Chapter 7: Unexpected Visit

The clouds shattered into mist as Aria tore through the sky at sonic speed. The impact of her speed was so immense that it blew leaves off the surrounding trees. Rikka clung tightly to Aria's arms, her eyes squeezed shut in terror and dizziness.

“Whaa! Aria-sama, stop! Please! If not, then I...!”

Rikka’s face turned blue as nausea washed over her. She leaned outward and vomited, narrowly avoiding Aria’s clothes.

“Are you alright? Don’t worry, we just entered the Marina Forest!” Aria called out, raising her voice.

“Did you say Marina Forest? We might be moving at sonic speed, but reaching here in just a few minutes feels like...” Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the familiar area surrounding her village.

How? I heard that the Sword Saint is powerful, but this? She is beyond the word 'powerful.' It is as if she is a goddess herself!

“Aria-sama, pardon me, but have you visited Marina Forest Village before?” she asked, raising her voice so Aria could hear over the wind.

“Well, I have never visited before,” Aria replied, adding, “I just traced a mana signature similar to yours and assumed this was where you belonged.”

“You can do that?” she asked in shock.

“Anyway, we are about to arrive. Hold on tight!” Aria leaned downward and accelerated with a sudden burst of speed.

“What, not again… Aughhh!!” Rikka screamed.

Marina Forest: Wildwood Village

Deep within the Marina Forest, the beastkin village of Wildwood was bustling with its usual morning noise. The village was filled with colorful huts, and people with animal ears were attending to their daily chores.

Zoom!

Out near the farming fields at the edge of the village, a worker heard the sudden roar in the sky. He shielded his eyes, blinking in confusion.

“A shooting star? In the middle of the day?”

“Wait, is that...?”

He focused as the descending figure rapidly approached. Panicking, his eyes widened and he turned to run.

“Wait... Wait! Whaaaa!”

Aria landed with a heavy impact, her feet digging into the dirt and carving a long trench through the ground before coming to a stop in a cloud of dust.

Aria sighed, looking down at the trembling Rikka in her arms.

“So, we’ve arrived. This is your village, right?” She tilted her head for confirmation.

Receiving no response, Aria set her down. Rikka collapsed onto her hands and knees, crawling with shaking limbs to a nearby corner where she immediately threw up.

“Umhaa…. Aria-sama, next time please let me know beforehand. I will choose a safer way myself,” Rikka panted.

“You… are? Rikka? Is that you?” the villager who had screamed asked, his ears twitching in confusion.

“Ah… Uncle Terror, long time no see.” She stood up and bowed to him.

“What do you mean by that? You're the one who ran away from here!” He scolded her as she scurried behind Aria to hide.

“Anyway, who is this person? You know that bringing a stranger into the village is prohibited. Look, miss...” He stepped toward Aria and continued, “Sorry, but you'll have to leave this place.”

As he reached out toward Aria, Rikka panicked and slapped his hand away.

“Hey! Don’t touch her! I brought the Sword Saint of the Azure Temple to aid us!”

“Wh—What do you mean...” He glanced at Aria’s features—her silver hair and signature blindfold—and realized the truth.

Aria offered her usual distant smile. “Hehe.”

“Augh!! Aria-sama, please forgive me! I had no idea since I've never seen you before, but I realize now that the descriptions match your features perfectly!”

“You don’t have to bow to me. Just like you, I am merely one of Mother Nature’s creatures.”

“Aheh…” He laughed awkwardly, then leaned over to whisper to Rikka, “Does Aria-sama always speak like this?”

“How should I know? But she is worshiped by millions, so she might be speaking in divine words,” she whispered back. She then coughed and raised her voice. “Anyway, it seems remarkably quiet here. Have the goblin forces retreated or something?”

“Ahh… You have been gone for a while, so you don’t know, but a Hero summoned by the Verdantis Kingdom helped us a few days ago. He brutally destroyed the goblin hordes.”

“A Hero?” Rikka blinked in confusion.

“Yeah. It seems he comes from a world called Earth and possesses unique skills.”

“Earth?” Aria muttered under her breath. Did those four stupid gods learn nothing from last time? Maybe I should pay the Verdantis Kingdom a visit as well.

“Rikka, since things are settled here, I'm not needed. I am going to visit Verdantis, so...” As she prepared to launch herself into the air, Rikka stopped her by clutching her arm.

“Stop! Aria-sama, if you fly like that, they might mistake you for a threat and attack!”

“Huh? Don’t worry. I may not look it, but I am quite durable.”

“I know that, but is it impossible for us to walk there on foot? It's only a two-hour journey from here.”

“If I fly, I'll reach there in the blink of an eye.”

Aria sighed and finally yielded. “Alright, Rikka. Please lead the way to the Verdantis Kingdom.”

Meanwhile, at the Azure Temple

“So, you are saying the great Aria-sama is meditating to converse with Goddess Iris?” the High Priest repeated, casting a suspicious look toward Shawn.

“Yes, High Priest. Aria-sama seemed…” Shawn paused, searching for a convincing excuse. “She seemed conflicted. It appears something significant is occurring.”

“Hmm… If Aria-sama must personally consult Goddess Iris, then the matter truly demands her utmost attention.”

That went well, Shawn thought. I was worried he would ask to observe her personally. I've gotten frighteningly good at deceiving people… though I still don't know whether I should be proud or deeply ashamed.

“Then, Shawn, please tend to Aria-sama’s needs and inform her that we will hold back our prayers so she remains undisturbed…”

As the priest turned toward the exit, the grand doors of the prayer hall slammed open with a deafening crash.

Shawn and the High Priest froze in confusion as armed soldiers clad in the official armor of the Aquallia Kingdom poured inside, forming two disciplined lines with weapons drawn.

“What is the meaning of this?” the High Priest muttered.

Don’t tell me... at a time like this? Shawn realized the truth just as elite royal guards entered, clearing a path for an imposing figure.

The woman appeared to be in her early twenties. Her aqua-colored hair was tied into a high ponytail that swayed as she walked. A delicate crown rested atop her head, and she wore an elegant white-and-blue royal dress fit for the true ruler of the Aquallia Kingdom.