Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 211

[Vol. 5] Chapter 211: Behind the War

The Angel City, central district, Holy Court.

“So, the main force has already engaged the demons, huh.”

In the center of the enormous temple, towering over 100 meters high with a pure white statue of the Goddess, stood an elderly man. Crowned and leaning on a golden scepter inlaid with countless gemstones, he wore a magnificent white robe embroidered with gold threads. As his weathered gaze, which had been fixed on the statue of the Goddess of Light, slowly lowered, he turned to his confidant, who had brought the first reports from the front lines.

He didn’t ask further about the battle, nor did he comment on any of the decisions made by Yuna, the Bright Light Saintess and commander of the forces. Instead, the elderly man, known as August Lambert, whose blonde hair was streaked with gray, raised a question seemingly unrelated to the war.

“Have you investigated the situation in the forest near the ?Holy Spirit Trail??”

“Yes, based on some local rumors and our own discreet inquiries, we have confirmed that about a month ago, a few merchant caravans accidentally passed through the ?Holy Spirit Trail?. After that, they…”

The Pope gave his confidant a faint glance. Though he said nothing, the confidant, skilled in reading between the lines and privy to many secrets of the high ranks, immediately understood August’s intention. Wisely, he stopped speaking at the crucial moment and returned to silence.

The elderly man’s cloudy yet sharp eyes briefly drifted across the light streaming in from the church windows. After a moment of contemplation, they settled once again on his confidant.

“Nothing happened around the forest of the ?Holy Spirit Trail?… Have the Lambert family personally oversee this matter. They’ll know what to do. I hear Rudolf was left in the Holy City by Yuna… That’s good. Tell him, if necessary, he has the authority to do whatever is necessary. All of this is for the greater good of the Holy Empire, for the Goddess.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Without immediately dismissing his confidant, the Pope paused in thought, then calmly continued.

“What were the results of the investigation I tasked you with earlier?”

“… Apologies, Your Highness. We were unable to uncover any information about Miss Dawn’s origins. For at least the past 300 years, there has been no mention of a powerful figure named ‘Dawn’ anywhere in the world. However… there is something…”

Seeing his hesitation and reluctance to speak, the elderly man seemed to immediately understand his confidant’s concern. He offered a gentle, reassuring smile.

“Do not worry. The Goddess is merciful and forgiving. She won’t be angered by her followers mentioning other beings in her presence. Speak freely.”

The confidant wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded cautiously.

“Yes, Your Highness is wise and knowledgeable. You must have heard of the legends of Spirit Veil Immortal Island, beyond the Eastern Sea?”

“Oh…”

At just that mention, the elderly man, August Lambert, appeared to realize something. A flicker of recognition passed through his eyes.

“So, it’s them. That means there’s a connection to the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild and that ?Divine Fox?. No wonder such terrifying power was displayed. I didn’t expect Spirit Veil, which typically refrains from interfering in mainland affairs, to directly intervene this time to aid Yuna. How surprising…”

“But then, the Cecilia girl… could it be that another deity is hiding behind the scenes?”

The elderly man muttered to himself in a vague manner, and naturally, his confidant couldn’t fully understand. Just as the confidant hesitated about whether to continue speaking, August waved him off dismissively.

“Praise the Goddess. You may leave now, and don’t forget to handle the tasks I’ve assigned you.”

“Uh… yes, Your Highness. Praise the Goddess.”

After offering a respectful bow, the confidant turned and quickly exited the central hall of the Holy Court, where the statue of the supreme goddess was enshrined.

It wasn’t until long after the confidant had disappeared through the main doors that the old man, who had been standing still like a statue, slowly turned back. He looked up at the hundred-meter-tall, nearly ceiling-reaching statue with its indistinct face.

With a helpless shake of his head, almost like a sarcastic chuckle, he muttered.

“Hmph… Praise the Goddess indeed.”

………………………………

“Praise the Goddess. Everything’s fine now, just rest well.”

“Thank you, thank you! Your Highness, you are truly a savior! Thank you so much! Praise the Goddess, praise the Goddess!”

“Hehe~ Alright, no need to be so excited. It’s just my duty. I’ll be on my way now.”

After bidding farewell to the endlessly grateful patient’s family, Philomena Lambert, known as the Redemption Saintess, left the makeshift tent in the camp. As soon as she turned in a direction where no one could see her, the smile she had been forcing on her face instantly crumbled.

What a hassle, what a hassle… Why did she have to run into this situation?

How many times had it been? 29? 30? She’d completely lost count… This situation was way too chaotic, damn it!

Philomena considered herself a competent Saintess, but… only just competent, nothing more.

In the records of previous Redemption Saintesses, Philomena’s performance could only be described as average. She wasn’t exceptional, but she wasn’t at the bottom either. Her experience was also relatively shallow, having only held the position for seven years so far.

Her mindset was similar. Philomena didn’t possess the overwhelming compassion often associated with her role. While she was willing and proactive in helping others, doing it too frequently or in large quantities would also make her irritable from exhaustion.

In many ways, she was just an ordinary Saintess.

With a heart full of exasperation, she climbed back into the Saintess’ personal carriage, her long, pink-gold hair glistening like crystal. She collapsed into her seat and let out a defeated groan from her soft lips.

“Ah… I just want to lie on a fluffy bed, comfortably drink something while reading a novel…”

“That would dirty the bed, Lady Philomena.”

“Eek! Wh-who’s there!”

“……”

Suddenly appearing beside her, a short-haired girl in a black-and-white maid uniform held a blanket in her arms, silently staring at her startled master, who was jumping up and rambling like a frightened little rabbit.

Her face, however, remained expressionless.

It wasn’t until Philomena Lambert recognized the girl that she let out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest under her Saintess’s robes, where the small, delicate curve couldn’t possibly match the amount of healing she performed. Then, she pouted in dissatisfaction.

“It’s you, Xiaoqi… How many times have I told you not to use spatial movement to suddenly appear beside me! I almost cast a spell just now, do you know that?”

The maid named Xiaoqi remained unfazed, simply shaking out the soft blanket in her hands and gently covering Philomena with it. Although her delicate face was just as exquisite as that of the Saintess in front of her, her expression seemed to be perpetually devoid of emotional fluctuation, appearing flat and even… cold.

“I am Lady Philomena’s personal guard and maid. Since you don’t require complete privacy at the moment, I see no problem in getting close to you.”

“Additionally, I must clarify that I do not possess the ability to use spatial magic. My sudden appearance is simply because I’ve been invisibly following you the entire time. Please make sure to understand this, Lady Philomena.”

As she smoothed out the corners of the blanket covering the pink-gold-haired girl, the seemingly emotionless maid straightened up, placing her hands neatly on her abdomen. With an almost flawless posture and a slightly cold attitude, she spoke softly.

“Now then, may I ask if you have any plans for the next few moments?”

“Although as your maid and guard, I shouldn’t interfere with your decisions, I believe it is necessary to remind you. As your assistant, there is less than a day left until our agreed meeting time, and we are still a straight 120 kilometers away from our target, Sacchino City.”

“Time is already quite tight, my lady. You cannot rest yet.”