Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 274

[Vol. 5] Chapter 274: Loknisa Cecilia

“Oh? A special medicine against the [Defilement]? Does something like that really exist?”

In the eastern part of Sarnos Province, within a settlement nestled in the middle of a primal forest, Miss White Fox couldn’t help but express surprise as she walked alongside a girl dressed in a pale gold robe with a hood, strolling by the riverside under the starlit sky.

Looking up at the distant sunset, casting a gentle, warm red glow over the river without being too harsh, Frederica shook her head with a hint of exasperation.

“Miss Dawn must have already heard about this from that girl named Sasha, so why the act of surprise in front of me…”

“After all, it’s not much of a secret. Although the medicine is distributed by the [Light Worshipper Church], it’s actually provided by the Cecilia family.”

The sunset illuminated the girl’s figure in a way that highlighted the graceful curves of her robe. Despite her resemblance to a certain holy knight, Frederica’s figure was noticeably more shapely.

Compared to the somewhat youthful Edwina, the Saintess exuded a mature charm in every movement. She lifted her hood, revealing her crystal-clear golden hair, which shimmered under the light. She then turned to her companion.

“Loknisa Cecilia… Miss Dawn, have you heard of this name?”

“Loknisa…?”

After a brief moment of thought, Violet, with her godlike memory, quickly recalled the relevant information.

“I have a vague impression. If her surname is Cecilia, then she must be the fifteenth Judgment Saintess of the Holy Empire, right?”

In other words, Frederica’s predecessor by several generations.

When it came to Loknisa Cecilia, the priestess had a rather vivid impression of her.

It wasn’t because she did anything particularly remarkable, but rather because the period during which the fifteenth Judgment Saintess, Loknisa, was active happened to be around 300 years ago.

This was the era when Minchen and other isekai travellers arrived in this world, a time filled with countless events, both great and small, converging in an era of upheaval.

Loknisa’s tenure as a Saintess was relatively short, only about thirty years. According to the Holy Empire’s accounts, she sustained severe injuries in some battles in her early years that never fully healed.

As she aged, it became increasingly difficult for her to endure the frequent battles and heretic hunts demanded of the Judgment Saintess. She eventually passed her position, along with the [Judgment Holy Sword], to her successor and withdrew from public duties.

As for this fifteenth Saintess, who served a short term and didn’t leave any major achievements, the Holy Empire’s historical records offer scant information. Even the specialist publisher dedicated to chronicling the lives of the Three Saintesses has only a slim volume on Loknisa, less than a third of those with illustrious careers, like the first Saintess.

After her retirement, Loknisa quickly faded from public view in the Holy Empire. Within a few years, she had disappeared entirely from the scene. To most people, it was likely assumed that this modest Saintess quietly lived out her days and returned to the goddess.

But unexpectedly, Frederica brought up the name of this former Saintess.

“That’s right. It seems Miss Dawn knows much about our Holy Empire’s history. She was indeed the former Judgment Saintess.”

The current Saintess gave a nod of admiration and, after a brief pause, continued.

“But you’re also aware, I’m sure, that what’s written in history books and biographies may not always reflect the true history or may even deviate from it. I have a story here. Would Miss Dawn be interested in hearing it?”

“As long as Lady Frederica is willing to share.”

“Please, Miss Dawn, there’s no need for such formalities. You can simply call me by name.”

The golden-haired girl chuckled softly and nodded, then turned to sit on the steps near the riverside, dusting off a spot beside her and gesturing for Miss White Fox to join her.

“Please, sit.”

“~”

The two women sat side by side, facing the sunset that was gradually sinking below the river’s surface. Frederica suddenly seemed a bit nostalgic.

“Come to think of it, when I first heard this story, my teacher sat beside me just like this, facing the sunset beyond the Star River. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, and both Little Nana and I have grown up.”

“…Your teacher, huh.”

Edwina had also mentioned having a respected teacher within her family, a senior figure in the Cecilia family. As sisters, it was likely they both referred to the same person as their teacher.

While Violet pondered this, Frederica began her story in earnest.

“More than 300 years ago, specifically, on the day of the [Day of Divine Arrival], January 1, year 1000 of the New Calendar. The Disaster Monitoring and Warning Agency in the eastern capital’s Angel City, the [Hall of Revelation], detected an unprecedented large-scale spatial disturbance.”

“Spatial disturbances are residual effects accompanying high-level or large-scale spatial magic. If we use a metaphor, they’re like the ripples that spread across a tranquil lake when an outsider tosses a stone into our world.”

“In most cases, after a spatial disturbance occurs, the world’s own force quickly mends it, causing the ripple to disappear rapidly without significantly affecting distant regions or being detected by other creatures. But this time was different.”

“The world’s force didn’t repair the disturbance or its related spatial waves at all. Instead, it fell into an unusual silence, allowing the disturbance to spread unchecked.”

“Several regions were affected, including our nation, the Human United Kingdom in the west, the Austre Empire in the east, and the northern Snow Kingdom, as well as the Azure Sky Kingdom in the far south.”

“Judging by the intensity variations in the spatial disturbance, this unknown large-scale spatial magic most likely occurred within the central region of the world, in our Holy Empire’s territory. Combined with the sensitive timing of the first [Day of Divine Arrival] of the New Calendar, this incident drew special attention from the upper echelons of the Holy Empire, which was then still governed by the Three Saintesses.”

“After consultations, they decided to send one of the Three Saintesses, the Judgment Saintess, who was in charge of foreign affairs, offensive strategies, and handling unusual situations to investigate.”

“That Judgment Saintess was none other than the fifteenth Judgment Saintess, Loknisa Cecilia.”

“At that time, Loknisa had only been the Judgment Saintess for a few years. She was in the prime of her youth, filled with passion and eager to make a name for herself.”

“After taking on this responsibility, she immediately led a special elite team, following guidance from the [Hall of Revelation] to the area with the strongest spatial disturbance to investigate the incident’s origins.”

“But unfortunately… she found nothing.”

“Though the disturbance had been intense, there were no subsequent waves or follow-up changes, and soon, all traces of it vanished completely, as if they had sunk into the vast lands of the Holy Empire.”

“Even though Loknisa searched high and low, covering nearly every province with the highest suspicion, she couldn’t find any valuable clues.”

“After months of fruitless investigation, she had no choice but to withdraw her team and return to the capital to handle the backlog of other duties.”

“As a newly appointed Saintess, this initial failure in a special mission dealt a blow to Loknisa’s reputation among the Holy Empire’s leaders.”

“Though she was backed by the Cecilia family and supported by the other two Saintesses who stood by her, this single failure wouldn’t have a significant impact. Still, overhearing others privately discussing it from time to time struck a nerve. As someone regarded as blessed by the heavens, this first setback felt especially bitter to her.”

“So, she quietly resolved that, if given the chance, she would reclaim her honor and make up for this loss, no matter what it took.”