I’m Not a Saint, Not a Priest, Just a Healer.

Hard brick bread that won’t even let your teeth in unless soaked in water,
Dried jerky smeared with cheap sauce.
Bland and slightly musty-smelling water in the canteen.
This was the typical diet of adventurers when out on a request.
Still, that’s considered a mid-grade diet.
If you go below that, it’s hard to describe – just stuff to fill your stomach and that’s it.
Compared to that, the diet they received now was certainly different.
“Hey, look at how well-supplied we are for a subjugation team.”
Yona licked her lips as she looked at the steaming soup in a small bowl.
Not only that, but soft bread that at least seemed like teeth could bite into it, even if it wasn’t freshly baked.
It’s really lucky to eat like this on an expedition.
“Hey, move over a bit.”
Alec nudged the iron-rank adventurer who had joined the same party, pushing his butt with his foot.
“What are you doing? You can just sit in any empty spot, can’t you?”
The iron-rank adventurer who was about to start eating quickly picked up his bowl and made room.
Yona glared at Alec as he quickly slid his butt into the vacated spot.
“This was the spot I had my eye on.”
“Oh come on, that’s ridiculous. There are spots everywhere, what’s the big deal.”
As she said this, Yona also shifted her butt to make a little more room.
“Ah, this is nice. Making money and eating proper food, it’s really nice.”
“You sound like an old man. Your hair’s falling out because you act like a prematurely aged person.”
“I told you, I shaved it.”
“Bullshit.”
Yona snorted and gulped down her soup with a slurp.
As the hot soup went down her throat, she felt her whole body warming up immediately.
“So, we enter tomorrow night, right?”
“That’s what they said.”
The subjugation team organization was completed and they moved out right away.
Entry would only be possible just after sunset anyway, so I don’t understand why they’re leaving late knowing we’ll arrive in the middle of the night.
“Well, it’s good for us since we’re getting paid by the day.”
Right, money is the right thing.
Anyway, to find a way back, we need to find a renowned mage in the capital, so money is necessary.
Yona’s mood improved automatically as she thought about the hefty silver coins that would be in her hand after this job was done.
“So who’s that person?”
Across from Yona, that is, across the campfire.
Beyond the flickering campfire, a brown-haired man was sitting cross-legged, eating his meal.
“They said his name is Rudvik. A gold-rank spearman.”
“No, I know that.”
Tsk.
Alec clicked his tongue lightly.
Somehow it’s a bit annoying.
“Oh my, our baldy. Are you jealous because you’re bronze rank and he’s gold rank?”
“Bullshit, you’re bronze rank too.”
“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. A healer’s bronze rank is equivalent to a warrior’s silver rank.”
“Who says that?”
As the two were bickering, someone’s presence approached.
Yona, who was about to hit the back of Alec’s head, glanced back, and it wasn’t because of the campfire light-
“…Well, well, who do we have here, the precious priestess gracing us with her presence in such a humble place. What brings you here?”
The originally red-haired priestess’s face scrunched up at Yona’s sarcasm.
The priestess’s face, with her bright red hair tied in two braids, looked very youthful.
A face that would make people wonder why a child was in a place like this.
“Yona, come with me. And-”
Bigrind moved her steps again and stood in front of Rud.
Rud, who was slurping up the last of his soup after finishing his meal, looked up at Bigrind over his bowl.
“You come too.”
“Who are you?”
“You’ll know when you come. Don’t argue.”
Rud smirked.
Then he stacked his bowls neatly, grabbed them, and stood up.
“Alright. Where should I go?”
Bigrind silently raised her hand and pointed to the church carriage.
The church carriage they had ridden comfortably while the adventurers came on cargo wagons with the worst ride quality.
“Got it. I’ll be right there.”
With that final answer, Rud went to return his dishes.
Bigrind watched Rud’s retreating back for a moment, then turned and looked down at Yona.
Her eyes were obscured by the shadows of the campfire light, but Yona thought:
She’s probably annoyed, no doubt.
How much must she hate having to come to a place with these adventurers when she’s such an esteemed priestess.
“…Fine, I’m coming too.”
As Yona stood up, Alec also got up from his seat.
Because Yona was going.
Wherever Yona goes, Alec goes too.
That was Alec’s way of thinking.
As Alec was about to stand up like that, he paused at Bigrind’s sudden cold voice.
“Why are you trying to follow? Just eat your meal there. It might be your last supper.”
“You fucking bitch.”
Before Alec could say anything, Yona flared up angrily.
Yona clenched her fists, looking like she might pounce on Bigrind at any moment, but Bigrind maintained a proud attitude as if to say, “Did I say anything wrong?”
“Rolling around with these vulgar people has made your language equally vulgar, Yona. Priestess Eije would be truly dismayed if she saw this.”
“Stop talking bullshit, you bitch. Hurry up and apologize to baldy.”
The adventurers sitting around quietly closed their mouths and watched Yona and Bigrind.
