—Present Day: Ilifelen calendar, year 5212, Hishen, 17th
It was a gentle morning, as per usual in Ilifel. The sun graced the lands below with its warmth, healthy daytime spirits, and animals awoke from their slumbers.
Birds chirped, and insects buzzed right outside Rigeld's office. But despite the calm and relaxing morning. The report in front of Rigeld had him rubbing his temples.
"Sigh…"
Alver, like a good retainer, quietly stood by the desk, not saying a word. After all, he'd seen parts of the report that stated "Emergency: Missing Exploration Teams."
"I swear to The Light herself… This guy! Always this guy!" Rigeld exclaimed as he roughly ruffled his head. "Is he a harbinger of bad omens or what?!" he groaned before collapsing onto his chair.
"…"
Alver couldn't help but agree. When Alum first entered Ilifel, he got lost and encountered the murderer of a double agent by the alley. Not only that, but he also handled the abnormal situation despite claiming to be a simple citizen from another world.
Then there was the incident at Erda, where he'd encountered a cult taking villages as hostages to be used in unknown experiments. And now? The ruins ate the whole exploration team, including the youth in question.
Of course, events like these weren't too out of the ordinary, especially for a soldier of the Lesich Empire. But this time, it was a question of interval and frequency.
"It's his third month in this world! Is this going to happen? E-v-e-r-y. Single. Month!? What the hell!"
Alver watched as his superior writhed while clasping his head among the pile of paperwork, but for a brief moment, he swore he saw flames erupt from the veteran's mouth. Then, as if a switch flipped, Rigeld jolted up from his chair.
"Let's head to the Control Center."
Alver lightly bowed, replying, "Affirmative," before heading towards the door.
Rigeld wasn't the type to micro-manage his subordinates; it would be absurd if he did, considering the size of their operations. But at times like this, instead of receiving surprise reports, he would take full control himself.
"Alver," Rigeld suddenly voiced as he finished tidying his appearance. "Go report to Chely and give her a briefing."
"…Understood."
Although Alver wanted to ask, what about Lady Saint? Rigeld answered the unvoiced inquiry.
"Have some faith in the boy, he'll make it out somehow," he remarked coolly, a confidence befitting that of a former emperor.
The comment caught Alver off guard; his eyes widened for a moment. He slowly blinked and nodded.
"Of course."
…
..
When morning arrived, the elegant saint would slowly open her eyes. The light that hit her silver eyelashes fractured into rainbows. Her light amethyst eyes would glow in that warm light, appearing a little more pink than purple.
A light, "Nnmh~" escaped her lips as she stretched her arms, only for said arms to wrap around a pillow, burying her face in the softness.
"Al…" she murmured the name of her beloved one, her voice warm and a little sultry.
Her smooth thighs rubbed against each other on their own. For some reason, she held her breath, and her face became increasingly flushed as her body grew hot.
Amethely's hand almost wandered downwards on its own, but she froze and managed to snap out of it. She peeled her face off the pillow, flashing a calm, gentle smile just because.
Like routine, the… elegant… saint… got up and made her bed neatly. She hung the long pink night gown by the hangers decorated with healthy flowers, then cleansed it with magic.
Still with a calm smile on her face, the saint headed into the shower. Cold water ran down from head to toe. She brushes her long silver-gray hair with product, the very hair she loved and tended to soothe her nerves each time she saw or touched.
"♪ Mm~hmm~mm~ ♪"
After finishing her hair, she moved on to her soft skin, gently scrubbing with a relaxed smile as her mind was filled with the sound of running water.
When she finally got out, she brushed her teeth and dried her hair. She almost bound her chest with bandages out of habit, but since the adjustment to her saintly attire, she put on a comfortable bra instead, still not fully used to it.
And when the undergarments came on, the fun of the routine of the saint dressing into her favorite attire had arrived. Silk shorts, a light white blouse, her saintly white, gold rimmed, robe-like dress, white thigh-highs, then, a light brown sash with golden trims around the abdomen on top of the dress.
"Nn~"
She smiled happily in front of the mirror. In the mirror was a young and elegant saint with a warm, unwavering smile.
Exiting the bathroom, she reached out for the red piece of silk, tying it to her hair into a ribbon, and lastly, a black veil. Warmth filled her heart as she longingly gazed at it through the mirror. By the time she reached the door and put on her boots…
"Awawawawawaw!?"
The saint fell to her knees, holding her head, her smile finally crumbled to despair.
W-W-W-What w-were you about to do, Amethely!? She inwardly reprimanded herself. Since when were you lewd!? You're a Saint! A Saint, Amethely! Y-y-y-y-you can't j-j-just…
"…That is right, Ame, a saint should have restraint! Restraint!"
A small Amethely with white wings suddenly appeared on her shoulder, face beet red.
"T-That's not true!" Another Amethely appeared, flustered; this time, she had horns. "Ame, it's okay to have desires! Everybody does("I think…" she murmured this part quietly), you're a girl too!"
"B-But…" Amethely stammered.
She cast her gaze toward the winged Amethely, but she seemed to be pondering something. "Actually, yeah. That's a valid point. There's nothing wrong at all!" she smiled angelically. "Especially when thinking of Al while almost—"
"—S-s-stopppp! Don't continue that!" her girly heart screamed.
Amethely's face was completely flushed red—she didn't have to ask what the winged Amethely meant—she wasn't that dense.
Both the small Amethelys shook hands.
The highlights in Amethely's eyes faded as she stared at the two in disbelief.
You're not supposed to be on the same side, right!? Wait… they're both me—I suppose they're both on my side. Could it be… could it be that I'm… pervy? Al! What do I doooo!? What should I do!?
..
After regaining composure, Amethely exited her room at 4:40. The air outside was fresh as she took a stroll around the base.
