Chapter 4.2 - .

Chapter 4 part 2: The Absence of the Saintess of Warding
(From Others’ Perspectives)

Around the same time, in the Centrea Kingdom—

Angelina’s absence was discovered surprisingly quickly.
The reason was simple and obvious: She failed to respond to summons from various departments.

In the kitchens, the cook was furious that the potatoes had not been peeled. A priest-in-training lamented that he did not know which ritual implements were needed for tonight’s festival or where they were kept. Meanwhile, a maid was growing increasingly frustrated because piles of laundry remained untouched.

That useless, incompetent Saintess—how dare she act so insolently!

As a result, the cook, the priest-in-training, and the maid all arrived at Angelina’s room almost simultaneously. From there, the situation quickly descended into chaos once more.

“If Angelina’s help is needed, then I come first. If I don’t peel all the potatoes right now, tonight’s dinner won’t be ready in time!”

“Peeling potatoes is the cook’s job, isn’t it? Why would Angelina need to help with that? More importantly, preparations for tonight’s festival take priority. If the necessary tools aren’t prepared, the High Priest won’t be able to conduct the ritual!”

“That’s exactly the priest’s job, isn’t it? Festival preparations are part of what you’re taught as a trainee. More importantly, the laundry hasn’t been dealt with. If it isn’t hung out during the day, it won’t dry by night. There’s only so much daylight—meaning laundry should be the top priority!”

“That’s the maid’s job!”

They argued fiercely over whose work was most important. In the end, they concluded that they should first confirm Angelina’s whereabouts. With the cook in the lead, they opened the door without knocking. No one thought to show her the courtesy of calling out first.

“Hey, Angelina, how long are you going to slack off—huh? She’s not here?”

Come to think of it, despite all the noise outside her room, Angelina had never appeared. Inside, the sparsely furnished room was neatly kept.

“Seriously, where is that girl slacking off? Hey, trainee—if you see her, tell her to come straight to me!”

“That’s my line! Listen carefully, both of you—my business takes top priority!”

“What are you saying? You’re the ones who’ll be in trouble if the laundry isn’t done!”

Still bickering, the three rushed to Priest Guido, Angelina’s superior. He received their complaints with a troubled expression, but inwardly, he was smiling to himself.

…With this many testimonies, I can finally get that witch fired.

Guido had long despised Angelina’s existence, so far removed from his ideal image of a Saintess. That feeling had only intensified after Saintess Helena—who embodied everything he considered ideal—had tearfully complained about Angelina’s rude behavior earlier. How could he forgive someone who made the pure, angelic Saintess Helena cry, even if they were both Saintesses?

Armed with evidence convenient to himself, Guido eagerly visited the High Priest’s chamber. Fortunately, the High Priest was present today to officiate the evening festival.

“You said this was urgent. What is it?”

“It concerns Angelina.”

With an expression of deep concern, Guido presented a petition demanding Angelina’s dismissal from her position as Saintess, along with supporting evidence. The petition bore the signatures of nearly everyone working at the temple. If Guido had the authority, he would have dismissed her on the spot—but the appointment and removal of a Saintess lay solely with the High Priest. That was why he had gone to the trouble of gathering evidence and appealing directly.

Yet the High Priest did not even attempt to read the documents, instead setting them aside.

“I understand the situation. I will take this matter under advisement.”

“Then—you will dismiss Angelina?”

“No. She will remain at the temple.”

“What does that mean!? Because of her arrogance and laziness, all these innocent people are being inconvenienced!”

Guido knew his words bordered on disrespect, but he could not accept this. Why keep such a useless Saintess in the temple? Seeing Guido driven by what he believed to be righteous indignation, the High Priest let out a long, deep sigh.

“Have you not been taught that there are things better left unknown?”

“…That is—”

“Continue managing and monitoring her schedule as you have been. We require nothing more than that.”

He had been told that before—but what did it mean that this alone was enough? Guido had long harbored doubts, and now he decided to voice them.

“She is called a Saintess, yet aside from assisting other Saintesses, she performs no Saintess-like duties whatsoever. And as you know, assisting Saintesses is work that even maids are capable of.”

For example, treating injuries using tools, like during the carriage accident. Had that been done by a maid or a priest, they would likely have been praised. The problem arose only because she was kept at the temple and treated as a Saintess.

“In that case, doesn’t it mean she doesn’t need to be a Saintess at all?”

Saintesses were accepted because they acted like Saintesses. That benefited not only the Saintess herself, but the temple and the kingdom as well. To Guido, the system itself seemed flawed—treating Angelina as a Saintess when she could do nothing befitting the title.

After a brief silence, the High Priest let out another deep sigh.

“Not everything that exists can be seen. That is all I can say.”

“High Priest, preparations for the festival are complete.”

Another priest called out. As the High Priest rose from his chair, his gaze happened to catch a line of text on the submitted evidence. Instantly, his face drained of color. His hand trembled slightly as he snatched up the paper.

“Angelina’s whereabouts are unknown?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Is this the first time?”

“She’s been late before, but this is the first time no one knows where she is.”

