Catherine? It was a name Rine had never heard before.
Naturally so. Rine had never been interested in the Theocracy of Bretus, and even if she had, there was no way she could have known the name of a Saintess who was not publicly known.
But the moment she saw Catherine, Rine felt a strange, indescribable sensation.
Was it familiarity? Or perhaps pity?
Catherine, meanwhile, stared quietly at Rine with eyes that gave away nothing of what she was thinking.
‘Does she know me?’
Just as Rine began to feel uneasy under that gaze, a bright smile blossomed on Catherine’s face.
“Oh my, who are you? You are so pretty, dear.”
“Y-Yes?”
“What is your name? Are you a student here?”
“Uh, I am Rine. Yes, I am a student here. I just started as a first-year.”
“A first-year? That is a good time. But what are you doing here? Did you plant this flower bed yourself?”
Her first impression had been of someone mature and holy, but now, as she asked questions so openly and curiously, she seemed like a genuinely cheerful person.
Rine felt a little flustered, but since the woman did not seem like a bad person, she answered honestly.
“I did not grow this flower bed. A senior I know takes care of it. I am just taking a break here because I was not feeling well.”
“A rest, huh. I understand. I also used to sit alone somewhere quiet when things got hard.”
“Oh, you too, Miss Catherine?”
“Oh my, dear. Calling me Miss Catherine sounds so stiff, does it not? Just call me sister. Sister.”
“Uh, still, that ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) feels a bit...”
“Come on. Repeat after me. Sister.”
“Uh... Sister.”
When Rine murmured it shyly, Catherine smiled brightly, like a flower bursting into full bloom.
“How adorable.”
“Um, but, Sister Catherine, what brings you here?”
“Me? I just came to Seorn as a guest and was taking a walk because I was bored. Then I saw this well-kept path and followed it here. I did not expect to find someone here, though.”
“Oh, I see. Not many people come here.”
“Yes. I can feel that. It feels like your secret little hideout, you know? It gives off that kind of vibe. I used to have one too. I miss it.”
“You did?”
“When I was young, I went through a lot of hard times. Well, things are still hard, but back then it was so unbearable that I could not stand it. So once, I could not take it anymore and ran away to hide somewhere no one came.”
It was a sudden story from the past, but Rine listened with interest.
“I was alone and miserable, crying quietly to myself, when someone suddenly showed up.”
“W-Who was it?”
“At first, I thought it was someone who came to drag me back, but it was not. It was a boy around my age. Turns out the place I was hiding in was somewhere he often came to himself. Do you know what the funniest part was?”
“What was it?”
“Normally, if you see a little girl crying, you ask her why, or if she is hurt, and comfort her, right? But the moment he saw me, the first thing he said was, ‘Get lost.’”
Catherine mimicked the tone she had heard back then, saying “Get lost” in a firm, dignified voice.
“Whaaat? Really?”
“I am telling you, really! Can you believe it? A girl is crying and he just says, ‘Get lost!’ Even now, it makes no sense when I think about it.”
“So what did you do then?”
“What else.”
Catherine laughed brightly, as if it were nothing special.
“I jumped up and pulled his hair out!”
“......”
The answer was so unexpected that Rine could only open and close her mouth soundlessly.
It sounded like such a touching first meeting, but they had apparently started by fighting and pulling each other’s hair.
“When I think about it now, it is kind of a fond memory.”
“I-I see.”
“The reason I told you that story is because running into you here, by chance, reminded me of that time. Sorry, it was not a very interesting story, was it?”
“No, not at all! It was really interesting!”
“Fufu. You are truly kind, are you not? Yes, since you have such a good heart...”
Catherine stopped mid-sentence, swallowing her next words.
“Anyway! Since we met like this, do you not have something you want to talk about?”
“Ah, n-no, I...”
“Your face looks full of worries, you know? Go on, tell me. Maybe I can give you the perfect answer.”
Rine hesitated.
It was uncomfortable to pour out all her anxieties to someone she had just met today.
But somewhere deep in her heart, she felt an urge to tell Catherine everything.
It was strange.
She had just met her today, and yet she felt such familiarity.
“Um, well...”
Yes. Rather than keep suffering alone inside, maybe she could ask for someone else’s advice.
She was just about to speak indirectly when—
“There you are.”
A woman in white robes, wearing a tiara over her eyes, appeared.
“I have been looking for you, Sister.”
“What is it? Coming to find me all of a sudden.”
“You disappeared, so of course I had to come. The Headmaster of Seorn herself has come out to welcome you.”
“How troublesome. Could you not do it instead?”
“......Sister.”
“All right, all right. I will go.”
Catherine turned to Rine and apologized.
“I am sorry. I was about to listen to your story, but something came up suddenly.”
“N-No, it is fine. Really.”
“Still, I said I would listen, and it would hurt my pride to leave it like this. Here.”
Catherine took out a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Rine.
Without thinking, Rine accepted it, feeling a gentle warmth emanate from the pure white sheet, and looked up at Catherine in wonder.
“What is this?”
“If you keep this with you and come to find me, you will be able to. The paper will show you where I am. I will not be staying here long, so if you intend to use it, you should do it tonight.”
“You really do not have to go this far for me.”
“I want to. That is all.”
Though she accepted it, Rine decided inwardly not to use it—it felt too burdensome.
That is, until Catherine’s next words.
“The scenery you saw in passing—I can tell you what it means.”
“......What? H-How do you know about that?”
“Well then, I will be going now!”
Before Rine could ask how she knew, Catherine was already waving her hand and walking off into the distance.
She truly was like the wind.
The woman with the tiara over her eyes who had come to fetch Catherine paused for a moment to look silently at Rine, then followed Catherine out of the garden.
