Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 257 - 243: Saem and Candy

"What was that pressure, Saem?!" Stephanie asked, her voice trembling as she clung to him, her yellow eyes wide with worry. She seemed to realize what she was doing, and her cheeks flushed. She quickly jumped back, putting a few meters between them, avoiding his gaze. Candy, standing nearby, shot her a piercing glare, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Just some powerful people bickering, I’m sure of it," Saem replied, though his tone held a hint of unease as he settled down on the couch. The afternoon sun poured in through the window, illuminating his dark blonde hair and casting a faint golden glow over his face. A frown creased his gray eyes as he seemed lost in thought.

"Do you really think we can trust her? Aurianna, I mean," Candy asked, her cat ears twitching. She glanced sideways, her short black hair framing her face, and her ruby eyes narrowed slightly. Her sleek black fur caught the light.

Saem sighed, rubbing his temples. "It’s hard to say. She’s... mysterious. During three months on that ship, we hardly even saw her. She kept her distance the entire journey."

Echiya chimed in, barely looking up from her crocheting. Her brown eyes stayed fixed on the embroidery she was working on, her bear ears giving a slight twitch. "She’s hiding something," she murmured. "But it’s good that she has some issues with the Flonkong Organization. And since her goals somehow line up with ours, maybe we can use it to our advantage. Those ’monsters in human skin’ she has with her... they’d be useful if things go bad."

"But what if they meet people there who are as strong as they are?" Idina asked, her voice serious, her gaze piercing as she studied Saem.

Saem shrugged slightly. "That’s their problem. We’ve only got one mission here to save Candy and Faston’s families. If Aurianna and her crew can cause enough of a distraction, that gives us a chance to slip in unnoticed."

He smirked, a hint of his old mischief surfacing. "And since they’re getting tickets, it seems they’ll be walking in through the front doors. As for the slave chambers... that’s something she’ll have to figure out."

As the room fell into silence, Saem’s eyes darkened for a moment. ’I can’t believe I’m putting my trust in someone who once tried to kill me,’ he mused, remembering the first time he’d crossed paths with Aurianna. She was a beautiful that had murdered everyone on the ship. Her clothes covered in blood, and a cold smile was on her face, she held her gun pointed at him him. She’d spared him that day, not out of mercy, but because he’d made her laugh.

"That girl is scary," Saem blurted out, unable to hide the nervous tone in his voice.

"Our goal is to survive, no matter what!" he added firmly, clenching his fist as he looked around at his crew, determination hardening his gaze.

"Yes, Captain!" they responded, springing to their feet with a salute, their voices steady but their faces reflecting both fear and resolve.

"Thank you so much, Captain!" Candy and Faston’s voices shook with emotion as tears filled their eyes.

"There’s no need to cry," Saem replied, patting both of them gently on the head. "You’re my crew, my family. We stand together, no matter what."

Candy closed her eyes, a trembling hand clenching her palm. ’Mama, Papa, my siblings... I’m coming.’ The faces of her family flashed vividly in her mind.

Her thoughts drifted back to that day, burned into her memory. It had started like any other in their quiet village until the roar of hooves and clanging of armor shattered the morning peace. Her village had become a target of nation’s new rulers, their former country being combined to form a Highland, since their old Rulers had perished in war. Any town or village which dared to refuse to be apart of the new country wre ruthlessly hunted down.

She remembered her mother and the other cat women, their faces filled with fewr, as they led the children through the dense meadows. Behind them, the village men held their ground, a desperate attempt to buy time for the escape.

Just when they thought they’d gotten far enough, six knights appeared, blocking their path. Their armor was a sickly green-silver, emblazoned with the insignia of a green emerald pierced by three swords, symbols of the Sandeph knights.

"Get them out of here immediately!" her mother had shouted, thrusting Candy forward and pressing her siblings into her arms. Candy stumbled but managed to steady herself, glancing back just long enough to catch her mother’s final orders.

"Run and don’t look back!" her mother urged, her voice fierce. Her black fur shimmered with a strange, radiant blue light as she and the other cat women leapt toward the knights, claws extended.

As they ran, Candy’s little sister, Emy, looked up with tear-filled eyes. "Will Mommy be okay?"

Candy forced a smile, hoping it would reassure her sister. "Of course, Emy. Beast folk are stronger than humans... Mommy’s one of the strongest there is."

