Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 159

[Vol. 5] Chapter 159: Turning Gears

With a hint of realization, the white fox girl studied the strange ring on the back of the badge in her hand.

“This is… the ?Ring of Salvation?, the artifact specifically for the Redemption Saintess? So, this badge represents the status of the Redemption Saintess? But why would he give this to me? And how could such a thing be in the hands of a bishop?”

Even though she rattled off four questions in quick succession, the Saintess showed no sign of impatience. Instead, she responded with her usual gentle voice, smiling softly.

“You’re mistaken, Miss Dawn. While the image on your badge does indeed represent the ?Ring of Salvation?, this isn’t a symbol of the Redemption Saintess’s identity.”

“It represents the right of succession to the position of a Saintess, or you could think of it as a ‘candidate Saintess’ or an ‘honorary Saintess’… that might be easier to understand.”

“Huh?”

The white fox girl tilted her head in confusion. Although Yuna couldn’t see her expression, she could sense her puzzlement from her tone. The Saintess, with an uncharacteristic playful grin, added fuel to the fire.

“I mentioned earlier, didn’t I? Miss Dawn should know that there are two ways to select the Saintesses of our Holy Empire.”

“Firstly, when the previous Saintess passes away unexpectedly or due to other reasons… and is unable to personally decide on the next successor, the other two Saintesses, or in this case, the Holy Church, will witness and initiate the assessment process. From among the qualified candidates, the most outstanding girl will be selected to inherit the position of Saintess and the artifact.”

“Both myself and the current Judgment Saintess, that eldest daughter of the Cecilia family, were chosen through this process. Even the recent emergency succession of Edwina Cecilia, the second daughter of the Cecilia family, falls under this category.”

“But in reality, according to tradition, the selection of a Saintess should be determined and assessed by the previous Saintess herself. After choosing a suitable successor, the Saintess would publicly hand over this item—the badge representing the appointed successor’s identity—to the chosen individual. This is somewhat similar to the succession model in those noble-ruled countries.”

“Normally, such an important token would be kept by each of the three Saintesses until it is passed on to the next generation. However, the Redemption Saintess, being a representative of the Lambert family, inherently has the weakest influence and individual combat capability. Given the unique circumstances of this generation… it’s likely that the Lambert family is temporarily holding it on her behalf.”

“Ugh…”

Noticing the increasing amusement on the golden-haired girl’s face, which was nearly breaking into laughter, Miss Violet quickly waved her hands in protest.

“Hey, hey, hey! What’s going on? I have absolutely no interest in becoming that so-called Saintess! It was bad enough being mistaken for the Redemption Saintess before, but now it seems to be getting serious! And didn’t the current Redemption Saintess just ascend a few years ago? Isn’t it a bit hasty to be selecting a successor so soon?”

Although Miss Violet’s dissatisfaction was just a casual remark born out of frustration, the perceptive Saintess immediately seized upon the key point, raising an eyebrow and pointing it out.

“Why was Miss Dawn mistaken for the Redemption Saintess? Besides your combat capabilities, do you also possess healing talents?”

“Ahem…! It’s just a misunderstanding, an old story that isn’t worth discussing. Let’s not talk about that! So, next, we should be preparing to enter the city, right?”

Noticing the somewhat stiff change of topic after the other person’s slight pause, the Saintess showed a look of confusion but understood enough not to press further. She nodded in agreement with Miss Violet.

“That’s right. The Redemption Saintess coming from the Flower City still needs some time to arrive, and we need to spend time coordinating with the local Knight Templars in the Angel City. There’s an old saying in the Holy Empire: ‘If a blacksmith wants to forge excellent weapons, he must first have a solid forging hammer.’ Although the situation on the battlefield is becoming increasingly urgent, we can’t be negligent with the necessary preparations.”

Yuna raised a delicate, fair finger.

“In about a week, the expeditionary army will complete their assembly and coordination, leaving the Angel City to advance to the battlefield.”

“As for this badge, Miss Dawn, you actually don’t need to worry. The Lambert family likely has no intention of replacing the Redemption Saintess for now, which is why they gave it to you. If you ask me, it seems more like a form of honor, goodwill, or perhaps… a token. I imagine… Miss Dawn is somewhat interested in the sights of the Holy Court, right? It’s not a place that can be entered casually~.”

Listening to the Saintess’s suggestive words, Miss Violet felt somewhat surprised but didn’t say much more, merely nodding in agreement.

“Okay, so it’s settled then. We’ll meet in a week?”

“See you in a week~.”

After bidding farewell to Yuna and leaving the central military tent alone, Violet looked around and noticed that the surrounding Expeditionary Army were also beginning to pack up their camps, seemingly preparing to march.

Where they were headed must be the military camp that had already been set up on the outskirts of the Angel City. The horses of the main army from the Angel City were probably already waiting there to regroup.

But this time, Miss Violet would not be joining them.

For a whole week, she and her companions would naturally enter the Angel City to experience the local customs and culture of this ancient holy capital.

After all, they did not stand on completely the same ground as the Holy Empire. They were still just travelers. Just as the priestess had previously stated to Edwina, she would provide assistance as appropriate, but could not deeply intervene.

Ultimately, whether it was the war or anything else, it was still merely the business of the people of the Holy Empire.

Of course, before entering the city, the priestess had another task to accomplish.

After returning to the carriage with her companions and giving some instructions and warnings, Miss White Fox set off again, avoiding the guards and everyone else, quickly disappearing beyond the camp.

…………………………

Somewhere on the outskirts of the Angel City, an intense battle was currently underway.

The two combatants were a golden-haired holy knight girl, clad in shining white armor, wielding a golden holy sword and a cross-shaped shield, and…

Identical twins, who not only looked exactly alike but also had the same weapons, appearance, and attire… not a single difference?

“Haah!”

With a spirited shout, the holy knight leaped into the air!

Light condensed along the blade, transforming into a golden sword tip over three feet long, as she swung it down fiercely toward her opponent, who was practically carved from the same mold. The latter, showing no signs of carelessness, immediately raised her cross-shaped shield to block in front of her.

“Clang!”

The swords and shields, both enveloped in rich holy light, collided, sending sparks flying and light splattering everywhere. The attacking holy knight girl halted, while her identical counterpart, who chose to defend with her shield, stumbled backward, retreating several dozen steps until she crashed into a large tree, shaking off a flurry of leaves before finally coming to a stop.

However, the former did not cease her assault. After being blocked, the girl bent her knees again, and her foot, encased in steel war boots, slammed into the ground, creating visible cracks and a slight depression, along with a loud bang like a shockwave!

Her heavily armored body transformed into an afterimage, like an unstoppable siege vehicle, charging straight toward the other holy knight girl, who had just collided with the tree, having dropped her shield and was still groaning in pain.

The golden holy sword ignited in the girl’s hand with a flame that was pure and tangible, the golden fire soaring into the sky, becoming a radiant sword even more grandiose than a person or the surrounding towering trees, as she swung it down with all her might!

“Light—Radiance—Slash!”

“Waaah! I surrender! I surrender!!!!!”