With a Twisted Smile, Dark god worshipers.

Beings who cause chaos, conflict, war, and massacres in the human world.

Those who grow stronger by offering human blood to their malevolent deities.

Due to the nature of the gods they serve, these worshipers specialize in disguising themselves as people of specific social standing, sowing discord endlessly and dismantling society from within.

It’s said that the most skilled among these dark god worshipers are so adept that even divine magic cannot reveal their true identities. As a result, countless worshipers still operate in secret, hiding throughout society to this day.

That’s what I’d heard.

But now, it turns out that the priest of the Solar Order who came to accuse me was one of these dark god worshipers?

What kind of ridiculous coincidence is this?

I only had a moment to feel relieved that I’d narrowly avoided swinging from the gallows when...

“He’s a Saint! There’s no doubt about it!”

“Saint, please heal us!”

“My daughter is sick! Heal her, please!”

The deafening roar of the beggars erupted like a tidal wave. Listening to their cries, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a mistake.

Even if I were to stand up now and declare, I’m not a Saint! I’m just a desperate loser using game skills to stop the end of the world, I doubted anyone would believe me anymore.

“I need to rest for a while. Please prepare food and a place to sleep.”

I was exhausted.

After being so tense due to the Solar Order’s arrival, the sudden release of tension left me feeling even more drained.

Not even five minutes passed before a bed—surprisingly soft by the slums’ standards—and a hearty meal were brought before me.

I ate the food, and as soon as my head hit the pillow on that plush bed, I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by the sight of priests of the Solar Order , dozens of paladins, and armed police officers lined up before me.

I wanted to go back to sleep forever.

“Are you the Healing Saint of the Lilia Order?”

An elderly priest asked, looking down at me with a calm demeanor.

I slowly sat up.

What could they want now?

Were they going to expose the fact that a dark god worshiper infiltrated their order?

Or accuse me of stealing their potential clients from their territory?

Or maybe they’d conclude: You’re a heretic, so die!

I felt like I was about to wet myself. My legs trembled, and I felt like all strength had left my body.

What do they expect me to do when they show up like this as soon as I wake up?

“I belong to no specific order. I am merely someone who cares for the lowly.”

Please, just let me live for a month. I promise I won’t do business in your territory.

Just spare me…

“Thank you, Saint.”

The elderly priest suddenly bowed deeply toward me. Not only that, but he also took my hand and planted a quiet kiss on the back of it.

…What is this situation?

“Thanks to you, we were able to identify a dark god worshiper. This also gave us an opportunity to reflect on the mistakes our Solar Order  has made.”

The old priest looked up at the sky.

The radiant sun shone down on the slums, just as it did everywhere else.

“There is neither eternal shadow nor eternal light. The sun shines equally upon all. We had forgotten that for far too long.”

I blinked, deciding to stay absolutely quiet.

The elderly priest, who had kissed my hand, turned to face the crowd.

“We interrogated the dark god worshiper who infiltrated our order yesterday! He confessed to turning the Solar Order into a haven for the greedy. He admitted to trying to make our order a church for the rich, rejecting the poor!”

The priest bowed again, this time toward the beggars. The other priests and paladins followed suit.

“Forgive us for our foolishness. And forgive us for failing to recognize the Saint and doubting him.”

The priest raised his voice as he continued, “The dark god worshiper confessed! He said that when the Saint reached out his hand, he felt his heart stop! He described it as divine punishment!”

Yeah, no. That’s because I accidentally cast time stop on his heart instead of his legs.

“He said that blow unraveled his disguise and broke the evil magic hiding his true self! The worshiper, who feared the Saint, was executed yesterday. No one can deny the miracle we witnessed! How could we doubt one who has performed such miracles?”

The elderly priest walked over to the armed police.

“I, Alois, High Priest of the Solar Order, guarantee on my name that the Saint resting here is neither a heretic nor an unregistered illegal mage. He is pure and noble. Protect him.”

“As you wish, High Priest.”

The elderly priest… or rather, High Priest Alois…

High Priest Alois  turned his gaze to me.

“The police and our Solar Order paladins will escort you. We have contacted the Lilia Order, and their priests and paladins are on their way. Until they reach you, we will protect you temporarily. May the sun always shine upon you, and may the grace of Lilia watch over you.”

The High Priest offered a respectful bow before stepping back.

I couldn’t say a word; I could only watch.

Was it because things were going too well?

No.

It was because he mentioned contacting the Lilia Order.

I’m not a follower of Lilia. I’ve never even uttered the word “Lilia.” How did it come to this?!

Won’t they realize the moment they see me that I’m not a Saint of Lilia?

Won’t they label me a heretic for impersonating a Saint of their god?

Won’t being burned at the stake hurt like hell?!

Damn it.

This was bad—completely, utterly bad.

Where’s the witch? I need to heal her and get out of here as fast as possible!

“Form an orderly line!”

“Do not push others! Falling could cause serious accidents!”

“The Saint needs time to eat, drink, and rest! There will be no healing during rest periods!”

“Children and those with severe injuries will be treated first! Those with minor injuries, please wait!”

The police and Solar Order paladins began organizing the crowd, preventing further accidents from the surge of desperate people.

