After the Defeat of MacHart, Another Meeting

The meeting after the defeat of MacHart had a slightly different composition compared to when the original task force was formed.

Of course, those present at the scene of MacHart's punishment—Ethan, Serista, and myself—were naturally included.

Joining us was Seraphine, who had recently discovered that I was the true Saintess. Although I hadn't officially confirmed my identity to her, it was clear from her behavior that she already knew the truth.

'This meeting was clearly organized by Seraphine to confirm whether I am the Saintess or not.'

Naturally, she had many other questions she wanted to ask me, but the most pressing one was undoubtedly about my identity as the Saintess. The meeting was also meant to discuss the circumstances of the MacHart incident—when it was planned, how many people were involved, and other details.

I had plenty of questions for Seraphine as well, so I couldn't refuse to attend. Besides, I needed to hear what had transpired in the banquet hall while I was away.

Another addition to the meeting was Luke, who was always by Seraphine's side. I was slightly concerned about whether it was safe to reveal my identity as the Saintess and the royal assassination plot in front of her, but I figured that Luke was trustworthy enough. If anything particularly sensitive came up, Seraphine could always ask her to leave.

Fortunately, the palace was eerily quiet, as if the recent commotion had never happened. Finding a quiet room to hold the meeting wasn't difficult. After all, it would be strange if any of the noble guests were still lingering in the palace after such a major incident.

We found a room and were about to start the meeting when two more people entered.

"Ah, there you all are. I was looking for you in the back garden."

"We expected you to arrive soon, Hero."

"Just so you know, Lilith, we didn't slack off."

"Yes, Agnes."

Well, to be precise, three people entered.

"Agnes, I apologize for what happened earlier. I truly thought my fiancée was in danger and felt it was my duty as her betrothed to intervene—"

"I told you to go away. Who said I'm your fiancée? Just leave... I don't want to see you."

"But Agnes, I really—"

"Stop holding my hand!"

It was clear that the Hero and Agnes had returned from some important task, and with them was Prince Antonio, clinging to Agnes like a lost puppy.

Even without witnessing the events firsthand, I could guess what had happened. Earlier, MacHart had arranged for Antonio to meet Agnes, so it seemed that Antonio had somehow delayed Agnes from joining the battle, which understandably put her in a foul mood.

"Antonio might not be directly involved in this incident, but you should sit down as well."

"...Yes, Seraphine."

-Click.

"Don't sit next to me. I don't want to see your face, so sit far away. And don’t sit across from me either."

"But, Agnes—"

"Antonio, stop being stubborn and sit next to me. I have a few things I need to say to you today."

"...Yes, Seraphine."

Antonio, reluctant to upset Agnes further, carefully took a seat two spots away from where he had intended to sit.

There were eight seats at the round table, so there was no shortage of space. Luke, who had naturally taken on the role of serving tea and snacks, left one seat vacant as she served everyone. Thus, seven people sat down to begin the report on the day's events.

"So, where should we start?"

"..."

"First, let's discuss the facts we all know to get a clear picture of the situation."

With Seraphine guiding the discussion, we quickly reviewed the events that had taken place a few hours earlier.

I had been put in a life-threatening situation due to MacHart’s dark magic, prompting me to seek Ethan’s help.

Of course, the situation was too dire for just Ethan and me to handle alone, so we sought help from those we could trust—the Hero, Serista, and Agnes.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Seraphine, but given the sensitive nature of the situation involving royalty, I was cautious about informing her.

MacHart had informed Antonio that Agnes would be attending the exchange meeting, and Antonio’s unexpected intrusion nearly jeopardized our operation.

While the Hero and Agnes were temporarily tied up dealing with Antonio, Ethan managed to save me, and together we were able to defeat MacHart.

Finally, using Serista’s "Mirror of Truth" (though it was actually mine), we exposed MacHart’s dark magic and executed him on the spot.

Our discussion resulted in a detailed, dramatic recount of the events, and it also clarified why Agnes was so upset with Antonio.

"Once again, I apologize for my actions today. I was only thinking about Agnes’s future..."

"Be quiet. I don’t want to hear it. If something had happened to Lilith because of you, I would have—"

"Agnes, please calm down. I’m fine now, aren’t I?"

"...Yes."

I was barely managing to calm Agnes, who was on the verge of committing a crime against the prince of a royal family. If something had happened to me, I doubt I could have calmed her so easily.

I could almost see Agnes biting her tongue to hold back the curses she wanted to hurl at Antonio, even though he was royalty.

"By the way, Hero, where did you and Agnes go without joining us? I’m sure everyone received my magical signal at the same time."

"There was another of MacHart's collaborators. I had a feeling it was important to track them down, so Agnes and I conducted a separate search."

"We didn’t miss the battle. We were there when the Mirror of Truth was used. Then this guy dragged me out, saying he had something else to do."

"If MacHart had a collaborator... could it be the person I’m thinking of?"

"...It might be dangerous to discuss this openly. I think we should limit the audience."

Seraphine, understanding the Hero’s implication, glanced at Luke, who, with a single nod, finished pouring tea into everyone’s cups and quietly left the room.

"I’ll be waiting 10 meters outside the meeting room."

Luke’s transformation into a perfect maid over the years was evident—she no longer worried about being left out of the conversation, a stark contrast to her younger self.

"Agnes, could you tell us who this collaborator is?"

"Antonio, you should leave too."

"Seraphine?"

"This doesn’t concern you, Antonio. Your role in this matter ended when you explained why you swung your sword at the Hero. Now, you should either wait outside with Luke or return to the palace."

"But, Seraphine, since it concerns Agnes, I have the right to know—"

"Seraphine told you to leave. Get out."

"Please excuse me, Prince Antonio. This is a matter of confidentiality."

"..."

"...Understood. I’ll wait outside, Agnes."

"Don’t wait. Just go."

Antonio's departure was reminiscent of how Luke used to leave the room—lonely and reluctant. But Antonio wasn’t directly involved in the main events, so this was necessary.

Considering what was about to be discussed, the fewer eyes present, the better. The conversation and actions that would take place in this room were too confidential to be shared with Antonio.

Once the door closed behind Antonio, leaving only the six of us in the room, Seraphine was the first to speak again.

"Before we hear from the Hero, I’d like to ask Lilith a question, if that’s alright."

"...Yes, Princess Seraphine."

"Actually, it’s less of a question and more of a confirmation. I think you already know what I’m going to ask, Lilith."

"..."

"When I saw the power you displayed in the garden earlier, I was convinced. Lilith, you are the true Saintess of this generation, aren’t you?"

"...What?"

Agnes, sitting beside me, turned her head in shock, realizing for the first time what was being said. The others, who already knew the truth, simply maintained their composure in silence.

"Seraphine? What are you talking about? Isn’t there only one Saintess? And isn’t that Saintess Serista?"

"Yes, Princess Seraphine, you are correct."

"So it was you behind Serista when the Mirror of Truth was used."

"Well, it wasn’t something I could hide forever."

"..."

"Please don’t tell anyone else, Princess Seraphine. We don’t want the fact that Lilith is the Saintess to become widely known."

The Hero responded calmly, as if he had expected this all along. Serista’s eyes darted around nervously, realizing that Seraphine had figured it out, while Ethan requested that Seraphine keep my secret safe.

Agnes, seeing everyone else’s reactions, could only come to one conclusion.

"...Was I the only one who didn’t know?"

We hadn’t intentionally kept it from Agnes, but yes, she was the last to find out.