Maria was hugging her previously injured hand close to her chest, while Seraphina was biting her lip and lost in thought. I couldn't help but think that this incident might have made them grow up in another way…
The old man was right. It seemed like I was the first man they ever came in contact with.
[<Indeed. It means that you were their first man.>]
Cleenah made a snarky comment that wasn't necessary.
'Don't say it like that!'
'I haven't done anything inappropriate to them,' I explained. 'All I did was hug them to teleport, hold their hands, and accidentally got kissed by one of them. I'm not a scumbag…'
But the reality was that any man who dared to touch a Saintess would be killed for such sacrilege.
I started to sweat. Would I be killed too?
I had to save them, but I couldn't forget that they were Saintesses of Eden.
"Listen to me," I said, causing Maria and Seraphina to stiffen.
I won't do anything; stop reacting like that!
"I won't do anything to you," I reassured them. "So don't tell anyone what happened here, alright?"
"Understood," a man's voice replied.
"Okay," I nodded in agreement.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Shit!
As I turned around, I caught the old man giving me a cold stare.
"Grandpa!" Maria and Seraphina greeted their grandfather, but didn't rush to hug him.
It was clear that he was right when he warned me about the Saintesses before.
"Are you two okay, Reina, Sera?" He asked, concerned.
"Y-Yes! Th-Thanks to him..." Maria answered while glancing briefly at me before lowering her head.
She seemed different since healing me.
"Yes, grandfather. He helped us a lot," Seraphina replied, but her usually confident voice was trembling at the end. She didn't look at me, but I noticed her ears turning tomato-red.
I furrowed my brows, wondering what could be bothering her. Well, I guess that unexpected incident really shocked a true maiden like her.
"..."
The old man was silent for a moment, looking at each of us in turn.
Feeling uneasy, I tried to break the silence. "You're late, old man," I said nervously.
He approached me with quick steps, and I couldn't help but take a step back. "I-I'm not into old men, old man," I stammered, trying to keep my distance.
"Oh? But maybe you're into Saintesses?" he retorted angrily.
Before I could respond, he grabbed my cheeks, and I panicked, thinking he was going to kiss me.
"D-Damn you! Aunt Belle will beat you up, old man!" I protested, but he held me firmly.
"Shut up," he said, clearly annoyed by my words, while Maria and Seraphina giggled behind him.
I couldn't stand the old man's attitude, but I couldn't do anything about it. "What is that?" he suddenly asked, touching my left cheek.
I hesitated to answer, but when I touched it, I felt a moistened spot. "D-Don't tell me!" I looked at Seraphina, who had stopped giggling and was covering her face with both hands, hiding the lipbalm on her lips. Her whole body was shivering.
"Well..." I averted my face and wiped the lipstick mark on my cheek. "It was an accident, old man," I said, feeling embarrassed.
"I should have known better...you're their son after all. I shouldn't have taken you," the old man said, rubbing his face in frustration.
I couldn't help but feel angry. "I should be the one regretting. I didn't want to come, but you dragged me here! That creepy bee nearly killed all of us!"
"It's not for that, you idiot!" he snapped, banging my head.
"Ow! Shitty old man!" I grumbled.
"I will get you out of the academy! Since when does a headmaster hit his students?" I could see the anger in his eyes.
"I'm doing it as a grandfather," he defended himself.
"You ain't my grandfather! Go adopt a grandson if you're so sad!" I retorted.
"It's not for that, brat," he said with a serious expression.
I was confused. "I don't understand."
"Look at them," he pointed at Maria and Seraphina, who both looked down.
"What? They're okay," I shrugged.
"I've known them for fourteen years and I've never seen them with such expressions until now," he explained.
"What's the problem...? They matured, it's good news," I said, trying to calm him down.
[<Your words…>]
The old man was beyond furious. He looked at me with disgust and exclaimed, "Matured? They are Saintess Candidates. The purest girls of the world! And you just tainted them in a single hour!"
I could feel my face turning red with anger and embarassment. "Who tainted who?! I've done nothing, old geezer!" I retorted, feeling unjustly accused.
"You've done nothing?" he repeated incredulously, glancing at his granddaughters before clenching his fists. "I have to do something before it reaches the point of no return..."
I had no idea what he was going on about. This whole situation was starting to feel ridiculous.
"From now on, Edward Olphean, you are banned from the Holy Church until further notice," he declared firmly.
My mind was spinning. "Huh?" I stammered, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Maria and Seraphina, the old man's granddaughters, had strange reactions to the news, but I was too preoccupied to take note.
"Well, I have nothing to do here. At least for the next two years," I said with a shrug, trying to remain calm despite the old man's angry demeanor.
"Two years?" he narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
I scoffed at his question. "Isn't it obvious? In two years, your granddaughters' apostles or fiancées will be chosen. It's an important ceremony." I explained, hoping to reason with him.
I have to be there, of course. It's an important event in the Third Game.
But the old man was having none of it. He was clenching his fists and teeth, clearly seething with anger. Maria and Seraphina looked like they were in shock, their faces still flushed with crimson.
[<You will never change.>]
Cleenah suddenly spoke in a resigned tone.
