The Holy Sword’s gaze always seemed to pierce through its target.
It was unsettling.
It felt as though it wasn’t looking at me, Olivia, but something else entirely.
I wanted to dismiss it as nonsense about “the Emperor’s companion,” but seeing the Emperor wandering the palace half-dressed made it seem oddly plausible.
***
“You’re a saint, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Was that lightning also a miracle of the saint?”
“Ah, well…”
I almost said it was magic but quickly shut my mouth.
If I admitted it was magic here, I’d surely be labeled as a mage.
The Seven Stars wouldn’t ignore me if that were the case.
The problem lay in what came after.
“What would happen to the Empire’s Church?”
Though it had a head priest, truthfully, the nuns were all combatants, trained to supplement the Empire’s lacking military strength against the Demon King’s forces.
If I were singled out as a mage, the Church would collapse in an instant.
The Kingdom was allied with the Church Nation, but the Empire wasn’t.
To keep the Church Nation in check, it was better for the Empire’s Goddess Church to remain intact.
The best solution was to declare the event a miracle of the saint.
By doing so, I would reinforce the image of the Empire’s saint as someone capable of feats like defeating the Four Heavenly Kings.
It would prove I surpassed the saint of the Hero’s Party, recognized by the Church Nation.
In short, this would solidify the Empire’s Church’s position.
“Yes, it was a miracle of the saint.”
I declared it tearfully.
I couldn’t afford to lose the Church right now.
Unless a new saint candidate was ready to step in, I had to continue in this role.
***
“Lying, are you?”
“What?”
The Holy Sword pointed at my wrist.
“You have a habit of rubbing your wrist when you lie.”
“Oh.”
At some point, I had started rubbing my right wrist with my left hand.
‘Did the first Olivia have this habit?’
“It must have been magic.”
I couldn’t lie to the Seven Stars.
I quietly nodded.
‘If I couldn’t offer an excuse, perhaps being honest would at least gain their trust.’
‘I missed the days with Noah.’
“Yes, it was magic.”
“You don’t want your skills revealed. I understand. I’ll keep your secret.”
“Ah, no, that’s not—”
I couldn’t openly argue.
I wasn’t in a position to become a mage.
Being tied to the saint’s role for the Church’s growth plan meant losing my chance to embrace my magic.
Maybe I should have been honest from the start.
“Pector fled, fearing the saint’s arrival. That explanation should suffice.”
“Yes, that seems best.”
Fine. Let’s go with that.
‘What more could I hope for?’
***
By the time Olivia and Natalia, the Holy Sword, freed the people of Karchem, Syria found herself in a dire situation.
The Ashtar Knights and Claire were looking for Olivia.
“Seriously, Olivia is sleeping! How many times do I have to say it?”
Syria thumped her chest in frustration, though internally, she was burning up.
She knew why they were here.
“A major incident has occurred in Karchem. It’s regrettable to disturb her rest, but this is urgent.”
The knights were here because of the chaos in Karchem.
Scouts had reported that most of the demon forces in Karchem had been slaughtered and that a massive lightning strike had struck the area.
They couldn’t sense Pector’s despair.
Naturally, this urgency was inevitable.
Whether struck by lightning or not, Pector’s death meant a prime opportunity to reclaim Karchem.
Olivia’s orders were needed.
“Please step back for now,” Syria said firmly.
Claire eventually instructed the knights to withdraw temporarily.
“What are you saying? Time is of the essence.”
“I’ll wake her myself.”
Once the knights left, Claire approached Syria cautiously.
“Now, answer me, Lady Syria.”
“Yes?”
“Where has Lady Olivia gone?”
The question struck home.
Olivia would never laze around like an absent-minded noblewoman when such a disaster had occurred.
Claire knew this well.
Naturally, she was suspicious.
“Um, she’s sleeping inside! So just wait—”
“When did you become Ashtar’s maid, Lady Syria?”
