Chapter 5: The Saint’s Development
Some time passed, and soon it became time for Rio and the others to depart from the Karasuki Kingdom for the Strahl region once more.
Far away in the Strahl region, five people were walking through the Galarc Kingdom’s trade capital of Amande, home to the headquarters of the Ricca Guild. They were all dressed in travel clothes; one of them was Saint Erica, who had visited the Proxia Castle by herself just the other day.
“This is Amande. A rather bustling city, it seems.”
Erica looked around at the cityscape, impressed by what she saw. The expressions of the people she passed were all energetic and lively, and the many patrolling soldiers meant the public order in the city was good too. Either the streets were well maintained or the residents were highly conscious of appearances, as there was no rubbish on the streets or strange smells coming from the alleyways, making the city appear quite beautiful.
“The faces of the people are bright, though not as much as those of our nation. The rumored noble lady governing this city must be quite good at her job, Lady Erica,” the female swordsman accompanying Erica said to her. The others around them also gave their approval for Amande in pleasant surprise.
However, none of them were willing to back down from their stance of their newly established motherland being better. Part of the reason was because of their pride, but the biggest reason was because they worshipped Erica as their saint. As people who were guided by Saint Erica, their lives were naturally better—this was something they believed without any doubt.
The four accompanying Erica were voluntary followers, here to protect her as an elite guard. Among them were those who were born as nobility, people who had served the original kingdom that Erica destroyed, religiously converted after being guided by Erica’s numerous miracles and teachings.
“I don’t doubt that our people are living better either. However, this isn’t just the work of good governing. We’ve traveled through many cities, but has there ever been one this developed? We should refer to this city for the development of our own nation, don’t you think?” Erica said, correcting the mistake her followers had made.
“Indeed...”
“If we could reproduce this splendid city in our own nation...”
“We should speak to the person who developed this city.”
The followers didn’t deny it. They always believed the words of the saint were true, and everything they said was always based on this premise.
Erica ignored them.
The standard of this city is far above the average of a Strahl city. There’s no way it could have developed this much without someone’s guidance. The only thing I thought was worth using was the Ricca Guild and the title of its head, but... Liselotte Cretia, huh? My interest has been piqued.
She found herself having a personal interest in Liselotte, the governor of Amande and president of the Ricca Guild. Her mouth twisted.
“Hey, you pretty adventurer ladies...and the pretty black-haired lady over there!”
A stall owner called out to Erica’s party. Their travel clothes seemed to have made him assume they were adventurers.
“...Me?” Erica pointed to herself. Black-haired people were extremely rare in the Strahl region. Her attention caught by the word “black-haired,” Erica looked around the area for anyone else fitting that criteria, but there was only herself. Figuring the man was just selling his stall product, Erica looked away again in disinterest.
“How about some of Amande’s famous soup pasta?”
“Pasta, you say...? The product you’re selling is... Hmm.” Erica seemed to think something after hearing the stall owner pronounce “pasta” and looked over at the ingredients behind the counter. Her eyes widened when she spotted the rod-shaped dried noodles and she immediately paused to think.
“I sell soup pasta here. Ha ha, I bet this is your first time seeing pasta!”
“That’s not the case, but... Pasta, hmm. If you don’t mind, could you show me the way you say that more clearly?”
Erica’s attention was still focused on the sound of the word “pasta.” She fixed her gaze on the man’s lips to confirm the word he was saying.
“S-Sure? P-Pasta?” Under her observant gaze, the stall owner repeated the product name in confusion.
“And just to confirm, this is how you say pasta...?”
Erica kept the dried noodles in the stall within her view while staring at the man’s mouth and confirming the fact once again.
“Y-Yeah. What’s the big deal? You’re pretty, but you’re a weird one, miss.” The man’s confusion only increased with the repeated questions and Erica’s fixed gaze on his mouth.
“Pardon my rudeness... I was just a little curious. May I have one order of soup pasta? It’s just about lunchtime, so we may as well eat here. Please make a serving for all of us.” Erica smiled warmly to ease the man’s caution.
