“System?”
**[I am here.]**
“I have a question. The body I just transmigrated into—it wasn’t my own, was it?”
After all, she had been in the seawater just moments before. Even though she had dried her hair using the warmth of the Magic Flame after reaching the shore, it should have been frizzy. It shouldn’t be as silky and smooth as it was now.
**[Upon transmigration, the System generates a new body for the host in the corresponding time and space.]**
‘That’s a good thing.’ This meant that no matter how reckless she was, it wouldn’t threaten her existence in this timeline.
**[However, if the host’s body in the corresponding time and space is destroyed, they will no longer be able to return to that time and space.]**
‘Minor issue. It’s just a game with a single life—the kind where you delete the save file if you die.’
But rather than the trip from Elena’s timeline back to the present, Ai’er was more curious about the “Disposable Magic” the System had mentioned earlier.
However—
Right now, Ai’er needed to first solve the problem of being captured.
“System, my whole life, I’ve been walking on thin ice… do you think I can reach the other shore—meow! Ouch! Violence is bad! No violence!”
A bright white armored gauntlet struck Ai’er hard on the head.
The lead knight, Sater, looked solemn as he pressed the edge of his blade against Ai’er’s neck.
“Shut your mouth, Apostle of the Evil God! Cease your bizarre incantations!”
‘How is this an incantation? You uncultured brute!’
Still, Ai’er had no choice but to cover her head and shut up, her eyes constantly scanning the knights as they gradually closed in on her.
After all, she currently had no means of resistance. If she tried to run, there was no way she could escape with this many knights surrounding her. And if she used the Disposable Magic she had just received from the System here, Ai’er felt it would be a bit of a waste.
She couldn’t help but complain to the System in her heart once again: ‘Is this System really here to help me?’
the rewards were disposable, she had to return to her original location after transmigrating, and even time in her original world remained frozen.
If even one of those three conditions were different, she wouldn’t be in this position, captured by the knights…
After the transmigration ended and Ai’er returned to her original spot, she was met by the knights who were there to “greet” her—
And, of course, the ropes binding her hands.
“Behave yourself! Don’t even think about playing tricks!”
Sater, the knight who had struck her head earlier, gave Ai’er another shove without warning.
‘What tricks could I possibly play right now? My hands are tied, I have zero System Points… and even like this, you still have to keep pushing me around!’
Thinking of this, Ai’er looked at Sater with a resentful gaze—
Wait, what was that?
It looked like a blob of black mass, or perhaps a black mist? The thing was attached to Sater’s back, appearing to grow and squirm…
But as the group approached the Saint, the black mist vanished for the time being.
“Lady Saint, I have captured the escaped girl! And in my opinion, she is definitely an Apostle of the Evil God! She was just about to chant some bizarre incantations, but fortunately, I interrupted her!”
Knight Sater reported to the woman he called “Lady Saint” with exaggerated emotion and tone.
However, his words were entirely focused on himself, making no mention of the other knights who had come along.
‘There’s always someone like this everywhere…’
Whether it was claiming all the credit or fawning over superiors; Ai’er sighed and looked at this Saint.
The Saint did not respond to the knight. She merely pointed the scepter at her side toward Ai’er. A moment later, the White Crystal at the tip of the scepter began to emit a faint glow.
“She is not an Apostle of the Evil God. The crystal is still white; there isn’t a trace of Evil God Magic within this young girl.”
The Saint glanced at the tip of her scepter, then leaned down, preparing to untie Ai’er.
‘Hmph—of course there isn’t any Evil God Magic. To make that ring for Elena, my System Points have been squeezed dry down to the last drop.’
But even while gloating internally, Ai’er knew: if anything unexpected happened right now, or if that “Disposable Magic” couldn’t be used, she would be finished without a single System Point…
But so what?
According to the universal law of all transmigrators—the more desperate the situation, the more you have to live on the edge! Besides, she was so cute now. With this face alone, she could surely solve many problems!
“Wait, Lady Saint!”
Sater suddenly blocked the Saint’s attempt to untie Ai’er. His furrowed brow made his dissatisfaction clear.
