Chapter 16: A Clash of Saintesses

Confrontation at the Shrine

“You’re Saintess Isidora, right?”

Erdike’s voice made me flinch.

Her anger, sharp as a honed blade, spilled over without restraint.

The suffocating pressure forced me to lower my head instinctively.

What grudge does she have against me?

I felt like a frog before a snake.

Struggling to speak without being crushed by her fury, I barely lifted my head.

“…Yes, that’s me. Isidora of the Pantheon. You’re Saintess Erdike… right?”
‘Don’t freeze, don’t freeze, don’t freeze.’

“My, you even know my name. I’m deeply honored.”

‘That face doesn’t look honored at all.’

Erdike stepped closer abruptly.

Before I could back away, she grabbed my shoulders with both hands.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m in trouble…!

“…?”

She held my shoulders, slowly kneading them.

Given the rage radiating from her, this was absurd.

With a face like she was about to slap someone in a melodrama, all she did was massage my shoulders?

“I’m, as you know, a saintess serving the God of Jealousy.”

Her sudden self-introduction.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Too scared to interrupt, I listened silently.

“You, Saintess Isidora, serve the same God of Jealousy, so you must know. The Temple of Jealousy only selects three saintesses: Regret, Despair, and Obsession.”

“Yes… I’m the Saintess of Regret.”
‘I regret coming here!’

“I know. That much is shared even at headquarters. For reference, I’m the Saintess of Obsession.”

I knew that.

That’s why she seemed so fixated on Orphe in the novel.

“A hero and a saintess from a rural kingdom village, childhood friends no less. Quite a charming story, isn’t it?”

Talking about Orphe?

But I haven’t done anything with him!

My thoughts were cut off.

Her grip on my shoulders tightened painfully.

“Urgh…!”
‘Let go, let go! Fck, owww!’

“But I heard strange rumors in a nearby gate city… That the saintess of the eight gods followed the hero? Ridiculous tales.”

Fck.

I was heading to the merchant guild!

Orphe’s the one who latched onto me—what am I supposed to do?

But I couldn’t say that.

I was too busy enduring her shoulder-crushing torture.

“Still, suspecting someone blindly isn’t a proper saintess’s attitude. So I’m giving you a chance.”

A chance?

To die painlessly?

“Saintess, Saintess. Oh, did I grip too hard?”

As she spoke, the pressure on my shoulders eased slightly.

I’d been wincing so much that tears welled in my eyes.

This crazed filly—not a unicorn.

Making a man’s eyes water…!

“I’ll ask a few simple questions. Just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ got it?”

“Sure… urgh!”
‘Let go, fck!’

“You still don’t get it… Just ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Why are other words coming out?”

This fcking psychopath.

Even your boyfriend Orphe doesn’t pull this crap!

Still gripping my shoulders, Erdike began her questions.

“First, did Saintess Isidora stay in the same lodging as Hero Orphe?”

I did… I did, but…!

If I say it, I’m dead!!

Please, curse, save me just this once.

If I live, you get offerings, right?

“Yes.”
‘It’s like this—actually, I was going to the guild, but Orphe got into a pissing match with the prince…’

“Second.”

Fcking useless curse, you piece of sht!

Want me to clean up a corpse?

Can’t you see her eyes are crazed?!

“Did Saintess Isidora share a room with Hero Orphe?”

I did…!

But it’s not like we slept in the same bed!

I begged the curse for help.

Huff.

I exhaled heavily and answered.

“Yes.”
‘Listen, it wasn’t my choice; those gods up there are obsessed with shipping us…’

Slap!

As I answered, Erdike’s right hand, gripping my left shoulder, struck my cheek mercilessly.

Caught off guard, I flew back and collapsed near the shrine.

Fck, did she just hit me?

Not even my dad hit me…!

My cheek, touched by my left hand, was burning red.

Tears from her earlier torture rolled down, as if to cool it.

“What are you doing…!”
‘HEEEEY! That’s too much!’

Gritting my teeth, I glared at Erdike, not wiping my tears.

But she wasn’t even looking at me, head bowed, hands covering her face.

Like the statue of the God of Jealousy.

“I loved him since we were kids. We swore to be together forever on that plain, watched the night sky hundreds of times, shared meals, played together, splashed in the creek during summer, dozed by the hearth under a blanket in winter, spent sad days apart because of our fates…”

Fck, she’s unhinged.

