Episode 115: Saint Yohan
At the southeastern edge of the empire lay the Barony of Lumerania.
Once a prosperous land, teeming with merchants drawn by its fertile soil and rare minerals, its fortune turned into a curse overnight with the emergence of two massive demonic beast lairs.
The scale of these lairs was immense—both classified as the highest rank, ‘Special-Grade’. Even the weakest demonic beasts that naturally spawned from them were at least Grade 2.
As a result, the Barony of Lumerania had effectively become a dead land. Only those who had no means to leave remained, and the baron stayed behind to protect his homeland and the people who still lived there.
However, even that was now a thing of the past.
“Is it finally over?”
Yohan lifted his head, watching as a magical sphere burst in the sky. A streak of blue light cut across the heavens, signaling the mission’s success.
“You’ve worked hard, Director.”
Eris handed him a handkerchief and a water bottle.
“Thank you. It was much easier thanks to your presence, Eris.”
“Ah, no… It was nothing.”
As Yohan, drenched in sweat, gave a small smile, Eris subtly blushed and averted her gaze.
“With this, the Purification Bureau’s expedition is a success. There were some unfortunate incidents, but we managed to close those troublesome demonic beast lairs.”
By eliminating the lair in the Count Rehern’s territory, the troops stationed there could now be redeployed elsewhere.
And more importantly, the most dangerous lairs—the ones in Lumerania, which could have erupted at any moment—had been successfully sealed.
Of course, smaller lairs still remained in various places, but those could be dealt with later. The demonic beasts emerging from them were, at most, Grade 3.
“Are the demonic beast lairs in the central southern region being left alone because of the barbarians?”
Eris asked.
“Exactly. We’ve fought wars against them before, but their current silence is thanks to the demonic beast lairs.”
Though the barbarians were stronger than ordinary humans, the existence of demonic beast lairs was a constant threat to them.
After all, they would have to face both the Imperial Army and the demonic beasts at the same time.
“Then this region is settled.”
“Yes. We just need to wrap things up later.”
Yohan chuckled softly and took a swig from the water bottle. Though lukewarm, it was enough to quench his thirst.
“Saint—!”
In the distance, squads that had been luring demonic beasts away were returning. Though visibly exhausted, the reinforcements from the Holy Nation were still brimming with energy.
In fact, they were all smiles.
“You’ve worked hard! To think that you closed even a Special-Grade demonic beast lair—truly, you are remarkable, Saint! I, Arbella, am once again deeply moved and have fallen for you all over again!”
Arbella, her armor stained with demonic beast blood, beamed at him. As she lightly stroked her cheek, her fingers trembled subtly. It was always baffling how such small hands could unleash such destructive power.
Her displays of affection were overwhelming.
“Were you injured?”
Yohan asked. Arbella’s smile widened.
“Ah—! You’re worrying about me before even receiving my report? How kind and compassionate you are!”
No matter what he did, she always reacted positively.
This was why fanatics were terrifying—they attached meaning to even the most trivial actions and interpreted them however they pleased.
“Thankfully, I have no injuries! Thanks to the priests, the other Holy Knights only sustained minor wounds as well! Even with Special-Grade demonic beasts appearing, we were able to subdue them without issue!”
The reinforcements from the Holy Nation, centered around the Saintess, were a far superior force compared to the Empire’s Imperial Bureau’s second Division.
They had been invaluable allies in this battle.
It was clear now why the Empire chose to ignore the Holy Nation’s constant criticisms—
They couldn’t simply crush them by force.
“I see. You’ve all done well.”
“Yes, Saint—!”
Arbella was still grinning when—
“Saintess? What exactly do you mean by ‘fallen for him’?”
A cold, sharp voice cut in.
Francia, who had quietly returned and been listening to the conversation, now fixed Arbella with a piercing gaze.
Her expression was icy, laced with an unmistakable hint of hostility.
“I meant it exactly as I said! I, Arbella, have been chosen by the Goddess Freyja herself as the Saint’s destined partner! It is only natural for me to admire him!”
Whether she was oblivious or simply bold, Arbella answered clearly, unfazed by Francia’s intense stare.
No—perhaps she knew exactly what she was doing.
“You are aware that the Director is my fiancé, aren’t you?”
Francia’s voice was low, but the chilling aura within it slowly spread. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her lips pressed together tightly.
“Of course! But Goddess Freyja supports the love between me and the Saint! Just because he has a fiancée doesn’t mean I’ll give up! I will do my best to win the Saint’s heart!”
Good heavens.
Yohan was at a loss for words.
What she had just said was, in essence, a blatant provocation—‘I’m going to steal your man.’
“Hah? Lady Saintess, do you lack a sense of morality?”
“What do you mean? I see no issue at all!”
“You’re targeting someone who already has a fiancée!”
“It may be an impure love, but that too is a trial!”
Francia was dumbfounded, her lips moving soundlessly as she failed to find words. The fact that she had once taken another woman’s husband weighed on her conscience, but more than that, she simply couldn’t communicate with this person.
“At first, even I, Arbella, doubted whether this was truly the will of Freyja! But the goddess has shown me that she wishes for the deep and unbreakable love between the Saint and me! Therefore, I have resolved never to give up on love!”
Having finished speaking, Arbella suddenly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Then, raising her face toward the sky, she began to pray.
“Oh, Goddess Freyja, thank you for blessing me with love once again today…!”
