“As stated in the report, I made my way to Peg Village six months ago. Back then, the village had been enduring nearly a year of constant rain, pushing it to the brink of ruin.”

Prompted by me, Yuno respectfully bowed and began narrating.

“Upon my arrival in the village, I quickly pinpointed the demon’s whereabouts. The demonic presence was notably intense from the depths of the mountains. I planned to go straight for its elimination, but just before entering the mountain path, I was stopped by an elderly villager.”

According to Yuno, there were still a few residents in the village, mostly elderly individuals who had chosen to stay and face the fate of their declining homeland.

“The old man warned, ‘A fearsome demon resides beyond this waterfall basin. A child shouldn’t venture in alone.'”

“Mm-hmm, and what happened next?”

“I clarified, ‘I am a demon exorcist sent by the church.’ However, the old man remained unconvinced.”

Well, that’s understandable, I thought to myself.

Devil exorcists are the church’s esteemed elite, seasoned warriors. If a boy of such a young age claimed to be a demon exorcist, it would likely be dismissed as mere child’s play.

“The old man who was concerned about me rang a bell and summoned the other elderly residents in the village. Discussions like ‘Who’s this kid?’ ‘Is he someone’s grandchild?’ ‘Hurry, send him home’ began right there. But in that moment, I—realized that persuading them with words would be challenging.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I evaded them.”

“Evaded them?”

I muttered in response.

Yuno nodded calmly.

“They were all elderly individuals weakened by diminishing physical strength. Furthermore, due to the prolonged rain, the mountain path had collapsed in various places, rendering it unsuitable for ordinary people to traverse. Given this condition, I deemed it impossible for them to pursue me. So, I evaded their restraint and sprinted into the mountain path.”

“There was a demon beyond that, right?”

The White Wolf joined the conversation.

Yuno nodded, and continued.

“Tracking the demon’s presence into the depths of the mountains, I came across the waterfall basin. It appeared that the demon had also sensed my proximity. Emerging slowly from the swirling depths of the turbid basin, a large serpent peeked out its head.”

I imagined the scene and asked a question.

“By the way, how large was the serpent? Approximately the height of an adult?”

“I believe it was about the same size as the length of this train.”

I almost burst out laughing.

This special train comprises six cars (locomotive, crew car, supplies car, dining car, passenger car, sleeper car). Even the White Wolf being the size of a locomotive… considering a creature six times that size, made me feel lightheaded.

Imaging such a monstrous creature raising its head from the waterfall basin was terrifying, and I couldn’t shake off the chilling sensation.

Wait a moment.

Even if the exorcism failed, considering that this kid confronted such a gigantic monster directly, doesn’t that mean he’s quite strong? Of course, he wouldn’t match up to the Holy Saint, but perhaps he could serve as at least minimal protection.

“Having confirmed that this was the being I had to purify, I assumed a combat stance.”

“Mm-hmm.”

I leaned forward in anticipation.

If, in this battle, he beat the giant serpent to a pulp, and it ended with the demon running away, I might reconsider my evaluation.

“And that was it.”

“Huh?”

I leaned back from my previously eager posture.

“That’s all, you say. What about the rest? Did you fight?”

“I apologize. I have no memory beyond that point, and I believe it is not suitable for a detailed report.”

“No memory? Were you under some kind of illusion?”

The White Wolf asked, and Yuno shook his head.

“It’s due to my inexperience. When I unleash my power for combat, I lose my rationality.”

“Your rationality? You lose it?”

“Yes. That’s also why I embarked on the mission alone. Having someone accompany me would pose a high risk of involving them in the fight.”

I paled and took a slight step back from Yuno.

“But, you reported the success of the elimination, so you must remember at least a little, right?”

“No. When I regained my senses, there were snake fragments and a severed head scattered around me. Considering the rain stopped immediately afterward, I judged it as a successful elimination. I regret making a hasty decision now.”

This kid is frightening.

He’s not a guard at all. He’s as much a hazard as the demon itself.

“In this mission, the church strictly ordered me to serve as a guide. ‘Never unleash your power,’ they said. If I were to lose my rationality and rampage, it would only interfere with you, Miss Meril Klein.”

“Yes, yes! That’s right! Absolutely, no matter what happens, don’t fight!”

Dealing with the White Wolf demon and that big serpent is already challenging, and now I have one more source of stress.

The church shouldn’t appoint people like him as demon exorcists. They should prioritize not only strength but also character, dignity, and safety. If they keep promoting such careless personnel, someone will inevitably cause a scandal someday.

After venting my complaints internally, I slapped both my cheeks.

Complaining won’t change anything. I only had one option left. I had to thoroughly scrutinize the events, finding every possible fault, and postpone the confrontation.

“For example, maybe, just maybe, you actually succeeded in the elimination, and the subsequent events were all just coincidences. Is that a possibility?”

I began speaking, raising my finger.

“The events afterward include… the villagers’ mass suicides and the ongoing rain, right?”

“Yes. The year-long constant rain is undoubtedly abnormal, but the current rain has been continuing for about a month, right? There’s also the possibility of some unusual meteorological phenomenon.”

Then, it hit me, and I clapped my hands.

“See, considering it rained continuously for a year in this area, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were some abnormal weather events afterward. Of course, the natural balance would be disrupted, so it’s not strange if some unusual weather phenomena occurred.”

“I see. However, Lady Meril Klein, the mass suicides of the villagers still seem like the work of a demon.”

“Well, it’s not commendable to attribute everything to the demon.”

Indeed, I also thought, “Villagers throwing themselves into the demon’s territory one after another seems like a curse or some kind of hex,” but expressing that opinion would lead straight to the elimination route.

So, sweating profusely, I argued like this.

“Maybe the villagers were troubled by various things…”

The White Wolf and Yuno were completely dumbfounded.

I closed my eyes in embarrassment. It felt too vague.

“W-well! I mean, if it rained continuously for a year, the village must have been on the brink of collapse, right? So, it’s highly likely that they were economically distressed and cornered!”

Realizing that this wasn’t going well, I hastily added an excuse.

If the suicides weren’t caused by a curse or hex, there should be some underlying motivation for the villagers to choose death voluntarily.

Whether that was true or not didn’t really matter.

Just by suggesting the possibility that it wasn’t a curse or hex, I could create a justification for postponing the confrontation.

“It’s too early to conclude that it’s the demon’s fault! Let’s look at the current situation in the village next and investigate if there’s any hidden motive for the suicides!”