Part 1: Saintess Candidate Arc

24. Purification Magic (1)

Translated by: S3

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As the sun rose, a single visitor arrived at the castle of the Holy Aurum Kingdom.

It was an unconventional time in the human world, with neither warning nor prior appointment, but fortunately, an audience was possible because the castle was already bustling with the search for Lily.

「A person claiming to be the First Prince of the Dragonewt Tribe living in the Plåta Mountain Range has arrived, requesting an audience with the son of Count Tinam.」

Noah, whose face twisted at the soldier's report, grumbled that it was not only an emergency but also incredibly rude, yet he couldn't ignore the title.

「Noah, what is your connection to him?」

「I don’t know anyone like that. It must be a case of mistaken identity.」

A new problem surged toward Noah, who was already exhausted from Lily’s disappearance.

He held his head, wondering what kind of harassment this was—a Dragonewt, a member of a race whose interaction with humans was forbidden, was visiting the castle with no prior acquaintance and specifically asking for him. All of this was Lily's fault, but Noah, having run around all night, couldn't quite connect the dots.

「I'll join you. If they are royalty, it’s not wise to send only Noah.」

「Ah, in that case, I will also accompany you. An opportunity like this is rare.」

Escorted by Arthur and Daniel, Noah headed to the guest's location.

Even upon entering the appointed room and meeting the actual guest, he was indeed a person Noah had no prior acquaintance with.

He had the appearance of a boy, with deep green hair and eyes like shining rubies. His fair, beautiful skin glowed faintly like a pearl, clearly marking him as non-human.

「A pleasure to meet you. My name is Elliot Zilber. Which of you is the son of Count Tinam, may I ask?」

Elliot's blunt greeting made Noah freeze in surprise.

「Lord Elliot. I am Arthur Aurum of the Holy Aurum Kingdom.」

「I asked who the son of Count Tinam is. Besides, my business is not with him, but with a girl named Lily.」

Therefore, whoever you are, it doesn't matter to me, he said with a smile.

(I see. So this is what Lily meant when she said their common sense was different.)

Arthur recalled the manners Lily had taught him for dealing with other races and nodded in understanding. Moreover, Elliot had come alone. That implied he possessed the ability to handle anything that might occur entirely by himself.

Arthur judged that a foolish argument should be avoided.

「In fact, Lily’s whereabouts became unknown, and we have been searching for her all night. However, we still haven’t found her. We are in a great deal of trouble.」

Arthur tried his best to speak to Elliot in a cooperative manner.

「Is that so? That is troubling.」

「Excuse me! I am Noah Tinam. Lord Elliot, do you know where Lily is?」

Realizing from the flow of the conversation that Elliot was also looking for Lily, Noah instinctively stepped forward and pleaded for confirmation.

「No. If I knew, I wouldn't have bothered coming here.」

「I see.」

「On the contrary, I would like to ask you if you have any leads. I wish to take her and return quickly.」

Noah was crestfallen upon finding no clue, but Elliot’s next statement was not something he could ignore.

「If you don’t mind me asking, what business do you have with Lily, Lord Elliot?」

「If she remains here, I won't be able to carry out the disposal, so I wish to take her with me. Even I cannot very well incinerate my benefactor.」

Elliot spoke of a dangerous thing in a light tone, as if discussing tomorrow's weather.

「I apologize for all the questions, but what exactly are you planning to dispose of?」

Arthur carefully checked with Elliot, taking care not to offend him.

「This country. Last night, this country committed an unpardonable atrocity.」

At those words, Arthur held up a hand to restrain the startled and hostile reactions of Daniel and Noah, who had been standing by.

He slowly knelt, bringing his gaze below Elliot's. Then, he politely made a request, ensuring he didn't damage Elliot's mood.

「Lord Elliot. Would you be so kind as to tell us the details? This is a matter we are completely unaware of.」

Tilting his head in puzzlement, Elliot stared back at Arthur’s face for a moment.

***

In the early morning, during the time she usually spent on her morning routine (skincare) in her room, Poppy was walking by the castle entrance. Since the academy was currently on spring break, Poppy was diligently working on her duties as a Saintess Candidate every day.

(Well, the truth is, I don't really have to do it every day.)

However, since taking a break from her duties as a Saintess Candidate would reduce the days she could see Arthur, Poppy was voluntarily carrying out daily activities. Despite this, she hadn't seen Arthur at all, so today she changed her start time to the early morning and launched her "surprise attack" strategy.

「But it's strange. The castle seems to have more people than usual for my working hours.」

It was convenient that no one paid any attention to Poppy and rushed past her. She had to be especially careful not to be spotted by Noah, or he would snatch the documents she had painstakingly prepared.

(Hee-hee. It took me so much time just to categorize the problems and issues I heard at the church and rearrange them in order of importance.)

Since then, Poppy had been searching for Arthur's troubles and had found what she believed to be the root of them. Due to his position, he was often forced to deal with all sorts of problems. Therefore, he must be looking for someone who would listen, stand by his side, and help him solve them.

(Arthur-sama's only aide is Noah-kun, who only recently took the position. If so, there must be a window for a helpful Saintess Candidate to step in.)

If these documents proved that Poppy could be useful, Arthur would surely make time in his schedule to speak with her. Lily, another Saintess Candidate, was having lunch with him during his break, so Poppy could even replace her.

Furthermore, Olivia’s recent, noticeable accomplishments had also been a concern for her.

――Lily-chan is still a child, so she couldn't possibly manage to be a Saintess, and all Lady Olivia wants is to gain popularity. No one is actually thinking about Arthur-sama!

Yes, among the three of them, she was the only one whose actions were truly for Arthur's sake. Therefore, she must be the one most suited to be by his side. That proof she would quickly show to Arthur.

Poppy walked briskly, cautiously checking her surroundings just in case.

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