Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 304

[Vol. 5] Chapter 304: The Final Curtain Beneath the Blood-Red Sky

“Move, quickly!”

In the instant the conflict erupted, Edwina reacted immediately, stepping forward to pull the pink-haired young girl, who was still standing dumbly at the center of the two sides, back.

Other powerful figures also responded, either blocking with weapons or summoning magical barriers for defense. The next moment, the sound of dense clashing echoed across the desolate forested land.

But what surprised the Holy Knight was that the strange firearms’ firepower network did not target Philomena at all. Even though she was standing there foolishly without moving or avoiding the attacks, the sparks from the gunfire flew past her, heading toward the people farther back.

Instead, Edwina’s arrival attracted some of the enemy’s fire, but it was clearly much weaker than the attacks aimed at the other strong figures, making her realize that while the automaton was causing trouble, it hadn’t forgotten who its master was.

While using her holy knight shield to defend herself against the weird attacks coming like raindrops, Edwina blocked the blows and dissipated their force. At the same time, she continued pulling the pink-haired girl back, giving her shoulder a firm pat.

“Lady Philomena! Go with Lady Yuna and take care of the important matters, leave this to us!”

“Miss Edwina, but…”

“Don’t forget your position! This is no time for sentimentality! Go now!”

“…Alright!”

Retreating into the defensive perimeter set up by the others, Philomena exchanged a glance with Yuna, who was waiting for her.

“Have you made your decision?”

“……Let’s go! Lady Yuna, we will go find Lady Frederica and conduct the Holy Ceremony!”

With a slight nod of appreciation, Yuna placed her hand to her lips and blew a melodious whistle. Immediately, a pure white unicorn appeared from the magic circle, spreading its wings and emitting a pleasant neigh.

Yuna mounted the horse and extended her hand to Philomena, helping her into the rear position.

“Well then, I leave this to all of you. During my absence, Edwina Cecilia will be the acting commander. May the light of origin shine upon you all.”

She gently pulled the reins, and the white horse’s wings fluttered as it carried the two Saintesses toward the blood-red sky.

“Detection: Key individual has left the designated range. Permission granted to use prohibited high-powered weapons…”

“What are you looking at?!”

“Whoosh!”

The holy sword, extending several meters long with a swift motion, swept through the air with the Holy Knight’s command.

The six or seven automaton maids, who had been preparing to assemble some kind of large artillery, had no choice but to immediately leap out of the way. One of them, unable to dodge in time, was cleaved in half at the waist, falling to the ground with sparks of electricity.

Though the power of this Light Strike wasn’t as grand as Edwina’s usual attacks, it successfully interrupted the actions of the automaton maids trying to stop the two Saintesses.

Meanwhile, the other ten or so maids who had launched a concentrated fire barrage were intercepted by the powerful angel known as “Wing,” who blocked their attacks with one hand. Wing exchanged a nod with her kin, Leila and Rene, before flapping her holy white wings and chasing after the two central figures.

“Whoosh.”

Edwina, holding her shield in one hand and the holy sword that had returned to its original form in the other, watched them leave before turning back. She looked at the dozen or so maids who were preparing to attack again, then suddenly flashed a wide grin…

She revealed a somewhat strange smile.

“Hey… well, well, well, the troublesome ones have finally left. Now, let’s quickly wrap this up!”

……………………………

In the sky, flying at high speed on horseback.

The blonde-haired Saintess, controlling the direction at the front, slightly turned her head.

“What’s wrong, still thinking about your maid?”

Philomena, who had remained silent since taking off, nodded, her expression complicated and seemingly hard to understand.

“Lady Yuna, Xiaoqi… she’s always been very reliable. Though she’s silent, always picking at my faults, and her words aren’t always pleasant, she’s always diligent and takes care of me meticulously. In fact, she listens to me very, very carefully.”

“I… I’ve always considered her my best friend. Why would she act like this at a time like this…?”

“Friend, you say…”

Yuna pondered thoughtfully.

“Lady Philomena, between us, there’s no need for any hidden meanings. You should be very clear that Xiaoqi is just a puppet. And a puppet, by definition, is a tool driven by machinery and magic, only capable of obeying orders.”

“A puppet, like [Graeme soldier] in Austre Empire, has no emotions. While they may think and communicate like us living beings, it is essentially just another form of their operational ‘commands’. And since they are ‘commands’, there will always be priority differences.”

“Although Lady Philomena’s authority is very high and she would obey your orders in almost any situation, there are still exceptions… I believe that exception lies in the supreme command engraved deep within her core before she even recognized a master when she was first created.”

Without directly addressing the topic, Yuna subtly shifted her gaze back to the front.

“Lady Philomena, as the direct heir of the Lambert family, after witnessing that earlier scene firsthand, I believe some things no longer need to be explained so clearly, do they?”

“……”

The pink-haired young woman seemed noncommittal, but she did not voice any objections. The atmosphere on the horse grew slightly tense.

After a long pause.

“Lady Yuna, if we successfully perform the ‘legendary ceremony,’ what will happen? Will faith-based magic really disappear as a result?”

“Well… honestly, I can’t be sure.”

Without making any grandiose claims or deceiving with lies, the Saintess of Bright Light explained with sincerity.

“As you know, I am essentially the spirit of the [Crownless Crown]. My instinct… the memories etched deep within my soul only tell me that when the Holy Empire faces a great crisis, or when certain unspeakable events occur, a sacred ritual centered around the three holy artifacts should be performed to pay homage to Her and humbly request Her return.”

“Everything I have done so far has been with this purpose at its core, because some high-ranking and influential individuals in the Holy Empire would never allow me to do this. After all, it’s no longer three hundred years ago, and under the influence of ‘rewriting’, many things have changed.”

“As for what answer She will give after the ceremony, to be honest… I’m not entirely sure.”

“The same ancestral teachings and warnings should have been passed down within the three divine descendants. Lady Philomena, have you never heard of them?”

The pink-haired young girl pursed her lips and nodded.

“Yes… I of course know about it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to and supported Lady Yuna’s actions.”

“I see.”

And with that, another silence followed.

Above the land of the province called Sarnos, the white steed spread its wings and soared at high speed. The blood-red aura and oppressive atmosphere in the sky seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment.

Finally, Philomena spoke again.

“Lady Yuna, the true goddess… What exactly is She like? Through the [Ring of Salvation], I can occasionally sense Her presence, but I can never quite grasp it. I can’t even form a rough image of Her. After the Holy Empire betrayed Her and committed such blasphemous acts, do you think… She can truly forgive us?”

The blonde Saintess shook her head without hesitation.

“What the true Primordial Light is, I don’t know, nor can I describe it. To me, the Primordial Light is an existence too elusive and formless. Since it’s called ‘Primordial’, She has long since transformed into countless worlds, becoming every corner of heaven and earth.”

“That said, we can still approach Her in another way, touch a part of Her… that magnificent being that both exists and does not exist.”

“I cannot, nor dare I, predict Her actions, but this is our last hope. Otherwise, the Holy Empire’s thousand-year foundation will soon be destroyed by the mortal touch of forbidden, far-reaching taboos.”

“Watch, Lady Philomena, the answer to everything, the final fate of the Holy Empire, is about to be revealed.”