The Man’s 101st Bad Ending Chapter 12✧:.｡

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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There are things that are cold and bitter. And there are things that are warm and gentle.

If one had to describe this woman nad Adriana, perhaps she leaned more towards the warm and gentle side.

A woman who made it difficult for others to utter harsh words, instead making them smile.

Innocent and guileless, yet not foolish.

Despite embodying purity as a saint, she never swayed from misguided temptations.

Thus, one could say she was noble.

Through experiencing countless lives, that was the impression I had ford about the woman called a saint.

So pure and noble that not a single flaw could be found…

Or so I had thought.

“Children, don’t pull on my hair… it hurts…”

Surrounded by children, endlessly tornted – it was quite different from the image I had held of a saint.

How should I put it? Perhaps it was most fitting to call it trivial.

Even as they tugged and yanked her hair this way and that, she laughed like a fool and seed to enjoy being with the children.

And yet, from moving various loads, her clothes were covered in dust, her cheeks and forehead smudged with gri.

Perhaps I had been mistaken in thinking of her as a noble saint.

However, I beca convinced that no one suited the na of saint better than Adriana.

It was not because she possessed holy powers that others lacked that she was called a saint, but perhaps it was precisely because of that personality that she had been chosen as one.

Seeing that sight stirred quite a peculiar feeling in , prompting to avert my gaze from the saint mingling with the children.

I was helping out in place of her, as she had sprained her ankle and could not move freely, but I began to wonder if I should really continue staying here.

Wouldn’t my presence here sohow ruin the atmosphere?

I was assisting her to repay the favor of healing my neck wound last ti, but no particular connection seed to form between the saint and .

At this rate, wasn’t I just wasting ti?

Such a cold thought suddenly crossed my mind, but it soon dispersed at the voice that ca from beside .

“You were here alone.”

In the setting sun, her hair was dyed red, the platinum-colored waves now tinged with a murky hue.

And yet, it remained clear.

Even with her eyes closed, a pristine aura seed to envelop her.

“How did you know I was here?”

“The children told you were under the tree.”

I can get anywhere around here without looking – she added with a laugh. Then she plopped down on the spot, hugging her knees.

Glancing around, I realized it was quite a pleasant scenery.

As if paint had been splattered, the sky dyed red by the sunset disappeared beyond the horizon.

An unusually not-so-hot breeze rustled the grass, with a lone willow tree towering overhead.

Such a scene.

The children were gathered together doing sothing, so it seed Adriana had quite a struggle extricating herself from that group.

As I stood there in a daze for a mont, Adriana parted her lips with a small laugh.

“How is it? I can’t see, so I only feel the brightness.”

“…Well. It’s just ordinary.”

“That’s a lie. Louis loves it here so much.”

Pointing in the direction of the children’s laughter, she briefly reached out her hand towards the sky.

As if trying to grasp sothing, she waved her hand in the air, then let it fall limply again with a thud.

“Children see so many things. Not only because I can’t see, but sotis they tell in more detail than adults do. Even though they haven’t learned much yet.”

“That does happen at tis.”

“Louis always ca here to watch the sunset. He said it was red, but I didn’t know what red was, so I couldn’t react. So I always wondered. Is the color red pretty?”

Her closed eyes turned towards .

It was not that she wanted consideration. She seed genuinely curious if it was pretty.

There is a color that can only be seen at this ti.

The ti when the sun sets and the moon rises, the brief mont when day and night overlap.

Out of the 24 hours in a day, could this color be seen for even 10 minutes?

The blue sky was dyed red at the edge of night.

As if to pour out all its remaining light, the sun, brighter than at noon, emitted a final burst of crimson before vanishing into the night.

Thus, only the twilight of day, visible at last, could be called the sunset.

Unable to fully express in words the appreciation she desired, I rely muttered briefly.

“It’s beautiful. Very much so.”

“Is that so… I want to see it too.”

Adriana smiled with a look of relief. Then, after gazing at the sunset for a while, she opened her mouth as the light slowly faded.

“Actually, these children… They’re not the kind you’d easily see around here.”

“Is that so?”

“These children ca from the south. Do you know of the existence of wizards, by any chance?”

“There are many magical items too. I’m aware of them.”

Wizards – how could I not know of their existence?

It was just a bit strange for the word wizard to co up while discussing children.

Adriana added that she was not talking about ordinary wizards like that.

“The southern region is a place where the empire’s influence has not yet fully penetrated. Perhaps because of the great forests or different races that exist there, it remains undeveloped and is practically a lawless zone.”

I was aware of that much.

But the south and wizards – they were quite mismatched words.

Yet it was not that nothing ca to mind.

As she said, the south was a place where the central empire’s influence barely reached.

As such, it was a place overflowing with various folk beliefs, and thus occasionally, there were those who engaged in acts that people might mistake for magic.

To the empire’s people, they may appear like wizards, but they held far more brutal ideologies.

“Don’t tell , they were victimized by shamans…”

Adriana seed montarily startled, then carefully nodded her head after confirming the children were not listening.

“As you know, being a saint, I can’t help but be sensitive to things God does not permit. These children are the ones I rescued so ti ago.”

“…So that’s why they’re here.”

“It operates under the na of an orphanage, but in reality, I’m simply taking care of children who were victimized by shamans. Even though they’re smiling now, each of them probably carries a scar, don’t you think?”

Shamans considered offering sacrifices to sothing as part of their rituals.

They were carrying out the practice of offering sacrifices to summon the gods or spirits they believed in.

In other words, they were kidnapping children, whom they considered the best sacrifices.

…If Adriana had not noticed, they all likely would have died.

Perhaps aware of that, she gazed in the direction of the giggling children with a slightly gloomy expression.

