The Village That Swallows Its Teachers
The reception room of the great cathedral sat empty and quiet.
A white-haired boy and girl sat a careful distance apart.
Somehow she seems mad at me.
Simon was watching Lethe for signs of danger. She sat with her legs crossed, face blank, staring straight ahead. The chill radiating off her made it crystal clear: she did not want to exchange a single word with him.
Maybe I should've just made an excuse and said I didn't recognize her.
Chances to tease the untouchable, perfect Lethe came around once in a blue moon. But the moment they'd reunited, she'd come sprinting at him, face blazing red, shrieking—her expression had been so hilarious that he'd gone and poked fun at her whole 'Saintess' act.
"So. What business brings you here, hmm?"
Surprisingly, it was Lethe who spoke first. Granted, in a voice sharp enough to raise frost.
"Ah, I received a request from Lady Israfil—"
"Have you no sense of fear at all? Honestly?"
Her golden eyes locked onto him, glaring straight down.
"A necromancer—and not just any necromancer, a Legion Commander—walking into the Holy Federation's grand cathedral? Are you that desperate to get purified on the spot?"
"? Weren't you the one who snuck into the Dark Alliance, though?"
"That's completely different, and you know it!"
Lethe flushed, getting worked up.
"Back then I wasn't a Saintess yet, and most importantly, it was a matter of Miss Anna's life! I had no choice—"
"And I have no choice, since this is a request from Lady Israfil, who saved my mom."
"You X-ing brat, you really can't lose a single argument, can you?!"
Tap.
At that moment, Israfil approached, having cast a soundproofing barrier, and pressed a finger to her lips as she looked at Lethe.
At the sight, Lethe flinched, then lowered her voice to a crawl.
"……Y-you mustn't insist on winning every single word, I'm told."
"PFFT—"
Simon finally burst out laughing. Lethe shot her arm straight up, yelling "HEY!!"
"Kind words, gentle words, always. That's what I've taught you, Lethe. Speech is the portrait of the heart—the very dignity of who you are."
"……Like anyone could manage kind words in THIS situation."
Lethe pouted with a sulky face.
Whew.
Yes—give her a hundred chances to back out, and sure, she'd still wanted to see Simon again someday.
Of course, absolutely not to see his stupid face. It was just that now that they were each a Saintess and a Legion Commander, they needed to settle which of them was stronger. She was curious how life at Kizen compared to Efnel. And more than anything, she wanted to hear stories about Miss Anna.
But she had absolutely, positively NOT wanted him to witness this embarrassing chapter of her life, this living record of her most humiliating era!
"Now, both of you, settle down."
Israfil soothed the still-huffing Lethe.
"I, Israfil, Saintess of the Divine Sea, have a mission to entrust to the two of you."
It was the same story Simon had heard back at home.
An evil presence was stirring in the north, and to destroy it, they would need not only divinity, but Jet-Black as well.
"Lethe, you'll go with Simon to the region where the evil festers. Find out what is happening there, and resolve it."
"……"
Lethe bowed her head and gently bit her lip.
"Is something the matter, Lethe?"
"I want to go, since it's Lady Israfil's request, but I still have my schedule as Saintess—"
"Ahh~"
Israfil smiled brightly.
"If that's all, don't worry your head over it. Go and be at ease. I've arranged to take over the rest of your schedule myself."
"!!"
Lethe's head shot up.
"You've worked so very hard all this time, Lethe."
Israfil stepped close and wrapped her in a warm embrace.
"The moment a Saintess dies, the next is born without fail. And so there are many who jealously watch the new Saintess, eager to check her power. To persuade every last official of Efnel and the Federation, I may have been a touch strict with you, I suppose."
Her voice was soft as a spring breeze.
Watching from the side, Simon thought that in this moment, Israfil looked like everything a *Saintess* was meant to be.
"You may blame me, resent me—I won't complain. But please know that all of it was done out of genuine care for you, Lethe. Your reputation for character at Efnel was, well… poor. I had to correct that in a short span of time, and make sure many people came to accept you."