"Good morning, Lady Saint," soldiers would greet her as they passed. "Good morning," and Amethely would warmly greet them back.
Usually, she would wake up with Alum by her side, and they'd take a small stroll like this to begin their day. Some called them an old married couple, even though they were just engaged, and for a short while at that.
Today, she encountered Noel doing some warm-up by the forest before formal training began.
Initially, her older sister Chely would run in the forest track using a repressive bracelet each morning, a fact she only learned recently from Noel.
He'd told her, "Y'know, I told her I wanted to spend some more time with her since she was always kinda busy. So she told me to run with her in the mornings just a little before sunrise."
However, her sister was nowhere to be seen today.
"Oh?" Noel noticed her in the corner of his eyes. "Supp, Ame."
Amethely brightly smiled. "Good morning, Noel."
"Yeah. Good morning to you, too," he grinned and walked over to her. "So? What are you doing up this early?"
"Oh, um… I usually take a walk with Al and got up out of habit," Amethely sheepishly replied.
"Ah~, youth," Noel heaved a sigh as he nodded and smiled.
"Aren't we the same age?" Amethely giggled. "Oh, by the way. Where is Big Sis?"
Noel lightly shrugged. "Not sure. I guess there's an urgent matter to attend to," he replied, sounding a little down.
"I… guess we both feel left behind sometimes…"
"…"
Noel's silver-blue eyes widened. He hadn't expected those words from her.
What does she mean by " left behind"? I can understand if I felt left behind since Chely got all that responsibility, but… isn't it the opposite for her and Al?
Seeing Noel confused, Amethely clenched her dress. "I-I mean… Al's always on some kind of mission, and the same goes for Big Sis—it's like… I'm being left behind, unable to help if they ever were in trouble…"
Oh…
Noel chuckled and leaned closer to her.
"—Huh?"
Amethely's eyes widened as Noel nudged her forehead with his index finger.
"Silly, but I won't deny it if you truly feel that way," he said before interlacing his fingers and resting them behind his head, smiling with a little smugness. "I mean, I'm for sure being left behind, but you? I think it's the opposite. Like, c'mon, Ame. You're a Saint. To this world, you're someone. But what about Alum?"
"…"
The silence told Noel everything he needed to know. To Amethely, Alum was someone precious to her. But to the world, he was simply a Wanderer. Nobody really had a reason to actually care about him. He did not have status, recognition, or money. Of course, that applied to Noel too, and he painfully knew that.
He couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Heh… He's trying to catch up to you. Isn't my bestie cool?"
Amethely's heart began to race upon hearing those words. Her pink-amethyst eyes widened as she clasped her hands, pressing them to her chest. She knew, but having someone say it hit different.
Seeing her happy and a little shy, Noel continued. "Hmm, that face. Falling for him all over again, are you?" he remarked teasingly. "That's right. You and I aren't the ones left behind. I am. And so is Alum."
"Noel…"
"And that's why you're a bit silly," he said, poking her forehead again.
"Mhng," Amethely pouted. "I am not—"
But before she could retort, Noel turned away, his hands resting behind his head again. "Oh, I'm getting a little hungry. And the cafeteria opens soon." And turning back, he said, "Let's go have breakfast, shall we?" with a very Noel-like grin.
"Nn. Okay!"
"…"
"Hey, Noel…"
"Yeah?"
"You're cool too!"
Noel's steps came to a halt. He turned toward her and had a smug face as ever.
"Hell yeah, I am!" he boasted proudly. "I would cry if Chely chose me because I was lame!"
"Ehehe, maybe?"
"Hey!"
"Eeh-hehe~"
…
..
"I see…"
Heading toward the control center with Alver, Chely listened to the emergency report. Not only was her future brother-in-law missing, but her parents were as well.
Even during the emotional turmoil, Chely remained coolheaded and composed.
"Since the research team went missing, the whole supply line collapsed. We're currently looking for a way to find a way to the other layers, but with an endless dark corridor as the first layer, it'll be difficult."
"And the Advance Team probably hasn't noticed."
"Presumably, yes."
"…"
If the Advance Team hadn't noticed that the supplies had been cut, then they wouldn't know when to retreat or start a rescue. From what Alver has told her, the ruins aren't too much of a threat to those in the advance team, and they're estimated to make it out somehow. But what about the lost Research Team?
They were a lot weaker, and while she doesn't deny Alum's skills nor the adventurers, they didn't have the numbers in case they encountered a lethal foe. Not only that, since they were first in the chain, they didn't need as much supply as the others because of the estimated frequency of the run. But now? They might run out of food and crucial tools.
"Does Sir Rigeld have any orders for me regarding the matter?"
"Be on standby, Sir Rigeld said."
"…"
Chely wanted to complain. But she understood better than anyone who she was and what her role was. Rigeld might've encouraged her to think for herself, even for her to fall in love. But that didn't mean he was sending her away each time there was an emergency.
"Understood. Have you informed Saint Amethely?"
"No. I have not."
"I see… that's probably for the best."
After a short walk, they made their way into the control center after a few security checkups. Inside, they saw Rigeld and Boail talk, and when she met Boail's eyes. He bowed to Rigeld and approached her.
His big hands patted her on the shoulders as he passed. "Leave it to me, Lady Hero," he said with firm resolve.
"…"
Chely clenched her fists. Her determined eyes did not waver as they looked ahead.
"Please do."
Boail Howlshock. A horned giant beastman with draconic features—and one of the most powerful imperial assets. If it were him, then he was someone Chely could put her faith in. Faith that he could find and keep them safe.
If. However, the worst was to happen. She could also trust Boail to exact revenge for them.
Sigh… Father. Mother. Alum. Please be safe.