Chapter 39 …………………………………
It was the very message Sertina had been waiting for so desperately.
“Is that so? Bring the communication orb.”
The communication orb she had received when contracting with the Mage Tower was placed before Sertina.
As the opaque orb cleared, a man appeared.
Striking crimson hair and blue eyes.
A man wearing a confident, slightly arrogant expression was reflected inside the crystal orb.
Dressed in flamboyant clothes that matched his flame-like hair, he placed one hand over his chest and inclined his head slightly.
[Greetings to the Empire’s Little Moon. Have you been well?]
“Yes. For the Master of the Mage Tower to contact me personally—this must be something quite important.”
[Yes. We bring news that Your Highness has been eagerly awaiting. This time, we succeeded with experiments on humans, not rats. I believe you will be satisfied with the performance.]
It felt as though the agonizing banquet had finally been compensated for.
It had only been a month since she submitted the request to the Mage Tower. Even the animal test results had come out within a week.
“That’s incredibly fast!”
[I would have preferred to explain in person, but I heard that a delegation from the Holy Kingdom is currently in the Imperial Capital.]
The Holy Kingdom and the Mage Tower were not on good terms.
Even the Empire, which had designated the Magnus Faith as its state religion, could not openly communicate with the Mage Tower.
‘I want to see it quickly…’
With the Holy Father staying in the Imperial Palace, she couldn’t summon someone from the Mage Tower either.
It was disappointing.
[Simply letting it pass would surely disappoint Your Highness as well. So I used a little trick.]
A maid approached.
“A merchant who comes and goes from the palace left this for you.”
It seemed they had used an ordinary merchant to deliver the medicine.
‘He really is good at business.’
The Empire maintained friendly relations with the Holy Kingdom.
The relationship between the Mage Tower and the Empire wasn’t bad, but they couldn’t openly be close either.
At first, she’d been hesitant to trade at all, but the Mage Tower Master’s salesmanship had won her over to the point of making a private request.
‘He’s like a devil.’
Appearing exactly when needed, whispering slyly.
The maid poured out a small amount of the Mage Tower’s medicine and tasted it.
“The taste test is complete.”
Sertina received the medicine. Inside the transparent bottle was a red liquid.
Inside the crystal orb, the Mage Tower Master—wearing black gloves—made an elegant gesture.
[Please, try it.]
Sertina stared intently at the medicine.
She had thought that if only she could stand on her own two legs again, she would even make a deal with the devil.
But now that she was faced with a medicine no one had yet truly benefited from, fear crept in.
‘It’ll be fine, right?’
It had already passed the taste test.
Resolving herself, Sertina drank the red liquid.
The moment she swallowed the Mage Tower’s medicine, she felt warmth spreading through her legs.
[Try standing up.]
“All right.”
The maids held Sertina by both arms and helped her stand. She immediately felt that her legs were different from usual.
“It’s fine.”
She shook off the maids’ support.
She could feel strength flowing into both legs.
It felt like she could stand on her own, just as she had when she was seven years old.
Holding onto the armrests of the chair, Sertina slowly put strength into her legs.
‘I think I can do this.’
Her feet did not slump uselessly like a marionette with cut strings; they firmly supported her weight.
Gathering her courage, Sertina released her grip on the armrests.
Then, on steady legs, she began to walk slowly.
“Y-Your Highness…!”
The maids around her teared up in emotion. The happiest person of all was Sertina herself.
‘I stood up! Finally!’
Sertina smiled brightly.
If she could move on her own without anyone’s help, she could accomplish so much more. Plans for the future began forming one by one in her mind.
Overcome with emotion at being able to walk, Sertina wandered around the room.
But just as she was heading toward the window, the strength left her legs.
Thud—like a doll with its strings cut, Sertina collapsed to the floor.
Startled, the maids rushed over.
“Your Highness! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Bring me before the crystal orb.”
Unlike the flustered maids, Sertina remained calm. With their support, she sat before the crystal orb.
The Mage Tower Master, who had been watching everything, spoke.
[It’s still in the testing phase, but how is it?]
She had been told she would never walk again in her lifetime.
Even if it was only a few steps, it was a prototype.
The results were satisfying enough to make her look forward to the completed version.
Hope she had long forgotten stirred within her—but she couldn’t reveal her true feelings so easily to a merchant. Sertina completely hid her excitement.
“It doesn’t even last a few minutes. It’s lacking.”
The Mage Tower Master folded his hands neatly and wore a polite expression.
[It was a piece I was confident in—how embarrassing. How would you like to proceed with the transaction?]