If it was a fight between adventurers, it would naturally be an entertaining spectacle, and they would excitedly place bets and whatnot, but this wasn’t that kind of situation.
Placing bets on the church’s priestess, and Bigrind at that?
Unless you have three or four lives to spare, you couldn’t do such a thing.
“Hey, don’t. We adventurers don’t know when we’ll die, so it’s not wrong. Hurry and go. If Priestess Bigrind came to call you personally, it must be urgent.”
Alec awkwardly smiled and pulled on Yona’s wrist.
Otherwise, it really looked like Yona would pounce on Bigrind at any moment.
“Let go, idiot. Aren’t you angry? Don’t you have any guts?”
“My guts know when and where to get excited, so I’m fine. Hurry and go.”
Yona’s lips quivered several times as she looked at Alec.
She was angry.
Only I should be able to bully Alec.
Only I, who’s been through life and death with him for three years, who can understand him just by looking in his eyes.
That damn priestess bitch has no right to push him around as she pleases.
“…Lead the way, Bigrind.”
With a snort, Bigrind silently began to walk.
Yona followed behind her.
After taking a few steps, she turned back to look at Alec.
“Yeah, take care.”
Alec waved at her.
*
“Teacher.”
“Oh my, Yona, you’re here. Did you eat?”
This carriage interior, with five or six fist-sized light stones and heat stones attached, was truly bright and cozy even without a campfire.
More than that, Eije welcomed Yona, who was entering the carriage, with a warm smile.
“Yes, roughly.”
“Good, come in and sit down.”
Yona entered the carriage, and Rud followed in behind her.
Thanks to his tall stature, even though it was a fairly high carriage, it felt cramped when he entered.
“I’m Rudvik. You can call me Rud.”
“Yes, Mr. Rudvik. I’m Eije.”
“…I’m Bigrind.”
Unlike Yona who sat in the corner, Bigrind was somewhat careful in dealing with Rud.
That bitch isn’t usually like that, but seeing how she’s treating Rud, maybe he really is a champion or something like that.
Yona suddenly had such a thought.
With demons suddenly appearing and a self-proclaimed champion showing up, it seems like there are some strange signs, but she couldn’t understand what that had to do with her being here right now.
“Now, the reason we called Mr. Rudvik and Yona here like this is…”
Eije placed two steaming cups of tea in front of Rud and Yona, which she had prepared at some point.
The fact that she was getting straight to the point while doing this showed that it was indeed urgent.

“It’s to confirm that Mr. Rudvik received an oracle as a champion.”
“Ah, I thought so. Well, why wouldn’t you? I could be a con artist for all you know.”
Rud responded to Eije’s words with his usual refreshing smile.
Is there a more far-fetched story than him receiving a revelation while working as an adventurer in Marlen and becoming a champion?
“It’s not that we want to doubt you.”
Eije smiled gently.
Even saying the same thing, Eije gave a soft and caring impression, quite different from Bigrind.
Yona really liked that about Eije.
“Well, if that’s the case, I’d better show you. Here, look.”
With that, Rud started unbuttoning his shirt.
Undoing a few buttons was quick work, and he opened his shirt wide.
“W-What are you doing?!”
With a sharp scream, Bigrind turned her head away.
Judging by her hands tightly covering her eyes, she must have seen something truly unpleasant, but Yona watched Rud’s upper body without any particular reaction.
A large golden harp engraved where the heart would be.
And around that harp, several indecipherable letters were engraved.
Those letters were shimmering as if embroidered in gold, one by one.
‘…Golden letters…?’
Suddenly, Yona thought of the dark letters wrapped around her right arm.
The number of letters was overwhelmingly more on Yona, but the letters engraved on Rud were a sacred-looking gold color, while Yona’s letters were an ominous black.
Eije gently stroked Yona’s hand.
“Yes, I’ve confirmed it. It is indeed the mark of the Celestial Deity. However, that alone is not enough to acknowledge you as a champion yet.”
At Eije’s words, Bigrind also slowly removed her hands from her eyes and looked at the sacred scar engraved on Rud’s upper body.
Then she let out a small “Hoo” in admiration.
“Well, of course not, right? You can’t just blindly believe based on this alone.”
Rud nodded in agreement with Eije’s words.
This somewhat serious attitude of Rud further increased Eije’s trust in him.
“As you know, Mr. Rudvik, it’s been hundreds of years since the previous Champion Siu vanquished the False Demon King… During that time, no champion has appeared. And no Demon King has appeared either. Even now, there are no signs of the Demon King’s advent. And yet, a champion has appeared… This is still an uncertain matter.”
“Yes, I understand. But I heard that a demon appeared in that Catacomb, wouldn’t fighting against that prove whether I’m a champion or not?”
“Well… It might not be proof, but it could increase your credibility.”
“You’re quite strict.”
“The weight of the title ‘Champion’ is that heavy.”
Eije smiled, and Rud smiled too.
Yona couldn’t smile.