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chapter 75
Glinda, the finest mage of Wictina and its mayor, felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment emanating from the small priest standing in her way.
It wasn’t just that this person had directly opposed her words, but there was something beyond that, a presence she couldn’t quite place.
The source of this dissonance became clear from the gazes of those around her.
No one rebuked the priest. No one scolded them for overstepping their bounds. They were simply surprised.
Even seeing a bishop of a diocese show respect toward the priest, this small cleric had the audacity to step forward personally.
Glinda quickly judged that this priest must possess authority and credentials at least on par with a bishop.
With a faint smile, she spoke.
“Then what exactly do you mean by ‘should not’?”
Isabel stared at Glinda for a moment before answering with an air of pride, as if she were about to teach a lesson.
“To say ‘should not’ means that one must refrain from actions that should not be done.”
“Not the dictionary definition.”
“Oh, I see. Even if these people were in the wrong, it means you shouldn’t treat them like this.”
“Why not? They endangered Casteltina and tarnished Wictina’s name.”
“Even so, you shouldn’t treat people this way. The citizens of Casteltina wouldn’t want that either.”
The residents, who had secretly been pleased to finally have someone to hold accountable for the destruction in the city, all averted their gazes in quiet shame. Isabel seemed unaware of the thoughts they harbored.
Glinda tapped her lips lightly with her fingertips and smiled with her eyes.
“Ah, could it be that you mean… to punish the sinners in the name of the Church?”
Depending on interpretation, this question could have political ramifications. But Isabel didn’t perceive any ulterior motive and answered sincerely.
“Punishing sinners is the goddess’s duty, not mine!”
“Forgive my rudeness, little priest. I am unlearned in theology.”
“That’s fine! The goddess does not punish the ignorant.”
Evan did not rush to cover Isabel’s mouth because she was a proxy. Otherwise, he would have stopped her immediately.
To speak of ignorance to Glinda, the mayor of Wictina!
The thirty mages trailing behind Glinda in robes were all horrified in their own ways, and Jane, who had guided Glinda here, was nearly fainting.
Glinda sighed, drew her wand, and swished it once. For a moment, everyone thought she was about to cast magic at Isabel in anger.
Fortunately, she merely raised the five sinners lying on the ground and snapped her fingers with her free hand to release their bindings.
“Jane.”
“Yes? Mayor!”
“Have Jane lead them to assist with the restoration work. I have matters to discuss with this priest.”
“Ah, understood! Everyone, this way…”
Following Jane’s guidance, the mages headed toward the southern wall, which had been reduced to ruins. They drew their magical tools and cast spells. Magical circles emitting bluish light began to take effect.
They repaired debris, lifted heavy objects, and detonated unmovable rubble from within, completing in moments what would have required a dozen ordinary laborers. Evan, overseeing the reconstruction, felt immense gratitude for Wictina’s support, though the situation left no room to express it properly.
Glinda brushed her long blonde hair behind her ear and glared at Isabel with a terrifying intensity.
Yet Isabel showed no fear, instead looking up with a pitying expression.
Evan cautiously suggested escorting Glinda to the church, allowing Tio, who had been overwhelmed by Isabel’s divine power, to regain some composure.
Tio quietly tried to slip away.
However…
“…!”
Tio’s body froze instantly.
Isabel looked surprised at Glinda. Glinda’s wand was aimed directly at Tio.
“Where are you going?”
Tio sensed undeniable hostility. It made no sense—he appeared fully human. Why was she pointing a deadly weapon at him?
Isabel shouted in alarm.
“Don’t harm Judit!”
“Ah, so your name is Judit. Suspicious in some way, aren’t you?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“It’s hard to explain, but… to a high-ranking mage like me, it’s visible. You are not an ordinary human.”
Tio was stunned. He had never revealed his identity even to the most skilled mages he’d encountered.
How could she notice? Normally, even among hundreds of mages, he would have remained undetected.
‘No… it’s because this isn’t normal!’
As the ultimate undead, Tio quickly understood. He was a perfect undead, indistinguishable from humans and immune to divine power. But divine power represents order, and Tio’s very existence was disorder.
Divine power has a property that exposes hidden truths, like revealing the true form of a concealed spirit.
A normal priest’s divine power might not reveal anything, but Isabel’s was vast and overwhelming. This small trace of Tio’s true identity had manifested externally.
Even so, few could notice it. At most, a high-level mage well-versed in countless magics.
All the conditions were present in that moment.
Tio wanted to cry from sheer frustration and injustice.
Naturally, Isabel gave Glinda a stern look, scolding her for tormenting the repentant swindler Judit.
