The Order of the Goddess is utterly unreasonable—so long as you have anything to do with a Witch, you’re branded as their accomplice. But she wasn’t, she hadn’t agreed to any of this at all!
Why did she have to be treated as an accomplice, why did she have to be burned at the stake!
“Uu, uuuuu…”
Milly buried her face in her hands and wept, her voice full of grievance.
After a long while, an owl’s call echoed from the branches above. Milly calmed down a little. She wiped away her tears with her arm and forced herself to smile.
“First, I… I need to recover my mana…”
As long as she had mana, Milly could open her Dimensional Storage.
There were plenty of things inside—she could fill her stomach, have a proper bath, and get a good night’s sleep. She needed to recover her strength, to take revenge on that villain.
Milly spread her hands and tried to cast Magic.
But it was no use; the charm potion had left her dizzy and lightheaded.
“That’s right, I still have a Magic Potion…”
Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red as she glanced at her chest, where a bottle of potion was tucked. Thankfully, she was well-endowed enough to do what the older girls did…
Ugh, so embarrassing. Best not to think about it.
Milly pulled out the bottle. It was still warm from her body heat.
She unscrewed the cap and downed the potion in one gulp.
A faint sweetness filled her mouth and a gentle warmth rose within her. Milly spread her hands again and tried to cast Magic—a golden glow gathered in her palms.
“Th-That’s great!…”
Magic, it’s really Magic!
Her mana wasn’t fully restored, so she absolutely couldn’t waste this chance.
Holding her breath, Milly focused and opened her Dimensional Storage. She reached into the swirling vortex and quickly searched around, soon finding a Travel Backpack.
She pulled it out, and the vortex vanished.
Her mana was spent—the potion must’ve been low-grade.
But this was enough.
Inside the backpack were food and clothes, as well as a Magic Tent. Hugging the backpack to her chest, Milly finally managed a genuine smile.
Moonlight poured down, illuminating her face.
The wind rustled the treetops with a gentle susurrus.
The bedsheet slipped off, leaving her body completely exposed. She felt filthy, sticky, covered in scents that weren’t her own.
She took out a towel and a washbasin, used a Magic Stone to fill it with warm water.
She soaked the towel and gently wiped her chest. The instant the towel touched her skin, her whole body shuddered, as if thrown back into a nightmare.
She bit her lip, struggling not to cry out. But the tears came anyway, trickling down her cheeks, pooling at her chin, and dripping onto the forest floor.
She wiped away the marks on her chest, then bent down to clean her thighs.
With every stroke, she felt a little cleaner. But the humiliation, like a brand, was etched deep inside her, impossible to wash away.
She put on a brave face and fiercely dried her tears.
Her body finally felt refreshed, and Filusa’s scent had faded away.
She tossed the towel and washbasin aside, then rummaged out some bread and milk. When she opened the package, a sweet aroma wafted up, and her stomach growled with hunger.
She swallowed and took a big bite of bread.
The long-awaited taste brought tears of joy to her eyes.
“Mmm, it’s so delicious!…”
She took a sip of milk. Both bread and milk were preserved with warming Magic—soft, fragrant, and still steaming gently, warming her all over.
With her stomach full, Milly leaned back against the trunk of a tree.
Her delicate body wrapped in a soft blanket—so much better than those filthy, citrus-scented sheets.
Now that she could relax, Milly began to feel sleepy.
Days of relentless torment had left her body exhausted. Rarely did she have a chance to rest; now, she wanted nothing more than to sleep soundly.
But then came the sound of wings beating.
Milly jolted awake, thinking a Witch was after her, but it was only an owl, taking flight from a nearby branch.
“Hoo… scared myself for nothing…”
She clutched her chest, breathing a sigh of relief.
Still, it reminded her—this forest was full of dangers. Even if neither the Witches nor the Order of the Goddess came after her, there were still monsters to beware of.
Milly mustered her spirits and stood up.
She slung her backpack on and began searching for a place to camp.
After about ten minutes, she found a clearing.
The view was wide and clear, there were no traces of monsters, and it was far from the forest’s edge. The tall trees above made it an excellent hiding spot.
She took out a rolled-up pack and ran her fingers along it.
A silver glow rose up, and Milly threw it with all her might.
The pack hit the ground and instantly became a tent. The tent was small, just enough for one person, gray in color, with the added effect of warding off monsters.
Milly crawled inside and wrapped herself up in a down comforter.
That weak yet cozy feeling brought her a rare sense of security.
No more being bullied by that wicked sister. Now, she could sleep whenever she wanted. No more enduring pain or gritting her teeth in silence.
For the first time, she could truly relax.
The chirping of crickets echoed in her ears. Milly slowly closed her eyes.
With a faint smile on her face, her breathing evened out.
Morning sunlight shone down on the tent.
Birds twittered, a brook babbled by, a gentle breeze stirred, and the treetops whispered overhead.
Milly slowly awoke, her eyes fluttering open.
She stretched lazily, and the blanket slipped off, revealing her ample curves.
Her cheeks flushed. She snatched up the blanket and hugged it to her chest.
She’d slept so soundly. All her exhaustion had melted away, and she felt more refreshed than ever.
Milly spread her hands and tried using Magic.
A powerful golden light swirled about her, her mana now abundant.
“Hehe, fully recovered!”
She clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed them. She wanted to hurry up and get revenge, but decided there was no need to rush.
No way would she let that villain see her so disheveled. She would doll herself up and stand before him in all her glory.
Ding-a-ling!——
A bell rang out. Milly jumped, then hurriedly opened her Dimensional Storage.
She pulled out a Messenger Crystal, with the word “Pope” engraved on it.
In this world, Messenger Crystals were a lot like cell phones back on Blue Star—even displaying the caller’s name. Supposedly, they were invented by some merchant’s guild in the kingdom.
No time to daydream—the Pope was definitely calling to interrogate her.
She absolutely couldn’t give herself away, or she’d be burned alive!
Milly’s big eyes darted about as an idea struck her. She took a deep breath, calmed her nerves, and respectfully answered the crystal.
“Your Holiness Pope, greetings!”
“Milly, where have you been? Why haven’t you replied for so long?”
“Forgive me, I was injured,” Milly said, putting on a resentful tone. “I was backstabbed by a traitor. It was only with great effort that I escaped, and just now managed to recover my mana.”
The Pope was silent for a long time, making Milly uneasy. Even though her story sounded plausible, it wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
What’s more, the Order of the Goddess had attacked the Witch Stronghold.
If any Witches were captured and interrogated, the truth would come out.
After all, the Witches had no reason to keep secrets.
For the Witches, the fewer Saintesses, the better. In fact, they probably looked forward to seeing the famous Saintess dragged to a Holy Maiden Execution, burned alive for all to see, right?