'What?'
I was taken aback by her words.
But before I could get a response, the old man dropped another bombshell. "I will never choose you. Forget your dreams, Edward," he stated firmly.
I was left feeling utterly bewildered. What dreams was he talking about? I had no idea what was going on, and the old man's attitude toward me was becoming increasingly hostile.
Was he misinterpreting something?
And what dream?!
Is he talking about attending the marriage ceremony? Was he that scared that I would taint his granddaughters?! Not like I taught them anything unholy like.
"I think there is a misundersta-"
"You won't be allowed to enter the church or take part in their ceremony." The old man was sure unwavering.
I couldn't help but snort at the old man's words. "You will plead with me to come back in two years, old man, I guarantee it," I replied confidently. I knew I had enough leverage to force his hand, if necessary.
Despite my bravado, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a misunderstanding in our discussion. And what was up with Maria and Seraphina? They were acting like lovesick teenagers. Did touching a man for the first time really turn girls into such weirdos?
Shaking my head, I turned to leave the Holy Church. It seemed like the old man had already taken care of Regina Bee and Sergius. Good riddance, I thought to myself. At least Seraphina was still alive, which would change things for the better. Having two potential saintesses was better than having only one.
As I was leaving, Maria called out to me hesitantly. "U-Um, Sir Edward," she said, playing with her fingers nervously.
"What's up?" I asked, ignoring the old man's glare.
"Reina is my second name, and the people close to me call me like that," she explained, seeming unsure of herself.
"I see…" I nodded, not really understanding where she was going with this.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Reina, huh? That's a pretty name," I said to Maria, who seemed to be waiting for my response.
"Thank you!" Maria's face lit up with gratitude as she hurried away behind the old man.
Next up was Seraphina, who avoided making eye contact with me.
"Thanks for saving us," she said, then turned to leave. But I couldn't let her go just yet.
"Hey," I called out to her. Seraphina stopped, waiting for me to say something.
"I gave you some advice earlier, and I want you to remember it. I may have my own hidden goals, but I promise your safety is among my top priorities. You can trust me," I said in a serious tone.
I wanted them both to be wary of anyone inside the church, especially with the Third Game coming up in two years. It was going to be brutal.
"Yes, I will," Seraphina replied, touching her heart with a hurried gesture.
What an odd pair those two were. Maria was nothing like she was in the Third Game, and Seraphina shouldn't even be alive. But despite their differences, they shared a similar education, and Seraphina acted like a protective older sister to Maria.
I shrugged, feeling somewhat relieved that they had each other to rely on.
Good for them, I suppose. I'll see them in two years. I hope they'll grow up and be ready to face the horrors of that final game.
With that thought in mind, I left them behind and headed off to rest before my fight with Ronald.
But as I turned to go, the old man's voice suddenly whispered in my ear, causing me to jump in alarm. "Wait."
"You're creeping me out! Get away from me!" I said, feeling unnerved by his presence.
Aunt Belle…I will tell her about that old man!
"You'll accompany me."
When I heard his words, I grimaced.
Since he told me I tainted his daughters, my brain had stopped working properly.
"I won't! I have a fight against LaylaSimp!"
"LaylaSimp? Whatever. Do you believe I'll let you go after what you've done? I appreciate your assistance with Sergius, but I'd like to know how you knew. The Pope is also intrigued. Do you have any other things to say?"
That Pope was definitely going to report me to Ante-Eden or something, but he needed more information from me.
Again, I wanted to tell him about his brother but…
No.
The time wasn't right.
The Holy Church was too powerful for me, Jayden, and the others at the time. The protagonist of the Third Game is unprepared, and the old man will not be able to stop them on his own.
Yeah, not now.
In two years, I will deal with that holy church.
"I'll tell you later, but not now..." I locked my gaze on the old man, clearly indicating that I would not tell him anything right now.
"..."
I continued because the old man remained silent. "Your granddaughters are now safe. Just don't believe anyone but yourself, old man, and reinforce their security with loyal men." Just in case, I said.
The Pope or the others will not try anything, but I didn't want to risk their lives because of the low likelihood.
"Alright. I will let you off for now." The old man nodded and placed his hand on my shoulders.
I closed my eyes because I knew what he was going to do.
I was back at the academy with the same feeling I had when I landed in the Holy Church.
"By the way, Sergius is no longer alive?" I asked to be sure.
"No. I kept him alive so I could question him."
"Really?" I was surprised that he managed to keep him alive. Is it even possible? I mean, Ante-Eden makes a point of injecting poison into weakened members just in case.
"Yes. You don't have to be concerned about him, but be cautious, boy. If you're going out by yourself, make sure you have a good reason."
"I'm not a child, old man, but I appreciate the drive." I walked away after saying this.
"Edward Olphean."
"Hm?" I turned around and saw a smile on the old man's face.
"You have my heartfelt thanks. My little daughters are everything to me. I'm not sure why you put your life on the line to protect them, but I appreciate it. I have faith in you. If you have any problems, I will gladly assist you."
Wow.
Such gratitude from a DemiGod.
"In two years, I want to be in the ceremony of your granddaugh-"
"No."