In the days leading up to Zero's showdown with Cardinal Hildred, Professor Mia, Hiro, and their comrades were bustling with activity. They had been hailed as heroes for their valiant efforts in repelling the Dark Guild's assault, and Mia had gained particular notoriety for her defeat of the formidable Rank-S member, Frey.
Frey had once been regarded as one of the most talented women at the Arcane Academy, where she had held a prestigious teaching position. Yet her true identity as a member of the Dark Guild had been uncovered, and Mia's victory over her only reinforced her own reputation as the Ice Enchantress.
The revelation of Frey's treachery had sparked an investigation into the Arcane Academy, prompting many to question how such a figure could have been harbored within its walls. Though the authorities had issued warnings, little else was done, as it was discovered that many of the Dark Guild members who had been slain held influential positions within high-profile organizations.
Punishing the Arcane Academy for Frey's actions would mean punishing other powerful guilds and jeopardizing their ongoing war against the Devils. Though the authorities were eager to take action, they had to consider their own employees, some of whom were also secretly aligned with the Dark Guild.
Frey, one of the Dark Guild's strongest members, was defeated by Professor Mia alone, without any assistance. This was a remarkable feat.
Furthermore, Professor Mia continued to support others while relentlessly pursuing the Dark Guild, making a significant contribution to its extermination.
There were also others who had defeated similar opponents as Frey, but it was with the help of others and they were not as popular as Professor Mia. And the media likes to cover only those news stories that will sell to the public.
Although there was some news talking about their feat, none was talked about as much as Professor Mia's feat. The only one that came close to media coverage of Professor Mia was Hiro and others being able to defeat many Rank-A Dark Guild members.
Many people would envy the fame that Professor Mia was getting. But Professor Mia was burdened by the constant interviews and reporters following her. It was a common occurrence for her, but it still bothered her deeply. She also wants to have some kind of privacy.
Moreover, she was also concerned about Zero's whereabouts but was too occupied to search for him.
Last time, she didn't stop Zero as she knew that forcing Zero to stay would be counterintuitive to what she wanted. However, that didn't mean that she was not curious about what his objective was and where he was heading.
The relief of knowing he was safe was immense, but she couldn't shake her curiosity about his actions.
If possible she would like to help him. However, she also has her own set of responsibilities. And one of them was to ensure that her students or former students were safe. It was not enough to just check on them but to keep protecting them as they were injured and there were high chances of being attacked again.
"I will see you again. Then you will have to reveal everything you've been up to," Professor Mia muttered to herself with intense determination.
At that time, another big news broke out.
The beloved Saintess Amelia had been viciously attacked by a horde of ruthless Devil Contractors! This devastating revelation was the third most significant piece of news to hit the town, after Professor Mia and Hiro's incredible accomplishments. The only other event to top it was the unspeakable terror of the Devil's Invasion of our very own Human Domain.
Mia Frostine, being a close friend of Saintess Amelia obviously became worried about Saintess Amelia. Even though she was reported to be okay, Professor Mia called her to make sure that she was okay.
-RING! -RING!
The phone rang and rang, until finally, a voice answered, and Mia let out a sigh of relief.
"Hello?"
"Amelia, thank goodness you're okay," Mia exclaimed with a quiver in her voice.
"Yes, I'm alright!" Amelia replied.
The news of Saintess Amelia being attacked had come in late. By the time Professor Mia heard about it, Amelia had already returned to Sanctum Aurea.
Amelia considered reaching out to Professor Mia to ease her worries, but her mind was preoccupied with Cardinal Hildred's summons and the preparation for the Ceremony to honor the fallen Holy Knights who protected her.
Anyway, Amelia felt guilty for having worried Professor Mia. But then she thought about Zero.
In comparison to how much Zero had caused Professor Mia to worry, she didn't think she had caused much worry for Professor Mia.
"Who attacked you?"
Mia asked. Her voice obviously was filled with rage. Even if her friend was alright, it didn't mean that she forgave those who attacked her. She asked in order to make sure that if she met or got a chance, she wouldn't show mercy to them.
Amelia could sense the fury in her friend's tone and knew that Mia was not someone to be trifled with. She replied, "It was Devil Contractors, but don't worry, most of them have been killed."
Mia's anger did not subside, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm glad that you're safe, Amelia. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be there for you."
Amelia appreciated Mia's offer of support and replied, "Thank you, Mia. I'll definitely reach out if I need anything."
"Wow, I'm astonished that your group managed to take down those Devil Contractors. Looks like they seriously underestimated your strength."
Mia remarked with surprise. The first rule of any successful ambush is to gather intelligence and only strike when certain of victory.
Moreover, considering the history of how Devils spared no effort to eliminate Saintesses, it's remarkable that Amelia succeeded in surviving their assassination.
"Actually, we were in an extremely dangerous situation. I could have been killed if it wasn't for the bravery of a certain gentleman who saved our lives."
Amelia explained, holding back the fact that Zero was the one who rescued them. She respected his decision to conceal his identity and believed it was up to him to reveal himself. Even though Saintess Amelia knew that Professor Mia was worried about Zero for the past two years, she made sure to prioritize Zero's intention first.
She believes that Zero had some kind of intention for hiding his identity, in addition to being missing for the past two years. As her savior, the least she could do was respect Zero's choice.
Unbeknownst to Amelia, Mia was already aware that Zero had returned and also that he was in disguise. However, Mia also chose not to reveal this to Saintess Amelia.
Mia's eyes widened in surprise as she heard Amelia's words. "A gentleman saved your lives? Who was he?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Amelia explained the summary of what had happened. But she didn't reveal that the one to save her was Zero.
"And then the rest of the Devil Contractors were easily taken care of with his support."
Mia's concern was palpable as she spoke. "But how did he know you were in danger? It seems too convenient, Amelia. Are you sure you can trust him?" She was grateful for the stranger's intervention, but the details of the rescue made her uneasy.
The Saintess had been traveling on a remote path, rarely used by anyone else. For someone to appear at just the right moment to save her seemed almost too perfect. Mia couldn't help but wonder if there was something more sinister at play.
Amelia almost laughed at Mia's words. If Mia knew that it was Zero, Amelia knew that she would have never said those words. Zero was one of the people that Mia trusted most and Amelia knew that.
Mia Frostine being skeptical about Zero seemed to be one of the biggest jokes that she heard. But she was well aware that it was only because Mia didn't know that Zero was the one to save her.
"Please don't worry," Saintess Amelia said, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm sure that if you ever meet him, you'll come to trust him just as I have. He is a good person, and I'm in a safe place too, so there's no need for concern."
Mia was still concerned but didn't press further as it would seem rude. He/Zero indeed saved Saintess Amelia's life, and it would be inconsiderate of her if she asked her friend to be wary of her savior.
The conversation came to an end after some casual chatter. They talked about mundane topics like their daily routines and recent activities, just like any regular individual would.
However, if anyone were to overhear their conversation without knowing their true identities, they would never guess that they were far from normal girls.
They exchanged their farewells. As soon as the call was over, Mia's heart was filled with concern for Amelia. She knew that she had to visit her friend soon.
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