Raising the Daughters to Overcome My Failure

Chapter 8. Isabel (2)

Goddess Cult.

A religious group that believed in the goddess who created this world.

However, their influence was not at a level that any person in power could easily challenge.

Especially in the Benedict Kingdom on the northern continent, the influence of the Goddess Cult was immense.

The Goddess Cult was a giant force that transcended borders, and its center and the Saintess' residence were located in the capital of this country, Tournai.

That was not all.

‘Isabel was Frank's former comrade.’

She was a member of the hero party that defeated the Demon King.

A party needs a tanker, a dealer, and of course, a healer.

Isabel played the role of the healer in the party.

‘Besides, there’s even the setting that she has a one-sided love for Frank.’

Therefore, there was no other backer as reliable as Isabel.

By now, a conspiracy targeting me must have begun in the royal palace.

In the game, there was no major problem because Jorge didn't die, but his son Bruno would be different.

‘Nobles live and die by their pride. The memory of being slapped and fainting by Frank must have remained as a strong trauma for Bruno.’

It was easy to predict what actions he would take.

There were no follow-up events related to him in the game, but like father, like son,

‘He will try to pick a fight with me one way or another.’

Bruno was not the only problem.

Most of the high-ranking nobles hated and disliked Frank.

To stand against them, the help of a powerful figure was essential.

Before long, Isabel's procession arrived in Rarc Village under the pretext of missionary work.

As all the villagers gathered near our house, murmuring,

a holy woman emerged from a magnificent carriage.

A pure white dress that seemed to forbid even a speck of dust.

The blue staff symbolizing the Saintess revealed her dignity.

However, even that could not compare to the Saintess' outstanding beauty.

‘Ooh!’

Is it okay for a human to be that beautiful?

I felt she was the best even when I saw her on the monitor, but the Isabel before my eyes was so beautiful that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a goddess, not a Saintess.

My mouth hung open at her otherworldly beauty.

But she was not a being who shone only with her appearance.

Her merciful smile was as gentle as if consoling an old wound,

and the sacred energy spreading like morning mist made even the smallest movement of her fingertips feel reverent.

‘As expected, not just anyone can be a Saintess.’

She was a perfect being befitting that position.

***

“Ooh, Saintess. How can she be so holy.”

“Sob, for the Saintess to come to such a faraway place, I have no regrets even if I die now.”

Some even sobbed upon seeing her.

It was proof of what a great person she was.

I stepped forward, briefly kissed her hand, and bowed.

“It is an honor to meet you, Saintess.”

“Hoho, first the letter and now this, aren't we being too formal with each other?”

She let out a small laugh with a warm face.

‘She’s like a ray of sunshine.’

I had faced her countless times in the game, but seeing her in person made my mind go blank.

Is it like meeting a favorite S-class celebrity in person?

Of course, there was no need to show my feelings on the outside.

“How could I be rude to the Saintess.”

But was this a mistake?

She puffed out her cheeks with a dissatisfied expression, then approached me and whispered lowly.

“We’re not like that, are we? Why do you keep putting distance between us like this?”

The Saintess' gaze was still warm, but I could not miss something underneath it.

My heart pounded at her subtle gaze.

I couldn't tell if this was excitement or fear.

‘This is a bit dangerous.’

The subtle disappointment in her voice made me hesitate, but this was not the time for that.

I pointed to our surroundings with my eyes and shook my head.

Everyone was tilting their heads at the Saintess' unfamiliar appearance.

Her expression changed as if it were a lie, and she returned to a dignified face.

She distanced herself from me and spoke calmly as if nothing had happened.

“Ahem, it's been a really long time since I've been here. But are you going to keep me standing outside like this?”

“No. I will escort you inside.”

I led her into the mansion.

The inside of the house was so crowded with the nuns and soldiers who came in with her that there was no room to step.

I wondered if it might burst.

As if she noticed my thoughts, she said she had something to discuss with me and made the people step back.

“You may leave as well.”

“Have a good time.”

Elliot left, and only Isabel and I remained in the room.

A moment of silence passed.

She slowly opened her mouth with a wistful gaze.

“It’s been a really long time since we’ve faced each other like this. You haven’t changed even after all these years.”

“How could that be possible. I have gotten old, and you, Saintess, seem to have not changed one bit from before.”

It was not an empty compliment.

She still boasted a youthfulness that could pass for her early 20s.

On the other hand, Frank was 33 years old.

He looked young for his age, but he didn't have a face that could be called a young man either.

She flinched and shook her head.

“You’re just like you were before, too. Is your body okay?”

Body? Ah. She was talking about my abilities being sealed.

I shrugged my shoulders, saying it was no problem.

“There are no particular inconveniences.”

“But you……”

“It’s fine. It’s my burden to bear.”

She let out a long sigh and looked at my face.

Her gaze was full of disappointment.

“If I had known there was such a curse, I would have dealt the final blow. A curse that seals the abilities of the one who ended the Demon King's life. It was something we had never seen from the previous generation's Demon King.”

She added with a wistful face.

“When I think back to the time we fought the Demon King, you always took the lead and protected us. If it weren't for you, no one here would be alive today. I don't want to see you blaming yourself. You are already a great enough person.”

Hearing the lines I had heard countless times in the game directly gave me goosebumps all over my body.

‘As expected, Isabel still likes me. Well, she was Frank's lover until she became a Saintess.’

That was right.

Isabel and Frank were originally lovers.

But after the subjugation of the Demon King, the goddess' revelation came down.

