Approximately two months after information began to reach the Kingdom of Luxaria regarding the occurrence of miasma pools in other nations, preparations for a countermeasure conference proceeded with unprecedented speed for a gathering of multiple countries. Today, the conference was held in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Luxaria.
The decision to hold the conference in Luxaria stemmed from their early identification of the black mist as miasma pools and their discovery of the technology for summoning the Saintess.
The conference was attended not only by neighboring countries of Luxaria but also by nations from far beyond, making it a truly large-scale assembly worthy of being called a continental conference.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we deeply appreciate your presence here in our royal palace today. Without further ado, let us proceed to the main topic of this meeting.”
Tables were arranged in the most lavish banquet hall within the palace, where representatives from various nations sat, a few delegates per country. As the host nation, Luxaria’s king sat at the center, flanked by Sophian and Martina.
Sophian, a diplomat and member of the planning committee, served as the moderator, while Martina, whose vast knowledge had earned her a seat at the table, also took on the role of record keeper.
Notably, interpreters accompanied representatives from all nations, and the lingua franca of the conference was Realean, the language most widely used across the continent and frequently adopted for international meetings.
“As you are all aware, our world is currently under the threat of miasma pools. Over the two months since this conference was planned, the number of these pools has multiplied several times, rendering containment increasingly difficult. Therefore, we aim to revive the ancient technique that once saved humanity—summoning the Saintess!”
Sophian’s resolute words elicited affirmative responses from many nations. However, some representatives regarded him with skepticism.
One of them stood and voiced his doubts.
“Is this Saintess summoning even real? Could it not simply be a myth?”
“Numerous historical texts document its existence, lending it considerable credibility.”
“And if it does exist,” the man continued, “what happens after it is revived? Which nations will benefit first? Can it save the entire world at once? And what exactly are the powers of this Saintess?”
Sophian, lacking concrete answers to these rapid-fire questions, attempted to deflect them with a polite smile. At that moment, a woman from another nation, seated beside the standing man, elegantly began to speak.
“Oh my, has your nation not gathered any information yet? Our research team has uncovered details about the Saintess’s powers.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t lie in a setting like this.”
Her statement surprised most of the attendees. Though equally astonished, Sophian maintained his composure and smiled.
“Could you share that information with us?”
“Hm, I wonder. Is there any benefit to my nation in disclosing it?”
“In that case,” Sophian proposed, “why not base contributions on the quantity and quality of information provided, as well as efforts toward reviving the magic circle? We could then prioritize purification efforts according to these contributions—unless the Saintess’s abilities can purify the entire world at once, in which case a different approach would be necessary.”
After a moment of contemplation, the woman responded with an inscrutable smile and revealed her knowledge.
“The Saintess’s power can instantly eradicate a miasma pool, but only if she physically touches it. Therefore, to eliminate all pools worldwide, she must travel across the globe. I trust this information will be recognized as a significant contribution.”
Her revelation prompted even the previously skeptical participants to sit up straighter and turn their attention to the data their nations had brought.
“Thank you for sharing. This is highly valuable information, and we will ensure an appropriate contribution score is assigned. Let us also discuss later how the Saintess might traverse the world.”
The woman leaned back in her chair, while the previously outspoken man sat down with a frustrated expression. Soon, another representative from a different nation stood to speak.
