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THE plan was shockingly simple when put into words.
We would launch an all-out offensive against a section of the forest made up of tree demon monsters, have Kophe’s mages activate many magical lure lights, and create an area within the forest with few monsters.
There, First Class Saint Nia, a few select elite members of the Flame Corps, and I would charge in using flight magic. While under the protection of the knights and Nia’s barrier, I would plant my hands on the ground and purify the place. From safe locations, the other holy women would cast their saintly powers on me and provide support. I had requested special magical tools be created for today’s operation to allow priestesses to send their powers to another priestess, me—sparkling wands fitted with magic stones.
However, the plan had one drawback. The fact that we couldn’t station holy women with the knights conducting the general offensive. To make up for that, healing would be handled by the potion squad, led by Professor Martinez, and the healing squad, which now included a core group of priests from the Church.
It was a perfect plan, with everything we had at our disposal at this point in time. The only thing left was for me to give it my all and make it succeed.
“Be that as it may… I still have the chills at being back in Mayga Cieux…”
One of the priests used his teleportation magic to bring us close to the forest. Under the blue sky, the many trees—well, the tree demon monsters squirmed, their foliage wiggling like tentacles. The earth’s surface under the forest was a black, sticky area typical of polluted land. The approach of us humans attracted several pairs of glittering eyes peeking out from the dark depths of the forest.
There was no need for the monsters to leave the forest since it was imbued with the powerful magical energy of the tree demons. But as the forest itself expanded, the range of monster sightings increased rapidly along with it.
At Richard’s signal, Darius saluted and smoothly unsheathed his sword.
“Charge!”
The knights moved at once under Darius’s command and rushed into the forest of monsters. Creatures spilled out as a horde. The mage squads provided support from the rear, firing the magic each specialized in. Our goal this time wasn’t to eliminate through force but to buy time. They needed to draw the monsters out for as long as possible with a minimum of injuries.
Half an hour or so later, one by one, wounded knights were brought into the rear units. Darius returned as well, spattered in monster blood from his fight on the frontline.
“Your Highness, I’m ready to go whenever you need me to.”
“Hm. I do believe it’s our turn now, Miss Monica,” Richard commented to me. When they heard him, the holy women squadron gathered holding their sparkling wands with the magic stones. The colors of their saintly attire indicated their class of magic. They bowed deeply to me and Nia.
“Please return safely.”
“Everyone, I…”
I felt Richard thump my shoulder when the emotion inside me moved me to tears.
“Come, we must hurry. We can’t let the knights’ hard fighting go to waste either.”
“You’re right.” I nodded—then unwittingly did a double-take at him. “Wait. What do you mean ‘we’?”
“We as in you and me, Miss Monica.” He said it so matter-of-factly, I panicked.
“But! You’re His Imperial Highness! You might die charging into the depths of Mayga Cieux!”
“And you think that means I shouldn’t risk my life while I send others to their death instead? In what world is that something a dashing man like me would do, hm?”
“B-But…your role in all this was the strategist of the plan…”
“Don’t worry. Should the worst come to pass, Solarus is here as well.” Richard winked pointedly in her direction. Clad in her military uniform, she bowed at him.
“In the event of the prince’s death, I, Solasvita Rustis Novenbled Arjentia, shall resume my previous standing as a provisional queen and act on behalf of His Imperial Highness, Richard Il Belktrius of the Belktrius Empire, our sworn allies.”
“P-Provisional queen?”
How could a queen also be a queen in another sense of the word? This time Richard winked at me.
“That’s one of the reasons I brought her along.”
“But I do not want to do that whatsoever, so please do not die, Your Highness.” Though her expression remained cool as ever, she had deep wrinkles between her brows. It was obvious she loathed the idea of returning to her former royal status.
“You heard her, Miss Monica.” His face lit up with his usual forceful grin. “I very much want to protect my beloved Miss Monica with my own hands. And I will.”
“…Fine. Then I promise I’ll return you and everyone else unharmed, Richard.”
Cheered on by the holy women, we flew above Mayga Cieux using my flight magic.
“You who love the earth. Until my prayer is answered, leave gravity behind and take flight in the sky as birds of prey!”
The time had finally come to put our final plan into action.
We determined our landing point right away. Darius led the way toward a spot where the ground was just barely visible and descended.
“I am Darius Sye…” His right hand hovered over the magic stone attached to his sword’s hilt as he started his incantation. “…the knight of wrath, and my power resounds through the air! May that death knell be the last sound my enemy hears as he bursts apart and passes on into the beyond!”
