The Pitfalls of Summoning the Saint
Author: Jiang Ye
I just couldn’t resist writing this after thinking, “Actually, maybe that’s how it really is.”. It’s sweltering hot, so I’d be thrilled if this story brings you even a little bit of cool relief.
A certain nation suffering from the invasion of the Demon King has succeeded in summoning a Saint from another world.
The girl, who came from Japan—an island nation in that other world—was as pure, righteous, and beautiful as legend described. Her heart ached for the world’s plight, and she agreed to become the Saint.
The role of the Saint is to establish sacred barriers throughout the land to prevent the invasion of demonic hordes, weaken the demonic beasts that serve them, and heal the wounded with Holy Magic.
The Saint, who called herself Ayame, traveled the land and, together with the Prince and knights, defeated the demonic forces that sensed the threat posed by the Saint’s presence.
As expected, defeating the Demon King alone was beyond the power of a single nation. Still, the Saint returned triumphantly to the Royal Capital, satisfied that gaining even a moment’s respite was sufficient. All that remains is to consult with other nations suffering from the demons and decide whether to dispatch armies or take other measures. The mere presence of a Saint offered the world hope.
And the nation that had successfully summoned the Saint now held a significant lead over the others.
In honor of the Saint’s triumphant return, the King hosted a grand banquet.
“Saint Ayame, your journey was for a noble cause. As the hope of the world, you shall receive a reward. Do you have a wish?”
At the banquet where the nation’s leading nobles had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Saint, Ayame answered the King’s question without hesitation.
“My wish is to return to my original world. If that is not possible, then I wish for work that will allow me to live here, and fair compensation for it.”
Those gathered were moved by Ayame’s wish, admiring her selflessness. Though she could have asked for any luxury, even to marry the Prince and become Queen, her wish was so modest.
Prince Granz and his attendants, who had journeyed with Ayame, were secretly disappointed because they had likely expected to be the ones desired.
The King was also dissatisfied inwardly. Marrying her to the Prince would keep the Saint tethered to the Kingdom. That was the reason he had the First Prince accompany her on the journey. Even at this point, the King’s desires burned fiercely.
But if that was the case, there was a way around it. The King signaled to Granz. Granz nodded in understanding.
Seated among the Royal Family, Granz rose and stood beside the King’s throne.
“I hereby appoint First Prince Granz, who accompanied the Saint on her journey and saved the kingdom, as Crown Prince. Saint Ayame shall be his Crown Princess.”
The King’s words caused a stir among the nobles. Among them, one girl turned ashen.
Granz’s fiancée, Theresia, daughter of the Duke of Vergel.
“Eh…? Huh?”
Seeing that Ayame was thrown into confusion by the sudden declaration, Theresia felt a sense of relief, even though this was hardly the time for it.
Although Theresia, a young noble lady, was unable to accompany Ayame on the perilous journey, she had arranged for relief supplies, compiled reports on damage across the land to help select the next destination, and above all, encouraged Ayame through letters and other means as she struggled with anxiety in this unfamiliar world. Being of similar age and gender, and possessing impeccable manners, Theresia had been chosen as Ayame’s mentor and friend.
After Ayame’s summoning, they only met and spoke in person for about three months before she set out on her journey…… However, through their ongoing correspondence, Theresia believed that they had become true friends, not just friends ‘in name’. When Ayame returned safely, she came to see Theresia first thing and said, “I’m so glad I could protect the people important to you, Theresia-chan.”.
“Huh? Wait, I don’t get it! What are you talking about… Why am I marrying Prince Granz?”
Stunned, Ayame’s speech reverted to her natural tone. Seeing Theresia still pale, Ayame shook her head slightly, then covered her mouth as if startled and rephrased.
“My apologies… What do you mean? Am I to be Prince Granz’s… His Highness’s consort?”
Granz smiled gently, trying to reassure Ayame, who was trembling and pale with tension, no less than Theresia.
“The engagement to Theresia Vergel is annulled. As my fiancée and the young lady of the Vergel Duchy, Miss Theresia contributed nothing to the war against the demons. Furthermore, the young ladies who were betrothed to my close attendants—did they not live in complacent ease here in the capital while the Saint embarked on a perilous journey? The Royal Family deemed this offense grave and decreed, as punishment, the annulment of all engagements with these families. The young ladies are hereby ordered to perform service at the Western Fortress!”
At Granz’s words, the expressions of the nobles—who had been dismissing this as someone else’s problem—changed.
According to Granz, the nobles who remained in the capital would be judged for the crime of “doing nothing”. He knew full well that while knights could go to the battlefield, noncombatants, such as women and children, could not.
“This time, you can truly serve the nation and the Saint. Consider it an honor.”
Granz declared with a look of satisfaction.
