Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

Laila gently caught the collapsing Althea and laid her down on the bed. After making sure Althea was comfortably settled, Laila stepped out of the tent to report the situation. Outside, the sight that greeted her was alarming—many wounded soldiers lay scattered on the ground.

Unsure of what had transpired, Laila searched anxiously for Regalus. It wasn’t long before she spotted him a little ways off, tending to the injured with healing magic.

"Lord Regalus! What on earth has happened here?" she cried out in concern.

"Ah, Laila... What of Althea? Is she alright?" Regalus asked urgently, his expression strained.

"Yes, my lord, Lady Althea is safe. She is resting now, though exhausted. She asked me to convey this message: 'Lord Oliver and the others have safely reached the Principality.'"

"I see... That is a relief," Regalus said, visibly relaxing.

At that moment, Siegfried appeared, and Laila quickly knelt, lowering her head in respect.

"What's this about being relieved?" Siegfried inquired, his tone sharp.

"Althea managed to save Oliver. They've reached the Principality safely," Regalus explained.

"I see... And what of Althea?" Siegfried asked, his gaze shifting to Laila.

Laila hesitated and glanced at Regalus, who gave a small nod. With a bow, she replied, "The young lady expended a great deal of magic. After completing her task, she entrusted me with her message and then fell into a deep sleep."

"Is she alright?" Siegfried’s voice was tight with concern, his composure slipping.

Regalus placed a comforting hand on Siegfried's shoulder. "It's just magical exhaustion, Siegfried. If it were more serious, Laila wouldn’t be reporting so calmly. But... using such powerful magic remotely must have drained Althea considerably. We’ll need to be cautious about any magical stones she’s passed on to others; they may pose a problem if used now."

Siegfried, visibly calming, replied, "She likely created four enchanted stones with complete protective spells today, used wind magic to shield the sacred bird during its flight, and maintained a remote magic shield throughout the ordeal. Time flows differently in the shrine, so for Althea and me, only a day has passed since we left the Kingdom of Fulltale. That would explain why her magic hasn’t replenished."

Indeed.

While it had been nearly two days since Regalus and the others left Fulltale, Siegfried and Althea, having spent time within the shrine where time flows differently, had not had the chance to rest. What had occurred yesterday for Regalus felt like today for Althea.

"That makes sense," Regalus nodded. "Given what she’s been through, it’s no wonder she’s exhausted. Casting such demanding spells one after another... Even though it might not do much, I’ll apply some recovery magic. Laila."

"Yes, my lord?"

"We’re going to see Althea. I also need to dispel the concealment magic. Siegfried, will you come? Or would you prefer to rest?"

"I’m coming. I couldn’t rest in this state, even if I tried."

Regalus chuckled. "Indeed."

With that, the two men, accompanied by Laila, headed towards the tent where Althea rested.

Upon entering the tent, they found Althea fast asleep on the bed. She had clearly expended much of her magic—her brow was damp with sweat, and her complexion was pale.

"Regalus, Althea is just exhausted from using too much magic, isn’t she? In that case, we should use a drop of the Unicorn’s Tear."

"Wait, but didn’t Althea specifically ask us not to use it—"

"She probably would refuse, even if she were in danger, don’t you think?"

"That’s true. I’d be glad to use it, but... won’t she be angry when she wakes up?"

"One drop should be alright, don’t you think? Althea has a vast reserve of magic. Besides, we haven’t fully tested the recovery properties of the Tear yet. This could serve as an opportunity to gauge its effectiveness."

"You're right. We do need to confirm its effects."

Regalus moved to Althea’s side and gently lifted her into a sitting position, supporting her. Siegfried, standing on the opposite side, held her face delicately as he took out a drop of the Unicorn’s Tear and placed it in her slightly parted lips, immediately following it with a small amount of water.

After confirming that Althea had swallowed, they carefully laid her back down.

Soon, the sweat on her forehead disappeared, and her breathing became steady and calm.

"How much do you think she’s recovered?" Siegfried wondered aloud.

"Hard to say. But it’s enough to know that she did recover somewhat. Given Althea’s large magic reserves, one drop might not be enough for a complete recovery, but that’s useful information in itself."

Siegfried’s expression softened as he stood up.

"Right, I’ll take my leave. Regalus, I know you’re worried, but there are still soldiers in need of healing. Leave Althea to Laila, and let’s get back to work."

Regalus sighed, though he nodded. "Alright. Laila, if anything happens, notify us immediately."

With those words, the two men left the tent.

The following day, though it was still dim outside, most soldiers were still resting, worn out from the previous day’s battle. Only the sentries were up, keeping watch as the others slept until noon.

That morning, Regalus visited Althea’s tent.

"Is Althea awake yet?" he asked Laila, who was sitting by the bed.

She shook her head. "No, not yet."

"I see... She must have used more magic than I thought. Yesterday was a bit chaotic, so I didn’t get all the details, but could you explain what happened as best as you can?"

Laila nodded and recounted the events of the previous night. While she hadn’t fought herself, she relayed what Althea had told her about Oliver and the others.

It seemed they were attacked by flying beasts while on the ship, and Althea had used the enchanted stones to maintain a complete defensive barrier until they reached the Principality safely.

"Using magic remotely through a stone is something most mages can’t do. And a complete defensive spell is a high-level spell, requiring both earth and wind magic, something only a few can achieve. But to maintain that spell... It’s no wonder she’s exhausted. Yet, thanks to her, Oliver and the others are safe. Still, I can’t help but wonder... Why does she push herself so hard?"

Regalus’s words hung in the air, and Laila listened silently.

"I suppose I should get back now. Laila, I’ll inform Siegfried of what you told me. We’ll be breaking camp after noon, so I’ll send some soldiers to help pack up the tent. Make sure Althea is ready to move by then."

