Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

The martial arts tournament of the year witnessed an unprecedented victory. Lupus, a commoner from the grand nation of RGC, clinched the championship.

This eventful tournament made history in more ways than one. It was the first time that two female students reached the semi-finals, and one even competed in the finals. Moreover, it marked the first victory by a commoner in almost eighty years. The combination of these extraordinary events ensured that this tournament would be remembered both for its disruptions and its breakthroughs.

After the finals concluded, Althea and Kaera retreated to the waiting room. There, Lily performed a cleansing spell on them as a precaution. Kaera, unaware of the full circumstances, was told it was a spell to alleviate fatigue. Before the cleansing, Althea had Kaera drink her special blend of tea.

Once the cleansing was complete, Althea apologized to Kaera, explaining that she would not be returning to the academy with her. "My father is here today, so I’ll be spending time at the villa. I'm sorry," she said. Kaera, looking disappointed, nodded and left the venue dejectedly.

Just before leaving, Kaera was called back by Althea and introduced to Althea's father, Thomas, as a friend. This lifted Kaera's spirits, and she cheerfully returned to the academy ahead of the others.

Later that night, Siegfried, accompanied by Curio, arrived at the Monclair villa along with Cartlis, Oliver, and Lily.

The group was ushered into the dining room, where they all took their seats at the table. Jean and Laila served the evening meal, with Curio standing watch behind Siegfried.

After everyone was seated, Thomas, the master of the house, stood up to give a welcome speech.

"Everyone, thank you for gathering here to celebrate the successful conclusion of the martial arts tournament and my daughter's remarkable achievement of reaching the semi-finals. Please, enjoy the meal to your heart's content."

As Thomas finished his speech, Lily, looking surprised, stood up to object.

"But tonight, we must discuss Philip—"

"Now, now, Miss Lily, let’s leave the serious talk for later, shall we?" Regalus interjected with a wink, urging Lily to sit down. Blushing slightly, Lily complied. Siegfried, after exchanging glances with Thomas and Regalus, raised his glass.

"To Althea, for her fourth-place finish. Cheers!"

With that, everyone clinked their glasses and began to enjoy the array of dishes laid out before them.

"By the way, Althea, was there some trouble when you were leaving the venue? You seemed to be surrounded by a lot of female students," Thomas inquired, holding a glass of wine.

"Ah, most of them are fans of Kaera. She’s always been very popular among the female students for her handsome looks. Given her runner-up finish, I suppose she’s gained even more admirers," Althea replied.

"Half of them are probably your fans," Regalus muttered.

"Really? I don’t think so. Though I did receive a lot of congratulations, even from those who usually ignore me, it was mostly because of Kaera," Althea said, puzzled.

"Well, as long as they’re female students, there’s no real danger. But Althea, you really are oblivious to certain kinds of affection," Regalus sighed.

"Certain kinds of affection?" Althea asked, confused.

"It’s nothing," Regalus replied hastily.

Oliver, sensing an opportunity to stir the pot, chimed in.

"By ‘certain kinds of affection,’ he means—"

"Oliver, hush!" Regalus uncharacteristically snapped, cutting him off.

As the evening progressed, filled with light-hearted conversation, the meal reached the point where only dessert remained. Siegfried took this moment to speak.

"Now that the meal is almost over, I must thank you, Thomas, for hosting us. And now, onto the main topic..."

Siegfried recounted the incident during the tournament where Althea was attacked and discussed the assailants. He then handed over to Lily to provide details about the culprits.

Lily began to explain everything she remembered about Philip and Persephone, recounting the events to the best of her ability.

When all the discussions concluded, Cartlis, pale and trembling slightly, whispered, "I remember now."

"Cartlis? What's wrong? What do you remember?" Siegfried, sitting beside him, asked with concern.

Cartlis, his voice barely above a murmur, began to speak. "Yes, it's him—Philip. And Persephone is truly his sister. He... he's really an Incubus."

"So, does that mean Persephone is a Succubus?" Siegfried mused aloud.

At this, Lily suddenly stood up, her voice rising. "Wait a minute. Earlier today, you mentioned demons, but I thought I misheard. Incubus and Succubus? Sure, there are monsters, but there are no demons in this world, right? Those are just legends, stories from old tales."

An uneasy silence settled over the room.

As they exchanged tense glances, Siegfried met Thomas’s eyes and, after receiving a silent signal, spoke cautiously. "Indeed, they have only ever appeared in stories. But now, it seems those stories are coming to life."