The bell rang loud enough to echo across the entire village.
Its sharp metallic cries reverberated through the air again and again, carrying a sense of urgency that instantly froze everyone in place.
Luka and the others stopped what they were doing, while even Raphiel turned her attention toward the ominous sound.
“Eight-dono!! What’s the meaning of this bell!?”
After breakfast, Grana had apparently shut herself away in her room saying she had “something she wanted to do,” but now she came rushing out clad in gleaming, freshly polished armor.
…Come to think of it, maybe the thing she wanted to do had been maintaining her armor.
No, this wasn’t the time to think about that.
“It’s the signal that danger is approaching the village. I’m going to check what’s happening.”
“Then I shall come as well. As a Holy Knight, I can’t overlook civilians in danger.”
“That’d be a huge help. Luka, Nor, Rio—you three absolutely stay inside my house, okay? It’s safe here.”
“Y-Yeah… You be careful too, Eight-niichan.”
I grabbed the weapons we kept for emergencies and sprinted together with Grana toward the watchtower standing in the center of the village.
“Tetsu-san!!”
“Hm? Ooh, Eight!! Glad you came!!”
Standing atop the watchtower with a grim expression was a middle-aged hunter named Tetsu.
He was the best marksman in Papel Village, capable of hitting almost any target within a hundred meters with near-perfect accuracy. Out of everyone in the village, his eyesight was unquestionably the sharpest.
Normally, he spent his time lazily drinking alcohol atop the tower while slacking off.
But right now—
His face was tense.
“A whole swarm of goblins came pouring outta the southern forest!! All the men in the village are heading out to intercept them!! Get the womenfolk evacuated to your house!!”
“Got it!!”
“And that thing too!! Lend me that thing!!”
“Huh? Which thing!?”
“That thing that shoots iron balls!!”
Realizing what he meant, I immediately tossed one of the weapons I’d brought up toward him atop the tower.
“You gotta call it a slingshot or I won’t know what you mean!!”
“Yeah yeah, that’s the one!! I’m borrowin’ it!!”
“Just don’t accidentally hit any people!!”
“Who d’ya think you’re talking to!?”
Since arriving in this world, the village had suffered monster attacks several times already.
Back then, while searching online shopping sites for some kind of weapon I could use for self-defense, I’d stumbled upon the slingshot.
Or rather, a high-powered hunting slingshot.
I figured it would be easier for an amateur like me to use than bows or firearms.
Well… unfortunately, my aim was awful, so unless I got ridiculously close, I could barely hit anything.
But Tetsu could land shots near the weapon’s maximum range without issue, so I lent it to him during emergencies.
“Let us head south as well!!”
“Right!!”
As we ran toward the southern edge of the village, we could already see them.
Dozens of goblins were marching out from the forest in a grotesque horde.
The younger men of the village were hiding behind buildings and fences with sickles and hoes in hand, apparently intending to ambush them.
“I’ve come as well.”
“Eh?”
“Raphiel-sama!?”
For some reason, Raphiel had appeared there too.
Wait, hold on—
No matter how you looked at it, wasn’t it incredibly dangerous for a Saintess to be standing on the front lines!?
“It’s dangerous here, so please head back to my hou—”
“From what I can see, several goblins are armed with bows and clubs. Even if you launch a surprise attack, their numbers are still superior. There will undoubtedly be many injured on your side.”
“That… is probably true.”
“Furthermore, I possess miracles capable of healing wounds and enhancing physical abilities. Rather than waiting idly in safety, supporting everyone from the battlefield itself will significantly increase your chances of victory.”
As she said this, Raphiel quietly closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.
Then she began chanting a spell.
No—
It sounded more like a sacred hymn.
“—Sacred Aura.”
The effect was instantaneous.
A brilliant light burst from Raphiel’s body, showering over every villager present—including me.
And in the very next moment—
My body suddenly felt unbelievably light.
“W-What’s this!? My body feels lighter… no, way too light!?”
“I have increased everyone’s physical abilities here by fifty percent.”
“Fifty percent!?”
“If I truly tried, I could double them entirely. However, strengthening the body to that extent requires prior acclimation.”
At that moment, I truly understood just how terrifyingly incredible a Saintess really was.
“…Raphiel-san, you’re actually insanely amazing. I honestly thought you were just a glutton…”
“I’m not a glutton. I’m a gourmet. If anyone is injured, I shall heal them immediately, so fight without fear.”
Amazing.
When I first heard dozens of goblins were approaching, I’d panicked.
