# Enhanced Translation
"During Ivan's long military service, there were three operations that required direct infiltration into the Dragon Lords' lairs. Tumur's lair, Pernichi's lair, and Aviditas's lair.
Among these, the most horrific was Pernichi's den, 'The Swamp of Stupidity.' It was an area infested with all kinds of terrible insects and slimy magical beasts, and with wide visibility, there were few places to hide.
Therefore, when he returned alive from the Swamp of Stupidity, he was in no condition to continue fighting.
"It's been a while since I've been this much of a mess," Ivan muttered as he got up and immediately opened a Healing Potion.
"I forbid that cursed substance, Brother Kirilts."
"This is a Healing Potion."
"To lie so boldly to a priestess. Are you truly not afraid of divine punishment, Brother?"
The Saintess frowned as she cast healing magic and grumbled.
"Wait here. Neither Sister Enrique nor I will participate in this battle anyway."
"You're going to attack a Dragon Lord without rear support?"
"Look at the state you're in, Brother."
The Saintess gently scolded Ivan, who was reduced to little more than a rag.
"Someone needs to stay behind to protect you."
"How careless."
Those who fear breaking their swords and refuse to swing them are fools. To leave rear support behind for the actual battle because a scout sent to reconnoiter a Dragon Lord was injured.
Ivan gritted his teeth and stood up. His hands were trembling, but when he circulated what little mana he had left, the trembling stopped. It didn't make him completely fine, but at least he looked presentable.
"Let's go. Before it's too late."
"Brother, please rest more. You're in no condition to move."
"I know my body better than anyone."
"Do you?"
The Saintess promptly poked Ivan's shoulder with her fingertip. As he frowned, suppressing a groan that threatened to escape, the Saintess smiled faintly.
"It seems I know better."
"To be careless when facing a Dragon Lord just because you defeated Tumur. What if someone dies? What would that loss mean?"
"Call it carelessness if you like... but I prefer to call it trust."
The Saintess turned her gaze toward the gloomy plain leading to the Swamp of Stupidity. Beyond the horizon, thunderous sounds were echoing.
"We all decided that failing the mission and having to retreat would be better than leaving you behind and losing you. We believe that even if we fail, we can withdraw without casualties."
Trusting in each other's abilities. Knowing the maximum each person can do in their role.
That was the meaning. Ivan clicked his tongue at this tiresome optimism. This was why he couldn't stand the Hero Party.
"And considerable time has passed since they left. It's too late to go now."
"Not losing a single person? A noble spirit indeed, Patricia. But do you know how many soldiers died on the front lines as decoys for this operation? Do you know how many die each day the operation is delayed?"
Ivan asked, clenching his teeth.
It wasn't that he had great loyalty to Krasilov. Nor did he value the lives of countless strangers more than his own.
In truth, at this point, Ivan was closer to grumbling to hide his embarrassment. He could count on one hand the people who had shown such dedication to him since he fell into this accursed world.
So there was no venom in his words. The Saintess, not being one to miss such nuances, simply smiled faintly as she gazed at the horizon.
Beyond the horizon, the thunderous sounds continued.
"What burden we carry into battle, and how we fight, is not what matters, Brother."
A light flashed at the edge of the horizon. A moment of silence followed. Soon, a burst of light shot up to the sky, illuminating the distant swamp.
The Saintess made a small sign of the cross as she watched the scene.
"Whatever burden we carry, whatever hardships we fight through."
Faint afterimages rippled at the horizon's edge. Tiny silhouettes, smaller than fingernails, were approaching in a writhing mass.
"Not losing faith even at the end. That is what the Hero Party must do. We are not people who save others. We are those who must fight in place of others. We didn't gather to protect someone, but to kill someone—we are assassins gathered together."
"Quite vulgar, isn't it?" The Saintess smiled at Ivan.
"We came together not for noble ideals but out of desperate need in the face of annihilation, so we cannot save anyone's life. Therefore, no one will be able to save us. We must protect ourselves and move forward."
In Ivan's field of vision, the approaching Hero Party became increasingly distinct.
Despite walking wearily in their disheveled state, they were all smiling.
He could see Einar showing off his muscles and laughing boisterously, Gil Ber pointing at his broken shield with his swollen face and bragging, and Beolgrin silently smiling while looking at the sky.
At the very front, he saw a man walking with Pernichi's heart stone skewered on his long sword and carried over his shoulder.
Walking straight toward him with a gentle smile.
"Any of us, not just you, would have made the same choice in today's situation, Brother. If someone had to fall back. We who must fight on behalf of everyone in the alliance. Because the only ones who can protect us are ourselves."