"……Ah."
"These days are hard, I know. But live long enough, and little blessings like this come along now and then."
She released Lethe and smiled gently.
"Who ever told you to drown in a Saintess's duties and obligations? Being a Saintess is merely a title. Lethe is Lethe. Go enjoy some time as Lethe Shardena, far away from Saintess work. That's my wish for you."
Lethe's eyes brimmed with gratitude.
"Lady Israfil!!"
And then she threw herself back at her, hugging her tight in return. Israfil wobbled with surprise, but laughed "Hoho" and patted her head.
Simon was smiling along at the scene when Israfil murmured quietly,
"Take good care of Lethe."
Simon gave a firm nod.
* * *
One thing he'd noticed coming to the Holy Federation this time: Israfil's preparation was airtight.
Not only had she arranged Simon's cover identity, but Lethe's as well—right down to fully outfitted adventurer's gear.
"Your final destination is the village of Eskyle, in the Kinver region."
The Kinver region sat at the far northern edge of the Holy Federation—a zone where, by treaty of old, the involvement of Efnel and the central priests was strictly forbidden.
Which meant Lethe, like Simon, would have to conceal her identity and enter under a false one, posing as a priestess from another region.
"Remember this, Lethe. Revealing your status as Saintess must remain a 'last resort'—nothing more."
Israfil stressed the point once more.
"Throw your rank around, and yes, you might bend people to your will for a little while. But they'll only lock the doors of their hearts tighter and hide the truth more desperately. Winning their trust as yourself—as plain Lethe—is what matters most of all."
"Yes, Lady Israfil."
"Oh! By the way—do the two of you happen to like children?"
At the somewhat out-of-nowhere question, Simon and Lethe blinked.
"……Well, yes, we do."
"The two of you will be going as 'teachers' who instruct the children. That is the only way into the closed-off village of Eskyle."
Eskyle ruthlessly rejected all outsiders—yet teachers who taught the children were the one exception they accepted.
Simon raised a hand.
"What exactly would we be teaching?"
"The continental common tongue, simple arithmetic and general knowledge, plus elemental magic and white magic."
"The kids can use magic too?"
"Yes. So I'm told."
This time it was Lethe who raised her hand.
"Hold on just a moment! Then the teachers who went before us……"
"Sharp as ever, Lethe."
The smile drained from Israfil's lips.
"They've vanished. Their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. The teacher before them, and the one before her, both."
Disappearances?! Simon's expression turned grave.
"And the one teacher who survived that place—rumor has it the mere memory of it turns her face ghost-white and sends her into convulsions. She refuses to give any testimony whatsoever."
Israfil held out two photographs.
One showed a woman in priest's robes, wearing glasses and smiling brightly; the other, a dark-skinned woman with a mole near her eye.
Both photographs were stamped with the word MISSING.
"If your investigation happens to turn up any trace of the previous teachers, please inform us. Their families are still waiting for news."
Simon nodded and accepted the photographs.
……What on earth is going on in that village?
"That I can guess."
While Simon had gone stiff, Lethe simply smirked and snorted.
"If they try any funny business, we'll just sweep the whole place clean and come home. Simple as that, hm?"
"The investigation and resolution of the evil comes first. Remember that, Lethe."
"Yes. I'll remember."
Their destination, the village of Eskyle, was battered by savage cold all four seasons of the year, making entry by teleportation circle impossible.
They would have to stop in a city called Kula first, then ascend the mountains.
At that point, Lethe abruptly cut into Israfil's explanation.
"Kula? Isn't that an enormously famous resort?"
"So you know it too, Lethe!"
Israfil clasped her hands together with a sunny smile.
"It's a truly lovely port city. From the streets you can see the snow-capped peaks in their entirety, while right beside them stretches an emerald sea."
Color bloomed across Simon and Lethe's faces.
"I've booked your lodging in advance. Lethe has had a rough go of Saintess life, and Simon must be worn out from the long journey crossing over from the Dark Alliance. I'd suggest spending about three days sightseeing around town, gathering information on the village of Eskyle and the evil presence, and then setting out."
