‘Where there is the light, there lies the darkness.’

A 9-year-old girl was reading a passage on the scripture of her beloved religion; her long white-haired fluttered against the wind. She was very absorbed in her reading. After all, it was her wish to be a sister loved by all.

‘However, in the same way, in the darkest of dark, the light will always be there, illuminates your way.’

The girl thought it would be nice if that was true. After all, the so-called light was what she desperately desired right now. Her current situation was just… not good.

‘Thus, my beloved ones, become that light. For those in the darkness, nothing else shines ever brighter.’

The girl suddenly felt electrified at the sentence.

The light that she yearned for…

Its brightness that she desired...

‘Just become one, child.’

It felt like she heard those words whispered to her.

She closed the book; her gaze stared straight ahead. Countless imaginary scenes appeared in her sapphire blue eyes. Most of the scenes shared similar nuances. That of a smile of those around her, that of the gratitude they expressed. All of them were something she yearned for but couldn’t obtain yet.

Right, not yet.

She believed she was more than capable enough to reach for it.

That was the thought of the girl that day.

Before the fateful encounter made her forget her dream.

In the end, her dream was replaced and distorted by that one meeting.

But deep down, so deep that it went unnoticed, she still kept this cherished wish close to her heart.

And that was a childhood memory of a girl who later would come to be called a saint.

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In the underground space filled with wreckages and rubbles, a battle was in progress.

“Guts! Put that damn giant stone down already! It is getting harder and harder to defend!” said a bulky dog-eared teenage boy in heavy armor, irritated.

“Yes, I am on it! Do you really think an Orichalcum golem is easy to break or what?! Time to show your capability as a beastman, Raphael! Just shut it and keep defending!” a boy around the same age with his unkempt blond hair pointing up wildly replied back. His hands were busy wielding a greatsword against the golem.

“I’m sorry! I’m really useless! Its magical resistance is too high!” a short green-haired boy said timidly while wielding his staff to create earth walls in front of the beastman to help with the defense.

“Don’t worry about it, Elvis! It is an Orichalcum golem for god’s sake!” Another tall black-haired boy comforted. Standing in front of the green-haired boy and another white-haired young woman, he was wielding his dagger to protect them from any stray attacks the beastman accidentally let through.

The black-haired boy didn’t say it, but he was the real useless person in this situation where they had to fight against a hard golem that could not be penetrated by his dagger.

“You two, stop arguing and just focus on the golem! Raphael, I will heal you again! I know it is hard, but please try to endure!” said the white-haired young woman from behind the dagger user. She seemed to be a few years older than all the boys here.

“Damn it all! We have too few heavy attackers! I knew it; we can’t rely on that damn lunatic!” As he received another blow with his increasingly tattered shield, the beastman said frustratingly.

“Just shut it and do your job, you half-animal!” the blond-haired boy swore back at the insult. He continued to relentlessly hit the golem with his greatsword.

“Stop arguing already, Guts, Raphael!”

…

…

…

“Damn, I almost died there,” Having sat leisurely on the floor, Raphael cried out. After winning an intense battle like that, all tensions left him.

“No kidding, dude. That fucker was so damn hard,” Letting his greatsword fell on the floor and sitting down next to the beastman, Guts agreed. If it was not for his great skills with the sword and the abnormal muscular strength that allowed him to repeatedly strike the moving golem heavily with the greatsword in the same place several times, they all would lose the battle.

“Yes, my attack magic didn’t work at all,” hugging his staff tightly with both hands, Elvis nodded.

“Who would know that the trials would be so hard? Would we be able to survive from here?” While looking around his surroundings to confirm whether they were perfectly safe, the black-haired boy also commented.

“I am sorry, everyone. I didn’t know it would be this difficult. I shouldn’t tell you guys to enter here,” The white-haired young woman said apologetically.

“Don’t be, Lily. At that time, we all agreed with you that we should enter here. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, after all. That said, it is not convincing coming from me who didn’t help in that last fight,” with a wry smile, the tall black-haired boy replied.

“Don’t say that, dude. In the previous trials, you contributed a lot more than everyone here,” said Raphael.

“Yes, don’t mind it, Rey. It all depends on the situations really,” Guts also comforted.

“Hah… I guess we will have to find out what’s next this damn place has in store for us,” Lily sighed.

Comfort was the only thing they could do for each other now and they saw no reason to be stingy with it. It may not provide tangible help, but morale was important if they all wanted to survive from here.

The five were all a part of the adventurer party named ‘Lily and co’ which obviously had Lily as the party leader. During one of their adventures, they stumbled upon an ancient ruin. The symbol of ‘Eye of Truth’ in front of the ruin signified that it was one of the ruins of trials, theorized by historical experts to be created in the age of gods. It was well-known that the challengers who had passed the ‘trials’ inside would obtain invaluable rewards. Of course, most had died trying, but for those who had succeeded, riches and glory awaited them.

It was common knowledge that “if you were lucky enough to find one of the ruins and had enough skills, you should challenge it before it was also found by others.” There was never a lack of people who would challenge the ruins upon finding them as could be seen by the non-existence of any known unconquered ruins of trials.

