Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I Tried to Escape, but I Got Caught

“Hey, you there!”

“Yes, yes?”

“Those hair and eye colors…!”

“Oh, this thing, right here!”

She shook the vial of the color-changing magic potion in her hand. Of course, it was empty.

“I wanted to try it since it supposedly changes your color to something rare, but everyone ended up avoiding me.”

“Ah, I see. You got tricked. Rare, yes… but that’s the color of the useless, incompetent Saintess, isn’t it?”

“Failed, huh? I thought being rare might make me popular…”

“Ha! Tough luck! Better watch out next time!”

The rough-looking soldier handed her an exit permit, and she passed through the border checkpoint. Centrea Kingdom had strict entry inspections, but leaving was relatively easy.

The color-changing potion was handmade by a Saintess and had become a typical souvenir in Centrea. Travelers often got carried away using it. No one would suspect that her black hair and violet crystal eyes remained unchanged.

As expected, she passed smoothly and, unnoticed, joined the flow of travelers along the highway.

“Which way should I go…”

The road forked. To the right lay the Sezaia Empire, the most prosperous among neighboring countries, known for fashion trends and commerce.
To the left was the Rovaldia Kingdom, a historic nation famous for its magic and knightly spirit, repeatedly recovering from crises.

“Left, to Rovaldia Kingdom!”

She turned onto the left path, stepping into the forest. She deliberately left the maintained highway for the rougher forest path. Highway travelers often fell victim to bandits or kidnappers. For Angelina, unaccustomed to battle, human threats were more dangerous than magical beasts. Paradoxically, areas frequented by monsters were sometimes safer. She pressed deeper into the woods without hesitation.

She hadn’t expected to encounter anyone here.

“A traveler… in such a dangerous forest?”

“I-I got lost, I guess…”

Night had fallen, and she was looking for a flat area to camp. That’s when she accidentally ran into a small squad. They escorted her to the captain and vice-captain’s tent for questioning. She couldn’t tell the truth because she didn’t know who they really were.

“What’s your name?”

“Angelina.”

“Traveling light, I see. No weapons?”

“Yes. I planned to gather supplies gradually. And I can’t use weapons anyway.”

“You’ve been lucky to make it this far unharmed.”

The captain appeared to be a sharp-eyed man with ash-colored hair, while the vice-captain had soft features and dark brown hair.

“And where are you from?”

“Centrea Kingdom.”

“…Centrea,” both men’s expressions darkened at the mention of the country.

They exchanged a small glance and forced a weak smile.

“Apologies. We’re from the Rovaldia Kingdom, heading to Centrea.”

“Oh, I see! On a journey, camping in this forest?”

“No. We arrived over two months ago, but we were waiting because entry permission hadn’t been granted yet.”

“Two months… that’s a long wait!”

Angelina wondered if it was wise to keep foreign visitors in a forest for that long.

“We can’t complain. We requested help, so we are waiting as instructed.”

“Captain, please…” the vice-captain tried to stop him, sensing trouble. Angelina smiled wryly, wishing to avoid being drawn in.

“Good luck, then. I’ll be on my way.”

“We came to request the Saintess of Warding from Centrea Kingdom. Our country needs her aid.”

Suppressing his subordinates, the captain spoke firmly, even carrying a letter from the king. Angelina groaned internally—she had least wanted to get involved.

“Um, what exactly do you need from the Saintess of Warding?”

“We need her power. Our country constantly faces threats from magical beasts. Two years ago, a massive migration of magical beasts occurred, causing heavy casualties among our soldiers.”

Angelina had heard rumors about the great migration.

Rovaldia, also known as the Land of Magical Beasts, sat atop a magic-rich region. Magic users and swordmages flourished, but magical beasts appeared frequently and grew violent. The “Great Migration of Beasts” referred to the phenomenon where these beasts moved across the kingdom toward other magical hotspots. Even with preparation, the scale and timing were unpredictable.

“Even now, the signs of the next migration are already appearing, and we haven’t fully recovered from the last one.”

“That’s… a tough situation.”

“For some reason, the intervals between migrations are shortening.”

Once decades apart, the migrations now came roughly every ten years; the previous two occurred four and two years ago.

“…It might be a growth phase.”

Angelina muttered. Magic-rich areas expand and contract as they grow. Her grandmother had told her Rovaldia’s magical nexus was active; this might be its peak. If so, beasts would multiply and grow more aggressive. Even the kingdom, experienced in combating them, could face unprecedented danger. The captain noticed her silence and frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, really.”

Angelina smiled faintly to hide her thoughts.

“And why a Saintess of Warding?”

“We heard Centrea has one. She’s kept the kingdom safe from magical beasts since its founding. We trust her ability to repel and drive them away.”

Spot on. It was ironic that foreigners understood her power better than her own countrymen.

“We requested her aid formally, hoping Centrea would send her.”

“Oh? This is the second request?”

“Yes. Any magical beasts our nation can’t handle affect others. We believed Centrea would cooperate.”

Angelina hadn’t heard a word about this request before.

“How did they respond the first time?”

“She said, ‘I just got engaged and cannot leave my fiancé’s side,’ and refused.”

Terrible. They blamed me for it. If I had known, I would have gone willingly.

“When was the first request?”

“Two years ago.”

Angelina exhaled deeply. That was the same year her political engagement to Graham was arranged. There was a hidden reason behind that sudden engagement.

“And there’s more.”

“So, Why did you tell me this now?”

“To know anything about the Saintess of Warding.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Just anything, her personality or work performance, even rumors.”

Finally, she understood.

“Sorry, but there aren’t many good rumors about the Saintess of Warding.”

“…I guessed as much.”

“She is called useless and incompetent. Moreover…”

“Moreover?”

“Some say she might be fined for neglecting her duties.”

A heavy silence fell. Their faces clearly showed disappointment. Angelina clenched her fists quietly. Not only was it her engagement, but her country had allowed her reputation to suffer abroad.

Even if Helena had spread rumors, the kingdom deliberately let them continue. By letting rumors about her spread, they devalued her while exploiting her protective power only for their own security.

—but this situation could be used.

“Sorry for the unpleasant news.”

“No, it’s fine. We suspected as much from the previous response.”

The captain picked up a magical tool. A stamped letter could be quickly forwarded to the responsible department. A response arrived unusually quickly.

“What does it say?”

“Just as you said. She is explicitly labeled useless and incompetent. They are considering fines, so they hesitate to dispatch her.”

“Exactly as I thought.”

It was irritating, having to confirm it herself.

“We should report this to our kingdom and ask for further instructions.”

“That’s the best course!”

The captain’s gaze fixed on the letter, then he gestured to the vice-captain. They whispered together while looking at Angelina. Something didn’t feel right.

“Can I ask something?”

“Yes?”

“There’s a note: ‘If you see a girl with black hair and violet eyes, protect her immediately and return her to Centrea Kingdom.’ Is this about you?”

Angelina realized her absence had already been noticed. That was faster than expected.