The atmosphere in the meeting room brightened several notches when Martina smiled, and the discussion about the future began in earnest.
A few minutes after the discussion started, Sofian summarized the decided matters.
“Then, is it acceptable for us to propose the promotion of research on the return magic circle, an official apology to Saint Haruka and a request for her cooperation, as well as the offering of appropriate compensation, as our course of action to His Majesty and the representatives of the various countries?”
The first to nod in agreement was Martina.
“I have no objections. I want to respect Haruka-san’s wishes to the fullest and ensure she can live without danger or inconvenience until a way to return is established… but I understand that in this world’s current state, that is difficult.”
No matter how much Martina and the others wanted to respect Haruka’s wishes, in a world where humanity faced the threat of extinction, a saint who held the power to resolve this crisis would not be allowed to enjoy freedom.
Considering that the summoning of the saint was a decision made by the consensus of the nations, Martina and the others did not entertain ideals that were unlikely to be realized.
“Anyway, what we need to do is make Haruka’s position as favorable as possible. That’s about all we can do…,” Sofian said.
“But that’s an important thing,” Nadia interjected. “The fact that Haruka-san is just an ordinary person with the powers of a saint, yet refusing cooperation, makes it highly likely that the countries will start moving to force her into cooperation, even if they have to do so against her will.”
At Nadia’s words, Martina and the others’ expressions grew more serious.
“That possibility is high,” Sylvan said. “That’s why, I’m afraid… we need to somehow get Saint Haruka to agree to cooperate.”
Sofian nodded and brought the discussion to a close.
“We’ll have to play the role of the bad guys, but let’s ask for Haruka’s cooperation.”
“Yes. We will do our best to persuade her, for Haruka-san’s sake,” Martina responded.
(But if, despite all that, Haruka-san still refuses to cooperate… then if it comes to that, I’ll risk my life to protect her. That’s the responsibility for destroying her life.)
Martina firmly resolved in her heart, quietly clenching her fist.
And so, the emergency meeting of the five ended, and Sofian stood up first.
“I’ll take on the task of making the proposal to His Majesty. I’d like you all to keep an eye on Saint Haruka’s condition. Once she’s calmed down, we’ll reconvene and talk again. We also need to inform the representatives of the various countries about the situation. I’ll let you know the date and time later, but can I ask you to prepare for a meeting with all of them?”
“Understood.”
“Martina, I’d like you to start the research on the return magic circle right away. I need it to be a bargaining chip for persuading Saint Haruka, and at least we need to have something concrete soon.”
“Of course. I’ll give it my full effort.”
(Since there’s already a summoning magic circle, it should be possible to construct one that works in reverse.)
Martina recalled Haruka crying and wanting to return and resolved to make it happen.
The day after the successful summoning of the Saint.
In the early afternoon, when the sun was still high, the representatives of each country gathered again in the conference room.
After Sofian made a proposal to the King of the Luxaria Kingdom the day before, it was decided that the current situation should first be reported to the representatives of each country.
Given that they had not yet been able to convince Haruka, Martina and the others had hoped to avoid making the report at this stage. However, they had received many requests from various countries to investigate Haruka’s abilities, so delaying it was no longer an option.
In any case, with the majority of countries agreeing, they had to move forward in a direction that would apologize to Haruka and ask for her cooperation—essentially, they had to avoid trying to force her compliance. Therefore, a meeting with everyone gathered was an unavoidable step.
“Thank you for gathering so promptly. After yesterday’s summoning, we were able to speak with the Saint for a little while. I will now share what was discovered, as well as our suggestions.”
In the conference room, representing the Luxaria Kingdom were the King, Sofian, and Martina. Sofian remained in charge of the proceedings.
“First—The woman summoned yesterday was undoubtedly the Saint. Her remarkable healing abilities have been confirmed by several people. Therefore, it is highly likely that her powers could extend to the miasma accumulations as well.”
The Saint’s summoning had been successful. She possessed a rare ability. The room erupted with excitement. The atmosphere quickly became brighter.
“With this, we will be saved, won’t we?”
“After what happened yesterday, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but now I can relax.”
“The Saint sure caused a commotion. Could it be that her actions yesterday were a performance to shake us up?”
“Let’s have her eliminate a miasma accumulation right away. We should start by testing it with one nearby to confirm the effectiveness of her ability.”
“That’s right. When we ask her to eliminate the miasma, should we prepare offerings or something?”
“First, the miasma accumulation to be eliminated will be in the Luxaria Kingdom. We should prepare for her to depart as soon as tomorrow…”
“Everyone, please wait.”
Amid the excited chatter of the representatives from various countries, Sofian’s voice rang out in the conference room.