“Oh, well, that’s…”
Syria hadn’t considered that angle.
She thought hiding Olivia wouldn’t be too hard, but perhaps this was a trap she hadn’t foreseen.
Claire, as Olivia’s exclusive maid, was responsible for her care.
It wasn’t Syria’s role to protect Olivia.
‘So this is because of Claire.’
Determined to block Claire’s intrusion, Syria spread her arms wide, but Claire simply brushed them aside.
“Taking care of Lady Olivia is my duty.”
“I’m telling you, you can’t!”
Claire pushed past Syria and entered the tent.
The bed’s blanket looked suspiciously lumpy.
Feeling uneasy, Claire pulled back the blanket.
“Ah, um…”
Of course, Olivia wasn’t there.
Only a teddy bear painted with Olivia’s likeness lay beneath.
‘This is going too far.’
Claire’s neck burned with fury as she grabbed Syria by the collar.
“Where is Lady Olivia?”
The murderous intent in her gaze was unmistakable.
Gulp.
Syria swallowed hard.
‘Would it be better to just confess everything?’
After all, Claire wasn’t an enemy.
No, she couldn’t.
The lightning strike was undoubtedly Lady Olivia’s magic.
She was bound to return soon.
Syria resolved to keep her lips sealed and tell Olivia that she had endured, hoping to win her favor.
‘And beyond that?’ A shining golden future awaited!
“Uh, well… perhaps she went to the restroom?”
“How long do you think I’ve been standing outside this tent with the knights? Is she building a new restroom or something?”
“Ah, well, Lady Olivia does enjoy cleanliness. Maybe she is?”
Truthfully, if it were Olivia, she might actually be constructing a new restroom.
But for now, Syria needed to buy time.
If Olivia had summoned that lightning, she should be on her way back any moment now.
“Lady Syria, if you don’t answer honestly, I will personally demonstrate the Ashtar family’s interrogation techniques.”
Claire slipped on leather gloves and pulled out chains from her belongings.
“Hiiiiiik!”
“It would be in your best interest to speak clearly.”
“Hiiiiiik!”
The shadow of Ashtar loomed over Syria.
***
The Ashtar forces had returned to their camp.
With Karchem liberated, their soldiers were securing public order and starting reconstruction.
“As always, the Ashtar discipline is terrifying.”
“Tell me about it.”
‘It’s impressive, I admit. The Ashtar family really does live up to its reputation of producing so many officers for the Imperial Central Army. But honestly, that’s none of my business.’
“Wait. Is that Lady Olivia and the Holy Sword?”
Claire emerged from my tent, dragging a half-conscious Syria by the collar.
‘Wait a second—this is my tent. Why is Claire coming out of there?’
‘Oh no. Was I found out?’
It seemed Syria had fallen victim to Ashtar-style torture at Claire’s hands.
Her sunken face looked pitiful, but somehow, I felt satisfied.
‘Yes, this is what I wanted—to see Syria finally get knocked down a peg by Claire.’
After all, considering what happened in Karchem, there was no way Syria would walk away unscathed.
“Lady Olivia! Where have you been?”
As soon as Claire spotted me, she rushed over.
“This audacious lady ventured into Karchem alone.”
“Lady Olivia!”
Claire glared at me, looking ready to strike.
I quickly lowered my head.
“She apparently went to rescue the prince’s party.”
“How could you take such a dangerous risk on your own?”
It seemed Syria hadn’t spilled the details.
I had infiltrated Karchem to rescue the prince’s group.
That’s when Pector noticed me, leading to a battle.
Then, I summoned a massive lightning bolt to strike him down.
“And then a lightning bolt struck Pector,” Natalia, the Holy Sword, added.
‘What? When did we agree on this?’
‘The Holy Sword’s ability to lie with a straight face was baffling.’
‘And where did all the stuff we talked about go? Now she’s suddenly inventing this narrative?’
