Episode 13. Fate (3)
The Saintess.
The divine hammer sent by the gods to punish evil.
The valiant vanguard of the subjugation force wielding sacred light.
The foremost light of the Holy Empire, its most virtuous and honorable knight…
Sure, she had many titles, but to put it simply, she was just an exorcist.
The highest-grade holy knight created solely to eradicate the .
And not just any ordinary Demon King.
Since the dawn of human history, she was a being meticulously crafted by the gods to annihilate only the ‘Skeleton King’—the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low.
A being forged through the combined efforts of all gods, from the Goddess of Beauty to the mightiest God of War, down to nameless minor deities.
And what became of her?
What became of her?
Even demons were bewitched by her divine beauty, swayed helplessly. The demonic forces were devastated by her overwhelming combat prowess.
People naturally assumed the Skeleton King would soon be vanquished under her unstoppable advance.
But who was the Skeleton King?
“Tch, these fools really love wasting effort on pointless things.”
The Skeleton King mercilessly captured this divine knight and hung her before the people.
She was just a brat—hardly worth his time—so he beat her senseless and sent her back with a warning… or so he thought!
“Killing the Demon King is my mission!”
She self-destructed and died!
‘These lunatics!’
They were elegantly deranged. The Saintesses stopped at nothing to kill him.
Their divine vitality rivaled cockroaches, and their strength grew with each generation.
By the time he faced the 81st Saintess—the last one—even the Skeleton King felt death’s approach.
So he annihilated her and all connected to her.
To crush their resurgence.
To trample their delusions of victory…
or so he thought…
‘A Saintess lineage?!’
The Skeleton King clutched his head upon learning of his ancestry.
Not that it was bad—Saintess blood meant supreme pedigree. A perfect vessel for godly revenge.
Without this lineage, it’d be impossible.
There was just one problem…
He finally understood why Esua’s holy knights darkened at his name.
“Esua is the proud lineage tasked for generations with eliminating divine enemies—the sole producers of Saintesses.”
“The Saintesses lived solely for the Skeleton King’s destruction.”
The Skeleton King squeezed his eyes shut.
Damn it—he’d never asked their family name!
How could he have missed this?!
“The Saintess hid all information to protect her family from the Demon King’s reach—even her attire.”
“So devoted to shielding them…”
No! That’s exactly what you should’ve revealed!
This is how innocent victims like me suffer! Damn it!
“The Skeleton King was a cowardly wretch who fled battles and trapped Saintesses in labyrinths!”
“He deliberately spared them to crush their pride—more cruel than killing!”
“Exactly. As a warrior, he knew broken pride cuts deeper than death. Typical of a scheming demon lord.”
The Skeleton King grabbed his nape again.
I just hated watching them self-destruct!
If they’d seen guts flying everywhere, they wouldn’t spout such nonsense!
Survival trumps pride! These fossils blathering about honor—
‘Barbarians who butcher without warning lights!’
He used magic to avoid gore. Blood and corpses revolted him—a trigger from losing his parents.
Magic could reduce bones to dust instantly.
Then why not kill Saintesses with magic?
If possible, he’d have done it ages ago!
Saintesses’ magic resistance surpassed imagination. To kill them, he had to cripple them first and sever their necks or hearts.
Even he struggled to wound them—let alone others.
Keeping Saintesses alive drained the gods’ power. Creating them consumed divine energy.
Killing them would only make the gods grateful—they’d just send upgraded replacements.
So he ignored their challenges and dumped them on deserted islands to die wandering…
“Past Saintesses raged: ‘If you won’t fight, kill us! Or enslave us like a proper Demon King!’”
Damn it! What use is a psycho making snuff films?!
The Emperor spoke gravely:
“I understand your hatred. Without that vile Skeleton King, House Esua wouldn’t have declined.”
Shut up, paycheck!
If I hadn’t defeated the Saintess, I’d be dead!
Now he understood.
‘Their waning reputation—failed to kill me despite their power and legitimacy.’
Simple. The Saintesses’ purpose was his destruction. For centuries, they never succeeded.
How would the Holy Empire treat such failures?
Given past popes’ temperaments, shaming Esua and the Saintesses was inevitable.
