Chapter 46: The Saintess’s Strange Training Method Part 3

Whether they’re properly training or not, I still need to manage and supervise them.

After all, they’re still my responsibility.

I have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, where they might really die to those goblins.

‘Even if we’re undergoing essential training, don’t you think it’s a waste of time for the Saintess?’

‘Even though I may not look like it, I’m quite skilled in magic. So, that’s no issue.’

Snap!

With a flick of my fingers, a large hourglass dropped from the air.

“This is Havel’s Hourglass. In this space where you all are, this hourglass has an effect.”

“What does that mean?”

“That hourglass is set for 24 hours. Once it empties, time outside will resume.”

While 24 hours pass within this confined space, time remains frozen outside.

Of course, no one outside will have any idea of what we’ve been doing.

“So, in other words, it’s time magic?”

“It’s a time magic left behind by the ancient mage Havel.”

Although it continually consumes mana, my body can handle it.

That’s also one reason why I can’t leave this place.

Compared to Noah’s body, mine still has many variables when it comes to using magic excessively.

So, I need to handle magic as stably as possible.

“Saintess, you’re amazing! It’s like—”

“Yes, I am.”

“A magical saintess! I want to use magic too!”

‘Must they be so determined to prove a point?’

“I don’t expect you to become a great mage, but you could at least aim to resemble Noah a bit.”

Carefully, I flipped the hourglass over.

The fine, purple sand within began to flow from the top to the bottom.

“You seem destined to wield a mace for life.”

“Indeed. I’ll make sure you gain fame wielding that mace for the rest of your days.”

***

Ashtar

Duke Ashtar received frequent reports about Olivia from his wife, Katarina.

At first glance, it might seem like mere business, but Olivia’s recent actions were also significant for their family.

“Hm. Olivia’s behavior does seem peculiar.”

“Recently, her actions had become too dangerous.”

“Wasn’t she openly raising private soldiers within the church?”

“Even if it’s a rootless goddess cult of the Empire, it’s still a church that venerates a goddess.”

“How could she think of training nuns before the goddess statue?”

“Is there really a need to train nuns in the first place?”

“If she wanted to build her own forces, there’s no need to rush this much.”

“Above all, I have no idea what Olivia’s capabilities truly are.”

[Yes. It appears she has also acquired considerable knowledge of magic while we were unaware.]

Katarina’s voice came through the communication device.

“Summoning birds wasn’t a simple feat either.”

“She summoned hundreds of them at once.”

“Moreover, that spell continually drained mana.”

“She’s too talented to be wasted merely as a saintess.”

[It seems that aside from magic, she has also learned a few tricks based on mana.]

In Katarina’s view, Olivia was undeniably gifted.

It was excessive, particularly her ability to use magic to compensate for her weaknesses.

“Well, if that’s a skill, then it’s still a skill. Is it certain that the mother and daughter, Lily and her mother, are succubuss?”

[Yes.]

“Goodness, what foolish women they were. Lily, especially.”

“Surviving the Flanon River wasn’t enough for her; she even sought out her mother to transform her into a succubus as well.”

“The newspapers exaggerated the story of Lily and her mother to garner sympathy for Ashtar.”

“From the beginning, it was Lily who deceived Ashtar, deliberately approaching him as a courtesan.”

[Bringing that mother and daughter here has only stirred chaos within the Empire, hasn’t it?]

Katarina voiced her discontent as well.

Although her daughter had achieved considerable influence, this affected only the noble society.

For the Empire as a whole, it could lead to internal disorder.

Though the imperial advancement of provincial nobles helped to some extent, the reactions of neighboring countries were uncertain.

“Still, thanks to that, the nobles were thinned out. You must understand that His Majesty mobilized the handmaidens.”

[Ten nobles died in a single night.]

“It was something I learned recently.”

“The nobles who slapped and defied the Emperor were all killed overnight.”

“In the end, the rotten landscape of the central nobility was changed, thanks to Lily and Olivia. For now, let Olivia do as she pleases.”

[If things continue like this, there won’t be anyone left to watch her.]

“The sparrows within the church were all birds planted by the assassins’ guild.”

“They were monitoring any suspicious movements within the church, especially since his daughter was involved.”

“A few birds are no big deal. More importantly, how is His Majesty?”

Currently, I have only one question regarding the Emperor.

[Are you referring to the successor?]

“Since things have turned out this way, there can’t be any alliance with Aslan. Olivia also declined, and now that she’s the Saintess, shouldn’t it be the time for the Imperial Princess to ascend?”

Ultimately, the next successor might be the Imperial Princess.

If that happens, it’s a given she’ll become the Crown Princess.

[Unlike Aslan, she’s a wastrel who resembles His Majesty.]

“Regardless, power comes from the council, so whether she’s a wastrel or not, it won’t matter as long as she doesn’t disrupt the Empire’s political scene.”

The Imperial Princess may be as reckless as the Emperor, but power originates from the council.

Many of the capital’s defense force officers are from Ashtar.

No matter what the Imperial Princess does, it can be controlled.

However, Katarina’s thoughts differed.

“The relationship between the Imperial family and Ashtar boasts a long history.”

“Although it wasn’t a consistent marriage bond through the generations, with Olivia’s broken engagement and the Lily incident occurring consecutively, no one could predict the future of Ashtar’s relationship with the Imperial family.”

[Then, how about pursuing a marriage between Rokton and the Imperial Princess?]

“Rokton and the Princess weren’t far apart in age, and they were already acquainted, so it should be feasible.”

“Now’s the time for caution. His Majesty is unpredictable. Attempting such a move might lead to death. For now, Olivia remains as the Saintess, and Rokton is managing his role as the next family head well. So, for now, keep an eye on Olivia.”

