In my previous life, I was known as the "Great Saintess."
Among the saintesses, this title was given to those who possessed outstanding power, specifically the ability to instantly heal all wounds, regenerate lost parts, and cure most diseases. During my lifetime, it was a title that was only given to me.
I believe I was revered as the "Great Saintess," but being a saintess itself was not a respected profession to begin with.
This was because there were so many saintesses.
At that time, more than half of the women were saintesses.
Unlike offensive magic, healing magic required a contract with spirits.
And the contract with spirits was easily granted.
According to legend, there was a Spirit King at the beginning of the country.
The Spirit King fell in love with a human girl, had a child with her, and that child became the ancestor of the royal family.
Because of this, the country was loved by the spirits.
Spirits only contracted with women, but if asked, they always formed a contract.
It was a time of close relations between spirits and humans. Humans loved, respected, and cherished the spirits, and in return, the spirits lent their healing powers to the saintesses.
In my previous life, I was a princess.
I possessed the most concentrated spirit power and, from a young age, spent my days playing in the mountains and forests with the spirits, deepening our bond.
It was said that spirits did not speak, but I could hear their voices.
By listening to the spirits, I learned how to use the powers of a saintess.
Healing wounds. Regenerating lost parts. Curing diseases. Making potions to heal minor injuries. I thought these were all the abilities of a saintess, but I was surprised by what the spirits taught me.
A saintess could:
- Cure status ailments like paralysis and charm.
- Enhance physical abilities like speed and attack power.
- Cast defensive spells against physical and magical attacks.
- Enchant weapons, armor, and accessories with magical effects.
- Infuse the powers of healing magic, status ailment recovery magic, physical enhancement magic, and defensive magic into potions.
I used all the powers I was taught to the fullest.
As a result, I was hailed as a great saintess, and I was invited to join my brothers, the princes, in the quest to defeat the Demon King, a long-held wish.
We set out to defeat the Demon King, and despite being battered and bruised, we succeeded in sealing him.
When the battle ended, my magic power was depleted.
Using healing magic requires both spirit power and magic power.
With my magic power drained, I could not use any healing magic at all.
My brothers, the princes, left me behind in the Demon King's castle.
"You're a real eyesore. Don't get cocky just because you're called the 'Great Saintess'!" the eldest prince shouted.
"Haha, saintesses are a dime a dozen in this country. You're just disposable!" the second prince sneered.
"I bet you were planning to return as a hero and be praised by the whole country. Too bad. You're going to be cut to pieces and die here. Haha, and since you're a woman, you'll probably be raped by some dirty demons first. ... We were the ones who held our swords and axes and defeated the Demon King, even while injured. You just stood back and cast healing spells from a safe place. Die here!" the third prince spat.
I, I...
I had used healing magic until my magic power was depleted, and I was so exhausted that I couldn't even lift a finger. I lay on the ground, watching my three brothers.
They drank the high-level healing potions I had given them in advance, threw the empty bottles at my feet, and left without a second glance.
I had to hide...
The hatred of the demons towards me, who had sealed their king, would be boundless.
If I was caught, I would surely be killed in a terrible way.
If I could hide and recover my magic power, I might be able to escape.
With that thought, I tried to crawl away, but before I could move an inch, one of the demons stepped on my hand.
In despair, I looked up to see a demon of extraordinary beauty standing before me.
The beauty and strength of demons are proportional. This meant that despair had taken form and appeared before me.
The demon standing before me was known as the right-hand man of the Demon King.
I was tormented, tortured, and killed slowly by this demon.
The demon restrained me and carved demon marks all over my body. Whenever I tried to escape, the demon mocked and insulted me.
"You're being treated like this because you're a saintess."
The demon must have hated the saintess who sealed the beloved Demon King.
The demon repeatedly mocked my status as a saintess, emphasizing that I was being restrained and tortured because I was a saintess.
You're being tormented because you're a saintess.
You're being tortured because you're a saintess.
You're being humiliated because you're a saintess.
These words, whispered with each act of violence, seeped into me like a slow-acting poison, bit by bit.
How long had I been restrained? I had lost all sense of time, but I finally understood.
Yes, it was because I was a saintess.
Because I was a saintess, I was tormented, tortured, humiliated, and killed.
And the moment I understood, I was killed by that demon.