Francia blinked in confusion. She was speechless—not because she had nothing to say, but because the sheer absurdity left her at a loss. After delivering her self-centered speech, she had suddenly begun praying?
Was something wrong with her mind? The thought crossed Francia’s mind.
“To persist in love despite adversity… As expected of Goddess Freyja’s representative.”
“No matter what happens, she will fulfill the will of the goddess and claim her love. Truly worthy of being a Saintess!”
“I, Metein, shall take inspiration from her and confess my love to my childhood friend—even though she’s already married!”
The Holy Knights cheered from all around. Francia was flustered. Normally, she would have dismissed it as mere sarcasm aimed at their absurd Saintess. But they were serious.
‘Even in the Holy Kingdom, common sense exists… right?’
Francia had spent a brief time in the Holy Kingdom. Most of the people there were odd, but not to the extent of spouting such ridiculous nonsense. What was going on?
“Oh, everyone! Thank you for supporting my love! I, Arbella, shall surely claim my love, fueled by your encouragement!”
Arbella spread her arms wide.
The Holy Knights, eyes brimming with emotion, clapped their hands together.
Clap, clap, clap…
Francia squeezed her eyes shut.
Yohan was no different.
***
Rustle. Rustle.
A servant gently combed through golden locks.
Rudbeckia reclined leisurely on the sofa, savoring the comfort she hadn’t felt in so long.
“As expected, my lady’s hair is so beautiful.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m honestly envious.”
“Fufu.”
Rudbeckia let out a soft laugh at the compliment. Indeed, her hair was lovely. Before her regression, it had become dry and brittle, losing all of its former luster.
“But, Mela.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“What year is it now?”
“It is the 812th year of the Imperial Calendar.”
“Hmm…”
Rudbeckia stroked her chin.
At this moment, she was merely twenty years old.
She had entered Imperial Bureau immediately after graduating early from the academy, so by now, her term of duty should have ended.
‘Seeing Yohan’s younger self again might be entertaining.’
The young Yohan had surprisingly never experienced romantic affection with a woman. On the contrary, he had been extremely wary of such things. It was understandable—falling into the wrong hands among the great nobles could cost him his life.
‘Yohan…’
As she thought of him, a distant look flickered in her green eyes. He had no memory of the name Rudbeckia, but she had harbored a one-sided love for him ever since her early admission into the academy.
Lacking the courage to even hold a proper conversation, she had regretted it ever since. So, she had pleaded with her father.
“Couldn’t you arrange a marriage between me and Yohan Harsen?”
As a well-known doting father, Count Freeche had happily agreed to her request.
Thus, after lengthy discussions between the families, Yohan had been brought into the Freeche family as a son-in-law.
However, even after their marriage, even after spending their first night together, and even after a considerable amount of time had passed, Yohan did not love her. It was only natural. From his perspective, It was likely an unwanted marriage.
Even so, Rudbeckia was happy. The mere fact that she could be with him brought her immense joy.
And she never doubted that, one day, Yohan would come to love her.
She believed in it wholeheartedly because she could feel his efforts to love her sincerely.
Of course, that happiness did not last long.
‘But why hasn’t there been any word about it? The marriage discussions between our families should be happening right now…’
Rudbeckia suddenly had a strange feeling. Spring was approaching after the passing of winter. By now, the discussions between their families should have concluded. Yet, there was no news.
‘Something feels off…’
Had she been too relaxed, indulging in this brief moment of peace for just three days? An unsettling anxiety crept up inside her.
“Mela?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Bring me a newspaper.”
“Understood.”
When Mela handed her the newspaper, Rudbeckia quickly scanned the text, her eyes rapidly moving across the page.
‘What is this?’
Her pupils trembled.
‘There’s no mention of the Crown Prince anywhere.’
From what she remembered, the Imperial Newspaper always featured the Crown Prince on the front page. He was widely regarded as the perfect heir and was extremely popular among both nobles and commoners.
But now, there was nothing about him.
‘Duke Lahart has sealed off the Demonic lair? What is this nonsense?’
The person dominating the front page was a duke she had never even heard of before.
The only ducal house in the empire should have been the House of Fervache.
‘This is irritating…’
Thinking about the House of Fervache suddenly made her blood boil.
After all, Yohan had lost his life saving Francia Fervache.
That incident had also resulted in the deaths of the Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom, the Tower Master of the Mage’s Tower, and Cassis Lenokhonen, plunging the world into chaos.
“Haa…”
Rudbeckia exhaled slowly, trying to suppress the rising anger. It was all meaningless now. She had returned to the past, so none of it had ever happened.
Besides, she had only been able to return because she overheard something Francia Fervache had told Yohan.
She turned her gaze back to the newspaper.
‘Everything here feels off.’
The news was filled with unfamiliar developments.
Sealing off the Demonic lair? Reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom? A purification bureau ranked higher than the Rozino’s Imperial Bureau?
‘What even is all of this…?’
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead. The world that should have been familiar to her was becoming increasingly foreign.
‘Did I end up in a different world?’
That couldn’t be the case.
The House of Freeche was still the same. The mansion’s servants were unchanged.
‘Then what is going on…?’
As Rudbeckia flipped through the newspaper in confusion—
“…Yohan?”
She saw a name.
Not Yohan Harsen, but Yohan Lahart.
And alongside his name—his fiancée, Francia Fervache.