"Mari?"
"Hehe."
"Did something good happen?"
"Yes, that's right. Something good happened."
"Hmmm…."
Delia looked at Mari with a suspicious gaze, as her friend radiated an unusual atmosphere.
Though she was far from being serious, her friend was still someone she knew well. Yet, seeing that bashful smile made Delia feel inexplicably annoyed.
Moreover, a strange sweet scent wafted gently in the air, as if Mari had put on perfume today, unlike her usual self.
That's why Delia couldn't help but look at her this way.
She knew that Mari was just pretending to be interested in men, while in reality, she was a clumsy girl who couldn't even speak a word to them. But what did that smiling face and perfume mean?
"Mari, do you perhaps have a guy you're interested in?"
"Pffft! W-What are you suddenly saying?"
"Seeing you like that, I can't help but be suspicious."
Mari, who was spraying water from her mouth in a refreshing manner. Who could possibly dismiss their doubts after seeing this?
Perhaps the hero from the past who advised not to doubt one's comrades would also forgive her sins upon seeing Mari now.
"It's not that I have a guy! I just have someone I'm interested in, and it just so happens that he's a guy! We need to clarify this! Otherwise, Delia might misunderstand!"
Delia let out a small sigh at Mari's overly flustered response.
As expected, she was a girl with an almost limitless immunity to this kind of thing.
What's more? She thinks that a man from the Vera Empire is better than a man from the Gallia Kingdom?
Back in the classroom, she pretended to have a lot of experience with men, but now it seemed like nothing more than an empty boast. In Delia's eyes, her friend was no different from a novice in that regard.
"In fact, there are various types of interest. The affection a teacher has for their student, if judged coldly, could also be considered a type of interest, right? So the interest you mentioned is a very broad concept, and you won't easily know what kind of feelings I have. I'm quite skilled at psychological manipulation, you know."
'It can't be that guy, right?'
As Mari's rapid-fire words flowed, Delia thought of one person.
From the very beginning, Mari had shown an excessive amount of interest in him. Moreover, he was the one who saved her life, so there was no reason for Mari to dislike him.
'Hmmm.'
Delia looked at her friend with narrowed eyes. It certainly felt like something was off.
* * *
As she swung her sword, a formidable cutting force erupted from the mana-infused blade.
The target was a target made of iron.
─Kakang!
It was a clean attack without any unnecessary movements, but Arwen, the owner of the sword, let out a small sigh.
It had been nearly ten years since she took up the sword.
She had desperately clung to the path of the sword just to stand beside Veris. However, as time passed, Arwen found herself hesitating and despairing.
"I'm lacking."
Veris had told her that her talent was very special, something golden that wouldn't lose out to anyone.
But if that were the case, why did her skills, when compared to his, boast such a pitiful level?
To her, Veris was like the sun floating in the sky. Was it arrogant to dream of being like the sun? Such thoughts had been surfacing dozens of times a day lately, and Arwen couldn't put down her sword.
Thanks to a previous consultation with Veris, she seemed to have improved a little, but the unchanging reality relentlessly pressed down on her.
The person he was pursuing was strong.
Moreover, he possessed a strange charm that always attracted those around him, so if she ever became useless, merely standing by his side could become a burden.
Of course, even so, Veris would practically never abandon her. He was the kindest person she knew.
Was she swinging her sword, ignoring the boiling thoughts in her heart?
Before long, Arwen realized an unexpected visitor had arrived.
The place where Arwen was training was an S-Class training ground. Therefore, since each person was given a separate training space, there shouldn't be a reason for someone with business to come here unless it was for her…
"Arwen."
"Cecilia? You came to find me?"
"Yeah. I couldn't find you at the mansion, so I came to see, and here you are."
Saying that, Cecilia hopped over and perched herself on a table in the corner of the training ground.
It was the time when the red sunset hung in the sky. The sunlight broke against the high outer walls of the training ground, illuminating Cecilia and her surroundings, making her truly fit the title of the Saintess of Mercy.
Though Arwen didn't know exactly why Cecilia had come to find her, she didn't stop swinging her sword.
Her goal was so lofty that she didn't want to waste even a second of her training time. However, Arwen had no choice but to stop her sword at Cecilia's sudden voice.
