In her office within the Holy Amritate Grand Cathedral of the Southern Province Council Hall, Soarina sat alone, staring down at a bundle of documents.
They were all evidence of the corruption the old foxes of the Southern Province Council had accumulated over the years, but the complex and calcified administrative system had yielded a volume of information beyond anything she had anticipated.
Having grown up as a village girl, Soarina was not particularly accustomed to written documents.
With the halting gestures and pace of a child who had only just begun primary schooling, she worked her way through the contents.
For every document in this pile, there were people suffering behind it.
If only she could verify the contents and set things right even one page sooner, one character sooner...
Yet her impatience only mounted, further dulling her ability to work.
Then, without warning, the office door was knocked and a holy knight entered.
"Holy Maiden Soarina! The investigation into the personal assets of the deceased cardinals has reached a stopping point."
The one who appeared was High Holy Knight Fjord Vaisterk, commander of the Southern Province Holy Knights.
Though well advanced in years, his undiminished prowess was renowned throughout all of Quolia, not merely the Southern Province—there was scarcely a soul, whether clergy or commoner, who did not know his name.
Despite belonging to the martial calling of holy knights, Fjord performed a deep bow with impeccable courtesy.
In response, Soarina nodded quietly and posed her question in a voice tinged with anticipation.
"What did you find?"
"The word is... staggering. I never imagined assets of this magnitude could be hidden away. Double ledgers, indirect donations, bribes. When I think that these offerings entrusted to us by the people could have properly reached the destitute, I can only lament my own inadequacy."
Fjord, who was normally so composed that he rarely showed any emotion, could not conceal the displeasure plain on his face.
Or rather—precisely because it was him, matters had been contained to this extent.
In truth, the holy knights hastily assembled to deal with the situation were shouting themselves hoarse with fury at the sheer depravity of what they had uncovered.
"God calls upon us with a strong will to be a light for the people. Let us do what we can—what of the personnel I asked you to recruit?"
"We have issued notices to the priests and others across the towns and villages, but each has their own circumstances, and when pressed on such short notice, the response has been less than satisfactory."
Rebuilding an administrative system with gaping holes in it is no easy task.
It isn't simply a matter of assigning suitable people; it demands genuine popularity and capability.
That said, the bishops and cardinals killed by Erakino were the upper echelons of the Southern Province's administration.
Most practical work was handled by ordinary clergy, so for the common citizens, daily life remained, for now, much like it was during peacetime, and a fragile equilibrium was holding.
However, it was obvious that this peace would collapse within a few days.
Before that happened, they had to repair these intricately knotted, complex flows until they took a visible shape again.
"I see... You have my permission to use my name. Please continue your persuasion. Right now, we simply need people."
Even granting permission to use the title of Saintess, a name that should not be handed out lightly.
Realizing the weight of this decision and the resolve Soarina possessed, Fjord trembled.
Yet, even as he directed a reverence bordering on fear toward the Saintess, Fjord remembered his duty as the Commander of the Southern Province Holy Knights.
"However, are we certain we should stop the report to the Central Province?"
A few seconds of silence passed. Then the Saintess of Floral Burial, Soarina, answered.
"Yes... that is not an issue. If the Central Province interferes unnecessarily now, the confusion will only worsen. Of course, this doesn't mean hiding it forever. At an appropriate time in the future..."
"Hmm, if Lady Soarina says so..."
He was clearly being deflected.
Fjord was not merely a doddering old man on the brink of retirement.
He was a Senior Holy Knight whose name resounded across the continent, a hero of Quolia who had vanquished more evil than anyone save the Saintess herself.
His powers of perception had long since ascended to the realm of foresight and telepathy, and thus he saw through the guilt and the secret Soarina harbored.
There was something. A reason why Soarina had to conceal this grave incident from the Central Province.
He focused his consciousness, trying not to show he had noticed, and carefully examined all the information he had gathered so far.
There must be something... I must be missing some kind of discrepancy.
In his hazy consciousness, something flickered in Fjord's mind—
Corpses of priests strewn everywhere. Soarina and the young girl standing in a sea of blood.
The moment Fjord drew his holy knight's sword alongside his men and swung it at the girl—
"Heya, heya! Seems like you've got a bit of a problem! Though, honestly, don't you have more important things to do right now than chat?"
"—! You are..."
"Hellooo, Sir Knight Commander! Your under-eye bags are getting worse, aren't they? You are getting enough sleep, right?"
