Eroded by Abyssal Magic, other than the ceaseless whispers of the abyss echoing from the depths of her heart, it actually didn’t affect her strength much.
She merely had to spend extra effort daily to suppress the Abyssal Magic within her body.
Of course, that was only the effect of Abyssal Magic under normal circumstances; if it ever entered an agitated state, then in order to suppress it, she would lose the vast majority of her power.
At times like that, she was at her weakest and most vulnerable.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, she would never meet with others in that state.
And the reason Abyssal Magic could erode her was mainly because her soul was no longer whole and flawless.
To prevent the Rose Knights from perishing at Hain’s hands, she forcibly broke the suppression of Abyssal Magic and allowed her consciousness to descend onto Teresa’s body.
It was then that a portion of her soul carried by her consciousness was forced to merge with Teresa, resulting in the current deficiency in her soul.
A soul that was no longer complete naturally could not resist the erosion of Abyssal Magic. Otherwise, with her strength, the Abyssal Magic would never have been able to touch her.
But, well.
Since she now understood the cause, there was naturally a way to resolve the erosion—patching the flaws in her soul.
However, when it came to the soul, even Isavel dared not act recklessly, so she decided to carefully consult ancient texts from various sources before devising a method to restore her soul.
In the following days, the Rose Knights and the students from Galwin Magic Academy gradually emerged from the Dungeon.
After making sure no one was left behind, Headmaster Robert waved his hand and destroyed the already-collapsing Dungeon.
After that, the Rose Knights boarded a Magic Airship and returned to the Aos Empire.
Inside the Oracle Hall, Isavel, holding a Feather Pen, began drafting the next stage of training plans for the Rose Knights.
It had been over a year since the Rose Knights had first gathered, and their Magic Level had climbed from 0 to around 40.
However, the higher they advanced, the harder it became to improve further.
It had taken them over a year to reach level 40, and the next 20 levels might well require another year or more.
Thus, the next stage was for them to reach around level 60 within a year.
Of course, this was only a requirement for raising their Magic Level; as for true strength, they would also need new improvements. But…which direction should they take this time?
Resting her fair cheek on her hand, Isavel’s pale lips pressed together slightly, showing a trace of vexation.
Just then, a knocking at the door broke her reverie. At her permission, Teresa stepped lightly inside, arms full with a thick stack of documents.
The moment Isavel saw her, she immediately masked her troubled expression, instead revealing the cold aura befitting a villainous Saintess.
Teresa’s voice was especially cool as she presented the report with both hands: “My Lady, this is the review and analysis of the Dungeon battle. I hope it will be helpful to you.”
Taking the report and glancing through it, Isavel said flatly, “You’re no longer studying at the Academy, nor are you still a mentor’s assistant, so there’s no need for you to do this anymore.”
“It’s fine, this kind of thing doesn’t take much time.”
Teresa lowered her gaze slightly.
Setting the report aside, Isavel scrutinized her.
After forcibly drawing on the Divine Grace within her own bloodline, Teresa’s body, unable to withstand such power, had mutated—half her body was now covered in feathers, and a wing had sprouted from her back.
Even after the Divine Grace faded, her body showed no signs of recovery. Normally, to appear like a normal person, she could only use Illusion Magic to hide her true form.
But that was, after all, no long-term solution.
She had to find a way for Teresa to recover her original appearance.
As she thought this, Isavel asked distractedly, “How are your injuries?”
“They’re fine now, thank you for your concern, my lady, it’s just…”
Teresa’s voice trailed off, as if hesitating.
Sensing her hesitation, Isavel said bluntly, “If you want to say something, just say it.”
“Ever since you took control of my body, I’ve noticed my soul feels much larger than before, and I can cast magic much faster. I don’t know why that is?”
Teresa seemed to have made up her mind, stepping forward, her tone tinged with inquiry and deep anxiety.
Even if these changes brought her nothing but benefits, she didn’t like them, for she knew such changes couldn’t happen for no reason.