“Lady Saint, I believe we cannot rely solely on the crystal for judgment! Look at this Apostle of the Evil God’s hair and eye color; she clearly isn’t a normal person! Furthermore, this expedition only wiped out a small nest of the cult. If you want to climb higher than the rank of Apprentice Saint, the head of this Apostle of the Evil God is a necessary stepping stone! Since Lady Saint cannot find it in her heart to be ruthless, then let me secure this merit for you!”
As Sater spoke, he drew his sword in a flash, intending to swing it toward Ai’er’s neck.
‘Tsk… why isn’t this guy following the script? You’d even kill such a cute girl? Fine, you’re finished. Even if I have to waste this Disposable Magic, I’m going to kill you!’
*Clang!*
The sound of metal clashing rang in Ai’er’s ears, interrupting the magic she was about to commission the System to release.
“Sater, are you attempting to rebel!”
The scepter the Saint had previously pointed at Ai’er was now used to block the knight’s blade.
The Saint jerked her scepter upward, parrying Sater’s sword away.
Seeing this, the other knights immediately stepped forward to restrain Sater, preventing him from doing anything else.
“Lady Saint, please reconsider!”
Sater still wouldn’t give up. He stared at the Saint, but she didn’t even look back at him.
“When did the doctrines of the White God Holy Church ever allow us to slaughter the innocent? The crystal has already determined that this girl has no Evil God Magic in her body. What more do you want?”
After speaking, the Saint knelt before Ai’er once again and untied the ropes.
“Were you kidnapped by the cult to be used as a sacrifice? I am Eve, an Apprentice Saint of the White God Holy Church. I’m sorry, were you frightened just now? Everything is fine now.”
As Eve spoke, she gently pulled Ai’er into her arms.
Ai’er, who had originally intended to complain and see if she could get some compensation, temporarily abandoned the thought after being enveloped by an unexpected fullness and softness.
‘But I already thought of the lines. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to say them?’
So, she managed to squeeze out a few tears and put on an expression that was both pitiful and aggrieved—
“Waaah, Lady Saint Eve—look, this knight just hit me really hard on the head with his hand! And look, the ropes were tied so tight, they left marks on my wrists! They’re purple and red, it hurts so much!”
‘As long as I say this, I’ll definitely get extra compensation.’
Money was a minor issue. Since she was a Saint, she naturally had special permissions or connections, right?
Aside from the System, she was essentially penniless in this world.
She still knew too little about this world, and this useless System required System Points just to check a walkthrough!
If she wanted to check information about this world directly, who knew how many System Points it would consume?
But if it was the Saint… she should be able to give a poor little girl like her some help, right?
At the very least, Ai’er was more than happy to stay in the Saint’s embrace for a while longer.
Evidently, however, someone was not happy.
“Again… it’s always like this!! Fine, fine! Apprentice Saint Eve, it’s because you’re always restricted by those damned doctrines that you never get promoted! I must have been cursed with terrible luck to choose to be the Guardian Knight for an Apprentice Saint like you!”
As Sater finished speaking, a surge of power suddenly erupted from within him, blasting away all the knights who were restraining him.
In the next instant, Apprentice Saint Eve discovered that the crystal at the tip of her scepter was gradually turning black—the symbol of the presence of Evil God Magic!
“Eve, oh Eve… tell me, if the high-ranking members of the Black God Church saw me bring them a living Saint, they would be very happy, wouldn’t they?”
Jet-black mana surged from Sater’s body like smoke, completely enveloping him in just a few seconds.
When the smoke dissipated, Knight Sater was nowhere to be found. In his place stood a massive, humanoid magical beast—
Ash-white horns like hunched boulders, charred skin resembling piles of volcanic ash; blood-red eyes and white steam rising from bulging, taut muscles. Jet-black mana coalesced into a giant battle-axe, its curved blade reflecting a cold glint in the dim cavern…
Fear silently converged into the reflection of this beast within the eyes of the knights and Eve.
Ai’er’s eyes also widened, but she was merely marveled by the beast’s—
Bull head.
‘Hey, I think I’ve seen this thing before!’
“Holy crap, it’s a Minotaur! A live one!”