Reunion
“Th-that person……”
“…Could she really be the Goddess incarnate?”
Wherever she went, all eyes converged on her—on Julia. It was only natural. After all, she was the Saintess. A being so rare that one might appear only once in several centuries stood right before them; how could gazes not be drawn to her?
Yet that was not the only reason. Her appearance played a part as well. Dazzling silver hair. Brilliant golden eyes. An unreal beauty so divine that one might mistake her for the Goddess herself rather than her representative. That beauty, too, drew every eye.
“……”
The person in question, however, found those stares nothing but a nuisance.
She was twenty now. Though an adult, she had not yet fully matured. A Saintess, yes, but the same age as the Academy’s first-years. At such a time, receiving the undivided attention of one’s peers would naturally stir excitement or other emotions in most hearts. Julia felt none of it.
It could not be helped. She had never wanted to come to the Academy in the first place. Circumstances had simply forced her hand.
By accepting the Empire’s aid in eradicating the Dark Cult, the Order had incurred a debt. In return, the Empire had made a proposal. The upper echelons of the Order had not been entirely displeased by the offer, so refusing it outright had been impossible. Though Julia and the other Saintesses had yet to fully embrace their titles, they could not use that as an excuse forever. The fact remained that they owed the Order a great debt. No matter how powerful their abilities, without the Order’s support they would never have managed to eliminate even half of the Dark Cult.
Thus, the Saintesses ultimately accepted the Empire’s proposal and came to the Academy. Even so, none of them became official students. The Dark Cult had not been fully eradicated, and the Order had no desire for the Saintesses to be tied down at the Academy for long. The final arrangement was that the three Saintesses would take turns making appearances.
The Empire readily agreed to their conditions. They had known from the start that turning the Saintesses into ordinary students was impossible. After all the negotiations, Julia was the first to arrive. Her schedule had been clear; the trail of the Dark Cult remnants she had been tracking had gone cold, leaving her with nothing to pursue for the moment. So she came first.
Having arrived at the Academy against her own will, how could she possibly feel excited? To Julia, everything here felt utterly meaningless.
“Saintess, this way.”
Julia followed the voice ahead of her. Her guide was Iona, a priestess clad in the robes of the Astrea Order. She served as Julia’s personal attendant, having assisted her ever since Julia’s appointment as Saintess. While it was customary for a Saintess to have an aide, Iona’s duties far exceeded the norm. Julia rarely spoke—more than that, she rarely expressed her intentions at all. Thus Iona handled coordination and decision-making in her stead, including managing Julia’s Academy schedule.
Though she had come as a guest, she could not simply idle away her time. As someone visiting a place of learning, she was expected to attend classes like any other student. Guided by Iona, Julia moved from lecture hall to lecture hall. Of course, the stares never left her. In fact, even the professors began their lessons with remarks like, “It is an honor to lecture before the Saintess.”
The word “fuss” did not do it justice. A Saintess was simply that extraordinary. Yet Julia herself showed no reaction. None of it held any meaning for her—the gazes, the admiration, even the title of Saintess.
She had always been this way. From a young age, she had shown little interest in the outside world or in other people. That trait had not changed with time. The only exceptions were the other two Saintesses, Alice and Lana. In truth, her disinterest had not always been this profound. It had grown this severe after a certain point eight years ago—on the day he sacrificed himself to save them.
…Gunter.
Gazing at the blue sky beyond the window, Julia recalled the man who was no longer here. A name that still ached in her chest just to think of. Ever since that day eight years ago, ever since she lost Gunter, her world had turned colorless. Nothing could stir her interest anymore.
Much had changed. The ordinary girl had become a Saintess, perhaps the most exalted being on the continent. Even the Emperor treated her with care. She had become someone everyone looked up to and envied. Yet none of it brought her joy. Such things held no meaning for her.
Since that day eight years ago, her sole purpose had become revenge—revenge against the Dark Cult that had taken Gunter from her. That alone was her reason for living. The exalted title of Saintess, the power it granted, the admiration of others—none of it mattered to Julia.
“……”
She had not yet achieved her goal. Remnants of the Dark Cult still lingered in this world. Though she had momentarily lost their trail, she would not stop until her purpose was fulfilled. She gave no thought to what would come after.
Julia closed her eyes. In her colorless world, there was no longer any interest left.
Time passed in tedious monotony until the lecture ended. Julia rose immediately and left the hall. Though she felt no interest, she had to move within the established framework now that she was here. Otherwise Alice would surely scold her. Following Iona’s guidance, she began heading toward the next lecture hall.
That was when it happened.
A man approached her. Brilliant golden hair. Enchantingly gleaming violet eyes. A presence that stirred the atmosphere simply by appearing—the imperial prince, Ernen Rihel.
“So you were here.”
Wearing a picture-perfect smile, Ernen addressed her. “How are you finding life at the Academy?”
His looks, his smile, his voice—everything was ideal. Enough to steal any woman’s gaze and sway her heart. Yet—
“……”
Julia gave no answer. She did not even spare him a glance, merely staring blankly into the air.
“…Saintess?”
As bewilderment crossed Ernen’s face, Iona stepped forward and bowed her head. “If you have anything to say to the Saintess, please tell me.”
“…I would prefer to speak with her directly, if possible.”
Ernen said, but Iona shook her head. “The Saintess does not respond well to voices around her.”
It was a calm refusal, and the truth. Julia spoke extremely little. Aside from the exceptions of Alice and Lana, she rarely reacted at all. At most, she would occasionally speak to Iona. Unless truly necessary, she remained silent. That was who Julia Librel was. Even the imperial prince was no exception.
Ernen maintained his smile while thinking, …She really is as peculiar as they say.
The imperial family had long known of the Saintesses’ existence. They always preferred to stand at the forefront when hunting the Dark Cult, so it was natural that the Empire’s dispatched agents had gathered information about them. That information had naturally reached the imperial court as well. They knew of Julia’s unusual personality—she was said to rarely speak or converse with anyone. Ernen had not paid much heed to that information. He had been confident. Confident in his appearance, in his very existence. He had believed that no woman could fail to feel drawn to him.
Yet the Saintess he met in person was no easy opponent. Beyond refusing to speak, she would not even look at him. As he thought that carrying out his plan might prove more difficult than expected, Ernen did not give up.
“…I see. Still, if it is all right with you, I would like to show you around the Academy.”
His goal was to become Emperor. To achieve that, he needed to make the Saintess his own. A Saintess appointed for the first time in centuries—herself the Goddess’s proxy, a position said to allow one to wield the full power of the Order at will if circumstances demanded it. Moreover, rumors claimed this Saintess possessed the greatest talent among all her predecessors. If that were true, she would undoubtedly become a tremendous asset. He could not afford to give up.
“…Understood.”
At Ernen’s suggestion, Iona finally nodded. Considering his status, she could not refuse outright forever. Had Julia expressed any desire to refuse, Iona would have rejected him firmly.
“I’m glad.”
Thus Ernen began guiding Julia through the Academy at her side. Of course, the tour was merely a pretext. In truth, it was an attempt to draw her gaze and build familiarity…
“……”
No matter what he said or where they went, Julia never looked at Ernen. Though a faint unease stirred within him, he did not show it. …I suppose I’ll simply have to invest more time. If one strike would not fell the tree, repeated strikes would do. He repeated the thought inwardly.
Thus, from afar, someone watched the Saintess and the prince—the continent’s two most exalted figures—creating an atmosphere that refused to harmonize.