Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 302

[Vol. 5] Chapter 302: The Broken Puppet

“To think… such a thing could happen…”

Philomena now felt like her head was about to explode from the overwhelming amount of information.

However, the details Yuna had described were nearly flawless from every angle. They were so convincing that they made Philomena feel a sudden sense of clarity, almost as if she were about to exclaim, “So that’s how it is!”

After all, as the Redemption Saintess and heir to the Lambert family, she wasn’t entirely ignorant of certain matters.

Including Yuna Summerfield, the title of Bright Light Saintess had passed through eight generations. Of those, only the first-generation Roka Summerfield and the seventh-generation Betty Summerfield had failed to break through to the Transcendent level.

Betty Summerfield, who took over the Bright Light Saintess position from Ottilina, the sixth Bright Light Saintess and spirit of the [Crownless Crown], was ineffective during the Third Demon War, earning the reputation as the most mediocre Bright Light Saintess in history. In fact, for a long time after Betty’s death, the position of Bright Light Saintess remained vacant.

The official explanation was that no suitable successor had emerged to earn the [Crownless Crown] recognition, but after hearing Yuna’s secret account, Philomena finally realized…

Although the title had passed through eight generations, the Bright Light Saintess position had only been truly held by… three individuals?

No wonder Yuna, despite never having set foot on a battlefield, was so knowledgeable about military formations, tactical command, and the geography and strategic locations of the entire nation. She always seemed calm, composed, and unfazed in every situation…

No, wait.

Philomena suddenly realized something.

Though it seemed lighthearted now, this kind of information was likely classified even within the Summerfield family, with very few people being authorized to know about it.

She subconsciously glanced at the group of strong individuals still quietly discussing the ominous blood-red sky in the distance, not yet close enough to this side.

“Lady Yuna… Is it really alright for you to tell me such a secret? You… you’re not planning to silence me once this is all over, are you?”

“…?”

A brief moment of stiffness appeared on Yuna’s face, before the golden-haired saintess shook her head in confusion and smiled gently at Philomena.

“What are you thinking, Philomena? You are, after all, a direct descendant of the three divine bloodlines, the current Redemption Saintess, and soon to be the head of the Lambert family. How could I possibly silence you?”

“My identity is secret, but it’s not completely unknown. Even if you don’t know now, once you inherit the family head position, August Lambert will definitely tell you.”

“Eh?! Grandpa knows about this too? Then does he… know about the situation with the Goddess Church? Why has grandpa allowed this situation… to continue? This is not right.”

*Sigh…*

Shaking her head in response, Yuna reached out and gently stroked the pink-haired Saintess’s head.

“You’re such a pure child. This is something I really like about you, and I hope you’ll always be this way.”

“Philomena, I’ve already revealed my greatest secret to you. Whether you believe it or not, I need an answer now.”

“Time is running out. We must unite the power of the three Saintesses and the three Holy Artifacts once again, to meet our true Lord. Only Her presence can dispel the Blade of Slaughter and restore the Holy Empire to its rightful path.”

“So, what is your answer?”

“The Holy Empire’s… true Lord? I…”

Philomena hesitated.

Although she was one of the most devout followers of the Goddess Church as a Saintess, Yuna’s long-standing reliability and the sincerity in her recent words had truly made Philomena begin to doubt her own faith.

The key issue was that, in order to confront the impending God of Slaughter, there was only one path left to take.

So, despite still feeling a bit confused, Philomena instinctively extended her hand toward Yuna.

But at that very moment…

“Philomena, you cannot agree to this.”

Another hand, pale and seemingly soft yet surprisingly firm, blocked the space between them.

“…Huh?”

“……”

The voice, which suddenly interrupted the moment, startled the pink-haired Saintess, who naturally looked toward the source in surprise. Yuna, however, only narrowed her eyes without any surprise, the corner of her lips curling into a slightly mocking smile.

“Couldn’t resist any longer, huh?”

Although feeling increasingly puzzled, it was clear that Philomena trusted the person who had stopped her just as much. She didn’t get angry, but instead, as if she had found a lifeline, quickly sought help.

“Xiaoqi, what’s going on? Why can’t I agree to Lady Yuna’s request?”

A maid, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and inserted herself between the two women, remained expressionless as she calmly spoke.

“Philomena, I believe you have been influenced and incited, and you don’t fully realize the seriousness of this matter.”

“The arrival of the Demon Lord of Slaughter is just the word of Yuna Summerfield’s family. Just because they haven’t lied in the past doesn’t mean they won’t now.”

The maid’s hollow eyes turned toward the distance.

“Look at that portal. She clearly has the ability to quickly reach the Sarnos Province, yet she has never told anyone about it, nor has she used it in the war…”

“This war contains multiple anomalies that deviate from the normal course of events. According to my calculations, such an outcome would only be possible if the higher-ups of the Goddess Church were colluding with demons, secretly assisting them in their actions… in other words, there is a [traitor] lurking by your side.”

“The Judgment Saintess and the Judgment Holy Sword have gone missing. Aside from the Bright Light Saintess, the only item that is firmly in the Church’s hands is your [Ring of Salvation]. And with Yuna Summerfield’s continuous abnormal behavior, along with her attempt to deceive your trust, according to the calculations until just now, the probability of her being the traitor has reached 78.9%.

“Philomena, her actions are too dangerous. I suggest you…”

“Crack!”

A pale, slender hand suddenly pierced through the doll-like maid’s chest, crushing a diamond-shaped metallic core inside, scattering it into fine fragments across the ground.

“Suggest you… suggest you… suggest you… build build build… error, error, error, error, error, error, error, error…”

The maid’s once coherent words immediately turned into empty noise and error reports, accompanied by a surge of electricity and bodily fluids rushing from her chest. Along with this, Philomena let out a shocked, terrified, and angry scream.

“Xiaoqi!!!! What are you doing?!!!”

The Redemption Saintess, witnessing this scene, felt a sharp “buzz” in her head. Amidst the successive upheavals, the fragile thread of her sanity that had been holding on until now finally snapped completely.

She was just about to recklessly strike at the bastard, an angel named [Wing], who had appeared out of nowhere and attacked Xiaoqi, intending to save her most important friend. However, the latter simply retreated with greater speed, stepping behind Yuna and standing calmly, her expression indifferent.

“Xiaoqi! Xiaoqi, hold on! I’ll treat you right now!!”

Philomena hurriedly caught the fallen maid, launching healing magic at her without a second thought. After a series of error messages, Xiaoqi’s body completely lost all motion, closing her eyes and collapsing. Yet, the malfunctioning puppet showed no response, and only the conspicuous conduit at her chest continued to emit electrical sparks.

Clearly, Holy Light magic could not repair broken machinery.

“…You dare!!!”

Facing the Redemption Saintess, whose eyes had turned completely red, Yuna remained calm and simply pointed behind her.

“Philomena, please calm down. Your maid… that creation of that person won’t be so easily destroyed.”

“You still want to deceive me…?!”

Although she said this, the accumulated trust made Philomena instinctively turn her head. What she saw, however, made her anger and doubts halt abruptly. Instead, shock took over, nearly leaving her speechless.

Just a few meters behind her, standing quietly, was a girl who looked exactly like Xiaoqi, the broken puppet in her arms. Even the maid uniform was identical, almost as if it had been copied…

An identical, expressionless girl.