The Saintess’s Protector

“Order the troops to set up camp here and guard this place. No one is allowed to enter the ruins before I emerge.” Bertram gently struck the snow with his gold-wrought scepter. He gestured for the Saintess and the Holy Knights to rise. “The liches of Klogotia have recently crossed the Dunnau Mountains. Besides guarding against beastmen and greenskins ambushing in the jungle, you must also be wary of necromantic attacks.”

“As you wish, Holy Seat,” Gwynevere and the knights behind her responded in unison.

The young woman slowly rose. She reached out, gently brushing off the snowflakes clinging to her knees, then subtly tugged at the white silk stockings that encased her slender legs, adjusting them to a comfortable position.

Only then did she fasten the pristine fur cloak tightly across her chest.

“You should have dressed more warmly before coming out,” Bertram murmured, lowering his voice.

He glanced at Gwynevere’s platinum high heels and delicate calves beneath her cloak, noting the single, thin layer of stockings providing meager warmth against the sub-zero winds. “Though loyalty to the Goddess is paramount, she certainly wouldn’t wish for her followers to suffer from cold and hunger.”

“Lady Vatitaya’s blessing protects me; this bit of cold is nothing,” Gwynevere replied, her expression unwavering and serious. She simply shook her head gently, her features betraying no significant change.

Bertram’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He was internally complaining about the fervent follower of Vatitaya standing before him.

‘The Sun Goddess, Vatitaya, was arguably the most powerful deity in the Order faction. Yet, like all other gods of Order, she was merely an empty shell, devoid of a soul or self-awareness.’

‘When the Twilight of the End arrived, the gods would simply gaze with cold indifference as disaster struck and all things perished. They would say nothing, and they would do nothing.’

‘Gwynevere’s blessing was an anomaly, something that should have been impossible. She was likely Vatitaya’s last and only Divine Chosen.’

‘Players never encountered Gwynevere in the game. This was because the character had already perished before the game even began, with her existence merely hinted at in a single passage of the lore.’

‘In the Imperial Year 1741, the Bloodkin, disguised as humans and lurking within the Empire, detected the advent of Vatitaya’s blessing even before the Church did. Risking eradication by demon hunters, they shed their disguises and assaulted a sparsely defended village in Ark Territory.’

‘By the time the demon hunters from Ark Territory and the Holy Knights from Salentz Religious Territory arrived, they found only a village engulfed in raging flames. Shriveled corpses littered the square—a grotesque feast had been held here by vile blood-eaters, leaving not a single survivor.’

‘Thus, the legendary Divine Chosen of Vatitaya met her end, relegated to a mere footnote in history.’

‘Players frequently debated: had Gwynevere not fallen to those disguised Bloodkin, how much of a fighting chance could she, as the Order faction’s sole Divine Chosen, have truly given the Empire?’

‘It was now the Imperial Year 1753, and Gwynevere was not only alive but had even become the Saintess of the Blazing Sun Church. History had diverged.’

‘Bertram was clearly the one who had altered all of this. Twelve years prior, he had lain in wait in Ark Territory, rescuing Gwynevere from the fangs of the blood-eaters just as she was on the brink of death.’

‘Regrettably, this rescue was not without its lingering sorrow.’

‘The Bloodkin’s ability to disguise themselves as humans was an innate talent, more profound and harder to detect than any illusion magic. This was precisely why the Bloodkin collaborators during the Twilight of the End had caused the Empire such considerable distress.’

‘Furthermore, the game’s backstory had only vaguely mentioned Gwynevere, failing to even specify which village she resided in.’

‘Consequently, Bertram had to wait until the disguised Bloodkin attacked and caused chaos before he could finally confirm their location. He hadn’t been able to save all the villagers, and among the fallen were Gwynevere’s parents.’

‘Young Gwynevere had watched, helpless, as her loved ones were drained of all their blood by the blood-eaters, slowly shriveling and decaying. This harrowing experience was likely the reason for the Saintess’s perpetually cold demeanor and aloof tone.’

‘Within the Blazing Sun Church, the individual who served as a spiritual mentor and protector for an underage child during their baptismal ceremony was known as a godfather.’

‘Bertram was Gwynevere’s godfather, her de facto guardian.’

‘He had brought the orphaned Gwynevere into the Church for her baptism. He then toured three religious territories, giving speeches to reveal her unique identity as Vatitaya’s Divine Chosen, ultimately securing the position of Saintess for her.’

‘This was one of Bertram’s endeavors to prepare for the inevitable Twilight of the End.’

‘His goal was to support and nurture key individuals who might become crucial forces and wield significant influence in the future. He aimed to eliminate threats and clear obstacles for them, preventing them from repeating past mistakes in the final war, thereby altering their tragic or sorrowful destinies.’

‘However, just as it had taken him a full twelve years to cultivate one Gwynevere in Salentz Religious Territory, future legendary lords, heroes, and generals could not afford to wait for Bertram to attend to each of them sequentially, each requiring such a significant investment of time.’

‘Therefore, he used illusion magic to create clones and alter his appearance, traveling across the world under various identities to approach the key figures he remembered. He became their attendants, teachers, guardians, or even family members.’

‘The future Elector Count of Ael Territory, currently the Countess’s eldest daughter; the future Valkyrie of Leyton Territory, currently the Princess; the future Tsarina of Snowy Novaross, currently the Daughter of the Great Bear—these renowned legendary lords from the game were all his cultivation targets.’

‘Non-human Order races like the High Elves, Sacred Dragonkin, and Highpeak Dwarves were also part of his scheme. He even attempted to poach from Chaos factions such as the Bloodkin and Dark Elves.’

‘This year marked Bertram’s thirtieth year since transmigrating to the continent of Nocartia. His clones still accompanied these future heroes.’

‘Less than half a year remained until the release of the game’s first expansion pack, ‘Shadows Obscure.’ On the other side of the towering Dunnau Mountains, Klogotia’s ancient Arch-Lich, long dormant, could no longer suppress his desire for conquest.’

‘His vanguard forces were streaming, wave after wave, through canyons and underground tunnels, invading the northern Imperial territory of Northrend—a clear harbinger of the Undead Kingdom’s rise.’

‘The Twilight of the End was Nocartia’s inescapable demise. The pawns of the Chaos Gods stirred restlessly, and the wheel of history rolled onward; with each passing expansion pack, the world drew closer to its doom.’

‘Before that, Bertram had to use every available means to augment his influence and power. This included even the ‘Developer Tools,’ which might be considered cheating.’

The Holy Knights began ordering their squires and soldiers to transport supplies and establish the camp. The forest grew noisy and bustling with activity.

“Where is Edith? Why haven’t I seen her today?” Bertram asked, craning his neck to search.

“She stayed in town,” Gwynevere replied, following his gaze as she turned her head. “Apparently, beastmen have been sighted on the road to Rocan, and some people were attacked. Edith wanted to help the townsfolk care for the wounded.”

“Then let her be,” Bertram nodded.

He took out a silver necklace adorned with deep blue gemstones and placed it in Gwynevere’s hand. “This can ward off the effects of one magical attack. It might prove useful when fighting liches, so protect yourself.”

Gwynevere’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly. However, they quickly returned to their usual serene indifference.

“Be careful on your journey, and may Lady Vatitaya’s radiance always shine upon you, my godfather.” She clutched the necklace tightly, pressing it against her chest, and lowered her eyelids, then offered Bertram a blessing and a prayer.