The girl who had appeared at some point spoke to Fjord in a familiar, casual tone.
His vision blurred, and his head pounded. The girl and the girl overlapped, their blood-red eyes and mouths grinning eerily.
The headache worsened further, and he was just one step away from wrenching out that wedge.
"Ngh, s-sorry... my head..."
Just a little more—just a little.
And thus, Holy Knight Fjord remembered that the girl before him was the Sorcerer of Gorging, Erakino.
"Oh dear, oh dear... is the effect wearing off? Can't be helped, nya. Believe in Erakino, okay? Kyaa~ ♪"
=Message===
Erakino's Brainwashing Judgment
Judgment: Decisive Success
—―――
He greeted a holy believer he knew well.
"Hmm... what? Oh, Lady Erakino, you were here. My apologies, I was feeling a bit dizzy."
The headache from moments ago vanished as if it had never been, and clarity instantly flooded her consciousness.
At the same time, a surge of righteous feeling filled her body to the brim, and the gentlemanly side of her emerged, regretting the discourtesy she had shown the young girl before her.
"Could it be that you're utterly smitten with Erakino's cuteness? You shouldn't push yourself too hard at work, Mr. Commander."
"Hahaha! To cause a lady to worry and fuss over me like this, I truly lack discipline. However, Lady Erakino. There are times when one must accomplish something even if it requires pushing oneself."
"Something like helping others, perhaps?"
"Indeed! That is precisely correct. As you are also aware, Quolia is currently being plunged into unprecedented chaos. In the face of such a crisis, it is the duty of a Holy Knight to become the sword of God and the shield of the people. How could there be any time for sleep?"
"Nyahaha! Hmm, what a workaholic! There's definitely a risk of becoming exploitative if you ever became a company president♪ Well, for a Mr. Commander like that, by all means, please proceed with your work~"
Perhaps overwhelmed by the intensity of her straightforward feelings, or perhaps fed up with her willful determination that left no room for self-reflection.
Erakino let out a slight, wry smile and produced a bundle of papers from somewhere.
"Th-this is!"
Fjord's eyes widened in shock upon receiving the documents.
Because it contained information about the hidden locations of the bishops' assets, something that should never have been left in a tangible form...
"Lady Erakino... where did you get this?"
"The Investigation skill is important, you know. Oh, oh, Mr. Commander. Is that really what's important right now? Not what it is, but what you will do with it? Isn't that it?"
"Gah! My apologies. That is indeed the case. Thank you for the wise lesson, Lady Erakino."
Fjord switched his thinking in an instant at her words.
The amount of hidden assets uncovered from the previous false account books was immense.
He had thought investigating them would be difficult because their locations were unknown, but if they could be recovered early, it might even be possible to reorganize the southern provinces' chaos by leveraging funds. Seeing hope for quelling the turmoil, Fjord's complexion improved somewhat, and he tucked the documents into his robe.
"Well then, Lady Soarina, Lady Erakino, I shall immediately scrutinize these documents. At this moment, no matter how much time we have, it is not enough."
"Yes, we look forward to working with you."
"You can do it!"
With the same deep, courtly bow as when she had entered the room, Fjord bent at the waist.
Her feet, poised to turn on her heel and leave, suddenly stopped.
"I am... truly grateful to you both for standing up for this country. It must be God's guidance—He could never have allowed the festering corruption in this nation to go unchallenged."
Erakino understood well that those words came from the heart—or rather, that they did not, since she had used Brain Wash to seize control of the other's thoughts entirely.
And Soarina, who had been completely won over to Erakino's camp through Siphon, understood this just as well.
"Let's make this a good country. Well then, we'll be going."
Erakino smiled with a carefree, beaming expression, while Soarina wore an indescribable, stiff grin.
They nodded in response to Holy Knight Fjord's words.
……
……
…
"My, doesn't it feel wonderful when you do something good! It's a whole new sensation!"
Erakino twirled and danced around the office, laughing.
Her smile was that of a young girl's, and her carefree expression gave no hint whatsoever that she was a witch who had taken countless lives.
Soarina simply processed documents in silence.
As though sealing away a reality she did not wish to see, coating her own heart in lies.
"If things keep going like this, all the bad people in this whole area are going to disappear, Soarina!"
"If this keeps going, if this keeps going..."
Yes, if things continue like this.
Strangely enough, Erakino seemed to genuinely want to improve this country.
