In this world, the Saintess holds an incredibly important position.
Even if her stats are lacking, her mere presence can harm monsters and demons purely through compatibility.
In fact, without the Saintess in the later parts of the story, the number of enemies that appear nearly quadruples.
If that happens, no matter how much the protagonist powers up, collateral damage occurs in areas they can’t reach, and the difficulty level skyrockets.
Lilith might seem easygoing and playful because we constantly joke around with her, but the truth is, she’s someone who wouldn’t seem out of place being revered.
To be blunt, depending on the situation, the Saintess might even be treated with greater regard than Princess Seria.
Because of this, it wasn’t strange that people would flock to Lilith. Even popular idols have obsessive fans; would anyone leave someone personally chosen by the gods alone?
“Every time I go out, it’s like this. Honestly, the academy is more comfortable,” Lilith said casually, as if she’d grown accustomed to such situations.
However, she didn’t particularly enjoy the attention from strangers. Though she acted indifferent, she was probably uncomfortable deep down. That’s likely why she said the academy felt more comfortable.
But… ‘The academy won’t stay comfortable for long.’
I wondered if she realized it yet—that more and more people at the academy were beginning to revere her as the Saintess.
It wouldn’t be long before a religious group formed, holding prayer meetings every morning and evening.
Soon, even the cafeteria would echo with prayers dedicated to her during meal times.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing.”
I had unintentionally given Lilith a look of pity.
Hang in there, Lilith. If it gets tough, come find me anytime. Seria and I will tease you together to cheer you up.
Anyway, even if she had grown used to being followed, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t find it unpleasant.
Seria seemed bothered by the person tailing us as well, but as a princess, she couldn’t just confront someone in the middle of the street. Instead, she looked at me expectantly.
Of course. In this situation, using the commoner as a shield makes sense.
The princess and the Saintess both gazed at me with hopeful eyes. The pressure was immense, and I couldn’t say no.
“Sigh. Fine. So who’s the one following us?”
Deciding to take action, I figured it was better than having them trail us all the way to our meal and ruin my appetite.
“That person over there,” Seria pointed out.
“What, are you really going to handle this? You don’t have to go that far,” Lilith said.
Ignoring her, I turned to see who Seria was pointing at.
The person she indicated was a man in a worn leather hood.
His thin arms and legs made his frail physique obvious. He wasn’t exactly a beggar, but he was close—so thin and gaunt that his clothing had patches of wear and tear.
Somehow, his appearance felt oddly fitting for someone stalking the Saintess. After all, desperation tends to grow in proportion to deprivation.
Judging by the size difference, I figured I could resolve this with just a few words and approached without much thought.
The man subtly backed away, but I followed until we reached an almost deserted alley.
It seemed he didn’t want to cause a scene in public either.
Once we were face-to-face in the alley, the man pulled back his hood, revealing his face.
And… it was a face I knew all too well.
“What the—this guy?”
The name came to me instantly: Fanatic Zealot.
He wasn’t a major character, so his name didn’t matter much. He was essentially one of the combat units who follows Lilith’s orders during her big moments in the late story.
His defining trait? Above all else, he prioritized the Saintess’s existence and viewed every other person in the world as mere accessories under her dominion. In short, he was a total lunatic.
Of course, it’s not unusual for ordinary people to follow the Saintess, but it made perfect sense for someone like him, a fanatic, to stick to her like glue.
I hadn’t expected to encounter him so early—he wasn’t mentioned until much later in the game. Maybe he’d been secretly following her all along.
‘Well… what do I do about this?’
In the later stages of the story, the fact that he appears as a combat unit means he’s extremely powerful.
A size difference? Resolving it by just talking?
Not a chance. Even though it’s unclear how strong he is at this point, he could probably decimate this entire area if he wanted.
Why someone that strong is stalking the Saintess in such a shabby state is beyond me, but trying to understand the actions of a fanatic would be foolish. Better to just move on.
At any rate, this guy is easily the most unhinged among the powerful characters I know. Being a true fanatic, he prioritizes the Saintess above all else.
