It turns out the legend about the Saint needing to remain "pure" wasn’t just a superstition. With the Saint’s purity taken, she could no longer oppose the demons.
An air of despair hung in the room, but Philip was the only one who resumed praying.
“That’s a lie! The demon is lying! Don’t let it deceive you!” Edward shouted, desperate.
But the demon—or rather, the possessed soldier—laughed mockingly.
“Ha ha ha! You seemed to enjoy yourself plenty, didn’t you, Prince? Why not admit it—you’ve defiled the Saint’s purity!”
“I didn’t! I didn’t do anything!”
“Excuse me,” I interjected calmly, cutting through Edward’s pathetic screams.
The demon turned its attention to me as I spoke.
“You seem to know a great deal. If what you say is true, how exactly do you know all this?”
“Hmph. You’re sharp. You’ve already realized it, haven’t you?”
“Were you controlling the Saint?”
The demon roared with laughter.
“Controlling? No, I simply whispered to her: ‘Follow your desires.’ Humans are such foolish creatures, so fragile and easily swayed by their desires!”
“And one more thing. Why have I been unable to meet the King and Queen? Did you do something to them as well?”
“Just as with the Saint, I whispered to them. I told them their own son had rendered the only weapon against us demons—the Saint—utterly useless.”
A chill ran down my spine. I immediately turned to the nearest priest.
“Please, confirm the King and Queen’s safety right away!”
The priest, evidently thinking the same, promptly sent soldiers to investigate.
Hopefully, they haven’t fled or harmed themselves. Someone has to take responsibility for this mess, and I refuse to shoulder the burden.
The demon watched this unfold and laughed again.
“The Saints of previous generations had not a single chink in their armor for us demons to exploit. But this one? God certainly made a foolish choice this time!”
Those words struck a nerve.
Before I realized it, I was already moving.
I grabbed a large cross from a nearby priest and dipped it in holy water. Then, without hesitation, I approached the demon and struck it across the face.
“ARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!”
The demon—no, the possessed soldier—screamed in agony, its cheek burning where the cross had struck.
It worked! Thank you, past me, for watching all those exorcist movies! And thank you, priest from my previous life, for entertaining my dumb questions!
“I’ve just realized I’ve been entrusted with a very important mission.
Thank you, demon. By the way, not having a name must be quite inconvenient. Tell me your name.”
“Y-you insolent wretch!”
The demon lunged at me in anger, but I doused it with more holy water. It screamed and writhed in pain.
A nearby priest moved to shield me, but I stopped him with a gesture.
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