Nellin, along with Godrick and his party, was guided by Deputy High Priest David to Presia’s room.
Knock knock knock.
“Saintess Presia, it’s David.”
After a mont, the door opened, and Presia appeared.
“Deputy High Priest David? What brings you he—oh?”
Presia was at a loss for words when she saw Nellin standing behind David.
Instead of Presia, who couldn't speak, Nellin raised a hand with a smile.
“Presia, it’s been a while. Still beautiful even with age, I see.”
"...!"
A reunion with a long-lost comrade.
Swoosh!
Even the usually serene and composed Saint of Healing, Presia, couldn't help but embrace her as soon as she saw him.
“It’s been so long. I’m so happy to see you again.”
Nellin chuckled as she hugged her and gently rubbed her back.
“What’s this? You’ve gotten more affectionate than before. Were you lonely?”
“You really haven’t changed a bit. Just like I rember.”
“I’ve just beco a bit more clingy. But you haven’t changed either.”
“You just said I’ve aged.”
“It’s the essence that matters—the essence. And besides, you’ve aged beautifully. Don’t the older guys around here hit on you?”
At that, Deputy High Priest David, who had been listening quietly, shouted.
“Lady Nellin! How could you say that to the Saintess!”
“Oh, co on. Don’t they say youth lasts forever even with age?”
“Hehe, Nellin really is the sa as ever. Please co in. Your companions too.”
At Presia’s words, Godrick responded nervously but promptly.
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
“That’s the legendary Saint of Healing... Her aura is incredible.”
“Wow, I-I’m seeing a saintess for the first ti!”
“Sa here. She’s totally different from Nellin, even if they’re both heroes.”
“Skol, you wanna get smacked?”
“No ma’am!”
“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Thank you.”
After Deputy High Priest David left, Nellin and Godrick’s party entered Presia’s room.
“Th-The room is so beautiful.”
“Big bro! There’s a sofa in here too!”
“This is true Saintess-class, huh. Heh.”
“Don’t make a scene in front of the Saintess.”
“You must be tired standing. Please have a seat.”
At Presia’s words, Godrick’s party all sat down on the sofa.
Presia sat on the sofa opposite them, and Nellin sat beside her.
Looking around the room, Nellin asked Presia, “Didn’t you say you didn’t like things that were too fancy?”
“I declined at first, but people around said I needed to maintain a certain appearance as a Saintess, so I had no choice. Still, I think bringing in this sofa was a good call.”
Presia fondly stroked the sofa she was sitting on as she spoke.
“It’s perfect for listening to the troubles of brothers and sisters who co for counseling. And it’s comfy when receiving guests like now.”
“It is comfortable to sit on.”
“So Nellin, why did you co to the Great Church? And would you introduce your companions?”
“Oh, right.”
Nellin explained who Godrick’s party was and gave a brief account of their journey so far.
Their encounter with the sli in the Blue Elven Forest.
Letting it go because of the elder’s nagging.
Leaving the forest after reading Count Ludendion’s letter to confirm sothing.
Talking with the Count’s daughter, who was closest to the sli, and realizing it resembled the one she’d seen.
Getting a bad feeling and deciding to travel the world while keeping an eye out for the sli.
eting Godrick’s party after losing track of a smart sli due to an accident.
“Right then, I just had a feeling. Even if it was a little different, I knew the sli traveling with these guys was that sli. So I tagged along with them while looking for it. Then I heard rumors of a lich and ca here. Finding the sli is important, but how could I sit still when a friend might be in danger, right?”
As Nellin finished his explanation, Presia looked at Godrick’s party with fascination.
anwhile, Godrick and his companions blinked and looked at Nellin.
“Nellin?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“W-Wait, the sli was at Count Ludendion’s estate? I thought it t us after you found it.”
“Huh? Didn’t I ntion that?”
“You never said a word!”
“Hah, that little guy. So it was a noble-fed sli! No wonder it was strong.”
“Does being noble-fed have anything to do with strength? Wait a sec... Sotis when you called it, you’d trail off after saying ‘Al—’. Were you about to say the na it got at the Count’s place?”
‘Skol, why are you being so sharp all of a sudden?’
“Oh yeah, that did happen. Sorry. I ant to say it but totally forgot. Hahahaha!”
“Nellin…”
“U-Um, Marin—no! Nellin!”
“Call whatever’s comfortable. Nellin, Marin, it’s all good~. What’s up, Def?”
“What was its na when it was at the Count’s estate?”
“Oh, that. Alexandros II.”
“Alexandros… the II?”
“Oof! That’s such a cool na for a sli!”
“What are you mad about, you idiot? But wait, why ‘the II’? Was there a I?”
“T-Tongtong is a much cuter na!”
“Def, what are you so competitive about?”
“Oh, I was curious too. They said it was small and cute, so they gave it the ‘II’ title.”
“Nobles and their logic… I’ll never understand it.”
While Nellin and Godrick’s group were chatting away, Presia called out to Godrick.
“Mr. Godrick.”
“Y-Yes, Saintess!”
“There’s sothing I’d like to ask.”
“Please, ask anything!”
Presia gave a gentle smile toward the nervous Godrick.
“Please don’t be so tense. I might actually know where the sli you and Nellin have been looking for is.”