She had sometimes arrived late, but she had never failed to appear entirely.

“Could she be helping somewhere else? How long has it been since anyone last saw her?”

“I asked around the departments that might have requested her help, but no one recalls seeing her. The last sighting was about half a day ago.”

That was after she had been dispatched with Saintess Helena to the scene of the carriage accident. The cook’s and maid’s testimonies aligned with this.

“She apparently abandoned her work in the kitchen and laundry. She didn’t even show up for tonight’s festival preparations. A priest-in-training came to me in despair, so I told him to confirm things with the coordinating priest for now.”

The coordinating priest nodded from where he stood.

“That’s right. It was the trainee’s first time preparing for a festival, so he didn’t know how to proceed. In the end, I helped him all the way through.”

“…Did Angelina arrive late at any point?”

“No. She never came at all. Honestly—being entrusted with work and acting so irresponsibly…”

As the coordinating priest answered with exasperation, the High Priest shot a sharp glare at Guido.

“What is the meaning of this? You failed to manage her!”

“E-Even this much is my responsibility!?”

Angelina was no longer a child. It was natural for her to manage her own schedule and avoid being late. Things had worked fine that way until now. Was he supposed to follow her everywhere and monitor her actions? That would make him no better than a guard watching a criminal.

“…Find her.”

“Pardon?”

A voice like something crawling along the ground reached his ears. When the priest looked up, the High Priest’s face—trembling with anger—was right before him.

“Listen carefully. You will find her by the time the festival ends, no matter what. The Saintess. Angelina.”

The High Priest had called her a Saintess.

Guido could not comprehend this unexpected turn of events.

“This is an order from me as head of the temple—your top priority. You may use temple personnel as long as it does not interfere with the festival. In any case, secure Saintess Angelina swiftly and without harm.”

“….”

“Once you catch her, confine her in the underground cell with a lock.”

He looked like an entirely different person from the usually mild-mannered High Priest. Anger often masked anxiety. What could possibly be causing such fear?

“W-Why go that far…?”

“You will be held accountable for your failure to supervise—later. Truly, what a catastrophic blunder…!”

This was wrong—utterly wrong. Why should I, who have lived cleanly and righteously, be punished because of that useless woman? Though he did not show it on his face, anger boiled inside him.

“Go! The fate of our kingdom depends on it!”

“Y-Yes!”

The fate of the kingdom—how exaggerated. Could the disappearance of a single useless Saintess really warrant such panic? Yet the High Priest’s intensity left no room for further questions. If that was what he said, then all that mattered was finding her. Wherever she was slacking off, he would make sure she paid.

Yet even after the festival that began in the evening had ended, Angelina’s whereabouts remained unknown. Was she not slacking off—but had she fled? That, too, would be punished as negligence in supervision. Guido felt himself being cornered with each passing moment.

After the ritual concluded, Guido was summoned before the High Priest and had no choice but to answer.

“I sincerely apologize. We were unable to find her.”

“What…?”

At a loss for words, the High Priest buried his face in his hands. After some time, he spoke heavily.

“Very well. We will request a search by the kingdom. The temple will be criticized for poor management, but it cannot be helped.”

“What? You would go that far!?”

“Even if she fled, she is a Saintess who has been sheltered her entire life. She won’t be able to adapt to common life and will be captured quickly.”

The discrepancy was staggering. This time, Guido was the one left speechless. The High Priest used a magical device to contact several locations. His complexion worsened during the lengthy exchanges, and when they ended, he exhaled deeply before casting a cold gaze at Guido.

“You’ve thrown away your career.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“You were being tested—whether you could properly handle the difficult piece known as the Saintess of Warding. Had you built a strong relationship of trust, even becoming the next High Priest would not have been a dream.”

“W-What!? That’s absurd!”

Any sense of reverence had completely vanished. Who would believe such nonsense—that gaining the trust of such a useless Saintess could lead to becoming High Priest?

“I once served as the superior of the previous Saintess of Warding. That achievement was taken into account when I was appointed High Priest.”

“The previous one… you mean her grandmother?”

“Indeed. She never looked down on me for being younger, freely shared her knowledge, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the kingdom.”

“T-That was because her grandmother had an exceptional character—”

“When she was young, she was strong-willed, hated injustice, and clashed with many priests.”

Guido fell silent. The previous Saintess of Warding had been called the temple’s living grimoire. Learned, terrifying when angry, yet usually gentle—beloved by all for her fairness.

“But telling anyone to deal with someone as arrogant and lazy as Angelina is impossible!”

“Even so, Saintess Angelina remains the Saintess of Warding.”

Black hair and amethyst-colored eyes—said to be unique in the world. That uniqueness also meant there was only ever one Saintess of Warding. The divine blessing bestowed upon the Centrea Kingdom—one could say it referred to her alone.

“Saintess Angelina’s ability surpasses all previous generations. Not only in range, but in mastery and precision as well.”

“H-Her ability?”

“To think you truly didn’t know… I heard you were capable, which is why I appointed you. This is beyond disappointing.”