Unlike other zealots who might retreat when their own lives are at stake, this guy follows the Saintess’s orders to his dying breath. If the Saintess randomly punched a passerby, he’d join in, yelling, “How dare you dirty the Saintess’s hand!”
“Ah, you were with the Saintess earlier. What brings you to me?”
This was why he carried himself with such confidence, even now while caught stalking.
His demeanor made it clear that he thought watching over the Saintess was entirely justified and posed no issue.
Well… it’s not likely to be an issue. He doesn’t seem to mean any harm. If anything, he’d probably step in to help if someone tried to harm her.
Still, I couldn’t just leave him alone. His harmlessness was limited to interactions involving Lilith.
Fanatics are endlessly forgiving to themselves and what they believe in but harshly judgmental of everything else.
If provoked, who knows what he might do? Even left unchecked, he might cause trouble.
He’s basically a ticking time bomb, and there’s no way I could ignore him.
‘Damn it, what do I do with him…?’
The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt. Asking him to leave wouldn’t work, and trying to set up some elaborate ruse felt like too much effort.
Seria and Lilith were watching me from behind, so should I just tell them he’s a fanatic and spill everything?
As my thoughts veered toward giving up, an idea popped into my head—a rather brilliant one.
“Lu. Lafifi. Niesain. Napia. Harneemia. Perugina. Lilith.”
“…How do you know that!”
I had just recited the names of past Saintesses in succession.
Some of those names were impossible to know through normal means. As I nonchalantly spoke them aloud, the zealot’s wary gaze softened into one of admiration. He cautiously asked:
“Could it be… that you share my faith?”
“If the pendant you’re wearing is genuine, then yes.”
The pendant around his neck was the symbol of his cult. This was my plan: pretend to be one of them.
“To think I’d meet a comrade in a place like this! What a joyous occasion. My name is Fanatic Zealot. Just call me Fanatic.”
“A pleasure, Fanatic. I’m Rudion. I have no family name, as I am a commoner.”
“Faith transcends status,” he said, shaking my hand like a proper gentleman.
This cult operated in fragmented cells, with no real means of exchanging information, so earning his trust was surprisingly easy. Mimicking the speech patterns of a devout follower only made it smoother.
In the end, his suspicion disappeared completely, though he still seemed a little curious.
“But how is it that you’re traveling with the Saintess?”
It was a reasonable question from his perspective—why a fellow believer would be casually walking beside the Saintess.
There was no need to lie. I simply told the truth, laced with the tone of a devout follower.
“Ah, by the grace of the academy, we’ve become classmates.”
“Then those lighthearted remarks directed at the Saintess earlier…”
“Of course, they were all an act. It wouldn’t do to make the Saintess feel burdened.”
“Haha! I see now. I almost mistook you for a blasphemer.”
He laughed heartily, though the implications of his words were chilling. For fanatics like him, those labeled as blasphemers usually faced fates starting with abduction and imprisonment and ending with torture and death.
“I should’ve thought more deeply. My view was too narrow.”
“No, I’d have misunderstood as well.”
Though things seemed to have gone smoothly, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
What happens if he finds out I’m lying?
Well, whatever it is, it’ll be bad. But it’s not like we’re going to meet often enough for him to figure it out, right? If it ever comes up, I’ll deal with it then.
‘That should be enough for now.’
Having seemingly gained his trust, it was time to wrap things up.
“But surely you have other important matters to attend to?”
“How could you possibly know…?”
His reaction showed genuine surprise. How did I know? Because fanatics always act with a purpose tied to their faith. It’s just how they operate.
“Let’s just say I have my ways.”
“You’re a man of many secrets.”
The vagueness of my answer worked in my favor.
At this point, I carefully suggested he leave.
“Don’t worry and see to your duties. I’ll protect the Saintess no matter what.”
“Hmm. Is that so? But you’re still an academy student…”
As expected, it wasn’t going to be that simple. Confident in his own abilities, he likely wanted to personally ensure the Saintess’s safety.
“Then how about a test?”
Reluctantly, I drew my sword. No matter how strong he was, I had the advantage outside of a battlefield.
‘Time for you to experience the joy of a perfect parry.’