Chapter 631
Lete, now dressed in the pure-white uniform of Efnelle, stepped forward.
Her once grayish ash hair had returned to snow-like purity, cascading down in waves.
“Please take care of my protection.”
Simon, who had been watching absentmindedly, snapped back to his senses and nodded.
“Ah, yeah! Leave it to me.”
While she was using Starfall, she would be completely defenseless. It was Simon’s role to guard her during that time.
Lete gave a playful smile.
“Judging by how flustered you are, you don’t inspire much confidence.”
Simon cleared his throat with an awkward cough.
“Don’t worry.”
“Alright.”
Lete nodded, took in the night view of Roke Island, and drew a deep breath.
“I’ll trust you.”
She exhaled softly, clasped her hands tightly together, and closed her eyes.
Simon thought she looked like a painting. Normally cold and curt, she completely changed when she prayed.
Shaaa—
The sound of grass rustling filled the air.
“O Great Mother of All Things.”
With each line of prayer, a white magic circle spread beneath her feet. Circles overlapped in real time, and soon the entire area was filled with radiant white letters.
Then, releasing her hands, she slowly raised her arms toward the sky, extending her index finger.
‘The stars…!’
They began to move according to her command.
All the stars fixed in the sky shot outward, leaving behind long tails of light.
The March of the Stars.
Witnessing the sight for the first time in his life, Simon could only gape in awe. The trails of starlight created a magnificent spectacle.
Wooooong!
The magic circles beneath her feet resonated. As she drew maps in the sky with stars, they were mirrored precisely in her magic circles.
Through the Saint’s power, the authority of the stars took the form of constellations.
‘Incredible.’
Though Simon wasn’t deeply knowledgeable in holy magic, even he could tell that each of these constellations held magical significance.
Sway, sway.
Eyes closed, Lete smiled faintly as if enjoying herself, guiding the stars with her fingertips. Her snowflake-like hair danced in the wind, and her rounded shoulders swayed lightly in rhythm.
An exquisitely beautiful sight.
The stars sang.
“I can feel people’s hearts.”
Her voice carried joy.
“Even those in the Dark Alliance… they must be making wishes upon the stars.”
“Ah, yeah. That’s true.”
“No matter where people live, they’re all the same, aren’t they?”
Lete, happily waving her hands, suddenly brought both arms together and stretched them upward.
Fwaaaaaaah—!
All the circuits drawn in constellation form converged into a single circle.
It was the very circle beneath Lete’s feet.
And when the circuits aligned with her magic circle.
‘Ah.’
The night sky opened.
Blinding starlight, too dazzling to behold, illuminated only Lete in this world. Bathed in the spotlight, she knelt gracefully on the grass and continued her prayer.
Wooooooong!
The final magic circle burst with radiant light. Simon stepped back, unable to disturb her.
At last—
Srrrrrrrr!
The spell she had woven from the night sky returned to its original place. The stars, the Milky Way, the meteors—all returned to normal.
Her fluttering hair slowly settled back onto her shoulders, and her clasped hands released, resting neatly upon her knees.
Finally, she opened her eyes, revealing dazzling golden irises. A soft breath escaped her lips.
Simon quickly approached.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Though she spoke casually, her expression seemed troubled.
“Good work.”
Simon smiled warmly and extended his hand.
Lete, who had been about to brush his hand away as before, gradually slowed. Then, she placed just her index and middle finger atop his palm, using it as leverage to rise on her own.
“Did you find out anything?”
Simon asked anxiously. Lete brushed aside her long hair with a pensive look before finally speaking.
“From my observation… there are nine people on this island with Holiness besides myself.”
The remnants of the magic circles still faintly lingered. She gracefully walked a few steps, pointing in a direction.
“Six are to the west. These people are…”
“Yeah, that’s Professor Farahan and his assistants.”
They were converts officially affiliated with Keyzen, teaching Defense Against Holiness. Lete turned her finger south.
“And one in the southern cave.”
“That’s Professor Grerion’s cave. The Saint of Harvest resides there.”
“Correct. And one in the northern base, surrounded by necromancers.”
Simon immediately realized.
“The northern base? Then that must be the priest we captured.”
“Yes. Which means the last one—”
She raised her fingertip as her clear voice trailed off. Simon swallowed nervously, waiting for her to continue.
Tok—
Lete pressed her index finger against Simon’s forehead and smiled brightly.
“You.”
Simon’s face turned crimson. Lowering her hand, she smirked playfully and crossed her arms.
“It seems obvious now.”
“Wait, then…!”
“Yes, yes.”
Her voice softened.
“Ever Kire is not on this island.”
* * *
Simon carried the exhausted Lete down the mountain after her Starfall.
Fortunately, they encountered neither monsters nor wardens and safely reached the secure zone.
He escorted her further to the base camp, Grerion’s cave.
—Shall I drop you off here?
—Yes. Thank you for bringing me.
Since being seen together would raise suspicion, Simon immediately returned to the dormitory, while Lete walked alone into the cave.
