The Saintess from the Holy Kingdom (4)
The fierce saintess battle ended in Beatrice's victory. As a result, Beatrice retained her title of Saintess, while Seraphina was stripped of hers.
"There are plenty of things I could say, but in the end, you carried out my orders splendidly."
Though the process had been utterly absurd—Lydia smiled proudly, knowing her "all-or-nothing, leave it to Sisilia" tactic had worked. This would make Liannen even more prosperous. The true value of a saintess remained a task to evaluate further, but simply demonstrating the ability to reattach a severed head was more than enough.
Of course, the Holy Nation wouldn't let this slide, but it didn't matter.
"Sisilia, you have countermeasures, right?"
"I've just thought up about 1,300."
"R-Really...?"
Meanwhile, the Holy Nation's priests scrambled aboard their ship like their tails were on fire, desperate to flee Liannen.
"Hurry with the departure preparations!"
"G-Good, it looks like they aren't following."
They knew better than anyone that once a knight drew her sword, it didn't stop. Only after the ship set sail did a few priests exhale in relief.
Of course, not all were content with mere relief.
"Damn it, I'll never forget this humiliation."
Baron vowed to deliver swift retribution the moment he returned to the Holy Nation.
But they didn't know. If they'd trusted their saintess and entrusted her with their necks, the outcome might have been different—and that in this medieval era, maritime accidents were quite common.
"...You'll get the punishment you deserve for your insolence, Vice-Captain."
Edward swung his flaming sword with a fierce expression.
All information on the exiled Seraphina has been blurred out. Officially, the Holy Nation's Saintess Seraphina is deceased.
Above all, if word got out that the saintess was still alive, who knew what schemes might come from the demons, let alone the Holy Nation. Anyway—
"Hehe."
She'd secured a nation-level healer! It was an incredibly encouraging achievement and good news for the hero party. Sisilia couldn't wait to form the hero party and hear their epic adventure tales.
But... things didn't go so smoothly.
"...For real?"
"I-It was the Captain's direct order."
Lydia had kept her promise. As a reward for mission accomplished, she'd handed Seraphina's accommodations over to Sisilia.
But there was a fact both Sisilia and Lydia had overlooked. If Seraphina became Sisilia's property—then Sisilia herself was Edward's property!
"What's the problem? I'll keep Seraphina under your division. But I'm not letting her join your insane hero party."
For reference, Edward had tacitly approved Sisilia demoting the users to "newbies," inducting them into the Windsor Knights, and using them as a "hero party." But it was only tolerated as a hobby.
Of course—that was because no user could even dream of matching a regular knight, let alone the Windsor Knights, and expecting them to defeat the Demon King was pure madness.
He couldn't waste a tremendously valuable former saintess on one person's hobby.
'Hmph, now I feel a bit better.'
...Of course, it was also punishment for Sisilia's insolent behavior lately.
"Keep quiet and obey my orders. Otherwise, I'll refer you to the disciplinary committee."
Edward looked down on the growling Sisilia with a dismissive face.
"Can you handle it? With the former Captain's personality, insubordination won't be forgiven."
To the teasing Edward, Sisilia squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
"You're just a daddy's boy who can't do anything but tattle to Dad!"
"Guh."
Edward took an unexpectedly(?) hard hit. Given recent events, he couldn't claim to have tamed Sisilia.
With a sigh, Edward said,
"She approved it herself."
"...Seraphina did?"
"Yeah. The former saintess herself said she wants to help as many people as possible. That's why I included her."
They decided to allocate one room on the second floor of Windsor Knights HQ, where the vice-captain's office was. Sisilia was so incredibly lazy she hadn't even recruited her own division members, so rooms were plentiful.
From now on, that treatment room would be for Windsor Knights, but.
'Well, if they donate a decent amount, even nobles can't complain.'
Anyway, it fully respected Seraphina's intentions. Edward felt justified.
"Are you going to force your will on the poor saintess who's lived her whole life by others' dictates?"
Sisilia's cheeks were already puffed out like a chipmunk.
"From now on, I'll treat Eddie as my superior."
Hmph. Watching Sisilia storm out of the captain's office, Edward thought,
"...Isn't that a good thing? Wait, she didn't before...?"
Meanwhile, Sisilia stomped off with a grumpy expression.
'Seraphina will want to join once she hears my story.'
Sisilia didn't see it as forcing her. Because a hero party was romantic and thrilling—
"Where's Seraphina?"
"Ah, over there. We're checking her power level for now."
Sisilia opened the door. Inside, Seraphina was treating Chiron's arm.
Chiron rolled his shoulder a few times, clenching and unclenching his fist. Then his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Incredible. No priest or potion ever worked."
In Sisilia's vision, mana was now flowing through Chiron's right arm, which had shown none before. The wound from Jahar long ago was fully healed.
"Sisilia. When did you arrive?"
"Ah, Lady Sisilia."
Noticing her presence, the two turned. Sisilia strode forward with a stiff face, grabbed Chiron's arm, and blurred her vision.
"...I'm glad."
