After wandering around the labyrinthine mansion for what felt like an eternity, Lilya and her two companions finally managed to elude the gathering crowd of enthusiastic people that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They made their way back to the temporary lodging arranged by Rekt.

This place was directly guarded by Lilya’s Knights, making it relatively safe.

Looking disheveled, they entered the living room. The royal princess dismissed all the maids who had been attending to her, leaving only Violet and Flora. She eagerly placed her hands on the priestess’s shoulders and stared at her intently.

“Miss Violet! What on earth are you?!”

“Huh?” Violet tilted her head in confusion.

“What ‘huh’ are you talking about?!” 

The princess exclaimed in exasperation, holding her head in her hands. 

“If I had known you were this powerful, I would never have agreed to receive treatment in the General’s mansion! Do you realize the commotion you caused throughout Wanhe Fortress just now?!”

“Uh…”

The black-haired girl, who had inadvertently started this whole mess, fell silent for a moment. Then, she slowly uttered three words.

“I’m so sorry?”

“Sorry? What good is your apology, ahhh!!!”

With Flora’s help, Lilya finally managed to calm down and explained the reason for her severe headache to the utterly clueless Miss Violet.

“I see, it’s a conflict between politics and faith, huh.”

Lilya cast a resentful glance at the black-haired girl who had an “Oh, so that’s how it is!” expression on her face and continued to explain with an air of resignation.

“Yes, although the Human United Kingdom upholds a policy of religious freedom, and there are temples within its borders, the royal family and top officials are not allowed to worship gods. We venerate the ancestral spirits of the kingdom.”

The separation of religious and political power was a fundamental principle of the kingdom. Therefore, the appearance of a column of light resembling a divine miracle within the General’s mansion at Wanhe Fortress was a significant political issue, neither minor nor insignificant. Especially when the fifth princess, Lilya, had just arrived, it was difficult not to draw connections.

“Well, I don’t think it’s a big deal. These so-called rules are made by people, right? We can just go along with them. Besides, what I did just now wasn’t really a miracle.”

It was merely the special effect of a high-level skill from the 【Illusory World】.

“No, that was undoubtedly a true miracle.”

Lilya spoke earnestly, “Miss Violet, when you summoned the column of light, I saw a vision of an angel and heard a sacred hymn echoing. The power that brought the dead back to life and reversed fate is not something that humans can possess.”

“I saw it too,” Flora chimed in from the side.

The two women exchanged a glance, and Lilya nodded. “So, getting back to the initial question, Miss Violet, who are you really? No, are you even a human?”

“Oh, haha…”

She awkwardly avoided eye contact, and she really wanted to answer “yes,” but the fact was that Violet was currently not a human but a member of a hidden, special race from the 【Illusory World】 – a deity.

Seeing her reaction, Lilya, who was already quite intelligent, and Miss Flora, an experienced adventurer, immediately understood something. 

While the Human United Kingdom was theoretically a human-only nation that did not allow mixed or non-human settlements, as Violet had said, rules were made by people, and in times like these, Lilya had no intention of caring about such matters.

As an early traveler who had journeyed through the world as a legendary adventurer, Miss Flora had a higher tolerance for non-human entities than the average citizen of the kingdom, so she was completely unconcerned.

“So, Violet, are you really an Avariel? I remember seeing wings on your back earlier.”

Since the royal princess had brought it up, Violet knew they had already figured it out, and as a priestess, she had no intention of hiding her identity; Lilya had simply never asked.

“I’m not an Avariel… just think of me as a unique life form, the kind that has only one member in the entire race. To be honest, I’m not that different from humans. Probably.”

“Unique… life form? Oh~”

Lilya looked skeptical, but then she suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. However, she didn’t dwell on the matter and nodded, indicating that she understood.

“Okay, let’s not talk about this. Miss Violet, you just used such a powerful force, and you must be tired. Rest here for now. Flora and I will go check on General Leyton.”

Without waiting for Violet to object, the princess and her guard swiftly exited through the front door, leaving the black-haired girl somewhat bewildered.

“…I can’t help but feel she’s thinking about something strange, don’t you think?”

The impact of launching the 【Blessing from the Skies】 in the General’s mansion was even greater than Violet had expected. It was not until twilight descended, and the night fell, that the fanatical crowd eager to witness the true miracle gradually dispersed.

Upon returning, Lilya relayed General Leyton’s request for a banquet to welcome them and express his gratitude for saving his life. However, Violet declined the offer, finding it too troublesome, and asked Lilya to handle it herself.

Violet had no desire to get involved with the military or establish too many connections. She had saved Leyton because he was crucial to her employer, Lilya, and she had some interest in the peculiar curse. She imagined that meeting the old man again would involve excessive gratitude and endless gifts, which she found tiresome.

After a simple night’s rest at Wanhe Fortress, the next morning, Violet, still serving as Lilya’s bodyguard, accompanied her to the fortress, which functioned as the conventional wartime headquarters.

While they had saved Leyton, the need to quickly transition the military command to him was paramount. They had to prepare for the upcoming autumn war with the beastmen. Those fighters would not be deterred by a miracle occurring within the city; the spirit of combat and aggression ran deep in their blood.

When they met Leyton again, he had donned his armor, symbolizing his rank as a Grand Marshal. He stood alongside his son, Rekt, and several other generals, waiting at the command post.

After a night’s reflection, both the elder and the younger man had become more reserved. While they still showed gratitude and respect in their eyes when looking at Violet, they didn’t overwhelm her. This made things a bit easier for Lilya, who was, after all, a princess.

The handover went smoothly this time, and the emblem signifying the authority of the Western Garrison was successfully transferred into Lilya’s hands.

In addition, Leyton had a large, meticulously detailed sand table brought out, marked with numerous symbols, and explained the current state and relative strength of both countries in great detail.

Lilya and the group of generals were engrossed in the proceedings, but Violet was growing so bored that she felt like falling asleep. She had no particular talent or interest in military matters and didn’t have a penchant for combat, which was why she had chosen the path of a priestess.

The lengthy handover ceremony finally concluded, and it was nearly noon.

According to Leyton, around this time, several smaller archipelago-type cities surrounding Wanhe Fortress, which had slightly less fortification, would have already engaged the beastman vanguard. Wanhe Fortress, as the core of the western defense line, faced the greatest pressure.

In at most three days, the beastmen would advance to the front of Wanhe Fortress. While humans were the defenders, they couldn’t just hunker down inside the fortified city walls and wait for the enemy to attack. Harassment and diversionary tactics were crucial.

Given the formidable strength of the beastmen, waiting for them to gather their forces for an earth-shattering, full-scale assault would make it extremely difficult to defend even the sturdy Wanhe Fortress.