They knew the accusation was almost baseless. The King and Granz had intended to use this opportunity to bring the Saint into the Royal Family and weaken the power of the nobles. Sensing this, the nobles were whispering amongst themselves.
What they hadn’t anticipated was that Ayame wasn’t particularly interested in luxury or the position of Queen, nor was she the type of woman who could bask in contentment surrounded by handsome men.
“They did… nothing?”
Ayame clenched her hand so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
“Ah, that’s right. While we were fighting the demon race, what was Theresia doing? Protected in the safe royal capital….”
“Don’t mess with me.”
Ayame interrupted Granz.
Then she hurried over to Theresia, who looked as if she might collapse at any moment, and supported her slender shoulders.
“Theresia-chan…… If you claim that Lady Theresia did nothing, then what were you doing? You were just drinking and causing commotions while the soldiers fought demons and demonic beasts!”
The Saint glared at Granz, and faced with her accusation, he turned pale. From then on, Ayame held the reins of power.
“Lady Theresia was very kind to me, who was brought here alone. She patiently taught me everything—this world’s customs, how to carry myself, etiquette, even how to speak. When I cried, remembering my family, she stayed by my side, doing everything she could to comfort me.”
Summoned alone to another world, without her consent, forcibly, unable even to say goodbye to family or friends. For Ayame, it was an outrage no different from kidnapping.
Furthermore, her kidnappers had saddled her with the burden, telling her, “As a Saint, you must save the world.”. Though framed as a plea, to Ayame, it sounded like nothing but an order. After all, her own life was on the line—it was no different from coercion.
Ayame became a Saint only because Theresia took pity on her, devoted herself as a friend, and because Theresia earnestly pleaded for her precious people’s suffering to end. If she had been forced to accept the “Glory of a Saint” as preached by Granz and the King, Ayame likely would have surrendered to the demons instead.
Upon hearing Ayame’s true feelings for the first time, the King’s expression changed. He had probably never realized that she despised them enough to consider joining the demons.
“It was thanks to Lady Theresia and those who protected the Royal Capital that we received a steady supply of food, medical goods, and various other materials during our journey. While I can heal soldiers’ wounds with the power of the Saint, I cannot bring the dead back to life. Moreover, I have my limits. The holy magic consumed to treat massive hemorrhages is incomparable to that needed for mere scrapes. Even if I couldn’t fully heal them, just stopping the bleeding was truly a blessing.…… Prince Granz tried to stop me from going around to the medical tents to treat soldiers on many occasions.”
“That was out of concern for the Saint…… Huh?”
“I don’t want concern from someone who stayed safely in the rear, protected by the Royal Guard, while I was on the front lines with the soldiers.”
It was a stinging sarcasm.
Granz was the First Prince. His attendants were also the legitimate sons of the nation’s most influential nobles. It was only natural that they should be protected.
Ayame, on the other hand, had no choice but to constantly stand on the front lines to weaken the demonic beasts.
Granz, who mocked wounded soldiers as filthy and weak, and never offered a word of comfort, certainly had no right to express concern for the Saint.
“Lady Theresia, mindful of me in that all-male battlefield, lent me her most trusted maid. Not only that, she would sometimes enclose little tokens of comfort in her letters—ribbons, brooches, candies—small but heartfelt gestures. And… what made me happiest of all was that she prepared me with underwear… spare undergarments for me. The clothing sent to the battlefield was inevitably all men’s wear……. Such considerations never let me forget that I was a woman. Even though I was called a Saint, I was still an 18-year-old girl. There were times when I wanted to dress nicely and eat sweets.”
Although she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud, what truly made her happy were the sanitary products. This was a periodic phenomenon that not even a Saint could control, and it was also something that men would hardly take notice of. Could an 18-year-old girl possibly ask grown men for “sanitary pads”? The sanitary products in this world seemed impossibly archaic to Ayame, who had lived in Modern-day Japan, and she worried about their cleanliness. Still, having them made a world of difference.
Only Theresia and her friends had noticed this and made arrangements. In an environment full of men, they had desperately tried to figure out what a woman needed, all to protect Ayame’s heart.
Theresia sobbed at Ayame’s words. She hadn’t done it to seek gratitude, but she was glad that Ayame understood.
The young ladies who had helped Ayame alongside Theresia also bowed their heads, holding back tears.
“B, but I was looking out for Ayame too!”
“You mean by urging someone who said they couldn’t handle alcohol to drink?”
Granz insisted that he had done everything he could, but Ayame flatly rejected him.
“When Prince Granz and his attendants came to offer me a drink, for some reason, he sent my maid away on an errand. She said he kept giving her one errand after another to ensure she couldn’t return to my side…… What were the four men trying to do by gathering around a woman who would have passed out drunk? …… Is it just my wicked imagination that makes me suspicious?”