“S-Sure. Coming right up!” The man nodded, slightly startled.
“May I watch you make it as well?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“Thank you very much.” Erica walked past the stall counter and stared at all the cooking utensils from beside the stall owner. She then fixed her gaze on the dried noodles once more.
“By the way, you called this Amande’s ‘famous pasta’ earlier. Who was the one who invented this?” she asked the owner.
“Hmm? Oh, this ingredient was invented by the Amande governor and Ricca Guild president, Lady Liselotte Cretia. It started selling in Amande several years ago, and now it’s a staple food as common as bread in this city. The neighboring kingdoms have started to use this ingredient more as well,” the stall owner answered proudly.
“I see. Only a few years ago, huh...”
“What’s wrong? You seem oddly pleased.” The stall owner’s eyes widened slightly, peering at Erica’s face.
“Nothing. I’m just glad I made the trip to this city. Thanks to that, I’m about to be blessed by a very good meeting,” Erica said, the corners of her mouth rising in a grin.
◇ ◇ ◇
Roughly one hour later, inside an office at the Amande governor building...
“Say, Aria... Isn’t there a strangely large amount of paperwork today?” Liselotte had just finished her lunch and sat down in her office to do work, when her expression twitched at the mountain of paperwork on her desk.
“They’re documents for the beginning of the mass production of the soap products Sir Amakawa designed. We’re halting the production of the Guild’s current soap products and expanding operations, so the documents mounted up,” Aria answered smoothly, having skimmed the paperwork in advance. They were discarding the old production line and starting over from scratch, so everything from the continued employment of the old workers to the cost calculations of the new hires had to be checked.
“Ah, I see. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad...” Liselotte chuckled with a strained smile. Because she was hesitant before the stack of papers, she was having trouble getting started.
“Give up and begin your work already.”
“I-I know...” At Aria’s sigh, Liselotte pouted cutely. She normally acted maturely, so it wasn’t a gesture she would show before others, but when she was in front of Aria she showed girlish expressions appropriate for her age.
“Let’s clean this up.” With that said, Liselotte finally reached for the mountain of papers. It was at that moment when someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Liselotte looked at the door and gave her permission for whomever it was to enter. It was the newest attendant-in-training, Chloe.
“A visitor has arrived without an appointment, saying she wants to visit the head of the Ricca Guild. She’s at the gate of the noble district right now, and...I’ve never heard of her before, but she says she’s Saint Erica.”
There were quite a few great figures throughout history referred to as saints, but when it came to those alive in the modern day, that number reduced significantly. If an unknown person was a self-proclaimed saint, it was almost guaranteed to be a lie.
Chloe had been ordered by Liselotte to always report any visitors who arrived, but the words, “There’s a suspicious lady out here calling herself a saint. What will you do?” were written on her face in invisible ink. Meanwhile...
“Saint Erica... Isn’t that...”
“It’s the name of the person who incited the people of a small vassal nation of the Proxia Empire into revolution not too long ago, I believe.”
Liselotte and Aria recognized the name.
“Could it be the same person? If so, does she want the Galarc Kingdom on her side after making an enemy of the Proxia Empire? But then why would she come to Amande instead of the capital...?” Liselotte cocked her head, considering the possibilities.
“It could be someone else who’s mistaken the Ricca Guild for a charity,” Aria said. In fact, that was the more likely possibility.
“Hmm, but doesn’t it make you a little curious?” Liselotte said, placing the paper in her hand back on top of the pile on her desk.
“Even if you escape reality, the work isn’t going anywhere...”
“Th-This is work too. Yes, work. Information gathering! Information is the lifeline of both merchants and nobles! Better to see this for myself than listen to hearsay!” Liselotte said, as though to convince herself, then stood up.
“Treat her the same as any first-time visitor and show her to the estate, Chloe,” she directed.
“Understood.” Chloe bowed once and left the room.
