Chapter 494: A Glimpse of the True Saint
True Saint Maria had activated several of the abilities she normally kept suppressed to create a dramatic entrance.
“Divine Sanctity” – an overwhelming aura of the True Saint that instills a sense of awe and fear in all living beings nearby.
“True Grace”– a holy spell that continues to heal and regenerate everything within a certain range as long as her magical power is not exhausted.
And similarly, as long as the magical power lasts, there is 『Automatic Purification』, which purifies a limited range.
She also used “Divine Glow”– a flashy effect that simply made her body to emit a soft light, one of the first abilities learned by any True Saint, mostly used for show.
Among the Dragon people who possess saint-type skills, these four abilities were often joked about as the “Four Useless Skills” because they were rarely used seriously. But to the entourage from the Kingdom of Luwan, it was more than enough to impress them.
Marquis Donaisson unknowingly shed a tear. His aides had even begun to bow without realizing it.
The knight escorts had fallen to their knees, heads bowed.
And Saint Matilda was so shocked she had collapsed, unable to stand.
Tauro and his companions had known from the beginning what Maria was capable of, so they didn’t give much of a reaction on the outside. But even they were inwardly amazed, and felt like bowing, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer power of her full display.
After sufficiently making her point, True Saint Maria deactivated the so-called bluff abilities.
She couldn’t keep wasting her time forever.
Sensing that, Tauro spoke up:
“This person is Aeris’s mentor. We will withhold her name, but I believe her presence has made everything clear, wouldn’t you agree?”
“……”
Even after her abilities had ceased, the members of the Kingdom of Luwan party remained entranced, still sensing the divine aura surrounding Maria.
”Ahem! Everyone, do you understand?”
Tauro asked again.
“Huh?! Ah—! M-My apologies. So, this is Lady Aeris’s master… Such divine presence, even greater than that of our own Saint… Who exactly is she?”
“I would rather you not ask that. For now, what matters is that this person is willing to cooperate with Saint Matilda. Is that acceptable?”
Tauro pressed to get Marquis Donaisson’s word.
“…Well then, what do you say, Saint Matilda?”
Marquis Donaisson turned to Saint Matilda for confirmation.
Still lying on the couch after collapsing, Matilda came to her senses when Marquis Donaisson spoke to her.
“A-Are you… a god…?”
Even after regaining her senses, she still couldn’t believe that the person before her was part of this world.
“I am merely someone who possesses the skills of a saint. Saint Matilda, you are still far too inexperienced to call yourself a saint. If you wish to fulfill your role, you must work diligently for your country and improve yourself greatly. I will help you this time—but there won’t be a second. Understand?”
True Saint Maria, having appraised Matilda, sighed at her immaturity and gently scolded her.
“I—I’m so sorry…! I’m so sorry!”
Perhaps overwhelmed with guilt in front of the real saint before her, Saint Matilda burst into tears and clung to Maria’s feet, pleading for forgiveness.
Marquis Donaisson and his party could only watch in stunned silence.
“Now then, everyone, shall we begin discussing the arrangements for the ceremony?”
Tauro decided it was time to move the conversation forward.
Though Saint Matilda was still crying, she wiped her tears and made an effort to listen.
Since this involved the face and dignity of the Kingdom of Luwan, Marquis Donaisson and his aides also focused on Tauro’s words.
Under Tauro’s lead, the group held a thorough discussion on the upcoming ceremony.
That Evening – The Welcome Banquet
To their surprise, Marquis Haragura himself appeared at the welcome banquet.
Tauro had seen him before when he had sneaked into the Marquis’s mansion in the royal capital, so this was the second time he had seen him, and he immediately recognized him.
He had blond curly hair, purple eyes, a stocky build, and a slightly bulging belly.
At his side was Alexa, a servant whose unusually sharp intuition during my previous sneak-in had left me sweating bullets, fearing I’d be discovered.
“To welcome a saint into my domain—I rushed back from the capital. I was honored to witness the ‘Blessing Ceremony’ there and was deeply moved, so I’m looking forward to reliving that moment! Although… I imagine there will be other ways to enjoy myself as well. Wahaha!”
Marquis Haragura laughed suggestively.
“…He definitely knows that Saint Matilda can’t use her ‘Blessing’ anymore, doesn’t he?”
Aeris whispered to Tauro as they took their seats at the Kingdom of Luwan’s table.
“No doubt. Also, see the guy behind Haragura? Black hair, silver eyes?”
Tauro replied, leaning slightly toward her.
Aeris nodded.
“Keep an eye on him. He looks dangerous. You’d better remember his face.”
Aeris nodded again and passed the warning to Ragune and the others.
“It’s rare for Tauro to be wary of someone,” Ragune murmured to Ankh.
“…I kinda get what he means. That guy… he’s a monster, no doubt.”
That’s how Ankh, a former mercenary who is in some ways an expert at killing, described Marquis Haragura’s servant.
“A monster?”
Zion, sitting nearby, asked curiously.
“From what I can tell—those are the eyes of someone who’s killed quite a lot of people. I’ve slain plenty enemy soldiers on the battlefield myself as a mercenary, but that guy? He’s done worse. The kind of killing done in the dark, behind closed doors. The leader’s right, it would be best to remember his face.”
Ankh leaned in and gave a quiet but firm warning to Ragune and Zion.