The Saintess Comes to the Tower
The Saintess Sera's itinerary did not stop at the imperial capital's plaza.
In the face of the unprecedented calamity of the Demon King's revival, she devoted herself entirely to touring the Empire, spreading messages of hope and rallying talent wherever she went.
She visited not only the Imperial Palace, the military barracks, and the major strongholds of the capital, but also personally sought out adventurer and mercenary guilds alike, requesting their cooperation for the Demon King's subjugation.
It was an essential circuit—calming a populace thrown into chaos and preparing for the war to come.
Above all, the most urgent tasks at hand were selecting the members of the Hero's Party, to be formed around the Hero who had received the Goddess's revelation, and recruiting the powerful subjugation force that would support them.
And on that journey, there was one place she could not afford to skip: the heart of the Empire, where its greatest intellects and mana gathered—the Magic Tower.
All the more so because the Academy, which cultivated the great archmages of the future, was a destination well worth her visit.
By emergency summons from the Tower Master and the Academy's Headmaster, the mages of the Tower and the students of the Academy assembled in the Tower's central courtyard at the appointed hour.
Word that Saintess Sera herself would be attending spread in an instant, and soon not only Tower personnel but ordinary citizens drawn by the rumors had flooded in, until the courtyard was packed shoulder to shoulder with nowhere left to stand.
Logan was among that crowd.
Ever since news of the Demon King's revival had broken, Irene had seemed strangely unsteady—as though the terrible memory of the monster attack she had suffered in the past had come screaming back. Outwardly she forced herself to appear composed, but the cracks showed. Logan couldn't bring himself to leave her alone, so for the past several days he had minimized his commissions and stayed by her side. And Irene, for her part, wanted him there.
###
When the appointed hour finally arrived, Saintess Sera appeared upon a makeshift platform erected at the center of the courtyard.
Pink hair and eyes that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, flawless porcelain skin, and a smile brimming with tender grace.
Her mere presence lent the air a sacred quality, as if the atmosphere itself were being purified around her.
"To the revered mages of the Magic Tower, who labor day and night at their research and training for the sake of the Goddess and the Empire—and to the students of the Academy, who will lead our future!"
"Even in the face of the dark news of the Demon King's revival, I offer my heartfelt gratitude and deepest respect to each of you for giving your utmost in your own place!"
Sera's voice—clear yet resonant—swept across the entire courtyard.
"Ooh... it is the Saintess herself!"
"Wow! Lady Sera is breathtaking!"
The crowd hung upon her every word as if bewitched, bursting again and again into exclamations of awe at her beauty and holiness.
But Irene found herself frowning slightly without meaning to. Even to another woman's eyes, Sera was a presence far too perfect, far too dazzling.
It stirred something in her that was not quite jealousy—an almost crushing sense of intimidation. And so, without realizing it, she stole a glance at Logan standing beside her.
A faint unease began to smolder within her: what if he, too, like every other man, had lost himself in gazing at that radiant saint?
Her worry, however, proved groundless.
"Irene? Is something bothering you? You look a little pale."
Logan, paying no attention whatsoever to the saintess on the platform, was watching only Irene, his voice thick with concern.
His gaze, as always, was fixed on her alone. At that unchanging devotion, Irene couldn't help the smile of relief that tugged at her lips as she shook her head.
"Mm. No, it's nothing, Logan. Really. Ehehe..."
"......?"
Logan had no idea why her mood had so suddenly lifted, but seeing her expression brighten, he nodded in relief and let it go.
Still keeping half an ear on Irene, he listened from time to time to the saintess's address on the platform.
Sera, meanwhile, was sweeping her gaze methodically through the crowd as she spoke. She had not come here merely to give a speech.
She had come to find the Hero the Goddess had revealed—and to scout the exceptional talents who would form the Hero's Party.
Then her gaze came to rest on a single spot.
A pair that stood out conspicuously from everyone around them.
A beautiful brown-haired girl, and the black-haired boy standing guard at her side like a steadfast shield.
Ah. There you are.
Sera felt her heart give a light skip.
The Goddess's revelation had been vague, but her intuition was whispering that this black-haired boy was very likely the one she had been searching for.
Yet almost at once, her brow furrowed faintly.
...He isn't even looking at me, is he?
In a crowd this vast, it should have been inevitable—especially for a young man—to be entranced by her beauty and holiness, to stare in rapt fascination.
And yet that boy spared the platform not so much as a glance, his eyes locked solely on the girl beside him.
Sera's gaze drifted naturally to Irene. Just how extraordinary could a girl's beauty be, to make a saintess herself so casually invisible?
...Hm. She's pretty, I'll grant her that.
Sera assessed her coolly, and only in her mind.
Undeniably a beautiful girl—but not on any level worth comparing to herself.
Not her face, not her figure, not even the air she carried. So why, then, did that boy...
A stung flicker of pride she couldn't quite name welled up alongside her displeasure.
