Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

Two days after their promise, Laila and Althea visited the guest suite in the central tower together.

By the appointed day, they had managed to create a total of ten enchanted magic stones.

Two years ago, Althea had collapsed after enchanting just six stones. However, her physical growth over the past two years had increased both her magical capacity and her resilience. This time, even after enchanting ten stones, she did not succumb to exhaustion.

Upon entering the guest suite and handing all the enchanted stones to Siegfried and Regalus, Regalus’s expression changed.

“You enchanted ten stones? I told you to be careful not to overdo it—”

“Yes, and I didn’t collapse. Brother, I haven’t enchanted any stones in the past two years, but I’ve grown stronger during that time. My magical capacity and tolerance have increased significantly. So, even though I enchanted ten stones this time, I didn’t collapse. I was a bit tired, though, and slept deeply last night.”

Althea spoke with a shy smile, and it was evident she wasn’t lying.

Two years ago, she had been a petite beauty, around 150 centimeters tall, quite small compared to other young ladies. Now, two years later, she had grown taller, and her once-childish figure had transformed into a slender, feminine body. Constant training had also increased her muscle mass, making her more capable of handling magic than she appeared.

“I see. Thank you. Now we should be able to distribute the stones to everyone as planned.”

Regalus patted Althea’s head with a wry smile. Althea, feeling a bit ticklish, asked, “Who will receive the magic stones? If possible, I’d like Kaera and Julia to have them as well.”

“That should be doable, right, Sieg?”

“Yes, first, we’ll give them to Curio and Jan. Then, if we can, to Cartlis, Oliver, and Lily. The tricky part is explaining why they need to keep the stones on them at all times.”

“Indeed. We need to convey the importance of the defensive magic the stones provide convincingly.”

“Especially with Oliver, whose mother heads the Ministry of Magic. If we’re not careful, she might get suspicious.”

Althea, who had been listening and thinking alongside them, spoke up after a brief silence.

“What if we say that my father sent the stones?”

“That’s it!”

“Yes, if we say Father sent them after defeating an incubus, it would be believable. He has sent us magic stones before, after all.”

“Alright, let’s go with that story.”

The four of them then worked together to align their story, agreeing that the enchantment information would be attributed to Yugg’s advice.

Just as they sighed in relief after finalizing the plan, there was a sudden knock on the door. They all turned to see Cartlis and Oliver standing there.

“We’re here on time, Sieg,” Cartlis said in his usual gentle tone.

“Jonathan really is inflexible. Even when I told him we were summoned by you, he insisted, ‘It’s not yet the appointed time,’ and wouldn’t bring us here sooner,” Oliver grumbled beside him.

“As expected of Jonathan. He’s precise with his instructions. No wonder he’s entrusted with this place,” Siegfried nodded in admiration. Seeing Oliver’s playful reaction to Siegfried’s comment, Althea, who rarely saw such interactions among her older brothers and their friends, watched with a bemused smile.

Noticing Althea’s smile, Cartlis hastily returned to the matter at hand.

“Sorry for ignoring you, Regalus’s sister. By the way, Sieg, what’s this secret meeting about?”

“Actually,” Regalus began, explaining the situation about the enchantment and the need to carry the magic stones as a defense against the charm.

After the explanation, Oliver commented, “A charm spell, huh? I think it’s a dark attribute. And thanks to Yugg’s advice, we know that carrying an incubus’s magic stone could help. But how did you get your hands on those stones? An incubus is a mid-level demon, right?”

“It was by chance. You’ve heard about the increased monster sightings lately, haven’t you? My father encountered and defeated an incubus on the frontier.”

“Ah, Lord Monclair, I see. That makes sense.”

Oliver nodded, satisfied with Regalus’s explanation. Then Cartlis spoke up.

“The reason makes sense. But if she’s using charm magic, wouldn’t it be suspicious if none of us fell under her spell? If it becomes known that we’re carrying protective stones, it could backfire.”

Indeed, if everyone knew about their defenses, it might draw unwanted attention, particularly to Lily, who was aligned with the light attribute and would be a primary target. Similarly, Oliver and Althea, with their earth attributes, would be at risk.

After a thoughtful silence, Oliver proposed, “How about this: Sieg and I could say we’ve been under protection spells from the start. Sieg is the crown prince, and I’m the son of the head of the Ministry of Magic. Regalus and Althea could say they’re carrying stones sent by Lord Monclair. That should cover everyone.”

“And me?” Cartlis asked.

“You’re the son of a duke, but you’re not specifically known for your magic skills...”

Oliver trailed off, leaving the implication hanging as he looked at Cartlis.

After a moment of silent eye contact, Cartlis sighed and spoke up.

"...Alright, I'll be the decoy."

"What—"

Before Althea could express her surprise, Oliver cut in.

"As expected, Cartlis. Your quick understanding is remarkable!"

Ignoring Althea’s shock, both Regalus and Siegfried remained silent. Althea, unable to bear it any longer, raised her voice.

"Wait a minute! Being a decoy is dangerous, isn’t it?"

The four upperclassmen turned to look at her simultaneously. Cartlis, with a slightly awkward expression, began to speak.

"Thank you for your concern, Regalus's sister. But this is part of the strategy."

Cartlis explained with a wry smile.

"Strategy?"

"Yes. We need to understand the enemy’s tactics to formulate a proper countermeasure."

"But still..."

"Don't worry, I’ll have the magic stone with me at all times. Even as a decoy, I’ll only pretend to be under the charm. Given the circumstances, I’m the most suitable for this role since I have no current means of charm protection. And if I do get charmed, Lily can purify me with her magic."

His confident expression was a stark contrast to the initial impression Althea had of him. He had clearly grown through his experiences at the academy.

Althea looked around. Oliver, Regalus, and Siegfried all nodded in agreement. Seeing the trust in her brothers' eyes, Althea conceded.

"I understand. Lord Cartlis, I apologize for speaking out of turn."

Cartlis, flustered, quickly responded, "It's fine, really. No need to apologize."

Afterward, Althea was asked to leave the room so that they could overwrite Cartlis’s memory as a precaution. This measure was to ensure that, in the worst-case scenario, should Cartlis truly fall under the charm, no critical information would be leaked.

Just before she left, Siegfried whispered to Althea, "Don’t worry, it’s a spell that allows us to restore his memory afterward."

Reassured by his words, Althea left the room with a bit more peace of mind.

Subsequent communication occurred through Laila and Jan. The day after they delivered the magic stones to the central tower, Regalus explained the situation to Lily Gresha. Lily then began training in purification magic, with Oliver supervising the sessions to avoid rumors, as Regalus and Siegfried's presence would attract attention. Lily reportedly had some complaints about this arrangement.

Cartlis began observing students who might be under the charm the day after their meeting. He seemed to enjoy this task, given his natural inclination towards people-watching.

Regalus and Siegfried continued their daily routines, although they had received several more approaches.

Althea and her companions had the magic stones crafted into matching bracelets, which they gave to Julia and Kaera. The two were thrilled with the bracelets and vowed to keep them on at all times.

Three weeks later, a rumor circulated through the general student body that Cartlis was frequently seen by Persephone’s side.