At this, Theresia’s expression changed for a different reason. The assembled nobles, especially the women, showed open disgust, and fathers with daughters stepped forward protectively.
“Prince Granz, as Lady Theresia’s fiancé, so have tried my best not to think too badly of you, but… declaring the annulment of your engagement—a matter of state—in such a public forum, and then announcing your intention to marry me, without my consent. I can only conclude that you intend to defame not only Lady Theresia but also me.”
“Ayame…Huh. Did you not like me……?”
Still holding Theresia’s shoulders, Ayame fixed a cold gaze on the visibly shocked Granz.
“My attitude and amiable smiles toward the prince of a nation… If I gave you that impression, I apologize. However, I find it deeply offensive to be seen as a woman who steals her friend’s fiancé.”
“Lady Ayame……”
Theresia looked at Ayame with teary eyes, and Ayame shook her head.
“Even if you call me a Saint, I’m just a girl with no status. Even in my original world, I was an ordinary high school girl, the type you could find anywhere. I could never become a Queen.”
There would be people who supported Ayame. The nobles would have no choice but to support the Saint who would save the world. But that was all. As Queen, all that would be expected of Ayame was the lofty title of Saint and to bear a child with Granz. Despite her efforts to learn the customs of this world, Ayame had no political ability. Her future was to be used solely for the benefit of the Kingdom. Ayame knew herself well enough to understand that.
“…… You said that this time they can truly serve the nation and the Saint, and that it is an honor.”
Ayame, who had been staring at Theresia, stood before the King.
The King, sensing what the low voice would say, flinched and shook his shoulders.
“…… Hmm.”
However, he couldn’t retract his arrogant words. The King replied with a groan.
“Then, please send Prince Granz and his attendants, who have lived days indistinguishable from staying in the capital without fighting, to the Western Fortress.”
Then, as if suddenly remembering, Ayame added.
“Theresia-chan…… if Lady Theresia and the Duke of Vergel approve, that is.”
Ayame stated it was not she who would judge Granz and his group. While Ayame held that authority here, Granz was, after all, Theresia’s fiancé.
“Very well. I look forward to His Highness Granz’s service.”
“The House of Vergel also approves.”
Theresia’s father, Duke Vergel, declared indignantly, and voices of “Agreed!” rose one after another from the nobles.
“Wh…… why me!”
“If you did nothing, it’s only natural, isn’t it? Ah, you did get drunk and harass the soldiers, lowering morale, didn’t you?”
Ayame clapped her hands.
The nobles shot contemptuous glances at Granz and his attendants, who had accompanied the Saint on her journey as her escorts, now exposed for their disgraceful behavior. It was now clear that Granz’s true purpose had never been to subjugate the demons, but rather to woo the Saint.
“As a Saint, I desire their service.”
“And if…… I refuse?”
“It would be an honor, wouldn’t it? I trust you won’t refuse, but… well, then I intend to continue my journey as a Saint.”
Ayame smiled brightly, and the King gripped the throne so tightly that his fingertips hurt.
The Saint’s journey had ended, but only within this kingdom. The Demon King remained unvanquished, and nations suffering from demonic invasions still awaited the Saint’s arrival.
Should Ayame declare her intent to go, they would welcome her with open arms. In light of Grantz’s failure, they would undoubtedly try to entangle Ayame.
“No matter where the Saint goes, the Vergel family will support her!”
Theresia cried out.
“My house too “
“Our family as well!”
The houses of the young ladies, who were engaged to his attendants, followed Theresia’s lead.
“Your Majesty.”
Ayame folded her hands in front of her chest.
“In the world I came from, there are no Demon Kings or demonic beasts. However, there were wars. My homeland fought a war just seventy years ago and lost. My great-grandfather was sent to a southern island to fight in the war and never returned.”
The room fell silent at the Saint’s words.
“…… There were no supplies. Even the children back home who didn’t go to war had nothing to eat, so it was impossible to send supplies to the southern islands. No food, hardly any weapons. Most of the soldiers sent to the southern islands died of starvation. What my great-grandmother received was a jar filled with pebbles that served as his remains.”
Deaths where not even the remains were returned. Those who had believed the other world was peaceful gasped at the horror.
“Now, our homeland is at peace. Yet even so, people die every year from disasters. And to aid those affected, relief supplies are delivered immediately.”
The Saint closed her eyes tightly once, clenching her clasped hands.
“This is made possible by those who maintain society. It is precisely because people who do not have to fight maintain the social infrastructure that supplies were able to reach the front lines without delay. If people’s lives had been destroyed, those supplies would have been plundered immediately. They weren’t doing nothing. They protected me, protected us all!”
Unlike Granz and his kind, who had joined the Saint’s battle journey yet thought only of themselves, drowning in selfish desires. Ayame could never admire Granz, who claimed honor without lifting a finger.
The Saint’s appeal struck the hearts of the nobles.
