Chapter 57: Change(4)

“…Are you sure I can keep this?”

A raggedly dressed child asked, staring at the gold coin in her hand. Her hesitation stemmed from a life of hardship, an inability to accept such unexpected good fortune.

“Of course.”
“Th…thank you!”

Avalli smiled benevolently as the child bowed deeply. Her green eyes, silver hair, and otherworldly beauty seemed almost unreal.

“Inquisitor, I have a request.”
“I’m not obligated to listen to the demands of a criminal, but I’ll hear you out.”
“Could you find a safe place for this child? I’m worried about her.”
“…There’s a small church nearby, run by a kind priest. He takes in orphans. They’re struggling financially, though.”
“Let’s stop by on our way. Little one, come ride with me.”

The girl hesitated, and Avalli sighed inwardly and flicked her wrist, a subtle gesture with her new staff. The ragged child floated into the air and landed gently in front of Avalli on the horse.

“I’m flying!”, “Is that magic…?”, “Of course not. She’s the silver-haired Saintess. It must be divine power.”

The whispers of the townspeople reached Avalli’s ears. It had been a month since they left Asha Village; she was getting used to the attention.

“Um… Saintess… do I… smell bad?”

The girl asked shyly, lowering her head.

‘Ah, so that’s what it was.’

She had thought the girl was afraid of her, but she had been mistaken. Of course the child was self-conscious about her smell.

“Smell bad? What do you mean?”
“My… my body…”
“You smell like flowers.”

The girl’s face crumpled, thinking Avalli was mocking her, then her eyes widened in surprise.
“…It’s true. I smell… nice.”

A sweet, heavenly fragrance enveloped her, a scent she had never experienced before.

“Amazing…”, “Such a pure, cleansing aroma…!”, “A miracle! It’s a miracle!”

The townspeople started exclaiming, but Avalli ignored them and nudged the Inquisitor with her elbow.

“Let’s go.”

“Move out!” the Inquisitor commanded, and the knights, arrayed around him in their pristine white armor, resumed their march.

The silver-haired Saintess, performing miracles for the poor, escorted by holy knights. It was a scene that inspired awe and reverence, a tableau of divine grace… but the truth was far more sinister.

The entire knight order was under Avalli’s control, their wills suppressed, their bodies mere puppets. After an hour’s ride outside the city, they reached the church.

The young priest, startled by their unexpected arrival, listened to Avalli’s request, accepted a generous donation, and bowed his head deeply.

“…May the blessings of Asteria be upon you.”
“Will you come back, Saintess?”

Avalli nodded at the little girl’s question.

“Be good. I’ll visit you on my way back.”
“Okay!”

A bright, childish smile finally appeared on the girl’s face. Avalli ruffled her hair affectionately and then returned to the waiting knights.

“Such kindness from a criminal.”

Avalli shrugged at the Inquisitor’s sarcastic remark. During their month-long journey, he had been the only one to express any resistance, any semblance of his own will.

‘He must be quite strong.’

But even he was just a backrest for Avalli now.

“Let’s go.”
“That was my intention.”
“Sure, sure.”

Sitting in front of the Inquisitor, Avalli reflected on the past month. She had dropped her disguise after passing East Polis, not wanting to deal with the hassle of maintaining the charade around familiar faces.

‘That was a mistake.’

Her silver hair, green eyes, and striking beauty drew attention everywhere she went. And with the knights of the Holy Kingdom seemingly acting as her escort, people’s imaginations ran wild.

In the next town, people knelt before her, calling her “Saintess” and begging her to heal their loved ones.

Surprised, but not unkind, she visited the sick and ailing. Her transcendental magic power healed them effortlessly. Perhaps it was due to one of the traits she had chosen: the ability to heal allies with magic power.

Whatever the reason, she had performed miracles. And in every town they visited, the crowds grew larger, their requests more numerous and varied.

She ignored those driven by greed, and those who were angered by her refusal were quickly cowed by her entourage of holy knights.

‘I also got quite a few magic stones.’

The requests included monster subjugation, of course. Confident in her abilities after months of practice, and with the knights at her disposal, there was no reason to refuse.

She defeated monsters.
She healed the sick.
She righted wrongs.
She settled disputes.

She was hailed as the Silver-haired Saintess, treated with reverence and showered with gifts.

“Your charade ends here, criminal.”
“Three more days until we reach the Holy Kingdom, right?”
“Yes. The Goddesses will not tolerate your blasphemy.”
“Sure, sure. What’s for a snack today? Something sweet, I hope.”
“We have some apple pie left from the last village.”
“Oh, that was delicious. Can I have some now?”

The Inquisitor ordered one of his men to fetch the pie. Avalli took a large bite, the sweet, baked apples melting in her mouth.

A cool breeze brushed against her face. Unlike when they first left Asha, the dark mist was gone.

She had refined her Gift further during their travels, replacing the visible mist with a colorless, odorless gas. The Inquisitor had been complaining more frequently, his resistance apparently increasing as her control became more subtle… but it was a minor inconvenience. These knights were completely under her control and would remain so until she willed it otherwise.

Avalli licked the apple juice from her fingers and looked up at the sky.

‘I’ve changed.’

Her abilities hadn’t changed significantly since arriving in Asha. A few new Gifts were just a few more trees in a vast forest.

What had changed was her perception. She now understood her own power, her place in this world. And that shift in perception had transformed her behavior.

She no longer hesitated to use her power. She had enjoyed playing the ‘hidden powerhouse’ game, but she was bored with it now.

‘From now on, I’ll only hide my true self in the village.’

She liked the small, close-knit community of Asha Village and didn’t want to disrupt it.

But outside… there was no need for pretense. What harm could ordinary humans possibly inflict upon her?

“The Holy Kingdom…”

She muttered, pulling out the letter Sylvain had entrusted to her, a letter addressed to the three Goddesses.

“Inquisitor, the Goddesses reside in the Holy Kingdom, right?”
“That is blasphemy.”
“Is it? I was just asking.”

Avalli tilted her head innocently, and the Inquisitor’s tone became strained.

“The three Goddesses reside in the Holy Kingdom.”
“Have you met them?”
“…No.”
“Then how do you know they’re there?”
“Because they are. Only those who are worthy can hear their voices.”
“Ah, so you’re not worthy, Inquisitor.”
“…”

Avalli chuckled, looking at the silent Inquisitor.

“I’ll introduce you, if I get the chance.”
“Such arrogance from a criminal. And even if you could, why would you show me such kindness?”
“Consider it… an apology for violating your free will.”
“I don’t understand.”

Whether he understood or not, it didn’t matter. Avalli had made her decision.

Her initial animosity towards the knights had dissipated during their month-long journey. They were simply following orders.

It would be childish to blame them. She needed to address the source of the problem, those in positions of authority.

‘…I hope they have a good reason.’

Otherwise—
Avalli might get very angry.

Three days later.
The magnificent city of the Holy Kingdom appeared on the horizon.