The Saint’s Wish

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*****

「And the name of the person being blackmailed?」

「It is Lady Teresalo, daughter of the House of Baron Traff.」

The moment Wellmy spoke the name, the girl stepped forward diffidently.

The noblemen surrounding them pulled back slightly to widen the circle, but one among them remained positioned directly behind Teresalo as she offered a clumsy, faltering curtsy to His Majesty beside Wellmy.

He was Knight Bachelor Sophoyl Enderlen.

Among the men who had surrounded Wellmy, he was the eldest, a young man five years her senior. He held the lowest rank, yet at the same time, he was the one who had earned the most distinguished military merit.

Originally the third son of the House of Baron Enderlen, he had been recruited into the Royal Knights due to his outstanding academic performance during his student years. Later, he caught the eye of a man serving as a commander in the Frontier Knights and was assigned to a unit specializing in hunting magic beasts—a duty dangerous in a different sense than mere skirmishes with foreign soldiers.

Due to his remarkable performance there, he had recently been transferred to the Royal Magic Beast Extermination Expeditionary Force, which protects the entire realm from high-ranking magic beast threats, and was subsequently awarded the title of Knight Bachelor.

---He was Teresalo’s childhood friend.

Wellmy had heard that they were engaged before her talent as a Saint was recognized.

He was a large young man with narrow eyes and rustic features. While one could hardly call him handsome, he possessed a calm and broad-minded air. Wellmy knew all too well that quiet individuals like him were the most terrifying when angered. Olea—formerly a maid to both sisters and now serving Lola exclusively—was the quintessential example of that type.

「Lady Teresalo.」

「Yes...」

Wellmy returned her focus to the present as the girl raised her head in response to the King’s address.

「Are Lady Wellmy’s words correct?」

「Yes... I—I was being blackmailed by Lord Deltrate... and because of that, I... well, to the majority of the gentlemen currently protecting Lady Wellmy...」

Teresalo clasped her hands tightly together, trembling as she closed her eyes.

The Saint candidate, small and adorable in impression, was somewhat lacking in her mastery of etiquette, but as she was of lower nobility, it was only natural for her to be overwhelmed with nerves in such a public setting.

Taking a deep breath, Teresalo confessed her sin.

「To the majority of them—I cast the "Sacred Art of Enchantment"...!」

At those words, everyone truly gasped. Even Dalistia’s eyes widened at this unexpected confession.

The "Sacred Art of Enchantment" was said to be a gift bestowed by God upon His beloved children.

By comparison, the "Forbidden Magic of Allurement"—a similar but forbidden spell—stimulates the target's carnal desires and shatters their consciousness to make them one’s captive. The "Sacred Art of Enchantment," however, imposes a vow upon the target never to harm the Saint and instills a will to offer their loyalty as a knight.

It was believed to be granted so that the Guardian Knights, whose duty it is to protect the Saint, would never harm her under any circumstances; as such, it was fundamentally forbidden to use it on anyone without the Church's permission.

While it does influence the mind, it merely brings about a vow not to harm the Saint. Although the targets will follow orders to fulfill the Saint's wishes out of loyalty to some extent, it does not obstruct their free will.

Furthermore, there were two other reasons why it was recognized as a Sacred Art. First, even if the Saint should die and the spell be broken, no lasting mental abnormalities remain. Second, without exception, the girls who wield this power do not possess the type of temperament that would allow them to exercise it for their own selfish desires.

However, that was not what surprised everyone.

「You have already mastered the "Sacred Art of Enchantment"...?」

「Yes...」

Teresalo was shivering.

Among the arts wielded by Saints, Wellmy had heard that the "Sacred Art of Enchantment" was extremely difficult to master. Even among the Saints of history, the number of practitioners could be counted on one hand. It could only be attained when three things were present: a spirit of devout prayer, a peerless innate talent, and sincere, diligent training.

No matter how much she possessed the peach-colored hair and silver eyes that marked the highest tier of Saints, it was abnormal for Teresalo—who was only a Saint candidate—to be wielding such power.

(Well, Teresalo wanted to keep it a secret, after all...)

That didn't mean she wanted to hide it so she could run wild and do as she pleased. If it were discovered that she could use this art, she would almost certainly be enshrined as a Saint.

That would mean Teresalo would have to part from the people she loved and dedicate her entire life to the Temple and her mission.

She was only sixteen. A student of the Royal Academy in the same year as the Second Prince, Tygrim, and had only just completed her debutante ball.

(At the very least, until I graduate from the Academy.)

That was her wish, and simultaneously, it was the secret that had triggered this entire incident.

*****

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