Sertina smiled.
She liked how he clearly called it a transaction instead of dressing it up with vague words like devotion or sincerity, the way priests might.
“It didn’t meet my expectations, so we’ll have to adjust accordingly. Go on—what does the Mage Tower Master want?”
The Mage Tower Master tapped his abacus and presented a price.
The cost of the medicine was exorbitant—enough to shock the maids beside her.
Sertina replied that she could prepare that amount immediately.
Meanwhile, the Mage Tower Master was inwardly startled.
‘I thought she was just an ignorant princess shut away in her tower.’
“Princess of the tower.”
That was what many people called the reclusive Sertina.
He’d assumed she was a naïve fledgling, but it seemed she had accumulated considerable personal wealth.
Which also meant there was plenty of money to extract.
I finished packing and stood in front of the carriage, waiting for Cassius.
Even as time passed, Cassius didn’t appear.
Instead, a single holy knight approached. His face was hidden beneath a hooded robe, making him unrecognizable. When he stopped in front of me, he removed the white hood covering his head.
Neatly groomed black hair and deep green eyes were revealed. It was Jurgen.
“Sir Jurgen, hello.”
“Yes. His Holiness had some business and sent me in his place.”
“Business?”
“He is in conversation with the Emperor, and it seems to be taking a while. You’ll have to accompany me to the sanctuary today.”
I only planned to briefly look around the Sanctuary of Healing and offer prayers.
Since it was a short schedule, I went with Jurgen without much concern.
It was quite a distance, but if we hurried, we should be able to return to the Imperial Palace before sunset.
“Priest Sonia, your hand.”
Jurgen dismounted from the horse and extended his hand.
“Thank you.”
I took his hand.
Since deciding to become a priest, I’d done everything on my own.
As an adult, the only people who had escorted me were Cassius—and now Jurgen, making him the second.
‘I experienced this often when I was young.’
I remembered a much smaller Lancelot firmly holding my hand, bravely leading the way as my escort.
A quiet chuckle escaped me as I thought of young Lancelot.
“What are you thinking about?” Jurgen asked.
“Oh, I was thinking about my younger brother.”
“You mean the young viscount.”
His voice sounded oddly displeased.
Perhaps it was because the last time, they’d lightly argued over who would escort me. It was such a minor disagreement that I ignored his tone and replied.
“When I stayed at the estate, my brother always escorted me.”
“It seems my escort reminds you of a child viscount.”
I hadn’t meant it sarcastically at all, but realizing it might sound offensive, I quickly apologized.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to be rude to you, Sir Knight.”
“Not at all. I’m well aware that my escort skills are lacking.”
Guided by his hand, I lightly stepped down from the carriage.
He was still holding my fingertips.
‘It’s about time he let go.’
But instead of loosening his grip, it felt as though his hold tightened.
The strange pressure kept me from pulling my hand away.
“If that was when you lived at the estate, it must have been before you became a priest.”
“That’s right.”
“Childhood memories are precious.”
He pressed my fingertips gently—no, firmly. It wasn’t my imagination.
Feeling puzzled, I looked up at Jurgen.
His forest-green eyes wavered as if recalling something from the distant past.
He seemed lost in thought.
“So it’s not rude.”
Jurgen released my hand and stepped ahead.
“Shall we go?”
I followed him, gazing at his white cloak fluttering lightly in the wind.
Then I stopped short.
‘It’s… huge!’
During my days as an acolyte, I’d visited sanctuaries of other attributes in groups.
Those trips were for pilgrimages and prayer, but I’d never seen a sanctuary this enormous. Even lifting my head, I couldn’t see the top.
It wasn’t just its size.
Though old and covered in moss, the carvings adorning the outer walls were incredibly intricate.
The Sanctuary of Healing was so majestic it made the four great elemental sanctuaries seem trivial.
‘I heard it was buried deep underground.’
Parts of it were even broken.
Why was that?
In games or novels, the role of a healer—especially a healing priest—is extremely important.
A healing priest is practically a must-have for any journey.
The four great elements are highly useful.
Likewise, healing is immensely useful.
If the number of healing priests increased, the power of the Magnus Order would grow as well.
There seemed no need to hide it so deep underground that no one could find it.
‘What a waste.’
Looking up at the Sanctuary of Healing, I smiled bitterly.
I’d already given up on fully awakening my divine power.
Still, standing before such a grand sanctuary made me feel a sense of regret.
“Priest Sonia.”
I had stopped walking while admiring the sanctuary.
“I’m coming.”
At Jurgen’s call, I followed him into the Sanctuary of Healing.
