The Witch Reborn
The factions propping up the Holy Kingdom… whoops, there were seven denominations in total. Wisdom, Temperance, Courage, Justice, Love, Hope, and Faith. They snarled at one another every other day, each trying to devour the rest. If someone asked, “But don’t they all believe in the Creator God?” the answer would be yes—they did. So why were they so desperate to tear each other apart? It was simple. They believed in the Creator God, yet at the same time they did not. Because Wisdom, Temperance, Courage, Justice, Love, Hope, and Faith were all different aspects of the same Creator. Following Wisdom was indeed following the Creator, but following any of the Creator’s other faces was an entirely different matter. Of course, since they were all the same god, they did not reject one another outright. In fact, they were quite close. But isn’t it always the cousins who fight the fiercest? The Genesis Sect was no different. They were close, and precisely because of that closeness, there were lines none of them would yield. One might wonder why they bothered when they all worshipped the same god, but that was a matter of theology and doctrine—something ordinary people could never hope to understand. So just memorize this: the Genesis Sect was split into seven squabbling factions.
“This… this is—” The Chief Cardinal of Justice wore an expression of pure awe. The Holy Grail, a miracle forged from the bones of the Avatar of Desire who had accompanied them on their great journey. Its power was extraordinary, but to the Holy Kingdom it was also a relic of immense historical significance. It was as if the Empire had suddenly unearthed the sword of its founding emperor. No wonder he looked ready to dance for joy.
“Leon.”
“I await your command.”
“You have accomplished something truly difficult. A deed worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Holy Kingdom.”
“I did not do it alone, Your Eminence.”
Well said, Leon. If you wanted to claim your fair share of the credit, you had to promote your own achievements. Otherwise no one would ever know. People did not care how hard someone else had worked.
I took a quiet step forward and offered a greeting.
“Hello.”
“And you are?”
“Ruina.”
The Chief Cardinal stroked his beard, a gesture asking for more explanation. Leon immediately supplied it.
“She accompanied us from the very beginning to the very end of the quest for the Holy Grail. She also defeated the Third Finger of Greed who had stolen it.”
“The Third Finger of Greed? My word.”
The Chief Cardinal’s expression changed. He had realized just how much I had contributed to recovering the Holy Grail.
“That is… truly commendable. You must have gone through a great deal.”
“I did. I suffered quite a few injuries.”
“Surely not.”
“The fire was terribly hot.”
“Good heavens.”
The Chief Cardinal looked at my face and let out a sympathetic sound. I had not lied. The fire had been hot, and injuries had been sustained. Just not by me—by Leon.
“Justice be praised.” The Chief Cardinal made the sign of the cross, offering thanks to the one who had brought back the Holy Grail without sparing her own body. Then he spoke again. “You have labored greatly to rid the world of wicked men.”
“It is only natural to strive to make the world a better place.”
That, too, was not a lie. Making the world better—filling it with magic—was my goal, after all.
“Yet how could you endure such dreadful things in a woman’s body?”
“Exactly. I did not want to either, but what could I do? The world does not turn the way we wish it to. That is why it is the world.”
“Justice be praised.”
That was also a lie. Did he really think I burned my body because I wanted to? What was I supposed to do when my rank refused to rise? Anyone watching would think I had done it on purpose. I was not that kind of person.
The Chief Cardinal regarded me with eyes full of trust. In his mind I had already become a martyr who had willingly let her entire body burn to retrieve the Holy Grail. How awkward. I had not intended that misunderstanding, but correcting it now would only make things more embarrassing. Better to stay quiet.
“That being the case, Your Eminence,” Leon said, drawing the Chief Cardinal’s gaze. Meeting his eyes, Leon continued slowly. “Considering all that Ruina has done to bring back the Holy Grail, would it not be appropriate to grant her a complete healing without any compensation?”
“Leon, that is something we must do regardless. It would be improper to offer it merely as a reward for merit.”
“My apologies.”
At the Chief Cardinal’s rebuke, Leon bowed his head. Wait, what? Why was everything going so smoothly? Weren’t these church people supposed to be a bunch of fanatics? Leon glanced at me. The thought “I told you it was a misunderstanding” came through loud and clear. Hmm. There was no smoke without fire, so the rumors about the Holy Kingdom being a mess were probably true. Perhaps the Justice faction was simply the relatively sane one. Honestly, even if only half the rumors were accurate, this situation made no sense. Logically speaking, seven factions constantly checking one another should have been chaotic; if they were not, that would have been stranger. Still, the surprise was pleasant. When things were going well, only a madman would complain. And I was perfectly sane. So I graciously accepted the Chief Cardinal’s goodwill. The Holy Kingdom was a nicer place than I had expected. The Empire, on the other hand, had not even given me a single coin after I saved their emperor. Stingy lot. Sigh. I, being the kind person I was, would simply endure it.
The Chief Cardinal spoke. “Leon, as promised, you shall become a Paladin. There are matters the main office wishes to discuss with you regarding that, so go on.”
“Understood.”
“I shall personally oversee Ruina’s treatment. Please follow me.”
“Of course.”
