Chapter 34 : The Blind Saint

A dark forest.

A woman and a man ran for their lives, breath ragged.

“Haa…! Huff!”

Behind them, a magical beast gave chase.

―Grrr! Woof!

It resembled a wild dog, but its body was massive, nearly the size of a grown man.

Its fangs looked sharp enough to rip a limb clean off, and saliva dripped greedily from its maw.

The beast roared and bounded after them.

The gap between prey and predator wasn’t small, but it was closing fast.

Hearing the beast’s panting draw nearer, the man shouted to the woman ahead.

“Faster!”

“Haa! Huff!”

She had no breath to spare for an answer, only running harder.

Their only hope was that the village wasn’t far.

If they could reach it, perhaps they would be saved.

With hope and terror tangled in their chests, they ran until their lungs burned.

“Kyaaah!”

But fate was not with them.

There were two reasons.

First: the moonlight tonight was unusually dim.

Second: the forest floor was thick with fallen leaves, hiding stones beneath.

The woman tripped over one such hidden stone and fell hard.

“Presila!”

The man halted at once, rushing to lift her.

“Ugh!”

But Presila clutched her leg, unable to stand. She’d injured it in the fall.

Precious moments slipped away.

―Groarrr!

The beast closed in.

“Damn!”

The man turned back, leaving his wife behind.

He drew a crude sword from his belt and brandished it desperately.

“B-Back! Stay back!”

But the beast, as if mocking him, swiped at the blade with one paw.

Thwang!

“Argh!”

His arm snapped back like a toy.

The trembling hand that clung to the sword was ripped open, the weapon spinning away into the forest’s dark.

His eyes followed helplessly as it vanished.

The beast snorted, as though laughing, and lunged.

The hunt was ending. The meal would begin.

―Grahhh!

Its fangs gleamed blue in the faint moonlight.

Then—

Thwack!

The beast’s head snapped sideways.

A stone had struck it squarely.

―Yelp!

Shaking its head in surprise, the beast glared into the shadows where the stone had flown from.

―Heheheh!

Its ears twitched.

From the darkness came a chilling laugh.

Blood-red eyes glimmered faintly in the black.

―Heheheh!

The beast faltered for a heartbeat.

Then—

Grrrr—

It growled low and dashed into the dark after its attacker.

The couple slumped, barely spared, the man collapsing to his knees.

He stared at the darkness where the beast had disappeared.

―Growl! Roarrr!

Sounds of the beast tearing through the earth as it charged someone unseen.

Then—“Yelp!”

And after that, the brutal rhythm of blows raining down.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

Then silence.

“……”

The forest fell deathly still. The man and woman held their breath, staring wide-eyed into the void.

At last, the man whispered.

“Wh… who’s there?”

No answer.

He swallowed, gaze trembling.

Then came footsteps.

Step. Step.

“Wh-who’s there!”

Startled, he snatched up a stone to shield his fallen wife.

Step. Step.

The sound drew closer.

Finally, beneath the faint moonlight, a man emerged—his eyes bound in black cloth.

He leaned on a blood-smeared scabbard like a cane. Blood flecked his face as well.

Whatever he was, he did not look safe. He looked more terrifying than the beast itself.

The man gasped.

“Hmm?”

The blind figure tilted his head, then grinned.

A smile that froze the blood.

“……!”

The villager’s legs gave out and he collapsed.

Warm liquid spread beneath him, staining the ground.

I had cloaked myself in Floating Step’s winds, sprinting in the direction Shushruta pointed.

There, I found a dog-shaped magical beast lunging for two humans.

For lack of a better option, I threw a stone infused with inner power to turn its attention.

Enraged, it came charging at me. I let it—then beat it senseless with my scabbard.

“……”

[…]

The Heavenly Demon and I stared down at the bloodied corpse in silence.

[This… is a magical beast?] he said, voice flat.

I scratched my head.

“Well, technically, yes…”

He clicked his tongue.

[Tsk. Pathetic. No different from a wild animal.]

I found myself defending it—defending a beast. Never thought that day would come.

“Master, this was just a D-rank. A weak one.”

But the Heavenly Demon only shook his head.

[Disappointing, disciple. Truly disappointing. And these are what you called monsters?]

“No, no—you don’t understand. Back in Maia there were beasts much bigger and far more terrifying than this one.”

[Hmph. I can imagine without even seeing.]

“Master, if only you’d seen the one I killed before…”

I muttered in frustration, though even to my own ears it sounded like an excuse.

The Heavenly Demon’s tone was still dismissive.

[Pathetic.]

“No, really—”

At that moment, I heard the brush of leaves. Shushruta landed lightly beside me.

“Why do you keep muttering to yourself like that?”

Relieved to see her, I welcomed her like a soldier spotting reinforcements.

“Ah, there you are! Hey, Shushruta—tell him. Go on.”

