With only a few days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Festival of the Demon King’s Subjugation, the pressure was mounting.
High Priest Sierotia’s primary task was to cast a barrier massive enough to encompass the entire village. She had traveled all the way from the Royal Capital for this express purpose. By establishing this divine shield, she would ensure the village was safe from any monster threats before the arrival of the Royalty.
"This is where we conduct the ritual for the barrier," Sierotia explained, guiding me toward a modest church.
Despite its size, the building was currently overflowing with priests and villagers, the interior packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
"The priests are currently offering their prayers by reciting the Holy Scripture. This ceremony must continue uninterrupted for five days, with the participants rotating in shifts."
"Five days straight?" I was stunned by the sheer scale of the commitment.
"Casting a barrier large enough to cover an entire village requires an immense amount of effort," she said. "And even with all that work, the barrier will only last for about three days. That is why it is only deployed for special occasions such as this."
"I see."
I caught myself thinking that if they could just keep a barrier up permanently, the world would be a much safer place, but clearly, magic wasn't that convenient.
"It is nearly time for me to join the ritual. Would you mind waiting inside?"
"Of course. I'm here to serve as your guard, Lady Sierotia."
"Thank you. Also, if you would be so kind, could you keep a close eye on that?"
She pointed toward a large, golden chalice resting in the distance. It radiated a soft, ethereal glow. It was clearly an item of immense value, as a group of priests stood around it in a tight, defensive formation.
"That is the Holy Grail. It is the most vital component of this entire ritual. Should the Holy Grail be stolen, the ceremony would collapse instantly. Therefore, I need you to keep a vigilant watch over it."
"Understood."
With my consent given, she headed toward the central altar to begin her duties. As we had discussed beforehand, I took a seat among the spectators to keep watch.
The ritual led by High Priest Sierotia commenced shortly after.
It began with a recitation of the Holy Scripture. However, she didn't just drone through the text word-for-word; she occasionally paused to offer clear, concise commentary on the passages. To be honest, much of the scripture was abstract and difficult to parse, so her explanations were a godsend.
The text covered the creation of the world, the complex relationship between the Supreme God and the Demon God, the nature of statuses and skills, and the legend of the First Hero.
At first, I listened with genuine interest, but as the hours dragged on, my attention began to wander. Looking around, I saw more than a few villagers nodding off in their seats. I had to admire the priests; they remained utterly focused on the task at hand.
Sierotia was particularly impressive. Despite speaking for several hours on end, her voice remained clear and projected perfectly, showing no signs of exhaustion. I forced myself to maintain my focus, scanning the crowd for anyone suspicious to fulfill my duty as her bodyguard.
The ceremony continued through the afternoon with hymns and chanted incantations.
"That is all for my portion today," Sierotia said, eventually stepping down.
"Good work, Lady Sierotia."
It was nearing evening, and the session that had lasted for hours had finally concluded. Of course, the ritual itself was still ongoing—other priests had stepped in to take over the recitation so the chain wouldn't break—but Sierotia was finished with her scheduled tasks for the day.
Dinner was served at the manor where she was staying. Since I had been hired as her guard on such short notice, she had arranged for a portion for me as well, and we ate together.
"For now, it seems today will pass without incident," Sierotia murmured between bites.
"Yeah. I’m glad everything went smoothly."
"The prophecy doesn't mention anything other than the fact that I will be attacked, right?"
"No, that's it."
"Then we must remain vigilant. The attack could come during the ritual, while I am sleeping, or even while we are eating. Furthermore, we don't know if the prophecy refers to tomorrow, the day after, or even ten years from now."
"Are you planning to keep him as a guard even after the festival is over, just in case?" Priestess Eliese interrupted, her tone sharp as she sat with us.
I had assumed the events of the prophecy were imminent, but Sierotia was right—a prophecy could technically refer to something years down the line.
"I haven't decided yet," Sierotia replied. "However, I intend to employ Kiska for the duration of the festival. We can discuss what happens after that once the festivities conclude. Are you amenable to that, Kiska?"
"Yes, that works for me."
The meal proceeded without any further friction.