But with this…
We might actually win.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
“Everyone, fear not!! We possess the blessing of the Saintess-sama!! Defeat is impossible for us!!”
“““OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!”””
“We shall make those goblins regret ever daring to attack our village!!”
“““OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”””
The village chief raised a sickle high overhead while rallying the villagers.
But he didn’t stop at merely encouraging them.
“With the Saintess-sama’s blessing upon us, stealth is no longer necessary!! ALL FORCES, CHAAAARGE!!”
“““OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!”””
“Wha—!?”
Leading from the front, the village chief charged directly toward the goblin horde.
“Should we charge as well?”
“…No, honestly, I think they’ve got this covered.”
The villagers’ fighting spirit was absolutely terrifying.
“You bastards wreck our fields every damn year!! I’ll kill every last one of ya!!”
“HYAAAHAAA!! PURGE THE FILTH!!”
“Taste my brand-new sickle!!”
“LONG LIVE THE SAINTESS!! LONG LIVE THE SAINTESS!!”
“ERADICATE THE GOBLINS TO EXTINCTIONNNNNNNN!!”
For a small village, goblins were natural enemies.
They stole crops from the fields—the village’s precious source of income.
And in worse cases, they abducted women and children, violated them, then devoured them afterward.
Nothing like that had happened since I arrived here, but apparently Papel Village itself had suffered such tragedies in the past.
No wonder the villagers were overflowing with murderous intent.
“—Ex Heal.”
As Raphiel cast another miracle, injured villagers recovered instantly.
The villagers transformed into what looked like an immortal army and utterly overwhelmed the goblins.
“Magic really is amazing.”
“This isn’t magic. It’s a miracle.”
“…What’s the difference?”
“Magic is the art of producing supernatural phenomena through the manipulation of magical energy—Od—within the human body. Miracles, on the other hand, are phenomena produced by interfering with the mana present in the atmosphere through prayer.”
“I… see?”
I didn’t fully understand it, but apparently miracles and magic were fundamentally different things.
“Gyagya!!”
“Hm?—Ah, watch out!!”
It was pure coincidence that I noticed it.
One goblin armed with a bow had either intentionally aimed at Raphiel—
Or perhaps simply fired by chance.
Either way, a single arrow came flying directly toward her.
Instinctively, I threw myself in front of Raphiel and tackled her to the ground protectively.
“Hmph!!”
But before the arrow could reach us, Grana casually knocked it aside with her greatsword.
Ooh, as expected of a Holy Knight!!
“…Eight.”
“Ah, s-sorry. A goblin arrow was heading for you…”
“No, I understand that much. However… your hand…”
“Hand?”
I glanced downward—
And instantly froze.
My hand was firmly squeezing Raphiel’s ample chest.
A cold sweat exploded across my entire body.
I needed to let go immediately.
My brain understood that perfectly.
But perhaps because I was half-panicking, my fingers instead unconsciously pressed against the soft sensation as though confirming it.
Even through her clothes, the softness was unbelievable.
Like marshmallows.
“Nh… Eight…”
“AH!! S-S-S-SORRY!! PLEASE SPARE MY LIFE!!”
I instantly released her chest and dropped into a full dogeza apology.
Seriously, this wasn’t funny.
I’d just groped the chest of someone with immense political and religious authority.
If Raphiel decided to report this properly somewhere, execution would probably be guaranteed.
However, Raphiel merely turned her face away from me and quietly muttered:
“…Today, I want meat.”
“…Huh?”
“If you prepare a delicious meat dish for me, I shall forgive you.”
“Y-Yes!! I-I’ll put my heart and soul into cooking it!!”
…Did she really forgive me?
“Eight-dono? Why are you suddenly kneeling before Raphiel-sama?”
“G-Grana-san… this is, um…”
“Eight merely apologized for knocking me over while protecting me from a goblin’s arrow.”
“I see.”
Grana nodded in understanding.
Then she tilted her head while peering closely at Raphiel’s face.
“Raphiel-sama, your face seems unusually red…”
“You’re imagining things.”
“No, it’s clearly bright red. Could it be you’re coming down with a fever—”
“It’s absolutely your imagination.”
S-She was definitely angry after all!?
No matter what, I absolutely had to make the most delicious meat dish possible and earn her forgiveness properly!!
While I stood there drenched in nervous sweat—
The villagers, now transformed into what looked like survivors from some post-apocalyptic wasteland, completely annihilated the goblin forces.
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