“As usual, you’ll be present with me. Treat it as an extended lunch.”
“As you wish.” Aria nodded in resignation with a smile on her face.
◇ ◇ ◇
And so, roughly half an hour later...
With Aria as her guard, Liselotte stepped inside the meeting room of the Amande governor’s building. Seated on the sofa inside the room was Erica.
When Liselotte entered the room and first spotted her, she froze for a moment to swallow her breath.
She’s Japanese, right...? No matter how you look at it...
Erica’s facial features were clearly that of a Japanese person. She wore a dress that would definitely be dismissed as cosplay in Japan. It was a normal design for those in holy positions in this world, but it had quite an impact on Liselotte, who had memories of her life in Japan... Especially since it was coming from a self-proclaimed saint.
So this is the saint who destroyed a kingdom... The sixth hero? There’s been no information on her until now... It was the right decision to meet her.
Since she was going out of her way to make contact, there must have been something she wanted to discuss with Liselotte. Perhaps she’d be able to get some useful information out of her as well. It was because these things could happen that she didn’t ignore visitors with no appointments. That was Liselotte’s way of doing things.
“Is something the matter? You took a look at my face and seemed surprised... You are Liselotte, right?”
Erica stood up quietly when Liselotte entered and bowed in a polite manner. She gazed at Liselotte’s face with a giggle and asked what was wrong.
“No, it’s nothing... You must be Saint Erica. As you said, I am the president of the Ricca Guild, Liselotte Cretia. I’m also the governor of this city.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Erica. I was worried my title of saint would sound too shady for you to meet me, so I’m pleased to be able to meet you,” Erica said, joking about how she thought her own title was suspicious as well.
“I’ve actually heard your name before, so I wanted to meet you myself. Please have a seat,” Liselotte said, sitting herself down across from Erica.
“Why, really? You’ve heard of me?” Erica had a fake smile of delight on her face as she sat down.
“I heard a rumor on the wind not long ago. A revolt occurred in a small kingdom, giving birth to a new developing nation. The person who led the people at the time was called Saint Erica, I believe.”
That’s you, isn’t it? Liselotte stared at Erica as though to imply that.
“Oh my, is that so? I’m surprised information travels so fast in a world like this. Yes, I am Erica.”
“I see...”
She confessed to the truth so easily, Liselotte was thrown off balance for a moment. The kingdom that fell was an unimportant minor nation located at the remote frontier, so it hadn’t attracted much attention. But she hadn’t expected Erica to acknowledge that she led a nation into ruin so easily. Admitting to it could result in her being considered a security risk.
“Were you on your guard because you thought I was the one who led a kingdom to destruction?” Erica asked jokingly, having seen through Liselotte.
Liselotte answered after a brief pause. “If I judged things by only focusing on the negatives of the results, that would be the case. However, there are reasons behind everything that happens. I won’t be able to give a proper evaluation without considering both the process and the results.”
“Oh my, what a wonderful view you have.” Erica giggled elegantly.
“Not at all... So why did you want to meet me today?”
“You have an interest in me, I see. That makes me very happy. And the same goes for me as well. I gained an interest in the Ricca Guild that gained so much fame in our nation, and in you personally. I came here because I wanted to meet you.”
“So you came to see me out of curiosity?” Liselotte asked indirectly if she was just here to meet her, and not for any other goal.
“Meeting you isn’t my only goal, of course. I wanted to scout you.”
“Scout me?” Liselotte looked confused at the unexpected answer.
“Yes. I would love for you to move to our nation and lend your strength in developing it. Just like how you did for Amande here,” Erica said, starting a completely erratic topic.
Liselotte was the daughter of Count Cretia, the leading noble of the Galarc Kingdom, and she was also the president of the Ricca Guild. Asking her to move to a remote unknown nation would normally be unthinkable. In fact, it was so preposterous, her invitation sounded like a joke... But Erica didn’t seem to be joking.
