Episode 316: The Saint's circumstances

The Saint who wakes up after shaking her body several times mutters something incomprehensible.

"Yuusha?"

"Fue?"

I don't understand what the girl is saying and reply back like a parrot.

"Fue! Fue! Fueeeehhh! Pu."

After a few tens of seconds, her eyes widen and she is about to scream while she is confused, so I hurriedly cover her mouth with my hand to stop it.

I think it's safe because we didn't find any devices such as monitors or eavesdropping devices around, but it's possible that there are people among the explorers who have the skills to monitor and eavesdrop from a very long distance.

That's why I immediately start explaining to the Saint and calm her down.

"Is it okay? We're not enemies. We're explorers from the Guild, we're the ones who came to help you after receiving a request from the Hunters' Guild overseas."

Everyone shows their faces from the shadows along with my voice. After confirming that I am not alone, her eyes widen further, but I am relieved that there doesn't seem to be any sadness there.

"However, it seems that there is no surveillance around, so I thought that there might be some circumstances, so I came to hear about those circumstances. Do you understand the situation?"

The Saint nods her head vertically in response to my question.

"Okay, then, I'll let go with my hand, so please don't scream, okay?"

The Saint nods her head again in confirmation. I gently remove my hand that is blocking the Saint's mouth.

"Puhaa ... Umm, Yuusha-sama ... desu?"

"I said it earlier, but what are you talking about? I'm a Japanese explorer helping with the work I've been asked to do."

I ask the Saint who once again calls me a Hero without misunderstanding my actions and screaming.

What the hell is with Hero ...

"Oh ~ !! Japanese!! After all, it's Yuusha-sama, desu!! There's no mistake, desu!!"

"How does it become like that!? Also, please be quiet."

As soon as I say Japanese, the Saint recklessly raises her emaciated body and draws near me with her eyes shining, so I stop her and calm her down.

Does this Saint have an emotional attachment for Japanese people?

"Oops, I'm sorry, desu. I got excited. I'm Noelle. I'm an explorer from a country called Letokia, desu. Japan is like a sacred place to me, desu!! I love anime, manga, and light novels, desu!! In Japanese anime, if the Heroine is captured, the Hero will surely come to the rescue, desu!! It is the Hero who comes to save the Saint. That's why, you're the Hero, desu?"

"No, no, it just happened. I'm just one of Rei's companions who received the request. It's not like I'm the one who received the request."

I wave my hand in front of my face to deny Noelle, who develops a mysterious theory.

It seems that Noelle loves Japanese anime. I think I can agree with her on that point, but I don't think I can handle it because anime is blending with reality.

"Fu!Fu!Fu! It doesn't matter who received it, desu. The fact that Yuusha-sama is here like this, that he has cute girls attending him, is the best evidence, desu!!"

However, there is no effect, and for some reason the Saint speaks proudly with a doya face.

No, no, for the sake of argument, I can still understand if it's proof that I'm a Hero by coming to rescue her, but I don't understand how it's proof by having girls attending me.

"Why does it become a Hero by being attended by girls!?"

"In Japan's works, the Hero is surrounded by many girls, desu!! That's why, you are definitely the Hero, desu!!"

I know there are a lot of works like that, but that's too absurd!!

However, this is not the time to talk about useless things.

"Haa, well, put that story aside for now, please drink this first."

"This is?"

First of all, I am worried about Noelle's condition, so I give her some medicine.

As far as I can tell, she seems to be in good spirits, but she is so worn out that I want to help her recover as soon as possible.

"It's an Elixir. If you drink this, you can fully recover."

"E, Elixir!? I can't accept such an expensive thing, desu!! Also, if I drink it and heal myself, the soldiers will notice me. That's why, I can't drink that, desu ..."

When she learns that the bottle in front of her is an Elixir, she hurriedly refuses, 

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, desu. Actually ..."

Afterwards she spoke of, taking advantage of Noelle's kindness, taking the lives of ordinary people as hostages, and that Noelle, who was unable to resist, was forced to use magic until the point where she became all worn out, she talked about all of that.

"How cruel ..."

"I can't believe such a thing is possible ..."

"Impossible."

"I never thought that this country would do such a thing ..."

Hearing that story, Nanami and the others express their impressions with dumbfounded expressions.

"I didn't expect something like that ..."

"Yes, desu. That's why I'm happy that you came to help me, desu, but I can't afford to be rescued, desu ..."

Noelle, who finishes talking, bows her head sadly.

So that means we have to deal with it like that.

"I understand. Let's do something about that first."

"Eh?"

Noelle is stunned at my unexpected reply.

Did I say something strange?

"So, what should we do about those soldiers."

"As expected, it's impossible for such a small number to win, desu ..."

When I say it again, Noelle understands what I mean and denies what I'm trying to do with a gloomy expression.

"It's okay. I'm confident in the number of allies. Then, let's go right away!!"

However, I have a last resort of force that cannot be found by S-rank explorers.

That's why, I thought I could do anything, so I immediately hid in the shadows.

"Ah, wait a minute..."

I feel like Noelle was about to say something, but it's okay.

"Onii-chan, was it okay not to listen to her?"

"Oh. It's fine after we rescue her."

"Is that so."

Everyone enters the shadows just like I did, and Nanami asks me on behalf of everyone, but right now my priority is to rescue her.

Everything else is secondary.

So, I'll listen to what she has to say later, we teleport near where the soldiers are gathering.