A long time ago, the Coloflare region was a desolate land where monsters are rampant. The dungeons that appear from time to time were unlike today; they are pits of miasma, and are often called ‘scabs of hell.’
The only humans who live in such a place are those with resistance to miasma, or those who can use magic to protect themselves from it. Nevertheless, when the density of the miasma of the land reaches far above the habitable, its dwellers had resorted to primitive efforts.
That is, to worship the monsters as ‘gods’, and to offer them people with high magical power as sacrifices.
Those who are born with high resistance to miasma—which is most oftentimes, of the female gender—are able to retain their consciousness to a certain degree even after being eaten by the monsters. They will then control the horde, making them return to the scabs of hell that they came from. However, they, who have turned into monsters themselves, could not retain their sanity for long and are often times, killed by their companions before they completely lose themselves.
That’s what ‘coexisting with monsters’ meant for the dwellers of the land at that time.
But before long, settlers from the outside world, and there began the huge reformation of the region, and soon enough the founding of the kingdom. The settlers were at peace with the original inhabitants and began creating a magic system that was unique to the land itself. The people that would be offered to the monsters were then revered as ‘God-Children’, and become something that would purify the lands of its miasma.
However, the establishment of such a thing did not come through an easy path. The godchildren were made to absorb the miasma in their bodies, harming their hearts and minds, making them susceptible to the temptation of darkness. They fall prey and become monsters one after another before they even achieve strength the strength to purify it.
The king at that time thought that the main cause of that was the peculiar belief of this region in worshipping the monsters as gods. Thus, he overrides it with a different one. The king began gathering young girls with high magical prowess throughout the country. The one to purify the lands shall become the crown princess and as the foundation of a new belief—is to be worshiped as the kingdom’s guardian after death.
The secret arts of the Coloflare Kingdom require both a tremendous magical power as well as a special body constitution; a talent is required in order to use them all. However, the person to successfully do so shall become a god, and by giving her blessings to her adherents, they will be able to use them through piety and discipline. It soon gave birth to the concept of ‘sacred power’ and ‘sacred magic’.
After going through all sorts of trials, two ladies remained. The first one was the then, top fiancee candidate of the crown prince, the ducal lady of House Moon, Yolda. The other one was Cherry, a girl who came from the Blossom Village, a village known to have produced godchildren for generations. The king decided to have both of them be wed to his son instead, and so Yolda Moon was called ‘The Priestess of the light’, while Cherry, on the other hand, was then called, ‘The Priestess of the Darkness;’ they are to perform the purification as a pair.
The Priestess of darkness is to absorb the miasma to her body, while the Priestess of the light was to purify it. Cherry would then be the one to carry the heavier burden, but because the king could not afford to put the ducal lady in danger, both of them agreed to the arrangement.
However, this has resulted in the crown prince being concerned about Cherry more. In order to prevent her sacrifice and to welcome her as his queen, the prince kept vehemently opposing the purification rituals. As a result, Yolda began suspecting that the two of them are conspiring together to her ruin; her heart and body tainted by the miasma, became that of evil itself.
The power of darkness born from the hearts of a human cannot be completely erased. Having no other choice, Cherry imprisoned Yolda through “Crystallization”, sealing here thereafter.
The royal family recorded it as such; Cherry was the ‘Saintess’, Yolanda was the ‘witch’, the allies who helped in the rituals were called ‘Sacred Rainbow Bird’, in accordance to the different colors of their magic. Cherry who had become the queen was deified as the First Saintess, and the Sacred Church was formed to manage the sacred magic.
Yolda’s relatives were indicted for having given birth to a witch, but Cherry put a stop to it using her authority as the Saintess, and through changing their names, had them protected from further harm. This was the origin of the House Moonlight.
The first pope of the Sacred Church was the younger brother of the crown prince. He was to propagate it and make the faith of the Saintess as a god, absolute throughout the land. By doing that, he has further raised the dignity of the royal family.
However, the long flow of time had distorted everything, even the intentions of the predecessors. While the pope is still designated by their predecessors, unlike the royal family’s single-family rule, they are entrusted to different people for each generation. The ‘scabs of the hell’ became the conquerable dungeons they are today, which is largely thanks to the increasing numbers of priests who can use sacred magic as well as the development of barriers. Before long, the Sacred Church’s connection to the royal family grew thinner, and after becoming an independent political power, were able to seize the heart of the populace and became the central figure of the country.
