Chapter 122

Up close, they were knights in full armor, swords and spears in hand.

The crest engraved on their armor belonged to the Grastea Imperial Family.

‘I knew it!’

I believed in you, Grastea Imperial Family!

But there were quite a few who looked like mercenaries mixed in as well.

It seemed a nearby mercenary corps was cooperating with the imperial knights.

“Who goes there? Identify yourself.”

The knight who appeared to be the highest-ranking leveled the tip of his sword at me as he spoke.

The wariness in his gaze was suffocating—so sharp it made my skin prickle.

At this rate, they might mistake me for one of the witch’s underlings.

‘What do I say to avoid suspicion?’

As I hesitated, a plausible lie flashed through my mind.

“I-I’m a priest of the Parakai Church!”

“A priest?”

The knight raised his torch and swept his gaze over me from head to toe.

I was dressed in a blouse and a skirt that fell to my ankles.

The blouse was silk, the skirt velvet—both of the finest quality.

In other words, absolutely not the sort of attire a priest would wear….

“A priest?”

The knight echoed mockingly.

“What kind of priest dresses that lavishly? Suspicious! Seize her!”

Crap! I’m screwed!

But I still had one last trump card.

I quickly gathered holy power in my palm.

“L-Look at this!”

“…?”

“It’s holy power! I really am a priest of the Parakai Church! I’m just in disguise!”

The knight paused when he saw the radiant light pooling in my palm, then frowned faintly.

The others turned their attention this way as well.

One of them spoke up.

“…It is holy power. Not sure if she’s truly a priest, but she’s not allied with the creature that kidnapped the Second Prince.”

‘Huh…?’

That voice sounded familiar.

I turned toward it—and a familiar face came into view.

‘Mikhail!’

Mikhail didn’t seem to be an imperial knight. He was wearing the same uniform as the mercenaries.

‘So before he joined the Veratis Guild, he must’ve belonged to this mercenary corps.’

Of all things, I never expected to run into Mikhail ten years in the past.

I felt a surge of gladness—but I couldn’t acknowledge him. To him, we were strangers here.

‘But that’s strange.’

When we met again in the future, why hadn’t Mikhail recognized me?

Just as the question began to deepen, the knight’s sharp voice cut in.

“…If you really are a priest of the Parakai Church, what in the world were you doing in a remote forest like this?”

Pushing the riddle aside, I opened my mouth to answer.

“Well, you see….”

In less than three seconds, a brilliant idea struck me.

Namely….

“I actually… received an oracle!”

Time to play the fanatic!

‘We’re going with the clear-eyed lunatic concept!’

This would be easy. All I had to do was imitate the most devout zealot I knew—Lycian.

“A week ago… the Triune Goddess appeared in my dream and spoke to me…. ‘Save the Second Prince of the Grastea Empire,’ they said.”

I lowered my voice gravely, adopting a solemn, almost tragic air.

“But they told me to conceal my identity. To trust no one until I found him…. That’s why I came all this way in disguise!”

I deliberately widened my eyes, exaggerating my expression—so the ‘ecstasy of receiving an oracle’ would shine on my face.

If only my eyes were gleaming like a madwoman’s, the performance would be perfect.

Judging by the way a few knights flinched at the sight of me, my acting must have been convincing.

Secretly pleased, I pressed on with even more vivid madness.

“And the Triune Goddess bestowed upon me a very special ability!”

“A-a special ability?”

By now, even the high-ranking knight was looking at me as though I were a religious fanatic—uneasy and unsettled.

Good. That’s the reaction I wanted.

“With this very ability, I am currently keeping His Highness the Second Prince safe!”

“…You’re protecting His Highness?”

“That’s right!”

I swiftly summoned the Secret Door and flung it wide open.

“W-What is that?”

“Magic?”

“I thought you said you were a priest? And what kind of magic is that?”

At that, I flared my eyes and scolded them loudly.

“You faithless wretches! I told you! It’s a gift from the Triune Goddess! Can’t you feel this overwhelming holy power?!”

Fwaaaah!

I drew the holy power up for all to see. At the sight of me wrapped in light, the knights instinctively took a few stumbling steps back.

“I-It might actually be real….”

“But she doesn’t look sane. This is scary….”

Thank you very much for thinking I’m insane.

‘Alright, now it’s time to bring out Lycian—’

That was when it happened. Speak of the tiger and he appears—an adolescent voice drifted out from beyond the doorway.

