CHAPTER 3.5: THE AFTERMATH OF THE CELEBRATIONS

***The same hidden room, some hours later…***

“Are you guys alright?” was Kuro’s question for everyone while he and some other paladins helped them. When someone asked him for help with the Human Saint, the ladies and the Calabrian chancellor were already drunk, and no one could leave the room without falling down on the floor and making a fool of themselves. As such, Kuro asked some paladins and palatial servants to carry them off the place and into some other rooms with beds.

On his side helping with him were the Lady Hinwe and Meanor…though it was mostly the servant who’s doing more of the grunt work—cleaning and mopping the mess, while her mistress watched on the sidelines. The Elf Saint was more focused on using her magic to provide water and flush ‘disgusting stuff’ scattered around the room.

“The saints surely partied hard, eh?” Her Lazy Holiness commented, noting the several empty bottles of wine on the table.

“I guess they got way too happy?” Kuro, though he was already smeared with disgusting stuff from the drunks, was still laughing. “I don’t know why, but for some reason, I feel this has something to do with the Empire giving me titles and territories.”

“Probably,” Lady Hinwe shrugged. “But dude…these ladies, they surely love you more than what you know.”

“Heh, even the Lady Seirna? I doubt your words.”

“Well, maybe not her; at least, not too much. But to celebrate your success like that? Aren’t you aware that Lady Seirna—among all the ladies who became saints—was the most serious one? We can’t even joke around when she’s with us. Whatever did you do to earn her trust?”

“I just did what someone who loves would usually do,” Kuro had a poignant smile on his face. “Honestly, I don’t think I deserve these blessings I’m receiving, but I’m still grateful they appreciate my efforts.”

Lady Hinwe was silent for a few moments, then said, “I wish I was the same.”

“Hmm…milady, I think it’s natural for you to feel disappointed and frustrated when others throw shit at your hard work. It’s a mortal’s nature, I guess? Nearly everyone’s out to get your good side, and benefit from you. But, when it’s time for them to do their share of the work, they suddenly get disappointed and angry; they say the worst things they can think of because you ‘didn’t help’ them the way they wanted.”

“True.”

“No one can fault you for feeling that way. And no one can blame you for giving up on them.”

The Lady Hinwe chuckled, “Why do you say the truest things?”

Kuro winked at her, “Experience. Also, while it’s normal for you to give up on others, cling to whatever’s left for yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t give up on what fulfills you as a person,” the human picked up some of the empty bottles and handed it over to a servant collecting the trash. Nevertheless, even while busy, he spoke, “Find for the thing or activity that makes you happy, and builds you up as a better individual. Then, in no other way you should let it go; that’s for you. Fight for it.”

“You mean, like my figma dolls? Those things make me happy, you know?”

“Does that make you a better person?”

The Lady Hinwe fell silent. She wanted to tell him she never wanted to become a ‘better person’, only focus on being happy. But she was also afraid that Kuro had something to counter her, so she chose not to say anything.

However, the human seemed to know what she was thinking, “Milady, if every mortal in this realm or in others pursued what makes them happy without considering the other part, which is to develop their character, I believe everything will end in chaos and tragedy. What I mean is, what if this certain guy is happy with killing people? Or someone takes joy seizing the properties of others? Get what I mean?”

The Elf Saint was silent. While she did understand Kuro’s words, it’s pretty hard to accept what he was referring to.

Nevertheless, the human continued, “So…”

“So…?”

“What you’re doing is not inherently bad, Your Holiness,” Kuro smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “However, if you focus too much that nothing gets done is what makes your hobbies bad. Trust me; I’m like you. In my old world, I grew up being bullied by the people around me, and so became extremely interested in animes, mangas and light novels. So much was my interest, that I skip my classes just to read or watch—and I’m the one who’s supposed to teach!”

“Oh my…you’re an extreme one.”

“Told ‘ya! Good thing my superiors didn’t catch me; but it did affect my performance at work. There were some lessons I missed to teach my students because I have to adjust, and it showed when they took their examinations.”

“Did you solve it?”

Kuro shook his head. “Our school schedule is tight; there were no room for errors nor adjustments to catch up. Once I skipped a certain lesson, my students move up levels without fully understanding what I failed to teach.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Indeed, it was. That’s why I pulled myself together and reworked on the way I see my hobby. Teaching is something I enjoy and makes me ‘whole’ as an individual; I don’t want to see it clash against the other thing I love, which is my love for anime stuff. Likewise, I don’t intend to take your figma dolls, and your anime collections inside your laptop, then destroy it. I just want you to take a different perspective in looking at those, while building yourself back as the saint of your people.”

The Lady Hinwe just nodded. While she never intended to listen to whatever Kuro says about her hobbies, she couldn’t help but relate to him. After all, she was also a victim of bullying, and she could understand why the human spoke like that.