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“Per me si va ne la citta` dolente,
　　　per me si va ne l’etterno dolore,
　　　per me si va tra la perduta gente.

Giustizia mosse il mio alto fattore:
　　　fecemi la divina podestate,
　　　la somma sapienza e ‘l primo amore.

Dinanzi a me non fuor cose create
　　　se non etterne, e io etterno duro.
　　　Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”.

—Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy: Inferno III. Italy, 1320.—

“Through me the way is to the city dolent;
　　　Through me the way is to eternal dole;
　　　Through me the way among the people lost.

Justice incited my sublime Creator;
　　　Created me divine Omnipotence,
　　　The highest Wisdom and the primal Love.

Before me there were no created things,
　　　Only eterne, and I eternal last.
　　　All hope abandon, ye who enter in!”

—Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy: Inferno III. Translated by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. 1997.—

We were led to a cave—no, it felt more like a temple’s passageway with a grand, alabaster gate wide open.

‘Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here
by: Scarlet Snow’

The warning carved boldly above the gate—it sounded ominous, but the cute, almost girly-ish handwriting added a touch of charm. In fact, it made it feel more authentic as if the handwritten note emphasized the authority of the Saintess Snow more than any formal, elegant script could.

“This is quite something…”

But most striking was the overwhelming magical energy radiating from the area, even at this distance. Even though the person herself wasn’t present, the residual power from the ongoing sealing spell was enough to make me dizzy from the sheer difference in level.

“This certainly far surpasses any human limitations.”

That said, there was no sense of hostility or disruptive energy in the air. The magical waves blended harmoniously with nature, peaceful and serene.

“Exactly! That’s why she’s no human, but a monster in disguise!”

Coppelia, seemingly pleased to have found agreement, turned around eagerly. However, I couldn’t fully share that sentiment.

Sure, compared to the average wizard, the difference in magical capacity was like a match versus an oil field fire, but I feel like she was trying to hold back and be considerate of her surroundings—even if her raw power was too immense for that to work perfectly.

“That girl basically only knows how to brute-force things with her ridiculous magic power; she’s not great with finesse,” I suddenly recalled something principal Mei had once said.

Speaking of, apparently, Principal Mei had actually met Rozen Heilige personally. Though she had spoken of her rather freely, it seemed to be more in the tone of close friends, not out of malice.

“Indeed. I was young back then, and our village was struck by a calamity that nearly wiped us out. Many died, were injured, or fell sick. That’s when a Healer wandered in and saved us, leaving without asking for anything in return. That was when I learned there are people outside the village worthy of our respect.”

I recalled these words from when Pryui had told me about the healer who saved the elven village. Later, I confirmed with the village elder of the elves, ‘Uranus,’ that this healer was indeed the legendary Saint.

I’ve never met her personally—in fact, many scholars and theologians across the continent doubt her existence. They claim she was either a fictional figure created by the Saintess Church or that multiple stories of healers were mixed up, spreading as folklore. However, hearing this now didn’t feel strange to me, likely because I’d already heard about her in such a manner before.

There’s also something oddly familiar about her. Even though she’s not here, she feels like a mentor I can always remember.

(At the very least, the people I know never spoke ill of the Saintess.)

Even though I’ve never met her, the people who know her can be trusted, so I don’t think she’s the kind of person with a hidden agenda… but at the same time, I have no reason to dismiss what Coppelia says as a lie, either.

Without jumping to conclusions, I decided it was best to move forward and see for myself what lies ahead.

♦♢♦

‘No Entry’
‘Don’t Go any Further’
‘Turn Back’
‘Turn Around and Leave Already’
‘Yes, You! I’m Talking to YOU!!’
‘Listen to me DAMMIT!!’

Ignoring the mountain of warning signs along the way, Coppelia confidently marches forward. The sculptures and pillars are dazzlingly extravagant, but the constant barrage of warnings makes it hard to appreciate them in peace.

“Lady Jill… I really feel like we’re heading somewhere we absolutely shouldn’t be going…” Eren mutters, glancing around nervously.

Indeed, this place feels like a barrier of sorts. Anyone with common sense would naturally hesitate. Even Vier seems apprehensive, her tail tucked beneath her as she stares at the massive reliefs carved into the walls.

They depict the thirteen divine generals—representing the Thirteen Months of the Year (Month of Guardian, Month of Fallen Angel, Month of White Monkey, Month of Giant God, Month of Quiet Angel, Month of Demon Lord, Month of Lion, Month of Spider, Month of Demon Beast, Month of God-Fish, Month of Death God, Month of Dead Souls, Month of Smithing)—as well as references to the Seven Sacred Beasts, representing the Seven Days of the Week (Moon Eye day, Wing Tiger day, Qilin day, Dream Eater day, Celestial Maiden day, Mirror day, Prayer day).

