Ch. 125

I absolutely hated being the center of attention. If I had ever liked it, I would’ve proudly introduced Rai and Endairon to the whole world a long time ago.

I just wanted to live my own life, freely and on my own terms—and now they were calling me a damn Saint.

[That’s the wrong way, Master!]

I was halfway mentally checked out, desperate to reject reality.

I wandered forward like a soulless husk until Rai bit onto my collar and half-dragged me back to the inn on autopilot.

I had no memory of how I got back.

“Geenie.”

“Ah…”

When I staggered in like a zombie, Ash, who was sitting in the first-floor dining area, raised his hand with a calm greeting, recognizing me. But I was too dazed to think.

How to put it…? It felt like one of my dumbest moments had gone viral on a video site and hit 15 million views.

“Are you alright?”

“…Aaah.”

“You don’t look so well…”

I’d forgotten how to speak for a moment and just gave a vague nod. Ash must’ve thought something was wrong—he stepped up close and peered at me with a deeply concerned look.

“Did something happen outside?”

Ugh, Ash, you kind-hearted fool.

You’re still the same good guy. It’s nice to see you again, friend. But right now, I’m in such a state of shock…

I gave his chest a couple of half-hearted pats and made my way upstairs.

I needed to lie down. I felt like I was going to get sick from stress.

“Ah, you’re back! Miss Geenie, did everything go well at the Mage Tower…?”

On my way up, I passed by Lox.

“Huh? Miss Geenie?”

“…Mm?”

“Did our telegram come in?”

“Telegram?”

“You said you’d check if we received any word from our party.”

Oh, right. That was the excuse I’d used to leave Annie with them. I had to mentally drag my soul back from whatever dimension it had fled to just to answer properly.

“Nothing came.”

I’d confirmed as much the moment I arrived at the tower—no telegrams had been delivered for Ash either.

“I see. Thank you. And Annie is with Chad in the stable. She said she wanted to talk to the horse that used to be her mother’s or something.”

“Hey, Lox.”

“Yes?”

“You’re smart, right?”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that myself…”

“Then you must know who Geenie Crowell is.”

“Who doesn’t know her? She’s the most famous person on the continent right now.”

Right. I’m the actual person in question, and I’m the only one who didn’t know.

After spending months in the wilderness, the world seemed unfamiliar—like it had shifted without me.

Two months in the dragon’s lair, and another whole month just to get out of that ocean-sized forest.

Three months later, I returned to find myself a national celebrity.

And not just any celebrity—a living legend.

“Apparently, naming your daughter Geenie is all the rage now? It was already a common name among commoners, but now two out of every ten are using it.”

“Ugh…”

So my name is public property now? I mean, I never patented it, but still—it felt weird. They weren’t just coincidentally naming kids Geenie—they were doing it on purpose.

“Why do you ask, though?”

“I was… in a place where news doesn’t reach for a while. So I didn’t hear any of this.”

“That’s a shame! You missed such an incredible story! It’s so moving, so noble!”

Right. I was there for it.

Lox didn’t like my disinterest, apparently, and suddenly raised his voice and launched into a full-blown speech.

Clearly, he was one of those people who believed in all the embellished rumors. A deluded fanboy.

“Geenie Crowell! Let me tell you about her. She threw herself in front of a dragon to save not only His Majesty the Emperor but all the noble lords of the continent! A goddess of courage and sacrifice, a noble and exalted hero of our time!”

“Hold on… I think I’m going to puke.”

“She who moved the entire continent! Surely she’s the reincarnation of a goddess!”

I remember clearly—back then, I was just an average high school girl.

“Isn’t that a little over the top…?”

“Not at all! Everyone’s calling her a Saint now!”

I’d only acted to survive, and somehow it had been blown way out of proportion.

Now I understood how myths and heroic legends got exaggerated.

“Heavens! Don’t say that in public! You’ll get stoned! Her followers are everywhere. Kids sing songs about her in the streets. I’ve even heard they’re building a massive statue of her at her alma mater!”

Headmaster, you’re dead when I find you.

“Oh, I’d give anything just to touch that statue once. And there are rumors that they’re selling souvenirs in the Crowell territory now, too. I’d love to go, but sadly Dmitri is in the opposite direction from where we’re headed.”

“Just to check… you’re one of her followers too?”

“Of course! I even joined the fan club!”

Whoever started that… I’m going to find you.

“You’ll have a harder time finding someone not in the fan club. Tons of nobles are members. After all, several of them witnessed the event. They’ve all been making massive donations, shedding tears of gratitude. Thanks to her, it’s like they’ve been given a second life!”

“…Donations? To where?”

“To the Crowell family, of course. They used to be a small, unknown barony, but they were recently granted a countship.”

So you really are a hardcore fan, huh? I thought Lox was the most normal of the group, but now he looked like a lunatic from a cult. (T/N: I cant even remember Lox like this in the Unrevised version, if I remember correctly it was at the last chapters where it was mentioned that he was an avid fan. )

Ugh, Ash… you sure you’ll be okay? Is this how you’re going to pass the [Path of Trial]?

