A P H I A
A week had passed by so quickly, like a blink of an eye. I am satisfied with my performance in my first ever expedition. I hope Aloisia gives me a satisfying grade too. We finished our mission in the forest and mountains. Fortunately, no one died in my watch. I will brag about everything I have done to Erskine and Prince Kalmin once we get back. I smirk at my own thought.
We are now on our journey back to the castle. I notice the people passing by are bowing their heads and calling me. I look at all of them with confusion and flash an awkward smile. "What is going on?" I asked Aloisia. "How did they know my name and that I am the priestess?"
She chuckles. "The news about your miraculous act spreads across the kingdom. The magical symbol on your forehead is their way to identify that you are the priestess." She explained.
"Should I cover it?" I asked as I touched my forehead.
"What? Why?" Aloisia looked at me in confusion and shock. I can't blame her. Perhaps everyone wants attention, but not me.
"I don't want to be the center of attention." She sighed after hearing my response. I wear my hood on my head, trying to hide my face from the people passing by.
"You can't help it, Lady Aphia. With monsters and evils lurking around the kingdom, our people are looking for someone who can save them. They are looking up to you because they are rooting for you." Ouch.
"Now I feel more pressure," I said as I caressed my chest. Aloisia chuckled at me while shaking her head. I want to go home as soon as possible. Take a hot bath and lay on my soft bed. Ugh! I want to rest.
"Attack! We are under attack!" One of the knights shouted from the back of our convoy. Horses started to panic, and I could hear our knights charging towards our enemy. "Lady Aphia! Take cover!" She shouted as she wielded her sword and ran towards the commotion in front of us.
"I can't do that!" I will fight with them. I looked at the ongoing battle and did not find any monsters. What is going on? Who is the enemy?
"Bandits! Bandits are attacking us!" Aloisia answered the question in my head. Bandits?! Even bandits exist in this world?! What are they up to!?
I prepared my bow and arrow. I aimed for those people with different clothes from the rest of the knights. I don't have to kill them. They are still people of this kingdom. I will just aim at their legs to immobilize them.
I aimed at my target and released my arrow. I breathed out as I successfully hit one of the bandits. I am afraid that I might hit one of the knights. I continued hitting the bandits one by one using my arrows until I heard one of the knights shout in pain.
I hurriedly got off the horse and went to where he was. My eyes widened in shock when I saw the knight lying on the ground. His stomach is bleeding a lot. My hands were trembling as I touched his wound. "W-What happened?" I asked.
"He was stabbed by one of the bandits." One of the knights explained. The knight is wincing in pain. I hurriedly placed my palm on his wound and focused on healing him. "Heal," I uttered with trembling hands. I felt scared all of a sudden after seeing him. I haven't seen a lot of blood before. His abdominal wound is deep. I have to hurry.
My hands shine as gold dust comes out of my hands. I shut my eyes closed as I witnessed him coughing blood. "Please heal him," I prayed as I breathed out to calm myself down. I focus all of my magic on my hand for his faster healing. "Heal," I uttered one more time, and I felt my hand felt warmer than earlier.
"P-Priestess…" One of the knights called me, and that made me look at him. I looked at the wounded knight, and I sighed in relief after seeing him smiling at me. His belly has no sign of wound, but his clothes and mine have bloodstains.
"Please rest for a while. You lost a lot of blood." I said, and he nodded. Aloisia and the rest of her Order are still fighting with bandits. I infused my arrows with ice elemental magic to freeze them. I hit them one by one, and they all looked shock at what happened to their allies. Aloisia and the other took the chance to eliminate the rest of them.
I shut my eyes closed every time Aloisia stabbed and slashed them with her sword. She did not even flinch while killing them. The rest of her knights do the same. I tried to save the other bandits by freezing them using my arrow. I don't think I can kill mercilessly like the others. I am the priestess, and my role is to save everyone who needs help.
When the battle ended, I healed the wounded knights, including Aloisia. She got a few cuts on her arms and a deep wound on her shoulder. She carelessly fought with her knights. The knights captured the bandits that I froze as prisoners. Aloisia told me that they would interrogate them at the dungeon.
"Are you alright, Lady Aphia?" Aloisia worriedly asked me. I nod while smiling at her.
"I'm fine. I just…" I swallowed the lump in my throat as I remembered how they killed the bandits. "I was shocked," I said.
"I'm sorry you have to witness our merciless side." I looked at her in shock.
"M-Merciless side?" I asked as I gulped.
"Prince Kalmin trained us to be heartless against our enemy. Those bandits took many lives. They have done horrible things to our people. Those bandits were killing mercilessly without any valid reason. They were destroying our fields and burning residential houses. Gunther's Order is hunting them for extortion, sexual assault, murder, and theft."
