episode_0084

After Gwiberto disappeared from her sight, Licia let out a small sigh and emerged from the alley.

At present, she did not possess any relics, and it was almost impossible to remember someone she had not spoken to in years.

There was no reason to hide her identity.

The only reason she had acted so casually was because a moment of fear had crossed her mind.

“If my identity as a saint is revealed, I will have to bear the consequences.”

She had no idea what might happen in Vollog or the vast world outside.

Adapting to university life, she had inadvertently forgotten about it.

However, she did not wish to remain under Amelie’s protection forever.

Someone had to stop this endless war, and if no one else would step up, then she would have to.

It was not necessarily her duty to save others, but she had learned from him that it was necessary.

Moreover, it was better to be exposed than to simply watch Lavene get hurt or killed on the battlefield.

And the magic she had learned at university would not be in vain. She did not think it would be so easy to be exposed.

“…Yes, I must go.”

This was just a moment of slight confusion in a sudden situation, and she had already made up her mind.

And if she were to be exposed, there was a way to completely hide from the world.

Any discomfort in daily life could be solved with magic, and there was no need to seek out other priests when in pain. Just as long as she did not attract attention from others.

“No, now is not the time to think about things that have not happened yet.”

She dispersed the thoughts of going elsewhere and shifted her gaze back to where the princess had been.

Heine stood still as if deeply contemplating something, then nodded a few times before changing direction.

That direction happened to be towards the university. Curiosity arose as to whether it was because of the conversation with Gwiberto, so she decided to discreetly follow.

Licia approached her quickly, making a gesture to get her attention before speaking.

“Your Highness, we meet again here.”

“Oh, Licia. Is your conversation with the saint over?”

“Yes. By the way, are you heading back to the university?”

“Yes. I think I need to take a break from school for a while. During that time, I plan to visit the Papal Palace.”

At this point, if she mentioned the Papal Palace, there was only one intention that could be inferred.

She might be going to the Pope to protest or perhaps to persuade. In any case, it was to represent the emperor.

To say this right after meeting Gwiberto implied that he had some role in the meeting between the princess and the Pope.

She did not have the ability to read minds like the saint at the university, but she could still infer intentions and deduce the situation.

“I was going to tell you later, but I suddenly got caught up in a schedule, so I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

“No, I was actually planning to take a leave of absence.”

“Suddenly? If it’s because of me-”

“It’s not that. Lavene said she’s going to the Papal Palace. It’s a rare opportunity, so I decided to follow her. It seemed like a good time to cool off my head.”

“You need a break too. Well, you’ve worked hard all this time…”

Heine, trailing off, turned to look at Licia.

“Well, I’ll see you at the Papal Palace later. Do you have any thoughts of accompanying us?”

“I’m sorry. We have to visit Lavene and Alpen.”

“Well, it can’t be helped then. See you later.”

“Your Highness, may the gods guide your path.”

“And may your path also be watched over by the gods.”

Heine hesitated for a moment as if she had something else to say, then resumed her halted steps.

The girl left behind watched the princess recede for a moment, organizing her thoughts silently.

Anyway, I learned a new fact. The emperor had no intention of letting this matter slide.

And both the princess and Gilberto were expected to be involved in this. The exact intentions would be revealed by the Papal Court.

*****

There was nothing special about applying for a leave of absence.

The university was not a specific institution, but rather a place where professors gathered. So, if you got permission from your assigned professor to take a break, that was it.

Lycia pulled a chair to the opposite side of the desk where Amelie was sitting and sat down on it.

After organizing the thoughts she had just heard, she asked, “Can you tell who the target of the blessed relic is just by looking at it?”

“For an ordinary person, it would be impossible, but for a highly skilled high-ranking clergyman, it might be possible.”

“….”

“Are you worried?”

“A little. My decision won’t change, but…”

“As long as what you’ve learned isn’t in vain, most likely no one will be able to detect the blessing you’ve bestowed.”

In the past, the blessings she cast were merely imitations of what she saw, done poorly. It wasn’t until she started learning magic in earnest that she realized how inexperienced she was. Her skills had improved so rapidly that comparing them to the past was almost disrespectful.

“Alright, that’s it. Have a safe trip. Try not to get caught if you can help it.”

“If I do get caught, feel free to use my name.”

“Wasn’t Amelie supposed to stay out of this?”

“That’s right. But I can probably cover it up somehow. And I can do this much for my junior.”

Amelie had a look on her face as if she had seen it somewhere before.

Thinking back, it was the same expression she had when she met her doppelganger during the siege of Philah. It was a nostalgic and longing expression.

“Being able to love and being loved is a happy thing… be careful.”

“…Are you reading my mind right now?”

“No. But anyone can tell by the way your face is flushing.”

There was no mirror, but I could feel the heat rising in my face.

*****

Lycia wandered around Alphen’s house after a long time.

When she came in the form of a doppelganger, her senses dulled, making the experience somewhat less real.

Leaving the girl rolling around on the bed behind, I packed some money and physical items for emergencies.

It was time to prepare for new weapons and armor, and I needed to spend money wisely rather than frivolously.

I noticed a place where valuable items were stored, and a long-forgotten item came to mind.

I took out the compass that I had carefully stored in the box. Even if it was broken, it was still a relic, so there was no noticeable difference from before.

It cost money to fix relics. And there was no reason to go all the way to the Papal Court just to fix this one.

But if I had to go to the Papal Court anyway, I should bring it along.

If all else failed, well, I could just sell it as a rare item for some pocket money.

“Shall we depart now?”

“Yes. Have you packed everything you need? It will take several weeks for a round trip, so if you need anything, now is your last chance.”

“I don’t have much to pack. But more importantly, me.”

Lycia spread her arms wide. Knowing what she meant, I chuckled softly and lifted the girl up as she was.

Then, after setting Lycia down on the back of the mountain horse, I climbed on as well.

My clothes, which had been caught in the girl’s grasp, were tightly held. Back when we used to travel together, I would bury my body in her embrace to prevent it from falling off, but it had been a long time since I had done that.

“Doesn’t this remind you of the past? It’s been a few years since we walked together like this.”

“Yeah, it does. Back then, you fit completely into my embrace because you were smaller, but now there’s more space. You’ve grown a lot.”

“So, Lavender… which do you prefer? The bigger size? Or when you were smaller?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Just curious. And also, when creating a doppelganger, you can choose a different age… if you want to.”

“Why, is there someone you want to impress?”

Perhaps Lycia had opened her eyes to love. Meeting people of a similar age at university after being surrounded by adults for so long might have sparked some interest.

So, I had told her that I wouldn’t interfere in such matters. There was a vague memory of a conversation about that when we were drinking last time.

“Although my opinion may not be that important, if I had to answer, both sizes are already pretty enough, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

“Uh, really?!”

Lycia trembled for a moment, then let out a small laugh.

It seemed that she was somewhat susceptible to this kind of praise, so it was fun to say things like this and see her reaction.

“If you say that, then I… no, I have to hold back…”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Uh, hoo…”

It seemed like Lycia had lost her words and wasn’t really listening.

She probably needed some time to gather her thoughts. Leaving Lycia to her own world for a while, I turned the reins and headed the horse’s head towards the southeast road.