Let's Train Heroine

Kerum slowly opened his eyes, feeling an unexpected warmth in his body. The aches, the injuries—everything had disappeared, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief. He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings, and saw Maris and Lucan sitting nearby, watching him closely.

Maris was the first to speak, her voice soft and comforting. "Archpriest Kerum, are you okay?" she asked.

Kerum sighed deeply, piecing everything together in his mind as he nodded. "Yes… I'm alright," he replied. The last thing he remembered was a fierce battle, then darkness. "Thank you, Saint Maris. You must have healed me."

Maris smiled, relieved. "I couldn't leave you like that," she replied simply.

Kerum took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I… sensed the presence of an Evil Magician." His voice grew serious. "I went after it, as Evil Magicians are enemies of this world. I knew I had to stop it before it became a greater threat."

He paused, looking down. "But this one…" He trailed off, almost shuddering at the memory. "It was unlike any enemy I'd faced before. Even with all my power, I couldn't defeat it."

Maris and Lucan exchanged a glance.

"The Evil Magician took my blood, leaving me there to die," Kerum continued, his voice steady but tinged with frustration. "But as an Archpriest, I cannot die unless someone destroys my body entirely."

Lucan listened intently, his brow furrowing. He raised a hand and traced his fingers through the air, forming words with his magic. "What are your powers?"

Kerum leaned back, crossing his arms as he thought carefully. "I possess Light and Holy Magic, with a special physique that allows me to bypass seals and pass through objects."

Lucan nodded thoughtfully.

Kerum's eyes fell on Lucan's neck, noticing the dark spot and the way Lucan had to create words to communicate. "What happened to you, Lucan?" he asked, concerned.

Maris spoke up. "He used a powerful spell," she explained, "It left him with a backlash."

Kerum nodded, "A price, I understand. Did it happen because you faced the other Evil Magician?"

Lucan nodded, and he made words again, "The Evil Magician you faced has probably took away the Evil Magician we were fighting. We are about to kill it but can't. So most likely they will be back with even more power."

Kerum expression darken, he nodded. He stood up, "I'm going back to temple. Because of lack of time, I couldn't able to gather temple's energy but as long I gather temple's energy, I'm Region Class person."

"Really?" Maris asked. As Saint she didn't knew this.

"Yes. The first saint leave this behind incase if Evil Magician appear but saint doesn't. I was about to tell you few years later but Evil Magician came before."

"Hm... It's okay," Maris smiled, "It's good to have powerful person."

"Yeah, and came with me, there is thing that you must hold."

"What?"

"I don't know. It's something previous saints left behind."

"Well... Okay. Lucan-sama I'm going out, be back in few minutes."

Maris and Kerum left, leaving Lucan alone.

Lucan turn to his attention back to the book. It's was about regeneration of limbs. He was looking through all books about this, in hope of finding way to regenerate Rina's hands and Hima's legs.

---

Kerum led Maris through the winding corridors of the temple, deeper into its core than she had ever been before. The air grew cool and dense, the walls became adorned with intricate carvings and ancient symbols. At last, they entered a large, dimly lit chamber, and there, illuminated by soft candlelight, stood the towering statue of the goddess.

The statue was breathtaking, carved from the purest marble, her expression serene yet powerful. In her hand, she held a sword, its hilt encrusted with radiant gems that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly light. Maris could feel the sword is extraordinary, brimming with overwhelming power.

"This sword holds the power of a Region Class," Kerum explained, his gaze fixed on the statue. "Any who wields it will be granted strength beyond measure, with this, I can help you."

Maris nodded. She could sense the immense, almost overwhelming energy radiating from the sword—an energy that seemed alive.

"The sword's power," Kerum continued, "Comes from the faith of all those who worship the goddess. Their prayers and beliefs fuel it, making it a formidable force."

As Maris absorbed his words, Kerum stepped closer and revealed a small, unassuming box from the foot of goddess statue. The box has Intricate patterns on it's surface, weaving around its edges in delicate whorls. He held it out to Maris, his expression serious. "This is for you, Maris. Only a Saint has the right to open it, and only you can unlock it with your aura."

