The Priestess, Hilda, steps into the Academy.

Years later after that day, the halls of the Bloomlight Holy Academy were abuzz.
News of a transfer student always had their peers gossiping about the potentials a new face could realize.

“I heard it’s the one who inherited the Herald of Tiva, that legendary gryphon known to heal the village of Sable.”

“That girl!? She’s young but… she’s such a great healer it seems like she’d only exist in the legends. Can we, who… didn’t have the same right… feel fit to learn in the same class as her?”

“Careful with that language! Do you not appreciate the bond you already share with your Messenger? Do you feel the transfer student was luckier than you?”

“Not at all… Fuh… In the first place, it’s not like they’re not good teachers on their own; these classes are meant to be supplementary. All I fear is that she’ll be conceited.”

At that moment, the object of the rumors peered around the corner, eyes all aflutter with curiosity.

“Are you talking about me…?”

“H-Hilda Pantalea!?”

The rumormongering students scattered like roaches under the light.

As for the object of their hopes, fears, and distant affection, she stood there and sighed to herself. In one hand, she had a staff that showed years of work done on it. In the other, a textbook.

“Tiva, watch over me… I’ll make sure to show them that you weren’t wrong to choose me.”

It was said that Hilda was a girl on “vacation” from her family for retaining her surname, yet she’d proven her devotion to the Goddess beyond a shred of doubt. One of the most notorious heavenly messengers who’d never accepted anyone as her herald had been called back from the brink of total demonification by her when she was but a powerless acolyte.

Everyone heard of that story.
There was more to it on top of that.
As for how she first learned of it, an order of knights within the Church that worked to assist the gryphon for over a thousand years had tried tirelessly to help.
The people of the village were able to amass heroes of their own, allowing Tiva a chance to rest.
All that she ever asked of them in first place was faith in the Goddess.

But when demonic cultists attacked the village, proving too much for the people, Tiva proved her worth one final time in a sacrificial attack.
Before she could dissipate, the cultists cruelly captured her, staining the beast’s proud memory. It took a seal devised by the entire village, in the hopes that they could give her a chance to meet someone worthy, in the same way that she had protected the village for so long without asking much of anything in return.

Once the news of her becoming the Herald of the Gryphon had spread amongst those knights, known informally as the Raindrop Chapter, the group disbanded only to reunite as the Banner of the Gryphon, giving Hilda a private force before her sixteenth birthday.

“Keeeh… they didn’t need to do that, I became really strong after that…”

The sheer embarrassment of recalling how all of those once-scary knights were prostrating themselves before her was enough to make Hilda want to curl up.

With the new backing from the knights, on top of the blessing she had, Hilda rapidly advanced in ranks, from a lowly acolyte all the way to a Priestess. It wasn’t like she had to take the coursework here; as the students here knew, most of the work was merely supplementary, designed as much to help keep everyone connected with each other.

For example, a certain orange haired girl who had the mighty herald pushed into a corner.

“Please, Lady Hilda! You’re the only one that I can ask for help!”

“W-Why are you doing that still, Beatrice? I-I forgave you for tricking me years ago, you don’t need to keep calling me Lady!”

“But I lied to you! I was a Squire who was enamored with the tale of the Gryphon. If I’m going to harass you for help, the least I can do is flatter you!”

“Y-You shouldn’t be harassing girls your age for help regardless!”

“But I really need your help this time! Nobody else can borrow a book from the library!”

“Haaa… You mean nobody else is banned from the library.”

“Please! Please! I need you Hilda, you can’t do this to me… I’ll help you… I swear…”

“Ahhh, jeez. You know I’ve b-been working on this!”

“You’re also still willing to do a lot for friends. Am I not a friend?”

“You’re an awfully demanding friend.”

“Very well. I, Beatrice, pledge that I will not bother the Herald forevermore after she helps me this one last time.”

“Aah, don’t be so dramatic! Fine, fine, what’s the name of the book…”

“This book doesn’t have a name. It actually exists deep within the aisles of the library, where it lacks a title, and that’s because-“

“…”

“What’s with the look? Why are you sweating?”

“D-do you mean the one that people said was a demon-touched book?”

“That’s the one! Did it assail you, Lady Hilda?”

“Yes, but.. I beat it up.”

“You beat up a book!?”

“It was flying at me and I p-panicked!”

“Wait a minute, that book you’re holding…”

Beatrice’s eyes drifted to the book Hilda had under her other arm.
There was no title on its ridged spine that called to mind a human’s spine.

“Let me look at that!”

“Ahh, jeez, there’s nothing to read there!”

Paying no attention to Hilda’s objections, Beatrice grabbed the book and tried flipping through it, gasping in amazement.

“You… purified it…”

“Yes! Let me goo….”

“The Herald is more amazing than I thought! She is truly a legendary warrior of the Goddess! She’s stepped out of the pages of history to fulfill the prophecy!”

“S-shut up…”

It was embarrassing at times for Hilda to receive praise. There were many things that she had not gotten over yet. There was a lot that she had yet to learn.

Out of everything that happened, she could at least feel safe knowing Beatrice would never try to trick her again.

For Hilda had one more nickname.
Just as she was the Herald of the Gryphon, the rumors that the legendary healer had a dark side refused to die.
To those people, like the unfortunate souls who saw her walk into the luncheon carrying the demon-touched book, she could only be known as one thing-

“I-it’s the Fearsome Gryphon!”

The End