Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

When Althea entered her room to change, she felt something unusual. She paused in the center of the room and closed her eyes to sense the strange feeling.

"Lady Althea? Is something the matter?" Laila asked, noticing her sudden stop.

"Oh... no, it's just that... I'm glad we went looking," Althea said with a smile, easing Laila's worry.

Relieved, Laila headed to the closet. "Since we'll be searching, it’s better to wear something comfortable, right? Let’s see..."

While Laila rummaged through the closet, Althea moved towards the source of her discomfort. It led her to her desk by the window, where the top drawer seemed to emit a faint glow.

What could this be? There’s definitely something off, but it doesn't feel malevolent... rather...

With that thought, she gently opened the top drawer and found a black book inside. As she reached out to take it,

"Lady Althea?"

Laila called, having finished selecting the clothes, making Althea hastily close the drawer.

"Did you find something on your desk?" Laila asked, approaching with clothes in hand.

"The drawer was slightly open, so I just closed it. But we mustn't keep brother waiting; let’s hurry and change. Did you prepare your outfit too, Laila?"

"Of course. What do you think? I chose wide-legged pants for ease of movement; they look like a skirt and could pass for a lady’s dress at a glance."

"Yes, as always, your sense is impeccable, Laila. It's not only cute but also practical. Thank you."

Blushing at the compliment, Laila replied, "Well then, let's change quickly," rolling up her sleeves with a satisfied smile.

 

---

Later, the three of them headed to the central building of the academy to directly request permission to go outside from the Headmaster. Initially, the gatekeeper at the entrance turned them away, but persistent negotiations eventually led to their swift admittance to the Headmaster's office.

In the office, the Headmaster was buried under a mountain of paperwork, assisted by two magicians who were promptly dispatching the completed documents.

Seeing Regalus, Althea, and Laila, the Headmaster's face lit up, and he approached them with a broad smile, tossing aside the papers he was holding.

"Good to see you. You've saved me. Come, sit down. I haven't had a break since the flash yesterday. Thanks to you, I can finally rest a bit," he said with a weary smile.

"Thank you for seeing us despite your busy schedule," Regalus said, bowing.

"No, no, I needed an excuse to rest. Besides, it’s not every day that the siblings of the distinguished Monclair family visit together, so I figured it must be important."

"Is it because we're from the Monclair family that you agreed to see us?" Althea asked.

"No, nothing like that. Well, there is some preferential treatment for exemplary students. Regalus is a top student, and Althea is too. And—oh, but that's not relevant."

The Headmaster took a sip of freshly brewed tea.

"Anyway, I really just needed an excuse to rest. Though, I can't spare much time... It's tough enough just approving outside permits, not to mention dealing with monster subjugations and barrier fortifications. There aren't enough magicians in the country. Regalus, you've received a summons too, haven't you? Is that why you came today?"

Glancing at Regalus, he replied, "No, the summons is not an issue. I'll handle it by the deadline. But before that, I'd like permission to leave the academy with my sister."

"Leave the academy? Is Althea planning to return to the Monclair territory?"

The Headmaster asked, surprised.

Most requests he received were for students wanting to return home, but with the rampant monsters along the roads, it was often too dangerous to approve such requests without proper escorts.

If the Monclair siblings wanted to go home, there would be no issue granting permission, but he was curious why Althea would want to return now.

"No, we’re not returning to our territory. We seek permission to leave the academy to search for something within the principality," Regalus explained.

"Search for something?" The Headmaster echoed, puzzled.

"Yes," Althea confirmed.

"So, this search is for something of Althea's?" he inquired.

"To call it 'something' might be misleading... but yes," Althea responded.

"May I ask what you're searching for? Depending on the nature, I might not be able to grant permission or might be able to help."

After exchanging glances with Regalus and Laila, Althea said, "I'm looking for the fairy who guided us that day."

The sincerity in Althea's words convinced the Headmaster to grant them permission.

However, he requested they wait a day before searching the cathedral. The rest of the principality was open for their search immediately.

 

---

Outside the cathedral, many people had gathered to pray, frightened by the recent darkness.

"It would be impossible to search for a fairy among such a crowd. We’re fortunate the Headmaster is securing permission. For now, let’s search other places and focus on the cathedral tomorrow," Regalus suggested.

Althea and Laila agreed, leaving the cathedral to search elsewhere.

They looked through parks and alleys, places they normally wouldn’t visit, but found no trace of the fairy.

Thus, the first day of their search for Ciel ended.

After confirming the details for the next day's search, Althea parted ways with Regalus and returned to her room.

She took a shower and enjoyed a cup of tea brewed by Laila in the living room.

"...We didn't find anything today..." Althea sighed, her voice tinged with disappointment. Laila remained silent.

"But tomorrow, we can search the cathedral. It's only for one day, but we have to be thorough. It's the place where we first met Ciel, after all. There must be some clues there."

The cathedral they were to search the next day allowed anyone to enter the chapel at any time, and they had visited several times. However, exploring deeper into the church was typically off-limits. Since the disappearance of the fairy, it was the only place within the principality they hadn't searched. The opportunity to search it was thanks to the Headmaster's direct permission, although it came with the condition of reporting back if they found the light.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Althea finished her tea and said, "Laila, I'm going to bed now."

She headed to her room and flopped face-down onto her bed.

