In my previous life, I was a "great saint."
A title of respect given to saints who possessed exceptional powers, specifically, the power to instantly heal any wound, replenish any deficiencies, and cure most illnesses.
It was a moniker that only I was given while I was alive.
I believe I was revered as a "great saint," but the role of "saint" itself was not a respected occupation to begin with.
Because there were so many saints.
At that time, more than half of the women were saints.
Unlike offensive magic, healing magic required a contract with a spirit.
And the pact with the spirit was easily given.
According to legend, at the beginning of the country there was a Spirit King.
The Spirit King fell in love with a human girl, had a child, and that child became the ancestor of the royal family.
For this reason, the country was loved by the spirits.
The spirit only dealt with women, but when asked, they would always make a contract.
A honeymoon between the spirits and humans. The humans loved, respected and cherished the spirits, and the spirits lent the saint their healing powers.
In my previous life, I was a princess.
I was the one who was most strongly influenced by the power of the spirits, and from a young age I had deepened our bond with them by spending all day playing with them in the mountains and forests.
Although I was told that spirits did not talk, I was able to hear them.
By listening to the voices of the spirits, I learned how to use my powers as a saint.
Healing injuries. Regenerating defects. Curing illnesses. Making medicine to heal minor injuries. I had thought that this was all there was to a saint, but I was surprised by the teachings of the spirits.
The saint.
It was possible to cure abnormal conditions such as paralysis and charm.
It was possible to enhance the body by increasing speed and attack power.
I was able to use defensive magic such as defense against physical attacks and defense against magical attacks.
It was possible to add magical effects to weapons, armor, and accessories.
And, I was able to infuse the potion with the powers of healing magic, abnormal status recovery magic, physical strengthening magic, and defensive magic.
I used the power I had been taught to the fullest.
I was then praised as a rare and great saint, and it was suggested that my long-cherished wish to defeat the Demon King was no longer a dream, so I set out to defeat the Demon King together with my brothers and the other princes.
And even though I was in tatters, I succeeded in sealing the Demon King away.
When the battle ended, my magical power was zero.
When using healing magic, magical power was required in addition to the power of the spirits.
My magical powers were gone, and I was unable to use any healing magic at that time.
My older brothers left me behind in the Demon King's castle.
"You're seriously an eyesore. Don't get carried away just because you're called the 'Great Saint'!"
My older brother, the first prince, cried.
"Haha, there are so many saints in the whole country. You are just disposable!"
My older brother, the second prince, taunted.
"You were planning to return in triumph and be praised by the whole country, but unfortunately for you. You will be hacked to pieces by the demons here and die in agony. Haha, you are also a woman, so before that, you will be raped by the filthy demons. ...Even though you were wounded, we were the ones who took up our swords and axes and defeated the Demon King. You just stayed behind and cast healing magic from a safe place. Die here!"
The third prince, my older brother, spat out the words.
I, I...
I had used recovery magic until my magical powers had run out, and now, covered in sweat and so exhausted he could barely lift a single finger, I collapsed to the ground, looking at his three older brothers.
They drank the advanced recovery potion I had made for them, threw the empty bottle in front of me, and then left without a second glance.
I have to hide...
Their hatred towards me for sealing away their king, the Demon Lord, must be boundless.
If I was caught, I would surely be killed horribly.
If I could hide and recover my magical powers, I might be able to escape.
Thinking that, I tried to crawl away, but before I could move forward, one of my hands was stepped on by a demon.
I looked up in despair and saw a beautiful demon standing before me.
For demons, their beauty was proportionate to their strength. It meant that despair had taken shape and appeared before me.
The person before me was a demon known as the Demon King's right-hand man.
I was abused, tortured, and slowly killed by that demon.
The demon restrained me and carved the demonic mark all over my body. When he saw me trying to escape, he laughed at me and threw derogatory words at me.
"You are a saint, that's why you're suffering like this."
That demon must have hated the saint who sealed away his beloved Demon King.
At every opportunity, he mocked me for being a saint, insisting that it was because of me that he was being restrained and tortured.
You are being abused because you are a saint.
You are being tortured because you are a saint.
You are humiliated because you are a saint.
The words muttered along with the act seeped into me, little by little, like a slow-acting poison.
I wondered how long it had been since I was detained. My sense of time was starting to go haywire, and then I finally realized.
Yes, because I was a saint.
Because I was a saint, I was to be abused, tortured, humiliated, and killed.
And the moment I understood, I was killed by the demon.