Gale sheathed his longsword upon seeing this, though a hint of doubt lingered in his heart.
“...Did she predict it would appear there?”
As a fellow Rank Four, he had been completely unable to tell where the monster would appear next after it turned invisible. Yet Mia had not only predicted its movements but also completely defeated it.
This left Gale feeling a bit dejected.
Was the gap between them really that vast?
Mia gave a nod, which only deepened his sense of frustration. She then held the young girl tighter in her arms, gently shaking her as she called out:
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
As she spoke, she pressed her fingers against Lovene's wrist. Confirming that her pulse was still there, she let out a massive sigh of relief.
Lovene struggled to open her eyes. Realizing what had happened, she used every ounce of her strength to ask, “What... what about the crystal?”
“It has already been contained.”
“That is... wonderful.”
Lovene lay weakly in Mia's arms, breathing in the sweet scent emanating from her. She slowly raised her right hand and caressed Mia's cold cheek.
“You saved me, Mia. I don't even know how to thank you...”
“There is no need to thank me. This was only my duty.”
Mia's eyes welled with tears as she spoke softly, “On the contrary, Your Highness, even though the contamination has receded, your body is still extremely weak. You should close your eyes and rest now.”
Transforming from a flesh-and-blood body into a monster, and then reverting back, was a pain that no ordinary person could endure. Although Saintess Lovene had regained consciousness, she was bound to be incredibly weak.
And just as Mia thought, Lovene was overcome with drowsiness, but she still had one more thing to do.
“Come closer. I have a secret to whisper to you.”
Mia leaned down slightly, bringing her ear close to her.
“Hmm?”
In the next second, Lovene gently bit her earlobe.
“You saved my life, and I have nothing else to offer but myself. Once I've recovered, we can... mgh!”
Before she could finish, Mia cupped a hand over her mouth. Immediately after, an almost imperceptible magical glow flickered briefly at Mia's fingertips and sank into the space between Lovene's brows.
Lovene's eyelids fluttered slightly before she slowly closed them. Her breathing gradually became steady and soft, and her entire frame relaxed in the morning light.
She had fallen asleep.
That glow was a sleeping spell cast by Mia.
Honestly, even at a time like this, she's still... so shameless!
Spitting a curse inwardly, Mia withdrew her hand and gently rested Lovene's head back against her shoulder, securing her position as if nothing had happened.
Yet her flushed cheeks, her eyes shimmering with a mix of embarrassment and indignation, and her slightly bitten lip silently betrayed the intimate moment that had just transpired.
Elena, who had been too far away to see what happened, walked over to Mia's side. Her gaze fell upon Lovene's closed eyes, and she frowned slightly.
“Did Her Eminence say something to you just now? How is her condition?”
Her eyes flickering slightly, Mia forced herself to remain calm as she replied:
“The contamination hasn't fully dissipated yet. The residual traces are still affecting her consciousness, causing her to speak some nonsense. Once we get back and she gets some rest, she should return to normal.”
“That's good. But... why is your face so red?”
“I... this is a side effect of some magic.”
Elena nodded, suspecting nothing.
Many powerful spells carried side effects. She had witnessed Mia's combat earlier; Mia had utterly dominated such a terrifying monster. She must have used some formidable, secretive magic.
The flushing of her face suggested her blood circulation was congested, which perfectly aligned with the side effects of certain spells.
“If it weren't for you, we might not have been able to contain this contamination source.”
Marcus walked over. Having learned that Lovene was safe, he too let out a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Mia.
But Mia shook her head.
“No. I am not the one who should be thanked.”
The one they should thank had always been the Church's Saintess, Lovene.
Marcus understood her meaning as well. He looked at the sleeping girl and said softly, “The territory will forever remember her sacrifice.”
Not only that, but he also felt that the Oswell territory needed a true faith.
And Lovene was the perfect choice.
Faith was an unparalleled spiritual force. If people strayed down the wrong path of belief, cults would emerge, ruining countless lives and claiming countless innocent victims.
But if people believed in the light, happiness would prevail.
In the past, the territory's faith had been directed toward the Lord of the Morning Light of the Church of the Morning Light. Later, his ancestors and father had seen through the Church's true colors. They had secretly dismantled the Church's influence within the territory, putting an end to the people's faith.
Now, this power of faith could be utilized once more.
...
After the battle concluded, Mia and her companions brought the sleeping Lovene back to the lord's manor. With a wave of his hand, Marcus announced that a grand ceremony would be held in three days, just like before.
At the same time, the news of Lord Marcus's return swept through the entire territory like a gust of wind blowing through a narrow alleyway. In no time at all, countless citizens erupted in celebration.
The anomalies plaguing the territory ended alongside his return. The grayish-white mist that had lingered for so long receded layer by layer in the golden morning light, like old marks washed away by the tide, revealing the long-buried landscape beneath.
People beheld the sun once more. The long-obscured orb was slowly rising along the sea level. Their footsteps grew dense in the morning light as countless citizens opened their arms outdoors, bathing in the warm sunshine.
Following this came the tales of the Saintess's deeds.
Once the initial frenzy over Lord Marcus's return subsided, stories of the Saintess's actions began to spread across the territory. From the lord's manor to the docks, from the markets to the street corners, her name became known to everyone.
Her name began to take on different weights and meanings in the mouths of various people, and her flawless image gradually solidified. Unlike Lord Marcus, however, her existence was slowly being deified.
Goddess, angel, the destined savior of the world... all kinds of monikers for Lovene began to circulate wildly throughout the territory. With Marcus's active promotion, countless people came to view her as their spiritual anchor.
A statue of the Saintess stood in the center of the plaza before the lord's manor, its stone pedestal engraved with a brief inscription. Though it had only recently been erected, quite a few people had already begun to linger before it.
The morning light fell upon the statue's shoulders, sliding down to the edges of the pedestal and dispersing into an even halo.
Before the statue, fresh flowers and prayers existed side by side. In the days to come, perhaps uninformed passersby would walk past and, seeing the worshipping crowd, mistake it for the statue of a true deity.
In preparation for the territory's grand ceremony in three days, the lord's manor was a flurry of activity, with hardly an idle soul in sight—save for the bedroom assigned to Lovene.
The duration of Mia's sleeping spell finally expired. Accompanied by a wave of soreness throughout her body, Lovene opened her eyes.
Rate on N.U.