‘Still, whatever.’
A Saintess ancestor?
So what?
The Skeleton King remained unshaken.
‘I never killed a Saintess—only sought to weaken the gods.’
“Ten Saintesses starved in his labyrinths!”
…Oops, forgot to let them out.
“Five died of resentment!”
…Are you kidding?!
Why do the mightiest knights die so pathetically?!
Though less loathsome than the Pope, sharing fate with ancient enemies was mortifying.
But it didn’t matter.
Their conflict was positional—Demon King vs. divine proxy.
The Pope was his true nemesis. With the Saintesses, it was more… fraught affection.
Without fate, they might’ve gotten along?
Thus, the Skeleton King only needed to avoid one person—
The 81st Saintess, Melissa.
The sole user of holy dragon power who threatened his life.
Their clashes were frequent and prolonged.
‘But our last meeting was 50 years ago.’
Adding his sealed time…
“The Skeleton King was sealed 150 years ago. With demons strengthened, the Saint is key to the Empire’s resurgence—precious to the crown.”
Total: 200 years!
Melissa should be dead—a zombie by now.
“Moreover, Esua currently has no Saintess. The child’s parents vanished after his birth.”
Right!
No Saintess in the house!
My parents disappeared after having me!
Wait—those missing parents are mine?!
The Skeleton King facepalmed.
Now he realized why he’d been neglected—
‘An orphan, so retrieval was delayed?’
Well, fine.
Good abilities, noble house—a diamond spoon among royalty.
A wet nurse would suffice—better than flimsy blood ties.
Only needed strong allies against the Pope…
“The child has a grandmother. Esua can protect him from all threats—external and internal.”
Ah, a grandmother instead of a Saintess.
Fine. Anyone countering the Pope works…
“But Lady Melissa is currently hunting the Skeleton King’s forces. Her return will take time.”
Melissa hunting my subordinates—
Wait.
Melissa?!
“Grandmother is the former Saintess who last fought the Skeleton King—the strongest. She’ll return swiftly, eager to meet her grandchild.”
The Skeleton King nearly spat blood.
Melissa!
Why aren’t you dead yet?!
‘Humans should die decently!’
Hypocritical for a centuries-old lich, but that wasn’t the point.
‘If discovered, I’ll be exorcised instantly!’
As the Skeleton King’s face twisted, the Emperor brightened:
“How about this? The crown will care for him until the culprits are found. Melissa can focus on her mission.”
Esua’s knights flushed with indignation—a slight against their honor.
The Emperor smiled:
“This isn’t disparagement. We share a goal—to collaborate where each excels.”
The common goal: the Pope and his church.
Esua hated the church’s contempt. The crown wanted the Pope’s influence checked.
Apolitical Esua would keep guarding borders and exorcising demons—mutually beneficial.
“The crown can offer the child much. As Saintess-producers, shouldn’t a male heir be raised here? We’re experts in nurturing boys.”
The knights bit their lips and bowed.
“Your Majesty, with permission…”
“Speak.”
“While guarding Saintesses is our duty, we’re foremost exorcists—the Empire’s frontline against demons.
In exorcism, none surpass Esua. As the Empire’s sword, we’ll protect the young lord and give him what he needs most.”
The Emperor arched a brow.
“What he needs most?”
An uncle smiled confidently:
“Your Majesty can offer silk, castles, gold, land—valuable, yes. But Esua offers what wealth cannot buy: honor, challenge, and indomitable spirit—”
Suddenly, the uncle froze.
The Skeleton King had escaped his crib and was crawling toward the Emperor.
“Y-Young lord?!”
The knights gaped between crib and child.
Thud!
Tiny hands gripped the Emperor’s ankle.
Delighted, the Emperor lifted the kicking baby:
“Ah! You choose us!”
“Young lord?!”
Horrified knights reached for him, frantically gesturing:
“Young lord, here! Peek-a-boo!”
The Skeleton King in the Emperor’s arms turned away.
Nah.
I’ll be a royal guest. Peek-a-boo.
“Young lord! Come here!”
No way, fools.
What’s with this “honor and spirit” crap? Freeze to death with it.
The Skeleton King snuggled into the Emperor, ignoring them all.
