ALL NOVEL Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Miss Vilyric’s… True Identity?
After wandering around the labyrinthine general’s residence for quite a while, Liliya and her companions finally managed to evade the fervent crowd that had gathered inexplicably and returned through the back door to the temporary lodging that Rekter had arranged for them.
Since the Silver Armor Knight Order led by Liliya was stationed here, it was relatively safe.
Once inside the guest room, the Princess dismissed all the maidservants, leaving only Vilyric and Hua behind. She eagerly placed her hands on the Priestess’s shoulders and stared intently into her eyes.
“Miss Vilyric! Just who exactly are you?!”
“Ah?” Someone tilted her head in confusion.
“Don’t ‘ah’ me, you blundering fool!” Princess Liliya buried her face in her hands, exasperated. “If I had known you were this powerful, I never would have agreed to let you treat people in the general’s residence! Do you have any idea how much of a stir you just caused in Wanku Fortress?!”
“Uh…”
The black-haired girl, who was the source of all this chaos, fell silent for a moment, before slowly uttering three words.
“Sorry?”
“Does ‘sorry’ even help?! Aaaah!!!”
After some help from Hua, Liliya finally calmed down enough to explain to the clueless Miss Vilyric why she was so distressed.
“Is that so—political and religious conflict, huh?”
Liliya shot a resentful glance at the black-haired girl, whose face was adorned with the expression, “Oh! So that’s how it is!” She continued her frustration-laden explanation.
“Right, while the United Kingdom upholds a policy of religious freedom and allows the establishment of temples, the royal family and top officials aren’t allowed to believe in gods. We worship the ancestral spirits of the kingdom.”
The church cannot meddle in politics; that’s the kingdom’s bottom line.
Thus, it was indeed a significant political issue for a pillar of light resembling a divine miracle to appear in the general’s residence. Especially since it happened right after the Fifth Princess Liliya arrived—it’s hard not to read between the lines.
“Well, I don’t see what’s the big deal. These so-called rules are just human-made, right? As long as we don’t take it too seriously, it’s fine. Besides, what I did just now wasn’t a real miracle.”
It was just the effect of an advanced skill from the “Fantasy World.”
“No, that was undoubtedly a real miracle.”
Liliya said earnestly, “Miss Vilyric, when you summoned that pillar of light, I saw an angelic vision and heard sacred hymns surrounding me. And that kind of power—bringing the dead back to life and reversing fate—is not something humans can possess.”
“I saw it too,” Hua chimed in from the side.
The two girls exchanged glances, and Liliya nodded. “So, getting back to the initial question, Miss Vilyric, who exactly are you? No, are you even human?”
“Ah, hahaha…”
The Priestess awkwardly diverted her gaze. She actually wanted to say “yes,” but in truth, Vilyric wasn’t human; she was a hidden special race from the “Fantasy World,” a divine being.
Seeing her reaction, the already sharp-witted Liliya and experienced adventurer Hua immediately understood something.
Although the United Kingdom was a pure human nation theoretically refusing the settlement of hybrids or non-human beings, just as Vilyric had said, rules are human-made. At a time like this, Liliya certainly wouldn’t quibble over such things.
And Hua, as a legendary adventurer who had traveled the world since her youth, was far more accepting of non-humans than the average citizens of the kingdom, so she wouldn’t mind either.
“So, is Sister Vilyric really a Winged Person? I remember seeing wings behind you earlier.”
With the Princess stating this, Vilyric realized they had figured it out. However, the Priestess had never intended to hide her identity; Liliya simply hadn’t asked until now.
“I’m not a Winged Person… just think of me as a special life form, the kind that only has one individual. Frankly speaking, I’m not all that different from humans.”
“Sort of.”
“Special… life form? Oh~”
Liliya looked skeptical before suddenly appearing enlightened. However, she didn’t press the matter further and nodded, showing her understanding.
“Alright, enough about that! Miss Vilyric just used such tremendous power; you must be tired. You should rest here while Hua and I check on how General Layton is doing.”
Without waiting for Vilyric to object, the Princess dashed out with her guard, leaving the somewhat dazed black-haired girl behind.
“…I can’t shake the feeling she’s associating this with something weird…”
The impact of using “Heavenly Blessing” in the general’s residence was far greater than Vilyric had anticipated. Until dusk fell, only then did the fervent crowd wanting to witness the miracle gradually disperse.
Upon returning, Liliya relayed Rekter’s request for them to be welcomed to a banquet, to express gratitude for saving him. However, Vilyric found it too troublesome and declined, telling Liliya to handle it herself.
She hadn’t wanted to get too involved with the military anyway; saving Layton was only because he was important to her employer, Liliya, and she was somewhat interested in that strange curse.
Meeting at this time would surely lead the old man to express gratitude endlessly, giving this and that, just thinking about it was annoying.
After a simple night’s rest in Wanku Fortress, the next morning, Vilyric accompanied Liliya as her guard to the War Spire in the city—a place commonly regarded as the wartime headquarters.
They saved one person, but since Layton was already recovering, they also had to expedite the transfer of the military and begin preparations for the upcoming Orc Autumn War.
Those guys wouldn’t hesitate to attack just because there was a miracle seen in the city; they were born with a bloodlust for battle and conflict.
When they met Layton, he had re-donned the armor symbolizing his rank as general and was waiting together with his son Rekter and many commanders in the command center.
After a night of calm, the old and young men had noticeably tempered their demeanor. While their gazes towards Vilyric still brimmed with uncontrollable gratitude and respect, they refrained from overshadowing Liliya, who was in a more difficult position.
There weren’t any issues this time, and the badge of command representing the western military was successfully handed over to Liliya.
Moreover, Layton had ordered for a giant sand table, more detailed and marked than what Liliya now held, to be brought out, explaining the current state and power comparison between the two nations.
Liliya and the generals listened with great interest, while Vilyric nearly fell asleep from boredom. She had no military talent or interest, as she was the type who didn’t like fighting; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen the path of a Priestess.
The long transfer ceremony finally concluded just before noon.
According to Layton, at this time, several slightly smaller surrounding cities in a defensive formation should have already started battling against the orc vanguard. The pressure on Wanku Fortress, being the core of the western defense, was also the greatest.
In three days at most, the orcs would push to the front of Wanku Fortress. Although humanity was on the defensive, they certainly couldn’t just huddle up in their stronghold waiting for the enemy to attack. Harassment and containment were also crucial.
After all, given the orcs’ formidable strength, if they waited until the orcs fully charged and unleashed their overwhelming assault, even the sturdy Wanku Fortress would find it extremely difficult to defend.