This is the story from the perspective of Nina, the Newbie Saint.
I was Nina, the Newbie Saint.
Having been officially recognized as a Saint in the Kingdom of Myrte Holy Light, home to the headquarters of the Selene Church, I had somehow become famous as the "Saint of the Yellow Wings."
I was once nothing more than a commoner-born Apprentice Saint. The only reason I had reached this position was because of Iris-sama—who had been reborn as an Alraune.
To be honest, I didn't possess the incredible Saint's Power that Iris-sama once held. To say the title was beyond my station would have been an understatement.
The only reason I strove to do my best as a Saint was to clear Iris-sama’s name. I wanted to be of even the slightest help to my benefactor and idol. For that goal, I was prepared to sacrifice everything I had.
And so, I found myself heading toward the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Gardenia. My destination was the home of our sworn enemy: Saint Zelma, the woman who, along with the Hero, had brought about Iris-sama’s end.
Ostentatiously, we were traveling there to attend a wedding ceremony at the capital.
I never would have dreamed that Lord Manfred was marrying the Imperial Princess. As the Lord of the Tower City, Lord Manfred was someone I knew well. When I was first assigned to his city as an Apprentice Saint, I was attacked by Fairgismeinnicht, the "Fallen Dryad" and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King Army.
An Alraune had saved me then, and I was truly shocked to learn her true identity was Iris-sama. Since that day, I had interacted with Lord Manfred many times through her.
Lord Manfred was a man who lived to paint. His primary hobby had been painting Lady Saint Iris and the Alraune, so the news that he was marrying an Imperial Princess was a complete mystery to me. I couldn't help but find it strange.
Still... it felt nostalgic. Being in a foreign land always made me yearn for everyone back home. I wondered what Iris-sama was doing at that very moment.
"What is the matter, Nina? Make haste and disembark."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
That voice pulled my thoughts back to the present. Following behind the Goddess's Priestess, I stepped off the ship and onto the pier.
The Kingdom of Myrte Holy Light, where the Church headquarters was located, sat upon a massive island. To reach the Kingdom of Gardenia, one had to sail south across the strait.
"I’m finally back...!"
We had arrived at a port town in the northern reaches of the Kingdom of Gardenia. For the first time in months, I felt the soil of my homeland beneath my feet.
The Lady Shrine Maiden of the Goddess noticed my emotion and spoke up.
"Are you truly so happy to return to your birthplace?"
"This was the first time I had ever left the Kingdom of Gardenia. I didn't realize that simply returning to my own country would bring me such peace of mind."
"One's homeland, is it? In that sense, I suppose it is comforting."
I turned my gaze toward the Goddess's Priestess walking beside me. She had a face that bore a striking resemblance to Iris-sama’s, framed by blonde hair of the exact same shade.
Though she looked no older than her late teens, this woman was the supreme leader of humanity, holding more practical power than any head of state in the world. She was the spokesperson for Goddess Selene—the Goddess's Priestess.
While His Holiness the Pope was the public head of the Selene Sect, the true ruler was the Goddess's Priestess. Her existence was so sacred that only the highest-ranking officials of the Church were permitted to know of her.
The current Priestess was said to be the world's strongest practitioner of Light Recovery Magic, having inherited her title six years ago. To think that such a person was walking right next to me. Even though I was growing used to it, being in her presence still made me incredibly nervous.
However, as her attendant, I had to ensure I was a proper conversationalist.
"If I may ask, Lady Priestess, where were you born?"
"Me? My home is the same as yours, Nina."
"!? Does that mean you’re from the Kingdom of Gardenia?"
"That is so."
I was stunned. I had assumed she was a native of the Kingdom of Myrte Holy Light. Hearing that she was a Gardenian made the Goddess's Priestess—who had always seemed like someone living in the clouds—feel suddenly approachable. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced since I met Iris-sama.
"By the way, which city were you born in—"
"Nina, be silent."
The Goddess's Priestess looked straight ahead. A massive crowd of people was surging toward us.