“I cannot forgive such insults…… my wish is for Prince Granz and his companions to undertake service activities.”
There was no falsehood in Ayame’s words. Precisely because they were true, they appealed to people’s hearts and shook them violently.
The heroic tale of the Saint who chose friendship over the glory of becoming the future Queen would spread throughout the land, along with the downfall of Granz and his ilk. No one could silence it. What’s more, the King and Granz had made enemies of all the nobles in the Royal Capital.
“…… As the Saint wishes.”
The King hung his head in defeat and conceded her wish. Forcing her to retract it through brute force would be easy, but doing so would surely spark a rebellion led by the Vergel family and other nobles. This was no mere demon extermination campaign— it was a crisis that threatened the survival of the nation itself.
“No way—Father!?”
“Silence! You should have claimed the Saint sooner. If she leaves us now, our nation would have had no chance to claim hegemony of the world! …… After all our efforts to summon the Saint… Because of you, I’ll be branded a foolish king…… Huh!!”
“But Father, you said I only had to follow along! I never wanted to go on the journey to subjugate demons!”
“But that doesn’t mean you could just do nothing! What a disgrace to the Royal Family!”
Ayame smiled at the father and son who had started bickering loudly.
Her smile was pure and innocent, just like that of a Saint.
――Now, let’s reveal the story behind the summoning of a Saint.
Those who come from another world through Saint Summoning, or Hero Summoning, are essentially heroes in the making.
That is, for the world that summons them.
Even if demons are considered the enemy of humanity, killing those with whom they can communicate without question is simply genocide. Mass murder by a racist regime. Not much different from what Nazi Germany did at Auschwitz. Those who can do so without hesitation are considered ‘Heroes’ and ‘Legends’.
As for the Saint, weakening the demons is akin to spreading pathogens. It’s intentionally causing a pandemic, creating an opening for mass slaughter to begin. What’s more, even if she is mortally wounded, she recovers and fights back. Even in another world, humans are still humans. The Saint cannot heal the fear of challenging a foe far stronger than oneself. She commands humans who have experienced the fear of death to die again. Such is the psychopath known as the “Saint”.
Ayame, a girl from Japan, was born into a very common family, just as she claimed. After finishing her university entrance exams and securing her acceptance, she was waiting to graduate when she was suddenly summoned as a Saint.
But, what if Ayame hadn’t been summoned and had stayed in Japan?
Ayame would have majored in psychology at university and become a professor. In high school, she was bullied by a classmate, but she dealt with the situation legally, reconciled with the perpetrator, who then transferred schools. This experience led her to choose a career defending the weak.
By listening to the troubles of various people, comforting them, and encouraging them, Ayame would gain a fanatical following, and eventually create a major criminal organization with herself at the helm.
Ayame herself merely listened when asked. Although subtly guided, the perpetrators committed the crimes of their own volition. Had Ayame been a cult leader, the police might have intervened, but she was just a university professor. Even when Ayame’s name surfaced in investigations, the fact is that she never did anything. She did nothing.
Those who fanatically worshipped Ayame, dubbed the ‘Moriarty of Reiwa’ and ‘Japan’s Lecter’, followed her until her death. The ultimate evil, worse than any criminal. That was Ayame’s future.
Those summoned to another world are selected based on their true nature. What may be evil in one world may become justice in another.
In short, Ayame was a nuisance to her original world, so her being summoned and discarded in another world was a blessing.
The signs were already there. She eliminated a kingdom’s Prince, the Crown Prince, a man who plotted against her—using Theresia as her justification. The Western Fortress was the only place Ayame had not visited. Hardly even a frontline anymore, it lay in ruins from battles against the demons.
The Western Fortress was defended by felons who had colluded with the demons —of course, there were no supplies. It was a place where, far from self-sufficiency, they couldn’t even obtain proper clothes without pillaging nearby villages. Granz would, of course, know what kind of place he was sending Theresia to. It was the Saint’s party that had rescued the villagers who had fled. It was Ayame who had sealed off the fortress with a sacred barrier.
With the Duke of Vergel and the nobles on her side, even the King’s position was now precarious.
For Ayame, being a Saint is her calling. As long as the Demon King exists, the weak will flock to her in desperation. Conveniently, there were even villains, such as princes and nobles, who played their parts. The Duke’s daughter, Theresia, would now blindly believe in Ayame and follow her no matter what. The masses will gather in the name of the Saint, raising the banner of justice to judge evil.
Saint Ayame.
She herself would never kill anyone. Nor would anyone kill on her behalf.
Ayame merely heals and encourages others, gently pushing them forward from behind.
After their reconciliation, the classmate who bullied Ayame transferred schools due to the magic of “The Third Party’s Intervention”.
Reference: “The Unwomanly Face of War.”
Sads Translates 