“Please don’t, Mayor!”
“I mentioned this person doesn’t seem to be an ordinary human. At least we should investigate…”
“It might just be a talent!”
“…Huh? Talent?”
Glinda realized that Isabel’s use of “talent” referred to powers unlike ordinary humans, like the summoning ability of Galtan or Denk’s right hand.
Could this person also have been born with such power?
Isabel answered Glinda confidently.
“Judit is a skilled swindler and liar! And the acting! She’s not an ordinary human!”
“This person is a con artist?”
“Yes!”
“What kind of con?”
“She stole carriages and horses to work as a coach!”
Glinda looked at Tio skeptically. Seeing Tio’s dejected expression, she accepted it as plausible.
“Quite an impressive talent.”
“Right?”
“Even if it’s a talent, we should examine this person in Wictina. She could be under a dangerous curse or show signs of mutation. You know about mutations caused by some villains, right, priest?”
Mutation. Hearing this, Isabel glanced at Tio in shock. She had already witnessed Gerolt’s mutation in the second iteration.
“Judit might mutate? No way!”
“Yes. So we’ll examine her in Wictina. Luckily, we have skilled mages for that.”
“No… I don’t need that…”
Tio struggled to respond. Glinda raised an eyebrow at the fact that he could speak despite being restrained.
Isabel approached Tio with an expression as if the sky had fallen, grasping his hand firmly.
“You must never give up hope, Judit. Even if you face despair and hardship, there will always be a way. Glinda said she’d help too, so don’t lose hope!”
Her words, as clear as the divine power flowing into her hands, forced a tear to form in Tio’s eye, and he nodded.
And…
“….”
Isabel’s expression softened with concern as she looked at Glinda.
Glinda could not understand why this tiny priest had been gazing at her with such pity. This person was far smaller and weaker than herself.
She would never know why.
“Master seems to pity that woman,” Yuga remarked.
I lay flat on the playground sand and replied,
“I do pity her.”
“Her height, body, appearance, and status are all superior to Glinda’s. Why pity? Of course, you have us and the angel, so it’s natural to feel superior, but you’re not that kind of person. Then why are you lying there?”
“I can’t shake off the fatigue…”
I sighed deeply. Using Isabel’s body to cut through the golems was successful, but facing four giant golems simultaneously had overheated my body and mind. Since returning to my private space, I hadn’t moved.
I stretched fully, enjoying the soft sensation of the playground sand.
The constraints I had loosened for training had returned to normal, so Yuga could no longer intervene. All we could do was watch the glass window.
Yuga sat beside me, also watching the glass. She seemed very curious about Glinda.
“It’s strange. Isn’t it unusual for you to pity someone?”
It is unusual. Isabel’s compassion typically serves as a trigger for altruistic behavior.
But I know…
In the first iteration, Glinda met a cruel and pitiful end.
In the world of Opalland, there are two magic cities:
One is Ozthina, the city of mages with the Emerald Tower.
The other is Wictina, the city of young mages.
The citizens of Wictina are offended by the term “city of young mages.” The polite ones request “city of young magicians,” while the impolite ones hurl fireballs at offenders.
The reason is simple: Wictina was founded by the younger generation of Ozthina mages seeking independence.
Thus, Wictina mages are relatively younger and more active, interacting with the outside world through guilds and mercenary work, unlike Ozthina mages who rarely leave their towers.
Sending mages to Casteltina before the golem defense is one example of Wictina’s proactive engagement.
While mages are generally welcomed, Wictina’s mages were dissatisfied due to the absolute perception gap. Even ten years after Wictina’s separation, Ozthina still regarded it as a childish offshoot. Public perception held Wictina mages inferior.
Glinda, as Wictina’s mayor, cherished her city and valued her pride and honor above all else. Naturally, she could not tolerate insults to Wictina.
Yet in the first iteration, Glinda opposed the hero party’s mage, Keizo.
Their relationship mirrored that of Lister and Isabel now. Glinda, similar in age and magical experience to Keizo, could not accept that he was a superior mage.
No matter what she did, she could not defeat Keizo, who found her attacks bothersome.
Driven by jealousy, Glinda eventually joined the Demon King’s army and handed Wictina over to him.
“Sigh…”
I don’t consider Glinda a virtuous person. She drove many to their deaths and became part of the Demon King’s army in the first iteration.
Isabel shares the same view.
But now, in this second iteration, we see Glinda before her fall—a proud, arrogant giant who has yet to be broken.
Can she avoid her past fate this time?
I hope she can.
