Fake Saint of the Year
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Kiro1
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 8: A Picture
Something seemed wrong that day.
A special class is held for those whose theory scores are poor… Vernell was told so and went to the Academy’s basement.
Unfortunately, it is a fact that his theory scores are poor.
All Vernell did since entering the Academy was train his body, which makes his theoretical knowledge lacking.
Besides him, there were Eterna and 5 other people he met for the first time who have gathered due to the same reason.
Surprisingly, Eterna is also not good at theory.
In the first place, she didn’t even learn about reading and writing until recently… but considering she lived in a poor village where such skills were unnecessary, it can’t be helped.
The literacy rate in this world is not that high.
Those who learned to read and write are either wealthy people or nobles, because most farmers don’t see any reason to learn it.
Therefore, Eterna never saw proper written words prior to her arrival here.
Rather, the fact that she learned to read and write decently in a short period of time is proof that she is highly intelligent.
But as expected, that alone is not enough to close the gap, which is the reason for her bad theory scores.
The other students who gathered here should be in similar circumstances.
Everyone has no surname, which is proof they belong to a similar background as Vernell.
In this Magic Knight Academy, those who came from a noble background have an advantage from the beginning… or rather, they didn’t consider the possibility of remote villagers coming to apply in the first place.
It’s not like there are no villagers who dream of becoming a knight, but most of those people are weeded out during the entrance exam.
Because most of their rivals are aristocratic children who have studied and trained from childhood. It’s totally different down to their foundation.
In that sense, the fact that Vernell and the others managed to pass the exam without such a foundation means they are quite excellent, but it’s not enough to close the big gap between the two.
So the fact there is a special class to help them in that situation is actually appreciated.
For Vernell, he prefers to use his time for sword, magic, or physique training instead, but since there is such an opportunity, he was dragged along by Eterna.
But he felt that something was off.
He heard the special class is about theory.
Yet they are gathered in the Academy’s basement instead, the place where only the best of students would be gathered to have combat training against Greater Demons with their life on the line.
Why were they brought to such a place despite there being only seven of them?
Something is clearly wrong here. Everyone thought so… but the moment they came here, it was already too late.
“Welcome to the special class. Let’s have you quiet down right away.”
The person who came as the instructor for this class is a female teacher… as Fara welcomed them with such words, she snapped her fingers.
The door immediately closed, and Greater Demons appeared from various directions.
“Se- Sensei! What are you trying to do?!”
One of the students gathered there shouted.
His name is John.
He was a common soldier from a small village, but one day an army of demons struck. As he was in despair, the Saint came and saved the day.
From that moment he studied hard to be able to fight by her side, and when he made it into the Academy he was 20 years old.
The minimum age of acceptance to the Academy is 17 years old, but there is no upper limit.
So it’s not rare for those over 20 to enter this Academy.
“You are John… if I’m not mistaken. My apologies. It’s not that I care if you came or not, but it would be weird if I only called for one specific student…. That’s why I gathered people with similarly low scores. Bluntly, you were just dragged into this. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean…”
“What I aim for is just one student… Vernell, you alone. It’s enough if I have you as my hostage.”
As Fara said that, she looked toward Vernell.
She said hostage. But Vernell had no idea for what reason he was being taken hostage for.
After all, he is not an aristocrat or anything. It’s not like ransom will be paid for his safety.
“I know that yesterday, the Saint… Elrise visited your room. I have no idea why the Saint would care for a student like you but… anyway, you seem to have caught the Saint’s attention.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Exactly. You are a hostage for the Saint.”
How is that possible, he thought.
Elrise indeed visited his room yesterday.
But that’s because she is kind, it’s not like he is special or anything.
She will treat anyone the same way.
He is still just one among many for her.
In that case, for such a guy, there’s no way the Saint will…
…No! No good! She will come! She doesn’t see any person as worthless! It doesn’t matter who the hostage may be, she will definitely come!
Elrise is such a kind Saint.
She was known for loving everything since the past, as proof, she didn’t help people based on how rich or poor they are, but helped everyone she could reach.
