In fact, there really was a relationship between Hertitz and Roselyn.
Flame Saint Hertitz was one of the first few Heavenly Oracle Envoys to recover their power, and she had also come to the Church very early, disguising herself as a human and carrying out missions together with Miss Holy King leading the Flame Lock Knights.
At that time, among the first few Heavenly Oracle Envoys to awaken, Flame Saint Hertitz was one of the few who chose to take the initiative.
Roselyn, as Letitia’s assistant and a Heavenly Oracle Envoy who had awakened even earlier than her, had once tried to stop her from leaving, but Flame Saint Hertitz believed she would definitely be able to find the truth, so she temporarily cut off contact with everyone and only restored communications several years later.
In order to leave smoothly, she had fought with Roselyn at that time.
Hertitz was stronger than the vast majority of Heavenly Oracle Envoys, yet she was not Roselyn’s opponent.
Back then, she used a sneak attack to temporarily hold Roselyn off, then used the other party’s sealing-art stone tablet against her, trapping Roselyn in a magic array, and only then obtained victory in the battle.
Before leaving, Roselyn called out to her.
“Her, don’t go. If you get infected by the shadow, your end will be the same as Tilemo’s.”
“This is my own choice.”
One year later.
Hertitz encountered the Golden-Bathed Demon, and the Flame Lock Knight Order fell into a bitter fight.
Although that battle ended in humanity’s victory, Hertitz still received an unprecedented blow.
She discovered that even though she was a Heavenly Oracle Envoy, she could not move like a fish in water inside human nations, and even when facing enemies from the demon race she showed herself at a loss.
After being lost for a long time, she once again received aid from Miss Roselyn, who even brought Hertitz, already the leader of the Flame Saint Knight Order, back to Monastar.
However, Hertitz still left.
This time Miss Roselyn did not stop her, but instead gave her three stone tablets and the next mission.
And so it came to the present.
Hertitz, who had not strictly followed orders, had been infected by the shadow. This was a scene none of the Heavenly Oracle Envoys wished to see.
The previous Heavenly Oracle Envoy, a young woman named Tilemo, had been suppressed by Letitia in the dungeon.
Even though people day after day tried every means to restore her identity as a Heavenly Oracle Envoy, she still could not avoid being influenced by the shadow and becoming their enemy.
Now, Hertitz was facing the same situation.
Every one of Hertitz’s impulses had been forgiven by Roselyn.
It was said that inside the Heavenly Oracle Envoys there was dissatisfaction toward Hertitz acting alone, and it was also Roselyn who stepped forward to speak for her, which was why Miss Letitia had not personally moved to capture her and bring her back.
Roselyn had believed her twice already. Would there be a third time?
Hertitz began to wonder, if she told her about being infected by the shadow, just how would she be treated?
How would Letitia look at her, and the other Heavenly Oracle Envoys?
She was a Heavenly Oracle Envoy who had not obtained any effective intelligence, and she was even about to become an enemy of the Heavenly Oracle Envoys very soon.
“Her?”
Hertitz was walking halfway when her dazed look was discovered by Miss Roselyn.
She walked forward, supported her arm, and asked carefully, “What’s wrong with you?”
Roselyn glanced around to confirm no one was there before continuing, “The people here haven’t done anything to you, have they?”
“I’m fine!”
“What about Morphis and Philina?”
“They’re both doing alright.”
“Is that so.” Roselyn nodded, and incidentally checked her body. It really did not look like there were any injuries or traces of abuse.
She reached out and touched Hertitz’s unguarded waist.
Hertitz did not resist, only flushed slightly.
“You’ve been lacking exercise lately. There’s even mana redundancy appearing inside your body.”
“It’s still because maid work is too easy. Every day I only need to clean rooms, much simpler than fighting and such.” Hertitz quickened her pace and shook off Roselyn’s hand.
“Recently, why haven’t you contacted me?”
Roselyn’s voice carried three parts interrogation. The footsteps following behind Hertitz sped up a little as she pulled her wrist.
“I didn’t have time.”
“Then you should have at least reported the situation. Monitoring Creis alone, do you know how stupid that is?”
“I know what I said sounded a bit harsh.”
Roselyn’s pace slowed a little, and a trace of worry surfaced on that upright face.
Then Hertitz also stopped, as if waiting for her.
Only after Roselyn caught up did Hertitz continue walking toward the distance.
This time, the two of them kept their pace in sync.
“I’m fine.”
“I remember you and Gabriella are the same type, the kind who don’t want to say anything and want to hide everything. I know you’re not satisfied enough with Lady Letitia’s decisions. It’s alright.”
In front of Hertitz, Roselyn said several times more words than just now.
But the more she spoke the more Hertitz could not lift her head, until the two of them left the mansion and walked to the back garden, behind the bushes.
Several cyan-blue birds tilted their heads, staring at the two maids under the tree with little eyes like black pearls.
They sat on the long bench, their backs to the mansion, as if a conversation here would not be discovered by anyone.
“They really didn’t do anything to you? You have to know, you are a war criminal, a traitor. I thought you were in a cell.”
Roselyn straightened her back, her expression serious, deep helplessness coming from those light-green eyes.
Seeing that Hertitz still refused to say anything, she shook her head and no longer nagged.
Several minutes later, Hertitz finally opened her mouth and asked, “How is Tilemo?”
“Still locked up.”
“Did she go berserk again?”
Roselyn shook her head.
“Ever since two months ago, that is, after the Divine Maiden was rescued, she has been a lot more well-behaved and even recovered some of her reason.”
“Reason…?”
A trace of hope appeared on Hertitz’s somewhat downcast face. “What…?”
“Now Tilemo can communicate with us, and even share her feelings.”
“Can she be purified?”
“We originally thought she had already been transformed by the shadow into a puppet, but that’s impossible now. Becoming that kind of thing, she is only another form of life that retains a soul. She is a demon who takes the Evil God as her master. Even though we want so much to pull her back.”
Roselyn’s voice was serious. “In theory, if the erosion is not complete, one can absorb the shadow inside her body into one’s own. Of course this is only theory. No one knows what consequences actively inhaling the shadow would cause.”
“How terrifying…”
“Mm.” Roselyn affirmed.
“You said reason? They can now communicate and even converse like normal people, right?”
“That’s right. However, she still firmly stands on the Evil God’s side. Letitia has no method whatsoever either.”
Roselyn stared into Hertitz’s eyes.
“So we cannot easily believe anyone. If apostles have methods of disguise, there will not be any flaws.”