“I am a noble of the Galarc Kingdom. I cannot do such a thing,” Liselotte said with a serious look.
“Oh dear. What do I have to do for you to accept, then?” Erica didn’t seem to be aware of how ridiculous her request was; her questions were worded under the assumption Liselotte could be convinced.
It’s hard to tell how serious she is... At a glance, she has a well-mannered smile, but...
It felt like she was talking to someone wearing a mask. Being invited to something so tremendous immediately after meeting left Liselotte feeling wary towards Erica.
“It would be one thing to temporarily visit kingdoms we have friendly relations with, but did you think a noble would be able to accept an invitation from an unknown nation so easily? Asking me to migrate is equal to asking me to abandon my country. At worst, it would be seen as inciting a fight with my motherland,” Liselotte said, emphasizing her strong disapproval of the situation. Erica’s invitation was asking her to betray her homeland.
It was at this moment that Erica finally frowned. “So the obstacle is your country, you’re saying. You’re a noble of the Galarc Kingdom, so you can’t move to another.”
“Even if I weren’t a noble, I cannot think of a reason to move to your nation. I love this country, and I’m proud of this city that I govern.”
“I see. However, royalty and nobility govern over the people as the privileged class. Don’t you think this could create a chain of misfortune?”
“What are you suddenly talking about now...?” Erica’s question was a little too risky to take as dark humor, so Liselotte questioned her with a searching expression.
“I’m saying royalty and nobility only stand in the way of the development of the world.”
“I am part of the royalty and noble class too...”
Liselotte frowned at being told such things to her face. She was on the verge of feeling fed up with this conversation.
“However, when you move to our nation, you’ll discard your rank as nobility. Since we have no royalty or nobility in our country,” Erica said, as though the conclusion was set already. Liselotte had lots of experience talking to people who had their own conclusion decided with no intention of listening, but Erica surpassed them all by far.
“And I’m saying I have no intention of migrating...”
The conversation wasn’t meshing well, causing Liselotte to add more emotion behind her tone as she denied Erica.
A clattering sound went off in the room; the source was immediately behind Liselotte, coming from Aria. She had dropped her writing pen.
“Excuse me.” Aria bowed with just those words, but she wasn’t the head attendant for nothing. She had made an unexpected sound on purpose, getting her master to reset her thoughts. Sensing that, Liselotte let out a small sigh and thanked Aria in her heart.
Thanks, Aria.
“You were saying royalty and nobility only harm the development of the world, right?”
She tried to correct the trajectory of the topic. The conversation was scattered all over the place, so she focused on one aspect of it.
“The privileged class bled the people of my small nation dry for many, many years. Do you know the reason why?” Erica asked again.
“They weren’t blessed with good rulers, I suppose...”
She wasn’t wrong. But Liselotte frowned anyway, believing there was no perfect answer.
Meanwhile...
“You seem to have an understanding. If I were to reword it more thoroughly, it would be because a status-based monarchy is an extremely imperfect social system.”
Erica smiled in satisfaction, delving deeper into Liselotte’s answer with her words.
“You must face it—the fact that accepting the framework of a privileged class creates a system where they get to line their pockets more. As long as the ruling class is given free rein, the citizens must entrust the stability of their lives to the good will of the rulers. As a result, a world where the people are continuously exploited is created. This is a common problem in many of the kingdoms of this world. Wouldn’t you agree?”
She raised a question to Liselotte that tested her loyalty as nobility. If Liselotte replied that it wasn’t a problem, her words would be perceived as the royalty and nobility class being unwilling to lose their privilege and have equality with the common class.
If she had asked Nidoll Proxia the same question, he might have responded that he didn’t have a problem with it.
“Even if that were true, it’s not something I can fix,” Liselotte said.
“Isn’t that because you refuse to throw away your privilege as a noble? You wish to use the people as a stepping-stone for sweet benefits. Am I wrong?”
