Edited by: KenChi死

Alicia was praying in her private chamber. It wasn’t anything abnormal. She does so for at least two hours a day. Not only because she is a prophetess. She was also a true worshiper… how could she not be one, if she was spoke to the angels a few times in her not so long lifetime.

“… And may Your light shine upon me – the unworthy,

to show me the way that I will humbly follow.”

She ended yet another prayer and raised up from her knees and turned around to engage in matters that would influence the country… to sign (after reading of course) law act prepared by a Gathering of Bishops, to take some action to prevent losses caused by drought in the south… She had lots and lots of job to be done, yet she froze in the place as she noticed that she wasn’t alone.

“M..my mistress?” She asked, not completely sure or identity of her guest.

The angle looked the same… yet different… like dead tired. When she saw her for the first time she was covered in holy light. She was as bright, that you could barely look at her.

Her face was the same, her body was the same, even clothing was similar. But she was lacking the beautiful hallo. From her burning gaze all that was left… was embers.

Even as the eyes of the angles were looking in her direction, her gaze was dead, like if she couldn’t see her. Like someone sleeping with there eyes open. It didn’t take long. The angel snapped out of her absence stance.

“Greetings, my child” She smiled, but in this smile there was no joy, but sadness and pain. “I just came to say, that I appreciated your efforts. It is unfortunate that the events turned out this way…” “My lady? Please, we need just more time, if we have to, we will mobilize even more troops to reinforcements the…” “Silly child… You do not know, don’t you? Everyone you sent… they are all dead… they are dead because of me… I thought that we could stop him… that he was still weak… yet I made him only stronger… Because of me so many believers were lost… Look at me child, do you see how weak I am now? I can barely maintain my form… I came here… to ask for forgiveness… please… forgive this stupid, old being for weakening you… for making your country less prepared for what is about to happen… for strengthening your foes…” “NO! Please! Do not bow to me! I am unworthy! And there still has to be something I can do!... I… I will undertake action immediately! Please, mistress, rest here, I will be back in couple of hours, I will move the earth and the sky, but I will not fail you!”

The angel tried to stop the prophetess with a weak motion of her hand, but she already left the room. A second has passed, then 10, and then minute more. As there was no life force in the vicinity, the “condition” of angel started “improving”. Her pale cheeks gained color once again, and she was covered in an aura so holy and hot that it could almost ignite the air around her…

Silly, silly girl, it is enough to show you someone suffering and you are ready to lose yourself in a spiral of helping. Especially if the someone suffering does not ask for help directly. It is so, so easy to manipulate you, you silly, silly girl.

POV change

It was still early, the sun rose about an hour ago, yet I was already after breakfast and now I am sitting in a nearby pond taking my so desired bath. What was so special about the situation I was currently in? Maybe that breakfast wasn’t prepared by myself? YES! The lil’ deity made it, and I have surprise for all of you, for each of you! – I am alive!

I want to take as much time for relax as I only could. All my muscles were aching after Sebastian torture session called uproariously as “the training”.

“Master? I do know that after such a hunting session you would like to rest, but I am afraid we cannot allow ourselves time for much relax at the moment. You need to grow stronger… much stronger, at least up to the level when you will be able to compete with the strongest human…” “And how long will it take in your opinion?”

Sebastian hesitated with the answer, not because he didn’t know, more like because he didn’t want to offend me.

“If you would completely dedicate yourself in training… more than a year. Probably a bit over two, if you would keep slaughtering creature like those with… some entertainment from time to time.” “Tsh, that is pretty long don’t you think?” “You are a monster, my lord. And I am not telling about your race. There is someone in the world who almost pushed her body to the very limits of humanity. She will evolve soon. And she did so because of devotion to the training, living an extremely harsh life and always facing the most difficult path, wich always staying true with her mind and honoring things that she truly treasured. And here you are. Being able to achieve the same thing in about three years. I almost feel pity for that soul… But you also had to pay your share. Deprived of humanity, cast aside, living in the most dangerous forest… even as you are protected from most of the beast… there are a few organizations that wants you dead, and many, many more that will want to use you…” “I get it. No one likes me, no one loves me… my life will be a path of misery and pain. Thanks pal, you really lifted a burden off of my chest.” “ It is not what I m…” “oh, and thank you. For everything, but mostly for covering me when I was using equilibrium.” Sebastian made an expression, that if he would be a human, should be something like lifting one of his eyebrows in an asking matter. “You know, when you tackled that assassin and got stabbed to death.” “I will not die. It was nothing, simply I fulfilled my role, please, do not mention it.” “But, it hurt, didn’t it? Stabbing can’t be that pleasant” “tsh, some steel. Can’t be compared to an angelic blade. I felt nothing, actually I was ashamed that something that pathetic could send me out… there were times when I got pierced by…” and in that moment he stopped his monologue. “But it’s not time for those stories. Please master get yourself ready soon. We have to hunt. As we get back, please talk with miss Aira, you need to report the quest back… and looks like she has a favor to ask.”

And here my relaxing time is over. I got up and dressed myself with my trousers and resummoned my robe. What could Aira possibly want from me? ah, yes, she mentioned that she will want me to be her mediator and talk with villagers… maybe it is the same thing? For now – to the forest.

POV change.

The Gathering of Bishops was a meeting taking place in the capital once per month, usually on the same day – the first day of each month. There was a law that allowed arranging it earlier or more frequently if the situation was dire.

And this very meeting was organized because of this law. The prophetess called them – the bishops – to “confront with threat that needs to be averted”.

“I am here, to beg all of you, holy men of this country, to lend me your authority and powers with dealing with the urgent situation that...” “My dearest lady, we are but humble servants of yours, we assure you, that we will do everything that is in our power to erase every inconvenience you will deal with” One of the bishops turned his head away from the prophetess to hide his ironical smile. “But what could we do if there is something that 50 of your most skilled hunters were unable to do?” “I am here to ask you… to use your influence and mobilize the order of the Crimson Lily… with their powers there…” “My mistress, The order, even as they are calling themselves knights and paladins… are an independent group, self-founded by aristocrats… we have no direct suzerainty over them… every action they performed in our name was both carefully investigated by them… and significantly paid by the church… by us… it is a mean that will take lots of time to be prepared and then even more time to be executed…” “I humbly beg you… I was visited by the angel… if you could only see her… how… how miserable an angel can get…” “Once again, I assure you, we will do everything needed… We will definitely consider every possible solution to please you and the angels, my lady… Now, if you would allow us…”

The bishop made a gesture that asked the prophetess to leave.

“Once again… thank you for hearing me..”

As the doors behind the woman shut, the atmosphere inside the gathering room turned… far less formal.

“Now what? That stupid girl really does whatever she wants.” “Tsh, the order is already pretty powerful… Giving them more and more favor to ask… may be a bit dangerous…” “At the other hand, we can improve our position here… And more favor to ask towards the prophetess…” “Improve our position? Don’t make me laugh! We already owe this country… well, we and the head inquisitor… so why would we..” “We still need that child. A pretty puppet blessed by an angel, to shut the mouth of the crowds.” “So? We will do it? Do we have anything to bribe or threaten someone from the order to “bring our case”? “We do. For everyone. That’s how we got here, in the end…” “So, that matter is done… if we are already here we can also deal with the rest of our cases… About the acts of the nobles from the north that undermined our authority…”

The discussion took a few hours longer. As it outcome, a few men were arrested, their wealth confiscated, and their families banished… Oh, and a few laws that actually improved the system and overall life level of citizens were established too… In the end no one wants to rule over a wasteland.