A long time ago, a wicked king appointed me as the Saint of his country, a grand title that means I was chosen by the Goddess to protect this world from the evils that plague it—me, the despised Cardinal Darwin...

But I am nothing of the sort; I am just a simple man who does not want this title.

Although in theory, I am very important, I remain part of the team of the false Carlo Dante, as I am the saint who guides the hero. Pure nonsense: a false saint with a false hero.

And to replace the true Princess Karla, the king’s representatives brought in an elemental mage who wears a dress that reveals a lot of skin. I must be more than twice her age, and I feel uncomfortable when I catch myself looking at her body. I am too old to be thinking about young women… I do not want to be a dirty old man.

I believe they only hired her because of how she looks next to the false Carlo Dante. They want to create the impression of a team made up of beautiful and powerful people, a team worthy of the hero of Rusthia…

Anyway…

Today I had the day off, and I continued with my personal crusade, my search for Princess Karla and the identity of the man who kidnapped her—that demon disguised as a priest who wielded such terrifying magic.

I have been searching for clues for a long time, but the answer to my problems literally came knocking at my door.

"Your Holiness, Darwin, we have been expecting you. I believe we have found a case worthy of your power," said one of my subordinates at the Church of the Sacred Word in the Kingdom of Rusthia.

That day, I went to the church looking to help the people of my country, but it seemed that a foreigner from Khisphe had come to Rusthia seeking a cure for an illness that afflicted him. Before dealing with the patient, I asked who he was…

I saw the intelligence report on the subject seeking my services.

He was a fugitive wanted by the mercenary guild of Khisphe, as the man had stolen money from a casino where he worked. But he stole the money to treat his illness and came to the Church of the Sacred Word in Rusthia to be healed—or at least that’s the justification for his sins he tries to sell us...

Well, with that said, I went to heal the patient. I entered the room where the man was.

He seemed like a frivolous and somewhat disheveled man; it was clear he hadn’t had an easy time. The man looked at me and, with much fear on his face, said:

"Your Holiness, Darwin, it’s an honor to meet you. I am..."

The man talked and talked, but I couldn’t care less. When he finally stopped speaking, I asked him about the illness that brought him here.

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He showed me his left hand, where his little finger stood out, completely black. I attempted to use my healing magic and felt a familiar sensation...

It was the same feeling as when I tried to heal the false Carlo Dante in the monster zone... "Sir, how did your finger end up in this state? By any chance, was it the work of a priest with black hair and glasses?"

The man’s face turned pale, and he began to tremble.

"Do you know the guy who did this to me?" I responded:

"I’ve heard rumors about him."

The man then told me a story: that he was an honest businessman who was attacked by a priest who stole money from the casino and was unjustly incriminated and persecuted...

Obviously, it was a lie, but now I know that priest was in Khisphe. Unwittingly, he sent me a living specimen with which I can study his unique magic. With this, I might be able to defeat that man and rescue Princess Karla from his filthy hands.

"Sir, by any chance, was the man accompanied by a woman?" I asked the man with the infected little finger, corrupted by that demonic magic.

"Your Holiness, I didn't see him with any woman, but an employee mentioned he was accompanied by a beast-woman."

This must be a sign from the heavens; now I have a trail to follow.

I called my assistant at the church.

"Listen, contact the mercenary guild of Khisphe and tell them we have this man under our jurisdiction. Pay the money this man stole, as from now on, he will be under the direct protection of the church."

The man thinks I am protecting him, but it’s the exact opposite; he will be my lab rat. As long as he lives, I will study how to reverse that magic. The next time I see that bespectacled priest, I will defeat him, recover Princess Karla, and he will pay with his life for any harm he has caused the princess.

I ordered the priests that curing this man's curse was now a priority for the church, so his treatment began, and it was ordered to record absolutely everything related to his recovery.

I left the church, where an elegant carriage awaited me, as I had a small meeting with the hero’s team of Rusthia…

Wait…

Isn't today supposed to be my day off?

When I entered the carriage, I saw the false Carlo Dante. This new Carlo treated me with great respect, almost as if he feared me, and greeted me with a reverent tone: "A pleasure to see you in good health, Your Holiness, Darwin." But a hostile voice interrupted the prince’s polite greeting…

"Well, you finally arrived, Cardinal Darwin. I thought I’d grow old waiting for you."

Unlike the false Carlo Dante, the elemental mage sitting next to the false prince looked at me with complete disrespect. I suppose it’s understandable; she got here on her own merit, unlike me, who was just a disposable piece of the church, chosen as a Saint on a whim by the king of Rusthia.

"Miss Flamma, don't be so rude to His Holiness. We are all a team now, and we should get along."

"Your energetic attitude is annoying, prince. Besides, the cardinal isn’t complaining about how I treat him, so only speak up if I offend you."

Flamma didn’t know the prince was an impostor, so she was somewhat polite to him, but as for me…

"Stop fighting already. We have work to do. Prince, don't worry about trivialities, and Miss Flamma, I don’t mind if you call me cardinal. Being a saint doesn’t make me feel more important than anyone else, so I'm comfortable with you calling me cardinal."

I say all this with a gentle smile on my face, but Flamma just looks away and says:

"Whatever, let's just go."

At times like this, I miss how polite Karla was compared to this rude elemental mage.

image [https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/079/384/152/large/duval-saul-qweewqewwe.jpg?1724772772]