“Will you, as the chosen one, swear to prioritize the justice and order of Tiendabis?”

“Will you, as a symbol of hope, swear to dedicate and sacrifice for the peace of the two continents?”

“Will you, as the connector of the two continents, swear to cherish and care for the poor and pitiful?”

“Will you, as the essence of purity, swear to keep your honor and maintain your dignity at all times?”

“Will you, as the representative of Manyanya, the saint, swear to always remember your duties and mission?”

To these solemn questions, the seventeenyearold young saint, Roblere, answered without hesitation.

“Yes, I swear.”

It was a dazzlingly bright day.

That day, when the sky was as blue as the color of Manyanya, Roblere passed the last hurdle of the saint selection at the sanctuary of the tower, where the brilliant lake was visible at a glance.

The tower’s master announced the birth of the new saint, and Roblere finally became a saint.

She was happy and overwhelmed.

Although the world was full of scoffing that ‘the saint is just Tuha’s daughter,’ it was by no means easy for Roblere to come to this position.

Instead, she had to compete with cousins ​​of her age who had Tuha’s qualities and was barely chosen to stand in this position after being selected at the end of that competition. All that long time, Roblere was more desperate than anyone else.

Having finally achieved her dream, Roblere held back tears as she pondered the questions she received from the nobles and the previous saint.

As exhilarating as it was, her shoulders were heavy. At the same time, she was ambitious. She wanted to do well.

So she pledged to become a good saint over and over.

She was so excited that she didn’t notice the subtle smile of the tower’s master, Rohika, and the dark eyes of the previous saint.

.

.

.

A festival was held for a month to celebrate the birth of the new saint.

Around the time the festival was entering its fifteenth day, the tower’s master called the new saint to the tower.

Roblere set foot in the tower’s basement for the first time that day.

“Was there a basement in the tower?”

“Yes, now that you are a saint, I will show you.”

When the elevator, which always went up, moved down, Roblere asked in surprise. Rohika calmly smiled and answered, and so Roblere followed her with a light heart.

Soon they arrived at the tower’s basement, which was very deep. It was also spacious.

In keeping with the noble part of the tower, its basement also boasted a grand and beautiful structure, but inevitably seemed dreary due to the flickering lamp light. It felt as if they had stepped into the tomb of a god.

Roblere had no chance to look around as Rohika led the way. Following her unknowingly, they heard singing from somewhere.

It was a very familiar tune.

As they followed Rohika, the sound became closer, and when they stood in front of a huge door, Roblere couldn’t contain her excitement.

The singing was coming from inside that door. It was a song calling Manyanya, very familiar to Roblere.

The song captured Roblere’s ears even though it was separated by a door.

She had sung the same song countless times, but she had never heard it interpreted so majestically.

So Roblere even began to imagine that Manyanya might be singing it beyond there.

When the doorkeepers opened the door, Roblere was literally overwhelmed.

The sound came like a tidal wave. The choir, made by hundreds of voices harmonizing, swept Roblere with a shock beyond the chills.

Not only that, but the sight in front of the young saint was astonishingly magnificent.

What filled her eyes was water. Lit by sunlight pouring through the water’s surface, casting shadows, it was undoubtedly the depths of the lake.

The water did not spill but formed a wall, fully reflecting the sunlight rippling along the waves.

And on the massive stage facing that water, hundreds of girls were singing.

“It’s impossible… What on earth…?”

Roblere couldn’t stop the goosebumps all over her body.

She had been singing for over a decade, and had been trained by the most competent teachers, including the previous saint, but she had never heard such a sharply honed song.
Compared to their songs, the songs sung by the saintesses and purifiers were nothing more than a child’s bragging.

It was when Roble was wavering between ecstasy and despair.

Suddenly, seven of the girls singing in formation collapsed.

But that was all.

Despite a person collapsing right next to them, the girls did not stop singing.

Roble, unable to understand the sight, realized what she had overlooked in her shock only belatedly.

The girls were not failing to stop; they could not stop.

Their eyes were covered with ribbonlike lace, and their wrists and ankles were bound with voluminous frills.

That’s why she hadn’t discovered it. She thought it was merely decoration, never imagining that such pretty things could bind limbs.

As Roble swallowed her breath at that grotesque loveliness, the attendants pulled the fallen girls from the formation.