I, Ilma, am staying in the confederation. We are treated well here, at least in part because the kingdom of Fairytrof is more powerful.
If the difference in power is the reason, would we be treated differently if Fairytrof was weaker? As I think about this, I am thankful that Fairytrof has such power.
Searching for the miko while not letting the people of the confederacy, also known as Saff, know what we are up to is proving to be quite difficult.
So far, we have nothing to go on. Not even reports of anyone seeing a mysterious girl.
I think it is safe to assume the miko has entered the forest, but no matter how many times I say it, the lady in waiting, the knight, and the female priest stop me. The magic swordsman seems unconcerned.
I want to enter the forest and meet the miko but… When I try, the knight, lady in waiting, and priest always appear from out of nowhere and stop me.
How do they know what I am planning?
After this pattern repeats a few times, the magic swordsman looks at me with exasperation.
How am I going to enter the forest?
I want to meet the miko and hear her wishes. My respect for the miko’s wishes is precisely why I want to enter the village alone if I cannot talk the others down.
It seems my words have little weight to them. I feel like they are not truly thinking about the miko. I feel like their faith lies less with god and the miko and more with the temple.
As a low ranking priest, it has always been my pleasure to serve god through the temple, and I was happy to be a part of the great undertaking that was finding the miko. I thought I would even rise within the temple.
However, ever since I left on this journey to find the miko, I have been wondering what would happen if I did rise within the temple.
The lady in waiting and the female priest traveling with me, who are a part of the temple and should be serving god, have been trying to get closer to me… I have noticed they are most likely seeking a physical relationship.
At first I thought it was very improper of them… But then I heard them talk, and mention that they were instructed by the higher ups to act in this manner.
I feel like I am now realizing that the institution I trusted is rotten. The temple has always said that moving up the ranks was a way to show your belief in god, and I have always believed it, but during this journey I have been learning this is not true.
I was born and raised in the kingdom of Fairytrof, and did not know much about the outside world, but the more I learn, the more I realize that faith is something within me, and it matters little where I am as long as I keep the faith in my own heart.
I once again am filled with motivation to serve the miko by her side.
Since the confederation is treating us well, the people traveling with me are taking advantage of this to live in luxury.
I try to seize an opportunity to sneak into the forest, and I am stopped. The magic swordsman then speaks to me.
“That bracelet… You’re not very bright are you?”
She says with a rude tone while scowling.
“Bracelet? Miss Gint…”
The bracelet that miss Gint prepared just for me. She can use holy magic, and I have been told the bracelet is infused with it.
“They say that this Gint you talk about has made it so it can be used to track you. You’re never going to sneak into the forest as long as you’re wearing that.”
Just as I was about to ask her to tell me more about this, the female priest arrives, so I stay quiet. I have been so busy thinking about other things, that it never once crossed my mind that such a technique had been applied to this bracelet.
I can put this bracelet and take it off any time I want, so from my point of view this was a token of miss Gint’s goodwill. However, I suspect that making it so I can decide for myself whether I want to have it on is nothing more than a ploy to make sure I would not get suspicious.
I did not fully believe the magic swordsman at first, but now that I have removed the bracelet, see another opening to sneak into the forest, and move towards it, no one comes to stop me.
“Hey, take me with you.”
The knight, lady in waiting, and priest seem unaware that I am leaving, but for some reason the magic swordsman appears in front of me.
“The people that hired me will probably punish me if you disappear. The least you can do is take me with you.”
To be frank, the idea of going into the forest alone makes me nervous, and that is partially why I agree.
—The priest enters the forest
(As the priest’s distrust of the temple grows, he steps foot into the forest in search of the miko.)
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The magical swordsman is a plant to make him feel like he escaped. Has to be
As expected, it was tracking. But I wonder what the newfounded ally has to gain from this.