Emilia sat quietly in the carriage, her gaze drifting to the passing scenery outside. It was her first real journey out of the countryside, and for a moment, she almost allowed herself to admire the trees swaying gently in the wind, the quiet rustling of leaves a stark contrast to the chaos she had lived through.
Across from her, Raphael sat with a stony expression, his posture rigid as if he were always on guard.
His presence wasn't entirely unexpected. Emilia knew he was keeping a close eye on her, likely ordered by their father to ensure her safety—or perhaps, she thought with a bitter smile, to surveil her movements.
After all, she was the long-lost daughter of Duke Vilheim, and there were undoubtedly many political reasons to control her actions. The cold reality of her new existence gnawed at her, but she kept her expression calm, outwardly accepting the situation as the system dictated.
The carriage rattled along the dirt road, passing through intersections and winding paths. Something in the route nagged at Emilia, though. The direction felt wrong—very wrong.
Her eyes narrowed as she glanced outside again, watching them take another turn that veered further away from the familiar roads leading to the capital. She straightened in her seat, the growing sense of unease prompting her to speak.
"Brother," she began, her voice steady but curious, "where are we headed? This road doesn't lead to the capital, does it?"
Raphael's eyes flickered briefly toward her, but he remained silent for a moment longer than necessary. His reluctance was palpable, and that only heightened Emilia's suspicions.
Finally, he spoke his tone curt. "We're not going to the capital just yet. You're to return to the Duchy first."
The words struck Emilia like a cold gust of wind. Return to the Duchy? She hadn't been informed of any such plan. Every version of the timeline she had experienced through the game mechanics never included a detour like this. Something was off, and her instincts screamed at her to question it.
"But why?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from betraying her growing concern. "Is there something urgent I must attend to at the Duchy?"
Raphael offered no further explanation, only crossing his arms and turning his gaze back to the window. His expression was unreadable, but the message was clear—this wasn't up for debate.
Emilia bit her lip, frustration bubbling under her surface. She glanced back out the window, trying to push the unease away, but then she saw it. As they passed a fork in the road, something in the landscape caught her attention.
The trees thinned out, revealing a barren, desolate stretch of land—a place that had once been lush and green, now stripped bare by some invisible force. Darkened soil and twisted remnants of life clung to the ground like a bad omen. The air itself seemed thicker, tainted.
Her chest tightened as recognition dawned on her. This wasn't just a detour—they were passing through a region affected by the Gods' trials.
The sight of it—the horror of it—was undeniable. Corpses littered the ground, bodies strewn haphazardly across fields. Starving, sickly people wandered, their faces gaunt and hollow, barely clinging to life. Even from a distance, the contamination of the land was visible. It was one of the regions ravaged by the dark beasts and monsters born from the black mana—human malice incarnate.
Emilia turned her head away, trying to block out the image, but the weight of the world's suffering pressed heavily on her heart. She was no stranger to the trials that had befallen the land, but seeing it in person was entirely different. Her heart ached for the people, for the lives lost and destroyed by forces beyond their control.
Just as she attempted to push the scene from her mind, a familiar chime echoed in her ears. The system notification blared, and a translucent window materialized before her eyes.
[New Quest Activated: Purify the Contaminated Land]
Objective: Purify the lands and hunt the remnants of ancient Gods.
Emilia's heart sank. The quest—now of all times? She could already feel the system tugging at her, forcing her to accept the task. A flicker of rebellion sparked in her. She didn't want this. She didn't ask for this responsibility. How was she, an unprepared girl thrown into this world, supposed to purify land tainted by ancient, malevolent forces?
"No," she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists. "Not now."
But the system didn't care for her resistance. It never did. A wave of compulsion hit her, her muscles reacting against her will. Her legs tensed, her body moving without her consent.
"Stop the carriage," Emilia suddenly called out, her voice louder than she intended.
The driver hesitated for a moment but complied, pulling the reins as the horses came to a gradual stop.
"What are you doing?" Raphael asked, his voice edged with confusion as he uncrossed his arms. He stared at her, clearly baffled by her sudden outburst.
Emilia didn't answer. She threw open the carriage door and leaped out, her body moving faster than she could think. Her feet hit the ground, and before she knew it, she was running—rushing toward the contaminated area, toward the horror she had just turned away from.
"Emilia!" Raphael shouted behind her, quickly scrambling out of the carriage to chase after her.