“…What’s going on? Why is it so noisy?”

It was Lycian!

The knights’ eyes went wide as they recognized the boy’s voice.

“Your Highness the Second Prince?!”

“Is it truly Your Highness? Are you unharmed, Your Highness?”

With a deep frown, Lycian stepped through the door.

He glanced at me briefly before walking out of the pocket space.

“It really is His Highness!”

“Are we sure? It’s not that creature trying to deceive us?”

“What creature? You saw her use holy power!”

“W-Well, that’s true, but….”

Holy power was a privilege and blessing granted by the gods.

There was no way a monster could possess such power, and the knights quickly let go of their suspicions.

Though they continued to cast me dubious side glances.

“Your Highness! Are you unharmed? Were you injured?”

“No. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

The little brat who had been at death’s door until I saved him was now acting tough without a shred of shame.

It was so adorable I wanted to bite him—but now was not the time.

I stepped up beside Lycian and spoke proudly.

“I saved His Highness from the monster. Right, Your Highness?”

To my surprise, the boy nodded readily.

“That’s right. She’s my savior. Not sure what kind of woman she is, though….”

At Lycian’s testimony, the knights murmured among themselves in astonishment.

“Then that woman truly is a priest who received an oracle…?”

“An oracle, wow….”

“Her holy power did look incredibly strong….”

“How fascinating….”

With things unfolding this way, all distrust toward me completely dissipated.

I lifted my chin, wearing a full-blown See? I told you so expression.

The little brat, who had been staring up at me, suddenly asked,

“Are you a priest?”

“…!”

Oh no.

I had lied to the adults without hesitation, but lying to a child pricked my conscience.

“A saintess, then?”

Lycian asked again. Well, that part was true.

I gave a small smile and bent my knees to sit at his eye level.

Taking his hand in mine, I whispered softly,

“It’s a secret.”

“…!”

“You have to be the only one who knows. I’m….”

At that moment.

‘W-What?!’

Completing the quest was great and all, but isn’t that way too little time to say goodbye?!

Without another second to think, I threw my arms around Lycian.

Startled by the sudden embrace, the boy flinched violently, bristling like an irritable cat.

“W-What’s with you all of a sudden?! Hugging me without permission again…!”

“Lycian, when you return to the imperial palace, you have to train diligently.”

“…!”

“Even if you hate studying, endure it. Listen well to your teachers and your parents.”

I eased back slightly so our eyes met. The boy’s lips parted, his face flustered.

“You….”

“You have to become strong enough to protect yourself! Promise!”

I even hooked my pinky around his.

The golden eyes staring at me trembled.

Looking at the boy—more precious than anything—I poured all my affection into my voice.

“Let’s meet again.”

“…!!”

A brilliant light soon enveloped me.

As my vision turned white, the stunned face of the little boy slowly grew distant.

For a moment, it felt as though I were drifting through space. When gravity returned and I felt solid ground beneath me again—

‘…Huh?’

I was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar plain.

---

After Muriel disappeared, those left behind in the past experienced something strange.

“That’s odd. Wasn’t there one more person with us?”

“I think it was a woman…. Or was it a pretty man?”

“What the hell?”

The face and voice of someone who had just been with them suddenly grew hazy.

“Do you remember what she said?”

They could barely even recall her words.

It felt like something important—something incredible—but….

“Like a ghost played a trick on us.”

“Were we bewitched by a spirit…?”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard rumors this forest is haunted….”

They were puzzled, but none of them looked particularly troubled.

After all, the most important thing was that they had secured the Second Prince safely.

In contrast, that very Second Prince’s complexion was pale as a blank sheet of paper.

‘Lycian, when you return to the imperial palace, you have to train diligently.’

‘You have to become strong enough to protect yourself! Promise!’

Memories that kept trying to scatter.

As they made their way through the forest with the others, the boy walked with a grave expression, fists clenched tight.

‘…She said she was sent by the gods.’

That she had come to save me….

‘Let’s meet again.’

“…….”

Will we meet again?

The boy bit his lip, overwhelmed by a sudden swell of emotion.

To disappear so abruptly.

‘…I’ll never forget.’

No matter how long it took. No matter the hardships.

I’ll find her.

Without even knowing what this feeling inside him truly was, the boy made a vow.

Though his wounds had long since healed, one corner of his heart continued to throb strangely.