Chapter 171
Now then, let’s talk about the rumored saintess, who seems to be at the center of this whole affair.
"First of all, 'Saintess' is just a job class. Sure, it's technically recognized by the gods, but by that logic, every job class is divinely approved, right?"
As I help Ingrid tidy up, I explain to Amina what a saintess really is.
In FBO, this job class isn’t particularly rare.
In the context of games, you could even say it’s fairly well-known.
However, within the world of FBO, it’s not that important of a role.
The Church is indeed an official institution recognized by the gods, but as I mentioned before, it’s an organization where power struggles are strictly forbidden.
While they do possess considerable combat strength and hold influence across nations, it would be an exaggeration to say they dominate the world.
In most stories, the position of a saintess is often portrayed as highly significant, but in this world, while they may be revered to some extent, it’s not a particularly special profession.
In reality, the Church doesn’t even have a formal title of "saintess."
What exists is a hierarchical system of priests and bishops—nothing more.
There’s no such thing as a divinely blessed, special position.
Perhaps it’d be inconvenient for the gods if such a symbolic figure were to appear, so it remains confined to just another job class.
"Why do people think only saintesses and heroes are special?"
"Well, probably because of fairy tales where they slay evil dragons or save kingdoms from demon lords?"
But that’s only from a divine perspective. To the locals, a saintess must still seem extraordinary.
Since the method to obtain the Saintess job remains unknown, its rarity only adds to its perceived value.
The reason they’re glorified in fairy tales and bard songs is likely due to that scarcity.
"I get what you’re saying, Amina, but they’re not that strong."
During the game’s era, saintesses appeared as story devices to hype up the narrative.
Even then, they were treated as special.
If a beautiful named character became a saintess, players would inevitably roleplay as one.
They were fairly popular, and I remember a time when saintesses popped up everywhere.
But among hardcore players, almost no one chose to be one.
Saintesses excel in healing skills and light magic, but the job is so specialized in those areas that it’s hard to perform well outside of being a healer/light mage hybrid. Against light-attribute monsters, their offensive magic becomes completely useless.
Some tried building a "brawler saintess" by focusing on physical stats, but if you wanted to deal damage, a frontline class would be stronger—and they weren’t exactly tanky either.
They can heal themselves and work as frontline support, so they’re not weak, but their overall strength is… questionable.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Depending on skill setup, you can make it work, but considering job bonuses, they’re not that strong."
I get why they’d seem sacred in this world’s context, but as someone who knows you can reliably defeat evil gods without saintesses or heroes, I see them more as symbolic figures.
If we’re talking pure strength, I honestly don’t see why they’re so highly regarded.
"Anyway, in this case, it’s not about the saintess’s strength—it’s about using her religious and political image to justify cheating. Though if they start claiming divine blessing, they might just get smited."
"I haven’t heard of any divine retribution yet."
"Guess they’re not that stupid. Honestly, if a lightning bolt just struck them down and proved they were in the wrong, it’d make things way easier."
This time, that symbolic image seems to have deeply resonated with a certain lovesick fool, who’s now trying to justify his infidelity as "true love."
To any outside observer, it’s a complete "what is this idiot even saying" situation, but the involved parties probably see those cold stares as some kind of adversity.
"Right. Then we could just dismiss it as them deluding themselves without divine intervention."
"Even if we don’t, they’re clearly drunk on their own emotions right now."
"Ugh, people like that pop up sometimes. They just can’t see what’s around them."
"They do, don’t they?"
"Yeah, they just go with the flow, living in the moment. Eventually, they’ll snap out of it, but by then, they’ll hate their past selves and either leave the capital or something."
"By the time that fiancé of hers comes to his senses, he’ll probably be in too deep to back out. Not that it’s my problem."
Seems like there are always people like that. I chuckle wryly, and just as I finish tidying up—
"I shall go prepare the bath now."
"Thanks. I’ll go check on Nell and the others."
"Understood. I will call you once it’s ready."
Ingrid heads to the bath, while Amina and I step out into the garden.
"Brr, it’s a bit chilly out here."
"With how clear it is today, it’s actually a little warm."
A sharp *whoosh* greets us as the cooling air nips at our skin.
The sound of wood cutting through the air comes from Nell swinging her halberd with full force.
Claudia, fighting her, moves with swift, wind-like precision, her strikes punctuated by sharp cracks.
"What do you think will happen to Esmeralda’s ex-fiancé?"
"Last resort would be fleeing the country, but apparently, his parents aren’t too welcoming of this so-called saintess."
This is a full-on spar where injuries are a real risk.
Given Claudia’s principles, it’s no surprise, but Nell’s refusal to back down is impressive.
Having reached Class 4 and leveled up, Nell’s physical abilities are now on par with Claudia’s—at least superficially.
But in terms of skill, Claudia still has the upper hand.
Nell compensates with her weapon’s reach, but Claudia steadily parries and counters, methodically cornering her.