If the fact that there were hostages reached her ear…
She will come… regardless of who the hostage may be. Even if it’s a stranger she doesn’t recognize, she will still come.
Please… don’t come… don’t do it for my sake, please, don’t endanger yourself…
Such a wish is not granted.
There are those she could save, and they are within her reach.
So she came to help. She is such a Saint after all.
“Are the students safe?”
Dozens of minutes later.
Vernell wished in vain, Elrise came to the basement alone.
Perhaps she was told to come without any escorts.
Vernell’s group was tied up and sat in one corner of the room, forced to watch the Saint’s execution that was about to happen.
Of course, he did try to resist. He had no weapon since it was supposed to be theory class, but he is capable enough to stand his ground barehanded.
But the demons that gathered here are those with great power for the sake of killing the Saint… it’s practically impossible for Vernell, who was still a trainee, to win and he was easily caught.
“No good, Elrise-sama! It’s a trap!”
Vernell shouted.
As if reacting to his voice, Elrise looked toward him… and smiled to reassure him.
“To think you really came… Saint-sama is as kind as the rumors say… no, I should say foolish.”
Fara smiled, but he agreed.
She is foolish. To put herself in danger so she could rescue merely seven people.
Please treasure yourself more.
But the real fools are those like himself who are helplessly taken as a hostage.
As he thought so, his body shook with regret.
“I won’t deny being a fool. But you overestimate me to say I am kind. I only come because I wished so. I only act for the sake of myself.”
“Hah… such composure you have. But, let’s see if that composure stays after seeing this?!”
Fara snapped her finger. At the same time the Greater Demons approached.
Yet even as they came closer, she kept her composure… and was observing Fara’s chest for some reason.
What? Is there something there?
As Vernell thought that, he narrowed his sight… then he saw a black haze in Fara’s chest.
What is that? Is she the same as me!?
He didn’t know what the black haze was.
But Elrise surely knows what that is.
But now isn’t the time for that.
Although the demons that surround Elrise are small enough to fit underground, they are all powerful Greater Demons.
Baphomet, Chimera, Basilisk, Gryphon. There are even Dragons here.
All of them are monsters that need several magic knights who graduated with great results to work together to defeat.
And every one of them, charged towards Elrise all at once.
“A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.”
Elrise said some foreign words.
Immediately after light grew with her as the center, and by the time that light subsided, none of the demons remained.
He needed several seconds to digest what just happened. It was that overwhelming
She erased them.
Were this basement a picture, she erased all the flaws (demons) within.
“No way… there’s no way this is happening! All the demons here are monsters which even Guard Knights struggle against! To defeat them all with a single attack… no way, it’s impossible! Even if you are the Saint, such a thing is impossible!!!”
Fara was panicking as she stepped backwards.
The demons definitely aren’t weak. But they are not even qualified to be the Saint’s opponents.
These filthy demons weren’t even granted a chance to touch her, such a reality unfolded in front of them.
The greatest Saint of all time, Elrise… Vernell had heard those legends over and over.
It had been said, the demons that nearly took the previous Saint’s life were erased before they were even able to reach her.
It had been said, she destroyed armies of thousands of demons within seconds.
It had been said… even the Witch feared direct confrontation against her to the point that she avoided it and ran away.
Rumors are often exaggerated, such is common sense.
But for her it is not so. Or rather, it’s the opposite… words alone are not enough to describe it.
What lies there, is a picture that is worth a thousand words.
“A- amazing…”
“So this is… the Saint…”
Vernell and Eterna unconsciously let out a cliché impression.
But they are truly only capable of saying so. Because they lacked the words to properly describe this moment.
Rather, if one forces it into words, it will lose its real worth.
If it’s something within the scope of understanding, one could say it like “this happened” “that’s how it occurred” and “that’s why it’s so amazing”.
But this moment exceeded those. You could only say “anyway it’s amazing” if you forcefully put it into words.
“…Hih!”
Elrise quietly looked toward Fara.
As she slowly approached her, Fara stumbled backward accordingly.
It was clear to anyone present here… The sheer disparity between those two.
What was left is to punish Fara and end this.
“I- I see… it is a good thing that I prepared a backup plan…”
But Fara had not given up yet.