At the very least, it was true that she was beginning to feel an attachment to this country and acquaintances like the knight commander they had just met.
Soarina didn't understand why a witch who cared nothing for human lives would develop such feelings.
But if, by some chance, Erakino could develop a true fondness for this country and its people, wouldn't everything change?
Surely, unfortunate people like herself would no longer be born?
Such a pathetic vision of the future flickered through her mind.
If things continue like this. If things continue like this...
Soarina whispers that alone, softly.
"If things continue to go well... but will they?"
Those words were contradicted by the words of another visitor.
"Fenne..."
Standing there was a single woman.
How tall was she? She was certainly taller than Soarina, but she hunched her body as if cowering, making her appear smaller instead.
Moreover, she was wrapped tightly in sanctified robes that hid her skin, and with her face concealed by a pure white veil, the combination created a certain eeriness.
Conversely, her voice was like a song of the goddess.
It was so pure that it felt as if her voice alone had sanctified the room, enough to make even Soarina, a being of the same kind, blush involuntarily.
The woman's name was Fenne.
One of the Seven Holy Women of Salvation on the Idoragia continent.
Fenne Karmuel, the "Veiled Saint."
"Oh my! If it isn't face-down girl! A pleasure to meet you! How are your wounds?"
Erakino cheerfully addresses Fenne, who has somehow entered the room without anyone noticing, using what technique was unclear.
Fenne turned her face silently toward Erakino, her hand on Vale at an angle Soarina couldn't see, confirming the situation with one eye.
"Nice to meet you, Erakino. You took down Soarina... well done."
"Why thank you! It took quite some time, though. But thanks to that, I'm one step closer to achieving my grand ambition! Impressive, right?"
"I suppose. Not interested."
A terrifying sense of dissonance washed over Soarina.
She didn't know the relationship between Erakino and Fenne.
In Quolia, regions enjoyed significant autonomy, which fostered a strong dislike for outside intervention.
Therefore, no information had come in about what kind of battle the "Saint of the Mask," responsible for a different region, had fought against Erakino.
Because no information had come in, everything that had happened there was a complete mystery.
"What's wrong, Soarina?"
Noticing Soarina's change, Fenne asked quietly. Her voice was, as always, beautiful, carrying a solemnity reminiscent of court music.
Shaking off the somewhat inhuman resonance echoing in her mind, Soarina asked indirectly.
"Pardon the forward question, Lady Fenne, but did Erakino do something to you?"
"Nothing at all."
Erakino and Fenne replied with the exact same words simultaneously.
That eerie synchronicity made Soarina shudder involuntarily.
"What a strange thing to ask, Soarina. Did you think she had brainwashed me somehow? Ah, or perhaps you thought I was plotting something? If so, you're mistaken. I always put people first. This situation is just... unavoidable. Having been defeated once, I'm certainly no match for you or Erakino."
Beneath the veil, her eyes pierced Soarina to the core.
Even unspoken, it felt as though every thought had been laid bare, leaving Soarina momentarily speechless.
"Ah, this is what you're thinking, isn't it, Soarina? 'The Face-Down Saint secretly arranged some pact with the Slurping Witch and is lying low, feigning a grave injury.' That is a most, most dreadful thought. Surely even the gods would never countenance such a terrible idea. That thought should be discarded immediately, Soarina."
As if prepared beforehand, or perhaps simply stringing together whatever came to mind, Fenne eloquently denied Soarina's unvoiced suspicion.
A saint's abilities are, in principle, entirely secret. Even if one somehow learns of them, absolute discretion is sworn.
This holds true even between saints themselves; Soarina had only the vaguest notion of what powers other saints might possess.
...Suddenly, she recalled the rumor that the miracle of the Face-Down Saint was said to perceive the truth.
"Come now, Soarina, let us save the people. That is why saints were brought into being by the divine."
Fenne's voice was beautiful as she spoke.
It was a voice one could be drawn into, to the point of drowning.
For some reason, Soarina's gaze drifted toward Erakino in a plea for help.
The Slurping Witch simply laughed, a cheerful, rolling sound.
"All people deserve salvation. Yes, all of them."
Those present held perfectly aligned opinions.
But whether those words held truth existed only within the depths of each heart.
=Message===
The Southern Province has seceded from the Holy Kingdom of Quolia.
Until a [National Declaration] event occurs, it will be treated as an independent city-state.
―――