The look of genuine exasperation stabbed at Guido’s chest. Being called a disappointment hurts deeply. With nothing but riddles thrown at him, he finally shouted, almost screaming:

“Stop withholding information and tell me! What is Angelina’s ability!?”

“I already told you. There are things better left unknown.”

The High Priest took a deep breath.

“But if you still wish to know, perhaps that too is divine guidance. What will you do—will you listen?”

“Yes! Otherwise, I cannot accept this!”

“Very well. But be prepared—once you hear this, you must bear the weight of your sin.”

The High Priest spoke calmly. Guido’s face turned red, then pale, and finally lost all color.

“Oh… what an unforgivable sin I have committed. Then I—”

“That which should have been cherished was always close at hand. Failing to see it—that is your greatest sin. Never forget that you yourself were one of the causes.”

Guido collapsed to his knees. Had he been deceived by Angelina’s un-Saintess-like appearance—or had she intentionally acted that way? Either way, if this had been a test of whether he could perceive a Saintess’s hidden power, then he had failed utterly.

“From now on, the kingdom will lead the search for Saintess Angelina. Report everything you know about her. Assigned duties, working hours, where she went on her days off—not just that. Her preferences, habits, who she met, what she talked about. Not fabricated evidence like this, but the unvarnished truth. Report without lies or embellishment.”

So he had seen through it all. Guido could not lift his face, overcome with shame.

“I understand… my sincerest apologies—”

“Apologies are unnecessary. It is already too late. If we do not make it in time for the next great migration of magical beasts, the Centrea Kingdom will be trampled. By creatures of unknown origin—mocked as fantasy by all.”

“….”

“For now, pray only that Saintess Angelina is found safely.”

As Guido hung his head, a magical device on the High Priest’s desk began to glow. An urgent message had arrived from the royal castle. After receiving it, the High Priest’s expression grew complicated.

“It seems the Rovaldia Kingdom has withdrawn its request for the dispatch of the Saintess of Warding. Two years ago, because our kingdom refused to send Saintess Angelina, Rovaldia suffered tremendous losses. We delayed our response since it was difficult to refuse again—but it is convenient that they withdrew on their own.”

At least this concealed the fact that the Saintess of Warding’s whereabouts were unknown. Though he should have felt relieved, Guido’s heart only grew heavier. An ominous feeling clung to him.

“To lower the value of the Saintess of Warding, the kingdom deliberately allowed bad rumors about Saintess Angelina to spread. That strategy bore fruit.”

Lower the Saintess’s value. Guido had never imagined such intent lay behind the rumors defaming Angelina. Everyone—himself included—had danced in the palm of the kingdom’s hand.

“Why… would you do such a thing?”

“To ensure the survival of the Centrea Kingdom. According to the report left by her grandmother, judging from the damage suffered by the Rovaldia Kingdom, the upcoming magical beast migration will be the largest in several hundred years. The larger the scale, the more likely individual beasts will enter a wandering, rampaging state.”

The migration saw magical beasts passing through parts of Rovaldia like a violent mob, yet maintaining a minimum order—drawn toward reservoirs of magical power in other lands. But once they entered a wandering state, their instincts would override reason, and they would lose sight of their original destination.

They would seek greater magical power, attacking any creature possessing it without discrimination.

“Among beings that possess magical power, humans are the most fragile.”

In other words, there was a real danger that people would be hunted and devoured. Imagining such a hellish scene, Guido was struck dumb.

“…H-Have other countries been informed?”

“No. We cannot inform them. If we did, every nation would demand the dispatch of the Saintess of Warding. And then—who would protect the Centrea Kingdom?”

“But then, the people of other countries—!”

The High Priest met Guido’s gaze with an even sterner expression.

“Then tell me—can you tell the people of the Centrea Kingdom to die for the sake of protecting others?”

Guido choked on his words. No matter how righteous one was, death was terrifying.

“One cannot protect everything while facing overwhelming threats. A ruler naturally prioritizes their own people. As long as Angelina is here, this kingdom can be protected for certain. Even if we possess the strongest weapon in secret, no other nation has the right to condemn us for it.”

Politics was not about ideals—it was reality. The High Priest spoke without hesitation. The king and those who governed the kingdom surely shared the same view.

“We have done something cruel to Saintess Angelina, but through her sacrifice, this kingdom will be saved. As a Saintess, she would surely wish to become the foundation upon which the nation is protected.”

From the standpoint of protecting the nation, perhaps their actions were correct. Yet was this choice truly right? For some reason, Guido could not convince himself that it was.

Casting a cold glance at him, the High Priest turned away. In the end, Guido was merely a man of that caliber—unable to discard one person for the sake of the many, and thus unable to protect anyone.

“Everything discussed here is strictly confidential. The Saintess of Warding must remain known as useless and incompetent.”

After much hesitation, Guido ultimately sealed his lips.

“Submit your report without delay. Understand this well—the future of this kingdom depends on its contents.”

“I understand.”

Bowing deeply, Guido left the room. He should have been doing the right thing—so why did his chest feel so unsettled?

As he returned to his quarters with unsteady steps, he felt as though, from somewhere far away, he heard the grotesque cry of a magical beast.