The royal palace gave the saintess a formal and dignified farewell ceremony. Maggie walked into the castle hall with the steps of a lady, the pendant around her neck that proclaimed her saintess status shining brightly, but none of it could compare to her beauty that made people unable to look away.
Her divine, pale gold eyes seemed to forgive all the sins in the world, granting them generous pardons, and also seemed to bring hope and faith to others.
Maggie's gaze swept across the banquet hall, and the Third Prince was nowhere to be seen; only High Priest Arlin remained standing among the crowd.
Secretary Grey personally stepped forward to greet Maggie, using the utmost respect in his words.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has prepared a gift of thanks for you."
Maggie nodded slightly; it would be impolite to refuse in this situation.
"May Your Majesty recover soon."
After saying that, Maggie walked into the center of the banquet accompanied by Gray. When she passed by Arlin, Maggie thoughtfully returned his polite smile, but she did not invite him to receive the greetings together.
Grey personally greeted her, not the High Priest; Maggie's current actions are a slap in the face to Arlin.
Maggie turned her head away. She didn't care whether Yarlin would be angry or not; at least she had finally gotten rid of her resentment.
The king sat upright on his throne. His complexion was much rosier than when they first met. He was in his prime and exuded an aura of imperial power, but his expression softened slightly when he saw Maggie.
Maggie stood alone before the throne, accepting the thanks, though it should have been hers, not the ill-mannered and presumptuous high priest.
"The saint's courage and wisdom deserve praise from God."
The king's words were essentially the highest praise for the followers of the God of Light.
"The radiance of the God spreads throughout the continent of Coral, and I am merely one who is enveloped in the grace of the God."
Maggie wore a polite smile and spoke tactlessly. Regardless of whether she had narrowly escaped death to win this battle, praising the God of Light was the right thing to do at this moment.
The three countries adjacent to Santa Fe City—the Kingdom of Saint Na, the Kingdom of Arnold, and the Kingdom of Vatia—are located in the southern part of the continent of Coral. The people of these three countries are mostly believers in the God of Light.
"The saintess is being modest."
The king showed a satisfied expression. No one could dislike a holy maiden of light who was elegant, noble, and well-mannered, and who did not seek favors in return.
"Aside from the promised gifts to the temple, the Harun royal family will not disappoint the saintess."
After saying that, Gray handed the gift he had prepared to Maggie.
The long red velvet box was opened, revealing a staff inlaid with moon-white diamonds. Its brilliance almost illuminated the entire banquet hall, causing even the music in the hall to dim as everyone's attention was focused on the staff in the box.
A hint of surprise flashed in Maggie's eyes. This was actually a Star-level staff, enough for her to use until she broke through to the advanced mage level.
Although Moonstone is only a level 4 magic gem, it is extremely rare and valuable, even more so than Moonstone. It is one of the few gems that can trigger automatic defense.
For a frail and fragile mage, this is practically a lifeline.
Even the staff itself is made of elven wood from the Green Wilderness Forest, showing that a large sum of money was spent on it.
Most magicians rely on their own magic to cast spells and fight. Staffs are a luxury for ordinary magicians. Few people know how to make them, and the materials are very precious. They offer limited improvement in combat ability. Only nobles would carry staffs to show off their status.
The Duke's mansion wasn't unable to afford it, as for why Maggie didn't...
The king's gift of the staff was both unexpected and expected for Maggie. This star-grade staff was valuable enough to match the status of the Holy Maiden of Light, and it was also just right for someone of her low-level magic skill to use.
As expected of the king, he has considered everything very thoroughly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Maggie lightly touched the staff with her fingertips, her gaze sweeping over the hammer-like symbol on the staff, and she understood.
It's actually the work of a dwarven blacksmith; it's truly a...valuable work of art.
Maggie isn't wrong to say that. The materials are top-notch, and the craftsman is very skilled, but it's not Moonlight-level but Starlight-level. It's just that this staff is very suitable for showing off wealth, but it's too low cost-effective for ordinary mages.
"As long as the Holy Maiden is satisfied."
Grey closed the long red velvet box and gestured for the maid to take the item away; it would soon appear on Maggie's carriage on her way home.
After the bestowal of gifts was over, all that remained was the polite exchange with the king. Maggie appeared respectful, but in reality, she began to casually scan every corner of the banquet.
Pansy still hasn't come out, which is beyond her expectations.
Doesn't he intend to use this mishap by the third prince to make his presence felt in front of the king?
Maggie chatted with the King while waiting, until it was almost 2 p.m., when her conversation with the King was about to end, and Pansy suddenly appeared from nowhere.
