After finally getting Her Highness fed and changed into fresh clothes with the help of the young nuns, Nara stood by the bed, watching the girl as she fell into a deep sleep.
Nara let out a long sigh of relief.
"Goodnight, Your Highness."
"Mmm..."
The girl on the bed murmured incoherently, falling silent once more before she could form a proper word.
Only the steady rise and fall of her chest proved she was merely sleeping.
Not wanting to disturb her further, Nara tiptoed out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.
She walked toward the Temple's display room, where the finest treasures accumulated by the Temple over the past millennium were kept.
Other items like mana stones, gems, and various crafts were stored in separate warehouses.
This room was reserved exclusively for items related to the Holy Church.
There were weapons, suits of armor, staves, and more.
Any single item in this room would be enough to make countless people fight to the death to possess it.
Nara looked at the two young nuns on watch for the night.
"Keep a close eye on everything. Notify me immediately if anything happens, understood?"
"Yes, Lady Nara."
The two young nuns answered in unison, but Nara still felt a bit uneasy and added one more instruction.
"Check on her after one in the morning. If Her Highness develops a fever again, come find me at once. Do you understand?"
"We understand."
"Understood, Lady Nara."
The young nuns quickly agreed.
Only then did Nara feel comfortable enough to turn and leave.
Her own room was right next to Her Highness's.
The first door to the left after stepping out was hers.
This arrangement was made specifically so she could look after the Saintess at any moment.
Back in her room, she took off her black nun's habit, showered, and changed into pajamas.
She sat by the balcony, gazing at the familiar scenery, yet she didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy.
'This can't go on. Her Highness is working too hard. If this continues, it will eventually take a toll on her health.'
Nara pondered for a moment before standing up and putting her nun's habit back on.
She glanced at the Saintess's door one last time before heading out.
As she passed through the corridor and reached the stairs, the nuns on duty bowed their heads the moment they saw her.
"Lady Nara."
"Good evening, Lady Nara."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lady Nara."
As she walked, the young nuns greeted her with deep respect.
This was the loyalty she had earned within the Temple over the past few months.
Though she had dismissed many nuns when she first arrived, those who remained were all hand-picked and promoted by her.
Naturally, she looked after them in every way possible.
The young nuns were grateful and held her in high regard.
Near the entrance, she ran into the nun supervising the night shift.
"Lady Nara, you aren't asleep yet?"
A woman stepped forward and bowed respectfully as she spoke.
"Helen, is it your shift tonight?"
The Moon Temple of the Kingdom of the Moon was not particularly large, measuring two hundred meters long and one hundred meters wide.
While the architecture itself was magnificent, the total area was roughly twenty thousand square meters.
It was a vast expanse for a single complex, but relatively modest compared to the great palaces of the world.
While the front hall and the various gates were guarded by knights, men were strictly forbidden from entering the rear sections.
Therefore, the night watch in those areas could only be handled by nuns.
Helen, who now stood before Nara, was one of the three nuns under her direct supervision, serving as a sort of deputy manager.
"Yes, Lady Nara."
Helen looked up. She was young, appearing to be in her twenties.
She was quite beautiful, and it was rumored that many knights were interested in her.
The Temple did not forbid marriage, and nuns were free to choose their own partners.
"I see. You've worked hard. About the front hall... Bishop Lola hasn't gone to sleep yet, has she?"
"No, she is still awake. Would you like me to escort you to her?"
"No, that's fine. You may return to your duties."
Nara didn't say anything else and moved on.
Helen bowed, watching Nara leave. Once Nara had walked toward the main hall, Helen turned to give an order to her subordinates.
"Go and prepare. If Lady Nara's meeting with Bishop Lola lasts more than ten minutes, bring in tea and desserts immediately. Understood?"
The young nun following Helen quickly agreed and hurried toward the main hall.
This small interlude did not ease Nara's worries.
She reached the front hall and stood on the steps, looking to the right where a dozen small rooms were located.
One of them was still lit.
It was already ten o'clock at night. At this hour, the only person who would still have their lights on was Lola.
Familiar with the path, Nara walked straight to Lola's residence.
Someone went inside to announce her arrival, and soon, Lola appeared at the door.
"Nara? You're here? Come in, quickly."
Aside from the master of the Temple, Nara was likely the only person Lola would personally greet at the door.
After all, the two of them had risen to their positions together and had stood by Her Highness through the Great War.
In their private lives, they were quite close.
"What brings you here? Why aren't you asleep at this hour?"
Lola led Nara inside and brought her to the fireplace.
The winter nights were cold and damp, especially in the middle of the night.
"I have something I want to discuss with you."
"Is it about Her Highness?"
"Yes."
Nara nodded, her brow furrowed with worry.