Emilia ignored him, her heart pounding as she sprinted toward the source of the contamination. She didn't want to do this—she couldn't do this—but the system's grip on her was unrelenting. As she approached the desolation, her hands began to glow faintly with a soft, golden light. The power of the Blessings she carried—of the World Tree, of Tersia—activated, ready to cleanse the land.
Raphael caught up to her, grabbing her wrist. "What are you doing? Are you insane?"
"I have to purify it," Emilia answered, though the words were not her own. Her voice, calm and steady, wasn't her true feeling at all. Inside, she was screaming, wanting to curse the situation, to lash out in frustration. But all that came out was the serene, holy tone the system forced upon her. "It's for the greater good."
Raphael's eyes flashed with disbelief. "You don't have to do this. It's not your responsibility!"
But even as he said it, the light from Emilia's hands spread out, touching the ground beneath her. The dark soil began to shift, purging itself of the malice and corruption. Black mana hissed and dissipated into the air, the land slowly returning to a more natural state.
Raphael stood by, helpless, as he watched Emilia work. His eyes darkened, filled with suspicion and something else—something akin to fear.
In the back of her mind, Emilia sighed, resigned to her fate. The system had won once again.
*****
As the purification process ended, villagers from the nearby area began to cautiously approach Raphael and Emilia. Their faces were a mixture of relief and fear, though the weariness of their suffering was undeniable. One of the elder villagers, with sunken eyes and a voice hoarse from worry, stepped forward.
"Thank you, kind saint," the elder said, bowing deeply. "But there is another danger. A bull-like demonic beast has been haunting the village and slaughtering our livestock. We beg you—please help us."
Emilia, still bound by the system's rules and her role as a saint candidate, didn't hesitate. Without waiting for Raphael's input, she took a step forward. "I will deal with it," she declared, her voice full of the solemn grace that the system forced upon her. Internally, she groaned at her own words. Damn this system! Why can't I ever just say no?
Before she could make it more than a few steps, Raphael's hand shot out, gripping her arm firmly. "Are you out of your mind?" he snapped, pulling her back. His usually calm and composed demeanor cracked, and his frustration was clear. "Do you even know what you're dealing with? A demonic beast is nothing like those assassins."
"I'm a saint candidate," Emilia replied, but it was really the system talking for her. Inside, she was screaming at Raphael to listen to reason, to drag her away from this disaster waiting to happen. She didn't want to confront the demonic beast; the idea of fighting something so powerful terrified her. But her outward expression remained calm, her voice gentle. "It's my duty."
Raphael's grip tightened. "That's enough. I'm not letting you go in there just to get yourself killed."
In her mind, Emilia was fully in agreement. Yes! Drag me away! Knock me unconscious if you have to! But the system wouldn't allow her to simply walk away. Her body, compelled by the quest, tried to take another step forward.
Raphael wasn't having it. Without another word, he physically lifted Emilia off the ground, throwing her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. "Enough of this nonsense. You're coming with me."
The knights watched in silent shock, none daring to protest as Raphael hauled Emilia back toward the carriage. For once, Emilia was relieved, internally thanking Raphael for intervening. Yet, despite the relief, she could feel the system's pressure weighing heavily on her, trying to force her back into action.
"Raphael," Emilia said softly, the system filtering her words to sound serene. "Please understand, the people need—"
"They need a saint, not a fool running to her death," Raphael interrupted, his voice sharp. He set her down next to the carriage, his hands lingering on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes, trying to make her understand the danger. "This isn't a game, Emilia. You could die."
And yet, despite his words and her internal agreement, fate—or rather, the system—had a different plan.
The villagers' pleas rang out once again, and Raphael, after some deliberation, ordered his knights to prepare for a search. If a demonic beast was haunting the village, it couldn't be ignored. Even though he was determined to keep Emilia out of harm's way, the beast needed to be dealt with.
After much protest from Emilia's forced saintly persona, Raphael and the knights ventured into the forest to hunt the demonic beast. Though he had left Emilia behind near the carriage with a few guards, Raphael couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Stay here," he ordered one last time before joining the search party, his brow furrowed in frustration as he led his knights deeper into the forest.
As he disappeared into the dense trees, Emilia sat quietly on a log, her body seemingly relaxed but her mind racing. She clenched her fists, desperately trying to wrestle control of the system.
This damn system, she thought bitterly, watching Raphael vanish from view. Why does it always have to be like this?
But her respite wouldn't last long.