Apparently the High Priest had been extremely frustrated with the situation the High Bishop and the toad had put him in. I didn’t know what exactly had put justice on our side, but either way, he turned his back to me with an amused grin on his face before walking toward the both of them.
“High Priest, have you sealed Myne’s mana?” the High Bishop asked while peering my way.
“I gave her a magic tool,” the High Priest replied smoothly. The magic tool he had given me was for wielding mana, not sealing it, but the High Bishop interpreted that reply in the way that favored him the most. The tension drained from his Crushed body and he gave a cocky grin.
“Very good. I believe it is best that we entrust this dangerous criminal to Ahrensbach and allow them to remove her from this duchy.”
The High Priest summoned his wand with a sly smile, as if mocking the High Bishop for acting like his usual arrogant self. He then aimed his wand at him. It was a clear threat.
“Wh-What are you...?”
The High Priest chanted something as he swung his wand, which made beams of light shoot out from its tip and wrap around the High Bishop. He fell to the ground like a lifeless doll, then began gnashing his teeth.
“High Priest! What is the meaning of this?!”
“It would be inconvenient for you to die here. That is all.”
“...Die?” replied the High Bishop, stunned by the sudden violent word. The High Priest turned his back on him and faced Bindewald, who was pointing at the High Priest’s shining wand with clear panic in his eyes.
“Why does a mere priest have one of those?!”
“Because I am a noble who graduated from the Royal Academy, of course.” Apparently the shining wand was proof of having graduated from the Academy—something that a priest who had been raised in the temple would never be expected to have. It wasn’t something that nobles from other duchies would know, but the High Priest hadn’t been raised in the temple; he was a noble of high enough status that, when outside of the temple, the commander of the Knight’s Order would bend the knee to him.
“Shall we duel, Count Bindewald?”
“Why do you know my name...?”
“How could I forget the name of the outsider noble who tried entering the city without the archduke’s permission, only to be stopped by the Knight’s Order?” The High Priest knew everything about the incident, including Bindewald’s name and circumstances. As always, I couldn’t help but be impressed by his diligence. It was good to have him as an ally.
“You may think that you will be safe as long as you can escape this duchy, but we now have justice on our side. I will not be letting you get away so easily.”
“Justice, you say?”
I could feel the High Priest pouring his mana into his wand. Bindewald must have as well, since he stopped staring and hurriedly readied his own.
The High Priest was pouring such an immense amount of mana into his wand that I couldn’t help but gasp. It dwarfed the pittance of mana that the toad had been using before.
“Dad, hurry and carry Sir Damuel to the door where Fran is!” I shouted, then dashed over to Fran myself. He winced and tried to stand up as I got closer. “Don’t move, just sit still!” I hadn’t been able to tell from afar, but Fran was covered in tiny cuts and bruises. “I’m sorry, Fran. Are you okay?”
“I am the one who should apologize—I was barely able to help you at all.” There was no way that a gray priest untrained in battle and taught from birth that violence was wrong would be used to situations like this. It was my fault for getting him wrapped up in this in the first place.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You managed to get a few cuts in without getting in my way. You’ve got good eyes on you; with some proper training, you’d make a good fighter,” Dad assured Fran as he carried Damuel to the door.
I stepped forward protectively so that they would all be behind me, then began praying while I poured mana into my ring. “O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, protector of all. O twelve goddesses who serve by her side...” I envisioned a shield surrounding both us and the door as I continued. “Please hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength. Grant me your shield of wind, so that I might blow away those who mean to cause harm.”
With a sharp, metallic sound, a shield of wind appeared in the air.
“Myne...” Dad murmured, having never seen me use magic before. I kept my back to him and continued pouring mana into the wind shield.
I will protect them, no matter what!
The High Priest and Bindewald were still just pouring mana into their wands without firing any shots, but that alone was enough to cause sparks to fly in the air all around them. One hit the wind shield and popped in a tiny explosion.
“It’s okay. I’ll protect you all.”
Their swelling mana was in effect Crushing everything around them, and with no protection the High Bishop and his attendants lay on the ground trembling as sparks flew around them. In the midst of all that, Delia frantically began looking around for safety, Dirk held tightly in her arms. Upon seeing my wind shield, she stood up on wavering legs.
“Please, Sister Myne! Help! Please save Dirk!” she screamed in desperation. But I had my hands completely full pouring mana into my ring’s feystone to maintain the wind shield and hold back the immense amount of mana radiating from