“I won’t deny that I was raised in a blessed environment. But that doesn’t mean I will step on the citizens to exploit them. I govern Amande with the people in mind, aiming to create equality as much as possible.”
“Indeed, Amande is a lovely city. The people are brimming with life. But that is only because you’re governing this city. What if someone else took over the rule of this city in the future, causing the life of the people to deteriorate? Don’t you think we should create a system to prevent such a thing?” Erica asked question after question, all of which were made to sound just. Any royalty or nobility with virtuous values would have trouble answering them.
“Even if I did, that would be difficult. Like I said, it’s not something I can fix.” Liselotte answered with a look of pained endurance.
Erica tilted her head curiously. “Why do you think it’s difficult? It’s easy. We just have to give the decision-making right of the city to the people in a council form. Are you saying you can’t do that?”
“It isn’t that simple at all. If you wanted to do that, you’d need to develop the education of the people first. When the people involved in political decision-making are unreliable, the group will self-destruct. Alternatively, those in the know will take advantage of that foolishness to bend politics to their own convenience. That will just give birth to a new privileged class. There are issues in forcing democracy onto the people from above, so even if education develops, such obstacles will never be completely removed.” Liselotte listed the issues with the matter Erica called simple, giving a logical rebuttal.
“You really are intelligent. You understand that people are actually beasts at heart. And the fact that will never change no matter how much society advances. You understand it perfectly. How wonderful. Yes, that’s why I...” Erica’s eyes widened faintly. Something seemed to stab her in the heart, as the smiling mask she had on until now slipped, showing a painful expression underneath. She grit her teeth as though she were holding back a strong grudge towards something. That was the first humanlike expression Liselotte saw from her.
“What are you saying...?” Liselotte looked at Erica questioningly.
“Pardon me. The thought of someone as intelligent as you not being in our nation got me all heated up.” Erica pasted her smiling mask on her face once again. The mask of a saint...
“I think I understand how you led your people and created a nation based on our conversation just now,” Liselotte summarized with a sigh.
“Oh? Isn’t that impressive. Would you be willing to share that with me?” Erica asked with widened eyes.
“It’s because you think of the people, isn’t it?” Liselotte replied.
“Heh. Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha.” Erica laughed loudly.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. I merely wish to create a world where the weak don’t exist. As a start, I created a democratic nation for the people, by the people... To put it in another way, it’s my grand plan for revenge.”
“Revenge, you say...”
“Yes. That’s why creating a world where the weak don’t exist is simply a means. My goal is revenge.”
“I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying...” Just as she thought they could have an intelligent conversation, this happened. Liselotte had a tired look on her face.
“Our chat has been extremely meaningful. That’s why I’d like to invite you one more time. Liselotte Cretia, please throw away your status and come to my nation...to create a country where everyone is equal.”
“I refuse... I’m sure a country where everyone is equal would be wonderful. But creating such a place is impossible. You criticize the rule of royalty and nobility, saying the people should be the ones to govern the country, but there are a mountain of issues that have to be addressed for that to work. I believe the current system is better in comparison. If things need to change, then that change will happen slowly. In my opinion, inciting the people into a sudden revolution is not the right move.”
That would only lead to destruction. Liselotte gave her opinion on the subject fluently.
“You’re rejecting me no matter what?”
“Yes. In fact, I don’t get it. Why are you so fixated on me as an individual...?” Liselotte said, showing a glimpse of her confusion.
“To be honest, I originally had my eye on the Ricca Guild’s influence. However, when I heard the names of the products, I started holding an interest in the person behind them. I originally believed an advisor was the one inventing the products, but after speaking to you, I’ve figured it out. It’s you, isn’t it? The one creating products using words from Earth,” Erica said, staring at Liselotte.
Liselotte cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean...?”
“You don’t need to act ignorant. No, let’s see. Don’t play dumb with me. My name’s Sakuraba Erika, but you... Is your name maybe Rikka? You look like a young girl in your teens, but how old are you on the inside? Do you get what I’m saying?” Erica suddenly dropped her polite, saintlike tone of speech and started speaking with familiarity, like a regular young woman her age.
