“Excuse me?”
Once again, Azusa expressed great confusion.
“I-I do apologize if I’m wrong but…” the priest said. “The icons… All of the icons depict Saint Azusa Trismegistus as an elf with blazing crimson hair and three swords, two strapped on her back and one strapped at her waist. She is also often depicted with armor… similarーno, exactly the sameーin design to the one you are wearing right now.” At that, Azusa subconsciously reached for the main sword strapped on her back with her right hand while her left hand palmed the hilt of the katana at her waist. “A-And that!” the priest continued as he spotted a gleam from Azusa’s hand. “Th-The ring on your left hand or more accurately, the paired ring on your left hand… is an unparalleled pair of legendary items. The single most unique enchantment ever placed on items, «Astral Resonance»ーthat is the name of the enchantment your ring has, right?”
“… Um.” All Azusa could manage was a grunt because what the priest was saying was entirely true. She indeed had red hair and wore a vermillion set of armor that fitted tightly to her curves. The ring the priest mentioned was of course the full set of rings she has to signify her love and marriage with her husband. They even knew the name of the rare enchantment she had placed on them thanks to her Null spells, «Enchant» and «Cracking». If anything, Azusa wanted to run away and hide to cry alone in absolute shame because she was now apparently someone to be worshiped…
“Grrrrrー”
At Azusa’s feet, the elder dragon began to struggle back as it regained its bearings from having its skull slammed into the ground. “Dammit, just when I’m trying to think…!” Azusa jumped off of the dragon as it beat its wings to once more take off into the sky. “Alright then, sky emperor, you want to play up there? I’ll come to you.”
Azusa bounded into the sky, ignoring the priest's cries (“Wa-Wait!”). Keeping her swords in their scabbards, she delivered a kick into the dragon’s abdomen as it was rising up into the air. “Tch! Freaking heavy!” Seeing as her initial kick had no effect, Azusa sank back down to the ground before once more rising up into the air. She drove her fist into the dragon’s abdomen and shouted, “«Multiple: Absorb»!” Immediately spawning fifty magic circles, Azusa began to drain the dragon of mana, channeling it through her body into her other fist. “Alright, let’s see… I should have enough to use it now. Spiral forth, Fire! Purgatorial Blaze Compression Tornado «Crimson Spearhand»!” A massive river of magic flowed to concentrate into Azusa’s free right hand as it quickly burned crimson. As the spell indicates, the magic flames began to spiral into an all-piercing firestorm consolidated around Azusa’s knife-hand. “Yaaaaaaaahh!!” Azusa yelled as she drove her fire spear into the dragon. The magic in her hand exploded and a pillar of fire burst into existence as it burned its way through the dragon; a column of flame all but erupted out the other side.
The dragon fell to the ground and Azusa fell along with it, landing gracefully on the ground on her feet in a feline dance. “Pheeeew,” she sighed. “Yikes, I suppose I should ban myself from using the spell ever again… especially after absorbing an elder dragon’s mana.” The dragon disintegrated… or that was what was supposed to happen.
Instead, the dragon seemingly shrank in size and settled into the form of a girl.
“Umm… What?”
“Thou hast soundly defeated me,” the dragon-turned-girl spoke. “Henceforth, I shall be thine slave and lowly servant.”
Azusa’s confusion reached such a high peak that she accidentally spoke the next phrase in French: “Excuse-moi?”
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Oh lord almighty, I got so confused my speech switched to French…
In her past life, Azusa was an exceedingly well-blessed student and two of her favorite extracurricular subjects were the study of French and Latin. Either way, her studies of those two languages often led her to use them in casual speech, however, she did try limiting how much she used those languages when talking. The only time she forgets is when she is greatly shocked or surprised as she had just now been.
“Ahem,” Azusa cleared her throat, a clear tinge of red coloring her face. “So… Who the heck are you?”
“Alack, my most humble apologies for I hath sinned,” the dragon said as she knelt. “My name is Rhiannon Pendragon. ‘Tis a name bestowed upon me by my father.”
“I see…” Azusa muttered as she gestured at the dragon to stand up. She then turned toward the priest, “And uh…”
“My name is Richard Audeley, Saint,” the priest replied. “This man next to me is the incumbent Knight-Leader of the Order of Silver Wings, Adrian Arderne. Is it safe to assume that you are Saint Azusa? That strength you displayed is certainly sourced from the divine blessings granted to you by the Goddess of Creation, Roselia Ishtaris.”