With that, Regalus left the tent.

About two hours later, several soldiers arrived to pack up the tent. They moved Althea’s belongings outside, leaving only the bed she was sleeping in. As they prepared to move her, Siegfried entered.

Seeing the soldier about to carry Althea, Siegfried strode over. "I’ll handle this. You go pack up the bed."

With that, he took Althea into his arms and swiftly began walking away.

"Ah, Your Highness... Where are you taking the young lady?" Laila asked, hurrying after him, surprised at the unexpected direction he was heading.

"I can’t leave my aide’s savior behind. I’m taking her to my horse."

He must have heard the situation from Regalus. Without looking back, he continued walking briskly.

"But, Your Highness, surely you don’t need to personally—"

Laila’s protest was cut short as Siegfried stopped abruptly and turned to face her.

"Then who would you have carry her? You? I’m afraid your riding skills aren’t up to the task. Or do you think that soldier back there should do it?"

His expression was unreadable, but his voice carried a hint of anger. Laila was at a loss for how to respond.

"Siegfried," a voice called from ahead. It was Regalus.

Laila noticed that even Regalus’s tone seemed slightly edged with anger.

"What is it, Regalus?" Siegfried replied calmly, turning to face him.

From where Laila stood, she couldn’t see Siegfried’s face. She glanced at Regalus, who caught her eye briefly before turning back to Siegfried.

"What are you doing?" Regalus asked, his tone stern.

"I’m taking Althea to my horse," Siegfried replied flatly.

Regalus sighed heavily. "Do you even realize what you’re doing?"

"…"

"Laila."

"Yes, my lord!"

"Go fetch Althea’s belongings. Since we’re halfway through, you might as well. Once you’ve gathered everything, head over to that spot—do you see the rocks over there? There’s a clearing just beyond them. Wait there."

"But... my lord…"

"Don’t worry. I’ll see that Althea is properly taken care of."

Laila nodded reluctantly and hurried off, leaving the two men alone with Althea.

Laila glanced back once more at Siegfried’s back. Regalus had said, "I’ll handle it," and Siegfried had flinched ever so slightly, but otherwise, he remained perfectly still.

Laila looked back at Regalus, who was now smiling gently, though there was a pressure in the air that left no room for argument. "Very well. Please, take care of the young lady," she said, bowing deeply before returning to where the tent had been.

"Now, Sieg... Care to explain what brought this on?" Regalus asked as he stepped closer to the still-silent prince.

After a long pause, Siegfried finally spoke, his voice calmer but tinged with frustration. "I saw the soldiers carrying Althea, and I... I couldn’t help myself."

Regalus sighed again, a long, weary exhalation. "You’re usually so composed, but when it comes to her, you lose your head. For now, I’ll take Althea. Alright?"

Siegfried hesitated but eventually handed Althea over, albeit reluctantly.

"Sieg, did you think I hadn’t noticed your feelings?"

Siegfried remained silent, avoiding Regalus’s gaze.

"You’ve always doted on her like a little sister, but your gaze... It’s different when it comes to the princess. Still, I appreciated that you cared for her as my sister. The soldiers have noticed your concern for Althea as well. But if you carry her yourself, what do you think they’ll assume? They’ll start to see her as a candidate for the crown princess. And once that rumour starts, Althea will have no escape from it. Please, don’t do anything that might corner her like that."

Siegfried clenched his jaw, his silence heavy.

"Look, Sieg, I respect you, and more than that, I consider you a dear friend. There’s no man I hold in higher regard. But you’re the crown prince of a powerful kingdom. If Althea chose you, I’d have little to say—though I’d still offer my brotherly complaints. But if you’re not sure of her feelings, then we must tread carefully. Althea’s been forced to endure so much since she was young, and while you’ve faced your own burdens, the life of a royal and that of a noble are worlds apart. Even now, she’s fulfilling a duty she could have abandoned, a duty that brought her to this battlefield. But I digress. My point is, I don’t want to limit her choices. So, let’s avoid any misunderstandings, alright?"

"Alright," Siegfried finally responded, his voice strained.

"What?"

"I said I understand. I’m sorry, Reg. I wanted to consider Althea’s feelings, but when I saw her so vulnerable in someone else’s arms, I lost control."

"Well, I’m glad you understand now. And don’t worry about my earlier remarks. If we were in the royal court, I’d be guilty of treason," Regalus joked.

"But I wouldn’t let that happen. You’ve brought me back to my senses, and for that, I’m grateful," Siegfried replied with a small smile.

As the tension eased between them, Althea began to stir in Regalus’s arms.

"Is she waking?" Regalus asked softly.

Althea slowly opened her eyes, blinking up at her brother. "Reg...? What’s going on?"

"Good morning, Althea. How do you feel?" Regalus asked, his tone gentle.

"Morning... What? Wait, why am I... Why am I being carried?" Althea’s voice was laced with confusion as she became more aware of her surroundings.

"You used too much magic and passed out. We’ve been taking care of you," Regalus explained, his tone calm but with an undercurrent of worry.

"I see... But... Oh, please, put me down, Reg!" she protested, flustered.

Laughing softly, Regalus carefully set her on her feet.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Siegfried knelt before her, gently taking her hand and pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. "Althea, I’m in your debt. Thanks to you, I didn’t lose one of my retainers. You have my deepest gratitude."

Althea’s face turned bright red, her mouth opening and closing as she turned to her brother for help.

Regalus watched his sister’s flustered state with amusement. "I’m grateful too, Althea. Thank you." He took her other hand and placed a kiss on it as well.

Caught between the two men, Althea could only stammer, her face glowing with embarrassment.