The Saintess's Intuition
The purification ritual was to be held quietly in Moot's room. Aside from a few priests, I was the only one present. The cursed object in question sat inside a box on the table beside the bed. All that was left was for Saintess Rielia to arrive, and the ritual would begin immediately.
Right on cue, Rielia stepped into Moot's room.
Oh...
Even as the Saintess, she wore the same attire as any other priestess—a white-based robe with side slits and a matching veil. Yet, the simplicity of the uniform only made her exceptional beauty shine brighter. Her curly, silver-gray hair, features that exuded a sacred grace, and slightly drooping eyes perfectly embodied the image of a holy maiden.
Entering the room, the Saintess offered me a soft smile and a polite bow before heading straight toward Moot, who lay in bed.
"I have been briefed on the situation, First High Priest. Shall we begin the purification ritual right away?"
"Please, Saintess Rielia."
Instead of taking the chair prepared by the bedside, the Saintess knelt directly on the floor. She clasped her hands together.
"O Goddess."
With those words, she began to recite her prayer. I had heard many prayers during formal ceremonies, but the Saintess's prayer felt uniquely different. So this is a purification ritual. The priests beside me were entirely focused on the praying Saintess and the bedridden Moot. I, however, was looking at something else entirely.
Light. A light so vast it could easily swallow the kneeling Saintess whole. The divine power radiating from her was of a magnitude that utterly dwarfed any petty curse. Even though it looked simple, that cursed doll was a top-tier artifact, worth about a commoner's entire yearly living expenses. Without the Roberts Merchant Guild's information network, I wouldn't have been able to procure it in the first place.
Eventually, the priests on either side of me clasped their hands tightly and began to weep. The overwhelming emotion of witnessing the Saintess's miracle firsthand was simply too much for them. I, too, was filled with admiration—though in a completely different sense.
At this rate, perhaps...
The black mana that used to pour out of Mistylia—the Saintess's power held its ground even against that. It seemed the title of Saintess wasn't just for show. With this level of power, I might actually have something to look forward to.
The Saintess's divine power completely enveloped the box containing the cursed doll. The black mana, which had attempted to writhe out in defiance, gradually weakened under the overwhelming disparity in strength. In tandem, color and vitality slowly returned to Moot's face. Moot himself was likely the one feeling the effects most acutely.
It seemed the purification ritual was drawing to a close. The divine power was slowly reabsorbed. The black mana was nowhere to be seen, as if it had been completely annihilated.
"The purification is complete. Do you feel a bit better?"
"Thank you, Rielia. Truly remarkable."
"Fufu, you flatter me. I merely act in accordance with the Goddess's will."
The Saintess approached the box at the bedside. She pulled out the folk doll, which had now lost its curse and become a mundane object, and cast a bright smile in my direction.
Did she just look at me? For a split second, I felt as if our eyes had met. But perhaps it was just my imagination. When Moot spoke to her again, she turned back to him as if nothing had happened.
Once the ritual concluded, I called out to the Saintess as she prepared to leave with the accompanying priests.
"A moment, Saintess."
"Yes?"
"Could you spare some time? I would like to speak with you."
"The Princess? With me?"
Up close, I could see her eyes were sky-blue. Her slightly drooping eyelids gave her a remarkably gentle impression.
"Yes. It is an important matter."
The Saintess nodded readily.
"I understand. Gladly."
"It's delicious! So delicious~!"
Such a candid, lively exclamation of delight was a rare sound in the perpetually elegant royal palace. Fluttering her invisible wings, Saintess Rielia shoved another forkful of cake, dusted with snow-like powdered sugar, into her mouth.
"Ah, this is it, this is it! The taste of a luxurious dessert that you could never find in a dirt-poor monastery! Oh, sweet bliss! Thank you, Goddess! Saint Sarpina! And the great His Majesty the King!"
Seemingly forgetting she was in the presence of a princess, Rielia expressed her culinary ecstasy with her entire body. Her behavior somehow brought to mind the image of a starving high school girl.
Her impression is completely different from earlier. To think her 'on' and 'off' states could have such a massive gap...
"I am glad you are enjoying it. I can have them bring out as much as you like, so please, take your time."
"Haaaaah..."
