Part 1: Saintess Candidate Arc
Prologue
Translated by: S3
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「So the Crown Prince has broken off his engagement, I hear. And the compensation he got was a pittance. What a downright insulting affair, isn't it?」
In Metau Town, located just two days' hard ride from the royal capital, the talk of the town was now the rumor of their own Crown Prince's broken engagement.
If a traveler stopped at a simple stall—just cloth draped over a wooden frame—to get some food, the vendor would proudly spread the gossip.
Because of this, the story traveled from the mouths of those journeying east and west, spreading throughout the kingdom and then beyond its borders.
「Oh my. That famous Crown Prince broke off his engagement, you say?」
When met with such a response, the vendor would elaborate with all the details they knew.
Now, this Holy Aurum Kingdom is a country located right in the center of a vast continent that stretches wide from east to west. The continent is narrowest at its center, then spreads out significantly to the west and east, with several small islands dotting the surrounding seas.
It seems people live on those small island nations too, and they travel all the long way to the Holy Aurum Kingdom. No, not just the island nations—the Holy Aurum Kingdom is so famous that people from across the entire continent are said to visit it at least once in their lifetime.
The reason lies in the kingdom's location.
Situated in the center of the continent, with the Prata Mountain Range to the north and the Nogrey Forest Sea to the south. In other words, on the slightly narrow, elongated stretch of land on the continent, the Prata Mountain Range, the Holy Aurum Kingdom, and then the Nogrey Forest Sea lie in sequence.
The northern Prata Mountain Range is famous for its steep, jagged peaks shrouded in clouds, perpetually covered in snow. It's also renowned as the mountain where the ancient race of Dragonewts and dragons live.
The southern Nogrey Forest Sea is infamous as a place where, once you set foot inside, you're doomed to wander for days on end.
Common sense dictates avoiding both if one's journey has a legitimate purpose. If a traveler passed through the Prata Mountain Range or the Nogrey Forest Sea, you could say they had a pretty compelling reason.
They're dangerous to enter. And the occasional people you meet are dangerous too. With that, nobody would willingly set foot in the mountains or the forest sea.
When people cross the continent from west to east or east to west, they naturally choose to go via the Holy Aurum Kingdom. Consequently, the Holy Aurum Kingdom became famous as a country everyone visits at least once.
Furthermore, seeing the gathering of people as an opportunity, merchants from all over the continent vied to reach the Holy Aurum Kingdom. They would bring their local specialties, do business for a set period, then procure goods and return to their homelands.
Items that sold for a pittance in their own countries fetched high prices here. People seeking those goods could obtain them by making the trip to the Holy Aurum Kingdom, without having to travel all the way to distant production sites.
For merchants, it was a dreamland teeming with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and thanks to them, the Holy Aurum Kingdom was even called a paradise where anything could be obtained.
As a result, even the towns one passes through before crossing the border and reaching the royal capital of the Holy Aurum Kingdom were lined with shops catering to travelers, with people coming and going. Everywhere was brimming with vitality, speaking to the country's prosperity.
「Still, this country's Crown Prince is reputed to be very capable, right? Why did he break off the engagement? Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm from the Raljan Kingdom out in the western reaches. Just the other day, our Seventh Prince broke off his trendy engagement, was disinherited, and kicked out of the country.」
「Oh my. Your country has it rough too. But you see. Our Crown Prince is a far cry from your run-of-the-mill princes!」
While the traveler spoke of his country's scandal with a weary expression, the vendor, her cheeks flushed, praised her country's Crown Prince.
「Crown Prince Arthur Aurum, the First Prince of the Holy Aurum Kingdom, you see, is a beautiful prince with golden hair and sapphire-like eyes. He's famous for his wonderful looks, as if he stepped right out of a story, he's our proud Crown Prince! And on top of that, he's a skilled mage rivaling the founding Holy King! At just seventeen years old, he's already handling affairs of state!」
All the people boasted that the era of Crown Prince Arthur would be one of stability.
「Then why on earth did he break off the engagement?」
「Don't you dare compare him to that good-for-nothing prince of yours! Prince Arthur became engaged to the Second Princess of the Auro Empire when he concluded a peace treaty with them! But then, haven't you heard? The story is that the Auro Empire was invaded overnight by the northern armed nation, Zolata! Half a month ago, an envoy from the Auro Empire came, shoved a one-sided engagement annulment and compensation payment at us, and left as if fleeing!」
At the vendor's outburst, the traveler gasped.
「What?! I came to the Holy Aurum Kingdom from the west planning to head for the Auro Empire! What am I supposed to do now!」
Learning that his destination country was at war, the traveler visibly panicked. In this situation, the Crown Prince's engagement scandal and such became utterly unimportant as he racked his brains.