‘Should I have been the one to lie instead?’
“Pector, perhaps wounded by the lightning, fled. Naturally, the demon army’s capture also played a role.”
According to Natalia, I had faced Pector while she handled the demon forces.
‘Was this a coordinated attack we’d agreed on?’
‘What’s Natalia’s angle here? It’s strange. She has no reason to elevate my position. She’s not the kind of person who would go out of her way to impress me.’
‘Unless… because I’m Amelia’s friend?’
‘No, this woman doesn’t get swayed by emotions like that.’
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. Remarkable. She fought Pector head-on, all on her own.”
‘Seriously? Now she’s painting me as some kind of hero?’
‘Is this a ploy to make a name for me?’
No, Natalia wouldn’t raise me up for no reason.
If anyone benefits from this narrative, it’s the Ashtar family.
‘Could this be some political maneuvering?’
When I glanced at Natalia with suspicion, she made a subtle gesture as if to say, “Just play along.”
Maybe she had thought this far ahead.
The situation with Ashtar’s reputation had become precarious.
First, there was an assassination attempt on the prince during his tour near Ashtar lands.
Although it was thwarted, the nobles would undoubtedly gossip about it.
Then, there was Pector’s appearance—an even bigger issue.
While the prince toured, Ashtar had only sent knights as escorts.
When Pector attacked, the Ashtar forces failed to capture him.
Ultimately, the prince was captured in Karchem, right next to Ashtar territory, which they should have been protecting.
It was a blunder on Ashtar’s part.
The only way to recover was to frame it as a heroic rescue mission where Pector was spectacularly defeated.
And I was the one who achieved it.
‘Did Natalia calculate all this? That would explain it. She might act rough, but she’s sharp.’
“Was Pector a formidable opponent?” someone asked.
“Hmm. Very much so. Personally, I’d even consider taking Lady Olivia as my apprentice alongside the princess,” Natalia replied.
“Please, no.”
‘I’d rather die than become her apprentice.’
This woman’s training methods were notoriously brutal.
She liked to pit trainees against tribes she had conquered, tribes hardened by hunting and survival.
Naturally, the recruits—greenhorns unfamiliar with real combat—would get thoroughly beaten.
Natalia would heal them, train them in swordsmanship, and throw them back into the fight.
It was a cycle of constant beatings until the trainees could finally win.
‘It’s the most inefficient training method I’ve ever seen.’
“Still, raising a competent disciple is rewarding. But somehow, this Olivia doesn’t seem to fit the bill.”
Natalia ruffled my hair a few times.
There was something distinctly irritating about her tone.
‘What’s that supposed to mean? And who exactly is this woman? Now that I think about it, didn’t Syria warn me that the Seven Stars are dangerous? Please, let it not be true.’
***
“Does this mean Karchem has been liberated?”
It was a question from one of the knights preparing for the Karchem reclamation.
Originally, the knights were preparing for a battle against Pector’s demon forces.
They had even been conducting joint training with a modernized army equipped with new weaponry.
The Ashtar army was renowned as the strongest among the noble forces.
However, they had never directly faced one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings in battle.
Even Rivelte’s legendary cavalry, known for their reckless charges, would struggle against them.
Still, Ashtar’s forces had achieved remarkable results in training and earned their reputation as an elite unit.
They even operated their own mage units.
To be honest, I found them intriguing.
Ashtar practically had a stranglehold on the Empire’s military.
The Imperial Central Army in the capital was effectively under Ashtar’s control.
“A few buildings were destroyed, but Pector was certainly repelled.”
“At least that’s a relief.”
At that moment, I caught a glimpse of the Hero’s Party.
‘Wait, are they all healed already? And who’s that suspicious woman with them?’
“Wait. Did you say this young lady defeated Pector?”
‘What’s with that tone? Upset that some noblewoman managed to take down the demon you couldn’t, huh? Yeah, keep sulking.’