Fake Saint of the Year

Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Geli

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 62: Special Training Begins

Last night, I saw nothing, got it?

And so, we begin escaping from reality. The Fake Saint’s role play will be energetically done this time as well.

Many things happened yesterday, like when Mob Girl got manipulated by Octopus, and when Eterna rampaged a bit, but since it all concluded safely, we could say everything was just fine.

Night? I don’t know what you’re talking about. After Vernell went away, I… no, no, there wasn’t anyone up on the rooftop when I went there to repair it, and then I went straight back. There was nobody there (this was important, so it ought to be said twice).

Then came the next morning. Vernell, Eterna, Mary, Aina, Mob A, Fiora, Perverted Glasses Bastard, the people better known as Team Vernell+ and… err… Crunchbite something or other… Yes, that underdog!

The only other person who managed to enter the top 8 beside Vernell’s team, that muscular man.

They had gathered in my room and were waiting for my instructions.

But honestly, Eterna, it’s okay if you want to go home instead, you know?

It isn’t that I don’t want you here. Rather, an Awakened Eterna would be a major boon when it came to fighting against the Witch.

But for me though, it was my fault that Eterna ended up getting her heart broken.

Ah, no, no. There was absolutely no confession event that happened yesterday, but it was just a hunch. Yes, a hunch.

Anyway, she probably wasn’t thinking about risking her life for me since she got rejected because of me.

If she still considered doing so though, then she really was a Saint… ah, this girl actually was the Saint.

“Uhm, Elrise-sama?”

“I understand.”

As I was thinking about that stuff, Leila urged me to talk.

I know. I was just about to talk.

But before that, just one more time, let me reconfirm once more.

It would be troublesome if you people complained later on.

“I’ve already told you last time, but once you listen to my story, there’s no turning back. Are you sure you want to proceed with this?”

I spoke in a slightly intimidating way to confirm their resolve, but there was no sign of anyone wanting to withdraw.

Fumu, I guess they are prepared for it. I suppose that’s only to be expected from the protagonist and his comrades.

They were totally different from me.

I wasn’t driven by anything like resolve.

It was just that I was much stronger compared to others, so I didn’t need such a thing to face the battlefield.

Someone once said that “courage” was about knowing fear.

The nobility of courage was displayed when one decided to push through and move forward, despite the darkness ahead of them.

I was different. I felt no fear to begin with.

It was only that I was powerful and could battle with a sure guarantee that I’d win. I acted cool and did ME STRONK. That was all I did.

I was an arrogant and vulgar person.

There wasn’t the slightest bit of noble feelings, like courage, within my heart.

That was why I was scum; this character of mine would never be able to stand together with Vernell’s group.

“… I have acknowledged your resolve. Well then, let’s get to the point. Within this academy… way below the underground training room, is where the Witch, Alexia, is in hiding.”

My words caused a bit of a ruckus within Vernell’s group.

The only ones who weren’t surprised were Leila and Perverted Glasses Bastard, I guess.

I had already told them beforehand, so this was natural.

By the way, the one who was the most surprised was Underdog-kun.

He went, “Eh!? Alexia-sama is the Witch!?” as he was caught off guard by such old news.

Thinking about it though, he was the only one there who didn’t know about that.

“The reason Witch hasn’t moved from the academy is because she still thinks I’m not aware of her location. On the other hand, the moment it seems like I’ve realized this… like if I go there or send Knights there, then the Witch will immediately use a special magic called teleport, and hide herself in a new location. And as she runs away, there will definitely be some people… perhaps even dozens or hundreds more… unfortunate people who will end up becoming victims.”

Vernell’s group remained silent as I continued my explanation.

If you guys just keep silent, I’ll think your attention is slipping away, so it’s better for me if you respond, even just a bit?

“And so, we need to end this fight at the academy, without letting the Witch use her teleport. For that, we need capable people who are not Knights… in other words, we need the cooperation of everyone here.”

“U, Uhm… how do we seal that thing called teleport?”

Aina asked the obvious question.

With that, I began explaining the Operation Vacuum to them.

The plan was for me to summon a barrier that covered the whole academy all the way, even underground. It would cause all the mana within the barrier to be taken by me instead, which would prevent those inside from replenishing their MP.

