Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

Siegfried, Althea, and Laila rode on the back of a divine bird, heading towards the squad engaged in monster hunting. The fairy had returned to her original form and was no longer visible to anyone but Althea.

As the divine bird had promised, after their encounter, dozens of large birds had arrived at the shrine. Each took a phoenix feather and followed the divine bird, flying together through the skies. Curio, and others rode on their respective birds.

Upon spotting the squads engaged in monster extermination within the Fulltale kingdom, the divine bird descended to the ground. The soldiers, taken aback by the sight of riders on the divine bird's back, immediately surrounded it with caution. The numerous large birds flying overhead only added to their anxiety, making it understandable if they feared an attack from monsters.

As Siegfried dismounted and revealed himself, the soldiers, though surprised, sheathed their weapons and knelt respectfully.

Siegfried then began explaining the situation to Regalus, Oliver, and Arnes. At that moment, the Starry Stars army, who had been out on a mission, returned, and Yugg joined the group.

After listening to the entire explanation, Yugg confirmed, "So, our goal at the western continent's shrine has been achieved, and with the phoenix's favor, we acquired the divine birds. The divine birds will help us save time, correct?"

"Yes, that’s generally correct."

"…Even if the phoenix feathers were the goal, is that really enough reason for the divine birds to cooperate? Is there no concern they might betray us along the way?"

This was a valid concern.

Siegfried hesitated in his response.

If asked whether he completely trusted the divine birds, Siegfried’s answer would be “yes.”

The divine birds were undoubtedly seeking the phoenix feathers, but their deeper connection was likely related to their strong feelings for the “Goddess of Moon.”

Before leaving the northwest shrine, the divine birds had asked Althea, "Are you the Goddess of Moon?"

Althea shook her head, saying she had neither heard of nor been told about the Goddess of Moon. The divine birds then asked for a handshake and, after smiling contentedly, did not speak of the Goddess of Moon again. However, it was not just a feeling that their demeanor had softened.

The Goddess of Moon likely held significant importance for both the phoenix and the divine birds, and Althea was probably connected to her.

Arriving at this hypothesis, Siegfried said, "This is just my personal opinion… Although we have not spent much time together, I believe there is no risk of betrayal. Rather, they are trustworthy."

"Oh? Why do you believe that?"

"…It’s simply a matter of my own judgment."

After observing Siegfried’s unwavering confidence, Yugg commented, "For a prince of a great nation to say that… Ha ha, it’s amusing to hear the calm and collected prince of a great nation trust solely based on his judgment. Well, fine, we don’t know the detailed reasons behind your trust, and it seems you have no intention of revealing them."

Yugg acknowledged this with surprising ease.

Afterward, they held an emergency meeting to discuss the division of their forces moving forward.

If the monsters in the Fulltale kingdom continued to increase, it would affect neighboring nations. Thus, they were also conducting monster extermination near the borders. However, the rate of monster emergence was higher than anticipated, and if all forces from the Royal Grand Central Kingdom headed to the next shrine, they would not be able to keep up with the extermination efforts near the borders.

The Starry Stars army would undoubtedly remain at the Fulltale border.

The problem lay with the Royal Grand Central army.

Currently, about 70 soldiers from the Royal Grand Central army were available at the scene. Assuming 2–3 people could ride on each large bird, all personnel could be transported, but considering the need for supplies, transporting everything by air would be challenging. Despite gathering only elite soldiers, it would be difficult for the Starry Stars army alone to continually drive away the monsters near the borders.

After much deliberation, it was decided that only one squad from the Second Knight Brigade led by Siegfried and Regalus would return with the divine birds first.

Other magic squads and one squad from the Fourth Knight Brigade would return by sea, while the remaining Fourth Knight Brigade’s  squads would continue exterminating monsters to prevent them from spreading to neighboring countries alongside the Starry Stars army.

Once the actions of each squad were determined, they parted ways and began preparations.

In the meantime, the air squad, once their assignments were completed, was ready to depart at any moment.

Before departure, Siegfried handed a large magic stone to Oliver, Arnes, Pamela and others.

"I’ve already given you spiritual defense magic stones, but these stones contain defensive magic. Use them only in real danger during future battles or journeys. You can decide when to use them. However, they can only be used once, with a defensive range of 100 meters for approximately two hours, and they can be moved with while active. A smaller range may extend the duration, but a larger range will shorten it."

Arnes asked, "Your Highness, since I have no magic power, should I have one of my magically-inclined subordinates hold it?"

"No, as I mentioned earlier, you should decide when to use it. The magic power needed is from the stone itself, so personal magic power is not required. Additionally, this stone provides both magical and physical defense."

"Such a powerful item for us…"

"Even if you must leave behind a dangerous land where monsters are rampant and the country might be overrun, please accept this as a token of my concern."