“You really change the subject so suddenly. You’ve changed your tone now too. Is that your true way of speaking?” Liselotte asked in shock, eyes widened.
“I’d prefer you answer my question first. From now on, I’m not Saint Erica speaking, but Sakuraba Erika. Only if you don’t mind your maid listening in, that is.” Erica looked at Aria, who was standing behind Liselotte.
“I understand... In that case, I’m the one behind the Ricca Guild’s products. It’s fine if Aria remains here.”
After the first time, when Rio brought Miharu to her, she explained her previous life to Aria alone.
“Hmm. So, what’s your name and age? Are you Mrs. Rikka? Or Miss Rikka?”
“I’ve answered one question, so please answer my question next.” If Erica was going to say whatever she wanted, Liselotte had no reason to hold back any further.
“So the rule is for us to answer one question each. Fine. What did you wanna ask? Ah, my manner of speech, was it? This is my true self—no, this was my true self,” Erica said, answering Liselotte’s earlier question.
“Was?”
“It’s my turn next. What was your name in your past life?”
“Minamoto Rikka. What do you mean by ‘was’ your true self?”
“Sakuraba Erika is as good as dead... Right now I’m Saint Erica.” A shadow crossed Erica’s face for a moment, but she immediately covered it up with a smile.
“As good as dead?”
“My turn to ask. How old were you in your past life?”
“Sixteen.”
“Oh my, that’s rather young. I thought you were around the age of a university student, but you might just be older than me if you added up your total age. You still look like a child, so it’s pretty hard to believe.”
“Enough about my age. What did you mean by ‘good as dead’?” Liselotte asked next, not wanting to engage in idle chatter.
“Because I can no longer see my dearest lover anymore. He was everything to me. I have no intention of marrying anyone else, so I no longer feel any need to be Sakuraba Erika anymore. That’s why I became Saint Erica. However, talking to you has brought back some of those fond memories.”
It’s like I’ve returned just for this moment, Erica thought a little sadly.
“What should I ask next? Let’s see... Where did you live in Japan?”
“Bunkyo, Tokyo.”
“Ah ha ha. Seeing you say that with that face is funny. You lived in a good area, though. I was a lecturer at a university in Shinjuku, by the way.”
“Why did you assume I was reincarnated?”
“You’re talking to someone who was summoned to another world. I just figured it wouldn’t be a stretch for there to be reincarnated people as well. I read some light novels on the topic when I was in Japan too. So how did you die, Rikka?”
“...It was a bus accident,” Liselotte answered with a slightly unhappy look. Erica kept asking her questions that didn’t matter.
“Wow, how cliché.”
“It’s my turn next. Why are you asking such trivial things? I expected you to ask something more meaningful.”
“No reason in particular... I just didn’t want to ask Saint Erica’s questions as Sakuraba Erika. I said I was feeling nostalgic talking to you, didn’t I?” Erica’s smile turned strained for a moment, as though she had remembered some harsh reality.
“I see...”
Liselotte still wasn’t convinced. Her personality was so different to when she was a saint, it felt like she was talking to someone else.
“But you’re right. None of that matters. Let’s make the next question the last one.”
“All right.” There were still many things Liselotte wanted to ask, but she couldn’t force her to answer.
“Then I’ll go first.”
“Sure...” Liselotte braced herself for whatever question would come, but...
“Rikka—no, Liselotte. Do you have someone you love?”
“...Excuse me?” The question was so unexpected, she wasn’t sure she heard it right.
“Are you in love with anyone?”
“Is that something you need to know?”
“Yes. It’s standard girl gossip, isn’t it?”
“...I do not.”
“That’s a lie. You paused. Now, that won’t do... You have to answer honestly. Otherwise, I won’t answer your next question honestly either,” Erica said harshly.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m too busy with work,” Liselotte answered somewhat shyly, eyes downcast.
