The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Curse of the Rain-Summoning Serpent Part 5

“What on earth is this?”

I couldn’t help but murmur at the extraordinarily bizarre scene.

Peg Village, pushed to the brink of destruction by a year-long rain, was now filled with statues of my mother—the Holy Saint.

In the square. On the roadside. In front of houses. Dozens of them were scattered around, easily noticeable at a glance everywhere.

Moreover, countless stonemasons wielded chisels and hammers, tirelessly engaged in the mass production of statues could be seen.

“Such an unpleasant sight,” the White Wolf commented with a bitter tone.

Given that Saints are regarded as Death Gods by demons, it’s understandable that he finds this sight repulsive.

We were currently moving through Peg Village in a carriage.

Since there was no railway connection to Peg Village, we switched to a carriage in the nearest city.

The rain persisted in the village, and the carriage’s progress was slow on the muddy ground. Those working on the statues were wielding chisels under rainproof tents.

Within the carriage, Yuno maintained his usual floor sitting position and spoke as he observed the village adorned with stone statues.

“The current head of the Shiraat family, who rules this land, spent his youth at the theological school in the holy capital, and he is profoundly devout. Since he assumed the lordship a few years ago, he has actively supported church activities within the region.”

“So, that explains the abundance of statues of my mother…?”

“Yes. It is believed that the likeness of the Holy Saint holds a purifying power, warding off demons. By increasing the number of statues like this, they aim to suppress the harm caused by demons.”

“Is that so?” I glanced at White Wolf, who responded with a snort.

“There’s no such power in statues. However, they function as a warning to many demons, conveying a message like, ‘If you touch this land, the Death God will come to purify you.'”

In other words, there’s no effect like a barrier, but a deterrent effect similar to keeping pests away can be expected.

However—I looked up at the carriage ceiling. There was no indication that the sound of rain, audible through the ceiling, would cease.

“…So, what does that imply? With this multitude of statues of my mother and the rain persisting, isn’t it plausible that the ongoing rain is indeed the result of a demonic being?”

“It’s hard to say. The protection of the Holy Saint’s image may not extend to powerful demons. In reality, even with numerous Holy Saint statues in this village previously, they couldn’t prevent the harm caused by the ‘Rain Serpent.'”

“Ah. For arrogant demons, it might even be seen as a provocation.”

Yuno’s perspective was further explained by the White Wolf.

Intrigued by the term ‘provocation’ that the White Wolf used, I pulled out the case files from my luggage. Unlike the fabricated information during the incident in Dozel, this time, detailed documents were prepared in abundance.

What happened just before the onset of the first prolonged rain?

In the village’s past event schedule was written— ‘Unveiling ceremony of the Holy Saint’s statue.’

“Ugh…”

My unsettling premonition seemed accurate.

A few days after the initial statue of my mother, the Holy Saint, was erected in the village, the prolonged rain, lasting for a year, began.

(Absolutely, this is my mom’s statue having unintended consequences…)

Presumably, the ‘Rain Serpent’ went on a rampage, covering the village in rain, angered by the construction of a Holy Saint statue near its dwelling.

While scratching my head, I thought, “Why do unnecessary things like that?” Besides, a mother with such brute-force violence towards her daughter truly doesn’t deserve any faith.

But—if we understand the cause, we can formulate a countermeasure.

The carriage transporting us finally reached the village meeting place.

With the church escort, who was acting as the coachman, holding an umbrella, I knocked on the door of the meeting place.

“Excuse me. I’m Meril Klein from the church. Is anyone—”

The door of the meeting place swung open with remarkable speed.

Beyond the opened door, there was a man with a refined appearance, kneeling on both knees and gazing up at the sky.

“Oh! Oh! Never did I expect the day would come when I could behold the child of the Holy Saint before my eyes! I, Graf Shiraat, am moved to tears!”

In a posture leaning back from looking skyward too much, a middle-aged man with a beard shed tears profusely.

For a moment, I thought he might be a suspicious person, but then I remembered the surname he introduced himself with.

“Um, excuse me. Are you, by any chance, Mr. Shiraat, the lord of this territory? I’ve heard that you are deeply devout…”

“Oh! What an honor to have the distinguished Meril Klein mention our family name! I shall never forget this day!”

I snapped my fingers. This is precisely what good timing means.

“Just in time, Mr. Shiraat. I see there are many statues of the Holy Saint in this village. Would it be alright for you to destroy all of them right now?”