Chapter 15: The Mimic Beast Saint Who Acts Herself into a Play.
“This aura’s in the sky?
But I can’t see it.
I’ve avoided the border road, so it shouldn’t be a patrol familiar.”
Looking toward the aura, Suna narrowed her eyes, spotting a faint shimmer in the clear sky.
The familiar’s high-speed flight caused its optical camouflage to falter, leaving subtle distortions at the edges.
It circled her once, then descended slowly, gliding toward her.
As it approached, Suna used perception magic to analyze its form and origin while preparing for combat.
The familiar’s controller, sensing her caution, landed it on a low bush five meters away.
[Long time no see, Suni.
You look fine.
Sending false distress signals could get you punished, you know.]
Recognizing the telepathic voice as from the Demon King’s territory, Suna focused on the source.
On a swaying bush branch, the familiar was invisible to the naked eye.
Even her keen perception magic returned incomplete data, vaguely outlining an angular origami bird.
Suna identified the sender: Pepas, a mid-level intelligence officer in the Garivold Demon King’s army.
[I’m not lying, Pepas.
You’ve got familiars in Stada, right?
I’m being hunted by demon hunters.]
[That’s not the real reason for your distress call, is it?
They haven’t found your true identity.
Also, I’ve been meaning to ask—what holy relic are you wearing?
That solar aura is way too strong.]
Suna sighed at Pepas’s sharp observation.
As a fellow intelligence officer under the Burial Queen, Pepas’s keen senses were unmatched.
Suna decided to come clean.
[Fine, I’ll be honest.
The situation’s too complex for a coded letter, so I sent the distress call.
Please take this seriously and don’t laugh.]
[I’m a professional intelligence officer.
No matter how absurd the info, I won’t flinch.]
Pepas’s tone was serious, but her telepathy carried a hint of exasperation.
Suna’s next message nearly broke her composure.
[I’ve been granted a blessing by the Golden Bough Goddess.
It’s likely locked my human form and prevents me from leaving the Dustney Empire.]
After a brief silence, Pepas’s familiar let out an annoyed squawk.
“That’s impossible!
Are you joking?!”
Suna activated [Radiant Rainscape], showing a golden raindrop hovering in her palm.
Witnessing the blessing, Pepas fell silent again.
After thirty seconds, she sent her thoughts.
[I don’t want to laugh, but this is so absurd it’d be mocked.
If the truth got out, you’d be hunted by both human and demon factions.]
[What?!
So I’m a pariah to both sides now?
I didn’t ask for this!
Is there a way to fix this blessing?]
Pepas responded with a helpless tone.
[Not that I know of.
It’s a genuine blessing from a cosmic-tier entity like the goddess.
If it’s a prank, you can only hope she ends it soon.]
“I won’t be stuck like this forever, will I?”
Muttering dejectedly, Suna was nudged along by Pepas’s next message.
[Anyway, what did you do?
Summarize your experience since the mission started.]
Pondering, Suna organized her thoughts and began.
[I didn’t do much…
Per the prophecy, I took the future hero, Skoll, from the battlefield.
Knowing I’d face backlash from his protective fate magic if I directly altered his destiny, I took an indirect approach.]
[And then?]
[I cared for him like a parent for nearly two years, raising him to be kind and just.
On his birthday, I lured a serial killer to attack, faking my death with my abilities.
Since the town I chose had a high crime rate, I ensured Skoll’s survival while exposing him to the empire’s dark side.]
Understanding Suna’s plan to twist the hero, Pepas couldn’t help but comment.
[Wow, that’s ruthless.
The plan was to nudge the hero off course, not turn him into a cynical villain.
But I don’t see how this connects to the goddess noticing you.]
[I’m not done.
After finishing the plan, I prayed for Skoll at a Golden Bough Goddess statue before leaving.
To play the saintess role, I had Skoll pray daily and strictly followed the temple’s scriptures.
Nothing happened then…]
Pepas cut her off.
[Wait, you’re saying you acted fully as a saintess, praying to the goddess daily?]
[Yeah?
What’s wrong with that?]
Pepas’s telepathy sped up, laced with incredulity.
[The goddess didn’t smite you—that’s merciful.
Prayers are like communication magic to deities.
Correct prayers in the right place increase the chance of being noticed.]
Before Suna could process, Pepas continued.
[It’s a slim chance, like a needle in a haystack.
But you forgot—Skoll’s the future strongest hero.
The goddess would keep an eye on him.
And what did you do?
Call her daily with updates?
Then, after tormenting Skoll, you reported to her directly?]