“That reaction tells me there’s someone you’re interested in.”
“There’s someone who came to mind when you first asked, but...I cannot imagine us becoming lovers.”
“I see... But if there is someone, don’t do anything you’d regret. This is advice from a regretful past situation.”
“Okay...”
“Now it’s your turn, Liselotte.”
“Right.” Liselotte nodded, the question she wanted to ask already prepared. “Then...are you a hero? I only know of five heroes, as there’s been no information on the sixth...” Liselotte wondered.
“Hmm... You’re gonna ask that?” Erica seemed reluctant for some reason.
“Is there something wrong with that? I answered your question honestly, so you should answer mine too.” Liselotte suspected Erica was a hero already, but she wanted Erica to confirm it so it could be established as a fact.
“I don’t know if I should. You might be upset.”
“But I won’t know that until I hear the answer.”
“That’s true... Then I’ll answer. I’m a hero.”
Liselotte hummed at the satisfactory answer. “I see, so you really are one... But what’s so upsetting about that...?”
“Ah, how troubling indeed. I still need to keep the fact I’m a hero a secret, you see.” Erica suddenly started speaking in her saintlike tone.
“...Huh?” The sudden change left Liselotte taken aback.
“Oh!” Immediately after, Erica tried to grab at Liselotte. Before she knew it, Erica was right in front of her, leaving Liselotte in a state of shock.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Aria stood in front of Erica, grabbing her arm. She then proceeded to deftly hurl Erica’s body at the window; with a loud crash, the saint flew through the glass and fell to the ground.
“Wha...” Liselotte was left speechless at the sight.
“I shall apprehend her. The other attendant guards should be here soon. Stay over here, Lady Liselotte.”
With that, Aria drew the enchanted sword by her side and jumped out the window after Erica.
“Ah, how troubling. How troubling indeed.” Meanwhile, Erica was patting the dust off her dress without a single scratch on her.
That saint is a hero. Like Lady Satsuki, her Divine Arms strengthened her body and made her tougher. Killing a hero will only create a fuss... This is a problem... Aria sighed in annoyance.
“You’re not a normal attendant, are you?” Erica summoned her Divine Arms—a bishop’s staff—into her right hand as she questioned Aria.
“Of course not. None of Lady Liselotte’s attendants are normal attendants.”
“Heh. Heh heh heh. That’s lovely.”
No sooner had she said that than Erica charged at Aria. The powerful enhancement of her Divine Arms caused her speed to far surpass the limits of a normal human.
However, Aria’s physical body was also enhanced through her enchanted sword. She was able to react to Erica’s speed without a problem and close the distance between the saint and herself.
“Oh...” Erica’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Whether it was to avoid a collision or increase the distance between them, she immediately moved to the right in a dramatic way.
But Aria soon closed that distance again, swinging her sword the moment she came within reach. She couldn’t afford to kill the hero, so she used the blunt side of her sword to strike. Erica raised her staff at the last minute to block that attack.
“Such wonderful strength indeed,” she murmured in awe, thrusting the staff forward to send Aria flying back.
Wh-What tremendous strength...
Aria’s body fell back heavily; she had lost in strength despite her enchanted sword’s power. Erica’s movement speed was still manageable, but her physical strength was on another level.
“It seems like your reinforcements are on their way. I should stop dawdling and clean this up quickly,” Erica said, switching to go on the offensive.
Using the reach of her staff, she inflicted her strikes on Aria from outside the reach of the sword.
The sixth hero seems to have a rather violent disposition.
Aria sometimes saw through the attacks and evaded them, and sometimes swung her sword to parry the staff off course, trying to close the gap to Erica. However, before Aria could come close, Erica thrust her staff into the ground with all her might. Immediately after, the ground rose up and formed a dirt wall, blocking Aria’s way.
“...”
Instead of pursuing her further, Aria retreated. She considered the possibility of Erica going after Liselotte and made sure to have the mansion to her back.
