The passage of three years may seem incredibly short for some, yet for others, it feels like an eternity. The friends, who had changed greatly both outwardly and inwardly, postponed their joy of reunion for the sake of a common purpose.
All three friends hailed from powerful families within the Empire, their statuses as young ladies of noble houses giving them considerable influence. In fact, Selian was virtually the head of her house, and Anne, too, as the next in line, was difficult to regard merely as a young lady.
Using the power of their respective families, they gathered every bit of information they could about Alicia. They left no stone unturned, utilizing not only the family’s network of informants but also underworld informants to collect even the faintest whispers that might hint at Alicia’s whereabouts or activities.
Of course, Lindy’s expert machinations placed limits on the information they could acquire, unbeknownst to the three friends. But as mentioned earlier, three years can be both short and long. Though each trace seemed trivial on its own, together they painted a growing picture of Alicia’s path.
Sightings ranged from a silver-haired woman wielding an expensive sword, an assassin who hunted corrupt nobles, the sudden disappearance of a leader within the Demon King’s Army at the border, to countless dead demons found in the forest. These wild rumors, though questionable in credibility, were enough for the women to be certain that they all pointed to one person: Alicia.
The more they pursued, the more disheartening their findings became. Although Alicia occasionally rested in towns or cities, she more often braved the wilderness, surviving without shelter. Their sorrow was not for their own hardships but for the suffering that Alicia must have endured along the way.
The count of demons Alicia had defeated far exceeded what even an imperial army or knight squad could accomplish. Not only was the number staggering, but the demons were not simple foes — the majority were intermediate demons, and upper demons were alarmingly common. The prevalence of upper demons was startling even to them.
At one point, they learned Alicia had spent an entire month recuperating in a shabby shrine, too damaged to properly perform divine magic, where no cleric was even present. They were outraged by this, feeling that if they had been there, none of it would have happened.
“…Could you perhaps tell me which bed Alicia rested in during her stay?”
Unfortunately, they learned that the room where Alicia had stayed was currently occupied.
Regretfully, the nun informed: “Ah, unfortunately, the room she stayed in is currently in use…”
Rather than dwelling on the missed opportunity, Selian instead gently touched a cracked pillar in the shrine and inquired about the building’s condition.
“…It’s quite an old building. You must find it inconvenient.”
“Should a cleric pursue comfort? Still, thank you for your concern.”
“No, those who dedicate themselves to others shouldn’t receive such poor treatment. Worry not. In the name of the Deretia Family, I’ll ensure a new shrine building is constructed for you.”
If the family steward responsible for finances had overheard, he might have collapsed on the spot, but Selian had little care for such trivial matters.
“…Please withdraw your offer. It’s unnecessary to trouble yourself.”
“For the sake of spreading the love of Goddess Serena, please accept. I noticed you are taking care of many orphaned children. Consider this a small contribution, and please do not refuse.”
The nun hesitated, but when the children under her care were mentioned, she could no longer bring herself to decline. Though she herself, having dedicated her life to Goddess Serena, needed little in terms of comfort, the children growing up needed far more.
“As you say…”
Thus, closing her eyes tightly, the nun accepted Selian’s offer, despite knowing how ridiculous it might seem for a cleric to hoard such material wealth. But the children were innocent, so they deserved better.
‘Forgive me, Goddess Serena.’
As the nun silently confessed her sins to Goddess Serena, Selian spoke again:
“…This has nothing to do with the donation, but could we at least see the bed? Only for the sake of investigation! Yes, an investigation!”
How could anyone refuse the request to show a previously used bed in exchange for a new building and a donation? The nun, though aware of how unrelated it was, believed Selian without hesitation.
However, the nun regretfully could not comply. The room in question was currently occupied by someone beyond her authority to request otherwise.
“Apologies, but the person staying in that room…”
“…Huh? You guys…?”
Just as the nun hesitated again, the door opened and a person walked out. Neither the nun nor the friends expected that this person knew them.
