Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Fu

     Grace’s face was so pale it looked like it turned blue. It has completely swallowed up her arm until the base of her left shoulder. She tried to escape from its grasp but its teeth clinged firmly onto her, firmly attached to her and not letting her get away.

     The frightened Grace caught Natalie, who was frozen in fear.

     “Natalie, help me! Do something about this monster!”

     Natalie’s face immediately distorted, and thought that she was being unreasonable. “…I don’t want to. You didn’t help me when I asked for help!”

     “Well, that doesn’t matter now. I’m a duke’s daughter! Also, we’re good friends!”

     “If we got along, you shouldn’t have thrown me away! You even lied and deceived me…!” Natalie clutched her crumpled skirt, tears flowing down.

     Grace was stunned as if a dog had bitten its owner by the hand.

     “Hey, please.Help quickly……!” The moment Grace screamed desperately, she got completely swallowed up. Her screams and body disappeared in an instant.

     “Damn, this monster!”

     “Watch out! You’ll be eaten!”

     Magic doesn’t work on a real sacred thing, so the priests surrounded it while holding up swords. The candidates ran away and were no longer in the hall except for Liz and Natalie. 

     The fruit puffed up, still not feeling full. Its movement suddenly stopped. Then, it turned around, and in front of it was Natalie.

     “…..!” Liz protectively embraced Natalie. The Holy dragon advanced forward in response to her movement.

     The large bulging monster fruit is bumpy and its surface is protruding violently. Probably they were trying to get out somehow. The two who have been eaten by the fruit are still alive.

     In front of Natalie, the holy dragon opened its mouth wide.

     “No more!” Natalie screamed and cried out, her arms shielding her head.

     ‘No.’ Liz knew that it was going to breathe out that white flame. With such tremendous power, it’d disintegrate the fruit. Grace and the priest are still in it.

     “Wait!” Liz tried to pull its hair on its back. The dragon, who was about to breathe out fire, was surprised. The flame was withdrawn and its eyes turned from black to white.

     “Why’d you pull the holy dragon’s hair, by any means!”

     “What a blunder you are! Impossible!” 

     The priests cried out.

     Liz ignored them and faced the holy dragon, “I have a favor to ask of you. I want you to leave two of them alone and only destroy the fruit. Can you?” 

     The holy dragon stared back with its red eyes.

     “Why? you ask?” She asked in a serious tone.

     “We must have them confess on what they have done. Otherwise, Natalie would remain guilty. And—” She looked back at Natalie, whose head is down, weeping. Oh her right cheek, there’s a sharp, cruel burn mark.

     “Besides, they have to properly apologize to her.”

     It’s not a problem to apologize. As long as they have admitted their fault and are sincere is what’s necessary.

     As if Liz’s words have been conveyed, the holy dragon nodded its head saying ‘I understand’.

     “Please, Holy dragon.”

     Due to her pulling the Holy dragon’s fur at its back, the skin around its white hair turned reddish. 

     ‘It must be painful…I’m sorry.’ Liz rubbed it softly.

     Again, The holy dragon opened its mouth wide. A small flame went out and destroyed only the fruit alone, leaving Grace and the priest.

     They were surprised. 

     A white flame, more powerful than the one that had broken through the hall, gushed out of its mouth gave out a piercing sound and heat.

     “Huh!?”

     ‘Was it a lie? Her message didn’t get transmitted.’

     The walls and the floors crumbled from the sound as if crushing the impatience in their hearts, the sound and smoke reached to the fruit monster of Grace. It was like a masterpiece, it was overwhelming, words wouldn’t come out.

     And after, the fruit burned out, not leaving any trace of it, only Grace and the priest who’s sprawled down on the floor, very pale. The holy dragon did what it was asked to do.

     “Both are safe. They just fainted!” The priest who had rushed to check their pulse said. 

     “A miracle!” he cried out.

     Eventually, their eyes opened. Looking back and forth, Toma was trembling with joy for being alive. But soon, he has read the situation based on the rugged expressions of the surrounding priests. Toma kneeled down and bowed his head on the floor for mercy.

     “Everything is just as Natalie had said. I’m sorry…”

     “Such an unforgivable act done as a priest! Natalie is even the saint candidate that you have brought in. What you have done is the worst thing one would do with greed. After receiving judgment from the temple, you will be stripped off of your rank as a priest.You must be prepared.”

     At the stern words, Toma dejectedly nodded his head as if he’s lost energy.

     A young priest looked at Grace, who’s beside Toma. She had a grimace drawn on her pale face. She was bitterly scared when she was swallowed by the monster fruit, biting her pale lips.

     “Grace, of course, you shall receive judgement from the temple. This will be reported to both the chief  priest and the royal family, for you have desecrated the selection of the holy saint. “

     Grace looked up, her expression stiff, as if she’s been falsely accused.

     “This is a mistake! Tell my father—to the Duke of Igner!’

     “The duke does not matter. This is a temple. You are certainly the daughter of the Igner Duke family, but here you are nothing more than a mere candidate for holy saint. “

     “No, I didn’t do it!…To be judged by such a strange thing……!” 

     Lloyd approached Grace, who has been clutching on her long hair, denying and not accepting the reality.

     “As you quote what the chief priest had said, the plant would grow depending on the person, on what’s suitable and worthy for you, and that’s what exactly grew.” He let out a small chuckle of ridicule.

     “Only in appearance, It’s a beautiful flower. In addition, the fruit’s contents were empty, turning out to be a monster in the end.” he coldly said.

     Grace’s cheeks flushed with anger.

     “You better not tell a lie again. The monster that had swallowed you was burned out, but your sacred plant still remains intact. If you continue telling lies, that monster fruit will come back. And maybe, you wont get out and live in the end.” 

     Grace looked around stiffly, her face dejectedly with regret. She had no choice but to surrender and admit it. She threw her head on the floor, her hands clenched, groaning in silence.

     As they watched Grace and Toma being led away by the priests, Liz spoke to Lloyd, who was beside her folding his arms, “I didn’t know that the sacred tree can bear fruit again.”

     “I also don’t know.” 

     ‘What?’

     She couldn’t help but look at him.

     “…Is it a lie?”

     “Yes.” 

     Liz gave out a smile, quite amazed.

     “Even you Liz, you were lying about the incident where the Holy Dragon was talking directly into your head.”

     “I couldn’t think of any other way to prove Natalie’s innocence,”

     “It’s a bad Liz for using the holy dragon.” Lloyd laughed joyfully.

     Liz tried to take Natalie to the infirmary, but she couldn’t find her. Even though she was just beside her earlier. In a panic, she looked for her, she found her leaning on the wall, her back facing Liz.

     “Let us go and have you treated…Is there something wrong?”

     Despite the terrible burns, Natalie was standing, her hands holding her potted sacred plant. Liz curiously looked at her, peeping silently from behind.

     Liz gasped, Natalie’s bright yellow flowers had already withered. Not only her flowers, but even the leaves and stems have become brown and faded. It’ll never bear fruit, nor will the plant grow again.

     “Of course, it’s a matter of time. Because of what I’ve done…I’m sorry, Liz. I’m really sorry…” 

     Natalie, hugging the plant, was trembling and quiet tears streamed down her face.