「Well, no rumors have reached us about the actual state of the Auro Empire, you see. Why not take it easy in the Holy Aurum Kingdom for a while? We have an inn here too, shall I introduce you?」
「Much obliged. Please do.」
Whether the Auro Empire was engulfed in war or not, this was the distant Holy Aurum Kingdom. Moreover, being in Metau Town, far from the royal capital, even if he moved from here to the capital, it shouldn't be a problem.
But because the traveler's heart, having lost its purpose, was occupied by anxiety, the kind vendor's proposal before him seemed like a single ray of light in the darkness, like a helping hand filled with compassion and friendship.
「Thank you for your patronage!」 Swept along by the vendor's smooth sales talk, the traveler quickly decided on the inn and settled in to stay.
While listening to that fluent service talk, a girl selecting tomatoes for her lunch was intently focusing on catching every single word of the vendor's story.
「Hey, ma'am. Is it true that after breaking the engagement, the Crown Prince put out a call for a Saint?」
While waiting to pay after handing over her items, the girl tried to continue the conversation with the vendor.
「You're well-informed, little miss. Yes, yes, apparently they put out a call to hire anyone who can use light magic as a Saint. It's quite stylish that they're not distinguishing between commoners and nobles. And what's more, they say if you're chosen as the Saint, you'll automatically become the Crown Princess too!」
Wishing she were ten years younger so she could have tried herself, the vendor handed over a paper bag of vegetables with a dreamy look.
「Ma'am, can you use light magic?」
「Nah. I can't use magic at all.」
Then you don't meet the requirements, so it's impossible, right? the girl retorted in her mind.
「Here's your change. You're a new face, little miss. Are you a traveler staying in Metau Town tonight? Have you decided on an inn yet?」
To the vendor recommending an inn, the girl smiled sweetly.
「I'll be moving on to the next town after lunch, so no thank you. If I leave around noon, I can make it to two more towns.」
As if her business was concluded, the vendor averted her gaze from the girl to attend to the next customer.
The girl who left the shop—her name was Lily. She had just turned thirteen years old, at that point where her body was beginning its slight transition from girl to young woman.
In other words, she had no curves to speak of yet, and no waistline either.
Her healthy-looking skin and lustrous brown hair gave her a common appearance, but her hazel eyes held an intelligent light. Wearing her favorite floral-patterned bandana on her head, she pretended to be a town girl running errands, going from stall to stall while listening in on the conversations between vendors and travelers.
When other customers finished talking at a stallfront, she would hold out the lettuce she was carrying and strike up a conversation with the vendor. By purchasing one item at each place she visited and talking to the vendors, she managed to collect all the rumors that could be heard in Metau Town.
--The invasion of the Auro Empire by the armed nation Zolata, located in the east of the continent.
--The one-sided annulment of the engagement from the Second Princess of the Auro Empire to the Crown Prince of the Holy Aurum Kingdom.
--The recruitment of a Saint, with no regard for social status.
It seemed that at every shop, these three topics were generally being embellished and gossiped about in an amusing manner.
「The eastern nations only have countries larger than the Holy Aurum Kingdom. There's no sense of tension about the war starting. It's so frustrating.」
The vast eastern lands, the largest on the continent, were home to four major nations. And it was there that conflict had broken out.
Even though the sparks had already flown with the annulment of the engagement between the Crown Prince and the Second Princess—the symbol of the peace treaty—the majority of the rumors were dominated by the festive uproar over the recruitment of the Saint and Crown Princess. For the general public, the war in a neighboring country was probably still just a fire on the opposite shore.
「It must be nice for those who are unaffected.」
Having finished her shopping, Lily left the marketplace and walked toward the edge of town.
Because of this war, Lily's father and mother, who had been stationed at the Western Fortress, were transferred to the Eastern Fortress.
The western part of the continent was crowded with small nations, their borders constantly shifting, with countries being born and disappearing, redrawing the map. Because of this, people driven from their countries became refugees and drifters, and those who reluctantly turned to crime were endless. While there were no major battles, daily skirmishes with petty villains like robbers and thieves occurred frequently.
When comparing west and east, until now, the Western Fortress was considered the more dangerous posting.
However, now that conflict had begun among the major eastern nations and the peace treaty had been annulled, capable personnel were being gathered at the Eastern Fortress.
「Ugh. No matter what, I want to go to the Eastern Fortress with everyone.」
Her parents were scheduled to go to the Eastern Fortress via the royal capital. And their only daughter, Lily, was to be left behind in the royal capital due to certain circumstances. She had already asked her parents many times during the journey to take her with them, but they absolutely refused to permit it. And she understood the reason too.
But being separated from her family, the only one left behind, caused unbearable anxiety for Lily, who had just turned thirteen.
「Moreover, the work I'm supposed to help with in the royal capital seems somewhat suspicious. I hate this.」
As she approached the royal capital, the rumors she heard—the recruitment of a Saint—stimulated Lily's sixth sense.
---The fear that the job she had been invited to might have somehow been switched to the recruitment for the Saint and Crown Princess. Such anxiety was spreading within Lily's heart.
