Night fell over the rooftops of Avalon, bathing the stone walls that had been polished bright by the daytime sun in a deep gray.
Esper got out of bed and walked toward the Adventurer's Guild.
The Holy Sword hovered behind her, its glow exceptionally glaring in the night. She tried taking off her coat to cover the sword, but the light shone right through the fabric.
Forget it.
First, she would check out of her room.
She returned to the old building.
Pushing open the door that couldn't lock, the room felt even smaller than she remembered.
She had lived here for a while, but there was still nothing worth taking with her.
A change of clothes, the coins saved up in the nightstand drawer.
That was all.
She turned and went downstairs.
The landlord wasn't asleep yet at this hour. He sat behind the counter eating a piece of dry bread by the light of an oil lamp, completely engrossed in a book titled 《How to Tame a Fire Dragon》.
“I'm moving out.”
Esper tapped on the table.
“Deposit is non-refundable.”
He didn't even look up.
“I know.”
Esper tossed the key onto the counter, turned, and walked out the door of the old building.
“Moving in the middle of the night... kids these days love making trouble.”
The landlord's grumble was shut behind her.
A few people peeked out from the alleyway, but upon seeing the glowing sword, they ducked back inside faster than if they had seen a patrol knight.
The Adventurer's Guild was always packed during the day, and while the crowd thinned out significantly at night, the lights at the counter were still on. After all, it was a twenty-four-hour operation; night commissions and emergency quests could be posted or accepted at any time.
Esper pushed open the main doors. A few adventurers sat scattered at the corner tables, some drinking, some dozing off on the tables, others talking in low voices.
At the counter, the receptionist who always looked at her with curiosity was dozing off.
Her name was Mila, right.
Esper finally remembered her name.
She walked up to the counter.
“Mila.”
Mila's eyes snapped open, then went wide.
Her gaze fell on Esper's face first, then shifted past her shoulder to land on the Holy Sword behind her.
“...Miss Esper?!”
She stood up from behind the counter, her chair legs scraping against the floor with a harsh screech.
“Th-that sword!! You're the one from the plaza this afternoon—”
“Yes.”
“The He—”
“Quiet.”
Esper raised her hand, palm forward, making a stop gesture. Then she scanned the hall out of the corner of her eye.
The few adventurers in the corners had already looked up. Their gazes lingered on the Holy Sword behind her for a moment before they quickly looked down, pretending they hadn't seen a thing.
“...Keep your voice down. I'm here to ask you a few things.”
Mila took a deep breath.
“P-please, go ahead.”
Her professional composure overrode her shock within three seconds.
“I need to form a party. A small squad, under five people. Preferably Rank Five or above. No one from the Church.”
Mila's fingers were already rummaging beneath the counter, likely looking for the adventurer registry.
“Rank Five or above... For those permanently stationed in Avalon, there are currently twenty-three.”
“Break them down for me.”
“There are four registered under the Mage Tower, but unless Chief Grand Mage Wald personally approves it, members of the Mage Tower don't usually accept external commissions. Then there are fifteen freelance adventurers, and the remaining four are associated with the Church.
If we consider External Members, two of them stand out. One is Landon and the other is Yulia. They are exceptionally powerful, but they have criminal records, which might affect the party's public image. Also, I heard they've been operating together recently, so they might not... respond to your invitation.”
“None from the Empire or Esperfite?”
“Ah, the Empire's Roundtable Knights basically have their own dedicated divisions, while Esperfite's internal forces rarely venture outside.”
“...I see. I understand.”
“Is there anything else you need?”
Esper pursed her lips.
“...How much do you know about the Saintess?”
Mila's quill stopped.
“The Saintess?”
“Yes.”
“Well... the Saintess isn't managed by the Guild. She belongs to the Church. If you want to invite her to join your party, you would need to go through the Church's channels...”
“I know. I'm just curious. Why is she the Saintess?”
Mila scratched her cheek.
“Well... how should I put it? The Saintess's power is incredibly pure...”
She carefully weighed her words before speaking in a tiny whisper.
“Are you familiar with the holy water distributed during the Church's annual sacraments?”
“I've heard of it, but I've never received any. I was always out on quests when they distributed it.”
“Word has it that it was originally just ordinary recovery potions. But after receiving the Saintess's blessing, it transformed into holy water.”
Esper's eyebrows twitched slightly.
“A branding effect?”
“No, no, the effects actually undergo a qualitative change.”
Mila's tone carried unconcealed awe.
“Recovery potions are just items made by processing herbs and magic ores together, only speeding up wound recovery. But holy water is different. As long as you drink it, injuries heal, severed limbs regenerate, and even the body becomes younger and more vibrant.”
“How is that possible? Just a blessing can have that kind of effect?”
Esper tilted her head, her tone filled with skepticism.
“That is what the Church publicly announces. But in the Guild, there's a rumor circulating.”
Mila lowered her voice even further.
“Some say the holy water is actually made from the Saintess's flesh and blood.”
“...Flesh and blood?”
As a vampire, Esper instinctively wanted to say something, but she held herself back.
“The Church once publicly declared that the Saintess doesn't merely use holy light; rather, her very existence is the manifestation of the concept of holy light.”
“...The manifestation of a concept?”
“An Authority?”
Esper bit her lip, a dark sense of foreboding filling her heart.
“Holy light is constantly proliferating inside her body. Whenever she is harmed, the holy light automatically repairs her body. Over time, the nature of her Vow Power, the flesh on her body, the breath she exhales—all of it carries holy light.”
Esper's face went dark.
What did she mean, even the breath she exhaled carried holy light?
Which meant that even if she just stayed in the same room with this person, the holy light would fill the space like sardines packed in a tin?
For humans, that was probably a comfortable experience akin to bathing in the sun. For a vampire, it was probably about the same as shoving one's head into a pot of boiling lava.
She had learned enough, but there was still one more question.
“...Why is there a rumor that the holy water is made directly from her flesh and blood? Is it just a conspiracy theory?”
“There's no direct evidence; it's actually just what many people guess...”
Mila's tone was a bit complicated.
“Have you ever seen the Saintess?”
“...No.”
“The Saintess only appears during major Church events, so it's very hard for ordinary people to see her.
And every time the Saintess shows herself, she has no expression on her face. Like a robot, she doesn't even blink, only turning her head from time to time to respond to the calls of the believers.”
“...Because she can self-regenerate, no physical traces would show. So some of you suspect the Church of abusing the Saintess to manufacture holy water?”
“You could say it's just a baseless rumor. Maybe the Saintess is just naturally cold...”
“...Thanks.”
Esper nodded, offering a simple thank you.
She came to a single conclusion.
She must never, under any circumstances, be in the same room as the Saintess.
Absolutely not.
It didn't matter if the excuse she made up to refuse was so ridiculous that it aroused suspicion—she had to make one up.
Whether she claimed to have allergies, a unique constitution, or a dislike for overly bright light, she simply could not allow someone whose very breath exuded holy light to stay by her side.
“Miss Esper?”
Mila's voice came from behind the counter, carrying a hint of cautious inquiry.
“It's nothing.”
Since things had come to this, she might as well go back to sleep.
Rate on N.U.
