The Saint Priestess' Intuition

"But isn't that a hasty judgment?" the advisor who read the report objected to Vivian's evaluation. "He may be good at thievery and assassination, but there is no evidence to suggest that this person is actually capable of matching the strength of those beings."

"Well, you aren't incorrect in thinking that way," Vivian did not disagree with the advisor's opinion. "I am mainly assuming based on my intuition.

"However, I suspect that some of the limited information provided in the report hides a few small details that can display more of Requiem's true capabilities."

"And what are those exactly?" somebody else asked, sounding skeptical.

"That case with the demigod's residence." Vivian gestured with her chin to the stacks of paper the King's advisor held. "It seems dubious to me that there was no indication of any event that occurred during Requiem's forceful entry. I have a hard time believing that someone with talents granted by the Gods would not have caused a commotion during the encounter, so I suspect this lack of intel may have been deliberately kept hidden in order for the demigod to save face.

"And even if said demigod did not actually notice Requiem's presence," Vivian chose to raise her voice at this time, as other people were looking to interject, "it's unlikely that they wouldn't have found a way to retaliate against Requiem afterwards."

Her last statement held back the words of the men attempting to argue. It was widely known that demigods possess their own personal connections to the deities they were related to. Although they can't necessarily gain full divine intervention through communication, as the Gods seem to rarely like interacting with the world of mortals, they can at least be granted enough assistance to be allowed an opportunity to confront those who have brought injustice upon them.

It was, of course, possible that the demigod may have been either involved or acquainted with the infamous Requiem, but that thought would border on blasphemy. Though they rarely tended to act, the deities would certainly never approve the company of thieves and assassins with their offspring and descendants.

The last likely possibility would be that the demigod simply ignored it due to no evidence of theft taking place, but this was still merely speculation, and it did not fit well with the pattern of Requiem's known activities. If Requiem had indeed forcefully invaded their home with hidden intentions, then a confrontation between the two could have already ensued by now. The fact that there are still many reports on his recent activities after the invasion suggests that Requiem may have likely held his ground against the demigod.

"This... We still can't be certain." an attendant said uncertainly.

"That's why I stated I'm simply assuming," Vivian shrugged while still keeping herself expressionless and unreadable.

"How do you compare him to the Saint Knight?" Once again, the King asked another question to the Saint Priestess. It seems like he is very interested in exploring her thoughts on this matter.

"Gawain wouldn't lose." Vivian spoke in a tone that contained just a hint of firmness.

Her response elicited a faint snort among a handful of the attending guests. It had always been rumored that this lady, considered as the strongest priestess in Bavalon, held a near unreasonable level of confidence in the Saint Knight's prowess. Some of the rumors even suggested that the reason was due to a hidden relationship between the two.

"However," Vivian paused before continuing on in a serious tone. "He might not be able to win either."

This statement caused several people in the room to raise their eyebrows questioningly. From the guests to the guards, and even to the King himself, though the latter was barely noticeable. It spoke of how much they were all aware of her unwavering faith in the Saint Knight.

"Are you saying," King Simon spoke probingly, "that you believe this 'Requiem' may be on par with Sir Gawain?"

"Yes, I do." the Saint Priestess replied.

"May I know the reason?"

Vivian only gave a wry smile.

"It's just an inference based on my intuition. And from what I know of Gawain's limitations."

Silence permeated the room as people were momentarily unaware of how to respond to her indefinitive statement. In the first place, it was very unusual for Lady Vivian to demonstrate a lack of faith towards her closest companion. No matter what challenges or dangers their kingdom would face, from enemy forces to ancient beasts, she would always speak with the utmost confidence in Sir Gawain's skills. Though they always proved to be true, most people believed it was simply blind faith and nothing more. However, this was the first time she had expressed a lack of certainty in the Saint Knight.

Some of these people witnessed first hand of Sir Gawain's combat prowess, the King especially. If anyone asked who was the strongest warrior in Bavalon, they would unanimously refer to Sir Gawain without hesitation. Even if a few disliked him, they would still grudgingly admit to the latter's fearsome abilities. But only Vivian knew of the Saint Knight's true strength.

King Simon was slightly displeased with Vivian's explanation as he continued asking in mild annoyance, "Forgive me, but your vagueness is not very appropriate for this discussion; it makes me feel that you are not regarding this meeting with the utmost sincerity. I'd hoped you would've provided a clearer explanation to your thoughts."

Vivian bowed her head while still keeping a composed expression.

"My apologies, your grace. I did not mean to present a wrong impression.

"With the lack of proper information given on Requiem's identity and nature, I merely attempted to give an honest assessment of his capabilities and hoped to keep everyone on their guard against him."

"Yet your assessment is still very controversial," the King shrewdly continued the topic. "I want more than simply your intuition to understand what you think of this individual."

Vivian raised her head and met the probing eyes of the ruler of Bavalon. The surrounding guards and guests could not decipher any hidden intent behind the Saint Priestess' expression and posture.

"I simply feel that the lack of given information on this person is extremely ominous," Vivian implored, not only to King Simon, but to everybody else in the room. "Given Requiem's encounters and exploits, it is hard to imagine that one hasn't found any clues to his real identity. With the advanced magic in this day and age, such a thing should be very difficult to achieve."

"Perhaps the top authorities in Fermes and Spanyx have already discovered this and are choosing to keep the information hidden from outsiders," somebody suggested.

Vivian gave that person a considering glance.

"It could be possible," she added while nodding in contemplation. "They may be simply waiting for the opportunity to surprise this person in an attempt to capture him. But from the astonishing feats the latter has accomplished, I find this approach to be unlikely to succeed. Furthermore, if they do possess the information, I believe that there are more merits in exposing Requiem's true identity than to temporarily withhold it from the public."

Her words provided the rest of the guests with some new speculations. Indeed, Requiem's actions have already attracted several enemies throughout most of the continent. In addition, no amount of spells or items have been able to restrain this entity's movements. Considering these factors, it would be far more preferable to reveal his identity to the public in an attempt to allow others to eradicate him.

"Regarding this, I think it is much more likely to assume that Requiem's true name is still unknown to both countries." Vivian concluded.

"So you believe that this level of advanced concealment equates to the level of danger that Requiem can pose to Bavalon?" King Simon instantly grasped the meaning behind Vivian's words.

"I do," Vivian nodded. "Not only is it difficult to predict Requiem's whereabouts and actions, but the latter's secrecy and stealth are very likely to suggest a hidden combat potential that has yet to be fully witnessed.

"Though, without any decisive evidence, we can only make assumptions."

"Very well," King Simon nodded, seemingly satisfied with her reply. "Make sure you let Sir Gawain know of every important detail discussed here."

"Will do, your grace," Vivian bowed her head once more.

----------

"Is this really necessary?" Leo asked his new friends as he was walking along the streets of Victoria City.

"Of course it is," Judy said, her arms alternating at her sides. "Wouldn't want to get lost now, would you?"

"I'm actually not bad at reading maps," Leo looked around at the others. "You guys could have simply marked them for me..."

"What kind of comrades would we be if we let you set off on your own?" Alex scoffed indignantly. "Besides, you can never be too careful around these parts. Some of these streets can look extremely identical to one another."

"Indeed," Sarah added in her own thoughts. "During my first day here, I once got lost for half a day before finding my way back to my residence. It was quite embarrassing, but still very enlightening..."

Sarah's voice turned dreamy towards the end of her sentence. Leo wasn't sure as to what she was thinking of at the moment.