Siegfried lightly bowed his head.

Being left behind in such a perilous land means the risk of being killed by monsters or, like previous extermination teams, captured, turned into puppets, and drained of life force.

Gripping the stone, Oliver asked, "What are the activation conditions? If it doesn’t require magic power, there must be some activation condition?"

"Yes. First, each person should hold the stone with both hands and announce their name to the stone."

Oliver followed the instructions, announcing his name to the stone. Seeing this, Arnes and others did the same.

"This confirms each user of the stone. To activate it when needed, recite the following in order: your name, the desired radius of protection, and the word 'Desire.' Saying these three things will activate the defense magic. Don’t use it on a whim. Although it may be unsettling to use in critical situations, just trust me. Remember, use ‘your name,’ ‘radius,’ and ‘Desire.’ I pray that you fulfill your duties without fail."

With this, Siegfried mounted the divine bird, and together with Althea and Regalus, they took flight.

Leading the way was the divine bird carrying Siegfried and Althea, followed by the large birds in formation. Each soldier rode two by two on the birds, heading towards the shrine in the west of Royal Grand Central.

In less than an hour, they spotted the Port of Rietonia.

"…Incredible. A journey that usually takes five days by land takes less than an hour by air… I wish we could use this more often…"

Siegfried mused aloud on the back of the divine bird, to which the divine bird responded.

"To use us? Unfortunately, that is not possible. We are carrying you now because of the phoenix feathers. If you could provide something of equivalent value, it might be different, but… it would be difficult for humans. After all, we are divine birds serving a god."

"Ah, I apologize. I understand… Offering something to the gods… For example, what could one offer to gain your assistance?"

"Ah ha ha, still seeking assistance? As expected of descendants. …Well, we normally do not appear in public. To maintain our presence, we require great power. If you have something useful with magical power to supplement that power, we might consider it. …Or if you offer a daughter."

"A daughter…?"

"Yes, a daughter."

"…You don’t mean Althea, do you?"

"Yes. In that case, we might occasionally assist."

"…I decline."

"As expected."

Seeing Siegfried hide Althea behind him, the divine bird responded with a playful laugh.

After about four hours of flight, they entered the skies over the Royal Grand Central Kingdom.

"I’m sorry, but let’s rest for a bit. The upcoming journey will be somewhat challenging. …Ah, that area looks good."

The divine bird said this and landed in a grassland slightly inland from the Port of Sivia, taking a break. The following large birds also landed in the grassland, drinking from a hidden lake.

The soldiers on the birds also took a break. During this time, Siegfried handed a letter to Mythril, instructing him to head to the Sivia domain.

Mythril was the eldest son of the Second Knight Brigade’s Commander, Baron Rohmund Monte Del Salvador, and a cousin to Althea and Regalus. Having already made his debut in society and being publicly acknowledged as an heir, he was well-suited to request an audience with the Duke of Sivia. By contrast, Regalus, though having made his debut, was still a student and not formally recognized as an heir.

The Duke of Shivia was the younger brother of the previous king and the current king’s uncle. He was ideal for contacting the Royal Grand Central Kingdom's royal castle. Additionally, he was the father of the prince's aide, Cartlis.

Since the Sivia domain was about ten kilometers away from their resting spot, Curio was also sent along with Mythril.

As Siegfried sent Mythril off and had a meeting with Regalus about future plans, Althea was talking with the divine bird in its humanoid form.

"Um... Divine Bird, what exactly is the 'Goddess of the Moon' you mentioned at the shrine in the northeast?"

"...You haven’t heard of it before, have you? If that’s the case, there’s no need for you to know."

"..."

"…Sorry. My choice of words was poor. I meant to say it’s not necessary right now. Eventually, whether you want to know or not, you will come to know if it becomes necessary."

"I see... So, it’s not necessary at the moment. ...Ah, then... Divine Bird, do you know about the shrine at our next destination?"

"...I know, in the sense that I do know. But I also don't know, in the sense that I don't know."

"What do you mean by that...?"

"Would it be more accurate to say that I used to know but no longer know?"

"I see... Then, what was the place like when you knew about it?"

"What kind of place... It was protected. It was a soothing place. ...I hope it is still the same."

"A soothing place... I hope it is."

"...You seem to find it quite soothing as well?"

"What do you mean by 'soothing'?"

At that moment, Siegfried, having finished his meeting, joined the conversation.

"If you're asking what is soothing, it's a bit difficult to explain... perhaps the atmosphere? Don’t you find the gentle ambiance calming?"

"I understand if that's the case. It's comforting to be near her. ...But Divine Bird, I won't be handing her over."

Siegfried replied while subtly hiding Althea behind him, and the Divine Bird also smiled with amusement.