After the meeting was completely over and everyone had left, Maggie saw Gloria nod to her from afar and point in the direction of the garden.
Maggie understood immediately; this was an invitation to talk. Since she had received their support, there was no harm in having a private chat.
This is a temple, and even if Gloria harbors any ill will towards her, she wouldn't dare to act rashly.
"You go back first, I have something to do."
Maggie nodded to Harlan, who was waiting for her not far away, and gave Gloria a look. Harlan immediately understood what she meant.
"good."
He bowed and left decisively.
Finally, only Gloria and Maggie remained on either side of the round table in the conference room, along with the vice-captain who was reluctant to leave. The young girl had a faint worry in her eyes and kept looking at Maggie.
It seems there's concern about a potential conflict between Maggie and Gloria.
Belle Monica, the vice-captain of the Holy Mage Order, is a girl with decent strength but a rather timid personality and is only nineteen years old.
He was so close to Gloria that they were inseparable, and in the end, he died saving Gloria.
Seeing it with her own eyes, Maggie still couldn't help but exclaim... the lilies in her hometown are in bloom.
"How about we go for a walk in the garden together, Your Highness?"
Gloria was in much better condition than before; at least her face wasn't as pale. Although her smile was still a bit forced, she had regained the composure expected of a guild leader.
She gave Maggie a smart knightly salute, one hand behind her back and the other extended in front of Maggie as an invitation.
Although she is a mage, she seems to prefer the way knights act. She doesn't discuss and study magic with other mages, but instead trains her physical abilities with paladins.
But she was also very talented, able to learn magic quickly without spending too much time. With these two strengths, it was only natural for her to take the position of leader of the Holy Mage Corps.
Maggie thought of Gloria from the story, her gaze falling on the top of her head, her red hair falling over her shoulders like a blazing sun.
If it weren't for the plot, perhaps such a person would have shone brightly in an era when gods were rising, instead of sacrificing his life for a scoundrel.
"Of course, it would be an honor."
She gracefully accepted and placed her hand in Gloria's.
Seemingly relieved to see that Maggie was quite cooperative, Belle didn't join the two who were planning to have a private chat, but instead quietly stayed in the conference room.
During the time Maggie and Gloria walked from the meeting room to the garden, no one spoke; the only sound was the almost synchronized sound of their footsteps. It wasn't until they reached their destination that Gloria spoke with difficulty.
Thank you.
The unexpected thank you made Maggie, who was about to reveal the Pope's true nature, pause, and a little doubt arose in her heart.
However, on the surface, Maggie remained calm and composed, simply gazing quietly at Gloria's equally fiery red eyes.
Despite being a light mage, her hair and eyes are red, making her look more like a fire mage than the twins.
"Thank you for killing the Pope."
Gloria didn't use honorifics, but rather "you," which meant that it was her own gratitude. Seeing her genuine expression, Maggie finally spoke.
"No need to thank me."
Maggie had a vague idea, and perhaps Gloria already guessed something without her saying it.
"No, if it weren't for you, I would have been kept in the dark for the rest of my life."
Gloria shook her head with a wry smile. The high spirits she had displayed when they first met seemed to have been broken, and she looked utterly dejected. However, she still managed to maintain a facade of dignity in front of others.
"Have you... seen a saintess among the vengeful spirits, who was about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a pearl bracelet on her wrist and a flower wreath on her head?"
Her gaze shifted from Maggie's face to the only tree in the garden not far away, her voice fading into the distance.
Upon hearing this, Maggie thought for a moment, but perhaps because the situation was too urgent and there were too many saints saying goodbye to her, she couldn't really remember.
If she could, she would have liked to remember their faces, but she simply didn't have the strength. Time was too short, and she was badly injured. Just managing not to faint on the spot was her limit.
All I remember is that many of the saintesses were indeed the size of little girls, and were even younger than her.
"Sorry... I don't remember."
Maggie remained silent for a while, then shook her head.
She could sense that this person might be important to Gloria, and if it was to win people over, she should lie, since there was no way to verify the evidence anyway.
But Maggie isn't the type to deceive others, well, she might lie occasionally when necessary.
Anyway, she couldn't bear to lie to someone who was already on the verge of breaking down.
"...It's okay, thank you anyway, she's my sister."
Gloria probably already expected this answer. She didn't insist, but managed a weak smile and comforted Maggie instead.
She looks like a tall, slender older sister type, and has a rather carefree personality, but she is actually very thoughtful.
My condolences.
Maggie didn't know what to say. People who haven't experienced similar things can't fully empathize, and anything she said now would seem pale. It would be better to just stay quietly with her for a while.
"It's nothing. Thank you for letting me know the truth about my sister's death."
Gloria never doubted that Maggie's words were false or a lie. Having been by the Pope's side for so long, she could more or less discover and sense some oddities, except that the Pope was the one who raised her.
She subconsciously didn't want to doubt or investigate.
Because that would make her seem despicable.
In the end, all they can do is bury their heads in the sand and deceive themselves.
But everything Maggie did removed this last veil of pretense, making it impossible for her to escape even if she wanted to. However, when this moment arrived, Gloria was surprisingly calm.
Even after the Pope's death, she inexplicably relaxed a lot, as if the moral shackles that bound her had been severed and no longer restricted her behavior.
"Although I don't know about your sister, I do know that your orphanhood was caused by the Pope, and that adopting you was also for a purpose."
Looking into Gloria's eyes, which were as still as water, devoid of their former fervor, Maggie felt a pang of pity, but there were still some things she had to say.
"I guessed it."
Gloria wasn't surprised at all; she just gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"But Your Highness, please tell me everything. I want to hear it."
She said this.
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