“R-Really?”
“What? Presia, you know Tongtong too?”
“To confirm that, I need to ask sothing. Mr. Godrick, can you tell how you and the sli got separated?”
“Yes. So, what happened was...”
Godrick began explaining how he had to part ways with the sli unexpectedly during the lesser troll subjugation mission.
After listening to everything, Presia nodded as if convinced.
“Just as I thought. I believe I’ve seen the sli you and Nellin t.”
“Are you serious?”
“For real?”
“Yes. Actually...”
This ti, Presia told Nellin and Godrick’s group the story of how the next Saintess, Alia, and the paladin Paulen encountered the sli.
And she explained what na had been given to the sli and how it had been living at the Church.
“The next Saintess and the Paladin picked up Tongtong?”
“What the—! If we had just gone to the Holy City back then, we would’ve found Tongtong right away!”
“This is fate playing tricks on us.”
“S-So it was called Jiggly. I think that na’s cute too.”
“Wait, sparring with a Paladin? And what? Exercise…?”
“Wait, it was here? Then is it with your successor now?”
“No. Unfortunately, Jiggly is no longer at the Great Church. The lich took it.”
“What? Why is a lich suddenly part of this?!”
Just then.
Knock knock knock.
Soone knocked on the door.
“Saintess Presia. It’s Gracie.”
“Ah, soone who can explain in more detail is here. Co in, Miss Gracie.”
With Presia’s permission, Gracie entered the room and looked at Nellin and Godrick’s group.
“Who are these people?”
“I’ll introduce you. Gracie, this is my friend, Nellin. And these are his companions: Mr. Godrick, Mr. Hawane, Mr. Skol, and Mr. Def.”
“Saintess Presia’s friend, and Nellin?! C-Could it be? The Starlight Archer!”
“That’s right.”
Gracie, flustered, greeted Nellin and introduced herself.
“I-It’s an honor to et you! I am Gracie Frail, proud descendant of the great Sage of Magic, Ventus Frail!”
“Oh, really? But descendant? Did he even get married?”
“Ah, well. Strictly speaking, I’m the granddaughter of his older cousin.”
“Aha. Well, sa bloodline—still counts as a descendant.”
“Miss Gracie, could you explain to these folks what happened at the Mage Tower?”
“......!”
A legendary hero—Nellin the Starlight Archer—and her companions were in this room.
And they were asking her to explain what happened that day.
Naturally, Gracie assud Nellin had co after hearing about the lich and was here to help.
“Yes!”
Gracie recalled the events of that day and explained everything to Nellin and Godrick’s group.
“And then the lich took the sli and vanished again.”
“T-Tongtong was really kidnapped by the lich!”
“Tongtong?”
“Even captured the heart of a lich...”
“Cut the nonsense! So where do we go now? The lich’s lair?”
“Nellin, this might be more serious than we thought.”
“Yeah, really. Hmm... but for a lich, it’s acting pretty mild. I expected sothing way more dangerous. The only thing it did was yank out the Mage Tower master’s beard.”
“Yeah, I was surprised it ended like that too. But I definitely felt the terrifying aura the lich gave off. By the way, earlier you called the sli... Jiggly ‘Tongtong’?”
“Miss Gracie, these people were with Jiggly before Alia t it.”
“What!? Is that true?”
“Yes. If you don’t mind, could you take these four to et Alia? Nellin and I have sothing we need to talk about alone.”
“Ah, understood! Everyone, please co with .”
“Uh, even if we et the next Saintess...”
“Could you talk with her about how you bonded with the sli? Lately, Alia has been blaming herself for not being able to protect the sli from the lich. Please be soone she can talk to.”
The first to respond to Presia’s request was Def.
“Yes! I—I was really sad when I suddenly had to part with Tongtong too! I know how that feels!”
“Well, I can understand how she’d bla herself.”
“A comrade in pain…”
“Not sure if talking will help, though.”
Not just Def—Godrick, Hawane, and Skol also understood what it felt like to bla themselves after being suddenly separated from the sli.
After Godrick’s group left the room with Gracie, Presia stood up.
“Nellin, thank you so much for coming. I honestly didn’t know what to do on my own.”
“That’s what friends are for. But what do you an, you didn’t know what to do? Is this lich really that strong? If it’s that bad, should I call Katshal too?”
“That’s not the kind of uncertainty I ant. And since the dwarf village is in the southern region, even if we request him, it’ll take a long ti for Katshal to arrive.”
“Knowing that guy, he’d probably just scoff and co anyway.”
“Ha ha, I think so too.”
Presia walked to a drawer, took out the lich’s sketch, and returned to the sofa.
“Nellin, does this bring anything to mind?”
“What is it?”
Nellin accepted the sketch and stared at it intently.
“A skull? Is this the lich? What the... it’s got decorations on its head, trying to look stylish? Hah! Guess even a wizard-turned-monster still wants to look cool—wait a sec. I feel like I’ve seen this before.”
......
As she laughed, a mory from the past surfaced, and Nellin’s expression stiffened.
She fell silent, eyes locked on the sketch.
A mont later.
Nellin put down the sketch and looked at Presia.
“Hey, Presia... this... what is this?”
Her eyes were trembling, as if she had just seen sothing she couldn’t believe.
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