—
“Is that so… You’ve come here looking for news of the hero…”
“We heard she spent some time here after being badly injured. In this room, on this bed, correct?”
“Oh! What a coincidence! Purely coincidental, isn’t it? This room is one of the better ones in the shrine, so Sister Bell kindly provided it both for the wounded Alicia and for me, the saint!”
Though seemingly flustered, Seraph Mariel’s voice betrayed the lie. The truth was, Mariel had learned upon receiving the room that the previous occupant was none other than Hero Alicia.
Of course, knowing this did not mean she immediately needed to change her accommodations, so she stayed.
Selian, still burdened with guilt, refrained from questioning Mariel’s behavior, recognizing her as another woman who had crossed paths with Alicia and was one of the many victims of her story.
Amid feelings of both rivalry and sympathy, Selian remained silent.
“So what brings the saint here?”
As Selian watched Mariel with complicated eyes, Yuli stepped forward and asked on her behalf.
It was indeed unusual for Mariel to be here. Shouldn’t she be beside the hero, fighting the Demon King? Although Alicia had left without a word, there was no reason for Mariel to stay in this rundown shrine in a backwater village.
“Um… Though it may sound absurd given the situation, I’ve been traveling on a pilgrimage combined with various dispatch missions. I just happened to learn that Alicia stayed here, so decided to linger a little longer. Ah! Please don’t worry about my safety; I’m being quite thorough.”
Despite her current unawareness, Mariel had, during her first life, readily accompanied another Hero, Selian, without hesitation. Similarly, despite the pain and sorrow, Mariel respected Alicia’s decision to journey alone and accepted it.
Still, as both a saint and senior figure, she could not idly wait in a safe place. Instead, she voluntarily applied for dispatch missions, visiting distant regions and battlefields.
Upon learning that Alicia’s friends were searching for her, Mariel realized it was time to end her weary dispatch life, especially since recently, during prayers, Goddess Serena had kept urging her to act.
“Could I… perhaps join you on your search?”
At Mariel’s request, Yuli and Anne’s gazes turned to Selian. Though none commanded the group, Selian had been the one to unify them, making her the de facto leader.
Naturally, Selian accepted Mariel’s request, deciding to shoulder whatever burdens may come.
“Though I’ll need to borrow the room for tonight.”
“Ah, alright?”
That night, an impromptu game of rock-paper-scissors to secure the narrow bed became the least of their concerns.
—
With Mariel’s addition to the team, their pursuit of Alicia’s trail accelerated.
Though Serena, the goddess, could not directly disclose Alicia’s precise location, providing general directions proved invaluable.
Each new rumor they uncovered brought them closer to the present.
The current village they reached was no exception. A young girl rescued by Alicia from demon kidnappers was the source of their latest lead.
“Um… why did that person…”
The girl cautiously began, unsure if her inquiry might inconvenience her savior.
Their familiarity with such reactions made this easy to handle.
“Don’t worry. I am the saint, Mariel. I promise her no harm will come from this.”
Without needing to flex the might of their houses, Mariel’s gentle reassurance prompted the girl to relax and recount her memories of Alicia.
“So she truly was a hero! I sensed something extraordinary from the start…”
The girl enthusiastically recounted her encounter with Alicia in vivid detail. There was no need to worry about missed details, for every girl they had met thus far held vivid memories of their encounters with Alicia.
“This is why Goddess kept urging me… If I’d known this, I should have pursued her earlier…”
“…Even here?”
Selian’s understanding demeanor had long since disappeared, and even Anne, usually energetic, now muttered in weariness.
“Here, please give this scarf to the hero! And kindly ask her to visit our village again!”
Selian slipped the scarf, handed over by the girl, into the massive backpack carried by Anne, which already overflowed with requests from other girls.
Each item represented a token of gratitude for Alicia, now burdening the already enormous backpack well beyond its limits. Today’s scarf was their twelfth, and they’d passed the thirtieth ring only after considerable deliberation about whether to discard it.
Despite the additional weight of one measly scarf, their pursuit of the hero grew even stronger, day by day.