As she snapped her finger, a small demon from the corner of the room went and ran behind Vernell and Eterna.
It’s just one small fry. But perhaps that’s exactly why Elrise didn’t notice it before.
Such an insignificant small fry turned their hands into blades and pressed it against the necks of Vernell and Eterna.
“As you can see, kind Saint-sama. If you resist, the lives of these two will be no more. In exchange… if you would just let me stab you without resisting, I shall promise to release all hostages unharmed.”
When Fara said so, Elrise stopped walking.
That’s enough to prove that the hostages served their worth, bringing composure back to Fara’s face.
“Now, what’s your choice!?”
“Don’t, Elrise-sama! Don’t care about us!”
“That’s right! You aren’t supposed to die here!”
“Please stop this… I beg you!”
“Please escape!”
Vernell’s group shouted to cover Fara’s word.
She would save many people out there in future.
The world needs her existence to defeat the Witch and clear the dark ages.
She is not supposed to throw her life away just for the sake of seven trainees.
She is not a person that is allowed to perish here.
Even if these seven people are to be sacrificed, the Saint must live on.
“Very well. Stab that blade toward me. It’s a cheap price to pay to save them.”
“Fu, Fufufu… now this is surprising. You are really foolish.”
But Elrise chose to put herself in danger.
She lowered her hands as if she had abandoned all resistance.
Looking at her, Fara approached as she was assured of her victory.
“DON’T!!”
There’s no way this can be allowed to happen, Vernell screamed in his heart.
He desired to become a knight that protects her.
To become a strong man that could fight alongside her.
Yet he ended up as a hostage, leading her to death.
There’s no way he could allow it to happen.
“Just one thing… can you promise me that you will release everyone?”
“Ah, I shall keep the promise. Even for me, it’s meaningless to kill unrelated students since it will cause me more problems later on.”
“Then it’s alright. Do it.”
Elrise relaxed herself as if abandoning any thought to resist, and she closed her eyes.
Then Fara moved closer toward her, raising her knife.
“UOOOOOOOOOHH!!”
As Elrise was about to meet danger, Vernell roared like a beast.
Releasing a limiter on his brain, he pushed his own body’s power.
His muscles hardened, his blood vessels became visible.
Using it, he broke the rope that bound him — then he grabbed the small demon who pressed its blade toward him.
The small demon panicked and struck, but it failed to pierce Vernell’s hardened muscle.
Vernell broke the blade using his own neck, and stomped the ground hard.
And toss! He threw the small demon toward Fara’s direction, it directly hit her head.
As a result, Fara lost her consciousness, and collapsed with white eyes.
Due to this unexpected development… even Elrise was surprised to the point that her eyes turned rounder.
Author note:
Illustration given by saku様
Now this is Saint!
Hasr: Say hello to our new TL Tsukii! Thanks to them, we can ensure triple releases every Sunday!
See, elrise was looking at that black haze absolutely not at the boobs. Absolutely not.
This muscle guy really…
Thanks for chap
Her perverted gaze got mistaken
And I see why ppl hate his training route. I can imagine a macho muscle man like some of those korean martial arts mahwa … Ughhh
Ah, there is always such a disparity between Elrise and everyone else’s points of view. But that’s exactly why this is so fun! Wuhahaha!
Glory to the bodyguard Vernell! Glory to the fake (turning real) Saint Elrise! And, finally, glory to the muscles! How amazing!
ONEGAI MUSCLES
Thanks for the chapter!
muscle is always be with you
“May the muscle be with you”
-Landius, Ending Maker-
Hell yeah, we got a comrade here
Lol
lol indeed
DAMN SON THOSE MUSCLES!
RIP THE ROPES! BREAK WEAPONS WITH HARDENED SINEWS! SHOW THEM THE GLORY OF PHYSICAL POWERRRRR
i spotted fanatic of muscle sect here
— Thanks for the chapter~ ^^.
Convenient black haze in that position. lol.
something that solidify elrise ability as saint
LMAOOOO isn’t it convenient that there’s black haze in fara’s boobs elrise
deus ex machina at work, folks
Thanks for triplets
thx for your comments too!