A discharged soldier, alone in a dark alleyway with the all and mighty saintess - and a few unconscious tan dudes.

That's the situation right now.

"Lowan..?"

The saintess, seeing my face, muttered out.

Wow, she remembers me?

"Yes. It's me. Lowan Geldver."

Lowan Geldver, as mentioned, bullied everyone relating to the main character, thinking his family would support him if something went wrong while in the academy.

It just happens so that the saintess was relating to our main character - so I harassed her mildly.

She also saw Lowan Geldver being all bitchy to the main character, so my image to her should be an all low.

The saintess, with a surprised expression; remained silent - as if she couldn't comprehend it was indeed me.

To be honest, I'd be fucking baffled too if some dumbass kid who used to bully people 3 years ago just saved me from a bunch of thugs.

...

Why would the saintess be here though? She should still be in the academy as a 4th year student - having some nice romance with our MC....

Well, who cares. It's someone else's story.

With an awkward silence, I opened my mouth.

 

"Well.. I'll take you to the Holy Church consulate in the capital and report this incident.."

"W-wait."

"?"

"Please don't.. I'll just go to the academy."

"What?"

What?

Why would I do that?

"They - The church doesn't know I'm supposed to be here.."

"..."

Thinking about it, during this time period, the saintess gets inspired the main character's humble background or something and goes around the capital looking at underdeveloped areas to get an inspiration and idea of what the "un-wealthy" look like.

In secret of course.

This is somewhat of a cliche as well, right?

A nice saintess going around trying to see your average citizen and lifestyle, and getting hit on by some gangs - until the MC comes and saves her.

Sadly, I'm not the MC but I still helped her a bit.

However, in the original novel, the main character saves her while going out for a walk.

If the MC isn't here, maybe the MC might be somewhere else observing me.

Fuck. That's scary.

"Whatever you say."

"Thank you.."

"I'll still take you to the academy though. Just in case."

"A-alright.."

As I offered my hand to the saintess who is still sitting down on the dirty ground, she grabbed it after some hesitation.

'To the main character, if you're seeing this - I'm helping, right? Don't kill me or something for touching the saintess..'

I checked the roofs just in case the main character was about to jump off the roofs and stab me in the neck.

As I muttered under my breath some prayers to protect me from the main character and took the saintess out of the dark ass alleyway, we began to walk towards the academy. 

Again, another silence ensued.

The saintess was visibly uncomfortable, so I decided to get some small talk in while we were walking.

"How's Bennedict?"

"H-huh? He's doing well..."

By the way, Bennedict is the main character's name of this novel world.

"That's good to hear."

"Yes.. it is.."

 

To be honest, this isn't really small talk.

Small talk is when you don't really care about the answers of your subject and just want to kill off the awkwardness.

For me, I actually need to know how the main character, Bennedict, is doing - so I can support him from behind the scenes.

 

"Is he facing any problems?"

"Which..?"

The saintess, seemingly interested in the conversation, asked.

"You know.. nobles or aristocrats discriminating against him or something."

"... A few people."

"I see."

See, I'm just one of the "3rd rate villains" in this novel.

Bennedict gets discriminated a fuck ton by a ton of people. I'm just one of the lucky ones where Bennedict absolutely fucks my social life instead of my actual physical body.

After a bit more walking, seeing the academy gate a few meters away, I knew I had to go.

Cause I'm banned from entering the academy grounds - within 50 meters.

"Well, this is how far I can go."

"Yes... Once again, thank you."

The saintess said her thanks - with a bit of suspicion.

Seeing the saintess enter the academy safely, I just started to walk back to the inn instead of sightseeing the capital or whatnot, as it was somewhat dark.

Oh wait.. the unconscious thugs.

I forgot about 'em.

Crap.

 

---

 

The Saintess, Siena Gott, felt extremely motivated this morning.

This morning, while walking to classes with Bennedict , who was one of her dearest friends, told the story of how many difficulties he faced to get here in the Academy.

After listening to Bennedict's growth story from a humble child of a commoner into a proud student of the Academy, Siena wanted to learn what it was like for your average citizen.

