Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 255 - 241: Talks

"Yes, after discovering their ties to the Church of Paige, Church of War, Church of Death, and even the Church of Lust, it’s clear they operate on a large scale," Yelina said with a weary sigh. "They’ve got locations all around the world, and technically, nothing they’re doing is illegal. Sometimes, even when justice should prevail, it can’t act freely if the enemy is too powerful to challenge."

Kakui nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, they’re trouble. But for now, we should focus on our mission," he said, his tone firm and resolute.

Nakim chuckled, casting a glance across the room. "It seems our siblings are on a mission of their own," he said, watching Batholem and Peter, who were happily chatting with Aurianna. "Wait... where are the others?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Probably in their rooms," Yelina replied with a shrug.

Suddenly, Kakui’s gaze narrowed as he noticed Aurianna. His expression turned cold, sending a shiver through Yelina and Nakim. "Who is that girl?" he asked.

"Aurianna Vanluad," Yelina answered softly.

"The child your brother was searching for?" Kakui pressed.

"Yes... but she’s unharmed," Yelina replied, a nervous tone in her voice.

"How did she escape that Ruin you mentioned?" Kakui demanded. "For a child, that should’ve been impossible."

Yelina hesitated, clearly unsettled. "I... I have no idea."

Nakim sensed the tension and leaned in. "Is something wrong, Kakui?"

Kakui’s gaze lingered on Aurianna. "No, but we should keep an eye on her. She’s connected to New Era somehow. Peter wouldn’t be so casual with her otherwise."

Yelina placed a hand on her chin, frowning in thought. "I hadn’t considered that... you’re right. No ordinary human could survive a Ruin."

"I suspected she might be... something more. A Sacred, perhaps—a child of a god—but which one?" Yelina pondered aloud.

"Then we should ask her," Kakui said, beginning to step forward.

"No! Let’s not disrupt the kids!" Yelina quickly intervened, holding him back. She thought to herself, ’My little brother’s enjoying himself for once—I’m not about to let anyone ruin that!’

---

"Oh, Batholem, you’re eighteen this year?" Aurianna exclaimed, gently petting Zagan, who was curled up contentedly in her lap.

"Yep! Same for Peter," Batholem replied with a smile.

Aurianna’s eyes widened in surprise. "Ehh, Peter—you’re older than me?!"

"Did you ever listen when I told you how old I was?!" Peter exclaimed.

"Eh... I dunno," Aurianna replied, pointedly avoiding his glare, her eyes darting elsewhere.

Peter huffed in disbelief. "Unbelievable..."

Aurianna suddenly brightened, a thought slipping out. "Oh, but that would mean Zorian is twenty-one now!"

Peter leaned back, curious. "How’s that guy doing anyway?"

"He’s been doing pretty well, actually," Aurianna replied, popping a piece of cake in her mouth and beaming. "Without any real competition, he’s busy handling his Duke responsibilities. But apparently, his father took on a concubine, hoping to have another child."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Another kid, huh? Guess he wants a backup."

Meanwhile, a few girls at a nearby table were seething as they watched Aurianna. "Who does she think she is, daring to sit so close to Peter and Batholem?" one whispered furiously.

Aurianna glanced over, noticing the glares. "Um, what’s their problem?" she wondered aloud. "They’ve been giving me the evil eye since I got here. When did you two even become this popular?"

Batholem chuckled. "Well, since you were, uh, stuck under the sea for a while, you probably wouldn’t know. But Royal Humans host a big fighting tournament every ten years. It’s kind of a tradition—everyone competes to show off their strength."

Peter sighed. "Though, if you ask me, it’s more of an excuse for powerful people from all over to network and form alliances. Not as fun as it sounds."

He then leaned closer, lowering his voice as he gestured discreetly toward a figure standing off to the side. "Also... why is she glaring at us from that corner?"

Aurianna grinned mischievously. "Oh, Hadina. One of the friends I made while I was under the sea." She shot Batholem a smirk, and he barely held back his laughter at her smug expression.

Peter returned to his seat, chuckling. "So, who else are these ’new friends’ of yours?"

Aurianna ticked them off on her fingers. "Let’s see... there’s crybaby Kiana, hardheaded Boara, the... pervert Avriel, and, of course, Hadina." She paused, squinting at Hadina, who quickly ducked behind a pillar. "Though, honestly, I’m not even sure how to describe her."

Aurianna suddenly called out across the room. "Hadina! Didn’t I tell you to come sit with us? So why are you hiding over there?!"

Hadina peeked around the pillar, her voice wavering. "M-Master... I hate your friends. I’m afraid I might... hurt them if I come closer," she admitted, her eyes welling up.

Aurianna rolled her eyes and scowled. "Get over here already!" she commanded.

With a nervous gulp, Hadina hurried to the table and plopped down with a pout, as she shot angry looks at Peter and Batholem.