...On second thought, having Seraphina as an exclusive healer for the Knights isn't so bad.
...She'd spent her life locked in a room, so rough dungeon crawls might not suit her. The issue was it would leave the hero party without a healer.
'I hoped for a saintess as the best option, but alternatives aren't impossible.'
Sisilia walked on. The second-best wasn't a bad choice anyway.
"Ian?"
Edward eyed the dissatisfied Sisilia warily and answered.
"He's quite useful. Surprisingly competent. But why?"
"I'll take Ian as the hero party's healer."
Edward replied immediately.
"Denied. No one in the captain's office is as useful as him."
Ian was highly capable. His modern knowledge made him great with numbers. Above all, he had a talent for investments. Investments based on his analysis had a high success rate.
And—listening to Ian's modern tales was one of Edward's minor hobbies. Naturally, he had no intention of handing him over.
"Absolutely not."
"Gimme."
"I said no—!"
"Then, let's do this."
Sisilia smiled brightly and raised a finger.
"His own will matters most, right?"
'Clever girl.'
She'd clearly been saving that line from earlier. But Edward smiled instead. Ian was rational. Sisilia's hero party was the opposite. No chance Ian would accept.
"If you can convince him, go ahead."
And that was the biggest mistake of Edward's life.
"A clerk in the Windsor Knights pays well, but Terezia mansion prices are insane."
"With servant salaries and maintenance fees, saving for your own place is impossible in a lifetime."
"But as a hero party healer, it's totally doable."
"......"
Ian stared blankly at the whispering Sisilia.
'...I've never told anyone about my Blessing. How did she know?'
Setting that aside, her words were quite persuasive.
"When do I need to reply by?"
"Lots of people want to join the hero party. Right now."
"...Then."
Ian of the Mercy Blessing.
"I'll do it. Owning my own home has been a lifelong dream since my previous world."
Hero party joined. Now, only the hero remained.
Sisilia had planned the story's finale.
"Lady Sisilia! It's been a while."
Visiting the cathedral after ages, Archbishop Lumen greeted her warmly. He had something he desperately wanted to show her.
"Behold. After a year of diligent prayer, the goddess statue's head has turned a full 12 degrees! Haha."
Lumen pointed proudly at the statue. The head, once tilted 45 degrees, now faced nearly forward—corrected by 12 degrees.
Sisilia blinked.
"Ah, yeah."
'Why brag about this?'
For reference, Sisilia had long forgotten her past words: "Let's look forward to the day the goddess statue faces forward again through your prayers, Bishop."
"Could I pray alone for a bit?"
"Of course! I'll wait outside."
She sent Lumen away and began praying after so long.
"Please give me a sturdy newbie hero."
"Not a used one, a fresh new one."
"Potential SSS or higher. Even at level 1, someone bold enough not to flinch at the Demon King."
Sisilia spoke softly, then flashed a pretty smile.
"If you don't listen, I'll team up with the Demon King to take you down?"
Thus, the devout Sisilia departed. Lumen saw her off and was about to pray himself when—
"Hello."
"Hm? New face. What brings you here?"
Seraphina blushed slightly and nodded slowly.
"I-I came to pray."
"Haha. No need to tell me. Enter anytime and meet the goddess."
"...I see. This really is a warm world."
Her odd words aside, Lumen guided her to the prayer room.
'Her vibe is kinda like Sisilia's?'
Lumen swept outside with a broom. For some reason, Seraphina's face lingered in his mind. She had a mysterious aura. While Sisilia had an untouchable intimidation, Seraphina exuded nobility and majesty.
"The prayer room was so tidy! Thank you."
"Haha, it's my duty. May I ask your origins?"
'Famous noble maybe?' wondered Lumen. Seraphina blinked, fidgeted, and offered her necklace with both hands.
"I, uh, can't read yet..."
"?"
Reading the yellow nameplate on her necklace, Lumen saw:
-Windsor Knights, Vice-Captain Sisilia's exclusive healer Seraphina.
-If found, contact Sisilia Windsor of the Windsor Knights immediately.
It evoked lost child tags.
Anyway, Sisilia's subordinate? Affinity up.
"She does noble work, so a gift is in order."
Whether because of that or it suited her—Lumen kindly offered a candy from his pocket. Standard for kids visiting the cathedral.
Seraphina beamed with joy.
"Wow! Archbishop Lumen is warmer than any priest I've met! The goddess thinks so too!"
Lumen smiled proudly, then paused.
'...Did I say my name?'
He tilted his head but entered the prayer room, figuring she'd heard somewhere. As Terezia's top cathedral archbishop, he was famous.
His mouth gaped, broom dropping.
"M-My goddess—the statue's head..."
The goddess statue now faced straight ahead. And it seemed... awfully smug.
"!"
For reference, the last prayer room visitor was right before Sisilia. Only two people had come since, and given past events, Lumen was certain Sisilia's prayer had turned it.
"As expected, Lady Sisilia is the messiah sent by the goddess...!"
Creak.
"Wh-Why?!"
But as he spoke, the statue turned 33 degrees, pouting. Lumen was shocked.