Vacation!
Lethe trembled with happiness—then, glancing at Simon beside her, her expression cooled several degrees.
"It would've been even better if my traveling companion were anyone but this guy."
"……You're still not over that?"
Simon gave a bitter smile.
"Now, then—one more thing."
Israfil passed Lethe the choker-shaped necklace she'd been wearing around her own neck.
"It's an artifact that seals a Saintess's power. Since it only seals the Saintess's power, you'll have no real trouble using your divinity."
"Ah, thank goodness for that."
Lethe laughed as she took the necklace.
"Those stars kept popping up all over the place. It was driving me nuts."
"……Stars?"
"Excuse me for interrupting."
At that moment, the escorting Paladins entered the room to announce that the next engagement awaited. Israfil rose and declared that, with the Sky Island's approval, she would attend in Lethe's stead.
The Paladins fell prostrate to the floor, faces glowing with gratitude, praising her mercy.
"……Those punks never groveled like that for ME."
Lethe grumbled.
And so, having parted ways with Israfil, Simon and Lethe changed into their adventurer's clothes and slipped out of the cathedral to prepare for the crossing to the resort town of Kula. Israfil had a teleportation circle standing by nearby.
"Phew."
Lethe, changed into comfortable traveling clothes with her hair tied back, looked enormously relieved.
Somewhere along the way, her speech and mannerisms had shifted back into the brash, easygoing Lethe Simon knew best.
"……What're you staring at? Keep it up and I'll yank your eyeballs right out."
The problem was, she'd come back *too* much. It was hard to believe she was the same person who, mere moments ago in the cathedral, had smiled that dewy, saintly smile while bestowing blessings on the faithful.
"Lethe. Can I ask just one thing?"
"Don't ask."
"What was that thing with the stars popping up?"
"I said don't ask! You brat!"
She pressed a hand to her forehead and heaved a long sigh.
"……You really want to know that badly?"
"Yep."
With a perfectly blank face, Lethe raised a finger and tapped her own forehead. Pop.
?
Simon blinked, wondering what she was playing at—when suddenly Lethe flicked her index finger away from her forehead like plucking a string.
A star-shaped burst of pure divinity popped with a cheerful bang!
"That's what it is."
Simon was seconds away from a second laughing fit.
He fought the laughter down for his life.
"Is it really that funny?"
Perhaps surrendering to fate, Lethe just started hopping around in place, a cute little bounce at every jump. And with every bounce, star-shaped divinity went pop-pop!
"Ugh, damn it. What even is this? I'm not some fairy-tale princess. Seriously."
Lethe muttered in irritation and clasped the black choker Israfil had given her around her neck. The star-shaped effects stopped appearing at once, and even the faint star-glimmer that had lingered in her eyes whenever she invoked her Saintess's power vanished.
"Congratulations on reclaiming your freedom."
Simon said with a grin.
"Ha, hilarious. Some freedom—only available if I get something else sealed away."
She said it offhandedly, but the corner of her mouth curved up slightly as she turned her head away.
And so the two arrived at the clearing ten minutes away, where the teleportation circle waited alongside Israfil's trusted subordinates.
"We'll activate the circle now."
"Right!"
As Simon and Lethe stepped onto it, the circle flared to life in a blinding burst of light.
* * *
A short while later, Simon couldn't hold back his admiration at the sight unfolding before them.
Kula—famed resort of the Holy Federation.
Along immaculate streets stood adorable little houses with blue roofs, as if storybook fairies had built them with not a single gap left between.
The mountain range's cold air was held at bay by the flow of mana, and Kula's weather stayed mild year-round. Its greatest charm was this: you could enjoy the beach in a swimsuit while gazing at snow-covered peaks to the north.
Except—
Whiiiiiiine—!
It's absolutely FREEZING!
A savage cold snap was hammering down on this land where, supposedly, you could sunbathe by the sea.