"Hehe, such bad manners... If Ann saw me, she'd be furious. Laila would just give me a troubled look... But I'm so tired..."

She turned over to look out the window.

"...With it being so dark all the time, morning, noon, and night, it's hard to tell the time. Walking outside requires such caution... What will happen next? They taught us that 'the night brings peace' in our lessons, but... with this constant darkness... it's unnerving..."

Having spent the day carefully navigating the darkness in search of Ciel, Althea gradually drifted off to sleep.

After she fell asleep, the top drawer of her desk by the window began to emit a faint glow.

The next morning though still dark, Althea awoke and noticed the faint glow coming from the drawer. She quickly got out of bed and moved toward the desk, but just then, Laila knocked on the door.

"Good morning, Lady Althea."

"Oh, good morning... It feels strange to say that when it's still dark," Althea replied with a wry smile, glancing back at the desk, but the glow had already disappeared.

"Today is the big day, right? Let's prepare thoroughly and search every corner," Laila said with newfound determination, contrasting her previous reluctance.

"What's gotten into you, Laila? You were so opposed to this before," Althea asked, puzzled.

"Well, if we find the fairy, Lady Althea won't have to become a maiden, right?" Laila replied with a matter-of-fact expression. It seemed she had come to her own conclusions. Although Althea felt a bit conflicted, she decided to respond.

"Well, Ciel won't be a substitute, so it's a little different. But he will definitely be of help."

Although not entirely convinced, Laila chose to believe in Althea's words and hastened their preparations to leave.

After getting ready and leaving the dormitory, they found Regalus waiting with Siegfried.

When asked why Siegfried was accompanying them for the cathedral search, he simply replied, "You'll need me."

The four of them left the academy and headed for the cathedral.

As they approached, they could hear the voices of several women, presumably assisting within the cathedral.

"I heard that Lady Lily is said to be the maiden of—. They say the mark has appeared."

"Oh, the gods have not abandoned us."

"But they say she has yet to awaken."

"What? Then we can't pray?"

"For now, no. I hope she wakes up soon."

"...But if Lady Lily is the maiden of—, could it mean the maiden of— has also appeared?"

"If the legends are true, yes. But she might be in a slumber like Lady Lily..."

"The problem is, the maiden of—'s mark isn't visible to others. It can be hidden if she wants."

"But in a world like this, hiding it..."

"You never know. The maiden of— sacrifices her life for the maiden of—. No one wants to die, so she might not come forward—"

At that point, one of the women noticed Althea and her group, quickly quieted down, bowed, and ushered the others back into the cathedral.

"Everywhere you go, it's 'maiden talk' and 'sword talk'," Siegfried said with an exasperated sigh.

Althea wanted to hear more about the maiden, about Lady Lily being the maiden of dawn and her current slumber. But she knew bringing it up might distract from their search for Ciel.

"So, what's the 'sword talk' about?" she asked.

Siegfried responded, "Ah, the Sword of the Sun. It's a legendary sword said to be wieldable only by those with the blood of the great nation of Royal Grand Central. They're preparing an expedition to find it. The kingdom is in turmoil, splitting forces for the search and maintaining the capital's security."

"Splitting forces?" Althea asked.

"Yes. My squad and my uncle's will search separately. The king and his younger brother also have the bloodline, but the king can't be risked, and the brother is too young. Hence, some from the academy's magic division have been ordered to join the expedition."

"So, the expedition my brother mentioned was to find the sword?" Althea asked, turning to Regalus.

"Yes, but it's not just about finding the sword. It's also to subdue monsters. Siegfried is heading back soon, right?"

"Yes, I'll return by tomorrow. I need to brief the gathered expedition teams. And, we're here."

As they looked up at the cathedral, Siegfried spoke, and Regalus stepped forward to knock on the still-closed main door.

A priest emerged, and after a brief exchange with Regalus, they were all invited inside.

Once inside, Siegfried addressed the guiding priest, "Sorry to trouble you, but could we see the accommodations first? We have our reasons."

"Of course. But... the top floor is off-limits."

"Why?" Siegfried asked.

"The top floor is reserved for royalty from various countries, and even we cannot enter without permission."

"Royalty, you say?"

"Yes... probably."

"Then there's no issue. I am the crown prince of Royal Grand Central."

"Wha—?! Your Highness?! I had no idea! Please forgive my ignorance!" the priest stammered, dropping to his knees in a bow.

Unfazed, Siegfried knelt, placing a hand on the priest's shoulder. "It's understandable, given the circumstances. No need to worry. I accompanied them to inspect the royal floor. Time is short. Can you guide us?"

The priest, still trembling, stood up energetically. "Yes, of course!"

As they ascended to the top floor, Althea asked Siegfried, "Your Highness, you mentioned you came to inspect the royal floor. How did you know?"

"I was informed by the Headmaster. He guessed we might need access and asked me to come along. But what are you looking for?"

"A fairy. We desperately need his power now," Althea replied as they reached the top floor.

Though he didn't understand why the fairy was needed now, Siegfried, aware of their long search for the fairy, decided to ask for details later. For now, he made a suggestion.

"We only have today to search the cathedral, and we need to check other places too. We should split up."

Everyone agreed, and they quickly paired off, with Regalus and Laila searching the back rooms, while Althea and Siegfried started from the front.