Surprisingly, the boy understood the words clearly.
Moreover, his reaction was so vehemently affirmative that Rita almost doubted if this was the same boy she had been observing.
While delighted, Rita felt a pang of unease and asked in a soft voice,
“You don’t happen to want to stay with that person, do you?”
As she subtly glanced at Mikael, the boy’s expression turned fiercely hostile.
His bared teeth, like those of a beast, made Rita give an awkward smile.
Mikael, caught off guard by the sudden hostility, looked bewildered, unsure of what he had done.
Rita let out a wry laugh at the boy’s unmistakable animosity.
“Then, will you wait for me here? I have something urgent to take care of. It would be great if you could come along, but it’s still too dangerous. If you stay here and receive treatment, I’ll come back for you soon.”
As she gently explained, the boy pouted with a slightly sulky expression.
But it was only for a moment.
Reluctantly, he lowered his head—a silent agreement.
***
“Then shall I open a teleportation circle to the Mage Tower right away?”
After leaving the sobbing boy in the care of the priests, Rita stepped outside with Mikael, her expression one of confusion.
She had clearly said she was heading to the north, but it seemed Mikael hadn’t heard her properly, as he mentioned the Mage Tower.
“I’m planning to go to the north first,” she clarified.
“But shouldn’t we inform the Mage Tower about this?”
“You mean… about me becoming supreme-rank?”
“Even if you’ve reached supreme rank, wouldn’t it be better to rely on the Mage Tower’s strength rather than acting alone in a situation like this?”
Rita nodded quietly.
She wasn’t incapable of understanding Mikael’s point.
But Rita knew the elders of the Mage Tower better than anyone.
Returning to the Tower for “authentication” would be a clear waste of time.
“The temple already knows, so it’s fine. They’ll take action immediately anyway.”
“That’s true, but…”
Mikael seemed to want to ask why she wasn’t seeking help from the Mage Tower first.
Rita wanted to explain, but she held back.
Speaking about it would only feel like spitting in her own face.
More decisively, she thought:
‘Even if I return as a supreme-rank mage, given the elders’ personalities, they’re unlikely to listen to someone as young as me. They’d probably try to suppress me instead.’
The elders already followed Talos, the Tower Master, as their leader.
Those rigid, close-minded old men would trust the experienced Talos over Rita, who was once just a fledgling in the research division.
For Rita, who now saw Talos as an “enemy,” confronting the elders would be a disadvantageous choice.
“I believe it’s more important to make the most of this power right now than to seek recognition for it. Especially in a situation like this. I want everyone to understand how serious this issue is.”
“Ah… I see you have such profound intentions.”
Mikael let out a small gasp of admiration at her earnest words.
He felt almost ashamed for having revered her as the “Fifth Blessed.”
Understanding Rita’s true intentions, Mikael smiled warmly.
“There’s a teleportation circle at the northeastern sanctuary, the closest to the north. I’ll use my authority to open it for you.”
As Mikael guided Rita toward the teleportation circle, he suddenly stopped.
They were now at the largest open area in the Rihanes Temple, where the teleportation circle was located.
Massive mana stones stood at its four corners, and the central magic circle’s patterns shifted depending on the destination.
Normally, the place would be calm and peaceful due to its straightforward operation.
But today, it was anything but orderly.
Mikael quickly grabbed one of the priests running around anxiously.
“Priest Elwin, what’s going on?”
“S-Saint!”
The frantic priests, startled, bowed deeply.
The presence of Saint Mikael, equivalent in rank to the Pope, and the newly supreme-rank mage from the Mage Tower caused the area to erupt into even greater chaos.
A young priest, pale with fear, barely managed to speak.
“It’s… the priests who went on a pilgrimage to the Bielina Sanctuary. We’ve lost contact with them since yesterday.”
“What does that mean?”
“At first, we thought it was a simple oversight, but… even the regular communication expected at noon didn’t come through… so we were just about to report to the higher-ups!”
The Bielina Sanctuary was in the northeast of Lagos—the very place Rita was headed.
Having just learned from Rita about the existence of man-eating monsters, Mikael’s expression darkened.
Rita, recalling the geography of the Bielina Sanctuary, furrowed her brow.
Sanctuaries were regions marked by traces of the divine, designated by the Pope and saints, and managed by the Rihanes Temple.
The temple taught that sanctuaries were sacred places, and young priests often went on pilgrimages to gain wisdom.
These pilgrimages occurred regularly each season, but an incident like this was unprecedented.
‘Devout priests wouldn’t abandon a pilgrimage. And no fool would dare harm a priest of the Rihanes Temple… So it’s likely an accident.’
The northeastern sanctuary.
It was beyond the Gaia Plains, where the Gradius villa was located, and separated by a single mountain range from the northern tip where the fragments and beasts that massacred the Kuyan tribe had run rampant.
Recalling the fragments that had taken root across the north in the past, this distance felt insignificant.
“Lady Rita, could it be…”
“If you cross the Levies Mountain Range, it’s a distance you could travel back and forth. We can’t rule out the possibility.”
At Rita’s blunt response, Mikael’s expression grew even graver.
“I’ll investigate. Open the teleportation circle immediately.”
“Then let us go with you.”
Rita’s eyes widened as Mikael stepped forward with a resolute expression.
“Even you, Saint Mikael? The temple is already short-staffed. Is it alright for you to leave as well?”
“This concerns the lives of our priests. If I don’t act, who will? Besides, this is a chance to see these creatures with my own eyes.”