Then, as if recalling sothing, she smiled faintly to herself and moved her lips.

“Don’t tell anyone else that I talked about this. Actually, it’s sothing I shouldn’t tell just anyone. You understand, right?”

“I have no intention of telling. I’ll just… keep it in mind.”

“That’s a relief, then. Actually, I told you knowing you’d respond that way.”

The sun had nearly set now, and the surroundings gradually began sinking into darkness.

Adriana gazed at the empty air, hugging her drawn-up knees.

She must have realized the sunset had disappeared by now. And that it was ti for her to return.

But as if still lingering with regret, she did not seem inclined to get up readily.

Her ankle should have healed completely by now, but she let out an “Ow-” and glanced at .

“You’re still there, right? I don’t hear any sound.”

“I’m here. I plan to stay here until you get up and leave, at least.”

Perhaps reassured by my gentle voice, Adriana gazed at intently for a mont with a faint smile.

In the dimly remaining light, her face was illuminated, and for a fleeting instant, the dust on her cheek caught my eye.

It seed to have been there for a while, but apparently the children had not particularly told her.

Naturally, Adriana was unaware of that fact.

She simply launched into a lengthy explanation of how kind the children were, then, as if exhausted, plopped down and began describing the children one by one.

Hans, Cato, Louis, Ellin… After listing their nas, Adriana caught her breath and continued.

“The children seem to have taken quite a liking to Lord Taylor. It’s probably the first ti a noble has helped them out.”

“Co to think of it, isn’t the saint here too? They don’t seem to realize that, though.”

“I don’t like being called a saint.”

At that mont, the last remnant of light vanished, and night fell.

Instead of the sunset, a pale moon; instead of the reddened clouds, stars took their place and shone brilliantly.

Her glistening hair had darkened a bit, but my eyes narrowed at the fleeting glow that passed by.

It was around then that I realized she had opened her eyes.

Gray eyes, their color faded, eyes that reflected nothing, were gazing at the sky.

With a slightly sorrowful look in her eyes, she continued.

“I prefer the children rembering as just a close sister or older friend, rather than as a saint. It’s awkward for both of us. If they call a saint, it becos uncomfortable, and there have been too many people like that.”

“A friend…”

“Miragen is my friend too, but because of our relationship as saint and princess, we can’t et often. The last ti we t on her birthday was after a whole year.”

The glow that had dazzled my eyes disappeared from her eyes, now closed again.

Her expression had darkened a bit.

As if she felt guilty for saying such things.

“Sotis… just sotis. I wondered what it would have been like if I weren’t a saint. If I could see, if I could have just lived as friends with peers my age. What it would have been like.”

There was no answer I could give her.

I would simply listen in silence until she had poured out all she wanted to say. What could I do for a woman called a saint?

I did not know her well.

We had only t by chance in this run, a re coincidence.

But… I could understand that feeling.

If I had not regressed, before that.

Hadn’t I imagined what it would have been like if I could have steered all my conduct in the right direction?

“It might seem a bit pathetic. For soone called a saint to be like this…”

“I don’t think that way.”

My tone was firm. There was soone else who deserved to be called pathetic.

Compared to , who had been trying to repeat endless regression, unable to let go of lingering attachnts, couldn’t one say Adriana was plenty admirable?

I wanted to add sothing, but no words ca to mind.

I approached Adriana, deliberately making noise with my steps so she could fully sense my presence.

Realizing I had co to her side, Adriana turned her head.

“Lord Taylor?”

“…Let’s go. Isn’t it ti for you to return?”

“Huh?”

As I grasped her hand that had been sitting still, Adriana flinched for a mont, then lightly clasped my hand.

I pulled her hand and helped her to her feet.

Once standing, she let go of my hand and bowed her head to . She seed to have realized it was ti to leave now.

“You’re right. I should go now.”

The children’s laughter had also ceased at so point.

Her tone was clearly tinged with regret as she said that, prompting an unbidden smile from .

“You smiled again.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“I think you just smiled a little.”

Was she sensitive to such things?

I was a bit surprised she had noticed my smile, but I denied it and looked in the direction of the children.

“I think I should get going now, but shouldn’t you say goodbye to the children before leaving, Saint? You go first. I’ll head back as is.”

“The children will be disappointed.”

“…It will be difficult to see them often. I have my own matters to attend to.”

“I’ll be disappointed too.”

For a mont, I did not comprehend what she had said.

By the ti my expression had contorted strangely upon realizing the aning of “I’ll be disappointed,” Adriana began moving away from with a nonchalant expression.

Taking a few steps back, she waved at in farewell.

“See you next ti. I don’t know where we might et, but I have a feeling.”

Her tone sounded as if she was certain we could et again next ti.

As if, since we t this ti, we would definitely et next ti. I did not respond.

I shook my head slightly, but she would not have seen my movent.

Opportunities to et the saint were rare. I could not be certain she would co here again next ti.

Access to the cathedral and ascending the Moon Tower was limited to a select few. I could try to be among them, but it would likely take a long ti.

I thought it would be difficult to et her. Unless this was truly fate.

I rely watched blankly as Adriana headed across to where the children were.

Only silence remained where the light had vanished.

Even the moon that had been so bright just monts ago was now obscured by clouds, leaving only a cold shadow.

Isn’t it amazing?

Just one person disappeared, yet the surroundings felt so empty.

All that remained was the impression that she was a woman mysterious in many ways.

Instead of the pure and noble saint I had imagined, the impression Adriana left was… that of quite an enigmatic woman.

“…Shall we go?”

After standing still in that spot for a while, I slowly began walking towards ho.

Erasing the lingering thoughts about a certain woman still in my mind.

The dust that had remained on her cheek felt strangely irkso.

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