The Saintess's First Recruitment
A few days had passed since I was selected as the teacher for the boss and her assistant, Arie and Yulia. I had planned to take them into the forest during my free time, but it turned out to be harder to find an opening than I expected. I was mostly free except for class hours, but the same couldn't be said for Arie and Yulia. The two of them were constantly being called away for one task or another. It was unavoidable given their high positions in the church, so I had no choice but to understand. Anyway, the day finally came when we all had some breathing room. I took Arie and Yulia with me to the North Forest near the Academy. It was the same place I had visited with Elisha during the previous comprehensive combat practice session.
Arie and Yulia, who had been quietly following behind me, began whispering to each other in low voices.
Hey, I can hear every word. That's a bit harsh... What kind of thing is that to say about your teacher?! ...As much as I wanted to call them out on it, what power did a regular Academy student like me really have? The only thing I could do was pretend I hadn't heard anything.
"Ahem. We've arrived."
"It's where we came during the comprehensive combat practice class. Since neither of you took that class, I assume this is your first time here."
"......"
Today was peaceful as always. I waited quietly until Arie managed to calm Yulia down. Yulia did tend to overreact, but in the first place, the only people who could casually call the Saintess by her real name in front of her were me and the regressor Elisha. Even if I was a special case, Elisha still thought of Arie as a friend. Come to think of it, I had spotted Elisha and Hestia together several times recently. It was a little late, but it seemed their relationship had grown closer, which was a relief. Since Elisha had become famous after the duel, no one said anything when they saw her walking around with Hestia. In the previous round, people had gossiped endlessly behind her back, asking why someone like her was hanging around the Hero... It seemed that showing off her incredible skills during the duel had worked in her favor.
Oh, and Elisha almost never brought up the duel with me separately. We had run into each other by chance not long ago and chatted for a bit...
The conversation had ended in a vague, unresolved way. It was fortunate that it blew over, but sometimes I wondered... Was this really the same woman who had charged at me so fiercely, demanding I hand over the necklace? It made me suspicious. Could this also be a side effect of regression...?
"Hey~."
Arie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. It seemed their conversation had ended. Yulia, now composed, was glaring at me with cold eyes.
"Yes, well... I'll keep that in mind."
...Could you stop saying things you clearly don't mean and just pay attention?
"Since we've arrived, let's begin the lesson."
"......"
"Hehe."
I ignored Arie, who was smiling in a way that rubbed me the wrong way, and continued with the explanation.
"What we'll be doing today isn't particularly difficult. I'll head out first. After a little time has passed, start from where you're standing now and follow the exact path I took."
"It's similar, but I won't be moving from the destination point."
Yulia was analyzing the assignment with excellent focus, as expected. On the other hand, Arie...
I had no idea what kind of scheme she was cooking up, but she looked delighted. Seeing that made me a little worried, but at least I didn't need to concern myself with their safety. This North Forest was basically a beginner hunting ground. There was no creature here capable of harming Arie or Yulia.
"Follow after me once ten minutes have passed."
"Yes, however..."
I smiled brightly.
I left behind Yulia, who looked ready to protest what kind of nonsense that was, and immediately set off. I could understand her reaction. She had spent her entire life learning only how to handle divine power. Suddenly being told not to use it... They probably thought it was an absurd request. There was a reason I was forbidding the use of divine power. The most obvious one was to teach them how to cope in situations where divine power was useless. But how often would a Saintess actually find herself unable to use divine power? The bigger reason was to help Arie and Yulia become far more familiar with handling mana.
Since they had grown up in the Holy Kingdom from a young age, they were already masters at using divine power. But mana was different. The way each person handled mana varied, and its properties were extremely diverse. Usually, beings before reaching Transcendence gathered the mana scattered throughout the world, converted it through their bodies into a form that suited them, and used it that way. That was also why each person's mana had a different color. Only when that conversion became completely natural could one proudly call themselves an Academy student.
Most of all, it helps a lot when ascending to Transcendence...
It might be a bit of a hassle, but once they became Transcendents and their Image was properly established, the difficulty of handling mana would drop dramatically. I hoped they would think of this as a rehearsal for that time. It would be nice if their senses improved along the way too. Well, I didn't know who would arrive first, but for now, I'd just wait a little.
* * *
Left alone with Arie, Yulia pointed accusingly in the direction their so-called teacher had disappeared.
"......"
"......"
Yulia had grown up her entire life alongside divine power. For someone who always carried divine power within her body, a lesson that excluded it was simply unimaginable. She couldn't understand their teacher's intentions at all.
"......"
After ranting like that for a while, Yulia suddenly realized that Arie had been strangely quiet for some time. Sensing something off by instinct, she quickly turned to look at where Arie should have been standing.
And just as she feared, Arie's figure had completely vanished from that spot.
Yulia pressed a hand to her increasingly aching forehead and thought that this practical lesson might end up being difficult not because of the teacher, but because of the Saintess...
* * *
A little time passed. I was lost in idle thoughts when I heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Along with that laugh I had grown sick of hearing.
"...Arie?"
Wait, already? I thought it would take a bit longer without using divine power, but she got here surprisingly fast.
"Please rest for a moment. You didn't use divine power, did you?"
"Haha, I was just checking. You really are impressive."
I wasn't just saying it. I genuinely meant it. At her current level, Arie should only have theoretical knowledge of mana. Finding the faint traces I had left behind should have been somewhat difficult for her. The fact that she arrived this early meant... she had achieved meaningful growth without me noticing?
Then a sudden question occurred to me, so I asked her.
"By the way, where did Yulia go? Weren't you supposed to come together?"
"......"
I silently sent a small cheer of support to Yulia, who was probably wandering alone somewhere searching for Arie. She wasn't as strong as Arie, but she was still a capable escort. In an emergency, she could use divine power to safely exit the forest. There wasn't much need to worry, but if she took too long she might get lost, so I should probably go find her...
As I was thinking about Yulia, Arie, who had been resting beside me, called out.
"Yes, go ahead."
"Is that really okay for a Saintess to say?"
"......"
Arie glared at me with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. It was the face of someone frustrated that I wasn't understanding her.
"Yes."
"Are the escorts from the Holy Kingdom not enough?"
"I see."
"......"
Irritation was starting to show on Arie's face. Alright, that's enough teasing.
"What you're saying, Arie, is that you're recruiting subordinates to grow a force together."
"The fact that you're bringing this up to me means..."
It had been delayed a bit due to various incidents, but this was the proposal I had been expecting... It was Arie's first official scouting offer as someone who admired the shadowy mastermind, and her first real move. Since I had naturally been waiting for it, there was no reason to refuse.
"I consider it an honorable offer, but may I ask why me specifically?"
Arie smiled brightly and held out her hand to me.
"No. From now on, I will serve you as my boss."
"Understood, Arie."
And so, the grand-scale game that belonged only to me and Arie had begun.
"By the way, Arie, should we go pick up Yulia now?"
Don't tell me you actually forgot about her...?