[Understood.]

“The capital is as treacherous as thin ice.”

“So far, Olivia has been doing well, but what happens if her attempt to take over the church fails?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to start preparing for the next step.”

“If anything happens, I’ll bring her to the estate. The capital is an unavoidable gateway to blend into noble society, but wouldn’t Ashtar be a better educational institution?”

“Without passing through Atlerina, nobles find it difficult to assimilate into noble society.”

“Now that Olivia has become a saintess, her position among the nobility has been sorted through this incident.”

“Prioritizing commoners has damaged her relationship with central nobles beyond repair.”

“According to the report, Atlerina’s education had practically no meaning for Olivia at this point.”

“It might be better to let her graduate early and send her to the Ashtar Knights or the Magic Tower.”

[Although she’s highly capable, she seems to resemble me. I believe assigning her to oversee the Assassins’ Guild might be the best course of action.]

Katarina’s words made sense.

Watching Olivia, who was ruthlessly training the nuns through enchanted birds, gave Katarina a certain confidence.

However, this wasn’t a decision to be made hastily.

Handing over the Assassins’ Guild meant entrusting her with control over the Empire’s shadow operations.

For now, restraint was needed.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Duke Ashtar muttered as he turned his gaze to the window.

The communication device naturally disconnected.

There was no need to rush right now.

With central nobles collapsing, Ashtar had to focus on maintaining the status quo.

***

When Havel’s hourglass had emptied approximately one-sixth of its sand, the goblin was defeated.

“Huff… huff… I… finally did it.”

“Hm. Not bad. Goblins are meant to be on par with an average adult male adventurer. Well, physically at least. You fought quite well.”

“It was remarkable progress.”

“It took roughly four hours.”

Girls who previously couldn’t do much managed to fight and defeat a goblin.

To be honest, those goblins are no ordinary creatures.

Their resilience rivals that of the undead.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to withstand as much as they did, being designed as ideal opponents for adult adventurers.

“Oh, then… does that mean it’s time for a rest now?”

“Rest? Only after 24 hours.”

That’s why the hourglass is set for 24 hours.

“Ah.”

‘Why the surprise?’

The cult leader could arrive at any time.

‘I didn’t have the leisure to create a lenient curriculum for them, but isn’t this just the basics?’

“Next up, you’ll face a goblin wielding a club.”

“W-Wait a minute. Isn’t this dangerous for us?”

“Right! We’re already exhausted…”

“Come on now. I’m not that much of a demon.”

“I can at least provide some healing.”

“Heal.”

The light of healing emanated from my hand, instantly restoring the three of them.

“Huh?”

“Now, go fight.”

I don’t want to push them this hard either.

But I have no choice.

This kind of thing needs to be done once they’ve gained momentum.

When pushed to the limit, even the royal army eventually began to take down demonic creatures with a smile.

So there’s no reason imperial women can’t do it too.

With healing after each injury, they can fight again with a refreshed body.

The hourglass is here as well, and my healing draws from the mana stored within my body, which will also enhance their physical experiences.

“W-Wait a moment.”

“Goblins don’t wait.”

I summoned the next goblins.

This time, they were goblins holding clubs.

“Kee-keek!”

The goblins with clubs appeared menacingly before the nuns.

The pressure momentarily stunned the nuns.

It’s a typical reaction from ordinary girls.

“Eek!”

“Yes, scream if you must, but don’t worry.”

“I’m not watching over you just to let you get hurt.”

They’re under my guidance.

I won’t just stand by and let them suffer.

“Don’t worry. Every time you’re hit, I’ll restore your strength.”

“As much as we appreciate that… isn’t this a bit much?”

‘How can they already be complaining?’

There’s a method I use for times like this.

In the end, it’s about money.

“Every time you guys slack off, money disappears.”

“What?”

“Do you think that money was given to you for nothing?”

It’s an investment for the future.

The hero’s party still lacks the strength to defeat the Four Heavenly Kings.

The kingdom’s army, serving as a shield, is nearly worn out.

At least the Empire must be ready.

“No, I don’t think that’s the case…”

“You just have to get through this one tough phase in your life.”

“If you make it past this, you’ll become strong nuns.”

“We just need to get through this trial. You can do it, can’t you?”

Eventually, the trio charged at the club-wielding goblins.

As expected, the nuns, untrained in combat skills, took blows from the clubs.

The difference this time, however, was notable.

Their bodies, which had been honed through repeated blows and activated mana, had developed the reflexes needed to evade club attacks.

So, the nuns continued to get hit, block, dodge, and receive periodic healing from me until they were utterly exhausted.

About two hours passed in this manner.

“We… did it!”

The goblin, its skull shattered and eyes bulging out, finally fell.

The nuns were in shock.

“Huh? Did we… take it down more easily this time?”

“Of course. You’ve improved.”

It’s good to give them praise once they’ve accomplished something, so they don’t dwell on strange thoughts.

That way, they’ll be more motivated to train.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, but still… how could we improve this quickly?”

It’s not impossible.

“The fact that I kept healing you every time you were downed is the reason.”

“I still think defeating it is separate from the healing…”

Indeed, the first goblins had their strength reduced but had undead-like durability.

This time, though, we substituted clubs for some of that zombie-like resilience.

“Why doubt yourselves? You’re talented. Be proud of yourselves. Your potential is limitless.”

It’s not a lie.

Through constant blows, the nuns began developing the ability to dodge monster attacks on their own.

With their bodies activated by mana, it was natural.

Their bodies, having been tempered by taking hits and successfully defeating enemies, were experiencing significant growth in physical abilities due to mana activation.

So, to clarify—

I’m not a demon.

I’m just helping cultivate talented people with a bit of encouragement.