Episode 108: Saintess Arbella
Afternoon tea.
A light meal accompanied by tea and refreshments.
It is a culture symbolizing elegance and sophistication, enjoyed as a form of socialization and leisure.
Typically held in the afternoon, it was common for noblewomen and young ladies to gather and chat during this time, making it a social activity often enjoyed in groups.
Thus, in the garden of the Diamond Palace, three women were enjoying afternoon tea. They were Raeliana and the ladies of the Highlander family, who were close companions.
“I met Duke Lahart the other day.”
Clink.
Raeliana set her teacup down.
“…You met Duke Lahart?”
At Raeliana’s words, Eris froze. Her fingers trembled slightly as they rested on the edge of her teacup.
“Yes, Duke Lahart. I spoke with him recently, but he still won’t come around.”
Raeliana gave a bitter smile and gently ran her fingers along the edge of her teacup. A wistful expression flickered in her golden eyes.
“I see…?”
Seeing her reaction, Eris inwardly sighed in relief. If he had accepted Raeliana, there might not have been any place left for her.
Javella chuckled softly and picked up her teacup.
“You’re still after him, I see.”
“Of course. How could I give up on a man like that?”
“Well, I suppose that’s understandable.”
“Hm? Javella, are you after him too?”
“Not at all. I dislike love triangles.”
“Hahaha.”
To say she wasn’t interested would have been a lie, but Javella didn’t desire Yohan Lahart enough to enter the fray. After all, many young ladies were vying for him, as everyone knew.
She had no intention of stepping into such a cutthroat competition.
“…Your Highness, but hasn’t Duke Lahart already been engaged?”
Eris asked cautiously.
“Oh? Ah, now that I think about it, Eris doesn’t know yet?”
Raeliana chuckled lightly and leaned forward, resting against the table.
“Duke Lahart practices polygamy.”
“What?!”
Eris’s eyes widened in shock. However, what startled her wasn’t the fact that Yohan Lahart practiced polygamy—she already knew that.
What truly shocked her was that Raeliana knew about it as well.
“How… How did you find out about that?” Eris asked.
“Hehe, that’s a secret.”
Raeliana didn’t reveal that she had used the imperial special intelligence unit and hired an information guild to investigate him, knowing such actions wouldn’t be well-received.
Instead, she simply shrugged with a sly smile.
“Well, there are other surprising facts, but if I said them, Duke Lahart might get angry, so I’ll keep quiet.”
Then why did you even bring it up? Javella silently shook her head. Still, it was just like Raeliana to do such things.
“But you know? Duke Lahart is truly a good person.”
Raeliana gazed into the distance.
Her golden eyes sparkled brilliantly.
“In what way…?”
Eris swallowed hard. Tension crept up her neck, making her feel as if a heavy stone were being swallowed.
“He’s sincere when it comes to his loved ones. His values are admirable, and as a person, he’s incredibly charming. Hehe.”
Her answer was simple, but her expression showed how genuine she was. She wore a warm and gentle smile, a clear expression of a young girl in love.
‘Oh no!’
Eris’s lips parted, and her gray eyes trembled violently. She was taken aback. In all the ten years she had known Raeliana, she had never seen her make that expression before.
That expression unmistakably belonged to someone truly in love. Yes, just thinking about that person made her cheeks flush and her heart race, like a lovestruck girl…
Eris felt the same way, after all.
“…It seems he’s truly captured your heart.” Javella finally managed to say after a moment of speechlessness. Even someone as close to Raeliana as she was found this side of her unfamiliar.
“You could say that.”
Raeliana laughed softly as she tilted her teacup. The fragrant aroma wafted around her, and her delicate smile relaxed into a calm serenity.
“…”
Javella’s eyes narrowed slightly. Raeliana hadn’t denied her words. That meant she was serious—not just a passing curiosity or casual fondness, but genuine feelings for him as a man.
‘This could be dangerous.’
Her younger sister Eris was also vying for the position of Yohan Lahart’s concubine.
If Raeliana were to intervene, things could become quite troublesome. Generally, polygamy meant three wives at most.
Although there were rare cases of men having more than three wives, they were few and far between.
If Eris and Raeliana ended up competing for the final spot, it could spell disaster.
‘This isn’t good…’
It wasn’t that she believed Eris was at a disadvantage. Eris, too, was a beautiful and charming woman. What Javella feared was the potential rift it could create between the three of them.
“Hah…”
Javella sighed quietly to herself.
Yohan Lahart.
That man would undoubtedly be guilty of many sins.
***
Most of the Purification Unit members had been selected.
The units were composed of teams centered around five elite individuals.
“The operation is drawing near.” Elena said softly as she poured tea into Yohan’s cup.
“Time has already passed this much, huh…”
Yohan tilted his cup, inhaling the faint floral aroma.
“Are you not nervous?”
“How could I not be? This is my first expedition.”
Yohan exhaled a small sigh and set down his cup.
“Although I’m reassured since the Bureau’s High Official is accompanying us, the heart of the demon lair is always full of unknowns, so it’s impossible not to feel uneasy.”
The Purification Unit’s overall strength was not yet formidable. If a large number of high-level demonic beasts were to appear, they would undoubtedly face significant danger.
Moreover, the demonic lairs themselves remained shrouded in mystery. Even Yohan, despite being able to close them, couldn’t fully comprehend their essence.
“But everything should be fine since the Director will be with us, right?”
Elena smiled reassuringly. Such was the immense trust placed in Director Lahart.
“Indeed… since everyone is counting on me, I must give it my all.”
Yohan chuckled lightly. Fulfilling expectations was not something he was used to.
‘It’s not a matter of whether I can; it’s a matter of needing to.’
