Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

The soldiers who had journeyed from the Kingdom of Fulltale to the vast land of Royal Grand Central by air were thoroughly exhausted from their long flight. To recover their strength, they decided to spend the night near the entrance of a sacred shrine.

While the soldiers rested, Siegfried, Althea, and Regalus distanced themselves slightly from the group to exchange information about their journey so far.

Regalus began by reporting on the events since they had last parted ways at the resting point.

According to Regalus, the journey to the shrine, which was estimated to take four or five hours by air, had actually taken over eight hours—double the expected time. After parting ways with the birds, they had finally located the shrine, but upon reaching it, they found themselves unable to enter for some inexplicable reason.

As Regalus pondered their next course of action in front of the shrine, Siegfried and Althea had rejoined him. Through their conversation, they realized that time seemed to flow differently inside the shrine, as a full day had passed since they had separated at the resting point.

Siegfried then explained to Regalus what had transpired within the shrine.

"It's inevitable that historical records would differ over the centuries... but even so..." Regalus trailed off, contemplating Siegfried's words.

'Perhaps Sieg's desire for Althea is driven by something close to the primal instinct of the 'bloodline'. Well, there's no denying that Althea is adorable.'

Noticing Regalus’s gaze, Siegfried responded, "Is something on your mind?"

Regalus shook his head. "It's nothing. But we should decide how to manage those Tears of the Unicorn. The timing of when to use them is crucial, and we need to confirm who can benefit from their healing properties. We know that both you and Althea can use them, but... wait, it seems we have an incoming communication."

Siegfried stood up and stepped aside, pulling out a stone that resembled a magical crystal and began conversing with someone. The stone was likely one of the royal family's heirlooms.

Watching Siegfried from the corner of his eye, Regalus turned to Althea. "Althea, are you holding up okay? Sieg mentioned that you’ve been using wind magic to maintain a protective barrier since you arrived here. And you gave some of those magical stones to the squad captains back in Fulltale. Aren't you exhausted?"

Althea smiled softly and replied in a hushed voice, "I’m fine for now. Honestly, I think I would've been tired by now, but the magic book has helped."

As the siblings conversed, Siegfried returned.

"You two seem to be having a good time. What’s the conversation about?"

"I was just checking if Althea's doing alright. But did something happen?"

"Yes, Mythril and Rohmund have safely returned. I was worried since I only sent two of them with Curio, but it seems they made it back without incident. I also informed His Majesty about our next destination, and he promised to send reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? That’s reassuring. Who will be coming?"

"He didn’t say, but mentioned that it would be someone reliable. I suspect it could be the First Knight Commander or the Second Knight Commander. They’re probably finalizing the arrangements now."

"Either way, it’s a relief to know that help is on the way."

As the two of them let out a sigh of relief, Althea, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up.

"Althea?!"

"Althea? What’s wrong?"

They called out to her in surprise, noticing that she was trembling slightly. With a shaky voice, she announced, "A complete defensive magic stone has been activated!"

"What?! How many?"

Siegfried’s expression changed instantly as he inquired.

"Just one."

"Only one... It’s likely Oliver."

Oliver Norland, a candidate for Siegfried’s close aide and the son of the Minister of Magic, had embarked on a sea voyage to return with the magical items and other cargo that couldn’t be transported by air. Although accompanied by the First Squad of the Fourth Knight Order, they only had one defensive magic stone with them.

"If it’s Oliver, then they must be at sea. If they’re under attack on the ocean... Damn it, there must be something we can do."

Regalus muttered in frustration, and Althea, who had been silently contemplating after her report, finally spoke up.

"Your Highness, you were just in communication with the royal palace, correct?"

"Yes, we’re still within range for communication magic without using the stones. I can keep them updated on the situation, but..."

"In that case, could I ask you to relay a message?"

"A message? To whom?"

"To Lady Lily. Please inform her that I won’t be able to perform the prayer of magical empowerment tomorrow."

"What does that mean?"

"I’m going to use the magic stone that was just activated to assist with a complete defensive spell from here."

"Is that even possible?"

"It’s not about whether it’s possible. It’s about whether I will do it or not. First, we need to ensure that those being attacked can focus entirely on their defense. Your Highness, please contact Lady Lily. Brother, could you cast a wind magic illusion around my tent? It’s best if the others don’t know what’s happening, to avoid causing unnecessary concern."

"But what about your magical energy, Althea?!"

"I’ll be fine. This isn’t an empowerment spell, so I can recover my strength with rest... Oh, but please don’t use the Tears of the Unicorn. We need to save them for emergencies. I’ll manage. I might get a little tired, but if I do, I’ll need you to carry me during our next move."

Althea smiled warmly before calling for Laila and heading toward her tent. Siegfried and Regalus could only watch her silently as she left.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since Regalus cast the wind magic illusion around Althea’s tent.

After Althea entered the tent, Laila came out once to report that the stone had indeed been activated by Oliver. However, since then, Laila and Althea had remained inside the tent.

Not wanting to alarm the soldiers unnecessarily, Regalus issued orders to keep the situation under wraps, directing the men to maintain watch over the area and delaying their departure by half a day. Some soldiers questioned the sudden change in plans, but most were too tired to care and welcomed the brief respite.

Once the orders were given, Regalus returned to the vicinity of Althea’s tent. The illusion spell he had cast prevented him from seeing or hearing anything inside. To him, it looked like an ordinary tent.

Time ticked on, and before long, nearly three hours had passed since Althea had entered the tent.

"The complete defense magic imbued in the stone I gave Oliver should last about two hours. By now, its effects should have worn off completely. I don't know how Althea is involved in this, but... are we really left with no choice but to trust in her? Damn it, is there nothing I can do? How pathetic..."

Standing outside the tent, Regalus clenched his fists tightly in frustration. Just then, a distant scream broke through the night.

"Ahhh! Something... something’s there!"

Without hesitation, Regalus sprinted toward the source of the scream. As he arrived, he found Siegfried already there, issuing orders to the soldiers.

Regalus quickly moved to Siegfried's side, seeking clarification.

"Sieg, what’s going on?"

"Look up, Reg. There’s something in the sky. It’s too dark to see clearly, but the soldiers reported being attacked by something that’s definitely not a bird."

Following Siegfried’s words, Regalus looked up into the pitch-black sky. Though the darkness of day in this place was ominous, the night was even more suffocating. Amidst that dense blackness, something even darker seemed to be moving.

"Is that... a flying magical beast?"

"Most likely. There are ways to attack from land, but the risks are too high. It’s more likely they chose to strike from above. I’ve already given the soldiers their orders. For now, Reg, you need to hurry back to Althea’s tent and reinforce the illusion spell. This time, make sure it’s completely invisible. Once you’re done, return here immediately. I’ll be waiting."

Nodding at Siegfried’s instructions, Regalus turned and raced back the way he had come, his heart pounding with urgency.