The Consequences of Sin
I'm here to collect the bounty!
Oh, Trish? You're quick as ever.
The way of the hunter! Quick and clean!
...And still talking in that strange way, I see.
Anyway, where are the bandits? Tied up outside?
They're right here.
What do you mean, right he—huh?!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Waaaaaaah!!!
Eeek!!
Wait... You didn't actually kidnap a priestess from the Monolith Order, did you?!
You've always been obsessed with standing out, spouting [the way of the hunter] and all that...
You've finally crossed the line!
Sorry, but the Association expels human traffickers on the spot!
Who are you calling a human trafficker?!
It's just that...
Looks like our client was just messing with us.
What? That can't be...
It was definitely a quest from the saintesses of the Monolith Order.
The Order even verified her identity...
I explained the whole situation.
So that's what happened...
I sincerely apologize for the trouble our member has caused you.
The Association will fully compensate you.
But for a saintess of the Order to file a fake quest with the Association!
So please... have mercy...
I'll never do it again...
...
You think begging's going to fix this?
The way of the Aselus Hunter Association!
Follow the rules to the letter! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—
All right. I'll let you off just this once.
...Huh?
R-really?
Yeah, really.
Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really?
Once you've said it, no backing out! No backing out! No backing out!
If you're lying, Lord Gaph will hit you with the 286-piece Eternal Curse set—stacked tenfold!
All right. Enough already.
Uh... okay.
I-I can't believe it...
To forgive Saintess Muriel's vile, cruel, petty scheme even after being the victim yourself...
W-who are you calling petty...?
How are you that forgiving?!
Maybe I've been gravely mistaken all along.
You could be the Saint Reborn the High Priest spoke of...
Even so, don't you think you forgave her too easily?
Matters like this should be handled strictly by the book.
Asherah had a point.
But would it really be right to cut off her livelihood when we hadn't suffered much damage?
Anyway, we already got our payment.
Ugh. Captain, you're way too soft.
But that softness is one of your strenghts.
Well, shall we head back?
Yeah! Today's been exhausting.
Let's go home and rest.
Rest? No way! We have night training tonight!
WHAAAT?!
Do you know how hard I fought today?!
All Luna did was cheer from behind a tree.
I saw it.
And so, bickering as always, we returned to Candle Square.
But... at the time, I had no idea.
That my misguided mercy would come back to haunt me as a disaster...
S-Saintess Muriel...
...
Everyone left.
I think you can get up now.
Keh... Keh heh heh...
...116th Saintess Muriel?
Kehehehehe!
Th-this is bad!
I think you've finally lost it!
Ah... Ever since she started feeling inferior to the 97th Saintess Illene, I knew this day would come...
O Lord Gaph, please grant Saintess Muriel the blessing of rest...
Who are you calling crazy?!
S-Saintess Muriel?
Well, you did suddenly start laughing after your sloppy scheme backfired.
Anyone would think you've gone insane...
That's not it!
I was smiling... because everything went exactly according to plan!
Huh...?
Don't tell me... you still haven't given up on the grand sacred relic?
Give up...?
Listen up, Elisa.
You might not understand as the mere [117th] saintess...
But in the Monolith Order, ruled by the law of the wild, giving up is never an option if you want to rise to the top!
Ah... I see...
They completely fell for my secret technique! [The Stance of Emergency Evasion]!
The Stance of Emergency Evasion...?
You mean when you were groveling on the ground, begging for mercy just now?
Heh heh... That's how it might've looked to a low-ranked saintess like you.
But it's actually a high-level art of controlling your opponent's emotions.
One I honed after endless harassment from senior saintesses when I first joined the Order...
...A kind of [miracle], you could say.
A miracle...?!
That's right. Thanks to this miracle, they abandoned their advantage and backed off.
And now, the initiative is ours again!
Ahhh...! This is...!!
Such vile resolve! To bare your fangs once more against the very one who forgave you!
Like a saintess willingly walking straight into hell!
As expected for the 116th Saintess Muriel. You are the future, the salvation, the gospel of the Order!
I, Elisa, pledge my eternal loyalty to you.
U-uh... it doesn't have to be eternal, just... be reasonable...
Anyway! Wait for me, heretic with the grand sacred relic!
Our battle has just begun!