In secret, this Saintess before her must have paid some price!
However, Isavel didn’t give her the answer she wanted.
She only shook her head slowly, letting her black hair sway gently beside her cheeks, her tone as cold as ever:
“That’s a benefit. Don’t mind it. If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”
As she finished speaking, her gaze had already fallen back to the documents on the table, clearly not wishing to talk further.
Teresa hesitated for a moment, but in the end chose to leave and didn’t press further.
She knew her own changes, and the price Isavel had paid, were likely related to when she forcefully entered the Dungeon.
The oppression of Abyssal Magic was truly terrifying. Now, the Saintess was probably injured, or had been eroded by Abyssal Magic, her strength reduced to a mere fraction of what it was.
In such a state, even if she worried for her safety, she couldn’t ask about it.
Everything should proceed as usual. Only by doing so would the enemies of the Oracle Hall be less likely to discover the Saintess’s predicament, and not know she was injured.
If she wanted to know the answer, she’d have to seek it herself.
So, in the following days, Teresa made up many excuses and, as she did in the Academy, frequently visited the Saintess’ Resting Room. During those days, her suspicions grew even stronger.
Lately, Saintess Isavel had been going to rest much earlier.
Whenever she saw her in the afternoon, Isavel looked extremely tired, constantly rubbing her brow.
Most notably, her right hand was now covered by a black lace glove.
That was quite the change.
Aside from that, she also noticed Isavel had started to enjoy drinking calming herbal teas, and even placed a Magic Incense Burner in the resting room to help soothe the mind.
Based on this, Teresa deduced that Isavel must have been eroded by Abyssal Magic.
The consequences of being eroded by Abyssal Magic were documented in some ancient texts, and in her observations, Isavel’s current condition fit those descriptions perfectly.
As for her soul inexplicably growing stronger…it was likely because part of Isavel’s soul had merged with her own.
Even now, she couldn’t forget the feeling of her soul being filled up…it was a satisfaction that far surpassed any physical pleasure.
Ever since realizing Isavel was being eroded by Abyssal Magic, Teresa reduced her visits to the Saintess’ Resting Room and instead focused on studying special Soul Magic.
If possible, she wanted to help restore what Isavel had lost from her soul.
Very soon, the night of the full moon arrived.
Perhaps due to the influence of Abyssal Magic, the thin clouds in the night sky were tinged with a faint blood-red hue, and the silver moon had turned into the Red Moon, eerie and ominous.
On the night of the Red Moon, Abyssal Magic was especially restless.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Isavel’s forehead, and all her strength was focused on suppressing the encroaching magic—she was as weak as could be.
At times like this, she needed to hide alone and quietly endure.
She gave Renia a brief instruction, telling her to turn away all visitors, then hid herself in the back garden of the Oracle Hall, swinging alone while pondering the cause of the magical unrest.
……
Outside the Oracle Hall, maid Jenny stared at her lady in disbelief.
“Miss, so you suspect that Lady Isavel and Lady Selis are the same person?”
“Mm.”
After Nora nodded, Jenny stepped forward and put her hand on Nora’s forehead. Feeling the normal temperature, she frowned in confusion.
“That’s strange, you don’t have a fever, so why are you imagining such nonsense?”
Pa!
Nora slapped her hand away in annoyance, making Jenny rub her hand in grievance.
“I’m not imagining things. This is just how I truly feel.”
Seeing Nora’s persistence, Jenny folded her hands behind her back, recalling the appearance of the two Saintesses.
“Come on, forget appearances—their personalities are completely different. How could they possibly be the same person?”
“Different?” Nora shook her head. “No, that’s just a facade. To me, their personalities are the same.”
In her view, only those truly familiar with them would know that, in fact, their personalities were identical.
One appeared outwardly elegant and aloof, a villainous Saintess fiercely protective of her own, but beneath the surface had a gentle and kind heart.
Everything she did was for the sake of the Rose Knights’ growth.