Just then, the Academy Headmaster standing beside her noticed where her gaze lingered and leaned in with a whisper.
"Saintess, that is the very student I mentioned to you earlier. Her name is Irene—a talent truly without precedent."
"If you were to select her for the Hero's Party, she would undoubtedly become a tremendous asset. Even now she is remarkable, but with the Goddess's blessing as well..."
At the Headmaster's words, Sera recalled the duty she had momentarily forgotten and smoothed her expression. Turning back to the crowd with her smile restored, she carried her speech through to its graceful end.
When the address concluded and she descended from the platform, Sera made a polite request of the Tower Master and the Headmaster: she wished to speak with Irene privately, just for a short while. Naturally, both men readily granted it.
Summoned by the Tower Master and the Headmaster, Irene approached Sera with a tense look on her face.
Logan, anxious, moved to follow at her back—but the Headmaster moved to block him.
"And just who might you be! This is hardly a place you can simply come charging up—!"
It was then that Sera spoke, her smile soft as ever.
"Please, Headmaster, it's quite all right. The gentleman beside her has also been guided by the Goddess's hand—a shining soul in his own right. He may accompany her."
"...Pardon? Ah—yes... of course."
The Headmaster looked puzzled, but he could hardly contradict the Saintess. The Tower Master, on the other hand, took one look at Logan's face and nodded in recognition.
"Ah, this young man would be Black Shadow, wouldn't he? The one the guild has been buzzing over since he became a Gold-Rank Adventurer at the tender age of seventeen just recently. Truly, your discernment is as exceptional as ever, Saintess."
At the Tower Master's words, the mages and students nearby began to stir.
"What? That boy is Black Shadow?"
"No way... Gold rank at his age? Unbelievable..."
"That's the childhood friend who's always trailing around after Irene, right? Wow... seriously impressive."
And threaded through it all came murmurs that grated on Irene's nerves.
"Wow... how badly must she have drained him, for her childhood friend to hit Gold rank at that age? Really something, Irene."
"Tell me about it. He's breaking his back for her sake—doesn't she feel even a little guilty? If it were me, I'd have married him by now and been managing his household."
"Right? And didn't Irene say she doesn't even have a boyfriend? What on earth is she thinking... Honestly, shameless."
Irene's face burned hot under the whispers and the stares. That last remark in particular scraped across her nerves like a blade.
She wanted nothing more than to whirl around and scream that it wasn't true—but with the Saintess, the Tower Master, and the Headmaster all watching, she couldn't.
She looked at Logan with anxious eyes. He must have heard the murmuring too.
But Logan didn't so much as flinch.
Instead, he gently took her hand, and offered only a faint, reassuring smile—it's all right.
At that unwavering steadiness, Irene found her footing again and lifted her head with confidence toward Sera.
And as Sera watched the two of them, her eyes flashed cold for an instant.
.....I truly cannot stand it.
Outwardly she maintained her gentle smile, but within her, a far deeper displeasure was quietly rising.
###
On the spot, Sera officially declared Irene the first member of the Hero's Party. Then, turning to Logan, she extended a gracious invitation to him as well.
"Lord Logan. Your exceptional skill and reputation have not escaped my ears. Would you not join the Hero's Party alongside Lady Irene, and lend your hand to the great work of saving the world?"
Logan hesitated for a moment. He had no interest whatsoever in becoming a hero or winning glory.
But if Irene was joining the Hero's Party, then even if for no other reason than to stay at her side and protect her, accompanying her was clearly the best choice.
"...Very well, Saintess. I'll go where Irene goes."
At his answer, Sera gave a satisfied smile. The members of the Hero's Party were not chosen on the basis of present strength alone.
Basic competence was, of course, a prerequisite—but what mattered far more was potential.
Young talents capable of explosive growth through the Goddess's blessing, surpassing even the established powerhouses in a matter of months.
That was the Church's core principle in composing the Hero's Party.
And it was the Saintess Sera's exclusive prerogative and responsibility—she who alone could hear the Goddess's voice—to judge that potential and make the final selection.
Logan's and Irene's talent and growth rate matched the criteria Sera was searching for perfectly, so it was only natural that the two of them should join the Hero's Party.
Later that evening, having finished her business and returned to the Church, Sera met in secret with Bertrand, the Archbishop of the order, in her office.
Setting down her teacup with an irritated clink, she spoke.
"Archbishop, let us proceed with... that matter you mentioned before."
Bertrand answered with a sly smile, as though he had been waiting for exactly this.
"Hahaha! A wise decision, Saintess. Why trouble yourself laboring to root out some nobody of no pedigree and force them into service? If we simply carry out the plan we have poured our hearts into for so long, there will be no complications at all—and your burden will be a light one."
"...Well, yes. His looks are passable, at least—he shouldn't do badly at winning the public's affection."
"Yes, yes! Precisely so! And we haven't neglected the work of polishing and grooming him to match your lofty standards, Saintess. He will surely satisfy you!"