A tremendous explosion followed. Then a hot wind. His spell blasted both tree demons and monsters in one fell swoop. No matter how many times I saw it, his explosions always satisfied a vicious need for destruction in me.
Next to descend was Nia. She landed in a section of the huge crater Darius created and constructed a domed barrier. “O timid silkworm princess, spin thy cocoon of protection.”
Richard and I followed her down, along with two of the knights. While everyone protected me, I placed my palms down on the ground and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath then linked with the earth.
“I am Saint Monica Regulus, a heaven-sent child of this ancient continent. Heed the voice of my saintly power. O earth, respond to my call and release the wealth trapped within!”
I knew how it worked since I’d done it once before, so I managed to connect right away. I poured my saintly power into the land as I maintained consciousness. Though they were far away, I felt the other holy women wave their wands and send me their holy powers while saying my name.
This is going to work, everyone.
My scalp grew hot as I sensed my hair changing color. I lost the feeling of all my senses and simply focused on using my supernatural ability to become one with the earth.
This…is…
Just as I was about to fall asleep, a hard jolt raced through my body. I felt like I was being sucked in by the ground. It was much, much stronger than the sensation I experienced in Nowasilo.
“Ngh… Ahhhhhh…!!!” I screamed.
“Miss Monica!”
I heard Richard’s desperate cry. I couldn’t reply. The overwhelming power of the forest would swallow me whole at this rate.
“Miss Monica, we should retreat temporarily.”
I shouted half out of reflex. “No! I…I can…finally…fulfill my duty as a priestess!”
I gasped at the rush of words from my mouth.
Oh, I see… The reason I always fought so hard, putting my life on the line is…
In the next moment, everything in front of my eyes went white. In this pure-white world stood a girl of about ten years old with silver hair and red eyes. She stared at me. Clad in embroidered clothing typical of Nowasilo, her hair in pigtails, carrying her youngest brother on her back. Loved and cherished by her family, so she shares her love as well. A blessed child.
…me.
In this pure-white world, many people stood behind this girl. Her older brother and younger siblings. Her parents, relatives, and all the villagers. The people she mourned at the outpost. And all the holy women. They all watched me with gentle smiles.
The young me stepped forward. Smiling innocently, she spoke. “You can change the world. Don’t give up, Arousing Priestess.”
Then the world went black and I was left alone in the darkness.
“I… I’ll protect! Protect everyone! Next time…next time for sure!”
Including myself in the past.
“Miss Monica.” I heard Richard’s voice from directly in front of me. I felt him stroke my cheek. “Use my power too. Because…I don’t need it anymore.”
In the next instant, something pressed against my lips. A powerful stream rushed from my lips to deep inside and suddenly my body felt light. Reason started returning. The magical energy flowing into me converted to life force and I was able to control the runaway rate at which the earth sucked in my saintly powers a little at a time.
I grew calm. Before I knew it, so did the land. The monsters’ smells began disappearing.
The connection snapped and I opened my eyes. My vague senses became more and more distinct. I knelt on the ground and slumped against Richard, resting my cheek on his chest.
“Is it…over?”
Lying against him, I surveyed our surroundings. The whole area was now just a forest. I didn’t see monsters anywhere. I heard the small birds twittering.
Darius answered me while wiping the sweat off his brow. “It’s very likely that the monsters of Mayga Cieux weren’t born that way. They were organisms living in the forest who absorbed too much magical energy from the land and transformed into broken creatures. With the magic eradicated down to the root from your purification, the flora and fauna returned to their normal state, unlike other places…or so I suspect.”
“We need to conduct a more thorough analysis later, hm?” After agreeing with Darius’s assessment, I looked up at Richard. “Thank you, Richard. We did it! At long last!”
“We did.”
His eyes suddenly slid away from mine. I had never seen him like this. And then…a violent sound came from between us.
Krak, krak, krak, krak, krak, krak!
“Huh?! What is that?!” Shocked, I stared as Richard’s medal fell off. Its gemstone had shattered into pieces.
Richard sighed deeply. “I guess this isn’t enough…on its own…huh?”
“What? What do you mean by that?” The stone had been incredibly large, but perhaps it was a magic stone? “Richard…?”
“I…adore you, Miss Monica.”
Was it simply my imagination or did I hear something that sounded suspiciously like desire in his voice? It must be because that note had never been there before.