Left alone, Rine stared blankly at the paper in her hand.
For some reason, as she held it, the pain in her eyes had completely disappeared.
* * *
A priest who had secretly followed Catherine out of the garden spoke up.
“Sister Catherine, was that all right? Should we not act immediately...?”
“It is fine. That girl does not yet know what her power is, so it is better to leave her be.”
“But ignoring it despite knowing what it is—would that not go against His Holiness’s will?”
“Not exactly. That girl will eventually head to Bretus on her own.”
“You have seen that future?”
“Who knows.”
Even as Catherine answered playfully, the priest could not help but sigh, though he was already used to her behavior.
When they arrived at the appointed place, Catherine was greeted by a woman with white hair.
From afar it looked pure white, but up close, the inner strands glimmered faint pink—like a blend of white lotus and cherry blossom, beautiful and mysterious.
“It is an honor to meet you. Headmaster of Seorn Academy, Elisa Willow. I am Catherine.”
“The honor is mine, Saintess Catherine.”
Seeing Elisa respond so smoothly, Catherine thought to herself that this woman was no ordinary person.
Young as she was, she had reached the 6th Circle and even held the position of Headmaster of Seorn Academy.
Though Catherine was a Saintess and had appeared unannounced, Elisa had shown neither surprise nor panic, greeting her with composed grace.
“If only you had sent word ahead of your arrival, we would have prepared a much grander welcome. What a shame.”
“There is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I prefer things this way. Lavish receptions make me uncomfortable. Meeting only you like this feels far more pleasant.”
“Oh my, is that so? You are truly magnanimous, Saintess. Shall we talk as we walk a little?”
“I would love that.”
Catherine began walking alongside Elisa.
The priest and several paladins who had joined them tried to follow, but Catherine stopped them.
“Wait here, everyone. I want to speak with her alone.”
“B-But, Saintess, we are sworn to protect your safety...”
“I said I am fine, did I not? Besides, this is Seorn. With the Headmaster herself here, what danger could there be?”
She smiled at Elisa as she asked,
“Right, Headmaster?”
“Indeed.”
Elisa smiled in return, though inwardly she narrowed her eyes, reassessing Catherine.
She had expected a sheltered, naive girl, but this woman’s poise and conversational grace proved otherwise—she was anything but ordinary.
The two of them walked along a quiet forest path.
“It is remarkable. I did not expect such a vast and beautiful forest within your grounds. Seorn’s reputation across the continent is well deserved.”
“Thank you for your praise. But compared to the Theocracy you dwell in, we are still lacking.”
“Bretus has many waterways, which are beautiful in their own way, but near the Holy City there are no grand forests like this, so it often feels barren. Personally, I much prefer this place.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
Catherine gazed at the lower spirits flitting between the trees and spoke softly.
“Have you made your decision, Headmaster?”
The question came sooner than expected, but Elisa did not flinch.
“Of course. Even though we have autonomy, we cannot just stand by while the entire continent is in peril. I and several other teachers have decided to take part in the Holy War.”
Not all of them, of course.
She did not add that part.
Revealing only a portion of the truth—that was the key to any negotiation.
“A wise choice. After all, we are facing the Demon King. Knowing you will be with us is reassuring.”
Catherine added calmly,
“By the way, that man—Heathcliff. I heard he once worked here as a teacher. What kind of person was he?”
“......”
Elisa narrowed her eyes.
Why bring up Ludger all of a sudden?
‘What is she trying to do? Is she testing me?’
As a Saintess, Catherine must have already been informed about Heathcliff’s history.
If so, she surely knew he had taught here.
Then why ask what kind of person he was?
‘Is she probing for heresy? But the question itself feels strange.’
When Catherine first arrived, Elisa had considered the worst-case scenario.
Since the Demon King Heathcliff had once stayed at Seorn, the academy itself could easily be branded heretical.
But Catherine had not said a single thing along those lines.
Was it confidence that Seorn would never dare oppose her? Or simple nonchalance?
If that were so, then why insist on meeting her privately like this?
Elisa trusted her intuition.
Saintess Catherine was fundamentally different from the other people of the Lumenis Church she knew.
“He was an excellent teacher.”
Catherine stopped walking and looked directly at her.
“Professor Ludger Cherish, you mean.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“After the demon incident, Professor Ludger Cherish went missing. Later, he returned—but the Empire claimed he was Heathcliff and took him away.”
Elisa deliberately mentioned that Ludger had gone missing, subtly implying that Ludger Cherish and Heathcliff were two separate people and that Seorn had no connection to the Demon King.
Catherine chuckled softly and nodded.
“I see.”
She could have reacted with outrage or accused Elisa of deceit, but she did not. She simply accepted the answer.
“I hope that man, Ludger, returns safely soon.”
“Yes, of course. We are searching everywhere for him. We will surely hear good news before long.”
“Then that is enough. You must have a lot on your shoulders as Headmaster. Thank you for taking the time to meet me.”
Catherine reached out her hand.
“Let us work well together. It is good to have an ally to stand beside in the Holy War.”
“Of course.”
Elisa clasped her hand.
Catherine’s voice carried quiet satisfaction.
“Let us go to Bretus together—and defeat the Demon King.”
* * *
“So she is not here after all.”
Ludger found no trace of Catherine in the citadel.
Should he be relieved that she was no longer here?
Or regretful that she was moving according to the will of the Holy Sovereign?
Either way, it seemed inevitable that the two of them would eventually collide.
“Catherine.”
Once, they had been friends.
Now, they stood on opposite sides.
The Saintess and the Demon King.
Two beings who could never coexist.
“I truly hope you do not come to Bretus.”