Holding a fork covered in cream, Rielia wore an ecstatic expression. Could I easily win her over just by supplying her with an infinite amount of cake?
However, Rielia set her fork down with a solemn expression, even though lingering regret was practically dripping from her face.
"Ahem, no. Eating is wonderful, but you said you had something to tell me, right? I suppose it is time I listen. Besides, if I eat any more, I will only feel sadder on my way back."
It seemed she wasn't just a simple cake monster. A fraction of her earlier dignity had returned—about ten percent of it, anyway. In that case, I should stop trying to butter her up with sweets and get down to business.
"I watched the purification ritual earlier. It was truly impressive."
"Hmph, I am the Saintess, after all."
Like a baby bird puffing out its chest feathers, Rielia puffed out her chest. Not that there was much to show for it.
"Which brings me to my question... Lady Rielia. With your divine power, what level of curse are you capable of purifying? If we were to use the curse on Lord Moot today as a baseline, that is."
"You seem to have a keen interest in curses."
She tossed the question out casually, as if making small talk. Both her expression and tone remained firmly in her 'off' state. Yet, despite her innocent demeanor, the question felt incredibly sharp and put me on the spot.
I answered honestly.
"Yes. To be frank, I know someone who is afflicted by a curse. They are very important to me... and I absolutely want to dispel it."
"Oh? Not yourself, Princess?"
I stared at Rielia with wide eyes. Seeing my reaction, she merely tilted her head in confusion.
"Pardon?"
"Uh... am I wrong? I felt the trace of a curse on you as well, Princess."
"The trace of a curse...? You can sense such things? A curse on me...?"
"No, well... it's not really a special ability, just an intuition. A Saintess's intuition. You see, you somehow smell of evil, Princess. Ah, oops! You know I don't mean a literal physical smell, right?"
Listening to Rielia, I stood dazed for a moment, quite unlike my usual self. A curse on me? No, I couldn't see any trace of mana on myself. If I were afflicted by such a thing, I would have noticed it long ago.
No... wait. That wasn't necessarily true. I had witnessed curses multiple times now. Because of that, I knew: mana only manifests from a curse at the exact moment it is cast. If I had been cursed before acquiring my Mana Sight, or in a place out of my view, the possibility could not be ruled out.
I spoke to Rielia, who was currently attempting to stuff an entire muffin into her mouth.
"If I am indeed cursed without my knowledge... could you dispel it for me?"
Setting the muffin down with a look of deep regret, Rielia replied.
"Hmm, well? It depends on the case. I don't know if you are aware, but for a purification ritual, we must first identify the medium anchoring the curse. Like that doll in today's case. Otherwise, the curse cannot be dispelled."
Having finished her explanation, Rielia swiftly popped the muffin into her mouth. The sight of the Saintess chewing with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel was incredibly adorable, but I was in no state to focus on such trivialities.
I recalled the witch I had seen in my dreams. A witch from the distant past who should have had absolutely no connection to me. Could my encounter with such an entity have been due to a curse as well?
No, calm down. There is nothing wrong with my body right now. It hasn't even been proven that what Rielia said is absolute fact. I must not lose sight of my original purpose. I am only having this conversation to find a way to lift the curse of Mistylia.
"I see. Then let us return to my first question. Saintess Rielia, what level of curse are you capable of dispelling?"
"Hmm... what level... Ah, right, you asked me to compare it to that creepy doll we purified today, didn't you? Let's see... I think I could manage something about ten times stronger than that. I have yet to encounter a curse that my divine power couldn't break."
Unshakeable confidence resonated in Rielia's voice. It was enough to make me think she might actually be able to break Mistylia with ridiculous ease.
After attempting to flick a butter cookie into her mouth with her thumb and failing, Rielia spoke.
"By the way, that important person afflicted by a curse... is it Queen Carmel?"
Her voice was as unguarded as ever. Yet, once again, the question somehow felt like a direct strike to my vitals.
I replied in a calm voice.
"What makes you think that?"
"It is hard to explain if you ask me like that... It is just a Saintess's intuition. Mmm... I don't know if I should say this, but you were the one who cursed Lord Moot, weren't you, Princess?"
Having said that, Rielia deftly caught a tossed butter cookie in her mouth.