Wait, wait, wait, the hell? Azusa thought. Did they legit come up with their own lore!? This wasn’t in the game’s settings! Actually, that aside, how the heck can I speak to them!? Judging from their lip movements, they’re not speaking anything close to Japanese yet I can fully understand them! Besides, I shouldn’t be able to communicate with them but somehow, the words are coming out in whatever language they’re using! Azusa continuously rambled on to herself in her mind before just mentally scratching her head. You know what? Screw this. I’m just not gonna care. I’m already at rock-bottom because of the fact that I’m somehow a freaking saint.
Resigning herself to her fate, Azusa admitted, “Yes, I am she. I have spent the last four hundred years sleeping within «Castello Michele».”
“S-So it is true…!” Audeley fell to his knees and everyone else quickly followed his example. “We have long waited for your return! I beg for your greatest mercy as I presumptuously ask of you: would you please accompany me to the Holy Capital Koberheim?”
“Sure,” Azusa said. “I was heading that way anyway.”
“‘Tis a duty of a servant to follow her master,” Rhiannon asserted. “I shall come with.”
“Suit yourself.”
Azusa watched in slight amusement as the priest basically repeatedly tripped over himself to stand up and fix his robes before (essentially) forcing her into Arderne’s carriage. Azusa lazily watched the sky go by as the horses clopped their way to the capital. It took just over ten days but they safely reached the Holy Capital Koberheim; from her mental calculations, Azusa guessed that they traveled one thousand kilometers (or roughly 620 miles).
The city wasーto put it simplyーmagnificent.
If anything, Azusa was only able to sum up the city as a different world’s attempt at replicating the great city of Rome. Even a lookalike of the historic Saint Peter’s Basilica was centered in the city built atop an acropolis; Azusa was able to see it even before she got within ten kilometers of the city gates (as a note, Azusa had learned that their measurements are known as “mil” with said measurements equating to the same as the metric system she already knows; in their units, ‘ten kilometers’ would be ‘ten kilomils’). Azusa could just barely lend an ear as the priest began a tirade. “This is the Holy Capital Koberheim! It is the crowning jewel of the Divine Empire built over a millennium ago in the previous era that used the Chaos Calendar. Today, we make use of the Innocence Calendar which was established by none other than you yourself, Saint Azusa.”
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Excuse me? “Yes, of course, I do remember establishing the calendar as a result of…”
“You established a new era after you and the other Lords and Ladies of the «Seven Stars» cleared the «Final Labyrinth, Athenia» on the now-lost continent of Atlantea. It was scaled off of your birthday with the first year being the year of your birth which on the old Chaos Calendar would be Year 7263. You headed the efforts of building the Papal Basilica of the Goddess Roselia in honor of your divine mother… although, nowadays, the main object of worship in said basilica is you which is why it’s now more commonly referred to as Saint Azusa’s Basilica.”
Hnngggh… I’m getting flashbacks to my “eight-grade” phase… “Ye-Yes, I see…” Azusa tried giving a reply as she internally cringed while sipping the tea that one of the knights had brewed for her. What sorts of things did the me from this world do, exactly?
“Your son and daughter have taken the helm of leading the Holy Churchー”
“PFFF-”
Azusa unceremoniously spit out her tea, soaking the knight seated in front of her. “A-Ah, I’m sorry!”
She quickly pulled out her handkerchief and attempted to wipe his face but the knight stayed her hand. “No, no, Saint, you shouldn’t trouble yourself! This is nothing compared to your shock of hearing how much the world has changed over four hundred years.”
“St-Still, I apologize,” Azusa insisted as she forced her way past the knight’s grip and wiped his face. “Sheesh, I really doused you…”
“Sa-Saint, please, this isn’t necessary…”
“Bwahaha!”
Arderne burst out laughing as he threw his arm around him and gave the boy a noogie. “Well then, little Bernard, you’ve had your face wiped by the Saint Herself! You’ve earned quite the bragging rights! I should’ve sat there (LOL).”
“Ow-ow-ow, Commander, that hurts!” the boy, who apparently was named Bernard, exclaimed.
Arderne let him go, turning to Azusa and said, “This boy’s Bernard Valentin von Shicksalsheimr, the fourth son of House Shicksalsheimr. He may seem like a spineless little kid but he’s my vice-captain. I trust him with my life.”
