Lux sighed deeply as she ran a comb through her gently waving auburn hair. As the Saintess who illuminated the deep darkness, she was careful not to show a despondent face, but when she was alone, she couldn’t help but hang her head.
Born to bring peace to this world long ruled by the Demon King, a world-saving hero, and a merciful saintess, Lux was raised with great care in a mountaintop monastery since childhood, thanks to the words of a famous prophet.
She possessed an unparalleled magical power. That life came to an end four months ago.
A young girl who had been chosen by the hero’s sword appeared in the north, and after some discussion, it was decided they would meet in the old royal capital.
She descended the mountain with her guards, and upon arriving in the once-glorious city after a long journey, she was welcomed by many people. Lux was the hope of the people.
(So many people are counting on me.)
A sigh even deeper than the last one escaped her lips. Thinking about the secret she had carried all this time, her heart felt crushed.
She covered her face with her hands, rumored to heal and purify all things, and let out a meaningless groan.
(I can’t do anything… what an apology I owe them…)
—That’s right, far from healing everything, Lux couldn’t even heal a small scratch. She couldn’t use a single one of the simple spells the children in the monastery used every day.
It was true that Lux had a powerful force from birth. The church’s assessment of her as a spring of magic chosen by God was not an exaggeration. But power is just energy, and it’s meaningless if it isn’t released as magic or the holy spirit arts used by followers of the church. And Lux, no matter how much she practiced, could not form her magical power into anything.
A saintess who couldn’t use the holy spirit arts, yet the expectations on Lux were too great for her to reveal that truth.
A coincidence where people’s illnesses improved just by seeing her accelerated this. She told herself she would surely be able to use it when she grew a little more, when she came of age, when the hero appeared, when she descended the mountain.
She clung to the church’s words and lived a life of abstinence and piety, but nothing changed. The hero would arrive in a few days. She had been told that she might be able to unleash her true power in front of the hero, but since nothing had worked so far, she couldn’t be optimistic.
The hero would either have to travel with the burden that was Lux or search for a new saintess.
It was inevitable that she would disappoint them. And that she would be seen as useless. But it was terribly painful to betray the people’s expectations.
Her chest ached when she remembered the words people had said to her when she first arrived in the old royal capital: “We believe the Saintess will restore light to this world.”
She was so heartbroken that she wanted to reveal everything and return to the monastery, but she knew in her bones that was not an option.
The more she thought, the more her breathing became ragged, and her heart felt like it would burst.
As she huddled, feeling intense fear and guilt, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
“Y-yes?”
She answered reflexively, but what filled her chest was a strong sense of alarm. This was the Grand Cathedral in the center of the city, and her nightly prayers were already finished.
Was something wrong, for someone to visit at this hour?
With apprehension, she cautiously opened the door.
A man in clerical robes stood there.
“Saintess, I apologize for the late hour.”
He bowed with a whisper, and she unconsciously stiffened. He had almond-shaped eyes and meticulously slicked-back black hair.
He was a tall, somewhat bony young man with a refined face. If he walked the streets, he would surely catch the eyes of many women.
Having been raised in a convent, Lux had almost no contact with men, so he was intimidating to her. But her ingrained saintess’s manners made her smile naturally.
She shook her head slowly, keeping the door slightly ajar.
“Please, don’t worry. Is there something you need?”
“Yes, but not here… May I come in?” “Unfortunately, I haven’t unpacked my travel bags yet.”
She answered calmly, but her suspicion grew. His request was outrageous.
No matter that he was a clergyman, there was no way she would invite a man into her room in the middle of the night.
Praying he wasn’t a thief, she took a step back and bowed politely. I apologize for the trouble, but please come back tomorrow.
As Lux was about to close the door, the man narrowed his pale gray eyes slightly.
“…Actually, I thought you might be having trouble with your magic.”
Lux’s eyes widened at his unexpected words. This was her secret, one no one knew about and one she had been told never to reveal.
He lightly took her hand as she froze in shock, as if she’d been hit in the head, and he slipped into the room like a shadow.
“Huh?”
“Forgive my rudeness. My name is Verm.”
Lux was speechless not only because she was surprised by Verm’s actions. It was because of the low body temperature she felt from his hand and her own magical power that had flowed in response.
The quiet power that had never reacted, no matter what she tried, had moved beneath her skin the moment Verm touched her. It was a miracle for Lux.
“Verm… what did you…?”
Her voice trembled. Without answering her, Verm sat down on a simple wooden stool.
He crossed his long legs and let his gaze slide from her toes to the top of her head.
“You seem to have a very powerful magical energy, but it appears difficult to use it as magic… or the holy spirit arts, as you call it.”
“How do you know that…? No, more importantly, when you touched me just now, my power reacted.”
“I can tell you, but first, can you promise me something? That you will cooperate with me when you can use the holy arts freely.”
Her movements stopped at his whispering voice.
He was a man who had suddenly appeared, a man she knew nothing about other than his name. He was completely untrustworthy. She shouldn’t make any promises until they could talk in a formal setting.
She knew this, yet she couldn’t help but cling to his words. She was a saintess who had betrayed the people’s expectations, a person who would surely hinder the hero.
She might gain a power that could save them. She might be freed from her long anguish. As doubt and desire washed over her like waves and she forgot to even breathe, Verm smiled softly at her.
“I am not asking for anything unreasonable. I just want you to bring me light. I want you to become a great saintess that the Demon King cannot ignore.”
With his words, a black mass spread across the floor at his feet. Before Lux could realize it was Verm’s shadow, she collapsed onto the floor.
She couldn’t understand what had happened. Her body was powerless. Her mind was filled with mud, and only her heart was beating hard.
“Wha… what?”
She managed to speak in a raspy voice and looked up. Her eyes met Verm’s as he looked down at her from his stool.
He wore the sacred robe of the church, but on his back, there were a smooth black wings.
(A demon…)
She knew of their existence, but this was her first time facing one. He was one of the higher-ranking beings among the countless monsters serving the Demon King.
He was a being that lured people with his beautiful appearance and sweet words and devoured their souls.
She didn’t know how he had hidden it until now, but the magical power she felt from his pale eyes was like a murky torrent that could swallow everything.
She felt that not only she, but the entire city, couldn’t stand a chance against him.
“I apologize for the rough handling. I put your guards to sleep. I didn’t want to hurt innocent people by causing a commotion.”
Verm stood up and slowly closed the distance between them. He knelt gracefully and ran his fingertip along Lux’s cheek, who was breathing heavily.
“…!”
“Saintess of Merciful Light, your magical power is a little special.”
His smooth skin, which moved from her cheek to her temple and then her earlobe, had no warmth of blood.
“It’s a static magical power that only flows when it resists our power. It might be of some use for defense as it is, but to release it, you need to absorb a darkness equal to your own power.”
Lux shivered as his strangely long fingers gently combed the hair from her forehead. She had never imagined being touched by a man, let alone a demon.
Despite her heart being consumed by fear, the magical power within her body was rippling.
“And I am the right-hand man of the Demon King who rules this land. I believe I can be of some help as a catalyst.”
His words reminded her of the rumors of the black-haired, pale-eyed demon who served the Demon King.
The rumors said he had burned down many cities and that the shadow of his non-human wings had spread within the blazing flames.
Could this man in front of her be…?
It was hard to believe, but the immense magical power, which couldn’t be explained otherwise, confirmed her ominous suspicion.
“W-why would the Demon King’s subordinate do something that would help a human… Ah!”
He suddenly lifted her sideways body, and her voice jumped.
She felt her powerlessness keenly as her body was taken over by the demon’s overwhelming strength.
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