I backed away slowly.

“That promise to marry when we became adults still burns in my memories. We overcame our fates to meet here at the academy, ready to share passionate love, but this harlot!”

Harlot?

She’s talking about me?

Her gaze says it’s me.

What did I do?

If anything, I kept my distance!

“Sleeping under the same roof as a man you just met isn’t enough—you shared a room? I haven’t even done that since becoming an adult! You vixen! Even tearing you apart wouldn’t satisfy me, God of Jealousy!”

Oh, fck.

It’s her power.

Unlike me, ordinary saints and saintesses can summon it freely.

Unlike my gacha process, hers comes instantly.

[The God of Jealousy says it’s never boring.]

Fck you, enjoy it all you want.

No offerings for you anymore.

Go beg her or the others.

See if they listen.

Erdike was already muttering.

I dropped to my knees, clasping my hands.

“I beseech you, descend from your radiant throne to the lowliest place, and have pity on your servant.”
‘Recruiting someone to kill this btch, first come, first served!’

“You who gained all and lost all, your servant has witnessed a sheep straying.”

“Have mercy on your pitiful servant and set all things right.”
‘Come, and it’s a go!’

“This is the portrait of a fool. Grant me a chance to guide them rightly.”

A gray halo glowed behind Erdike’s head.

Clearly the God of Jealousy’s.

“Mark of Discipline!”

Her cry tightened my chest.

Blood tears streamed from her red eyes.

A hallmark of the God of Jealousy’s power.

Only that god has this feature.

Not the time for that—I need help now!

“Dieeee!”

Hurry!

Come on!

[The God of War answers your call.]

Okay, we’re at least halfway there!

If I pull a good gacha…

[The God of War grants you the power of Cola.]

…Cola?

What’s that?

Suddenly, Erdike swung a whip at me.

Whoosh!

Fck, barely dodged.

“You vixen, stay still!”

Fck, I’m the one wronged here!

She readied another swing.

No choice—Cola or whatever, I’ll use it!

“Cola!”

A small object fell slowly from the air, glowing.

Its metallic shell gleamed.

Water droplets condensed around it, suggesting it was cold.

I knew it instantly.

A cola can?

A fcking blue one?

God of War, you bastard!

If you’re from an apocalypse story, you know red’s the standard!

What do I do with this?!

[The God of War says a clever saintess like you will figure it out.]

That jerk’s still salty about my Napoleon jab?

Your saintess is dying, and you’re playing games?!

“DIIIIIEEEE, YOU HARLOT!”

No choice.

Gotta use it.

I threw the cola can at Erdike with all my strength.

She swung her whip at it instead of me.

“Kyaaa! What’s this sticky, stinging liquid? You used alchemy too?!”

Look at her, wasting it on her skin instead of drinking it.

It’ll be hella sticky if she doesn’t wash.

Erdike, thinking I used some weird potion, frantically wiped her face with her clothes.

See? I handled it, just like you said.

[The God of War is disappointed.]

What the hell, this guy!

Rigged the gacha or what?

Why’s he acting like that?

“You let your guard down… Of course, you’re an adult too, aren’t you?”

‘I’m not a harlot…!’

My thoughts stopped.

Erdike closed the distance and tackled me, knocking me down.

She mounted me, straddling my waist.

“I don’t know about your Pantheon, but at the Temple of Jealousy, we have set duties.”

Her words paused—tracking, surveillance, investigation.

I barely lifted my head while lying down.

She was smiling.

Blood tears still streamed from her eyes, clashing with the park’s serene atmosphere.

“And disposal. In remote areas with weak law enforcement, we handle public order too.”

Given Erdike’s skill, she’s done this before.

I only got a break earlier because of the unfamiliar cola can.

Without it, I’m utterly powerless.

“And I was the undisputed top in criminal arrests.”

Though warnings for excessive force made it meaningless, she laughed.

Her right hand clenched into a fist, raised high.

“Just one more hit. That’ll make me feel better.”

F*ck, am I your punching bag?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Whoosh!

The sound of air being sliced.

I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead…

“…?”

No impact or pain came.

“Found you.”

“…Orphe!”

Orphe was behind, holding Erdike’s fist, stopping it from striking my face.