This want and desire festered on through the classes.

Therefore, she thought.

'Am I truly a saintess if I don't know the situations of the less fortunate? I have surrounded myself mostly with only the wealthy and elites of the Empire.'

So, after classes of the Academy ended, she went outside the campus grounds in secret to see the lifestyle of an average citizen disguising herself with a hood.. though the signature Academy uniform was still visible.

Which was admittedly, kind of dumb - as within an hour of going around the capital; she was lost in some dark alleyway.

However, she was satisfied. The average citizen of the Empire seemed to at least have basic human needs and more. (She actually went to a pretty rich street instead of the normal streets.)

Therefore; feeling satisfied, she decided to head back.

But, she had to ask the way back - so she asked a random stranger.

"Excuse me.. Do you know where the Academy is?"

The stranger looked at her for a good second.

"Huh? Ain't this a catch? Come here boys!"

"?"

The man who she asked the directions for, called for two more people.

"What dude? I'm trying to rob someone here.."

"I found ourselves a nice aristocrat lady!"

"..."

"Really? Fuck. "

The two people came running like wild dogs.

"You sure she's an aristocrat?"

"Yeah. Look at her uniform. She's from the Academy."

"True. Most students are aristocrats, right?"

"I heard that most aristocrats are virgins till they graduate from the Academy."

"Damn. We could probably sell her for a good price."

"Heheh.."

The saintess, even with little knowledge of the outside world, knew what they were talking about.

They thought she was a lost aristocrat from the Academy and was trying to sell her for human trafficking.

"Hm... shouldn't we 'sample' her, though?"

"... Yes. We should."

At this moment, Sienna knew.

She was in lots of danger.

Sienna tried to break free.

However, as she was a "support" based person, she did not have a great physical prowess to fight 3 strong men.

"Come on missy, don't be scared."

"Stay away..."

"What? I can't hear you."

"S-stay away.."

"The hell's she saying?"

"Who cares. Let's take her hood off so we can see how she looks like and get 'it' over with."

As Sienna saw the approaching hand that was about to undress her.. she closed her eyes and called for someone.

'Bennedict..'

(I'm actually cringing at my own writing right now.)

She was calling for Bennedict to come and save her.

Like a coincidence, someone did come and save her.

One of the people trying to undress her was smashed into the wall.

The other was punched in the face.

The last one was kicked to the ground.

Her vision was blocked by the hood, but she could see a male body wearing a dark blue uniform beating up the soon-to-be sex traffickers.

"You are all under arrest by the Empire's Law & Order Regarding Aristocrats Act 1.1 for attempted sexual harassment."

The man, with a stern voice, started to tie the men with some string from the ground.

Then, he went to Sienna, and with a soft voice, asked.

"Are you okay?"

Sienna felt she was familiar with this voice, but she couldn't pinpoint who it was.

That was until, her hood fell and revealed her face, along with the man's face.

 

The man, was Lowan Geldver.

Last seen 3 years ago after he was kicked from the Academy, it was rumored in the academy that he was sent to the Northern Front and died there.

Sienna, herself, was surprised as well.

Lowan Geldver's face, gave off a more "mature" feeling, as well as softer impression than the last time she saw her.

Along with Lowan Geldver's eyes.

They were a pit of endless dark - creating the impression of 'dead' eyes.

Sienna wondered what those eyes have seen during the 3 years that would cause it to look so lifeless.

(Lowan Geldver just has sleep deprivation from overworking that caused his pupils to dilate lol.)

 

Obviously, sienna's previous impression on Lowan, was bad.

He always bullied Bennedict for being of "lowly status",

He always harassed people near Bennedict, until he was kicked out of the Academy and his family after losing a duel.

 

However, looking at Lowan right now, she could tell.

There was a severe change in Lowan.

He wasn't the previous Lowan - she could tell by her instincts as the saintess.

The soul at the start, was just different.

What caused such a drastic change? 

 

After talking a bit back and forth while Lowan escorted her into the Academy - she felt a sense of comfort.

Which faintly dissapeared after she separated with Lowan in front the Academy gates.

She wanted to feel that comfort again.

 

---