After leaving the hall where the saintess summoning had taken place, Martina, along with Haruka, called out to Roland, who had been waiting nearby.
“Roland, this is Haruka, who has come to this world through the summoning. I’ll show her to her guest room.”
Roland, who had been outside but had been observing the proceedings inside, understood the situation and nodded solemnly. He then briefly introduced himself to Haruka.
“I’m Roland, Martina’s superior. Haruka’s guest room has been prepared by two of Martina’s colleagues, so you can rest assured.”
“Ah, thank you…”
Haruka, still seeming to retreat into her shell, gave a small bow to Roland and tightly clasped her hands together.
After walking a little further, Martina led Haruka to the guest room and sat down on the sofa opposite her. Roland, meanwhile, was explaining the situation to Nadia and Sylvan in the corner of the room.
An excellent maid, who was designated to attend to the summoned saintess, brewed some tea, and the room filled with a pleasant aroma. It was then that Haruka, hesitating, asked Martina a question.
“Um, this isn’t… Earth, is it? I mean, it’s not the same place, right?”
“I’m not quite sure what ‘Earth’ refers to, but I assume it’s the place where you lived?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, this must be a different place from that Earth. It was written in the records that the saintess is summoned from another world, from a different realm.”
The mention of a different place from Earth caused Haruka’s face to pale. She glanced around the room and, perhaps unconsciously, hugged her arms tightly.
“Is this… some kind of otherworld? Like, one of those…?”
“Yes, it might be considered another world.”
“Ah, um… does that mean, is there magic here?”
“Of course. Haruka, are you saying that you’ve come from a world without magic?”
“There’s no magic on Earth.”
Upon hearing Haruka’s firm statement, Martina’s expression remained unchanged, but inside, she felt a sense of disappointment. If Haruka came from a world without magic, it would make it less likely that she was the saintess.
“I see…”
Martina’s voice dropped slightly, and Haruka responded sensitively to the change.
“Since I came from a world without magic… I can’t possibly be the saintess, right? But, what exactly is a saintess?”
Thanks to Martina’s approachable manner, Haruka seemed to relax a little and continued asking her questions. Martina responded earnestly.
“First of all, a saintess is a being with the power to eradicate the miasma pools. Our world is at risk of human extinction due to monsters that appear from these miasma pools. In the past, there was a record of a single saintess summoning, and you, Haruka, were summoned as a result.”
“Miasma pools? Monsters? Human extinction?”
Haruka, upon hearing a string of ominous words, shook her head, her face growing even paler.
“T-Those kinds of problems… I can’t solve them. I’m just an ordinary high school student with no special powers. Why was I summoned? Was it some mistake?”
“…It’s possible that the summoning was a failure, of course. But, there’s also the possibility that you have some hidden power, Haruka.”
Martina, still holding on to a sense of hope, expressed this possibility. Haruka, glancing down at her hands, seemed slightly intrigued and asked:
“If I really am the saintess, what kind of power would I have?”
“It’s said that the power of the saintess is a higher form of light magic. That means you should be able to heal. And not just basic healing, but advanced healing.”
“Healing…”
Hearing the word “healing,” Haruka gently pulled down her socks, which reached just below her knees, to her ankles. Beneath them, there were bandages wrapped around her right calf.
“Are you injured?”
Seeing the extensive bandaging, Martina became concerned and furrowed her brows, asking.
“Yes… I fell off my bike due to carelessness, and the injury turned out to be worse than I thought.”
Haruka carefully removed the bandages and the large gauze underneath, revealing a severe wound that seemed to be still in the process of healing, with scabs that hadn’t fully formed yet.
“Can this be healed?”
Martina looked intently at the wound, which seemed quite painful, and nodded.
“If you are the saintess, it should heal instantly. Nadia, can you show her how to use magic?”
Since Nadia was also a woman who could use magic, Martina asked her to help. Nadia smiled reassuringly and slowly approached the two.
“Of course. Haruka, I’m Nadia, a colleague of Martina’s.”
“Ah, I’m Haruka.”
“I’ll teach you how to use magic briefly.”
Nadia then began teaching the basics of magic, demonstrating how to create a small amount of water. Haruka, intrigued by the concept of magic, blushed slightly and gazed intently at her wound.
The room was silent, and everyone watched as Haruka focused.
Then, a soft, divine light—more gentle than typical light magic—began to shine on Haruka’s leg. In the next moment, the wound was completely healed, so much so that it was hard to tell it had ever been there.
“What’s this…?”
As Haruka stared in awe, Martina and the others were silently overjoyed.
(This light is a different quality from regular light magic, and the healing effect is far superior. Haruka is the saintess. The summoning was a success!)
“Haruka… no, saintess, that was a marvelous display of power. Please, use your power to save us.”
Having confirmed Haruka was indeed the saintess, Martina bowed deeply with excitement. But Haruka’s response was a denial.
“Um… I understand that I seem to be the saintess, but… I really can’t do this. Monsters, human extinction… facing those kinds of problems is just too… scary.”
Haruka said this with an apologetic expression, and Martina raised her head sharply.
“I’m just a high school student, and what’s happening to me doesn’t seem like a dream, so… I have to get back. I can’t skip school, and my friends will be worried. Plus, I have work today, and my payday is just a few days away…”
As Haruka continued to insist, Martina was struck with quiet shock. Up until now, she had thought of the saintess as something different—almost like a god-like being, someone who would save the world in its hour of need.
The summoning was supposed to bring someone who could save the world, someone completely different from ordinary people.
But now, Haruka had been living a normal life, and there were many people Haruka cared about back in her world. The realization was jarring.
And then, deep regret surfaced.
(I never even considered what it would be like for the saintess. Even if she has great power, she’s still just a person. She’s just an ordinary person like us. —What have I done?)
Martina’s expression hardened as she realized another painful truth.
(If the saintess is just an ordinary person, then the person who might have been summoned instead… could have been someone happy, living a normal life in their own world.)
Now understanding that the summoning didn’t just bring extraordinary beings, but forced ordinary people into this situation, Martina froze in regret, shock, and a slight sense of fear.
Haruka, noticing Martina’s reaction, asked in a small, trembling voice.