"Yes, yes. Then see it handled properly, and do keep me out of the details."
Sera waved him off with a perfunory reply and dismissed him. Left alone, she gazed out the window and murmured under her breath.
"I wonder... that woman you treasure so dearly—is she truly the same as you? Hm... somehow, I suspect not."
She recalled the devoted look in the boy's eyes, the tenderness in his manner, as he had watched over that girl.
"And yet... it is a little disappointing, I'll admit."
Truthfully, she envied it, just a little. What would it be like, to have someone look at her that way?
A fleeting thought crossed her mind—of altering the plan, just slightly, and trying to win his heart—but she shook her head almost immediately.
No. The math doesn't work.
There was no need to lower herself and go to such trouble when the world was full of easier, more certain paths than that.
Sera elegantly lifted the teacup from the table and smiled—cold and clear as frost.
"I do pray... that your lofty devotion and love are repaid in full. And that the woman you cherish so dearly... proves not to be a fool."
###
The Hero's Party was finalized with four core members.
And the subjugation force that would support and stand beside them was assembled in turn.
The Empire's elite knightly orders, the Church's paladins, the mages of the Magic Tower, and distinguished adventurers and mercenaries gathered from every corner of the land.
Elves, dwarves, and other allied races lent their strength besides—nothing short of the entire continent's might, gathered in one place.
Hope spread across the whole continent: even the mighty Demon King Belzegor would, this time, be annihilated beyond any possibility of return.
And today was the day of their departure ceremony, the formal proclamation of their founding.
The vast parade grounds of the capital Arcadia were a sea of humanity—subjugation soldiers and the citizens who had come to cheer them on, packed together in surging waves.
Before that immense crowd, Saintess Sera once more ascended the platform.
"To every hero gathered here, willingly staking your life for the peace of humanity—from far-off lands and from your own posts alike—I convey, in the name of the Goddess, my deepest gratitude and blessing!"
As Sera raised both arms high and cried out, thunderous cheers and roaring applause filled the parade grounds to bursting. She swept her gaze across the crowd once more, then raised her voice again.
"And now—for the first time before you all—we present the Hero's Party, who shall stand at your head and lead this sacred journey against Demon King Belzegor!"
The moment the crowd's anticipation crested, Sera introduced herself first, and then called the next member forward.
"Hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the Magic Tower Academy, a mage who at so young an age already stands at the threshold of archmagehood—Lady Irene!"
With Sera's introduction, Irene ascended the platform.
Her stunning beauty and her renown as the Tower's supreme genius sent the soldiers and citizens into ecstatic cheers.
Irene flushed faintly under the cascade of stares and applause, but soon a confident smile spread across her face as she waved gracefully to the crowd.
"Next—a adventurer who attained the Gold Rank at the mere age of seventeen, bearing the epithet Black Shadow—Lord Logan!"
At Sera's introduction, Logan climbed onto the platform wearing a somewhat burdened expression.
And unlike the rapturous welcome Irene had received, the crowd's response to Logan was decidedly lukewarm.
"That boy is Black Shadow?"
"...Impressive, sure, but still—a mere adventurer in the Hero's Party? Is this really wise?"
"Shh! Are you questioning the Saintess and the Church? There must be a reason."
Murmurs rippled through the ranks, but Logan forced himself to look unperturbed. The subjugation of the Demon King, the honor of heroism—none of it mattered to him.
Irene had become a member of the Hero's Party, and that was the only reason he stood here: to protect her from the closest possible distance. What the rest of the world thought of him was irrelevant.
That's right. As long as I can keep Irene safe by my side... that's all I need.
Standing at Irene's side with that thought in his heart, Logan—
felt his breath catch in his throat.
Because Irene, standing right beside him, was wearing an expression he had never once seen on her face before.
A look of someone utterly entranced. Lips slightly parted. Eyes glittering, wholly captivated by something.
Without thinking, Logan turned his head to follow the line of her gaze.
And there—
a man clad in dazzling golden armor was walking slowly toward the platform.
Blond hair that gleamed like the sun itself, green eyes fresh and deep as a summer forest. A face carved like a statue's, and a tall, commanding frame.
With every step he took, it felt as though even the air around him turned holy.
Sera introduced him, her voice faintly quickened.
"And at last—the Hero of this age, chosen by the Goddess herself, and the youngest Knight-Commander in history—Lord Rian!"
Amid thunderous cheers, Hero Rian took his place at the center of the platform.
But neither Sera's introduction nor the crowd's adulation reached Logan's ears at all.
Every fiber of his being was riveted on the girl beside him.
Whether or not she was aware of the storm in his heart, Irene—still entranced, unable to tear her eyes from Rian—whispered to him in a trembling voice.
"Ah... a... Logan... what do I do...?"
It was, unmistakably—
the face of a girl falling in love, one he had never seen on her in all his life.
With an expression she had never once shown him—
Irene was looking at another man.