“With all those donations, the Crowell estate built a small temple to honor Geenie Crowell’s peace. That was the original intent, but apparently some extreme fanatics have turned it into something more like a religion. At least, that’s the rumor.”

In this world, most news spread through word of mouth. And with the event happening three months ago, this was probably the peak of the noise.

Watching Lox’s eyes sparkle with admiration, I knew I had to hide my identity.

Pretend I’m not Geenie Crowell. Pretend I’m not the person behind the rumors. Pretend I’m just a normal person… though that might be too much to ask.

“Those extreme followers believe she was able to block the dragon’s breath only because she had divine protection. Tons of witnesses said they saw a massive shield sent by the gods. And they were all high-ranking nobles, so it must be credible, right?”

[Yaaaawn.]

So just because nobles said it, it’s credible?

And what’s this about a divine shield… You mean Rai, the one next to me yawning like a lazy stray?

[You hear that, Rai? They say you’re a divine shield.]

[Sounds like they mistook my power for holy energy. Totally different, though… but humans can’t tell the difference. They confuse spirits with magic all the time.]

[Ugh… if even one Spirit Mage had been there, would they have noticed?]

[Unlikely. Spirit energy is harder to detect than magical energy. Even among Spirit Mages, it’s hard to recognize unfamiliar elements.]

There wasn’t a single part of this that I liked.

Even though I was being worshipped and praised—it wasn’t what I wanted.

That was the root of it. None of this was my desire.

I swear, I never once wanted to be called a Saint. I never asked for donations. I didn’t care about fame. They just assumed I was dead and did all this without me.

Everything that went against my will—none of it sat well with me.

“Yo! You’re back.”

Just as I was scowling in displeasure, Chad showed up.

Annie, snugly settled in his arms, looked far more comfortable and happy than she ever had with me.

Her hair was neatly braided, and she looked prettier than ever. Her expression was the brightest I’d seen so far.

Was she only happy when I wasn’t around?

“She’s been fed. Said she wanted to explore town, so I told her we’d ask once you got here.”

“Explore town, huh.”

“Well, figured I should get your permission first.”

With arms twice the thickness of my thighs, Chad lowered Annie in front of me like he was setting down an empty box.

Annie glanced at me cautiously, then looked down at the ground… then turned back and muttered to Chad.

“Big sis… um… can I go look around the town? I want to go.”

“Hm, wasn’t it just yesterday you said you hated cities and only wanted to go to your mom?”

“…That was! I just got scared suddenly… that’s all…”

She only seemed shy around me.

She easily snuggled up to Chad or Ash, but had a hard time even making eye contact with me.

It wasn’t like I was jealous or bothered—but I still shook my head. I’d promised Big Sis Anel I’d keep Annie safe.

“I don’t think going out with Chad is a good idea. I’ll take you later.”

Objectively, it wasn’t smart to entrust a girl to a man I’d just met yesterday. Watching her briefly was one thing—going out alone together was another.

“But I want to go with the uncle!”

“I said I’d take you, didn’t I?”

“If I go with you… it won’t be fun! You’ll scold me again! You won’t let me do anything! You’ll just get annoyed!”

Yikes, she hit me right where it hurts.

“Hey… Annie? You should at least have a little shame. That’s too rude to Chad.”

“…I like the uncle!”

“And you don’t like me?”

“It’s not that I hate you… it’s just… I feel like you’ll end up not taking me at all.”

Ow. That one kinda stung. And now her face looked like she was about to cry, even though she was the one who said it.

Ugh. I really don’t like kids.

“Hey, don’t be like that with the kid.”

What did I even do? Chad was acting like I was the villain here.

“If you’re not comfortable, don’t force yourself.”

Wait, that’s not what I meant.

“I know it’s hard taking care of a kid who’s not even family. If you’re okay with it, I’ll take her. I’ve got time, and I’m used to kids. I have three younger sisters.”

“Yeah! Miss Geenie, Chad has three little sisters. You can trust him. I vouch for him! Look—he’s the one who did her hair.”

“…You’ve got surprisingly nimble hands.”

Lox, clearly trying to smooth things over, was actively promoting Chad.

“Of course! My youngest sister is just about her age.”

“Can I go with the uncle?”

Annie’s face lit up visibly. But I still wasn’t completely sure if I should trust Chad.

What should I do? If I say no, she might cry again…

Naturally, my eyes met Ash’s. He’d been watching me.

“Ash, what do you think? Can we trust Chad with her?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Yeah. He’s your companion, isn’t he?”

He’s the only one I can even halfway trust. If he says it’s okay, I might consider it.

“Chad started mercenary work to help marry off his sisters. He’s someone I trust. But trust doesn’t come easily to those who haven’t experienced it firsthand. It’s not something you can force.”

“So?”

“I think we should all go together.”

These guys… are they just carefree or too kind? Either way, Annie already looked thrilled.