His small figure struggled to squeeze into the center of the banquet, and his eyes lit up the moment they caught sight of Maggie.
"Saintess!"
His voice immediately attracted the king's attention, and Maggie turned her body towards Pansy.
"What's wrong?"
Maggie wasn't angry at being interrupted; instead, she asked him gently, her voice like a warm stream flowing into his heart.
"Thank goodness, I made it in time! Thank you, Holy Maiden!"
Pansy's chest heaved, still panting from running, but her voice, though still young, was clear and crisp, so pure it seemed to have the power to heal.
He bent down slightly and bowed to Maggie from a distance, his expression serious and his manners impeccable. He was a respectful and polite boy.
Pansy was dressed in a prince-style suit, and needless to say, everyone knew who he was.
If it were anyone else, interrupting the king and the saintess's conversation would most likely have resulted in a terrible death, but not the prince.
"This is?"
A hint of doubt flickered in the king's eyes as he cast an inquiring glance at Gray, seemingly having no recollection of this son.
"This is His Majesty's sixth prince, but because he was frail in his childhood, he rarely appeared in public, so it's normal that His Majesty doesn't remember him."
Gray immediately bent down to explain.
A hint of embarrassment appeared on the king's face. He turned his head, pretended to clear his throat, and then spoke to Maggie.
"Ahem, I never expected that the Holy Maiden would know the young boy."
Maggie looked at the sunny and healthy little boy not far away, a smile of inscrutable meaning curving her lips, and agreed to the king's words.
"The Sixth Prince just happened to meet me that day, so I helped him out with a small favor."
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Grey and the King to hear. Her words were ambiguous, and the bias in her speech could determine the Sixth Prince's position with the King.
The young boy, whose presence was minimal and whom he was unfamiliar with, and the saintess who had just saved his life—it was obvious which was more important.
Maggie's gaze swept over Pansy's almost frozen body, and her smile deepened. After all, she was still young. No matter how ambitious she was, or how well she could pretend, she would still get nervous at crucial moments.
After a long pause, she began to recount the events of that day in a soft voice—a simple fact, but her choice of words would give the king a different impression of Pansy.
"It was just a small favor, but I didn't expect him to come and thank me before I left. Your prince has been taught very well."
As Maggie finished speaking, Pansy's body relaxed almost imperceptibly, and her smile grew even brighter.
"The Harlan royal family has always been like this."
The king cast an admiring glance at Pansy, probably not expecting that a useless infant would win the favor of the saintess.
Maggie smiled and nodded, not saying anything more to praise Pansy; it was most important to stop there.
After speaking with the king, Maggie returned to the banquet. She only needed to wait for the banquet to end before she boarded the carriage back to Santa Fe.
Pansy was still waiting for her. Only when Maggie returned did he run briskly to her side.
"You're such a kind person, Holy Maiden."
He smiled, and his large, light blue eyes resembled those of Knight Commander Harlen, though Pansy's eyes even looked purer.
Of course, this is only what it appears to be.
Maggie would occasionally remark that both brothers were quite the show-offs.
Her gaze fell on Pansy's face, noticing his slightly gaunt cheeks due to malnutrition. Maggie always thought of him in his lich form in the comics, so thin and pitiful.
Because in the comics, he was very small when he died.
Maggie has a knack for finding compassion in inexplicable ways; what she originally wanted to say ends up being just one sentence.
"Eat more food and grow up well."
The dead have no sense of taste, cannot taste food, and have no chance to grow up. Even if the little one in front of her might become very bad in the future, she has changed that terrible future now.
He will surely grow up to be a handsome and dashing prince. Maggie looks forward to that day.
I also hope she can live to see it with her own eyes.
After saying those words, Maggie turned and left the castle. This was only a temporary farewell to the Kingdom of Arnold; she would return in the future.
Unbeknownst to her, Pansy stood frozen in place for a long time after hearing her words, her expression one of confusion and bewilderment, seemingly unable to understand why Maggie cared about him or why she would say such a thing to him.
Maggie had already left the palace, and a carriage was ready for her to board. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the exquisite and gorgeous carriage was bathed in an orange glow.
Before leaving, Maggie looked towards the castle's attic with a premonition, and just then she saw a black bat fly away from there.
Maggie simply looked away, as if she hadn't seen anything.
Nesser sat upright in the carriage, his hands obediently placed on his knees. The moment he saw Maggie, a look of happiness appeared on his face, along with an indescribable anticipation.
"Let's go back."
Maggie smiled slightly, looking like she was in a good mood.
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