“Who is the person you’re waiting for?”
“Mm-hmm~”
Avira shook her head, still looking utterly indifferent.
“When will she come back?”
“I don’t know.”
“You…”
Thus, Freyna initially concluded that it must be someone she loved, or someone who could protect her.
No wonder she had held on this long—it had to be because of that person’s existence.
But that person might be a heartless cad, or perhaps it was nothing more than Avira’s one-sided infatuation.
“What if it’s just your one-sided wishful thinking? You’d surely regret it. At least, come with me first to find a safe place.”
“That doesn’t matter, Teacher Freyna. This world is always full of regrets. Sometimes, I feel pretty despairing too, but I believe tomorrow will be better.”
“You…”
Freyna didn’t know what to say.
Stubborn? Or a sweet, foolish idiot?
Perhaps both, but she had no reason to judge Avira.
Because she herself was the swordswoman who had given up the competition with Catherine at the very last moment, settling for second place. She regretted it every day—regretted why she hadn’t pushed harder that day, when Catherine had clearly overexerted her body, and when Freyna surpassed her in so many qualities.
“Tomorrow will be better? So, you’re the type who looks forward.”
That phrase had haunted her dreams for months. During that time, Freyna had extended olive branches to her multiple times, only to be rejected each time.
She didn’t give up. She chatted with Avira every day, and under her protection, the bullying Avira faced clearly lessened.
However, because she intervened too much, rumors spread even more wildly, actually increasing the pressure on Avira.
She hadn’t even had time to apologize before the Holy Church recalled her in a timely manner, and she left Tilves, that mysterious country.
Freyna didn’t know if the person Avira mentioned had returned to protect her.
Later, Tilves suffered an attack from the Demon Race.
Upon learning that Tilves’s princess had stayed behind to cover everyone’s retreat and gone missing, Freyna suddenly realized—it hadn’t been Avira’s delusion, but a reason she used to deceive and reject her.
Now, the Demon King sat right in front of her.
Freyna’s heart raced. She realized she desperately wanted to know the fate of that pitiful princess who had suffered the same setbacks as her. Or had her fragile body already led her to die in some desolate wilderness?
“To think that Miss Demon King is so greedy. What else do you want?”
Ophitia’s voice shattered Freyna’s understanding of arrogance once more:
“Miss Human, demons are all very greedy creatures. When it comes to what we want, we definitely strive to grasp it firmly in our hands.”
Ophitia crossed her legs, looking completely relaxed and at ease.
As she said this, the door at the other end opened, and two women walked in.
They wore the Church’s long robes and clothes, their eyes covered by black blindfolds, their hands bound with magic chains, and their garments bore traces of damage, as if they had just emerged battered from battle.
Saint Knight Freyna stood up and realized the two women were Catherine and Molly! They had truly been captured by the demons!
“Tell me, what else do you need?”
“We don’t need anything. I’m also returning these two people to you.”
Evil Demon Selin and Berika helped untie them. Several female Black Eagle Knights escorted them to a safe area, removed their blindfolds, and treated their wounds with healing magic.
But now Freyna was even more worried.
Catherine and Molly were here—then where was Avira?
“I think what I want is more than just these three people.”
“I can’t hand the Saintess over to you.”
Freyna’s heart thudded heavily.
“Why? What is your goal?”
Suddenly, the now-freed Catherine walked to her side and confessed remorsefully:
“Miss Freyna, Saintess Avira did all this to protect us and ended up like this. If you want to blame someone, blame me.”
“Catherine, you…”
“She’s telling the truth,” Molly shook her head as well.
Catherine had never bowed her head to Freyna before.
They had once belonged to the same knight order school. Later, their strength and talent placed them on the same competitive stage, where the victor would claim the title of [Sword Saint].
Only one Sword Saint could appear every three hundred years.
A Sword Saint was an invaluable asset and honor to both family and nation alike. It was an existence acknowledged by the War Emperor and the Great Sage, bestowed with the Golden Medal.
Catherine had always been a stubborn and self-centered girl.
Freyna hated Catherine. She was someone who wouldn’t comfort others, who resorted to any means for her own interests and goals, full of righteous talk—a true idealist.
But Freyna also feared Catherine.
She feared battling her, feared losing to her.
She feared that losing would strip her of the title of “Strongest Swordswoman,” feared letting down the encouragement from friends and family, feared every possibility of failure.
So, before the final decisive battle, she forfeited with the excuse that “her body could no longer fight,” all to preserve her own face.
Later, after that incident, she secretly challenged Catherine to a duel.
It was a fight between just the two of them.
Catherine lost.
Freyna didn’t know if she had held back, but Freyna understood.
Catherine wasn’t some overwhelmingly powerful being. At least that day, Freyna had a great chance of winning.
But what did that change?
The more she recalled that past, the less she could accept Catherine’s status.
Why had she been afraid? Why wasn’t Avira afraid? What was that girl really thinking?
Now, Catherine had actually bowed her head to her.
And it was about Avira, no less.
“What happened to the Saintess?” Freyna stared into the Demon King’s eyes.
“To save you humans, she really turned our Demon Race upside down. She rescued everyone and nearly thwarted my takeover of Tilves. But it’s fine now. The Saintess will atone for all her sins.” Ophitia curled her lips into a wicked smile.
“No way…”
Freyna drew in a sharp breath.
That pure girl ultimately hadn’t waited for the person she mentioned after all.
She had deceived her, yet in the end saved everyone.
Some nobles who escaped from Tilves had said the same.
Thus, the Demon King had even less reason to let Avira go—even if she weren’t the Saintess, her fate would have been the same.
In other words, Avira’s end was all but inevitable.
“Taking Avira away would be an insult and denial to our Demon Race.”
“Then at least let me see her. The Holy Church won’t believe your one-sided words.” Freyna’s emotions were complicated.
But Ophitia actually agreed. She covered her mouth and laughed:
“I permit you to meet.”
