Fake Saint of the Year

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Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Prius

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 69: Confession

We still continued practical training against demons, even after I picked up Alfrea.

The capabilities of Vernell’s group certainly got more polished with that, and their teamwork also got sharpened as they fought actual battles.

Also, leaving Alfrea’s personality aside, her capabilities were the real deal.

As expected of the Saint who had managed to (not really) defeat the Witch before she was officially recognized as a Saint.

She easily sent demons to their deaths, showing off the dignity of the First Saint. 

It was just… her smug face was quite annoying, so I carpet-bombed the forest using Aurea Libertas and obliterated the demons that hid there, which made her speak politely toward me for a while.

I thought I went too far, but according to Turtle, “The correct way to train a dog is by showing who is superior early on.”

Turtle-san, weren’t you a little too harsh toward Alfrea?

Anyway, she was totally greater than Eterna, ability-wise. It was a great addition to the fighting force against the Witch.

For the infiltration underground, let’s include her as well.

Obviously, I gave her the same kind of staff as Eterna, so she wouldn’t accidentally defeat the Witch.

And so, we also prepared a uniform that would fit Alfrea.

“Hee~ this is kind of cute. So when we go underground, I just need to wear this?”

“Yes, please do so.”

As I gave her the uniform while we were on the 5th floor of the academy, Alfrea happily looked at the uniform from various angles.

There were men like Vernell around, so she didn’t change immediately, but it seemed she liked its design.

The Headmaster Viscount Fox was also there, though from a distance away.

I had asked Fox to prepare a uniform, after all.

“I like that it is green. I love the color green.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In contrast, I hate red, yes, red. When I defeated demons, it always appeared even if you don’t want it to, so it became my most hated color before I realized it.”

I see, so Alfrea liked green.

Perhaps that was the reason why the Academy’s female uniform was white and green.

As I wondered about that, I looked toward Fox, and he started to explain, as he understood what I meant.

“Yes, it was because First Saint-sama’s color preferences had been passed down. That was the reason why our academy didn’t use red on its uniform.”

“Hee… so that’s the reason.”

Eterna sounded convinced when she heard the Headmaster’s reasoning.

This place was the “Alfrea Magic Knight Training Instituion” after all, so there was no way they would use a color that was hated by Alfrea herself in the uniform.

While everyone was convinced by that reasoning, Vernell looked down as if he was lost in thought.

Maybe he was thinking, “Isn’t green totally lame?”

By the way, the reason I had Alfrea wear a uniform was partly due to my hobby, but the other part of it was to deceive the Witch’s eyes.

In the scenario, “Students that happened to be lost underground,” the Witch would do everything in her power to prevent their escape, and that was the most important point in this operation.

If she thought they were merely students, the Witch would choose to fight (or so Turtle had said).

Because if they managed to escape alive, it meant her safe spot underground would be revealed, and she would have to teleport away, even at the risk of weakening herself.

She feared being found out by me more than anything else. That was why we planned to make use of that.

Anyway, the day of operation was drawing near.

There was only a little bit of time remaining for me in this Academy.

Night.

I slipped out of my room without telling Leila, and gazed at the school building from the school’s athletic field.

It made me feel slightly irritated, since the wind was messing up my hair, but it was scenery that I soon wouldn’t be able to see anymore soon.

Let’s keep it in my memories.

With Alfrea participating, my survival chances had increased, but I intended to reveal myself as the fake Saint after all of this ended. I planned to escape then, since I would be unable to stay here.

The title of Saint was supposed to be held by the real Saint.

So once it was peaceful, I would properly return it to Eterna. That was something I had decided from the very beginning.

Then, I would go somewhere nobody could find me and silently die, because if no one found my corpse, then nobody would be saddened about it.

“Huh? Elrise-sama.”

I heard a calling voice from behind, so I turned around and saw that Vernell was standing there.

Why did he come to the athletic field this late at night, I wonder?

Though I guess I couldn’t say that about others, since I did so myself.

“I was just running around here for a bit…”

I see, so it was training to prepare for the operation, huh. It’s a good mental attitude.

But he really has grown muscular, huh.

During the beginning, he still felt like a Galge protagonist, where he was weakly and handsome somehow, but currently he totally looked like a fighting game protagonist.

You did too much self-training. 

“But, I’m glad I met you here… I have something to say to Elrise-sama.”

Hou hou, so you had things you wanted to say.

Then it was better to say it during daytime.

As I said that, Vernell scratched his cheek, as if I had said something bad.

“No, Leila-san is always there during the day. If possible, I wish to say it when we’re all alone.”

Hou hou, so it was something to say when we’re all alone.

His face turned slightly red; his gaze couldn’t seem to calm down.

…No, wait, you. This was a bad development.

While I haven’t had much love experience myself, if they were this blatant, even I would notice it.

Are you serious? Seriously?

Stop it, you could still make it now. Think again.