There was no room to back down. He held the only key capable of saving the continent. For Francia and Rudella, he had to persevere.
“By the way, how is the training progressing?”
Currently, the Purification Unit was training to master coordinated and systematic movements, as devised by Yohan. This would ensure they could each fulfill their roles and improve their survival rate.
Elena beamed as she answered, “It’s progressing smoothly.”
She continued, “Perhaps it’s because many members are former civil servants, knights, or inspectors, but their understanding is exceptional. As such, the training hasn’t faced any disruptions.”
Most of the members had prior experience in organized structures, so there was no reason they couldn’t adapt to the Purification Unit’s system.
Interestingly, no wizards from the Mage Tower were part of the unit. Once someone joined the Mage Tower, they typically stayed there unless expelled.
Their focus was more on research than combat or practical magic, so their absence wasn’t surprising.
“That’s a relief.”
“Indeed. There’s nothing to worry about.”
The training was going well, and no issues had arisen thus far.
For some reason, even Yohan’s mana seemed to be purifying and growing purer by the day. He could now confidently call himself a true transcendental mage.
‘It feels like my mana’s purity has increased even more recently.’
Yohan tilted his cup once again. Specifically, it had been since his encounters with Francia had grown more frequent. From that point on, his mana’s purity had been steadily rising.
‘Could this be connected to Francia?’
It seemed likely that Francia was the cause. Her powers were tied to purification, after all.
‘Should I ask her about it later?’
Click.
The moment Yohan set down his teacup, a voice came from outside the office.
“Director, the reinforcements sent by the Holy Kingdom have arrived.”
Reinforcements. They were the Holy Knights, centered around the Saintess herself.
Given the long journey they had made, it was only appropriate to greet them in person.
“Let’s go at once.”
***
Yohan stepped into the training grounds.
The Holy Knights and priests stood in formation, maintaining discipline.
Accompanied by the Saintess, they had come united under the mission to close the demonic lairs. Their disciplined appearance reflected their resolve.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Saint!”
As Yohan was observing his surroundings, a large man with a cheerful smile approached, extending his hand for a handshake. Judging by his appearance, he was clearly the leader of the Holy Knights.
“I’m not a Saint; I’m the Director.” Yohan replied, shaking the man’s hand with a serious expression.
“You may not think of yourself as one, but to us, you are a Saint! Are you not the savior of the continent?”
The Holy Knight Commander’s smile showed no signs of fading. As expected of a nation deeply rooted in religion, the man was placing unconditional trust in Yohan purely because he was considered a Saint, even though they were meeting for the first time.
This is going to be uncomfortable.
It wasn’t the title of Saint itself that made him uneasy.
Rather, it was something else.
People like this tended to attribute deep meaning to even the smallest actions of the ones they followed, which often led to unnecessary complications.
While it was true this was their first meeting and that Yohan was somewhat prejudiced, his instincts were telling him one thing:
These people are fanatics.
“Ah, my apologies. I’ve rambled too much. Please forgive my rudeness. Hahaha!”
See? Even before Yohan could say anything, the man had overanalyzed the situation and apologized in advance.
With a small chuckle, the man introduced himself.
“My name is Rassen. Rassen Hendricks. I’m the Commander of the Holy Knights. Please feel free to just call me Rassen.”
Rassen Hendricks.
Yohan recognized the name.
He had been tasked by Archbishop Cain to pursue Francia in the past.
“Understood. I’m Yohan Lahart. Pleased to meet you.” Yohan replied, suppressing his reluctance and finishing the introductions.
“By the way, where is the Saintess?”
“Ah, the Saintess… well—”
As Rassen glanced around awkwardly, a clear and gentle voice echoed from the far end of the training grounds.
“Rassen! There are no flowers in this training ground! What’s going on here?!”
A woman appeared, walking gracefully yet seeming out of place amidst the rugged training grounds.
“How can this be? Usually, there’s at least one flower around, but I can’t find any here! Rassen, why aren’t there any flowers?”
Breathing heavily from speaking so rapidly, she walked up to Yohan and Rassen. Her presence seemed to brighten the air with every word she uttered.
“…It’s because this is a newly constructed facility.” Rassen explained. “During the process of preparing the land, all the flowers and grass must have been cleared away.”
“Oh, I see!”
The woman smiled and turned her gaze toward Yohan.
Her green hair shimmered as it caught the light, flowing gracefully down her back. Her deep, black eyes were calm yet profound. Transparent skin and an elegant robe heightened her noble aura.
It was immediately clear who she was: the Saintess.
“Ah, pardon me for my rudeness! I am the Saintess, Arbella. My full name is Arbella Saints. I’ve come to the Empire to meet the Saint and work toward saving the continent!”
Arbella greeted Yohan with the formal etiquette of her homeland, then lifted her head slightly to look up at him, as if waiting for his introduction.
“I am Yohan Lahart, Director of the Purification Bureau.”
“Oh…!”
At his introduction, Arbella’s eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together.
“You’re the Saint!”
Her voice grew slightly higher in excitement.
“I, Arbella, have been waiting to meet you, Saint Yohan!”
Yohan blinked in confusion.
“Me?”
“Yes…! Ah, this is truly a joyous day!”
Arbella’s voice trembled slightly with emotion. With a blissful smile, she gently placed her delicate white fingers over her flushed cheeks.
“The Goddess has guided me…!”
“…Pardon?”
Yohan was too stunned to respond properly. What was this woman saying upon their first meeting?
As he stood there, blinking in disbelief, Arbella smiled brightly.
“Saint Yohan, you are my destiny! That’s right, Yohan, you are the one destined to be my husband…!”