"Just as you did, Brother." The Saintess smiled as she looked at Ivan.
Ivan had to avert his gaze to hide his embarrassment. After all, he too would have stepped forward without hesitation if he had to go into danger in place of someone in the Hero Party. That was what a scout was supposed to do.
The darkness parted, and beneath it, the sunrise appeared. Light began to shine down on the swamp. It was a rare good day in the deep demon realm.
The Hero walking through that light spotted Ivan and smiled brightly. Gil Ber, who was following beside him, saw Ivan getting up and laughed heartily as he shouted:
"Tough as nails! You survived again!"
Ivan was also muttering as soon as he saw Gil Ber's smile:
"Tough as nails. You came back alive again."
The Saintess giggled as she watched the scene.
# Ep34. The Universal Council.
"Does that time come to mind, Brother Kirilts?"
"Hmm."
The teenage Saintess and the scout who had just entered his twenties are now gone. Only two world-weary adults sit here now.
Looking at the train window rattling with a steady rhythm, the Saintess smiled quietly.
"It's nice to travel with you like this, Brother. Don't you agree?"
"Indeed."
"I apologize for not informing you earlier, as the timing was more urgent than expected. Please don't be upset."
"It's fine."
"Well, I'm more worried about Sister Elise's anger than yours."
The Saintess turned her gaze to the side with a chuckle. In the narrow compartment, she could see Isabelle pressed tightly against Ivan's side.
The Saintess's brow furrowed slightly, then gradually relaxed.
"Why are you here, Sister?"
"It's my turn this time, Saintess."
Isabelle, with eyes narrowed like a hungry cat, spoke rather threateningly.
"The next two hours are my turn."
"...I see."
It was an answer that raised many questions, but she didn't want to probe too deeply. The Saintess quietly nodded to appease Isabelle and opened her Bible.
"You have to do that thing for me at lunch too. Understand?"
"...Do you have an eating disorder too?"
"No! But we should be equal! We're all in the same party, and if you only favor one person, the balance? Hmm. The balance would be off. You should feed everyone equally!"
"Equal...?"
"Yes! You keep doing it only for that pointy-ear... Elfihera, so later, when an urgent battle happens! At that time, you might only protect Elfihera! We need to create an atmosphere where everyone is supported equally, you know? Hoo, train as you fight, fight as you train!"
Ivan nodded and turned his gaze away. Peaceful spring meadows were quickly passing by outside the train window. The morning sky was clear.
He let Isabelle's chatter flow past him like the meadows beyond the window. There was no need to pay attention to every word of her stream-of-consciousness rambling.
The Hero Party of old was like that too. They would get worked up over trivial things and compete with each other. When such tendencies persisted, it was fair to say the party was still mentally sound.
Not a bad thing. Ivan was absently looking out the window, responding to Isabelle with "Hmm," "Oh," "Ah," and "I see."
Currently on this train were Isabelle, Elfihera, Asidis, Lucia, and Oskar.
Since they had essentially brought along the entire original Hero Party lineup, the Saintess glanced at Ivan and Isabelle and chuckled.
This happened the day before.
-I'm going to the Papal State briefly, could you possibly help me, Brother?
As soon as Ivan confirmed the cooperation document he received from the Saintess early in the morning, he began preparations. He needed to check his weapons and pack simple meals and travel tools.
With the semester having just begun, he couldn't take students on an overseas mission of uncertain duration. Since the Saintess had only designated Ivan, he was preparing to travel alone.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
After feeding Elfihera breakfast as usual and packing his bags, Elfihera, who had followed him to the director's office and was commenting on the interior design, asked.
"The Papal State."
"What? Suddenly going that far? With whom? No, don't tell me—"
Elfihera's eyes sharpened.
"Are you going to hold a ceremony before His Holiness the Pope or something?"
"I'm going with the Saintess."
"...??? A ceremony with the Saintess...?"
Elfihera, aghast, opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, then collapsed on the sofa and began shouting.
"Ah, I don't care. No. You can't go. I'll starve. I'll keep starving. I'll starve to death. I'll become a tree!"
Since the Eternal Palace was gone, elves could no longer die by becoming trees. It would be cruel to remind her of that harsh reality, so Ivan ignored her and continued packing.
"Daddy, sob, I miss you. Why did you leave me alone? It's cold and hungry here, and humans have no affection, they're barbaric and primitive..."
"...It's work."
"You won't even tell me what kind of work. Daddy... sob."
"The Saintess requested escort duty."