“We’re almost there, Lady Clara~! To the place closest to my wonderful master!” Coppelia, completely devoid of any sense of danger—or perhaps lacking the capacity for such feelings—cheerfully waves us onward.

“Well… I suppose we have no choice.”

Though I’m not thrilled about it, I know that unless we see this through, Coppelia won’t be satisfied. With heavy steps, we continue deeper into the passage.

♦♢♦

We found ourselves standing before a circular fountain, about six mertes in diameter, made of what seemed like pure white marble(?), filled with crystal-clear water.

However, rather than water spouting upward, it flowed gently from marble(?) statues arranged in all four directions, much like the fountains of Marlion or Manneken Pis. The statues, each about two mertes tall, represented common motifs: the Black Knight of winter, the Seraphim of spring, the Dragon King of summer, and the White Fox of autumn.

At the center of the fountain stood a statue of a maiden holding a cross in prayer. This must have been the Rozen Heilige, Saintess Snow, herself. She appeared smaller and more delicate than I had expected, with a mystically beautiful face and… curves, curves that… wait, what?

“Lady Jill, that statue of the Saintess is beautiful, but… doesn’t the chest area seem a little… off?” Eren, apparently noticing the same thing, commented.

“Yes, it’s strange. Compared to the rest of the body, the design feels… distorted. Like that part was deliberately altered.”

I agreed without thinking.

Given my own rather ample figure for my age, I’m keenly aware of such things. After spending time every day adjusting my outfit with the help of Eren and others in front of the mirror, I’ve come to understand proportions and positioning quite naturally. But that statue’s chest… it looked artificially enhanced, as though something had been added or lifted after the fact.

“Exactly! That’s proof! Her whole identity is a lie! Don’t be fooled by her! Those chests are proof!”

Coppelia cried triumphantly as if she had just uncovered a great secret. For a moment, I could have sworn that the statue of the Saintess looked… annoyed.

“Still, the water is beautiful, isn’t it? Do you think it comes from Lake Quartz?”

I asked, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction. The water was so clear that it felt as though I could reach down into the one-merte-deep fountain and touch the bottom.

But then—”Ah!”—I gasped, my breath catching in my throat.

I must have turned pale, for Eren, noticing my sudden change in demeanor, curiously followed my gaze.

“Wh-what is that!?” Eren, too, paled as soon as she realized what she was seeing. “B-bones… human bones!!”

Yes, at the bottom of the fountain, what we thought were intricate white geometric patterns were actually piles and piles of human bones, stacked tightly and seamlessly together.

“Why are they here?!”

The answer was obvious, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

As expected, without any hint of guilt—perhaps because she wasn’t equipped with something like a conscience or the Three Laws of Robotics—Coppelia tilted her head in response to my accusatory shout and gleefully replied.

“Of course, they were sacrifices for the ritual to break my master’s seal. At first, I thought about destroying the statue, but then the safety mechanism would activate, making the seal completely unbreakable—oh, this was something Lady Clara verified!—so instead, I used magic to weaken it rather than destroy it physically. That’s all.”
“That’s all? How many people fell victim to your ritual?!”

She probably hadn’t even kept count. At that moment, I was almost prepared to destroy Coppelia here and now to ensure there would be no more victims of this horrific ritual.

In another time, place, or situation, perhaps we could have been friends. But standing idly while a catastrophe unfolded before me? I could never do that. Especially not when I had the power to stop it. To do nothing in the face of such evil would be beyond foolish—it would be monstrous.

I raised my magic staff, the anger inside me growing, burning like a twisting flame in my chest. Sensing my tension, Vier growled low in her throat, stepping up to confront Coppelia. Eren gripped her spear, ready for battle.

But in stark contrast to our rising tension, Coppelia remained completely unbothered, maintaining her usual carefree attitude.

“Victim…?” She blinked in apparent confusion. “They were not victims. I wouldn’t do a ritual with an unwilling sacrifice.” She tilted her head to the side as if the very idea were absurd.

“Huh?”

Eren and I let out strange, disbelieving sounds, our resolve momentarily shattered.

“The people whose bones are submerged here were all devout assistants, patrons, servants, and lovers of my master. They all gladly offered their lives to bring him back. They were martyrs.”

Coppelia daintily picked up the edge of her skirt and offered a respectful bow to the white bones beneath the water.

“Th-they did…?” I found myself faltering. Was it wrong to judge if these people had given their lives willingly? Beside me, Eren raised an eyebrow, frowning.

“Wait a second, you’re telling me your master was that charismatic, that popular with women?”

It was a rather rude question, but Eren wasn’t one to mince words.

“Of course! My master was incredibly popular with women. Even those who didn’t initially find him attractive would fall for him after spending some time with him. A little brain modification, and they’d be head over heels!”
““That’s not charisma!!””

Eren and I shouted in unison, our voices echoing yet again through the sacred grounds of the sealed sanctuary.

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