But if this was done too soon, the Witch could just teleport away with the MP she still had inside her, so before that, somebody has to fight the Witch and force her to use up her MP to the point where she’d be unable to use Teleport.

That “somebody” would be the eight of you.

As expected, everyone got nervous after I told them that.

“So we’re going to fight… against the Witch”

“…A serious responsibility.”   

Vernell said with a shaky voice, while Mary had a grim expression. 

Everyone else was in a similar state; the only person who wasn’t nervous was the underdog.

“Fuh… interesting. I had become too strong for this academy. I only used 50% of my power during the last Fighting Tournament. It seems this will be a worthy fight where I can use all my power. I look forward to it. I hope the Witch can last long enough for me to fight against her.”

Oi, oi, oi, this guy was gonna die.

Well it was better for him to be fearless than run away, I guess.

By the way, him saying he used only 50% was his way of trying to look cool, but he lost the moment his battle began, so it was more accurate to say that he only managed to use 50% of his power.

He got defeated before he could’ve had the chance to properly use his power, so it was totally uncool.

“For this operation, Knights like Leila are unable to participate. Also, Alexia’s Aide, “Shadow,” was defeated in the last battle. However in the underground, there are several powerful Demons remaining as the Witch’s Guard.”

The powerful Demons I spoke of were those who were slightly less powerful than the dragon I defeated last time.

For me though, regardless of whether there would be dozens or hundreds of them, they were still small fries that could be cleaned up with a single AoE attack. However, they were supposedly considered as monsters that usually required several Knights to deal with.

The only ones who could fight solo against them and win were Leila, Old Man Fox, and former Headmaster Diaz, I guess.

Since Eterna has awakened as the Saint, and Vernell has also managed to use his dark power properly, they were stronger than Leila, though even with that, it would undoubtedly still be a hard fight.

It would be easier for them if I could manage to destroy all her followers and could just leave the Witch for them to fight, but I didn’t know how to pull that off.

If the group centered around Eterna mainly dealt with those demons… who would deal with Witch in the meantime?

As expected, it would have to be Vernell, and maybe another person or two as support, I guess?

But, even with the weapons I gave them, it would absolutely still be a hard fight.

“There’s no doubt that it will be a hard fight. But let me say this… For the sake of ending this cycle that has been continuing since the ages of old, I’m asking everyone to please lend me your strength.”

I said it nicely, but basically, I was sending you guys to the land of death.

Uhm, this was brutal.

I was confident that I could enjoy a NEET life once I died since I thought I would go to heaven, but maybe I would end up going to hell instead.

…It, it would all be okay if no one died… maybe…

“I want to ask one thing. The Saint who defeats the Witch will become the next Witch… have you already resolved this problem?”

Vernell’s question was essentially, “If you end up becoming the Witch, nothing is resolved, right?”

Underdog-kun, who was only hearing about this fact for the first time, got surprised and said, “Eh? The Saint is going to become the Witch!?”

But it was okay. This problem has already been resolved from the very beginning.

Because I was a fake, there was no way I could become a Witch.

That was why I confidently smiled back at him.

“Yes. Even if I defeat the Witch, I won’t become a Witch. I will end this cycle that has continued since the past in my generation.”

“… I understand. I believe in you.”

Oh, you shouldn’t worry, Vernell.

I wouldn’t be turned into a Witch. Rather, I couldn’t. 

I would die properly, and spend my life as NEET in the next world.

“The number and types of demons in the underground has already been revealed due to the power of the Prophet. So for now, everyone will need to train to fight against the demons.”

The number of demons that had appeared as Alexia’s followers in the game was 5.

Dragon, Baphomet, Gryphon, Chimera, and Basilisk.

But when Turtle used its Clairvoyance, they were not there for some reason.

It seemed that the demons I defeated back during that event with Farah-san were the demons that were supposed to be the Witch followers.

In their place were Wyvern, Minotaurus, Hippogriff, Orthros. There were these four instead.

Ignoring their supposed mythical origins, in “Kuon no Sanka,” the power of these four was a rank below when compared to dragons.

They were almost at the same level as a Greater Demon Class, I guess.

They were strong, but it would be a much easier fight when compared to the original line up.