*
Leon, having gone to the main office, underwent a lengthy question-and-answer session. It was a verification process to determine whether the candidate was fit to be a Paladin. Even though the position had already been promised to the one who retrieved the Holy Grail, the procedure could not be skipped. Even the position of village head required verification; how much more so for one of the Holy Kingdom’s twelve Paladins? Once a Paladin was chosen, no new one could be appointed until a vacancy arose through retirement or death. Therefore, the selection had to be made with great care. An unsuitable person could not be allowed to sit in that seat. Of course, the promise had already been made, so Leon’s appointment was all but certain, yet procedures existed for a reason. That was what they wanted to discuss.
Leon stood in the training ground, holding the holy sword. Opposite him stood the Holy Kingdom’s eleventh blade, also holding a holy sword and wearing a distinctly displeased expression. He clearly did not care for Leon at all. The man had originally been the twelfth blade. When the tenth blade died last year, he had automatically risen to eleventh. He had poured every effort into obtaining the title of Paladin, only for some holy knight to waltz in with the Holy Grail and claim the position. Naturally, he found it infuriating. From Leon’s perspective it was absurd, but hatred was not a matter of reason. It belonged to the realm of emotion. No amount of logical argument would change anything.
The Paladin who followed Courage, Cloud, clicked his tongue in irritation. “You lack the skill. I have never seen a holy knight who has only just been permitted to manifest a holy relic become a Paladin.”
Leon agreed with that assessment. He was indeed still lacking the strength required of a Paladin.
“It has already been decided that I will become a Paladin.”
“Then why go through this farce? Just hand over the ring and be done with it.”
“Even so, there are procedures.”
“Haaah.”
Cloud sighed and turned away, his attitude clearly saying he no longer cared what happened. The attending priest bowed to him, then addressed Leon.
“That will be all for today. We will continue tomorrow. …Please do not take Cloud’s words to heart.”
“Understood. And I am fine.”
“You have changed quite a bit.”
After parting with the priest and leaving the training ground, Leon clicked his tongue at the darkened sky. So much time had already passed. The procedures had been numerous and complicated, and an entire day had slipped by. Leon walked through the streets with weary limbs. Come to think of it, what had become of Ruina? Had her treatment already finished? Probably not. Complete healing was a grand ritual that required the High Priest’s full concentration. Moreover, Ruina had suffered full-body burns. There were many areas to treat, which meant it would take considerable time. They might even have to divide the treatment over several sessions. In that case she would have to remain in the treatment room for days, and given her personality she might decide it was too bothersome and refuse to leave. Or she might suddenly demand magic instead of treatment. Leon pictured Ruina returning to the inn still covered in burns and let out a small laugh. In his imagination, Ruina spoke: “Leon, I decided to receive the treatment later, for a fee. Instead, I am going to collect every single spell in the Holy Kingdom.” The image was so plausible it was almost frightening.
After walking for some time, he reached a familiar field—the same one he had frequented ever since first arriving in the Holy Kingdom. Stepping into the field, Leon recalled his journey with Ruina. Their first meeting had occurred while he was still dazed from sleeping powder. Trapped in a mercenary’s snare and in danger, Ruina had appeared like an illusion. And like a witch who bewitched people, she had saved him with captivating grace. After that, Ruina had continued to help him. They had gone to the grape-famous village and slain the tentacle monster, visited the hot spring renowned for healing and driven out the Evil God’s priest, and traveled to the imperial capital to rescue the emperor. They had sought out the Witch of Prophecy and obtained information about the Holy Grail, met the Archmage and learned its location, and explored the labyrinth until they finally obtained the Grail. Punishing the Evil God’s cult that had stolen it had been an extra. So many things had happened. So many experiences. That journey had been… quite enjoyable for Leon.
The priest in charge of Leon’s Paladin verification had said he had changed a great deal. It was true. Compared to the time when he had swung his sword solely to eradicate the Evil God’s cult, the current Leon was practically a different person. Why had he changed so much? The answer was crystal clear and simple. Ruina. The Witch of the Lantern, who guided people. No one knew whether the place she led them to was heaven or hell. But one thing was certain: following her guidance always brought change. In one direction or another.
Leon looked up at the sky. The moon shone brightly, and starlight poured down. The journey with Ruina had come to an end. From now on, Leon would have to carry out the Holy Kingdom’s missions once more. Ruina would also wander the world in search of magic. That thought left him feeling… a little wistful. No meeting lasted forever. Every connection was beautiful precisely because it had an end. Still, even so—
It would have been nice if they could have enjoyed a festival together one last time—
“Anyone watching would think the world was ending.”
A familiar voice. Leon stopped his thoughts and lowered his head. It was a reflexive action; anyone would check when they heard a sound beside them. Leon met the eyes of the person who had spoken—and swallowed his breath.
Platinum hair carrying starlight fluttered in the breeze. Vivid light-green eyes held the world within them, and beneath them, skin as white as snow gleamed in the moonlight. The aura that seemed to belong to an entirely different realm made Leon stare blankly, mouth agape.
“…A goddess?”
“From witch to goddess. I have risen quite a bit in status.”
At Leon’s words, the woman—Ruina—smiled and spoke.
“Hello.”