Although ‘Lily and co’ could not be said to be the best party, their skills could not be frowned upon as their party was one of the top adventurer parties in the frontier town, Onyx.

After an intense discussion to make sure they would not make a mistake, they had decided to challenge the trials. Nevertheless, mistaken they were, as the trials were much more difficult than any tales they had ever heard from those successfully conquering ruins of trials.

An endless number of traps.

Strong enemies.

Difficult terrains to travel through.

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And much more.

Everything that tested the abilities of an occupation known as Adventurer was the trials that they had to face and overcome.

They had barely passed all the trials so far included this one with a lot of what-ifs involved.

What if they had been less cooperative?

What if they had been a little slower?

What if they had not had a thief in the party?

What If they had not had high attacking power?

What If they had not had a great defender?

What If…

Even if only one of these what-ifs had come true, they would all already be in the underworld. That was just how hard the trials were.

“Let’s go, guys! We have enough rest,” Lily said to her companions after had had enough of being anxious.

The four each nodded in their own ways. After that, they followed Lily as she walked to the door in front of the collapsed golem.

The three apart from Lily and Elvis seemed very carefree about it. But the moment she opened the door, the three tightened their expressions to one of cautiousness as they prepared for a difficult battle ahead…

“Eh?!”

…Only to be destroyed by the stupid yelp of their leader.

Everyone else also looked into the room. Inside, they saw…

“A pillar?” Rey muttered softly.

There was a giant pillar at the center of the otherwise empty room. It majestically stood tall in the room filled with traces of decay.

[Congratulations on passing all the trials.]

The next moment, a loud, monotone voice resounded from the pillar’s direction.

“Does that mean…” Elvis began.

“We passed all the trials! Hahahahaha!” Guts continued in a good mood.

“Woohoo!” Raphael raised both his hands to the sky, letting the equipment in his hands fell to the floor.

Rey had a tiny smile on his face.

“Hah… I’m glad we made it out alive,” Lily let a big sigh escaped her lips once again as she also lost all tensions in her tensed shoulders.

“Now, we are all rich, dudes!” Guts cheerfully declared as he walked towards the pillar.

“Only because we luckily made it out alive,” Rey commented as he silently followed after Guts.

The other three followed after the two, each with an unconcealable smile on their face.

After Rey reached the pillar, he turned back to the three behind him as if remembering something important, “Just do not donate it all to the orphanages, eh, Lily?”

The only female in their group flinched to a stop. Then she awkwardly laughed as she said, “A-Ahaha, even I would not make that much of a foolish mistake.”

The other three also stopped, having heard of Rey's words. And together with Rey, they looked suspiciously at their gullible female leader.

“Just don’t, Lily. We also need to eat,” Guts narrowed his eyes.

“I can’t fast for three days straight like that again, you know?!” Raphael rubbed his round belly in contemplation.

“U-Umm… I also don’t want to sleep on the street again,” Even Elvis timidly said so.

Lily was, briefly and harshly, a no-good adult who loved children so much. She donated all her assets to orphanages all around the country without considering her living expenses.

That was still fine and all, but she once mistakenly used the entire party's funds to help with the ‘construction’ of an orphanage in a rural area. Because of that, her party once lived a life of absolute poverty. They couldn’t even buy meals to eat and had to sleep on a cold and hard street with nothing but a blanket to cover their cold body.

Of course, it was not like such a situation could happen easily. It was after one of their long expeditions when their long-awaited one-month reward had just been paid to the party leader. Fortunately, they were able to find some jobs and earn their way out of poverty shortly after that, partly because of Rey.

Of course, to say that this trait of hers offered nothing good would be too much. Many children were able to smile because of that, and furthermore…

…Well, that was the story for another time.

“U-Urgh… E-Everyone bullied me!” Lily replied with a face that was about to cry with a drop of tears in her eyes.

“Hah… Just don’t, okay?” Rey reminded her one last time before shaking his head and turned back towards the pillar, “How to claim the rewards though?”

[Acknowledgment. The leader of the trials’ takers shall be bestowed with two words Unique Class, one of the pillar’s choosing, and another of the followers’ choosing as a reward for passing the trials.]

“Woah, it can talk?!” Guts said as he approached the pillar and touched it with his right hand.

“B-But does this mean-” Elvis began.

“Yes, no money, it seemed,” Rey replied.

“Argh! What the hell did we endure those trials for?!” Raphael put both his hands on his head in anguish and cried.

Everyone else also groaned in agreement.

Silence took place for a while as the group thought back to the arduous trials they had been through with an ugly expression on their face.

“But… I don’t think this is really a bad thing,” Rey began again in a neutral tone.

“What do you mean, Rey?” Raphael tilted his head in confusion.

“The reward… is not bad.”

After Rey said that, they all thought back on what they had heard as a reward.

A Unique class.

Class was a concept born 500 years ago when people invented a magic tool that revealed an individual’s information.

Now that may sound good and all, but all It could do was revealed what an individual was compatible with the most. That compatibility was then reflected as Class. The world was not like a game where there would be a window describing each individual’s attributes in detail. The person only knew one thing from the Class. And that was what was it that they were good at.