Even so, Knights would still have a hard time fighting against them. So a tough battle was only to be expected.

So from now on, Vernell’s group would be in training to fight against demons along with me.

“Training, is it?”

“Yes. Until now, I have been reclaiming territories that had been taken over by the demons, but it’s not like the whole world is already free from the demon’s threat. Although those areas are few and far between, there are still places that are being tormented by demons.”

Yes, you there, don’t call me useless.

The size of Fiori’s planet was smaller compared to Earth’s, so it didn’t feel as broad, but it was still a world.

Even if I could fly around at high speeds, was capable of destroying demon hordes here and there, and had many reliable Knights, trying to place the entirety of the world under humanity’s influence was still a difficult thing to do.

Huh? The factors I mentioned were all favorable conditions already. So I really was useless…

…Anyway.

Before my… rather, before Eterna’s generation of the Saint, there was not much territory that had been reclaimed. When I took the post, humanity’s sphere of influence was only around 20% of land; the rest was under the demons’ influence.

No, it wasn’t just 20%.

This world was like an old school RPG. Outside the city walls, one commonly encountered demons, in such frequency that it was seriously dangerous. So even in areas that were supposedly within humanity’s sphere of influence, the only safe place was within the city walls.

Villages were attacked frequently. It was quite often for demons to raid  villages, and the number of deaths had piled up.

Seriously, humanity’s sole safe spots were merely those cities that were fortified with walls.

Once you stepped out of the cities, the probability that you would encounter demons was so high that you’d think you were in a Famicon era RPG.

I had managed to turn that situation around and into a “No encounter” situation. Also, I was able to return 99% of the territory to humans, so I ought to be praised for that. 

With the Artisan’s (me) skill, I had managed to change the situation from where the demon’s territory borders were everywhere, to one where demons were currently in a state of near extinction. It was an example of an extreme before and after situation.

So I was not useless… I was not useless at all…!

More like I was capable…! Supposedly… or at least… I was leaning more on the capable side…! Maybe…!

“An island nation located far from our continent, “Fuguten,” still suffers from the threat of demons. We will go to this nation and do actual battle with demons to gain experience.” 

That place’s formal name was Ordinary Fuguten.

It was an island nation that was located far from the continent we lived in. It was ruled by a king named King Yoru.

The reason why demons still remained there was because it was the most peaceful place in the world.

Over the course of history, Saints were born in various places around the world. The Witch also changed throughout the generations, and spread demons all over the world as time passed.

But in recorded history, the Witch has not made that island nation as her base even once.

Because even if they did manage to spread demons there, it was not an easy feat to transport them across the sea, all the way to the continent.

The Witch sought to attack as many nations as possible, and wanted to take over as many territories as they could.

But if they took an island that was surrounded by the sea on all sides, the demons that spread there would be unable to leave the tiny island. It would only make that island into a demon’s paradise and would be useless for anything else.

Rather than doing that, it would be preferable to use various other nations as their base to increase the number of demons.

So regarding that Island nation, there was not much worth for the Witch to occupy it.

Also, if it was hard for demons to leave this island nation, then obviously the reverse also had to hold true and it was difficult for demons to reach this island.

As a result, the only demons that had managed to reach this island were those who were capable of flight, or those who could swim.

That was why for the denizens of Fuguten, the desperate life and death battle that happened in the continent was none of their business, and they didn’t consider it as important.

Even I had no reason to go to that island, not just because it wasn’t that infested by demons, but also because it was the farthest place to reach physically. As such, I had left it alone.

As a result, it was only on this island where I had yet to accomplish anything.

What was once the most peaceful nation in the world was currently the most dangerous nation in the world.

Thinking about it however, I was glad I left it for last, though it might sound cruel to say that.

Thanks to that, it could be used for Vernell’s group training.

On this side… since I went crazy and hunted demons around, there were seriously no more demons left…

Even if there were some left, it was likely that they had participated in the Billberry Capital Raid last time.

After that incident, I was unable to find any even when I searched.

I had heard from the soldiers and knights who still went out for demon subjugations, but it seemed like nobody had encountered a demon since.

… I’d really done it, I guess. They might seriously go extinct.