I suddenly felt guilty for thinking of saving them, but I still couldn't kill them. The priestess's power should not use to hurt others. I will stick to that unless it is life and death situation.
The sun was about to set when we reached the castle. I looked at Aloisia with confusion when I noticed the four commanders waiting for us at the castle yard. Aloisia sighed in frustration. "Don't mind them, Lady Aphia." She said while looking at them furiously.
We get off our horses. "Thank you so much for taking care of me," I whispered to my horse as I caressed its body, and the rest of the knights took it for us to bring them to the horse stable.
"Aphia!" Clovis approached me, examining my appearance from head to toe. "What happened?! Are you alright?" He looked shocked and worried at the same time. Gosh! What a view! He still looks handsome despite his knitted brows and messy hair. I missed staring at his beautiful eyes. I think my exhaustion suddenly vanishes.
I divert my eyes away from him. He might find me weird for staring at him any longer. I look at myself, and I chuckle. "I'm fine," I said while chuckling awkwardly. He must have thought that the blood on my dress was from me.
"Lady Aphia! We miss you!" Howard and Elbrus tried to hug me, but Aloisia stopped them. I laughed as they looked at Aloisia angrily. "What's with the blood?! Are you hurt!?" Howard asked as he walked around me to check for any wounds.
"I'm fine. I was not hurt." I said, and Aloisia told them about the ambush attack of the bandits.
"I will handle them," Gunther said in a straight face before walking away.
"Where is he going?" I asked.
"He will probably start interrogating the bandits," Clovis answered, and I nodded. Why do I suddenly feel pity for those bandits? Gunther must be as merciless as Aloisia, or maybe worse than her.
I bid them goodbye and was about to leave when Clovis reminded me of an important event. "See you tomorrow then." He said while smiling. My brows knit together in confusion. He chuckles at my reaction. "You don't remember? It's twins' birthday celebration tomorrow." He said, and my eyes widened in shock.
OMG! I forgot about it! I forgot to look for gifts! What the heck, Aphia!
I quickly take my leave and run to look for Prince Kalmin. I went straight to the Chateau de Arcovia and found him lying on the grass. "Gin!" I yelled, and he automatically stood up. He searched for me while looking so shocked. I even laughed at his sudden reaction.
"Aphia! Don't call me that!" He yelled at me, and his eyes widened in shock after seeing my appearance. "Did I teach you to kill?! What have you done!?" He shouted, and I looked at him in disbelief.
"I can't believe you. You have the strangest reaction after seeing the blood on my dress. The commanders asked if I was alright while you asked me if I killed someone?! Are you drunk?!" I punched his belly in annoyance, and he winced in pain. "I hate you!"
"I-I hate you too." He said, and I chuckled at his reaction. "You are crazy." He commented, and I rolled my eyes at him.
"I did not kill anyone, okay?! It's from one of the knights that I saved." I explained.
"What happened?" He asked, and when I was about to answer, I suddenly remembered why I was looking for him.
"Aloisia will report to you about it. I am here for a different reason. Help me!" He looked at me boringly and returned from lying on the grass. "Gin!" I yelled at him.
"Stop calling me that! What do you want?!" He sat down and looked at me.
"Help me find gifts for the twins!" I cried, and he laughed at me. "Stop laughing! I need your help!" I sat beside him while shaking his shoulders.
"Didn't I tell you not to give them gifts? They are only asking for your presence, Aphia." He said, and I looked at him angrily. "What?"
"Don't expect me to accompany you tomorrow." I stood up and left.
"Aphia! You said yes already!" He shouted and ran after me. I tried my best to ignore him while he continued nagging me.
I sighed in frustration as I racked my brain to come up with the gift that only the priestess could give to the twins.
I hope nothing strange happens tomorrow. It will be my first time seeing the king and queen.
T H I R D P E R S O N 'S P O V
"So, she's the priestess?" The chief of the bandits asked one of his allies as he watched the battle from a highland area. They sacrificed a number of his allies just to witness the power of the priestess.
His right-hand man nods in response. "Yes, chief. Her name is Lady Aphia." The chief of the bandits nodded while watching the priestess heal one of the knights. His eyes widened in shock and amusement when he witnessed the knight healed in just a few minutes.
He smiles mischievously while thinking of a plan. "Magnificent!" He exclaimed.
"What are we going to do about her, chief?" His right-hand man smiled while watching the priestess fight. "She's a warrior too."
"Not to mention her beautiful face." They looked at each other and laughed like a lunatic. "I want to get hold of that beautiful face as soon as possible."
"As you wish, chief." They both laughed again while thinking of things they wanted to do with the priestess.