Nell’s trying to stay calm and think her way through, but the constant near-misses are starting to make her impatient.
"From what I heard at the tea party, the ex-fiancé’s gathering allies to protect the saintess, but doesn’t he realize he’s turning the entire noble society against him?"
Nell’s struggle is admirable—she’s fighting to grow stronger.
But when someone resists just to selfishly cling to their own desires, it just looks ugly.
"At the tea party, I heard his group was saying stuff like, 'The current kingdom’s system is rotten,' right?"
"Ugh, that’s the worst. Political criticism just makes enemies way faster than allies. You know the saying—'When in doubt, side with the strong.' For nobles who just want to live peacefully, rebellious youngsters are nothing but a nuisance."
Even when Claudia sends her flying, Nell minimizes damage by blocking with her weapon and quickly regains her stance to counter.
She’s searching for a way to win, putting in the effort.
Meanwhile, the ex-fiancé keeps spouting idealistic nonsense in a foreign country, making enemies left and right.
At this point, it’s hard to even tell what he’s trying to accomplish.
"So, what do you think will happen to Liberta?"
"Best-case scenario? They demand compensation for the broken engagement, deport the ex-fiancé, and as for the saintess… hard to say. The one picking a fight with the ducal house is the ex-fiancé—she might just be dragged into it. But since it’s still infidelity, she’d either be exiled or, worst case—"
If love could save the world, it would’ve been peaceful long ago.
I sit on a bench in the garden, watching Nell and Claudia train, and shrug.
"You can guess the rest. But honestly, it’s none of our business."
"But Nell’s training so hard for this?"
"The duke isn’t expecting a duel to solve anything. At this point, it’s just about getting an apology from the other family and wrapping things up. The real delay will be negotiating the terms."
Personally, I can’t even fathom falling for someone who’s already engaged. I’d rather stay far away from this mess.
"So, is Nell’s effort wasted?"
"No. Experience in fighting human opponents is always valuable. We’ll be facing more humanoid monsters, armed enemies, and martial arts specialists in the future. From that perspective, her training is incredibly useful. If anything, I’d encourage more of it."
Nell’s dedication stems from her desire to help her friend Esmeralda.
"Hmm."
"What about you, Amina?"
"Me? I’m good. I don’t see myself fighting head-on. Seems like too much trouble."
"What a coincidence. Neither do I. Once you get involved with nobles, trouble just keeps piling up. I sincerely hope this mess ends here."
The duke wouldn’t want me meddling either.
Right now, we’re just kids under his protection.
Sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong would only make things worse.
"Liberta, whenever you say stuff like that, you usually end up tangled in trouble anyway."
"Please, no. Getting involved in other people’s love lives sounds like a nightmare."
Besides, we’ve got our own problems.
"More importantly, we’ve got to catch up to the other three. Starting tomorrow, it’s grinding time."
"Need help?"
"Nah, exp-wise, it’s faster if just Ingrid and I tackle the Matango Dungeon. You focus on reaching Class 5 with Nell and Claudia."
"We haven’t been adventuring together much lately."
"Sorry about that. Me taking so long to get my job set us back."
"It’s fine."
If I have any free time, I’d rather use it to catch up to the others.
Right now, Nell and the others are already Class 4.
Over the past three months, Nell’s been running the Mochi Dungeon to gather Skill Ascension Orbs for me.
Thanks to that, once I start leveling, I can jump straight to Class 4.
"But hurry and catch up, okay? It’s kinda lonely with just three."
"Don’t worry. I’ll close the gap as fast as possible."
"Okay, I’ll be waiting."
Three months is longer than you’d think.
I appreciate her patience, but I still feel bad for lagging behind.
They’ve moved ahead on my instructions, but I need to catch up.
Getting to Class 4 was smooth, but beyond that, leveling won’t be so easy.
The exp required from Class 5 onward is on a whole different scale.
For the academy, our current level is more than enough, but given our situation, it’s better to push further.
At the very least, I want to hit Class 5 before enrollment—ideally Class 6.
"Liberta-sama."
As I kill time watching Nell and Claudia spar, Ingrid returns.
If she’s here, the bath must be ready.
"All set?"
"Yes, but—"
I was about to head straight for the bath to wash off the fatigue, but Ingrid seems hesitant.
"Liberta-sama, you have a guest."
"?? The duke?"
She struggles to find the right words before finally speaking.
"No… it’s a summons from the duchess."
"…The duchess?!"
I’m baffled. We’ve barely interacted.
I know she supported us with toilet paper and rice-based lotion, but that was all arranged through the duke.
I’ve talked with Esmeralda and Iris, but never directly with the duchess.
Well, technically, we’ve met.
We were introduced during a few dinner parties.
But we’ve never actually spoken.
"Any idea what it’s about? Did she say?"
"No, but she said it’s urgent."
Why would the duchess summon me directly instead of going through the duke?
I can only hope this doesn’t turn into a bigger mess.