But her words caught in her throat as they came face-to-face with a knight standing in their path, his cold gaze piercing through her. The children froze, dread chilling them to the bone.

"We’re not supposed to kill them, are we?" the knight asked in an icy tone, casting a annoyed glance over the terrified group.

Candy’s breath hitched as she looked around desperately, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Basically, yes. They’ll be sold into slavery. Sandeph is in dire need of new stock, after all," a female knight said coolly, as she walked forward holding a massive axe she wielded with ease.

Candy’s heart pounded as she whispered, "Mother... how could this happen?"

The knight sneered, her lips curling into a mocking grin. "Afraid? Don’t worry. You’ll be joining your mothers and fathers soon enough."

In a flash, the male knight lunged toward her, and Candy tried to react, raising her leg in a desperate attempt to defend herself. But her strike didn’t even slow him down. His powerful hand crashed against her leg, shattering the bone. She crumpled to the ground with a piercing scream, clutching her leg in agony. ’How can a human move like that? It shouldn’t be possible!’

She was right; these weren’t ordinary humans. The Sandeph knights, King Girsal’s elite soldiers from the underground city, had been modified and trained to wield power beyond normal human capabilities.

"Filthy demi-humans," the male knight spat, his tone dripping with disdain. "Why we even bother keeping you alive is beyond me. I’d rather see your entire kind wiped out. You stain Sandeph’s lands with your revolting presence."

"Oh, shut up, Di-56," the female knight snapped, rolling her eyes. "We follow Queen Cecilia’s orders. Now, load them into the cage." With a simple gesture, she summoned a large iron cage, which floated ominously towards them. Through the bars, Candy could see familiar faces, the entire village, trapped inside.

Candy’s face twisted in fury as she staggered to her feet, her ruby eyes blazing. "I won’t let you have my siblings!" she growled, defiance burning through her pain.

Di-56 chuckled darkly, unimpressed. "Oh, so she can still stand? I’ll have to break all her bones this time."

Before he could make a move, Candy charged at him, but the female knight stepped in, slamming her axe against Candy’s body, sending her flying back into the dirt several hundred meters away.

Di-56 sighed, crossing his arms. "Now you’ve killed her, you idiot."

The female knight shrugged indifferently. "Casualties were inevitable." She slowly removed her helmet, revealing round, cold brown eyes with Aurianna’s emblem glinting within them. Her brown skin, and expressionless face was framed by her brown hair.

It was Yui, Aurianna Vanluad’s personal maid. She gazed at the sky. A quiet sigh escaped her lips. "Master... when will you wake up?"

This was a few days after the war with the infinite nation.

Under the heavy downpour, Candy lay in the mud, the rain soaking her battered body as her life slowly seeped away. A deep cut ran across her stomach, and her guts spilled out, staining the earth. She tried to move, but every part of her body screamed in agony, her bones shattered, her skin torn. Still, somehow, she clung to life.

’I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Someone, please... anyone... save me!’ Her mind echoed the desperate plea over and over, her heart pounding in terror.

Just when she thought all hope had faded, a figure appeared before her, a young teenage boy, drenched from the rain, staring down at her in shock. It was Saem, only fifteen, his face filled with horror at the sight of her body. Without hesitation, he rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small vial. He uncorked it and poured the contents over her wounds, and to Candy’s amazement, the liquid seemed to burn as it touched her skin before miraculously sealing her injuries.

’Holy water...’ she realized with wide eyes. ’That must’ve cost him a fortune.’ No other liquid could heal wounds like that, and holy water sold for more gold coins than she could ever imagine.

That stormy night marked the beginning of their friendship, a life Saem saved with something precious, sparking a loyalty that would one day bring them to where they were now.

’Captain Saem... it’s been four years since that night. I’m so grateful we met.’ Candy thought with a smile as she glanced back at him. She walked away with her hands behind her back, a contented warmth in her heart.

After a moment, she turned, breaking the comfortable silence. "Saem... which country is Aurianna a princess of? You once mentioned she was royalty."

Saem’s eyes narrowed briefly, but he hid his unease with a casual shrug. "I have no idea," he lied smoothly.

’It’s better they don’t know...’ he thought, feeling a pang of guilt. ’Better the

y never realize that Aurianna’s country is the one responsible for the ruin of their lives.’