“Ooooh, I see…” Azusa’s eyes, her right being liquid gold and her left being deep crimson, shone as magical energy gathered into her eye socket. Her audience watched in awe as her irides flickered white. Interesting… Level 163? That’s quite the high level despite being only seventeen. As for classes… «Holy Sword», «Duelist», and «Lancer»? He’s practically built for the role of a Holy Knight. It’s unfortunate that he can’t exactly be a Spellsword but whatever… Azusa’s eyes returned to normal, sipping her tea as she tried pretending that nothing happened; her curiosity simply beat her to it.
“… Saint, was that just now your Mystic Eyes of Eminence Discernment?” Arderne inquired.
“Mhm,” Azusa nodded. “I was just curious about his status. I must say, I never expected to see such a young child be that high of a level.”
“Well, little Bernard here is simply lucky. He inherited a high level from his parents from birth and therefore, had a higher starting point.”
“Aha? I see now. That is something that wasn’t a thing around my day, was it?”
“Yes, it’s all thanks to your third child, the Runeweaver,” Audeley offered. “She was the one who created «Level Subsidy», the spell that was cast on the ancestors of all of the current noble families who live in Koberheim.”
“Ha, as expected of my daughter,” Azusa laughed. Internally, however, she was rolling over in circles in absolute pain. AaAaAaAaAaAaAa! Dammit, I was prepared for this but gawd, this really feels like I reverted back to an eighth-grader!! At that, the carriage finally stopped moving for the last time.
Arderne got out of his seat, opened the door’s carriage, and stepped outside. Holding the door open, he held out his hand. “Need a hand?”
“Why, thank you,” Azusa smiled as she took it and stepped out of the carriage herself. She looked around and thought, Hmm, I don’t think my current state of dress is appropriate. She waved her hand in front of her, manipulating the menu and selecting a brilliant red ballgown, complete with a corset to streamline her body and support her breasts. Opening up the decorated silver hand fan she also summoned, she waved at her face. “Well, this is a sight.”
Of course, to everyone else’s perspective, it was as if Azusa had simply willed her clothes to change. “T-To think that the Saint can do that as well…”
“… Eh?”
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Okay, this is just bullshit. So you’re telling me that I’m the only one who can pull up a menu like that? It seems like they can open basic status windows by drawing an ‘S’ in the air with a finger but they don’t have inventories, a friends list, a guild menu, or anything else like I have… Ugh, I just gave them more material for them to idolize me with… Dear, please save me!
At the same time, a certain man seated in his office in Vignon, the capital of the Tourboisian Empire, sneezed. “… Is someone talking about me?” he muttered as he glanced at the wedding ring on his finger which had also simultaneously glowed brighter, if ever so slightly.
Azusa sighed as she entered the Papal Basilica of the Goddess Roseliaーor more accurately to the timesーSaint Azusa’s Basilica and marveled at the architecture. The interior design greatly reminded of the Sistine Chapel which was painted by perhaps the most well-known of the all-time greats in painters, Michelangelo. What jarred her the most, however, weren’t the paintings on the ceiling but the many paintings lined across the walls…
Of course, as this was a cathedral that was more or less remodeled to idolize Azusa as the Goddess Roselia’s most well-known servant, there were many icons that depicted her from all stages of her supposed “life”. Azusa could see a painting of her birth and of her growing up, another painting depicting her receiving the blessing of the Goddess, while another painting illustrated the moment of the founding of «Pleiades». Still another icon portrayed her marriage to Mondklinge. The artworks simply showed Azusa in all of her forms.
Frankly, it was embarrassing.
Nevertheless, Azusa forced herself to keep her face straight as she pretended to marvel at the paintings of her life.
“It is here, Saint,” Audeley, Arderne, and Shicksalsheimr stopped in front of a large double door built out of mahogany wood. “Archbishop Ghislaine is inside.”
Azusa folded her fan against her hand and pushed open the door. Inside, she found an elf seated as his desk scribbling away. “Who is it?”
“Well, I suppose I can come again at another time.”
Ghislaine stopped writing and looked up. Both his pen and his jaw went slack as the former fell out of his hand while the latter fell open. “Mo-Mother…?”
“Ngh,” Azusa grunted, bending over in pain. I was expecting this as well but it hurts more than I predicted… But wait, “Mother”? Why so formal?
“Mo-Mother!” Ghislaine tripped out of his chair and ambled over to Azusa’s side. “Are you okay!?”
“N-No, it’s nothing, I’m fine,” Azusa stammered back. “It’s just I wasn’t prepared for this…”
“Umm? What exactly do you mean, Mother?”
“Ngh!” she groaned again. “… It’s nothing.”