"W-What is happening!?"
"We are a diplomatic delegation from the headquarters of the Selene Church. To the faithful, we are beings equivalent to gods."
The Holy Knights of the Church formed a protective circle around us. The Goddess's Priestess and I stood in the center, with Knight Commander Konrad standing guard at our side.
"Now, we proceed."
The group moved through the port town with the Priestess at the lead. As the banner of Goddess Selene was raised, the townspeople knelt where they stood. They offered earnest prayers from both sides of the road as our procession walked past in silence.
I had never seen anything like it. I had witnessed the massive crowds that used to welcome Lady Saint Iris, but she was always met with thunderous cheers. This was different.
The emotion these people felt for the delegation from Myrte Holy Light was one of pure, religious devotion. It made me realize the terrifying weight of the Church's majesty. These people didn't even know the true identity of this woman walking in her ritual vestments. They didn't need to know who she was to sense her divinity. Just looking at her was enough to tell them she was too sacred to even address.
After exchanging formal greetings with the local lord, we boarded a carriage and set off for the Royal Capital. Yet, the image of those praying people wouldn't leave me.
Only a few years ago, I had been on that side. I was just another believer offering prayers before the glory of the Church. But now, I was an official of that same Church, standing on the side that received those prayers. For someone like me who still didn't feel like a "real" Saint, it was a total bolt from the blue.
"Nina, if you are overwhelmed by that much, you will never survive as a Saint."
"Yes... but..."
"But?"
"Just the fact that I’m sharing a carriage meant for royalty with the Lady Priestess... it’s so overwhelming that I feel like my heart might stop."
Only the Goddess's Priestess and I were inside the carriage. Even making eye contact with her felt like an act of disrespect. When I tried to look away, the opulence of the interior was just as intimidating. I honestly didn't know where to rest my eyes.
Taking pity on me as I sat there shrinking into the corner, the Priestess spoke softly.
"I shall answer your previous question. You wished to know my birthplace, did you not?"
She looked out the window with a distant gaze. It was an expression I had never seen her make before.
"My home is Blutenweiss."
"Blutenweiss!? I’ve been there!"
"I imagine you have."
"Of course! Blutenweiss is a vital stop on the pilgrimage route!"
Located just east of the Royal Capital, Blutenweiss was a crucial city for the Selene Sect. It was the birthplace of First Saint Nemea, the warrior-queen who founded the precursor to the Kingdom of Gardenia and established the Selene Sect itself.
Because of that, it was a mandatory stop for anyone traveling to the Church headquarters. I had visited Blutenweiss both as an Apprentice Saint and shortly after my promotion. Its proximity to the capital made it very easy to reach.
"Come to think of it—"
I bit back the words before they could escape.
The Goddess's Priestess bore a resemblance to Iris-sama, but it wasn't a perfect match—more like they might be cousins. However, there was someone else she looked like even more.
The Goddess's Priestess was the spitting image of the woman depicted in the ancient paintings of First Saint Nemea.
Was it a coincidence? Or did the Church find women who looked like Nemea to serve as the Priestess to maintain a specific image? I couldn't possibly ask something so sensitive, so I changed the subject. Still, I couldn't stop wondering if it was really a coincidence that she shared a birthplace with the First Saint.
Our journey continued smoothly after that. In every town we passed, we were welcomed with the same divine reverence. As we neared the Royal Capital, the talk of the Lord's marriage to the Imperial Princess grew louder.
Finally, several days later, we arrived at the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Gardenia.
The reception we received there was on a level far beyond anything we had seen at the port. But as we entered the city, an unexpected sight awaited us.
"What in the world... is the meaning of this...?"
I heard the Goddess's Priestess gasp. She was clearly as confused as I was.
The atmosphere in the Royal Capital was abnormal. It wasn't just the buzz about the Imperial Princess. There was a different topic dominating every street corner.
The entire capital was obsessed with the "Alraune"—a being they were worshipping as if she were a goddess.