Rewind to half a year ago, when a letter arrived for Lily from the Tinam Count family, her mother's娘家. The sender was Noah, the second son of the current Count Tinam and her cousin.
「There's some temporary work at the castle—not urgent, but they're looking for light magic users. If you're interested, why not come help out and do some sightseeing too?」
It was a job offer from a relative they were on good terms with, but Lily, who helped out at the Western Fortress, refused without much deliberation.
「The Western Fortress is short-handed and busy, so I can't. Please look for someone else.」
And she thought that was the end of the matter. But the content of the next letter was this:
「In that case, I've arranged for reinforcements, so you'll have some free time, right?」
Along with that letter, for the first time in three years, new recruits were assigned to the Western Fortress. Right after their repeated requests for more personnel had been denied due to a lack of willing applicants, the sudden assignment sent a shock through the Western Fortress.
At that time, Lily, who hadn't told anyone about the letter's contents yet, found it difficult to consult with anyone around her.
After that, Lily was put in charge of training the new recruits, so she sent this reply to her cousin:
「I've been put in charge of training the new recruits, so I've become even busier. Therefore, I will not be coming.」
The reply to that letter came back at top speed.
「In that case, I've sent a veteran as reinforcement. I'm counting on you.」
The young man who delivered that letter was said to be a rising star among the royal guards. And he said he was staying, having been assigned to the Western Fortress.
The shock that ran through the Western Fortress was incomparable to the previous one. It was such a major event that Count Cople, who was in charge of the fortress, hurriedly set out for the royal capital to confirm the facts.
(What should I do. What should I do. What should I do.)
Her relationship with her cousin, whom she had only met a few times in her memory, wasn't bad. He was very kind and definitely not the type of person to use force to get his way.
So what was the meaning of this treatment? Feeling terror at his impressive methods and crushed by anxiety, Lily, after going in circles, reached a certain conclusion.
---Alright! Let's pretend it never happened!
It was Lily's long-standing bad habit to stop thinking when things became inconvenient and focus only on the matter immediately at hand. About two weeks had passed without her sending a reply.
Count Cople returned from his trip to the royal capital, gave a letter to her parents, and the fact that Lily had been ignoring the communication was exposed.
But there was even worse news, and the Western Fortress was in an uproar.
---Signs of conflict in the eastern nations. Gather excellent soldiers promptly and send them to the Eastern Fortress.
Such a notice had been issued throughout the kingdom.
And so, it was decided that her father Adam, an excellent captain at the Western Fortress, and her mother Emma, the excellent head of the medical team, would be transferred to the Eastern Fortress. Next, the recently assigned new recruit and the former rising star of the royal guards were also scheduled to go to the Eastern Fortress. Other friendly soldiers who doted on Lily and had achieved merits in Adam's unit were also one after another being transferred to the Eastern Fortress.
「D-did this happen because I refused Cousin Noah's job offer?」
The timing was so perfect that it felt as if all of this was the result of her own misdeeds. Trembling, Lily confessed everything to Adam.
「That's not it. Our transfer is because the major nations in the east have started fighting. And the job offer from the capital that came for you was probably just a coincidence.」
「I-is that so? Then, I want to go to the Eastern Fortress with everyone and help too.」
At Lily's words, the rugged soldiers preparing for departure inadvertently stopped moving.
「I always heal everyone's injuries. My healing magic is useful. Please take me with you.」
The poignancy of a thirteen-year-old girl declaring she would fight alongside them was powerful enough to blow away the dissatisfaction of the soldiers being sent from the Western to the Eastern Fortress and warm their hearts. Because of this incident, there was no one left who grumbled invisibly or dragged their feet preparing for the move.
*It's fine. It's not a big deal. It'll be okay.*
If they didn't maintain that bright, forward-looking atmosphere, this girl would absolutely follow them to the Eastern Fortress for their sake. Everyone knew she was that kind of girl.
And that was something nobody at the Western Fortress wanted.
「We don't know the situation over there, so until we do, you should stay in the royal capital.」
「No! I'm definitely going with you!」
Already full of anxiety, and now being the only one not being taken along, Lily went into a complete panic. To persuade her parents, who wouldn't listen no matter how much she cried or screamed, she went around asking every soldier she knew to help plead her case.
But every single one of them told Lily it was better to stay in the royal capital. Listen to your parents, they said.
These were words spoken from genuine caring, from the heart, because they cherished Lily and didn't want her to face danger.
Having been turned down by the comrades she had fought alongside for years at the Western Fortress, Lily felt the despair of being the only one abandoned. Eventually, realizing there was nothing to be done, she reluctantly agreed to remain in the royal capital.
And then, while on the road heading for the royal capital, hearing the new rumors about light magic and the Saint, Lily prayed that it had nothing to do with the job waiting for her in the capital.
---The fear that the job she had been invited to might have somehow been switched to the recruitment for the Saint and Crown Princess. Such anxiety was spreading within Lily's heart.
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