“Tell who what?”

I pointed at the pulped corpse of the beast.

“This thing’s weak for a magical beast, right? I’m not wrong, am I?”

She examined it calmly.

“Mm… about D-rank. Dangerous for ordinary folk, yes, but among beasts it isn’t considered strong.”

“See, Master?”

[Hmph.]

Shushruta gave me an odd look.

“Why do you keep calling someone ‘Master’?”

“There’s a Master stuck in my head,” I said.

She stared at me for a moment, then sighed and shook her head.

“Oh dear… what in the world happened to you…”

She had a knack for misinterpreting things even when I told her plainly.

Just then, a voice called faintly from the distance.

―“Who… who’s there?”

Ah, right. I knew I was forgetting something.

“Oh, that’s right. Them.”

Shushruta raised her brows.

“…Weren’t you supposed to save them?”

“Of course I was.”

“……”

I tied the black cloth back over my eyes and walked toward the voice.

“Wh-who goes there!”

They demanded an answer, and I gave one.

“A wandering traveler, nothing more.”

“Ah!”

The man’s voice trembled with fear.

“Hmm?”

I tilted my head.

Thinking back, I’d probably splattered myself with blood while thrashing the beast.

Well… I could look frightening.

So I tried to put him at ease with the warmest smile I could muster.

Grin.

“……!”

He shuddered violently, then collapsed to his knees as a yellow stain spread across his trousers.

I blinked, dumbstruck.

What in the hell? Did he just piss himself?

While I was still reeling, Shushruta emerged from the dark and slipped her arm through mine.

“He’s my little brother,” she said sweetly.

“Ah.”

The man’s face eased slightly. Then, realizing what he’d done, he scrambled to cover the wetness at his crotch.

Shushruta whispered to me.

“Ashuban… why did that man wet himself?”

“I don’t know. I tried to smile warmly to reassure him, and he marked his territory instead.”

Shushruta nodded as though it made perfect sense.

“Ah. That explains it.”

“No, listen—I really did smile gently.”

“Look in a mirror sometime. You’ll see why they call you the Red Eye Devil.”

“…That’s unfair.”

The Heavenly Demon chimed in.

[Even though I don't have the most pleasant face, yours is truly excessive.]

“…That bad?”

[Be grateful you cover your eyes. If he’d seen your gaze as well, he’d have fainted dead away.]

“……”

[Learn to conceal your aura, disciple. Tame your killing intent.]

While he scolded me, I noticed a woman lying behind the man, injured and unable to rise.

She saw me and suddenly cried out, then threw herself forward, bowing with her forehead pressed to the ground.

“O-oh! Messenger of the Cold Night! We have been waiting for you!”

“…Huh?”

Shushruta and I traded baffled looks.

The woman’s name was Presila.

Supported by her still-shaken husband, she limped and led us back toward the village.

As we entered, villagers swarmed out with torches as if they had been waiting all along.

Presila lifted her voice to declare,

“These two are honored guests, sent by Ketel, the Goddess of the Cold Night!”

“Ohhh…!”

Gasps of awe spread among the villagers.

Presila continued.

“I have returned with the goddess’s oracle. She said, ‘I send one who bears my will. Welcome him with honor. Though he has lost his sight, he sees more than those with eyes. If you greet him warmly, as you would the night itself, you will be spared calamity. But if you cast him out as coldly as the night, disaster will fall upon you.’”

The villagers froze as if struck by lightning. Then tears streamed down their cheeks as they fell to their knees.

“We didn’t know!”

“Forgive us, Saint!”

“Our foolishness blinded us—we failed to recognize you!”

“Have mercy!”

I stared at them.

To my shock, they were the very same people who had driven us away only hours ago.

It felt like stumbling into a cult’s secret service.

“……”

I just gaped, too dumbfounded to respond.

Their faces twisted with despair at my silence.

“Ahh! Blind Saint!”

“Please don’t abandon us!”

“Save us! We beg you, save us!”

“Forgive our sins!”

Left alone, they would have crawled on their knees and clutched my trousers.

Clearly, they had mistaken me for someone else. After all, I was only pretending to be blind.

But blurting that out now was impossible.

After a moment’s thought, I reached a conclusion: if we were to sleep in this village tonight, I’d have to play the role of a prophet.

So I cleared my throat, straightened my posture, and intoned with grave dignity,

“Rise. You are not guilty—save that ignorance itself is your sin.”

“Ahhh…! Ketel, merciful goddess!”

“Fools, hear me. If you heed my words, disaster will pass you by. If you ignore them, divine punishment will be inescapable.”

“We believe! We believe!”

The villagers bowed as one, foreheads pressed to the earth.

“……”

Shushruta gawked at me, wide-eyed.

I only shrugged and whispered back,

“What choice do I have?”

(End of Chapter)

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