“Saintesses” were not resistant to changes of time either. “Godchildren” or people with the same power as Cherry are born no longer; and so, under the leadership of the Sacred Church, ‘Interim-Saintesses’, were made, which are chosen through its strict ascetic disciplines. Because the miasma no longer grew in density, there was no longer anything for the Saintesses to devote themselves to purifying, and has since then, lost their obligations as human sacrifices.
The present ‘Interim-Saintess’ are needed, not for their purifying capability, but as a tool of ‘authority’ for the royal family. Because of that, the nobilities are in a scurry to send their noble daughters to the Sacred Church and were made to attend the royal academy to become priestesses.
It was said that the reason for the recent growing density of the miasma was because the seal of the witch is becoming undone, and accordingly, a ‘True Saintess,’ will be awakened to answer it. Perhaps, the time has truly come for history to repeat itself.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
My eyes were cast down towards the whirling white, the milk in my cup of coffee. I went for my seconds because of the long story, but I grew fond of the aftertaste it leaves behind, so this time I tried it without sugar.
‘So that was our true history…’
‘That’s likely not all, but that’s how it is told.’
The underlying circumstances that the game data that Canaria gave to me conforms with the legends told by the church, but as father said, the explanation was too loose and there’s likely a lot of information omitted.
‘So the ‘sacred bird’ was just a metaphor for the saintess’ helpers, and was not a summonable being?’
‘No, apparently the research and development of sacred magic have continued until the death of the first saintess. It wouldn’t be strange if they inserted in something like that for the next generations of saintess to use. I heard that a red feather had appeared to Leddorio. That is likely for meeting the requirements of the ‘Sacred Bird Summoning’ written in the ancient texts.’
Saintess, the first—The magic of the godchildren and the sacred magic are different from one another. Father said that perhaps while ‘Interim-Saintesses’ can only use Sacred Magic, a ‘True Saintess’ is likely able to use magic that only the Saintess, the first is capable of.
‘You don’t seem as surprised as I expected you to be.’
‘That’s just how it is when it comes to mythologies, father. However… I still can’t believe that Yolda turned into a witch just because of her love affairs. I do not know their circumstances, but wasn’t she a ducal lady raised as a crown prince’s fiancée candidate?’
Well, there are cases like Chloe’s too. Still, it may have been the king who decided on the duties of the godchildren, but it was still possible for her to become the ‘Priestess-of-Darkness’ instead. She wouldn’t have become the established candidate if she didn’t have that much resolve. Was it really the prince’s choosing of Cherry that made Yolda jealous, making her succumb to her suspicions and fall into witchery?
Over the past years, I ended up developing this habit of looking into people’s perspectives just to see the circumstances underneath. Ultimately, the king granted the wish of his son and picked Cherry as the crown princess. Which means that Yolda has fallen into witchery for those who found it convenient to have her do so.
‘The only thing that we can do is to make conjectures based on the story that was passed unto us.’
‘Is that truly the case? His majesty said before that ‘history repeats itself, and strangely enough, the ducal lady and fiancee of the crown prince had become an ‘Interim-Saintess,’ while a commoner-born young girl was recognized as a ‘True Saintess.’ The situation uncannily resembles that of the past… Does his majesty plan to…’
I bit my lips, afraid to continue my words further.
Does father, intend to sacrifice Chloe just as Yolda was.
If the circumstances developed as they were in the game, that will definitely come true. Nobody would look back on her as the lady who brought ruin to herself by harming the ‘True Saintess.’ Even his father, the minister-to-the-right, will have no choice but to accept what was regardless of his feelings.
But that was not up to her. It was a predetermined fate that was set in stone the moment she had become a saintess candidate.
‘Keith.’
The gentle voice of my father made me jolt in surprise. Father straight gaze gave me a cold sweat.
‘Chloe is not related to you. You can still turn back and pretend to not have heard anything.’
‘Fa…ther…?’
‘I will wait for a day… until then, resolve yourself in becoming the crown prince. I will tentatively tell that to everyone in the next council. However, if you do not have what it takes to shoulder it, forget everything.’
Saying so, father brought his cup to the sink to wash it, then he refilled my cup anew and left the room. The door locks itself automatically and made a ticking sound as it closed.
Encased within a deafening silence, I was reaching for milk to put into my coffee but I stopped my hands.
‘…so bitter.’
A burdened voice escapes my mouth.