And the other, a Saintess as warm as sunlight, was no different. What she gave the Rose Knights was love and care. That kind of holy radiance could not be faked!
They both loved the Rose Knights deeply. That was their common ground!
Of course, if it were just these things, Nora might still have doubted, but she actually possessed ironclad evidence!
“And I’m not just guessing. These days, when Isavel wasn’t at the Oracle Hall, neither was Selis. Isavel went to the Academy’s challenge tournament, but what about Selis?”
“Not a soul in the entire Oracle Hall knew where she was. Don’t you think that’s odd?”
Jenny was left speechless by Nora’s question.
After leaving the Mills Family, they had become mentors to the Rose Knights, and thus had been staying at the Oracle Hall.
During that time, they discovered that Saintess Selis was the real mysterious figure, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Normally, whether it was in her own residence or anywhere in the Oracle Hall, they could never find her.
Especially after Isavel left the Oracle Hall, they didn’t have a clue where she might be.
Not only that, when they asked maid Renia or other attendants, the answer was always “I don’t know.” It was truly strange.
If Nora hadn’t personally met her before, she’d have thought Selis was an imaginary person, made up for appearances, and didn’t exist at all in the Oracle Hall.
Just this much already felt like proof to Nora.
Moreover, aside from Selis’s whereabouts, there were many other clues. For example, Selis barely seemed to exist at the Oracle Hall—no one ever saw her living there, and so on.
In short, all the evidence pointed to a single theory—that Isavel and Selis were the same person.
With her conclusion set, Nora took a deep breath, left maid Jenny behind, and made her way alone to the Saintess’ Resting Room.
But maid Renia told her that the Saintess was not at the Oracle Hall.
Not here?
Nora found it odd.
The Rose Knights had all returned, so Saintess Isavel must have long since come back as well.
If she wasn’t here, had she gone to the Royal Palace?
She knew that the Saintess and Queen Flandre were quite close.
Perhaps so. It seemed she’d have to wait until next time to see Isavel.
Shaking her head, Nora left the Saintess’ Resting Room and wandered around the Oracle Hall.
It was when she reached the back garden that she saw the Saintess sitting on a swing.
Under the starry sky, the night wind carried the fragrance of flowers over the sea of blossoms, making the countless petals ripple like waves.
Amidst the flowers, a graceful figure sat on a vine-entwined swing, her dress floating in the breeze, almost blending into the night.
If not for her long black hair, just from the back, Nora would have thought she was Selis.
“Isavel?”
She called out her name—not loudly, but it was clear enough to reach the figure’s ears.
The Saintess’s delicate frame trembled slightly, as if only then noticing Nora’s arrival. She turned her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
“Nora?”
“So you are here? Why did Renia say you weren’t in the Oracle Hall?”
“…Maybe she just didn’t notice me.”
Averting her gaze, Isavel avoided Nora’s searching eyes, looking instead at the swaying shadows of the flowers nearby, her voice airy, as if dodging the question.
But this garden had more than one swing.
Nora didn’t pursue the matter, merely walking over in silence to sit on the empty swing beside her, the vines rustling beneath her weight.
After a while, she suddenly reached out and, without warning, grasped Isavel’s hands folded in her lap.
“…What is it?”
The touch made Isavel instinctively try to pull away, but Nora only held her tighter. Unable to break free, Isavel had no choice but to look up and meet Nora’s gaze.
At this moment, her strength was all but gone from suppressing the Abyssal Magic, making her no different from an ordinary person. If Nora didn’t let go, she couldn’t escape.
Gazing into her deep eyes, Nora pondered for a long while, then finally spoke, voicing the question that had long lingered in her heart:
“Ever since you saved me, I’ve had a question. Isavel, you and Selis…are you the same person?”
The night wind stilled, and the air fell silent.
Looking Nora in the eye, Isavel saw the sincerity there.
Then she curled her lips, a touch of the villainous Saintess’s allure on her smile, and asked with a teasing lilt:
“How amusing. So you really think…I’m her?”
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