As Hadina continued to look at Batholem and Peter, her face twisted in disdain. "Ugh, men—the epitome of disgusting," she scoffed, crossing her arms.

Batholem and Peter blinked at her, taken aback. Peter’s shoulders slumped as he muttered, "What did we even do to her?"

Aurianna stifled a laugh, suddenly remembering, ’Oh yeah Hadina hates guys. I forgot that she really hated Aquarius guts,’ ’Or maybe,’ she mused, watching Hadina’s glare soften only when she looked her way, ’she just hates everyone who isn’t me.’

Hadina straightened, resolute. "Don’t worry, Master. Even if I have to endure the company of these filthy creatures," she said, sneering toward Batholem and Peter, "I’ll do it happily, just for you!" With that, she picked up a fork with one of her tentacles and leaned in to feed Aurianna.

"Enough, I can feed myself," Aurianna replied flatly, waving her hand.

Hadina’s face fell, and she retreated to the corner behind a nearby tree, sulking. "Waaah, Master doesn’t love me!" she cried, drawing sad circles in the dirt with a tentacle, her expression utterly dejected.

Batholem watched with raised eyebrows. "Is she... always like this?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"Pretty much," Aurianna replied with a shrug. "Don’t mind her; she’ll get over it." She glanced at the other girls, noticing their persistent glares. "And speaking of not getting over things—those girls won’t stop staring daggers at me."

"Zagan will eat them," Zagan declared.

"No, Zagan!" Aurianna scolded, flicking him gently on the head. He let out a small, indignant pout.

Frustrated, Aurianna pulled off her veil. "I’m tired of this thing—I want to eat my food properly!" She grabbed a few pieces of grilled meat with her fork, savoring each bite with a wide, satisfied grin.

Zagan sniffed in disapproval. "Glutton."

Aurianna shot him a glare, tugging at his cheeks. "Who are you calling a glutton, you mischievous furball?"

"Alright, alright, stop tormenting the poor cat, Aurianna," Batholem said, his calm tone betrayed by the twitch of his lips as he tried not to laugh.

Peter leaned in, chuckling as he took a closer look at her. "You know, is it just me, or do you seem a little paler every time I see you? At this rate, you’re going to look like a ghost."

Aurianna froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. "Ghost? That’s... that’s a bit of a stretch," she said nervously.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you afraid of ghosts?"

Before he could tease her further, Zagan hissed and leaped, his claws swiping at Peter’s face. Peter yelped and jumped back, rubbing his cheek.

"Protective little thing, isn’t he?" Batholem commented, failing to hide his grin.

"More like mischievous," Aurianna said, scratching Zagan’s ears with a smirk.

"Hey, what was that for?" Peter asked, glaring at Zagan, who only looked back at him with a smug, unbothered expression.

’Good job, Zagan!’ Hadina silently cheered from her spot, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction.

Peter grimaced, touching his cheek where Zagan’s claws had left a stinging scratch. ’The fact that her cat could injure me so easily is... concerning. Either I underestimated that little beast, or Zagan’s stronger than he looks,’ he thought, wincing at the pain.

"Here, let me fix that," Aurianna offered, lifting her palm. With a gentle wave, the scratch on Peter’s face vanished, leaving his skin smooth once again.

Batholem shook his head, smirking. "You know, one might mistake you for a Saintess with healing like that."

Aurianna gave him a cool smile, and her beautiful expression seemed to captivate everyone nearby.

The girls who had been glaring at her only moments ago now whispered in admiration. "You know, she’s actually really beautiful," one murmured, her tone laced with reluctant awe.

"Isn’t she the girl who was singing earlier this morning?" another realized, nudging her friend. "She’s still wearing the same dress. I thought I recognized her voice."

"Her face... she’s got the grace of a goddess," someone else added.

Aurianna caught snippets of the murmurs, her expression unreadable as she thought, ’Keep piling on the compliments. If this keeps up, it’s only a matter of time before I’m marked by that blasted woman.’

Peter brought her back to the present with a casual question. "So, Aurianna, what brings you to Heaha Town?"

Batholem’s eyes darted to Peter, a hint of nervousness flickering in them. ’Why is he asking her that if he already knows? We’re supposed to be here to keep an eye on her—to prevent any potential... incidents,’ he thought, a touch uneasy.

Aurianna narrowed her eyes at Peter, her tone calm. "Why bother asking, when you have time magic?"

Peter only shrugged, his expression mild. "Just for assurance. Don’t worry, I’m not here to arrest you or anything. Besides, whatever consequences you might face have nothing to do with my family or my church." He paused, his eyes glinting. "However, I’ll

warn you—crossing paths with the Church of Paige, Church of War, Church of Death, and the Church of Lust isn’t something I’d recommend lightly."