A long time ago, the Coloflare region was a desolate land where monsters are rampant. The dungeons that appear from time to time were unlike today; they are pits of miasma, and are often called ‘scabs of hell.’
The only humans who live in such a place are those with resistance to miasma, or those who can use magic to protect themselves from it. Nevertheless, when the density of the miasma of the land reaches far above the habitable, its dwellers had resorted to primitive efforts.
That is, to worship the monsters as ‘gods’, and to offer them people with high magical power as sacrifices.
Those who are born with high resistance to miasma—which is most oftentimes, of the female gender—are able to retain their consciousness to a certain degree even after being eaten by the monsters. They will then control the horde, making them return to the scabs of hell that they came from. However, they, who have turned into monsters themselves, could not retain their sanity for long and are often times, killed by their companions before they completely lose themselves.
That’s what ‘coexisting with monsters’ meant for the dwellers of the land at that time.
But before long, settlers from the outside world, and there began the huge reformation of the region, and soon enough the founding of the kingdom. The settlers were at peace with the original inhabitants and began creating a magic system that was unique to the land itself. The people that would be offered to the monsters were then revered as ‘God-Children’, and become something that would purify the lands of its miasma.
However, the establishment of such a thing did not come through an easy path. The godchildren were made to absorb the miasma in their bodies, harming their hearts and minds, making them susceptible to the temptation of darkness. They fall prey and become monsters one after another before they even achieve strength the strength to purify it.
The king at that time thought that the main cause of that was the peculiar belief of this region in worshipping the monsters as gods. Thus, he overrides it with a different one. The king began gathering young girls with high magical prowess throughout the country. The one to purify the lands shall become the crown princess and as the foundation of a new belief—is to be worshiped as the kingdom’s guardian after death.
The secret arts of the Coloflare Kingdom require both a tremendous magical power as well as a special body constitution; a talent is required in order to use them all. However, the person to successfully do so shall become a god, and by giving her blessings to her adherents, they will be able to use them through piety and discipline. It soon gave birth to the concept of ‘sacred power’ and ‘sacred magic’.
After going through all sorts of trials, two ladies remained. The first one was the then, top fiancee candidate of the crown prince, the ducal lady of House Moon, Yolda. The other one was Cherry, a girl who came from the Blossom Village, a village known to have produced godchildren for generations. The king decided to have both of them be wed to his son instead, and so Yolda Moon was called ‘The Priestess of the light’, while Cherry, on the other hand, was then called, ‘The Priestess of the Darkness;’ they are to perform the purification as a pair.
The Priestess of darkness is to absorb the miasma to her body, while the Priestess of the light was to purify it. Cherry would then be the one to carry the heavier burden, but because the king could not afford to put the ducal lady in danger, both of them agreed to the arrangement.
However, this has resulted in the crown prince being concerned about Cherry more. In order to prevent her sacrifice and to welcome her as his queen, the prince kept vehemently opposing the purification rituals. As a result, Yolda began suspecting that the two of them are conspiring together to her ruin; her heart and body tainted by the miasma, became that of evil itself.
The power of darkness born from the hearts of a human cannot be completely erased. Having no other choice, Cherry imprisoned Yolda through “Crystallization”, sealing here thereafter.
The royal family recorded it as such; Cherry was the ‘Saintess’, Yolanda was the ‘witch’, the allies who helped in the rituals were called ‘Sacred Rainbow Bird’, in accordance to the different colors of their magic. Cherry who had become the queen was deified as the First Saintess, and the Sacred Church was formed to manage the sacred magic.
Yolda’s relatives were indicted for having given birth to a witch, but Cherry put a stop to it using her authority as the Saintess, and through changing their names, had them protected from further harm. This was the origin of the House Moonlight.
The first pope of the Sacred Church was the younger brother of the crown prince. He was to propagate it and make the faith of the Saintess as a god, absolute throughout the land. By doing that, he has further raised the dignity of the royal family.
However, the long flow of time had distorted everything, even the intentions of the predecessors. While the pope is still designated by their predecessors, unlike the royal family’s single-family rule, they are entrusted to different people for each generation. The ‘scabs of the hell’ became the conquerable dungeons they are today, which is largely thanks to the increasing numbers of priests who can use sacred magic as well as the development of barriers. Before long, the Sacred Church’s connection to the royal family grew thinner, and after becoming an independent political power, were able to seize the heart of the populace and became the central figure of the country.
