Chapter 5. a small tear ③.

　The presence of priests and monks is indispensable in the battle against the undead.

　In addition to the need for holy water to defeat the undead, wounds inflicted by the undead, no matter how small, will eventually spread if they are not purified.

　The Royal Knights, who were sent on an expedition by order of the king, were accompanied by clergymen dispatched from the church in the royal capital, but at first they were short of manpower, as even a small scratch could not be left untreated.

　Hearing rumors of such an expedition, native clergy and monks gathered at the battlefield to help. Some of them were still apprentices,  but everyone was grateful for their faith and devotion.

　Emily was one of the apprentice clerics who rushed to the scene.

　She began her service in the war zone, less than six months after the expedition.

　The horrifying appearance of the Undead beasts, the time-consuming nature of the extermination process, the constant back and forth battle situation, and the wounds that would decay rapidly if left unattended – all these combined to create a bottomless sense of anxiety, and the knights were exhausted by the situation, with no clear end in sight.

　In such a situation, it is true that the sight of a pretty young woman devotedly purifying the wounded soothed the knights’ troubled hearts. Even though she was still a novice, clumsy, and it took her a long time, her tireless efforts were admirable, and her smiling face was a glimpse of hope that would dispel the gloomy atmosphere.

　　And so, while Emily was well received among the knights, there were also many scenes that were not satisfactory. Kevin recalled:

“Please let me do it!”

　Emily rushes to the wounded soldier, who has been scratched by the claws of an undead beast, with a high, clear voice.

　At first glance, it is a scene of devotion and warmth.

　However, right behind her, the clergyman, who had been examining the wounded soldier before Emily, stands aghast, having been pushed away. Perhaps thinking that if healing and purification were to be achieved in the end, there was no need to make a fuss, he remained silent with a troubled smile on his face.

　It wasn’t a training ground for apprentices, but a battlefield. At the beginning, they lacked manpower, but by that time, there were already so many clergy and monks that they had a lot of room to spare. If they were thinking about efficiency, they should have divided the work, and there was no need for Emily to run around by herself.

“It can’t be helped. She’s still young, and probably so focused on what she’s doing that she can’t really see what’s going on around her.”

　The one who was laughing and saying that was an older female priest who, in another scene, had been pushed aside by Emily in the middle of purification and was now left with nothing to do.

“the girl’s just struggling to do her best, and she doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions, nor is she doing any great harm at the moment. Well, I don’t mind.”

　The female priestess was much more skilled at purification than Emily, but perhaps because of her gentle disposition as a servant of the goddess, she was not angry at being interrupted, but simply looked on as if all’s well that ends well.

　In the chaotic battlefield, few people witnessed the whole incident.

　As a result, the only thing that remained in the impression of those around was the sight of Emily, who was always devotedly going around purifying people, and the sight of the soldiers expressing their gratitude.

　It was the knights who eventually began to call Emily “the Saint.”

　Normally, this title was given to those who were recognized by the Royal Capital’s Grand Church, but since the name had been spread with hope in mind amid the depressing war situation, no one objected, and so it was daunting to spoil the occasion.

　The knights’ admiration soon took on a religious fervor, but neither the higher-ups nor the clergy dared to admonish them for it. The fact that there was a young woman is in a war zone, and in a place where there are many men for all intents and purposes. It seems that they decided that a feeling of reverence, akin to faith, would serve as a deterrent to prevent violent mistakes.

　Before long, after each skirmish with the undead monsters, a long line of people would form in front of Emily to have their wounds cleansed.

　Many of the knights would wait in line, willing to wait a little longer because the wounds would not begin to decompose until after two days or so.

“Well, I suppose it’s only right that you would prefer to have a young, beautiful young lady than an old man like me.”

　Sitting on a large rock and smiling dismissively was a well-known old priest who had rushed in from a large church in the west.

　A truly ridiculous sight, Kevin thought, when there were so many other clergy available.

　At first, Kevin had liked Emily’s devotion.

　However, she would occasionally abandon a low-ranking knight like Kevin or a slightly wounded one in the middle of a cleanse and go elsewhere.

　When a familiar face…someone you know…is injured, it’s natural to be concerned and turn you’re attention to them.

　Most of them are high-ranking knights who had a lot of influence within the Knights’ Order and were friendly to Emily and would go out of their way to praise her achievements.

　Because of her honesty. Because of her youth. Because she acts according to her emotions and is blind to her surroundings.

　I’m just worried about the familiar faces who are friendly to me. I don’t know the faces and names of many junior knights yet, so I don’t notice  them. If it’s only a minor injury, they can just ask someone else to help.

　Every time he heard the people around him defending her or her own excuses, his heart grew colder. He knew that part of it was his own inferiority complex and jealousy, so he didn’t say anything out loud. However, from a very early stage, Kevin had looked at Emily with cold eyes.

“Many soldiers were saved thanks to Saint Emily’s dedication.”

　Looking at the results alone, it could be said that this statement itself is true. However, it wasn’t as if Emily possessed a purification power superior to that of other clergymen.

　Two months later, when such scenes had become commonplace, Elliot was bestowed with the holy sword, and the state of the battle changed drastically.

　At that time, many knights spoke passionately.

“The prayers of the Saint were answered by the goddess.”

Tl note: 

小さな綻び ; to come apart at the seams; to be ripped; to be torn · so ‘a small tear’ as in to open or start to crack.

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