“You’re right. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
With Rita’s agreement, Mikael quickly assembled an emergency investigation team.
The chaotic surroundings became orderly in an instant under his concise commands.
“Five holy knights and three regular priests. Lady Rita, please take command.”
Rita was taken aback by the sudden proposal.
To give orders to priests and holy knights in front of the Saint himself?
Even though it was phrased as a request, it was an incredibly daunting task.
But Mikael had made this decision trusting Rita’s experience with these unidentified creatures.
The temple members, too, didn’t voice any complaints about Rita, with her golden eyes.
Rita scanned her surroundings with a slightly tense expression.
Commanding others was utterly unfamiliar to her, who had always followed Talos’s orders and carried out tasks as instructed.
But in this situation, she had no choice.
With a serious expression, she explained,
“This hasn’t been officially announced yet, but… there are currently unidentified man-eating creatures in the north. I can’t pinpoint their exact numbers, but from what I’ve seen, there are at least five.”
As soon as she spoke cautiously, the faces of those around her turned pale.
The word “man-eating” alone made them want to speak up, but with Saint Mikael present, they held their tongues.
Even in the uncomfortable silence, Rita continued her explanation.
“The creatures I’ve encountered varied in size, appearance, and strength. The smaller ones were weaker, and the larger ones were stronger.”
“So, we just attack them, right?”
“Well… it’s hard to say exactly where or how to attack them. For now, I’d prefer if you didn’t attack until I’ve assessed them.”
Since research on fragments and beasts hadn’t yet progressed, she couldn’t speak with full confidence.
As she explained while feigning ignorance, Rita’s thoughts deepened.
‘My ability will definitely be useful in combat. But… using it freely with so many eyes on me is tricky.’
The vital weak points of the creatures, visible only to her.
Would it be okay to strike them down without hesitation?
She could pass it off as luck once or twice, but if it happened repeatedly, people would start to find it suspicious.
Of course, revealing that it was an ability granted by the “god” would simplify things.
The key issue was:
‘When to reveal it.’
Given the temple’s insular nature, Rita couldn’t help but feel conflicted.
‘I might need Mikael’s help with this. I’ll think it over later.’
For now, checking the Bielina Sanctuary was the priority.
The temple’s teleportation magic was simple and smooth.
Though the spell formula was an outdated creation of the Mage Tower, the Rihanes Order’s possession of vast quantities of expensive natural mana stones made the process remarkably stable.
Upon arriving at the Bielina Sanctuary in an instant, Rita’s eyes fell on a small, dilapidated temple.
She frowned at the thick, dark mana emanating from the unknown mountain behind the building.
The surrounding area had already been ravaged by beasts.
“There’s no sign of human presence.”
A holy knight who had rushed into the temple returned with a pale face.
As he said, the sanctuary was filled only with an eerie, hollow wind.
Normally, pilgrims would be staying here, so the accompanying priests grew increasingly anxious.
“Lady Rita…”
As a supreme-rank mana wielder himself, Mikael also seemed unsettled by the ominous aura emanating from the mountain.
Rita grimaced at the excessively sharp, dark mana.
Even the faint traces carried by the wind were far from ordinary.
“Saint, we’ve found bloodstains.”
Shortly after, the holy knights who had finished their search pointed toward the forest.
Without hesitation, Rita and Mikael, sensing something ominous, rushed forward.
As they entered the dark forest, the stench of blood hit them strongly.
Rita focused on the bloodstains scattered on the ground.
“They lead further in. Someone must have been injured and fled… or…”
Mindful of the priests, Rita stopped herself.
Judging by the blood trail, it was likely someone had been dragged away.
Saying they couldn’t guarantee survival felt too harsh to voice.
“Let’s follow it.”
Swallowing a heavy sigh, Mikael took the lead.
His expression was grim, likely guessing the priests’ fate.
‘If we can at least recover their bodies, that would be fortunate.’
Rita was already bracing for the worst.
“Stay vigilant.”
The mountain, rarely visited by people, had a rugged path.
After struggling over jagged rocks, they reached a gentler plain.
Following the bloodstains through the grass, they arrived at a large cave.
The smell of blood grew even stronger there.
It was so overpowering that the priests trailing behind began to gag.
“That’s the place.”
Rita glared into the pitch-black cave.
Dark mana poured out from the entrance, so thick it was almost visible.
Putting a finger to her lips to signal caution, Rita spoke softly.
“The aura feels weak, but there’s more than one.”
As she spoke, she tilted her head in confusion.
The energy she had felt at the Bielina Sanctuary was far more sinister than this.
The mana emanating from the cave seemed somewhat weaker.
“Let’s go in.”
Mikael signaled to the priests.
At his command, a priest holding a torch took the lead, with the holy knights guarding the rear.
Rita and Mikael stood at the front, staying alert.
“It’s a bit cold.”
Holy power was mana infused with divine energy, inherently at odds with the corrupted dark mana of fragments and beasts.
Thus, it was natural for Mikael to express discomfort at the sharp, heavy mana.
For someone not immune to dark mana, it was an expected reaction.
Additionally, a chilly breeze blew from deeper within, carrying the stench of blood, making it unbearable for everyone.
The youngest priest struggled even to breathe.
They trudged on through the hardship.
In the darkness, Rita, who was leading, suddenly stopped and raised her hand.
As their footsteps halted, a faint sound echoed.
Chomp, chomp… crunch…
Intermittently, the sound of something dropping and rolling on the ground followed.
Rita grimaced, realizing what it was.
They were undoubtedly eating “people.”