Path of the Saintess 1 - Lilith Marlowe

Aug 7, 2026

Uploaded by Noah

Elise, a transmigrated commoner with a mysterious system panel, wakes in a medieval hovel facing crushing back taxes that could reduce her to serfdom. After a life-saving incident involving a coastal riptide, she inherits memories of a dead noble’s illegitimate daughter and must navigate a hostile social order without a recognized surname. Rejecting a persistent suitor and limited marriage options, she chooses an accessible path through Light Theology and the Church of Light to seek power and control her future.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages283

Reading Time7 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1

Elise’s past and transmigration

Coastal rescue and its aftermath

Crisis: back taxes and social status

The system panel and initial confusion

Dirk’s visit and Elise’s refusal

Choosing the Church of Light

CHAPTER 1 Elise stared at her reflection in the water basin. Her hair was a mess of split ends, and her face was deliberately smeared with dirt. Yet the grime couldn't quite hide the delicate, striking features beneath—an elegant bone structure, a slender nose, and wide, bright eyes that shone like clear gemstones through the mud. Just forty-eight hours ago, Elise had been volunteering at a coastal relief center—sorting donated clothes, handing out meals, helping watch the children while their parents waited in line for aid. It wasn't glamorous work, but it was useful, and that was enough for her. Then someone screamed. A little boy had slipped past the marked boundary and been caught in a sudden riptide. Elise didn't stop to think. She kicked off her shoes and ran straight into the surf. She reached him just as the current pulled him under. With the last of her strength, she shoved him back toward the shallows—close enough for the lifeguards to haul him out. Then the undertow took her. The last thing she remembered was the boy on the sand, coughing up seawater, alive. Then the waves closed over her head, the world went dark, and everything was gone. She had expected the afterlife to be peaceful—or at the very least, sanitary. She definitely hadn't expected to wake up freezing in a dilapidated medieval hovel. After transmigrating, Elise inherited the original owner's memories. The original Elise had shared her given name, though not her surname. She was the illegitimate daughter of Baron Ignis’s eldest son. Her mother had died in childbirth, and both her maternal grandfather and her unacknowledged biological father had perished hunting monsters in the Ignis Wilds. Now, she was just a commoner in Ashwood Village—a remote backwater under the jurisdiction of Megalith City in Oakhaven Province, Kingdom of Hesse. Worse, she was facing a severe crisis: she owed back taxes. Even though the debt was owed to her estranged grandfather's estate, an unacknowledged bastard had no standing here. If she didn't pay up within two months, she’d be sold into serfdom. Just her luck. Transmigrating was one thing, but winding up as a deadbroke, tax-dodging bastard was a cruel joke. What was she supposed to do? Just then, a panel materialized in her mind. [Status] [Name: Elise] [Spirit: 7.9] [Mana: 0][Constitution: 5.7] Skills: [Light Theology](Lv.1: 17/100) [Yassian Language](Lv.1: 67/100) The good news: she had a system panel. The bad news: she had no idea how to use it. A heavy knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Elise stepped out into a bare, mud-packed yard enclosed by a rickety fence. Through the gaps, she spotted a grimy young man in rough linen, hoisting a bundle of firewood on his shoulder. Spotting her, he flashed a grin he clearly thought was charming. "Elise! Brought you some wood." Elise suppressed a sigh. This was Dirk, the second son of a local hunter and her predecessor ’s persistent suitor. Given his pungent odor—suggesting he hadn't seen soap in a week—Elise wanted nothing to do with him. Dirk, however, was blissfully oblivious. His family was relatively wealthy by Ashwood standards. In his mind, a hunter ’s son and a dead noble’s bastard were a match made in heaven. She opened the gate. Dirk lugged the wood inside, dropped it, and offered another dopey smile. Elise forced a polite nod. She wasn't expecting to become a queen in this life, but she absolutely refused to spend it with a guy who smelled like wet dog. She reached into the worn pouch tied at her waist, fished out five copper coins, and handed them over. "Thanks. For the wood." "Keep your coin," Dirk said, puffing out his chest. "I'll take care of you." Elise stared him down, keeping her expression flat. "You... seem different today," Dirk muttered, scratching his head."I don't like owing favors," she said evenly. Rather than taking the hint, Dirk seemed even more smitten by her independence. He w

FAQs

Why does Elise face an urgent crisis after transmigrating?

She inherits memories of being an unacknowledged bastard with back taxes owed; if she cannot pay within two months, she will be sold into serfdom.

What role does the system panel play in Elise’s situation?

It materializes in her mind with status, spirit, mana, and initial skills, but Elise doesn’t yet know how to use it.

Why does Elise decide to pursue Light Theology through the Church of Light?

Magic tuition is too expensive, while theology requires faith rather than gold; joining the Church offers a way to gain power and preserve personal freedom without marrying Dirk.

Aug 7, 2026

Uploaded by Noah