—Saint!
The necromancer agents, having seen the stars trembling above, already knew she had used Starfall. She entered the cave and reported her findings at once to Neftis’ agents.
Her observation: nine.
Of course, Lete omitted Simon from the report, including herself in the count instead. Those with Holiness were Farahan and his assistants, the captured priest, and the Saint of Harvest.
No other holy users.
Thus, the conclusion was clear: Ever Kire was not on this island.
—Could it be true that Ever Kire was injured and escaped?
—A misfortune, but still a relief.
When it came to holiness, as a Saint she was the continent’s highest authority, and unless one doubted her directly, the weight of her words was absolute. Even Keyzen aligned itself with her conclusion—that Ever Kire was not on the island.
—If that still doesn’t bring peace of mind, I’ll perform it again tomorrow evening.
In any case, Lete had to remain on Roke Island until the Saint of Harvest recovered. With her body severed by a supernatural ability, it was far too dangerous for the Saint to endure teleportation magic.
And so, dawn of the next day arrived.
New orders from Neftis came down.
Since the Saint herself had confirmed that Ever Kire was not on Roke Island, beginning on the fourth day, all ship traffic would be prohibited.
Once again, the seas around Roke Island heaved with towering waves and violent currents.
—What kind of law is this?!
—You’re saying we can’t go back in?
Tourists who had briefly stepped out of the island, and merchants who had come to deliver goods, protested in alarm at Keyzen’s decision. But Keyzen merely claimed it was unavoidable for security reasons, compensated them appropriately, and sent them away.
All teleportation circles inside Roke Island were also suspended. Until the day the Dark Emperor concluded, they would maintain an impenetrable security net, cutting off all outside intrusion.
That morning, Simon, who had entered Grerion’s cave, was also briefed by Kajan.
“Looks like we can finally breathe a little easier.”
Kajan muttered as he scratched the scar under his eye.
“Yes. Sealing off Roke Island was a wise choice.”
Simon agreed that it was a solid decision. If Ever Kire truly had been wounded by the Saint of Harvest’s counterattack and had escaped the island, re-entering would be no easy feat.
The distance from the mainland to Roke Island was considerable.
To get back, one would have to overcome raging tides, barriers, and the surveillance network covering the sea. Reality manipulation would have to be maintained continuously just to reach the island. Not only was entry difficult, but arriving exhausted and drained of power was almost certain.
“But still—”
Simon folded his arms, groaning softly.
“The problem is… what if Ever Kire never left the island at all?”
“What?”
From her seat a short distance away, Lete—sitting with legs crossed and a displeased look—snapped her eyes open.
“You’re saying you don’t trust the Saint’s authority I just invoked? Huh?”
“N-no! That’s not what I meant, Saint!”
She was back to putting on her prickly Saint act again.
Complaining about necromancers being disgusting, telling him not to come near because of the stench of corpses, and fussing over every little thing—she played the part with flair.
‘At this point, isn’t that her real personality?’
Simon was sweating nervously inside.
“It’s true the situation is better than before, but until the Dark Emperor ends, we can’t afford to lower our guard.”
Step, step.
Just then, Alastair, the Crow agent and commander of the site, entered.
All the necromancer operatives bowed their heads at once, but Lete only snorted and ignored him.
“As the Student Council President says, we cannot rule out the possibility that Ever Kire has found a way to completely conceal her holiness with her ability. We ask that the Saint assist in further searches over the next few days.”
“Tch. I come here out of goodwill, and you people work me to the bone.”
Lete slouched insolently into a seat, pretending to pick her ear.
“Fine. If you’re that worried, I’ll help. But I have conditions.”
“State them.”
“First, stop making me pretend to be some noble’s daughter. It’s irritating and troublesome.”
She tossed the nearby dress to the ground with a flick.
“And I don’t want to be paraded around with a whole escort entourage. That just draws attention. With Ever Kire gone, there’s no need for that much security, is there?”
“Then what do you propose?”
“I’ll just wander around alone, posing as a tourist, and do the searching myself.”
She rose from her seat.
“I’ll start with crowded places, like the arenas. I’ll sweep every corner.”
“…Hmm. If that is the assistance you’re willing to give, then it is appreciated.”
After all, she was helping purely out of goodwill to prevent war. They were hardly in a position to make coercive demands of a Saint.
Besides, with Keyzen also leaning toward the conclusion that Ever Kire wasn’t present, the situation was far less urgent than the day before, and their vigilance had eased somewhat.
Lete nodded and started walking out of the cave.
“Ah.”
She suddenly stopped and glanced back.
“Come to think of it, I don’t know the layout here. I’ll need at least one guide.”
“Then I’ll assign you an agent.”
“Forget it. Walking around alone with a bearded old man would look ridiculous.”
Her eyes scanned the area with a sigh of annoyance before landing on one person.
“You. Student.”
Simon, startled, pointed to himself.
“…M-me?”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters