Chapter 17: See the Saint!

“Oh no! It’s the Mad Lion Sang! Rumor has it that Sang has nearly S-class strength.”

“This is troublesome; Sang’s companions are also here, making it difficult to deal with.”

“Why is he helping the merchant when he is a more famous adventurer?” Michelle asked.

“A merchant can issue missions to protect themselves through the guild. In such cases, adventurers will protect their employer regardless of the situation. There’s also the possibility that the merchant is being directed by Sang, or that the two are in cahoots. In any case, he is our enemy now,” Leo explained.

“You seem to know quite a bit; I almost thought you were an adventurer instead of a student,” said the instigator, Heles, as he walked over with a large sword.

Leo’s body stiffened, but seeing that several seniors were not moving, he relaxed.

Michelle remained calm, gently clasping her hands together, and a light circle appeared on the ground, surrounding everyone except Heles.

Defensive magic; that put my mind at ease.

The others saw through the act but pretended as if nothing had happened.

“Yuris can’t hold on much longer; we need to take action.”

Jin summoned four black knights, and judging by their curves, they were actually female… female.

“Hey! Everyone listen! This merchant is a fraud! This armor has no such effect; you’ve all been deceived!” Heles’s loud voice echoed throughout the venue.

“Fake? We were deceived?”

Some adventurers who were helping the merchant against Yuris were stunned.

“Don’t be fooled by them; they want to seize my goods and sell them at a high price. They are the enemies!” The merchant quickly said, sensing the situation was turning against him.

“That’s right; you’ve all seen the effects of this armor; there are no issues,” the merchant’s companion chimed in.

“Greed will lead one to the abyss. Stop your crimes, make amends, and the gods will forgive you; otherwise, divine punishment will descend!”

Michelle, dressed in priestly garments, attracted everyone’s attention.

“The priest of the church!”

“Now that the priest has stepped forward, could it be that the merchant is truly a fraud?”

People were more concerned about her identity than her beauty.

In the eyes of the public, church priests are more respected than nobles, and their words are more trustworthy.

At this moment, the other adventurers began to look at the merchant differently.

“She’s fake! How could a church priest be mingling with a group of students? You should know that church priests always have holy knights as guards. They are all impostors; whether they are students from the Nidlan or priests, they are merely using this identity to commit fraud.”

A cold sweat broke out on the merchant’s face, but he still stubbornly retorted.

His words had some basis; Michelle was a candidate for the Saint, and her status was more noble than that of an ordinary priest. Logically, she should always have holy knights guarding her, but Leo had never seen her with holy knights in their previous encounters.

This became a means for the merchant to attack them.

Neither side could produce decisive evidence, leaving ordinary adventurers in a dilemma about whom to believe.

“Who cares about that? Just take them down!”

Heles’s large sword was already out of control; if he didn’t act soon, he might accidentally hit his teammates.

“Don’t be impulsive; the Mad Lion is not easy to deal with.”

Nathen was more rational; as the captain, he prioritized the safety of his teammates.

Michelle took a few steps forward and produced a holy white staff.

“Teleportation descends!”

With a light breath, Michelle, bathed in white light, appeared holy and noble, quickly attracting everyone’s attention.

At the same time, a white formation appeared on the ground.

“Summoning magic? No, it’s teleportation magic.”

The teleportation array lit up with bright white light, and as the brilliance faded, tall figures appeared in the formation.

Holy Knights!

More than ten holy knights clad in pure white armor knelt on one knee, paying their respects to their master.

“Salute to the Saint!”

The resounding voice echoed through the space, and everyone understood Michelle’s identity, looking at the beautiful girl in shock.

It turned out to be the Saint! More noble than a priest.

At this moment, no one dared to doubt her identity.

In the eyes of ordinary people, whether a candidate for the Saint or the true Saint, they held the same status—unreachable.

“Get up!”

Michelle’s expression was emotionless, and her every gesture exuded nobility. At this moment, Leo finally felt the posture and authority that a candidate for the Saint should possess.

Previously, Michelle gave him the impression of a delicate girl; it couldn’t be said which was better, as each had its own charm.

Summoning a group of holy knights in an instant, no wonder she didn’t need guards. Leo truly witnessed the power of a candidate for the Saint.

He suddenly woke up, realizing that he had subconsciously wanted to approach Michelle, driven by his instincts as a man, no, as a male, while neglecting the identity gap between them.

Moreover, would someone as perfect as Michelle also be the protagonist he wanted to avoid at all costs?

The tenth-ranked candidate for the Saint, although the lowest rank, each candidate was equivalent to an imperial prince or princess, and they held real power.

The only difference was that the church’s people lacked the arrogance of nobility; they were approachable and willing to help.

With Michelle’s abilities, it wasn’t impossible for her to rise to become the true Saint.

Leo now realized what kind of person he was dealing with.

After coming to this understanding, he became much more rational.

Regardless of whether Michelle was the protagonist or not, he would still try to avoid her… never mind, just go with the flow.

“We’re doomed!”

Seeing the appearance of the holy knights, the merchant knew he was finished.

“Arrest them! Also, capture the adventurers who assisted them.”

The holy knights immediately sprang into action, and the merchant was quickly subdued.

“Seeking death!”

The Mad Lion Sang suddenly struck, sending a holy knight flying with a single sword strike.

With nearly S-class strength unleashed, his golden hair flew, and a scar remained on his face, resembling an angry lion.

“Daring to attack the holy knights of the church, now that’s a qualified adventurer!”

Watching Sang’s actions, Leo showed a hint of excitement on his face.

This was also why he wanted to become an adventurer: powerful, unrestricted by anyone, and free to do what he wanted.

However, Sang was still a bit lacking; the captain of the holy knights truly possessed S-class strength, and it was only a matter of time before Sang was taken down.

“I refuse to accept this! I’m just selling goods; why should I be arrested by you?”

Seeing no way out, the merchant began to play the rogue.

“You say it’s a fake product, then bring out the evidence! Even the church can’t be so overbearing! Can the church just slander others at will?”

Seeing that Michelle had no reaction, the expressions of the surrounding crowd began to change, and the atmosphere seemed to shift.

The merchant saw a glimmer of opportunity, a flash of glee in his eyes, and he shouted even more vigorously.

“I painstakingly transported goods from the dwarves, and you say they’re fake just because you want to monopolize such powerful items?”

“Master Ruden’s mark doesn’t seem fake; it’s hard to replicate.”

“Perhaps the goods are real, and the church is wronging them.”

Gradually, different voices began to emerge.

———-
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