Maris tilted her head, studying the box. She felt a faint, strange hum from within. "I'll take it back to my quarters," she said softly, a sense of curiosity stirring within her. "Thank you, Archpriest Kerum."

Kerum nodded approvingly. "It is your duty to know its contents."

With a final nod of understanding, Maris left the chamber, the box held close to her. Kerum watched her go, then turned, he made his way back to temple. He need to manage the temple.

---

Maris head to Lucan's room, gave him Lucan a soft smile as she said, "Lucan-sama, I'll be in my room for a while."

Lucan nodded, watching her with a hint of curiosity as she moved toward her quarters, the mysterious box clutched securely in her arms.

Inside her room, Maris placed the box carefully on her desk, studying it with a mix of anticipation and caution. She recalled Kerum's words—it was something only the Saint could open. All she needed to do was allow her mana to flow over it. Taking a steadying breath, she released a gentle wave of her mana toward the box.

Instantly, the box began to glow with an otherworldly light. Before Maris's astonished eyes, the light grew brighter, taking form, until a figure appeared in the room—a woman of otherworldly beauty and elegance.

The lady who emerged seemed almost ethereal, with skin as luminous as moonlight, casting a soft glow over the room. Her hair was like strands of silken silver, flowing in waves that reached past her waist and shimmered with faint hues of lavender and blue. Her eyes were striking, each a different color—one a deep ocean blue and the other a soft shade of gold.

She wore a flowing gown that changed colors like the iridescent wings of a butterfly, shifting between hues of violet, teal, and pearl as she moved.

The woman looked at Maris, her expression warm yet slightly amused. Her voice was soft but carried a lyrical, almost song-like quality, as if each word held a gentle melody. "Ah, the Saint of this generation," she said, her gaze sweeping over Maris. "So young, yet already so powerful. It seems we can complete the plan this generation."

"Plan? What plan, and who are you?" Maris asked in surprise.

"My dear... I am the previous Saint, Meri Rainsa. And the plan, well, we're planning to break the barrier."

"Barrier?"

Meri Rainsa sat down on the bed and gestured for Maris to sit beside her. "Come here and take a seat. I'll tell you what this plan is and about the barrier."

Curious, Maris nodded and sat beside Meri.

"So, have you ever tried to go up? As high as possible into the sky?"

"Yeah, and there's a barrier. So you're talking about that barrier?"

"Yes. This barrier has trapped us in the Saint's Region. My plan—and that of all previous Saints—was to break it when there's enough energy to shatter it."

"All previous Saints?" Maris was shocked. She had also wanted to break the barrier, but she didn't know who made it or for what purpose. Moreover, she didn't have enough strength to break it.

"Well, the story is very long, but in short: the Saint's Region once belonged to beasts. Then, a human came and started killing them all. After clearing out the beasts, this human brought others and made this land for humans. Then, the first Saint created the barrier and disappeared."

"The first human... You mean the first Saint?"

"Yes. She was the one."

"Okay, but why did she make the barrier?"

"Well, you know about the Seven Divine Beasts—the beasts who once ruled this land but were killed by the Saint, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Apparently, they didn't truly die; they left their will behind. Every so often, that will grows and manifests as an Evil Magician. The goal of the Evil Magician is to kill the Saint and all humans, as revenge. That's why, before creating the barrier, the first Saint also left her will to protect humanity. Every once in while, a saint born."

"Okay, I understand... But what does this have to do with the barrier?"

"The Evil Magician is incredibly strong, far too powerful for any Saint to handle alone. Even the first Saint would have had difficulty. So, she created a barrier around the region. The barrier prevents the Evil Magician from gaining its full strength. The side effect is that no human can leave the barrier.

Anyway, that's the reason she made the barrier, though all Saints have agreed they don't want humans confined within it. Although the barrier keeps the Evil Magician from gaining full power, it also limits the Saints' and humans' abilities."