Once night fell, we reached the topic of overnight security. It was decided that I needed to remain close even while she slept, but since sharing a room was out of the question, the plan was for me to stay in a guest room near hers.
However...
"I am terribly sorry!"
A sudden, panicked apology echoed through the hall. An employee of the manor was bowing deeply to High Priest Sierotia.
"Is something wrong?" I asked as I approached.
Sierotia turned to me to explain. "It seems they were unable to secure a separate room for you. It can't be helped, I suppose. We were the ones who made the request at the last minute."
With the festival in full swing, every inn in the village was reportedly bursting at the seams. She had tried to pull strings at the manor, but it seemed there simply wasn't a spare bed to be found.
"I suppose I’ll just have to share a room with someone else," I suggested.
"I see..." I wasn't thrilled about rooming with a total stranger, but if it was the only way to stay nearby and protect her, I would have to manage.
"Under the circumstances," Sierotia announced calmly, "Kiska will stay in my room tonight."
"...Huh?"
"Lady Sierotia! Surely you can't be serious!" Eliese shouted, her face turning a vivid shade of crimson.
"In that case, Eliese, would you like Kiska to stay in your room?"
"T-that's... well... there are already other priests staying in my room, so..."
"Exactly. Therefore, having him stay in my room is the most logical choice. Besides, you and I are the only ones who know the truth of Kiska's situation."
"But... but... a man and a woman in the same room? There are... certain complications to consider!"
Eliese’s protest was perfectly reasonable. Even I felt that sharing a room was pushing the boundaries of propriety.
"But staying in the same room is the most effective way for him to guard me," Sierotia countered. "If anything happens, he can react instantly."
"No, that's not what I'm talking about..." Eliese stammered. It was clear she was struggling to explain the delicate nature of the situation to someone who seemed entirely oblivious to it. Since I was the man in question, I could hardly be the one to bring up "sexual tension," so I just watched the two of them go back and forth.
"Listen to me, Lady Sierotia! From an objective standpoint, you are incredibly cute!" Eliese cried out, her expression reaching a level of frantic desperation. "If any man spent the night in a room with someone as adorable as you, he wouldn't be able to help himself! If I were a man, I know I wouldn't be able to resist! I would definitely attack you!"
The argument was a bit wild, but her sheer intensity seemed to finally make Sierotia reconsider. The High Priest gave a thoughtful nod.
"I see. Perhaps I was being a bit inconsiderate. However, you can put your mind at ease. I lack any real feminine charm, so I doubt Kiska would have any interest in me."
"High Priest!!" Eliese shrieked. "Please, look at yourself more objectively! That’s not true at all!"
"But my chest is small, I’m short, and people often tell me I look childish for my age. I simply don't possess that kind of allure."
"That’s exactly what makes you so charming!" Eliese screamed.
For a split second, Eliese looked less like a concerned subordinate and more like a total deviant.
"I'll say it again: you are very cute! Kiska, you agree with me, don't you?!"
"Er... yeah, I think she’s cute," I managed to say, inwardly pleading for her to stop dragging me into the crossfire.
"See! He says so too! The High Priest is cute!"
"...Jokes aside," Sierotia said, dismissing the outburst.
"I wouldn't be this hysterical over a joke!"
"Kiska is a man I trust. I don't believe such concerns are necessary."
"Why do you trust this man so blindly, Lady Sierotia?!"
"Because I can tell if a person is trustworthy just by looking at them."
"I have never heard of you possessing such a power!"
"That is because this is the first time I have mentioned it."
I couldn't help but wonder if she was serious. Could she really read a person's character at a glance? I didn't feel like I’d done anything particularly impressive to earn her favor, but being held in such high regard left me feeling a bit sheepish.
Eliese continued her desperate campaign of persuasion for a while longer, but High Priest Sierotia refused to budge. Ultimately, Sierotia held the highest authority. Neither her subordinate Eliese nor I, her employee, could truly defy her final word.
"Kiska, please, come inside," Sierotia said, gesturing toward the door.
Wondering exactly how my life had taken this turn, I followed her into the room.