Let's Train Heroine

Chapter 215: Heroine's Devoted Fan

Lucan and Maris left the resting room, their footsteps echoing softly as they made their way down the long, quiet corridor of the temple. The golden glow from the towering goddess statue behind them gradually dimmed, leaving the room in serene silence.

As the sound of their departure faded into the distance, the air within the resting room began to ripple and distort, like the surface of a calm lake disturbed by an unseen force. Slowly, as though shedding an invisible disguise, a figure began to emerge from the very wall—a young woman clad in a black habit, her expression one of deep, unsettling reverence.

"Ah... even during her travels, the Saint fulfills her sacred duties. How noble, how incomparably pure she is..."

The young sister's voice trembled with emotion, her hands clasped tightly to her chest as tears streamed freely down her face. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with delicate features that could easily be considered beautiful. However, the overwhelming emotion that wracked her body had left her face swollen and her nose runny, completely ruining any semblance of grace she might have had.

"T-The Saint is truly remarkable... so pure... Her holiness is so overwhelming that it brings sacred fluids from my eyes and nose!"

Her whispered words were intense and unsettling, bordering on worshipful obsession. She sniffled, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her habit, but her eyes never left the door through which Lucan and Maris had just exited. The mere thought of Maris, the Saint, was enough to make her weep uncontrollably.

This mysterious sister, like others who had chosen this path, was a member of the Lady Maris's Honor Guard.

Though the group was not officially sanctioned by the temple, it was composed entirely of devout volunteers from the clergy—people who had been saved or deeply moved by Maris at some point in their lives. Each member had their own reasons for joining, but they all shared a singular, fervent devotion to the Saint.

This particular sister had no name—or rather, she had discarded it. In her eyes, her identity as an individual was irrelevant. She was merely a vessel, a humble part of the collective devoted to serving and protecting the Saint. Her life had no meaning beyond Maris's radiant existence.

The Lady Maris's Honor Guard had formed quietly, without fanfare. It was composed of temple clergy who had suffered at the hands of the temple's darker side. Some had been rescued by Maris from harassment by senior priests, while others had been bullied for their commoner status or relegated to dead-end positions after angering high-ranking officials.

In their darkest moments, Maris had reached out, offering them a chance at salvation.

The sister in black was one such person—a victim of the temple's cruelty, who had found hope in Maris's kindness.

"To think... even early in the morning, she would leave her room to fulfill her sacred duties... Oh, how remarkable she is, always thinking of the people. Her love for the kingdom knows no bounds. She is... she is a treasure beyond value...

The kingdom itself exists to adorn her glory. No, no, the very world exists to illuminate her divine radiance!"

The sister's voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes wide with adoration. She had followed Lucan and Maris throughout their travels, always from a distance, hidden in the shadows.

Unbeknownst to even Lucan, who was known for his keen perception, this sister had shadowed them with a level of stealth and skill that bordered on the supernatural. Moments ago, she had fused with the very wall of the resting room, concealing her presence so thoroughly that neither Lucan nor Maris had sensed her.

This was her talent—her gift. She had honed it over the years, becoming a master of stealth and camouflage. If she had chosen to, she could have easily become a deadly assassin, capable of slipping past even the most guarded of defenses. But she had no interest in taking lives. Her sole purpose, her only mission, was to watch over the Saint, to ensure her safety and happiness from the shadows.

Yet, despite her fervent devotion, the sister understood boundaries. She was not a stalker in the truest sense, despite how it might appear. She did not intrude upon Maris's private moments—she refrained from entering her sleeping chambers, from following her into bathrooms or baths. Her role was to observe, not to interfere, and she took that responsibility seriously.

"A true devotee does not impose... We do not burden our idol with our presence, but rather, we watch over them, ensuring their joy and safety from afar," she had once told herself. These words had become a guiding mantra for her, a reminder of her place and her purpose.

As for Lucan... she had long since deduced the nature of his relationship with the Saint. She had seen how Maris looked at him, how her eyes softened when she was in his presence.

She harbored no ill will toward Lucan. Quite the opposite. In her mind, Maris deserved love, deserved happiness. And if Lucan was the one who could provide that, then the sister would accept it. She would not stand in the way of their relationship, nor would she allow herself to become a burden.

Because, in the end, her love for Maris was not selfish. It was pure.

As the sister knelt on the floor of the resting room, her hands clasped tightly in prayer, her voice barely above a whisper, she heard the faint echo of a divine voice in her mind.

*"Supporting your favorite is about acceptance, not imposing demands. Idols, too, have the right to love. Even the Saint is entitled to her own happiness..."*

The voice was gentle, reassuring. It was the voice of the goddess, the one she had devoted her life to. Tears flowed freely from her eyes once more, but this time, they were tears of understanding.

"Yes... Yes, as you will, O Goddess. I understand now. I will support her, always. I will protect her, in your name. I will guard her happiness, even if it costs me everything."

With renewed determination, the sister stood, her eyes still red and swollen from crying, but her heart filled with purpose. She would continue her mission, watching over Maris from the shadows, ensuring her safety and happiness without ever intruding on her life.

For that was the duty of a true worshipper—a duty she would fulfill, no matter the cost. Discover hidden stories at M V L

The sister disappeared into the shadows once more, her presence fading from the room as though she had never been there at all. And as the glow of the goddess statue dimmed completely, the resting room returned to its peaceful, quiet state, undisturbed by the passage of time.