Nowadays, you couldn’t even find one horned rabbit, which was weaker than slimes, the contender of the weakest mob in fantasy.

In recent years, the slime was re-evaluated as actually very strong to some, but the horned rabbit kept its place stably and stayed as a small fry; it was even considered as a healing type of demon due to its cute, soothing appearance.

Yet, not even that healing type demon remained.

Well, it’s okay! If there’s anything left at all, then it’s all good!

I won’t mind my past mistakes! Let’s go to the Island Nation!


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Rainmoarr
Rainmoarr
1 month ago

Fantasy Japan here we go!

Catman48
Catman48
11 months ago

More like I was capable…! Supposedly… or at least… I was leaning more on the capable side…! Maybe…!

Cuuutee!!!!!

GreeenJade
GreeenJade
1 year ago

Wow horned rabbit. If they still exist pls domesticated them!!

Alixiron
Alixiron
1 year ago

Dog-kun is hilarious

RayREI
RayREI
1 year ago

Poor underdog-kun, while the others are seriously discussing the plan he is busy taking in all the info bombs the rest of them kept throwing around like it is just common sense. I wonder if he begun question whether he slept through some history lessons that discussed those things.

Eternal perspective
Eternal perspective
1 year ago

Thanks for chap
Again a tribute to op slime series. Now we desperately need an op horned rabbit series too

SoulsTogether
SoulsTogether
1 year ago

Welp, Elrise once again showed her raw might, as well as everything she was done for this world. She really does outdo herself.

When it comes to chapters like this, I sometimes think about “vs battles” type sites that pin two fictional characters into fighting and attempt to predict the outcome. I normally wonder…how would these analyzers see Elrise of “Kuon no Sanka”.

I don’t know. It’s just fun to figure out the number of possible misunderstandings and understandings that these people will get from watching Elrise’s little avatar save the world.

Also…we are getting close to the end, huh? I’m going to miss this novel.

Once more, thank you for the chapters. They are always a delight!

Bunnyman13
Bunnyman13
1 year ago

Rabbits…… Re zero flashbacks intensifies.

tsukii
tsukii
1 year ago
Reply to  Bunnyman13

it became staple of weakest mob instead of goblin or slime these days.

NickMaster
NickMaster
11 months ago
Reply to  tsukii

Not these ones… Not these ones…

Kzalca
2 years ago

She might as well be a god at this point. Holy sheit.
Thanks for the translation!

tsukii
tsukii
1 year ago
Reply to  Kzalca

She managed to achieve much despite the desperate situation of the world, so it’s amazing of her.

Sugitama-san
Sugitama-san
2 years ago

No wonder, she is not a saint but a goddess who is worshiped

tsukii
tsukii
1 year ago
Reply to  Sugitama-san

I found Supple compatriot here.

SoulsTogether
SoulsTogether
1 year ago
Reply to  Sugitama-san

That…might actually happen…

Like, I can only imagine two possible ways Elrise’s reveal can go. 1.) Everyone thinks she is the most imagine person in the world for doing everything, which she has done, despite not having the power of a Saint nor the responsibility of one. Or 2.) everyone stops limiting their admiration of Elrise to just “saint” level…and end up worshiping her like a goddess avatar or something.

It’s always fun to think about.

Val
Val
2 years ago

Well if even horned rabbits and slimes almost went extinct, it meant this Saint (fake) had seriously overdone it. No more grinding.

tsukii
tsukii
1 year ago
Reply to  Val

It’s more because last demon invasion to Billberry capital round up every demons in the continent, thus saving the trouble of hunting them all down

mavg
mavg
2 years ago

“More like I was capable…! Supposedly… or at least… I was leaning more on the capable side…! Maybe…!”

cute af

tsukii
tsukii
2 years ago
Reply to  mavg

but i can’t took away the image of her former self… which made it sounds… creepy

trippuchi
trippuchi
2 years ago
Reply to  tsukii

honestly for me, even if it’s the adult man Fudou Niito saying such a thing, it’s still cute. Gap moe or something? lololol

tsukii
tsukii
2 years ago
Reply to  trippuchi

remember his current state, practically dying, closer to corpse than living human, bones covered with skin without any apparent flesh. i can’t trigger gap moe to that