“Saintesses” were not resistant to changes of time either. “Godchildren” or people with the same power as Cherry are born no longer; and so, under the leadership of the Sacred Church, ‘Interim-Saintesses’, were made, which are chosen through its strict ascetic disciplines. Because the miasma no longer grew in density, there was no longer anything for the Saintesses to devote themselves to purifying, and has since then, lost their obligations as human sacrifices.
The present ‘Interim-Saintess’ are needed, not for their purifying capability, but as a tool of ‘authority’ for the royal family. Because of that, the nobilities are in a scurry to send their noble daughters to the Sacred Church and were made to attend the royal academy to become priestesses.
It was said that the reason for the recent growing density of the miasma was because the seal of the witch is becoming undone, and accordingly, a ‘True Saintess,’ will be awakened to answer it. Perhaps, the time has truly come for history to repeat itself.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
My eyes were cast down towards the whirling white, the milk in my cup of coffee. I went for my seconds because of the long story, but I grew fond of the aftertaste it leaves behind, so this time I tried it without sugar.
‘So that was our true history…’
‘That’s likely not all, but that’s how it is told.’
The underlying circumstances that the game data that Canaria gave to me conforms with the legends told by the church, but as father said, the explanation was too loose and there’s likely a lot of information omitted.
‘So the ‘sacred bird’ was just a metaphor for the saintess’ helpers, and was not a summonable being?’
‘No, apparently the research and development of sacred magic have continued until the death of the first saintess. It wouldn’t be strange if they inserted in something like that for the next generations of saintess to use. I heard that a red feather had appeared to Leddorio. That is likely for meeting the requirements of the ‘Sacred Bird Summoning’ written in the ancient texts.’
Saintess, the first—The magic of the godchildren and the sacred magic are different from one another. Father said that perhaps while ‘Interim-Saintesses’ can only use Sacred Magic, a ‘True Saintess’ is likely able to use magic that only the Saintess, the first is capable of.
‘You don’t seem as surprised as I expected you to be.’
‘That’s just how it is when it comes to mythologies, father. However… I still can’t believe that Yolda turned into a witch just because of her love affairs. I do not know their circumstances, but wasn’t she a ducal lady raised as a crown prince’s fiancée candidate?’
Well, there are cases like Chloe’s too. Still, it may have been the king who decided on the duties of the godchildren, but it was still possible for her to become the ‘Priestess-of-Darkness’ instead. She wouldn’t have become the established candidate if she didn’t have that much resolve. Was it really the prince’s choosing of Cherry that made Yolda jealous, making her succumb to her suspicions and fall into witchery?
Over the past years, I ended up developing this habit of looking into people’s perspectives just to see the circumstances underneath. Ultimately, the king granted the wish of his son and picked Cherry as the crown princess. Which means that Yolda has fallen into witchery for those who found it convenient to have her do so.
‘The only thing that we can do is to make conjectures based on the story that was passed unto us.’
‘Is that truly the case? His majesty said before that ‘history repeats itself, and strangely enough, the ducal lady and fiancee of the crown prince had become an ‘Interim-Saintess,’ while a commoner-born young girl was recognized as a ‘True Saintess.’ The situation uncannily resembles that of the past… Does his majesty plan to…’
I bit my lips, afraid to continue my words further.
Does father, intend to sacrifice Chloe just as Yolda was.
If the circumstances developed as they were in the game, that will definitely come true. Nobody would look back on her as the lady who brought ruin to herself by harming the ‘True Saintess.’ Even his father, the minister-to-the-right, will have no choice but to accept what was regardless of his feelings.
But that was not up to her. It was a predetermined fate that was set in stone the moment she had become a saintess candidate.
‘Keith.’
The gentle voice of my father made me jolt in surprise. Father straight gaze gave me a cold sweat.
‘Chloe is not related to you. You can still turn back and pretend to not have heard anything.’
‘Fa…ther…?’
‘I will wait for a day… until then, resolve yourself in becoming the crown prince. I will tentatively tell that to everyone in the next council. However, if you do not have what it takes to shoulder it, forget everything.’
Saying so, father brought his cup to the sink to wash it, then he refilled my cup anew and left the room. The door locks itself automatically and made a ticking sound as it closed.
Encased within a deafening silence, I was reaching for milk to put into my coffee but I stopped my hands.
‘…so bitter.’
A burdened voice escapes my mouth.
