Chapter 82
Elijia was caught off guard by the unexpected words and looked at the attendant priest who had been standing behind Prillien.
“Could it be the temple’s will?”
Was she being told to say she wanted to learn swordsmanship? Was this some kind of trap?
But contrary to her worries, the attendant priest looked even more shocked than Elijia, staring at Prillien with a stunned expression.
“Se-Saintess… what is… this?!”
“Why are they more surprised than me?”
The attendant priest grabbed Prillien’s shoulder, his face full of shock. But Prillien shrugged off his hand and immediately knelt in front of Elijia.
Thud!
Everyone gasped at the sight of Prillien kneeling solemnly in front of Elijia. With a heavy voice, she continued:
“I’ve had to stand by and watch too many things simply because I was weak. I didn’t even realize when the monsters attacked, and when intruders entered the temple, I was asleep and knew nothing!”
“She was asleep then…”
While the High Priest and Elijia were playing their game of cat and mouse, Prillien must have gone to bed early. As Elijia pondered this, Prillien clenched her fists and spoke courageously:
“Lady Semperion, you are the strongest person I have ever seen. I want to become strong too, even if not as much as you!”
“Why…?”
Elijia hid her confusion, thinking: Prillien is already strong, isn’t she? She possesses the highest level of divine power and can freely use top-tier healing skills. And now she wants to train in swordsmanship too? Such determination… or does she have another reason?
While Elijia hesitated to respond, the attendant priest beside her finally gathered himself and spoke.
“Se-Saintess, matters like this should first be discussed with the temple to schedule properly. And there are many who can teach you, not just Lady Semperion!”
The priest seemed to have just remembered something.
“Ah, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince is also skilled with the sword! Since you are quite familiar with him, why not take this opportunity to learn swordsmanship from His Highness?”
“From the Crown Prince?”
Prillien’s expression showed surprise, as if she had never considered it. She muttered in disbelief:
“But… isn’t Lady Semperion stronger than His Highness? I heard Lady Semperion even defeated him.”
“……”
The priest, taken aback, could not reply. Prillien, determined not to yield, added firmly:
“I want to learn from Lady Semperion. I want her to be my teacher!”
“……Hoo.”
The tense standoff continued. As voices grew louder, someone sighed. Everyone turned to see who it was. The one who sighed was Howell, who had been quietly listening to the conversation all along.
“Who decided to take Eli away in the first place?”
His tone was sharp, clearly displeased. Elijia glanced at the duke standing silently beside him, who also looked uncomfortable. The duke spoke up:
“While we appreciate that the Saintess holds our daughter in high regard, this is impossible. Elijia is not the type to teach someone.”
“Is he calling me ill-tempered?”
So what he really means is that Elijia’s personality isn’t suited to teach a saint. Elijia frowned, but Howell responded immediately.
“And Eli is too busy to spare time for the Saintess. As your father said, it’s doubtful she could teach properly. It’s more likely a waste of time.”
“I’m not busy at all.”
Elijia raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could be so busy? Her days were mostly just eating, sleeping, and occasionally sneaking out.
Yet the attendant priest nodded eagerly at the words of the two men.
“That’s right. As you’ve heard, Saintess, even the Semperion family finds this difficult, so it’s best not to pursue it. The temple is also extremely sensitive to outsiders entering.”
“…Hmm?”
Elijia tilted her head at the unexpected comment.
“Outsiders entering?”
So if Elijia became Prillien’s swordsmanship teacher, would that mean she could frequently enter the temple? After all, she wouldn’t be just a ‘visitor’ anymore. Elijia frowned, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, at that time, the High Priest was at the imperial palace.
“There must be something to discuss regarding Elijia Semperion.”
Elijia and Finn had dealt with the monsters in one fell swoop. Naturally, the emperor had heard of their exploits. To discuss the aftermath and any rewards, the emperor had summoned the High Priest and the Deputy of the Magic Tower, Jerome, early in the morning.
“Thanks to the High Priest, we managed to prevent disaster. How did you know?”
It had been the High Priest’s suggestion to station troops to prepare for the monsters’ attack, sending only a select few trusted individuals. That’s why some personnel from the Magic Tower, including troops under the Duke of Semperion, were stationed there.
Of course, in reality, Elijia Semperion and Finn Ende had handled everything themselves.
The High Priest bowed and said:
“The prophecy allowed me to foresee it.”
“The High Priest’s prophecies have never been wrong.”
“……”
It was praise, but not entirely sincere. The emperor likely also wanted to keep the temple’s power in check. The High Priest smiled and glanced at Jerome sitting across from him.
“…The Deputy is here again.”
It was strange that the head of the Magic Tower hadn’t come personally, considering this was a meeting with the emperor. The emperor allowed it to avoid showing favor to the temple while still keeping the Magic Tower in check.
“…This time, the Magic Tower deserves credit too…”
The main credit for defeating the monsters went to Finn Ende, though the High Priest had warned of their arrival. The emperor probably found it convenient that the Magic Tower had practically handled the damage.
“Perhaps a private discussion with the Magic Tower already took place.”
The imperial family seemed to favor the Magic Tower over the temple. Now that a saint had appeared, checks against the temple might increase further.
The emperor, seated among them, spoke slowly:
“By the way, Elijia Semperion… she was the first to notice the monsters, and she assisted Sir Ende well while he defeated them.”
Of course, Elijia had not actively attacked the monsters with magic. To avoid revealing the magic stone bombs, she left most of the credit to Finn. Yet she provided minimal support during the fight, which was recognized as a contribution.
“And I hear she saved the Saintess previously as well.”
“……Yes.”
The High Priest nodded in response to the emperor’s expectant gaze. The process of the saint’s descent had not been publicly revealed, as reporting that monsters had invaded during the process would have damaged the reputation of the temple and palace. Thus, Elijia saving the saintess was quietly kept under wraps.
“Even so, shouldn’t she be rewarded? This has happened multiple times. If nothing is done, the Duke of Semperion may feel uneasy.”
The High Priest looked at the emperor quietly. He hadn’t expected the emperor to pay such attention to a young lady from a noble family. Likely, it was to respect the Semperion Duke, who could not be ignored. Yet the High Priest replied clearly:
“Your Majesty, it’s difficult for the temple to give her any reward. Saving the Saintess is the duty of any believer following Goddess Prinis. Besides, the last time she was sick, we sent the Saintess personally to treat her. That was already a considerable favor.”
“Hmm……”
Sending a Saintess for individual treatment was indeed a major privilege. While the emperor pondered, the High Priest continued:
“Perhaps this time, the Magic Tower could give the reward. After all, Lady Semperion stopped what the Tower couldn’t. I’m sure the Deputy would be interested as well.”
“The Magic Tower?”
Jerome looked up in surprise. After all, Elijia had even blocked hellhounds with just rocks before—surely a remarkable feat.
“That works too. Since there are many eyes in the imperial court, having the Magic Tower provide recognition seems wise.”
The emperor agreed, and the High Priest smiled inwardly at how smoothly the plan was unfolding. It would be ideal if the Magic Tower’s head appeared without revealing much, avoiding direct involvement with any suspicious individuals.
However, as soon as the High Priest arrived at the temple after the meeting, he saw an astonishing sight.
“You’re here, Your Excellency, the High Priest!”
“Saintess… and… who is that?”
“Hello, Your Excellency, the High Priest.”
Next to the cheerful Prillien stood a noble young lady with red hair, holding a sword with confidence that went beyond mere composure.
“…Elijia Semperion!”
How had she entered the temple already? He had no idea what had happened while he was away. Quickly, he exchanged glances with the other priests.
“Who allowed her entry?”