Watching the beggars line up to be healed almost made me cry.

I made up my mind.

If things continued like this, I’d inevitably meet the Lilia Order priests, who would discover I wasn’t their Saint and execute me for heresy.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too late.

The Solar Order had already recognized me. That should count as some level of authority and fame, right?

Plus, I now had knights and police who could be used as resources.

I needed to find the witch as soon as possible. It was my only chance to survive.

“Sir Knight, may I have a moment?”

I paused the healing session and called over a Solar Order paladin who was guarding me.

“Do you know much about mages or witches?”

“There is a Mage Tower in the capital. I know its location, but I don’t have any personal connections with mages or witches.”

The Mage Tower.

Right. Since the person I’m looking for uses magic, the Mage Tower seems like the best place to start.

“That’s fine. Could you go to the Mage Tower and see if there’s a witch with four arms and a mask covering half her face?”

Based on what I saw in the prophecy, the witch’s left face would likely be grotesquely deformed. She was almost certainly hiding it behind a mask.

“Four arms… a mask covering half her face?”

“Yes. I must meet her. Could you go and find out for me as quickly as possible?”

“If that is what the Saint desires, I will do so.”

The paladin nodded and immediately ran off.

Good.

Before the Lilia Order people arrive, I need to quickly meet the witch, heal her, and disappear.

There was a glimmer of hope.

I resumed healing, desperate to finish this dreadful Saint charade before it got me hanged or burned at the stake.

Meanwhile, in the Mage Tower…

Tuidel couldn’t stay cooped up in the Mage Tower any longer.

She needed to produce groundbreaking research—something far greater than that despicable Erfa .

As she walked through the first-floor lobby to step out for some fresh air and research materials, her eyes caught an unusual man standing there.

He wore a distinct uniform emblazoned with the symbol of a blazing sun—the mark of a Solar Order paladin.

“You’re looking for a witch?”

“Yes, a witch with four arms and a mask covering half her face. The Saint of Healing is looking for her.”

Tuidel, overhearing the conversation between the lobby receptionist and the paladin, grew curious and stepped in.

“The Saint of Healing is looking for a witch?”

“Yes. Do you know if such a person is in this Mage Tower?”

Tuidel narrowed her eyes.

“Why is he looking for someone like that?”

“I don’t know. But the Saint said he must meet her.”

“Is that so?”

Tuidel studied the paladin with a strange expression before smiling faintly.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll find out for you.”

“Thank you, Witch.”

Tuidel sent a subtle glance to the receptionist, signaling her to stay quiet, and headed back into the Mage Tower.

She walked straight to Erfa’s  private research lab and knocked on the door.

After a moment, Erfa, as always, opened the door with her left face concealed behind a silver mask.

Her visible right eye widened in surprise.

“Tuidel? What are you doing here?”

She clearly hadn’t expected Tuidel to visit.

Tuidel smiled sweetly at her.

“There’s a paladin in the first-floor lobby looking for you.”

“A paladin?”

“Yes, from the Solar Order.”

Erfa’s eyes narrowed.

She had met members of the Solar Order before during her research into miracles, but she didn’t know anyone personally.

“Why is the Solar Order looking for me?”

“The Saint of Healing is searching for you.”

Erfa froze, her expression blank.

The Saint of Healing?

Why?

“Are you sure he’s looking for me?”

“He described a witch with four arms and a mask covering half her face. Do you know any other witch who fits that description?”

“…Alright. I’ll go down and see.”

As Erfa was about to close the door, Tuidel blocked it.

“Why is the Saint of Healing looking for you?”

“How would I know?”

“Does it have something to do with your hidden left face?”

Erfa flinched slightly.

It was brief, but Tuidel didn’t miss it.

“It’s not like that. I told you, this mask is just for decoration.”

“Hmm. Really? For a decoration, you seem obsessively attached to it.”

Erfa’s right face twisted in irritation.

“Do I need to explain my fashion choices to you?”

“Of course not.”

Witches and mages were known for being eccentric. From wizards who insisted on researching naked to witches who always enchanted themselves to walk on ceilings or pierced their bodies excessively—it wasn’t unusual.

Still, Tuidel had never paid much attention to Erfa’s mask until now. The mention of the Saint and her left face had sparked something in her mind.

“I just assumed your left face was horribly deformed, so you didn’t want to show it.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Are you not going down? Were you secretly hoping to ask the Saint to heal your face, only to be caught by me? If you’re going, I’d like to come along. Watching him heal could be useful for magical research.”

“It’s not like that! He’s probably a fraud! I was just going to reject him, but fine—since you’re here, you tell him!”

For once, Erfa raised her voice.

“Now, leave. I have research to do.”

She slammed the door shut.

It was a cold dismissal, but the twisted smile on Tuidel’s lips didn’t fade.

Tuidel returned to the first-floor lobby and approached the paladin.

“I looked into it, and there’s no witch here matching that description. Perhaps you’re looking for a dark mage instead.”

“I see… Thank you for checking.”

The paladin looked disappointed.

“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Tuidel replied smoothly.

With a polite farewell, the paladin left.

Tuidel stood in the lobby, watching his back for a long while.

Her lips curled into a sinister, twisted smile.