"Why only you? Two grown adults going somewhere alone. Ahem. Hmm. That's very inappropriate. Humans are certainly promiscuous, but as a culturally sound elf, I cannot stand by and watch such a thing. As a superior race, I feel the need to guide you on the right path."
Elfihera stood up, composing herself as she spoke. Ivan stared at her for a while, then nodded.
Well, having a mage wouldn't hurt. With the Saintess having lost her power, they were lacking rear support. It would be good to have someone who could handle dangerous situations.
At least Elfihera was capable of pulling her weight.
And who would feed her while he was gone? If forced to eat, she would just throw everything up.
"Yes!"
The same day, around lunchtime after morning classes ended.
"...so tonight's dinner, wait a minute. You, pointy-ears. What are you so happy about, smirking like that?"
"My, now you're picking fights over smiling. Humans really are something."
"No, it's weird how you keep grinning while looking at me and Essie! What's going on? What is it this time!"
"Ah, telling this to 'losers' might sound too much like 'bragging'... sigh... but I guess I have no choice..."
Upon hearing that Elfihera was going on a "honeymoon" to the "Papal State" to receive "blessings from His Holiness the Pope and the Saintess" with Ivan, Isabelle just stared blankly at her.
From her perspective, all of these were statements based on facts. From an elven point of view, "a few years" before marriage or "a few years" after marriage was still considered a fresh "honeymoon" period.
It was true they were going to the Papal State, and since they were going with the Saintess, they might meet the Pope, and well, if they met the Pope, even a single prayer would count as a "blessing" from a human perspective.
"Liar! Stop lying!"
"That's what you'd like to believe. Hehehehe..."
"She's really crazy!! Daddy, I'm sorry! Your friend's daughter is going to die today!"
"I'll cast a silence spell on you, Bella!!"
Oskar sighed from a corner of the club room, which had quickly descended into chaos. Is this really the Hero Party? Were our fathers like this too? (Not much different.)
From one side of the room, Lucia, who had been quietly observing the scene, clapped her hands as the concert of magic, batons, and longswords continued. Just before the club room was half-destroyed, Lucia stood up.
"Why don't we all just go together?"
"What...?"
"I mean, with our senior's personality, he's not suddenly going to take Elfi alone to the Papal State to hold some ceremony. Elfi, is it true you're going to the Papal State?"
"Yes. Why would I lie to inferior races?"
"If we assume that's true, then this is clearly another case of our senior being assigned some mission and her tagging along."
Lucia looked at Elfihera's face suspiciously as she spoke. Interrogation and deduction were basic skills for a trained agent, and Lucia was the direct disciple of Enrique, the great teacher of all Krasilov agents.
Having assessed the situation, Isabelle took a deep breath and looked at Oskar.
"Hero Party deployment?"
"I want to attend classes. Guys, we missed an entire semester last time. What happens if we do the same this semester?"
"Deploying to save humanity?"
"Wait, did you hear what the mission is? It could simply be diplomatic business between this country and the Papal State, or it could be personal business of the Saintess that Ivan is accompanying her on. They are close, after all."
"The party is one body, isn't it? Do you rest your right arm when your left arm is working?"
"You clearly slept through theology class? The right hand isn't supposed to know what the left hand is doing."
"Surely devout Oskar, who attentively listens to theology classes, wouldn't miss an opportunity to meet His Holiness the Pope?"
"This is driving me crazy."
Oskar rubbed his face as he looked at the group. Elfihera shaking her head, Isabelle with bloodshot eyes, and Asidis who seemed completely thoughtless...
"You said you'd help, Oskar. Are you abandoning your childhood friend? Betraying Tilles people?"
"What exactly could I do to help among you all?"
"If we all say we're going, how could the old man refuse?"
"For such a trivial reason...?"
"Without you, he'd be the only man and would have to get a single room separately."
"...?"
Isabelle leaned close to Oskar's ear and whispered very quietly.
"So we could get a double room including you, and when I give the signal, you could step out for a while. You agreed to help us, right?"
"Good heavens."
This sinister plan clearly violated the code of chivalry, so Oskar could only make the sign of the cross and pray for the salvation of the corrupted Tilles person.
But what could he do? His father's dying wish was to protect that girl.
As Oskar nodded with a blasphemous feeling, two people waiting quietly behind them gleamed with their eyes.
An elf with naturally good hearing and a vampire with supernaturally developed hearing were smiling in silence.
"...??"
In the suddenly calmed room, the Droan bard, whose hearing was neither naturally nor supernaturally exceptional, tilted his head in confusion.
"Alright, party formation complete! Let's go to the Papal State!"
Isabelle clapped her hands energetically and stood up.