Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent-Chapter 196: Ch : The Women of White- Part 5

Chapter 196: Ch 196: The Women of White- Part 5

The moment the crowd erupted in cheers, the Grand Duchess Amanda’s curiosity spiked.

She narrowed her eyes, scanning the plaza’s center from her elevated position near the café. Her aide leaned in closer, tone respectful yet filled with the same curiosity.

“My lady, what… what’s happening?”

The aide asked softly.

Amanda stood up without answering, her eyes trained on the stage being set in the center of the crowd.

A hush was falling, as though something important—something divine—was about to begin. The Grand Duchess’s lips curled into a thin smile of amusement, but her posture grew alert.

“Let’s move closer.”

She said, already walking toward the plaza’s center. Her aide scrambled after her.

As they moved through the parting crowd, the cheers erupted once more.

A tall, robed priest stepped up onto the hastily erected wooden stage, both arms raised high as though conducting a ceremony.

“Citizens of the Empire! Today is no ordinary day! Today, the temple of the divine welcomes a new light!”

He called out, his voice clear and commanding.

Gasps and murmurs of excitement ran through the crowd like wind through dry leaves. Amanda’s brows rose slightly.

She wasn’t aware of any ceremonies planned. That made this… suspicious.

The priest continued.

“The heavens have blessed us once again! A new saintess has awakened within the sacred halls. Proof that the god has not forsaken us! That we are still within divine grace!”

The crowd roared in joyous relief. Amanda, however, felt no joy.

“With great pride, I present to you—our new Saintess!”

The priest said, his voice practically trembling with excitement.

From behind the priest, a figure stepped out.

The effect was immediate and unnatural.

The cheering slowed to awed silence as the people stared at the woman now standing beneath the midday sun.

She wore flowing white robes that shimmered like liquid light.

Her hair was snow-white, cascading like silk down her back. Her eyes were pupil-less voids of pure white, and her skin was deathly pale—almost porcelain in its perfection.

The only contrast was her crimson lips, blood-red against her otherwise monochrome figure.

She was beautiful, yes—but not in a comforting way. It was a beauty that hunted you in dreams, something primal and cold.

Amanda froze. A sharp, involuntary shiver ran down her spine.

She didn’t know what she was looking at—but her instincts screamed that it wasn’t a saintess. It was a warning.

Beside her, her aide stared at the woman with glassy eyes, utterly captivated.

“She’s… she’s a goddess. I would do anything for her. Anything…”

The aide whispered, her voice trembling.

Amanda’s head snapped toward her aide in alarm.

Without hesitation, she let a pulse of her own mana erupt from her hand and seize the girl by the shoulder.

The energy crackled just enough to jolt her, and the aide blinked rapidly, stumbling back as though waking from a dream.

“I—what was I saying?”

She murmured, clutching her head.

Amanda didn’t answer right away. Her sharp eyes returned to the white figure on the stage.

The woman hadn’t spoken a word. She didn’t wave or smile. She simply stood—regal, detached, and eerily silent—as if observing insects.

The crowd was still under her spell.

Amanda clenched her fists beneath her sleeves. This was no saintess.

This was something else entirely. Something unnatural. Something divine—but twisted.

“We’re leaving.”

She said abruptly, turning on her heel.

“My lady?”

The aide asked, still woozy.

“We’re going to write to the royal family. Now.”

The aide nodded quickly, sensing her mistress’s grave tone.

As Amanda stepped back into the shadows of the alley leading away from the plaza, she cast one final glance at the figure on the stage.

Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t a gift.

It was a declaration.

And Amanda intended to make sure the royal family understood exactly what kind of danger was now walking their streets.

The Grand Duchess Amanda wasted no time.

As soon as she returned to her temporary estate in the city, she penned a formal report addressed to the royal family.

Her usually elegant handwriting pressed deep into the paper with unusual urgency.

To Their Royal Majesties,

I have just witnessed something of great concern—something that cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence or religious fervor.

A so-called saintess has been presented to the public, claiming divine awakening.

I urge the palace to proceed with caution. Her presence is unnatural, her aura suffocating, and I fear she may not be a blessing, but a curse wrapped in sanctity.

She is white. All of her—hair, skin, eyes—white as untouched snow. Only her lips bear color, and they remind me more of blood than beauty. Her presence invoked a trance in those around her. Even my own aide fell under her spell until I broke it with mana.

I humbly request immediate investigation and containment measures before this ‘saintess’ becomes more than we can control.

Respectfully,

Grand Duchess

As she sealed the letter with her crest, another messenger arrived bearing a sealed envelope—Kyle Armstrong’s signature.

Amanda slit it open and read quickly.

Kyle’s report of a white-haired, pupil-less female infused with divine energy was far too similar to what she had just seen. And unlike the general population, Amanda trusted Kyle’s judgment.

So, she wrote a second letter—this one to him.

Kyle read Amanda’s letter under the shade of a newly planted tree, his expression unreadable.

The breeze ruffled the parchment in his hands, but he held it still, eyes scanning every word with focused intensity.

He exhaled slowly and folded the letter shut.

“Bruce.”

He called, his voice calm but firm.

Bruce, who had been overseeing morning drills, approached immediately.

“Yes, young master?”

Kyle glanced toward the horizon.

“War might come sooner than we thought.”

Bruce’s face darkened.

“Do we know who the enemy is?”

Kyle handed over the letter.

Bruce skimmed it and let out a low whistle.

“That thing… the one from the village… there’s more of it?”

“Or it has more forms. Either way, we can’t afford to be caught off guard.”

Kyle replied.

Bruce straightened.

“I’ll push training harder. We can’t send rookies into a divine battlefield.”

Kyle nodded.

“Good. Make sure they learn to handle mana alongside physical combat. Standard weapons won’t cut it anymore.”

Bruce’s jaw tightened with resolve.

“I’ll take charge myself.”

Kyle looked back toward the heart of the village.

“I’m heading out.”

“Where to?”

“I need a rune specialist. We need solid mana-based defenses if we want to stand a chance against beings like that.”

Kyle said.

Bruce frowned.

“You’re going alone?”

Kyle shook his head.

“I’ll take Queen and Melissa. It can sniff out danger faster than I can react.”

At that, the monstrous creature padded up beside Kyle. Its eyes glowed with curious intelligence, as if it understood every word.

Bruce sighed.

“Be careful, young master.”

Kyle smiled faintly.

“Always. And Bruce… if anything happens while I’m gone, take the villagers and retreat to the north. Don’t try to fight the unknown. Not yet.”

Bruce grunted, but nodded.

“I’ll hold the line.”

Though he said nothing aloud, a single thought kept echoing through his mind:

‘If this is just the beginning… then we may already be too late.’