Maouyome

Holy Land. The site of the Monastery of Filiano.

1200 years ago.

Where the first Virgin Alicia is said to have been evangelized.

With that power, the first Virgin said, at the time, she single-handedly destroyed the evil demon king who was rambling the world against her, saving the world of men.

The monastery building itself has disappeared in a long history because of its aging. However, the site is still a sanctuary, a centre of faith not only for Alistair, but for people all over the world.

In fact, if it's just a name, I've heard it too.

I didn't even know where it came from.

Exactly the righteous sanctuary of origin, and the Lean Shades. The people of the Land of Demons asked me not to shy away from it yet.

That's right.

There is an area where we shouldn't step into each other, even if it's about friendship.

So today, there is only a limited number of Virgin and I and a few escort knights.

The carriage took off the boulevard and arrived in the heart of the Old Town as it rained lightly in the morning.

The sanctuary is in the middle of the old town.

To be precise, the Holy City of Alistair was founded around the Holy Land.

The walls surrounding the sanctuary seem very tall and sturdy, and by repeated construction over and over again later, it also looks like a fortress.

Go through a number of large doors and take the roofed passage back.

It's hard not to get wet in the rain, but it was a lot more formatted.

It's kind of more like a castle over here.

Unlike the building of a central temple that tries to welcome outsiders, it also feels like they refuse to go inside.

Along the way, in front of a gate sealed with a wooden fence, the Virgin accidentally stopped.

"It's a restricted area from here. Just me and Mr. Lefia will go, so please wait here."

A word to the knights of the escort, the Virgin going further back.

Here, we also break up with the knights, who are strictly saluted.

What's a restricted area...

I wonder what. Something excites me.

Are you sure you want me to come in?

Further into the back.

Brilliantly no sign of people.

I also feel like the ruins are gradually creeping up because the more they are built, the older they get.

The Virgin lit the magic of 'Light'.

They were indoors at some point.

Out of the range of "lights" is dark and there is no single window of brightness.

It's more of a ruin than a ruin.

It's about to be called a monastery site, so it's a monument.

Moving on for a while, there was a big door.

It looks like it's three times as tall, it's an iron door.

... Will it open, this?

The Virgin put her hand on the door and... stopped.

With some serious expression, I'm thinking about it.

The tension of the Virgin is transmitted to the point of pain.

... what, so much.

Is there something beyond this door that would make the Virgin nervous?

Maybe there's something I don't know about faithlessness, just a place called the Holy Land, after all.

Softly closing her eyes and taking one deep breath, the Virgin touched the pattern painted on the door to stroke it.

In reaction to magic, the seal of the kachari and the door is unsealed.

This door, apparently, is a magic trick.

A painful door opens and proceeds inside.

The 'lights' were raised overhead so that the Virgin could illuminate a wide area.

My vision widens a lot.

Inside, there was a large, domed space.

"This is the site of the Monastery of Filiano. It's only the site now, though. It will be the place where the first generation was given the Gospel by the Goddess of Light."

...... yeah. Quite wide.

Have a look, will there be about a central temple shrine?

If you look closely, something like an altar is placed in the center.

This is the site of the Monastery of Filiano.

For goddesses and virgins, holy places.

... some tension is contagious.

Could I be in a hell of a place?

"And every Virgin is inspired by her daily training with the ultimate goal of getting here."

"The ultimate purpose, …?

The Virgin approaches the altar.

Though he is about to be drunk by the atmosphere of the place, he chases from Tokotoko and behind him.

I wonder what. I don't know what it is, but I'm scared.

... Scary?

What are you so scared of?

I'm not sure myself, but I can make you nervous somewhere.

"Mr. Lefia, what is the existence of a thing called the Virgin? Do you know what that means?

"Meaning of the Virgin, is it?...... eh. You know, helping people in need, spreading Goddess teachings to everyone, you know..."

"No. They are all just one of the accompanying tasks. There's something else that really means something."

In front of a step of the stairs going up to the altar, the Virgin stopped her legs.

It was hard to tell from afar, but the altar was set a step higher and taller than I thought.

The Virgin looks back nervously.

"The Virgin is, after all, only to defeat the Demon King."

"Virgin,... Dear?

"The true role of the Virgin is not to have mercy on the people, nor to spread the glory of the Goddess too much. To defeat the Demon King, to send down the Goddess of Light upon herself is the true meaning of the Virgin."

Defeat the Demon King.

It's just that... exists?

"And for this reason, the Virgin must dedicate her life and body here to the Goddess of Light. This is the altar for it."

"... life, then, as if"

"Yeah. That's right. The Virgin means sacrifice to the Goddess."

The Virgin affirmed the words that came to her mind but could not be spoken.

Sacrifice.

"When a mighty demon king appears beyond man's control, the Virgin wishes for the coming of the Goddess of Light in exchange for herself. That's what the first generation did."

"No.... but because"

"... please don't look like that. It's okay. The only true meaning of the Virgin's existence is to give herself to it. But there hasn't been a goddess descent in the last few hundred years."

The Virgin smiles slowly.

"Anyone who's a Virgin, you can't say that. They need the gospel to wish for the Goddess to descend. Even when Sunra attacked us 13 years ago, the previous Virgin could not hope for the Goddess to descend. Because there was no gospel."

"Predecessor Virgin......"

He died fighting Sunla, the Virgin of his predecessors.

"There has been no gospel in the last few hundred years"

There wasn't, so... wait a minute.

Virgin to offer herself as a sacrifice.

I say we need the gospel.

Virgin of the Gospel.

I've heard that name before.

I remember the village adults making a scene at the time.

"I heard that the Virgin is... the Virgin of the Gospel"

Twelve years ago, the gospel was proclaimed hundreds of years ago.

The Virgin of the Gospel said she was born.

"I have no gospel"

The Virgin quietly. Yes, I ran out clearly.

No, to...? What... thing?

"... yeah, but everyone does..."

"There is no gospel for me. Twelve years ago, a temple descended and I was welcomed into the temple as the Virgin of the Gospel. As it is, I've spent it to this day, but it's not. It wasn't me that the gospel came down."

"I can't believe the Virgin is not the Virgin of the Gospel... What do you mean? The Virgin is the Virgin, … right?"

Isn't the Virgin the Virgin?

I have no idea what that means.

I don't even think you're joking or being mean.

I don't see the sincerity of the Virgin as to what this means.

"I haven't told anyone this yet. Nobody knows, but I think I was brought here by mistake."

"... what's going on? Why did you do that all of a sudden?"

"I think there was definitely a shrine. That's not a mistake. But I am now convinced that it was sent down to another generation with a name very similar to mine."

"A name very similar to Dear Mariel....?

"My name now is Mariel El Filiano Refia. This is my name as the Virgin. Before I became the Virgin, I was just Mariel in the village of Lefia."

of the village of Lefia......, Mariel.

Very similar......, name.

of the same generation...... Someone else?

……

……

No, wait a minute.

... what? What's that?

Oh, no way!?

The Virgin is staring me in the face directly from the front.

And with a serious eye, I said slowly.

"The true Virgin of the Gospel, Mr. Lefia. It's you."