The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Echoing Song from the Other Side Part 4

“It’s surprising. I thought you were not the type to fuss over such things.”

The White Wolf replied coldly to my mother’s soliloquy.

“How cruel of you. I am a parent, you know? I’m not heartless or cruel.”

“Yet, you are the kind of person who prioritizes lives that can be saved in the future over lives that are lost here and now, aren’t you?”

My mother smiled thinly at the White Wolf without saying a word.

I couldn’t fully grasp the intention behind that smile. If I had to guess, it might be something like “Shut up, you damn beast.”

As the situation seemed to turn into a sort of standoff between my mother and the White Wolf,

“Marvelous, Miss Saint.”

a boy stepped forward from among the crowd in Luzgarta, still stunned.

Short stature. A familiar, gloomy face.

It was Yuno Agius, the demon exorcist we had teamed up with during the “Rain Serpent” incident.

“It’s far from marvelous. I failed to finish it off.”

“However, the difference in strength was clear. The next encounter will likely be the end for that demon.”

“Wait a minute, Mom,”

I pulled on my mother’s arm and whispered in her ear.

“Why is that kid here?”

“It’s a coincidence… but it seems Yuno was planning to visit here during his vacation. So, since he was here, I thought he might as well observe my work.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose for a couple of seconds before turning to face Yuno.

With a smile as gentle as the Virgin Mary’s.

“Hey Yuno, I have a bit of advice from your kind sister Meril here. Rather than observing, don’t you think it’s all about practice now? The more vacation time you take, the more the demon exorcists are short-handed, and many people suffer everywhere. So, let’s return to the Holy City as soon as possible, okay? Then, take up your mission, get to work, and devote yourself to it body and soul.”

As I neared the end, my true feelings slipped out, and my speech quickened. I hastily closed my mouth.

This kid’s taking an undeserved break is why my mother’s workload has increased. Since he’s still a junior, he ought to work tirelessly like a draft horse to reduce our burden.

“I’m very sorry, Miss Meril Klein. I, too, would very much like to do so.”

“Yes, that spirit is what matters most. Even if the church tells you to ‘take a break,’ it’s a noble deed to ignore that with an iron will and keep working—”

“I can’t fight right now.”

I blinked in surprise.

“Since the incident with the ‘Rain Serpent,’ I’ve been unable to unleash my power.”

What?

What does that mean? I’ve never heard of a demon exorcist losing their powers.

As I was about to press for answers, several villagers, finally regaining their composure, rushed forward from the crowd.

“Saint! Is the demon… has the demon been defeated? Will my daughter return?”

A young woman, with tears in her eyes, clung to my mother, likely the parent of a missing child, judging from her words.

With the grace befitting a saint, my mother gently placed her hands on the woman’s shoulders and smiled.

“Please, calm down. Although the demon has not been defeated yet, I promise you, in my name as a saint, that we will resolve this incident.”

Her tone was reassuring, different from her usual drawn-out speech.

At my mother’s feet, parents whose children had been taken gathered one after another. Among them were some clutching toys their children cherished, like stuffed animals, perhaps desperately trying to maintain a connection with their suddenly vanished children.

“Hey, daughter.”

As I felt awkward in front of the wailing parents, the White Wolf tugged insistently at the hem of my garment.

I crouched down and whispered softly.

“Wolf-san, we’re in public now, so if you could refrain from speaking too much—”

“The same scent as that human’s toy is wafting from that mountain.”

Saying so, the White Wolf pointed its nose towards the mountain with the coal mine towering at the back of the town.

“There are also multiple scents of children. Could it be that the missing ones are imprisoned in that mountain?”