The Final Task of the Forsaken Saint: A Command to Marry the Barbarian Count - Chapter 2

Half a month after the victory celebration, I found myself swaying in a shared carriage along a peaceful road.

The reason? Simple—I was on my way to marry the Margrave of Lostork.

Although I had knocked the foolish prince out cold, unfortunately, my marriage to the Margrave of Lostork had not been annulled, and the title I had received still stood.
If a commoner struck a prince, they would normally be executed immediately. But I was a saint.

In Lumienst, those who have an affinity with the spirits, enabling them to use magic, are called “Saints” or “Holy People.” I was once a poor girl scavenging for bread in the slums before the kingdom took me in and provided me with special training.

So while I never expected execution, I was surprised to find that I was not even imprisoned. Instead, I was placed under house arrest, which, frankly, seemed like a fortunate outcome.
Apparently, many soldiers and even officers had submitted petitions asking for my sentence to be reduced. That brought a small sense of satisfaction.

Well… the prince had been pretty awful! I honestly wondered how the war had been won with him in charge!

But, of course, Emilien couldn’t stomach the fact that I faced no consequences. He was probably boiling with rage.

For the wedding, all the usual preparations that the kingdom would provide were scrapped. The ceremony officer simply told me, “You’ve got the kingdom’s permission, just go.” A few days ago, I was placed in a carriage that was slightly better than a cart but still far from luxurious.

The coachman turned out to be an accomplice of the bandits. When we were attacked on the road, I managed to fend them off, but the carriage was no longer usable. So, in the end, this turned into a solo journey for me.

“Honestly, the prince really does have awful luck when it comes to people. He picks a coachman who’s secretly a bandit. He really knows how to pick them in the strangest places.”

As a result, I was left with only a trunk and my beloved staff.
I briefly considered that my engagement might be canceled after the bandit attack. Maybe I could escape abroad? But as time went on, I started changing my mind.

I was a commoner-turned-saint with a talent for offensive magic, and I had lived most of my life on the battlefield. As long as there was war, my powerful magic was valued. Even as a frail commoner, I had found a place where I was useful.

But what happens once the war ends?

The answer was simple. Powerful weapons are either displayed in safe places or locked away out of sight.

In other words, I would be considered “useless.”

This engagement was merely a way to “put me away”—a measure to remove me from the equation.

“But being useless means I can do whatever I want, right?”
Since becoming a saint, I had been constantly sent on mission after mission with no rest or even a real home. But the king had given me land—Carbunculus.

“Which means, once I’m married, that place will be my home. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?”

I figured the Barbarian Count was probably just being forced into this marriage as well. He wouldn’t expect anything from me as a wife.

We’d probably just go through the formalities, and then we’d both live our own lives as we pleased.

That didn’t sound so bad, so I headed toward Lostork’s capital with an optimistic outlook.

Being optimistic about everything was one of my little talents.
But, as fate would have it, the carriage was attacked by a magical beast.

“Eeeee!”

The coachman screamed, desperately trying to control the horses. The mercenaries I had hired to guard us had already split off to slow down the attackers.

The other passengers clung tightly to the sides of the carriage, trying not to be thrown off. Their faces were a mix of fear and desperation.

Looking out the canopy, I could see a group of Wind Wolves with greenish fur chasing us.

It seemed the distance between us was widening, so the coachman must have thought we were safe.

“We’re almost there! Just keep going… Wait, miss?!”

Hmm, this seems dangerous.

I quickly moved toward the front of the carriage. The coachman was startled when I appeared beside him, but I ignored his surprise and pointed ahead.

“Don’t slow down—push forward!”

“W-wait, huh?! A Wind Wolf is cutting us off?!”

The coachman’s eyes widened as he saw a Wind Wolf leaping from the forest, aiming to intercept us.

Wind Wolves act in packs. Plus, they use wind magic, so they’re incredibly fast. A carriage filled with people wouldn’t stand a chance of outrunning them.

However, the lack of immediate pursuit suggested they were trying to force us into a more advantageous position.

The lead Wind Wolf howled, and the surrounding spirits seemed to respond, amplifying the wolves’ speed. They attacked the horses with alarming precision, aiming to disable them.

But I was ready.

“Earth Wall!”

As soon as I called to the spirits, an earth barrier rose up between the horses and the Wind Wolves. The first wolf crashed into it with a pitiful yelp and rolled away.

The force of the impact shattered the barrier, and the startled horses reared up, halting in place.

Though the wall wasn’t built to withstand such a blow, I considered it a small victory that we hadn’t overturned. The Wind Wolves, realizing their ambush had failed, retreated, only for more to emerge from the forest.

Magical beasts like these are highly sensitive to other magic users.

It didn’t take long for them to realize I was the one interfering.

As I stepped off the carriage, the Wind Wolves charged toward me. They attacked in quick succession, clearly accustomed to this kind of coordination.

But I was just as accustomed.

I raised my staff, channeling magic through it. The crystal at its tip gleamed with an orange light.

“Nice to meet you, spirits of this land! I need your help!”
When I called, glowing orbs of light appeared before me. As they absorbed the magic from my staff, they shimmered brightly with new energy.

With my limbs filled with power, I swung my staff with force.
“Be blown away to the farthest reaches of the forest!”

The Wind Wolves, masters of wind manipulation, were light on their feet and able to use the wind to quickly chase down prey. But the wind I summoned sent them soaring through the air, crashing into trees.

The remaining wolves tried to regain their balance but found themselves tumbling in the air.

I didn’t waste any time. With another strike of my staff, a shockwave sent one of the wolves crashing into the trees, immobile.

The remaining wolves hesitated, their fallen comrades in front of them. I slammed my staff into the ground, creating a small crater.

“Still want to fight?”

The Wind Wolves, now looking somewhat pale, tucked their tails between their legs and fled.

Well, that’s one less problem.

I turned to check on the others, who were watching me with wide eyes.

“Whoa, miss, you’re really strong! You saved us! Are you some kind of adventurer?”

The coachman was clearly impressed, and I blushed a little at the praise.

The mercenaries, though slightly injured, had regrouped.
Apparently, they realized it had been a diversion and came back once they knew I had repelled the Wind Wolves. They now greeted me warmly.

They were adventurers based in this area.

When they learned that I had used magic to defeat the wolves, they were even more impressed.

“To think you can use magic in Lostork! Did you study under a court magician or something?!”

I smiled awkwardly, trying to keep my true identity hidden.
“Well, something like that.”

I didn’t feel the need to explain everything, so I deflected the question. Then I asked:
“But magic is still hard to use here. The Earth Wall was weaker than usual. How do other magic users manage? It must be hard for monster hunting.”

One of the swordsmen shrugged, clearly unfazed.

“Can’t be helped. Lostork’s land is abandoned by the spirits.”
“Because magic is hard to use here, the land itself rejects it.

That’s why there are no magic users in the Margrave’s monster hunting teams. Be careful, miss.”

I was a little surprised by this unexpected advice.

Magic users were crucial in monster hunting. The survival rate of the teams depended on having magic.

Yet here, they didn’t even hire magic users.

“Don’t worry, miss. They might say some unpleasant things, but just don’t let it get to you,” one of the mercenaries said.

“I understand.”

As the coachman shivered and added his own comments, I smiled, feeling a little excited.

In my world, magic was supreme! The idea of not using magic was fresh and new to me.

Maybe the Margrave didn’t like magic… could that mean a peaceful separation might be possible? It seemed like an intriguing prospect.

I was curious, too—how would they deal with magical beasts without magic?

Eventually, the carriage safely arrived in Lostork’s capital, Rivière.