Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 205

[Vol. 5] Chapter 205: Severed River

Seeing that Miss White Fox did not express any clear affirmation or denial, the two angels behind her naturally dared not offer their own opinions and remained obediently silent. The Knight Templars had already been temporarily sent out by the acting commander to investigate other houses.

So, with only the four girls remaining in the room, Edwina raised two fingers.

“The first possibility is illusion magic. For example, in the half-day since the last communication, Sacchino City could have been overrun by demons, and some unknown circumstances caused the inhabitants to vanish.”

“Afterward, the demons may have deliberately set up large-scale illusion magic throughout the city to confuse our army, creating the false appearance that everything is normal, while secretly preparing an ambush for us as soon as we enter.”

“…Much like the tricks they played many times in the early stages of the war in the provinces of Sarnos and Keller.”

“Originally, I thought that was the case. But look, this room is neatly arranged, with no signs of violent intrusion or any traces of a fight. This proves that the residents weren’t forcibly taken or made to disappear suddenly, but rather left of their own accord, after carefully locking up the place.”

“If the city had fallen, this would be impossible. And the demons wouldn’t bother covering up such small details, especially since we’ve already entered the city.”

At this point, Miss White Fox, who had been quietly listening, finally nodded in agreement.

“That’s a very logical and well-structured hypothesis. So, Edwina, if it’s not the work of demons, who do you think might be responsible?”

“…… It’s still too early to tell. I can only say that the possibility of the demon army infiltrating the city has been temporarily ruled out, but whether it is related to demons remains inconclusive.” Edwina rested her chin on her hand and pondered.

“If the previous hypothesis is incorrect, and what we saw on the hillside was indeed real, with no so-called illusion magic at play, and Sacchino City has not completely fallen… then what could possibly cause more than a hundred thousand people in the city to vanish without a trace in just one hour?”

Thinking it over, the girl voiced the only answer that came to her mind.

“A powerful entity, one that possesses certain potent treasures or abilities. Just like how Miss Dawn used that artifact to gather the refugees along the way, some powerful individuals… intervened in the situation of this city.”

“When we arrived, they had just taken the last of the citizens away by some means, just as we happened to pass by, which is why we are facing this situation now… that’s what I believe.”

“Sounds quite reasonable~”

Seeing that Miss White Fox still remained noncommittal and didn’t intend to add anything further, Edwina, aware that this was a deliberate test from her, nodded in understanding. She knew that Violet would not frequently interfere with minor details.

“Regardless, we should search the entire city first to confirm whether there are any traps or remaining residents. Though this may sound harsh, as long as that powerful entity harbors no ill intentions, Sacchino City being vacant could actually be quite beneficial for our army.”

After all, with the great battle imminent, the presence of civilians in this small city, which is about to become a brutal battlefield, is indeed a burden for the army. They could easily become a cover for spies hidden among the demons and a means for spreading disease. Originally, Edwina had planned to ask Violet for help in using the ?Seal of Mountains and Rivers? to temporarily take them in.

After searching a few nearby residences and confirming that those places were also deserted, the small teams of Knight Templars spread out into other areas of the city and gradually returned, bringing back the latest intelligence they had gathered.

It was indeed an empty city. Not only the western city gate and the western marketplace where Edwina and the others had entered, but all three other directions, including the central temple, were also empty without a trace of people.

More than a hundred thousand residents of Sacchino City, including those in the upper and lower temples and the guarding soldiers, had all vanished without a trace.

After confirming safety and the absence of demon traps, Edwina sent the scheduled signal to the troops outside the city and to the main forces on the hillside farther away.

Three hours later, the main army of the Holy Empire successfully took over the city’s defenses and began improvements and fortifications. As the leader, Yuna and others arrived at the eastern city wall, facing the Angel City and the demon-occupied area across the river.

“…… It seems that the judgment of Acting Commander Edwina was completely correct.”

Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess, couldn’t help but exclaim with a hint of astonishment as she silently gazed at the scene before her.

Less than ten meters to the east of Sacchino City lay the majestic Star River. The river traced a marvelous semicircular arc in this area, almost encircling the entire eastern part of the city and nearly half of the north and south, creating a scene reminiscent of a moat, connected to the opposite bank by ferries and docks.

At this moment, the small dock that should have been moored with boats for demon attacks and the riverbank outside the eastern gate of Sacchino City…

were all cleaved apart.

Yes, it was a literal “cleaving.”

Starting just a few meters from the city gate, the riverbank seemed to have been torn apart by some unstoppable force, creating a wide and straight-cut scar extending forward into the raging waves of the Star River… and reappearing on the opposite bank.

Although most of the marks were covered by the receding water of the Star River, the remnants of broken wood from a few boats still floating and stranded in the river revealed the terrifying destruction caused by that earlier strike, which had crashed down upon the demon forces rushing toward the city’s eastern gate.

Just looking at these remnants made it easy to imagine that when that earth-shattering blow fell, even the turbulent Star River must have been instantaneously split apart, creating huge waves crashing in every direction.

Like divine punishment from the heavens, a single entity had severed the long river, and without a doubt, this was a power far beyond human limits.

While the speculation had been confirmed, it seemed that Edwina did not appear particularly happy. She stood next to Yuna, who also wore a serious and contemplative expression, gazing at the marks left by that horrifying strike.

“Who could it be… Since the attack was directed toward the Star River, it suggests that this person is not a strong individual from the demon side. So why didn’t he appear directly before us? Why only choose to silently take away the residents of Sacchino City? The power to collect living beings…”

“…Why are you all looking at me? Hey, I swear this time it really wasn’t me!”

Caught off guard by the two ladies’ synchronized “staring” looks, Miss White Fox, who was also sorting through some clues in her mind, quickly reacted and shook her head vigorously to prove her innocence.

“After all, haven’t we been acting together since we set out? When would I have the time to run off to a place like this and do something so inexplicable?”

“Uh, that’s true…”

Seemingly convinced by Miss White Fox’s words, Edwina nodded awkwardly. However, the Saintess beside her, who was more adept at understanding social cues and eloquence, shifted the conversation gently and smiled.

“Miss Dawn seems to have misunderstood. As allies and partners, why would we casually harbor doubts? It’s just that the traces and actions left by this mysterious entity are too shocking and puzzling. I wanted to ask someone with equally incredible power… What do you think, Miss Dawn, regarding the extent of strength that person should possess, just from this strike alone?”

“Well…”

Regarding this topic, Violet indeed showed no intention of evading or hedging. She casually let her gaze drift over the magnificent crown atop the Saintess’s head before finally resting on the sharp cleft in the ground outside the city, connecting the two banks of the Star River.

“At the very least, above a ?Pseudo God?.”