Chapter 21: The Selfless Saintess

Fula’s sudden, loud objection instantly drew the gazes of everyone in the room. Several pairs of eyes landed on her in unison.

Being stared at by so many people all of a sudden, Fula instinctively shrank back, taking a step backward.

But in the end, she clenched her fists and took a tiny half-step forward.

“What I mean is… how can something like this be done by the Saintess? The Saintess is such a sacred and flawless person. How could she be tainted by this sort of thing?”

Her voice was hesitant and halting at first, but it grew firmer as she spoke.

“Please, let me be the one to do this!”

“After all, I’ve been Anlis’s playmate since we were little. First, I have the best relationship with Anlis and am her closest confidant who understands her the most. Second, everyone knows me well, so there’s no need to worry about any… accidents.”

“For the sake of a friend, I should naturally step forward to make the sacrifice.”

“So, so please, let me bear this hardship.”

“This… Fula, you child…”

Lisina looked at the young girl, her eyes filled with heartache.

Fula, just like Anlis, was a child she had watched grow up. Their families lived close by and had always been close. Now, this child was willing to sacrifice her own purity for her daughter’s sake.

A girl’s purity was very important. Even with someone of the same sex, it would ultimately leave a stain.

In the future, if she were to marry, it would inevitably invite gossip.

But…

“Alright… alright then, Fula. I’ll have to trouble you.”

After hesitating for a long time, Lisina ultimately compromised.

They really couldn’t force the Saintess to do it personally.

If they waited for Anlis to regain consciousness… Actually, as long as everyone kept their mouths shut and treated this as a secret buried deep in their hearts, perhaps it wouldn’t affect Fula’s future.

The two Bishops did not voice any objections. Insisting now would carry the implication of forcing the Saintess.

“Huh? Fula?”

Hearing the conversation, Vylian, who was being tightly embraced by Anlis and had been busy fending her off, finally shifted her attention to Fula.

Vylian’s focus had been on dealing with Anlis’s assault, so she hadn’t considered the identity of this suddenly appearing young girl.

Anlis’s best friend since childhood?

Wasn’t this Anlis’s first harem member from the original story’s plot!

And now she was actively volunteering to share a bed with Anlis?

Vylian didn’t know if this was something the other party had planned for a long time or if it was the plot’s correction force at work.

But as the Demon King, the Hero’s sworn enemy, who was determined to destroy the Hero’s harem and interrupt the Hero’s growth…

How could she just sit back and watch this happen right under her nose?

“Wait!”

Fula, having just received permission, showed a flicker of joy on her face and was about to walk towards Vylian when she was sharply halted by Vylian’s shout.

Her steps faltered, and she looked at Vylian with confusion and bewilderment.

“This matter… should be left to me to handle.”

“What? Saintess? How can that be!”

Fula immediately retorted.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes full of unwillingness.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Since the Hero is suffering so deeply from the curse, it is only natural that I, as the Saintess, should relieve the Hero’s distress. I cannot be too proud to lower myself.”

Vylian spoke while forcefully blocking Anlis’s squirming movements, the veins on her hands bulging from the strain.

Yet her expression was surprisingly gentle, her eyes seeming to brim with dazzling light.

“As the Saintess who will accompany the Hero on her journey in the future, if I shrink back from such a minor difficulty, wouldn’t that be too shameful?”

“If in the future the Hero encounters even more arduous hardships, and I still choose to escape, throwing the difficulty onto others, what right would I have to stay by her side to defeat the Demon King?”

Under Vylian’s speech, coupled with those eyes that seemed to speak volumes, everyone present felt a tremor in their hearts, deeply moved.

“Fula, is it? You are a kind and brave girl. You have your own future ahead of you. You will have your own loved one in the future. You don’t need to sacrifice your most precious possession.”

“This kind of matter, please leave it to me, someone who has long since dedicated my body and soul to the Holy Order and to the great cause of defeating the Demon King, to bear.”

Sigh~

The Saintess truly is selfless and full of great love. With such unwavering resolve, what reason did they have to refuse?

Bolai and Lisina didn’t speak, but their expressions showed they agreed with Vylian’s words, even filled with admiration.

Truly worthy of being the Saintess.

The two Archbishops exchanged a glance, then guiltily lowered their heads.

Although their initial suggestion for the Saintess to help the Hero resolve this matter was indeed due to other, more important interests…

Vylian’s selfless words and noble character were like the blazing sun in the sky, its radiant light exposing all the dark, selfish thoughts in their hearts, leaving them ashamed and with nowhere to hide, like vampires who couldn’t stand the light, scrambling to find shelter from the sun.

“Saintess, even if… even if…”

Fula was so anxious her eyes reddened. Her lips moved. She originally wanted to say that even if she could join in too, it would be fine, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to utter such shameless words.

She could only clench her fists tightly.

Seeing the atmosphere growing tense, Archbishop Meili finally stood up and interrupted the conversation.

“Miss Fula, and everyone, please come with me. Let’s leave this place to the Saintess. Having the Saintess personally remove the curse from the Hero is the proper course of action.”

“That’s right, Fula. Don’t make a fuss anymore. We mustn’t waste any more time. If we wait any longer and the Corruption Curse leaves some irreversible side effect on the Hero, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

The Village Chief, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up at the right moment. “Everyone, please come to my house to sit for a while.”

Fula turned to look at Anlis’s parents, but they showed no intention of objecting.

Suddenly, Lisina remembered something. She hurried into the inner room and carried out Anli, who had been napping, covering her eyes.

Vylian certainly had a sense of shame. Although she had spoken so righteously just moments before, watching everyone leave the house and thoughtfully close the doors and windows for her, her face inevitably flushed.

The room fell completely silent, leaving only her and Anlis.

Vylian instinctively wanted to use magic to set up a barrier in the room, isolating it from external detection.

But she quickly realized her power was still suppressed by the sacrificial cost of the Hero’s Secret Art.

She had no choice but to give up.

So, what should she do now?

Could it be that she really had to…?

Last time, Vylian hadn’t used her hands; she had used her tail after revealing her true form.

Aside from needing both hands to restrain Anlis to prevent her from doing anything excessive, Vylian really didn’t want to actually use her hands.

But now, with two Archbishops not far away, the risk of revealing her true form was far too great. There was no other method.

“Tsk~”

“It seems… I have no choice but to use my hands?”