"Arwen, you're crazy about Veris, aren't you?"
"W-What are you suddenly saying?"
"I am too. In a way, we're comrades."
With an oddly playful smile, Cecilia stuck out her tongue.
Though she spoke without any special thought, the weight of her words was anything but ordinary.
"C-Crazy about him? That's a rather frivolous expression."
"Hehe, but I got it right, didn't I?"
"...."
At Cecilia's bold retort, Arwen fell silent.
No matter how much Arwen tried to make excuses here, it was unlikely to work on that Saintess. So it was only natural to refrain from saying something that would only lead to unnecessary losses.
Seeing Arwen's demeanor, Cecilia smiled gently and sat there for a while, swinging her legs without saying anything.
Cecilia, sitting on the table, wore her usual benevolent smile, but as Arwen gazed at her, she realized that the feeling behind that smile was quite different from before.
"...Do you have something on your mind?"
"Oh my. Did you catch me?"
"Your face shows signs of worry."
"Really, can my friend living with me tell? But! It's a secret from the other students. They think I live alone with Arwen in the church."
Saying that, Cecilia slowly lifted her head and looked at the sky.
The dazzling light of the sunset was so bright that it made her squint her eyes without her realizing it.
That strange ability to evoke emotions and melancholy in people seemed to be oblivious to their feelings, merely pouring out its red light.
"Soon, the investigation team from the Holy Kingdom will probably come here."
"The Holy Kingdom?"
"Surely, the Inquisition will be led by the inquisitor sent by His Holiness the Pope."
"...."
Arwen had no idea what the Saintess wanted to say.
Investigation, Holy Kingdom, Pope, Inquisitor.
All these words were far removed from her. However, it was not difficult to sense the heavy weight behind Cecilia's melancholic smile.
"Are they plotting something?"
"I know one thing for sure. His Holiness the Pope wants to create a 'culprit' in this matter."
"That means…."
"Probably, they will consider Veris as a prime suspect."
"That's nonsense!"
"I know. Arwen may not know, but there was an incident in the past where an investigation team organized by a group of holy knights was annihilated by demon worshippers near the Vitelbach territory."
"No way?"
"And I was the one who miraculously survived that time. Perhaps the Holy See thinks they found a connection between that incident and the current barrier incident."
Arwen felt her chest tighten at Cecilia's sorrowful voice.
Why was the Saintess telling her this?
If she truly wanted to resolve this matter, wouldn't it be more appropriate to speak directly to Veris instead of her?
Did Cecilia also anticipate Arwen's thoughts?
Cecilia calmly whispered the answer to Arwen's doubts.
"Surely, the Veris I know will diligently engage in the investigation. But the problem is that the matter could proceed without confirming any facts clearly."
"What do you mean by 'matter'? What are you talking about?"
"The inquisitor's power of summary judgment."
At Cecilia's low words, which sounded like a declaration, Arwen doubted her ears.
Summary judgment?
It wasn't easy to understand its meaning, but at a glance, it seemed to imply that they could execute someone suspected of heresy or idolatry without proper grounds or procedures.
"That primitive evidence, the relics of the old age, still exist."
"Are you saying they might use that as a pretext to deal with Veris?"
"According to the news from the Holy Kingdom."
Arwen trembled.
Were they truly out of their minds?
Veris was the one who dealt with that group of demon worshippers, and instead of rewarding him, they were going to label him as a heretic and execute him?
This was not about faith or anything; it was politics.
Yes. The Pope and the leadership of the Holy Kingdom were trying to use Veris as a sacrifice to quell the chaos that had struck both the Empire and the Holy Kingdom for political purposes.
"If that time comes, both you and I will need to lend our strength."
Only then did Arwen understand why Cecilia had appeared with such a heavy atmosphere.
This girl, as Cecilia and not the Saintess, wanted to save Veris.
"The Saintess is… merely a means to gain the respect of the people; in the Holy Kingdom, she is just a tool."
Cecilia's sorrowful smile, filled with immense sadness. Feeling that something uncontrollable was approaching, Arwen took a deep breath.
[TL: If you can't wait on updates and want to read more, please support me to read the whole novel here: https://buymeacoffee.com/mythictranslations.]