Telling her to become the next generation's Saintess and lead the Goddess Cult.

‘A Saintess is a body that cannot marry anyone.’

That was the reason she broke up with Frank.

However, besides raising his daughter, PP also made it possible to marry Frank to various heroines, and marriage with Isabel was one of them.

The problem was that it required enormous time and effort, and it was a condition that she had to abandon her position as a Saintess, so there was no reason for me to choose it now.

What I needed now was the status of 'Saintess' that Isabel possessed.

‘Romance is a secondary issue. The invasion of the demon tribe will soon begin in earnest.

Before that, it's important to strengthen my daughters' abilities.’

I looked at the sighing Isabel and cautiously brought up the main point.

“Now that Sir Jorge is dead, his son Bruno will soon inherit everything.”

“That's right. His succession ceremony was held grandly in the capital a few days ago.”

Only then did she realize why I had brought up this topic.

“The reason you suddenly sent a letter when you hadn't been in touch was because of this, wasn't it? Were you worried he might harm you?”

“Correct.”

She was silent for a moment, then she showed a mischievous smile.

“But, I don't know yet whether I will help you or not.”

Huh? Why is she suddenly acting like this?

You’re my only ally.

Get a grip, Isabel!

Could this be that thing I’ve only heard about, revenge on an ex-boyfriend?

***

Isabel was feeling disappointed right now.

He had sent a letter after a long time saying he had a lot to talk about, but the conversation was different from what she had expected.

‘To think he called me for something like this.’

In fact, if it hadn't been for the goddess' revelation, she would never have ascended to the position of Saintess.

Because she loved Frank more than anyone.

But he, as if he didn't even want to see her, only brought up unrelated stories.

‘Bruno Schwaben. The man who became the kingdom's Finance Minister after Jorge.’

She could roughly guess why Frank was wary of him.

It was a famous story within the kingdom that Bruno, in his immature days, had thrown a tantrum saying he wanted to marry Adel.

What was the result of that?

Frank had mercilessly punished the Count's eldest son.

‘Not only did he slap him, but he also said he wouldn't leave him alone if he saw him again. So like Frank. I fell for that manly side of him.’

Isabel gave a bitter smile and slowly opened her mouth.

“I heard. Iris left home, didn’t she?”

“I am sorry.”

“Fortunately, it’s not widely known now, but if left alone, it will surely become a controversy. There are also the support funds that were invested in her.”

Frank remained silent with an expression that was still hard to read.

A pointless annoyance surged at his indifferent appearance.

What if Frank had held onto her back then?

What if they had disappeared somewhere together and lived just the two of them?

‘By now, we might have been building a happy family with our child, not the child of a god.’

A smile bloomed for a moment at that thought, but Isabel knew reality well.

Too much time had already passed, and she, too, was now satisfied with her status as a Saintess.

Her life as a Saintess, guiding many by conveying the goddess' teachings, was also happy enough.

While she was thinking that, Frank spoke heavily.

“I will bring Iris back soon. However, I ask for your help with Bruno's matter. I still have a lot of work to do.”

“Work, you say?”

He said with a more serious face than ever before.

“As you know, Saintess, it's already been five years since the Demon King died. Do you really think they will stay quiet like this?”

“Don’t tell me?”

“Yes. A new Demon King will soon appear, and the war will start again. We don't have much time.”

Her heart sank at the forgotten fact.

Countless people had lost their lives in the war with the demon tribe, and its aftereffects still remained even after 5 years.

No one wanted to recall that hellish time again.

Isabel spoke with difficulty.

“So. What are you thinking of doing?”

“The reason I took charge of the children of the gods was not simply because of the kingdom's tradition. I intended to pass on all my experience and know-how to the children.”

“So that’s why you treated the children so harshly?”

“I can't say it's not true.”

The news that Frank was treating the children of the gods indifferently had reached the ears of Saintess Isabel.

Not only the residents of Rarc Village but also the high-ranking nobles had made an issue of it.

The person who had mediated this every time was none other than Isabel.

“What can I do to help you?”

“As I said, please prevent Bruno and the other nobles from trying to harm me. And.”

“And?”

As Frank was about to continue with a very serious face, Isabel tensed up inwardly.

The fact that he was being so cautious must mean that this was no ordinary matter.

“I would like you to go somewhere with me.”

“Pardon?”

Wasn't this Frank's house?

Where on earth was he planning to go?

He couldn't be planning to elope with her now.

However, Isabel flinched at the destination Frank mentioned.

“I intend to persuade Anticus.”

“W-what did you say?”

Anticus was an ancient dragon, akin to a natural disaster.

A being that even the Demon King could not handle carelessly.

She was currently residing in the Elburz Mountains and maintaining neutrality according to a long-standing agreement, but if she were to make a move, the safety of all humanity would be in jeopardy, regardless of the Demon King's revival.

‘If she moves, humanity might be wiped out in an instant.’

To think he would persuade such a dangerous ancient dragon.

Isabel asked back in a flustered voice.

“What on earth are you thinking? And what do you mean by persuading her?”

His answer soon came.

He brought out a story he had hidden until now and said with a resolute face.

“It's worth taking the risk. It's something that must be done.”

“It's too dangerous! What on earth were you thinking when you made such a decision?”

The story Frank brought up was so absurd to Isabel that it was dumbfounding.

Was he really trying to sacrifice himself? Or was it arrogance, thinking only he could do it?

She tried to fathom the hidden intention behind his words.