Soon after, the dirt wall Erica created blew up. Erica herself had swung her staff and mowed it down in annoyance. She faced Aria once again.
“You really are strong... I haven’t met anyone this strong before. It sure is a big world...” Erica spat out her words in great admiration.
“Your quick strength is superb, but it doesn’t seem like you’ve had combat training before.”
“Yes, you would be right.”
“Now that I have a grasp of your strength, I’m going to finish this now.”
“Hee hee hee. Who truly knows about that...” Erica dismissed Aria’s provocation with a smug laugh, then ran towards her, swinging her staff once more. The ground was scraped from left to right, sending a dusty shockwave towards Aria.
However, Aria instantly saw through the reach of the shockwave and retreated to a point where the shockwave was weakened. But the moment the shockwave eased, she made a rapid approach towards Erica.
“Uh!”
Erica’s reaction was delayed by her own dust cloud for a brief moment. She quickly tried to blow Aria away with another shockwave, raising her staff, but...
Too slow.
Aria sliced her sword at Erica’s staff before it could swing down, knocking it upwards. She then slipped right up to Erica and landed a heavy blow to her chest with the palm of her hand.
“Guh...”
It was one of the martial arts techniques she had learned from Rio at the Galarc Castle the other day. Erica’s body went flying through the air, sending her rolling ten meters away.
It definitely should have had an impact. Even with an enhanced body, she would’ve taken a considerable amount of damage. In reality, Erica was shaking on all fours, still conscious but seemingly unable to get up.
It’s over. The problem is how to restrain her... Perhaps I should land one more strike to knock her unconscious.
Though it was difficult, there was no helping it. The moment Aria reached a decision, she approached Erica and aimed a kick from below at her stomach.
“Gah...!”
Erica’s body jerked up, and several seconds later, gravity sent her falling back. This time, Erica seemed to lose consciousness, collapsing facedown without a twitch.
“Aria!”
At that moment, Natalie and Cosette came running out of the mansion. In their hands was a set of magic-sealing cuffs.
Thank goodness they’re so capable. If she’s restrained with those cuffs on, she should calm down a little.
Aria approached the facedown Erica. She leaned her weight on Erica’s back, pressing her into the ground.
“I’ll hold her down while you two put the cuffs... What?!”
Erica had flung Aria off her back with a sharp push-up. The momentum sent Aria flying ten meters or more.
No way. She didn’t receive any damage at all?!
Seeing Erica on her feet and full of life below her left Aria speechless. Erica casually looked upwards, met Aria’s eyes, and grinned eerily, then dashed at full speed away from her, towards the mansion.
“Cosette! Natalie! Stop that woman!” Aria was still falling through the air and gave her colleagues a quick order.
“Wha?!”
Before Cosette and Natalie could approach Erica, she had swung her bishop’s staff down towards the ground. The shockwave created was nothing like the one earlier—it was almost like a huge explosion had gone off, rumbling like thunder and sending a cloud of dust everywhere. Aria was unable to see the ground as she continued to fall.
Lady Liselotte...
She turned her gaze away from the dust cloud and towards the mansion. She could see Liselotte watching everything out of the second-floor window, and Erica running towards the mansion. Erica was looking around as though she were searching for Liselotte.
No... Hurry. Hurry and fall quicker.
The span of mere seconds felt like an eternity to Aria. When she finally reached the ground, she started running towards the mansion with all her might.
She couldn’t see anything past a meter ahead of her, but there was no time to be bothered by that. Praying that the guards would buy her enough time, Aria ran through the dust at full speed. Eventually, her vision cleared.
“Aria, no! Stay back!”
Liselotte’s familiar voice could be heard. At the same time, she spotted Erica waiting for her just a few meters away with her staff ready to swing down.
“There you are.”
Erica spotted Liselotte leaning out of the second-floor window to yell and grinned. At the same time, she finished swinging her staff down.
“Guh...”
And Aria’s vision was blacked out by the shockwave and dirt.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login