“I’m sorry for keeping you this late.”
I managed to wrap up my first set of tasks as the saint of Parnacorta just before a new day began. I’d hoped to cast some more barriers and summon the rain as I’d promised Prince Osvalt, but Leonardo and Lena stopped me from doing any more work. They told me a number of things I wasn’t used to hearing, saying that I’d already pushed myself to the brink casting the first barrier, and that my body wouldn’t be able to take any more.
“You’re already working five times as hard as our previous saint,” said Leonardo, “and you’re even working on things that are outside a saint’s scope, like medicines and dam blueprints!”
“If you force yourself to keep at it, you’ll fall ill,” Lena agreed. “No matter how much we begged, you barely took a single break.”
I noticed tears welling up in the corners of their eyes. What were they worried about? As a saint, I was expected to treat my body as a temple, so I took great care of my health. Except for a few times when I was young, I’d never been sick. I could use recovery magic and meditation to banish the worst of my fatigue, so a quick fifteen-minute rest was enough to keep me going for the rest of the day.
Still, I figured I shouldn’t keep them out with me for too long. I decided to heed their advice and call it a day.
As soon as we got home, both Leonardo and Lena urged me to rest the next day.
“Why don’t we take tomorrow off? Lady Philia, you can’t go on like this!”
“I have word that the royal family was shocked by the way you worked,” said Leonardo. “They’d like you to set aside a day to rest and take care of yourself.”
“Rest? A saint can’t rest! It would be detrimental to the national interest.”
The very idea!
I remembered the danger this kingdom was in. If I took even a day off, monsters could wreak havoc and cause inestimable harm.
“Lady Philia’s health comes before the national interest!”
“Don’t push yourself too hard! This place is still new to you!”
Still, I insisted. “This kingdom is in a precarious state. If nothing else, I need to raise barriers in the east and south tomorrow. As a saint, I can’t compromise on that. You two can take a break, though. I don’t mind.”
I knew that most people found it difficult to work from before dawn to after midnight. Thanks to my training, I could go without sleep for a full week, but it would be exhausting for people like Leonardo and Lena to follow me around. That was why I usually worked alone, and from the next day forward, I decided, that was how it would be in Parnacorta.
But Leonardo and Lena looked appalled by the suggestion.
“That’s not going to happen!” Leonardo declared. “As a butler born and bred, I can’t take it easy while my young mistress is throwing herself into her work.”
“I agree,” Lena chimed in. “As a maid, I can’t possibly turn a blind eye to my mistress’s needs!”
I didn’t understand their reasoning at all, but it was clear they would both be joining me the next day. If that was the case, all I could do was put in my best effort.
“Saint Heal!”
I held Leonardo’s and Lena’s hands and cast a healing spell on them. I’d invented it myself for strength, nourishment, and recovery from fatigue. It could even treat chronic aches such as lower back pain and stiff shoulders. It was supposed to help people relax, but Prince Julius had rejected the idea. He’d told me no one would like it because it would cut into the business at spas and hot springs.
“Incredible!” Leonardo exclaimed. “I feel as if I’m in the bloom of youth! I’m bursting with energy! What kind of magic is this?”
“Mr. Leonardo, your hair’s pitch-black!” Lena pointed out. “Oh, this feels so good! What a relief. It’s like I just got up from a good night’s sleep.”
From that day on, the two of them accompanied me as I fulfilled my saintly duties. I worried that I was accomplishing less than I had in Girtonia, yet everything I did for Parnacorta was met with cheers and thanks.
For example, Parnacorta was known for the strength and impeccable training of its knights, but battling monsters had diminished their numbers. The military was pleased by the protective barriers I cast. Back in Girtonia, I’d been told that I was taking away the soldiers’ jobs. It was a relief to be of help at last.
Yet even as I grew accustomed to my new life, the more I studied the monster nests, the more signs I saw that disaster was on the horizon.
“All of this…points to the worst possible outcome.”
I recorded the size of the monster dens surrounding the kingdom and the ferocity of recent monster attacks. Comparing these statistics with my own previous notes and those from ancient manuscripts, I came up with a hypothesis.
Perhaps for the first time in 400 years…
“Is something the matter, Lady Philia?” Lena asked as she fought off werewolves and death grizzlies without breaking a sweat. “You have such a grave expression on your face.” My prayers had weakened the monsters inside the barrier, but Lena’s skills were impressive nonetheless. She was adept at hitting the creatures’ vital points with a single blow.
Leonardo was no pushover, either, overpowering the monsters with formidable kicks. In our weeks together, I’d come to realize that they weren’t just my butler and maid, but also my bodyguards.
“I don’t have any definite proof yet,” I replied, “but the Demon Realm may be approaching the surface.” In the course of my archeology research, I’d learned that once every few centuries, the Demon Realm—the habitat of the demonic monsters I was charged with subduing—crept closer to the surface world of humanity. These eras were heralded by a drastic increase in monster activity.
The current state of the world closely mirrored that of the last such era, 400 years ago. In other words, we would need to prepare for an all-out monster invasion.
“That sounds like a big deal! So that’s why you’ve been surrounding the kingdom with new barriers…”
“That’s right. I’m sure people are annoyed at me for ruining the scenery with Pillars of Light, but I believe that human lives take precedence.”
Leonardo, just back from subduing monsters of his own, looked startled. “The scenery? I hardly believe anyone cares about that. This is a potential crisis. I’ll report it to the royal family immediately.”
I wasn’t too keen on that. “I’m afraid I don’t have conclusive evidence that the Demon Realm is drawing near. It’s just a prediction, based on the data.”
“What are you talking about, Lady Philia? Do you have any idea how many people have been saved by your wisdom in the brief time that you’ve been with us? Even if it turns out you’re being overcautious, better safe than sorry, don’t you think? No one would blame you for being concerned.”
I couldn’t share Leonardo’s confidence. “I’m glad you think so, but as a saint, I can’t overstep my bounds.”
Lena’s gentle voice reassured me. “Don’t worry, my lady! All humans make mistakes. Even you, Lady Philia, are a human being before you’re a saint. You don’t have to be all-knowing. Besides, this is exactly the sort of problem the kingdom should unite to solve!”
I had to admit she was right. We needed to develop preventative measures as soon as possible. And if I turned out to be mistaken, surely I could sincerely apologize and take full responsibility.
Leonardo informed the royal family that the Demon Realm might be encroaching on our world for the first time in four centuries. That very day, Prince Osvalt set up a countermeasures task force. I was a bit surprised by how quickly he sprang to action, never having expected him to act so quickly on my inconclusive information.
In any case, I had to explain my predictions. Compiling my archival research and current observations, I drew up a report on the possible impending approach of the Demon Realm.