Chapter 4-5:
Saintess
WE SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED THE SERPENT. It took quite a bit of time, but thanks to that, many nobles witnessed our triumph. Eleanor was done for. Her only defining trait was that she was a saintess, and that had now been lost—she would likely enroll into Rosewood Academy as the normal daughter of a lowly noble.
I’ll taunt her when she attends the academy, I thought.
I stood in front of the serpent’s corpse, and among the crowd that surrounded me, I spotted Eleanor. She had come sooner than I’d expected; perhaps she had rushed over when she learned of my battle. She wore a simple, utilitarian outfit suited for a commoner more than a noble. Her golden hair, which everyone had called dazzling when she’d grown it out, had been cut short so that it wouldn’t hinder her. She didn’t stand out much, but on closer inspection, I saw that she was rather pretty.
She was exactly as I remembered from my previous life. She was wearing an expression of disbelief. My pranks from my past life hadn’t worked on this saintess, but finally, I’d been able to catch her by surprise. I was so excited to hear what she had to say.
Would she go, “Why did you defeat it?!” Perhaps she would cry, “Please don’t act so selfishly!”
I was certain that she would wail comically. Eleanor approached me, and my squires all went on alert.
“Lady Serena, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Eleanor Hamilton, and I deeply thank you for vanquishing the serpent.”
I hadn’t expected a word of gratitude. Huh?
“Why are you thanking me?” I asked.
“Because you defeated the serpent, of course,” Eleanor replied.
“I didn’t defeat it for you.”
“Truth be told, I’ve recently become capable of wielding light magic.”
It was a special element that could only be used by saintesses and proved that she was one. However, to be properly recognized as a saintess by the public, she had to perform some kind of extraordinary feat. The fact that I’d defeated the serpent must have thrown a wrench into her plans.
“Oh? Then should I have left the serpent to you?” I replied. Even I felt like I had just told a barefaced lie.
“No, I was scared, actually,” Eleanor replied.
“Scared? Of what?”
“The serpent, of course. I may have learned to use light magic, but I am still a girl who’s only fifteen. I wasn’t keen on facing such a terrifying monster.” She gazed at the serpent’s corpse with fear in her eyes. “But the people of the church insisted that it was customary for a saintess to defeat the serpent, and they told me to go. I was just so absolutely frightened during my trip here. When you defeated it, I was truly relieved.”
I stared at Eleanor. She didn’t look like she was lying to me. In fact, she seemed genuinely thankful for my actions.
“I see,” I said. “But since you didn’t defeat the serpent, you cannot prove to others that you’re a saintess.”
“I have no need for that,” Eleanor replied. “The role of a saintess is far too heavy of a burden for me to bear. All I’ve ever wanted is to support my father’s land with my family.”
She still seemed like she was telling the truth. Or is she cleverly hiding her true thoughts?
“I see,” I replied. “Well, I’m sorry to make you come all this way here for nothing. I wish you a safe trip back home.”
“Thank you very much,” she replied.
After those polite words, Eleanor quickly retreated. I watched her leave.
✦ ✦ ✦
When I returned to the royal capital, it wasn’t my father or the servants who were the first to greet me—it was the dogs. The moment I stepped off my carriage, the six beasts charged and tackled me to the ground.
Lake Elfen was a superb place. It had been devoid of dogs, at least. As my mind wandered to the lake, I desperately called back my fading consciousness. My squires, the dogs’ owners, quickly peeled their pets away from me.
I then received words of praise from my father, who had been waiting for me.
“I heard of your splendid feats, Serena!” my father shouted. “Even His Majesty was delighted to hear of your heroism!”
“Thank you, Father,” I replied.
I’d stolen the credit that was supposed to go to the saintess, thereby heightening my reputation; all according to plan. I just needed to enter the academy, eradicate all those who dared get in my way, and become the next queen.
“I’ve heard that the squires you raised played an integral part as well,” my father added. “It makes me very proud.”
“I just went out for a summer retreat and happened to come across a monster, that’s all,” I replied.
It was a tough sell to call it a coincidence after loading the carriage with enough weapons and potions for a battle, but I still tried to make that claim.
“Now, now, there’s no need to be so humble,” my father said. “I’ve heard that you spent three days and nights defeating the monster! I’m quite certain that the minstrels are weaving songs of your deeds as we speak!”
Three days and nights? I thought. The battle had lasted half a day at most. It was clear that some aspects of the story were being exaggerated.
“His Majesty has high hopes for you,” my father said. “As you know, the kingdom is plagued with various monsters that have ravaged the land. Many regions are begging for help, and the king wants your aid.”
Why don’t they do that themselves?
I didn’t dare voice my thoughts aloud. The knights had the role of protecting the borders, and if the monsters didn’t cause any major damage, they were left alone. Adventurers were generally tasked with defeating them, but if the affected cities or villages didn’t have the funds, they couldn’t hire competent adventurers. If the monsters were overwhelmingly powerful, adventurers tended to decline the requests as well, so many regions were in need of assistance. That was why a saintess who would defeat those monsters and ask nothing in return was a pillar of light and hope. I wanted the kingdom to fend for itself, but I couldn’t allow Eleanor an opportunity to steal the spotlight. I had little choice but to accept.
“I understand, Father,” I said. “But I shall attend Rosewood Academy next year. I would like to work only until then, and no longer.”
I was finally engaged to Prince Edward, and it would do me no good if I failed to deepen our relationship at the academy. In fact, Eleanor would have a chance at stealing him away from me. This was a condition that I absolutely refused to budge upon.
“I know,” my father replied. “I shall tell His Majesty just that.”
And so, I ended up agreeing to go around the kingdom helping others out before I attended the academy. It wasn’t all bad, since I would receive fame in return.
Thinking back, in my previous life, I had nothing going for me other than the fact that I was the daughter of a duke. Since I’ll become queen, I’d like a fantastic list of achievements that’s fitting for my role.
Was it because of my age? My worldview seemed to have gradually changed.