Should I go for the typical misunderstanding of like and love scenario and say, “Yes, I like you too” to get past this?

No, wait, calm down. It isn’t certain that this was actually the case.

I might just be overly self-conscious… that’s probably it. Please make that the case!

“Elrise-sama… Ever since you saved me that day three years ago, I’ve always wished to be your knight. However, the feeling within me is not just limited to that… I don’t think this is a feeling I’m supposed to have, but… err, that, I mean… ah, it’s hard to put it into words.”

Right, go on. Keep being indecisive like that.

When that moment came, everyone became indecisive and failed to say what was supposed to be said. It was a typical development.

Good, you know it well.

Yes, let’s keep this state without marching forward a step.

“… No good. Even though I meant to say a lot of things, not that the moment’s come, my head’s turned blank… As expected, during this time, let’s say what I mean without any pretenses. Elrise-sama… I, toward you…”

STOOOOOOOOP!

Why did you change your mind and try to confess now!?

Be more indecisive! Hesitate more!

Why did you go full power toward stomping feces that fell on the floor!?

Stop, stop! Seriously, you ought not to say that to me! I am not the proper person you think I am.

Anyway, Vernell suddenly stopped talking, but I had no idea about what was going to happen next.

Ah, what should I do, what should I do…?

Should I reject him normally? But if he loses the will to fight because of that and goes “I’ll never… fight again…¹”, it will be very troublesome.

Then a few seconds after Vernell stopped talking, Vernell opened his mouth during the awkward atmosphere.

“Is it… because Elrise-sama is not the real Saint?”

Fah!?

I got found out!

How did I… I guess it was foolish to think so.

Yeah, I know. I guess that mistake from last time got called out now.

Headmaster Fox had said it after all.

“Our Academy uniform doesn’t use a red color in the slightest.”

In other words, at that time… the excuse I used when I was wounded in front of Vernell was invalid at this moment.

But he didn’t seem to notice it back then.

Then, when did he notice it?

As I asked Vernell, he easily answered it.

“Right now. Elrise-sama’s reaction confirmed it.”

…So he played me for a fool, huh.

I see, so my fault was revealed there.

“The moment I started to think it was strange was when Eterna’s power awakened. Eterna’s power is definitely not weaker compared to a Saint… At least compared to most generations of Saints, she isn’t much inferior to them, according to Leila-san. And actually, Eterna’s power isn’t much inferior to Alfrea-sama’s. In addition …I heard Headmaster’s words today and remembered that day.”

I see, so he observed things well.

Well, the moment Eterna awakened, it was quite impossible to keep up the pretense of being a Saint.

Yet even so, I still managed to fool everyone, because I borrowed Vernell’s power and managed to do things that only a Saint could do.

But that too, Vernell knew the reason for that.

Because I had taken away his power in front of him.

If he thought about it carefully, he would realize, “That fake, she merely used my power to perform.”

“At the same time, I managed to understand the real meaning of your words 3 years ago… ‘For you to meet your own Saint’ … From the beginning, you weren’t talking about yourself, but about Eterna.”

Hou, great answer.

No good, it seemed I underestimated this protagonist.

To think I got found out at such a time.

Well, it could be said it was convenient to me.

You should understand then, Vernell. I’ve been a fake from the very beginning.

Might as well confess now; I might feel lighter instead.

“Then, your power is…”

Things that Vernell asked in wonder, should be about those fake miracles I’ve performed until now.

Ah, those huh. Those were merely magic.

Regarding my mana amount, I merely did mana circulation to train it every single day.

(But it had automatic mana circulation cheat activated!)

As I explained that, Vernell showed his surprise.

I added this on top of that.

Your beloved “Saint Elrise” never existed in this world.

I was merely a fake that played the role of Saint!

You merely loved an illusion that never existed to begin with!

“That’s mistaken, Elrise-sama. You may not be a real Saint. But the people you’ve saved… Those you rescued were all real. Because you saved me then, I’m standing here right now. Even if your identity as the Saint is but an act… since you managed to act so perfectly, it’s already real! That’s why nothing has changed… my feelings too. My own Saint is… from the very beginning, it has always been you!”

Oou, he started to talk in the heat of the moment.

No, wait, wait, wait. Stay.

I understand, so stop your mouth. Don’t say it further.

Don’t start acting like a protagonist… although you actually are one. Anyway, don’t bring out such a passionate confession here.

“That’s why Elrise-sama… I, about you…”

Wai— yo, stop, stop.

Vernell, you are currently just high due to the heat of the moment.

Don’t use such momentum and tension to say such dangerous things with your mouth!

So take a deep breath. Be calm and think, “I guess that fake one is no good.”

Sto— stop!

Take it back… your words now…!

“—I love you!”

ABABBABABABABABA, ABABABBYABYABAYBABA—!!

Kuawsedrftgybujikolp!²

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