Class was a very similar concept to Occupation that uneducated people sometimes confused between the two. Class was basically what the individual was suitable doing with the most. And whether they can be an Occupation or not wasn’t taken into account. On the other hand, Occupation was a job out of many existing ones that the individual could actually do and make a living out of.

For example, Guts’ Class was a Berserker. But there was no Berserker as an Occupation, and so, he worked as an adventurer. In the same way, although the other four’s classes were different, their Occupation was an adventurer.

By the way,

Raphael was a Defender.

Rey was a Thief.

Elvis was a Magician.

And Lily was a Priestess.

At first glance, it may seem that Class was related to the combat abilities of the individual, but that was only because the examples were taken from adventurers. There were many classes unrelated to combat like Farmer, Merchant, King, etc.

Even at the present, no one knew much about what Class was actually was. But it was common knowledge that it was extremely rare for an individual to have a Unique Class.

Aris Von Rumbleberg. The person who had the Unique Class, Sword God, was born 400 hundred years ago. He left his name in the annals of history as the founder of his own sword style which was still regarded as the strongest sword technique until this day.

Namo, the Great Teacher, was born 300 years ago. He created a new religion in this world with many unique philosophical concepts and ways of life that were still talked about by scholars to this day.

And finally, the Pope of Light, Arthur, the current pope of Luminus religion, the biggest religion in the world, was born 80 years ago of common birth but now leading the prosperous era of the church.

Only these three individuals were known as the holders of a Unique Class in the past 500 years. All of them were historical figures whose deeds would remain in posterity.

With how amazing Unique Classes were, getting a Unique Class was an irreplaceable chance that no amount of gold could buy. It made sense now why the trials they faced were so difficult considering what the reward was.

When they finished this deliberation, everyone except Rey gulped.

“Congratulations, Lily,” Rey said in his usual monotone voice. But those who knew him well all knew that he was being sincere.

“I-Is it really okay for me to monopolize such a reward when we have been through all that together?” Lily timidly asks with a pang of guilt in her voice.

“Isn’t it fine? What do you think, Raphael, Elvis?” Guts motioned with his chin to ask for an answer from Elvis and Raphael.

The two nodded.

“And you, Rey?”

“Of course, it is okay. We could even write a contract that said she would be stuck partying with us for 10 years or so. I bet being in the same party with a holder of Unique Class and leeching of her for a decade would be enough for our rewards,” Rey said half-jokingly.

“Ha! Good idea! We should also add a term of not allowing her to arbitrarily donate money to the orphanages or something!” Guts followed with his own joke.

“Oh, great idea!” Raphael smirked.

Elvis nodded his head up and down repeatedly in agreement.

“Guts! Are you trying to kill me?!” Lily retorted back, feeling much more at ease after seeing her companions’ encouragement.

“Thank you, guys!” Lily bowed her head as deep as possible in sincere gratitude to her friends; tears of happiness went down her cheeks.

They all smiled shyly in their own ways at her action; some also scratched their cheek.

[Are you ready, leader of brave ones?]

The monotone voice from the pillar resounded again.

“Yes, I am!” Lily raised her face up with tears still in her eyes and approached the pillar.

With her right hand touching the pillar, she looked up.

[“Saint” is automatically bestowed by the pillar. The followers please choose the other word that best described the leader.]

Lily felt unexplainable heat in her chest as the light from the pillar entered her body.

‘Am I really getting a Unique Class?! How blessed am I to have such great opportunity and friends?!’

Lily teared up even more as she thought so.

Meanwhile…

“It is mom, isn’t it?” Guts said.

“Mom.” Rey unconsciously murmured.

“She is a mom,” Raphael also voiced it out.

“S-She is like a mom,” Elvis weakly let his voice out.

[Acknowledged. Bestowed Unique Class “Saint Mom” to the leader “Lily.” Congratulations again for receiving this reward “Saint Mom Lily”]

After the voice ended, the pillar lost its light, and parts of the wall opened up an exit out of the ruin.

“Oh damn!” Guts swore.

“Such mistake…” Rey murmured something about how he could make such a mistake.

“Ah, shit!” Raphael also swore.

“E-Eh, I-I’m sorry!” Elvis repeatedly bowed his head.

To all that…

Lily’s shoulders were trembling badly.

She turned her head to the four with a completely red face, still having tears in her eyes, but the tears were… different from before.

“Why would you guys make me get such a lame class name?!” She roared, trying to deny the injustice she had just suffered.

Getting a unique class that will likely leave her name in annals of history?

Getting congratulated by her friends for her good fortune?

Feeling grateful to have such great friends?

No, it was now all ruined because of said friends.

“G-Give it all back! Give back all my gratitude!” Her cry was filled with emotions as Lily ran towards the four.

“R-Run away!”

Followed by Guts’ words, the four ran for their life.

In the sacred atmosphere of the ancient ruin where the precious reward was just given, five of them were making noises as the only female of the group chased after the rest.

Hence, began the first page of the romantic adventure of Saint Mom Lily and her four younger male friends who gifted her this sacred name that would remain in posterity.