The next day, Iris comes over to me, and brings Izekiel with her to talk about what they discussed last night and to tell me about Izekiel’s current situation.
“You’re free to stay here for an extra month for Roland’s sake, but if you stay here too long, you’ll have a hard time returning to Minerva.”
The problem is that the more Iris does, the more people’s hearts will stray from Izekiel.
She’s depleted of magic energy, and in the troublesome situation of not being able to use magic, but this is a problem she has to solve herself.
However, Iris insists on conducting purifications to keep the peace in Roland, so we have to accept it.
It’s less because she has to as a saintess, and more because people’s safety comes first to her. It’s like she really is the goddess of order Emeraude.
Iris’ kindness strikes a nerve with Izekiel, and brings tears to her eyes.
Iris then spends a month and a half going around key points in the country on a wagon with Izekiel to purify them.
It was supposed to be a month, but other things that had to be done are added, and they need more time to deal with them.
But the results speak for themselves. Most of the traces of the curse around Roland are completely purified.
“That’s amazing Miss Izekiel!? Your purification power is bigger than my holy magic! I cannot beat you!”
Iris overreacts when they perform a purification.
Even I’m embarrassed by her hammy acting, but this is her way of showing off to the people that she’s passing the torch to Izekiel.
“Miss Izekiel, will you take my position? A grand wonderful saintess such as yourself is absolutely more fit to lead this nation in a good direction than a weak saintess like me!”
“But… I don’t have holy magic, the true mark of a saintess. How could I stand above you?”
They’ve done this routine dozens of times.
Iris is no longer the saintess of Roland. This should be obvious to everyone.
With this being the situation, the higher ups in the church have no choice but to approve of Izekiel as the official saintess.
Iris is the legitimate saintess, but she has no intention at all of fulfilling that role. Considering she was branded a false saintess and expelled, I can’t blame her.
Now, despite having lost people’s hearts, Izekiel is the current saintess, and groups trying to push her aside to bring back the old saintess are gradually fading away.
As time passes, things proceed in the direction that Iris wants.
I’m getting off track, but six assassins come after Izekiel in the meantime, and two after Iris.
I beat them all, but one wrong move could’ve thrown this into a bad direction.
Yesterday, we used the capital and the area around it on a large scale to coronate the official saintess. Suffice to say, the star of the show was Izekiel.
Iris passed the torch to her directly, meaning Izekiel is now the saintess of Roland in all capacity.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I really caused a lot of trouble. But it is thanks to all of you that I can be the saintess of Roland again.”
Izekiel politely bows to me, Iris, and Sephilia.
Today, we are leaving Roland.
Having done all she had to do, Iris shows no lingering attachment to Roland. She’s leaving the rest to Izekiel.
“Princess, please forgive my boorish actions when we first met.”
“I will forget about being poked in the head within the next three years.”
Izekiel… You did that to Sephilia?
She looks nervous, and I’m exasperated. Meanwhile Iris giggles.
“Loyd, I will fulfill the promise I made to you. No matter how long it takes, I will guide Ghise down the right path. That is my duty as a saintess.”
She says with a clear expression.
It’s like a load has been lifted off her, and I can tell that attachment she felt to him before is now gone.
She’s doing that not out of obligation, but because it’s the right thing to do. I want to cheer her on too.
“If you need anything, feel free to write to me. I’ll come flying.”
I say with a smile, and she happily nods.
We then get on the wagon, and tell the driver to start the long journey back to Minerva.
We came here sneakily, but we’re leaving triumphantly.
◆ ◆ ◆
Meanwhile, Mars and Lela are locked up.
They were abandoned by Sephilia in the heat of the moment, and while I did think about saving them, things got so busy that I completely forgot.
“Strange.”
Whispers Lela.
“What?”
“It’s strange strange strange! It’s strange for the love cupid that is myself to be locked up like a common criminal!”
Says Lela to an empty wall, swinging her staff around.
Mars tries to calm her down, but her voltage is already too high!
“Now now Lela. According to the guard, the villainous Ghise lost his position, and Iris’ honor has been restored, so we should be exonerated soon. Just a little more patience!”
“That’s not the problem! We came here to save Sephilia, and ended up in prison! Why are we always treated like this!?”
“We were born under an unlucky star.”
“Kiiiiii! I’m sure Loyd is sleeping in the same bed as the princess and saintess right about now, being all lovey dovey every day!”
“I doubt he would. He’s been like that with Iris for a year, and nothing happened.”
“I should cast baby magic on that blockhead.”
“What’s baby magic…”
Mars had no idea what she meant.
To him, they just had to get out of this predicament safely, and cared little about the rest.
After traveling with Loyd and his girlfriend Lela, he reached that sort of enlightenment at a mere seventeen years old.
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