"You know what she's like. She only just recovered from her illness yesterday, and Sir Scott repeatedly warned her to rest for at least two days."
She let out a long, helpless sigh.
"But look at her today. She was busy all morning, all afternoon, and all evening. She didn't even have time to eat."
"I barely managed to get half a bowl of porridge into her before she collapsed into bed."
"What are we going to do if this continues? If Her Highness's health breaks down, things will only get worse."
She turned to look at Lola.
"Lola, I don't understand politics or the development of the Kingdom of the Moon. My only responsibility is Her Highness's well-being and health. This can't go on. Is there any way to fix this?"
Lola frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face.
"That... shouldn't be a major problem. I spent a long time discussing things with Augus today, and we've already settled most of the upcoming major issues. Her Highness should be able to rest for a while after this."
Nara finally relaxed and let out a breath she had been holding.
"Whew, that's good to hear."
However, Lola shook her head, her expression turning grave.
"Don't be too happy just yet. Recently, the activity of magic beasts in the East Forest, the Holy Mountains, and the Eastern Mountains has become increasingly frequent."
Lola pulled out a stack of documents.
It was nearly as thick as the width of a palm.
"I've already received reports of no less than two hundred incidents involving magic beast attacks."
"There have even been a dozen casualties. If Her Highness finds out about this, she will insist on going to investigate personally."
"Then don't report it! Can't we just let her rest for a few days?"
Nara's voice was tinged with irritation, but Lola shook her head again.
"The magic beasts aren't the main issue. I've already sent people to comfort the families of the deceased and strengthened security in those three areas."
"Then what is the problem?"
Lola took a deep breath, her face darkening significantly.
"The problem is the cause behind the magic beasts' sudden aggression. It is the dragon calamity!"
"The dragon calamity!?"
Nara gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
Anyone who grew up in the Kingdom of the Moon had heard of those two words.
The reason the Kingdom of the Moon had struggled to find stability over the years was two-fold.
On one hand, the demon army would occasionally attempt to reclaim the continent, causing frequent unrest.
On the other hand, there was the dragon calamity.
In previous years, the dragon calamity usually began in the Kingdom of the Moon and then spread across the rest of the continent.
By the time it reached the Beastmen Empire and the Holy See, it would usually be on the verge of subsiding.
It rarely affected the Kingdom of the Sea or the Kingdom of Flame.
While those regions occasionally faced incursions from sea-dwelling magic beasts with dragon blood, the situation was much milder compared to what the Kingdom of the Moon endured.
The Kingdom of the Moon was vast.
From the east coast to the border with the Holy See, it spanned nearly four thousand kilometers.
Such a wide territory acted as a buffer for other nations.
In essence, the Kingdom of the Moon bore the brunt of the destruction caused by most dragon calamities.
In the worst recorded instance, the reach of the dragon calamity only just managed to touch the capital of the Holy See, Angel City.
It didn't even reach the Kingdom of the Sea.
Only the Kingdom of the Sun, the Kingdom of Flame, the Snow Country, and the Beastmen Empire were slightly affected.
"Is the dragon calamity about to begin?"
There was a hint of fear in Nara's eyes.
She had heard stories of the dragon calamity since she was a child, as did everyone in the Kingdom of the Moon.
Whenever the dragon calamity was involved, it inevitably led to natural and man-made disasters.
Furthermore, the destructive power of magic beasts far exceeded that of humans.
When previous dragon calamities occurred, they often led to severe food crises.
To make matters worse, this year was already plagued by misfortune, as the demon conflict had only ended two months ago.
If the dragon calamity arrived now, it would be a struggle to plant crops not just next year, but the year after as well.
"The dragon calamity itself isn't the problem. The issue is that this year's situation is quite unusual."
Lola sighed.
"Seaview City and the northeast region are our nation's primary agricultural hubs. Almost everyone there was killed, and the land has been completely abandoned."
"Food supplies in the Kingdom of the Moon are already extremely tight, and we have almost no seeds left for next year. I've contacted some merchants, but many of them can't handle such a massive order."
"Then... then find the nobles. The nobles must have a way."
"Yes, the nobles would have a way, but Her Highness does not want to rely on them."
Lola shook her head.
In the current situation, if they reached out to the nobles, they would likely be extorted in return.
That was something Her Highness absolutely did not want to see.
"There is one more thing."
Lola adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, stood up, and walked to a bookshelf. She pulled out a book with slightly yellowed pages.
From Nara's angle, she could clearly see the title.
【Dragon Calamity】
Those two large words were the only thing on the cover.
"See for yourself."
Lola flipped the book to a specific page and handed it to Nara.
Nara looked closely, her brow furrowing.
The entries were very clear.
Most of them recorded specific dates.
A location, the occurrence of a dragon calamity, the extent of land damage, the number of deaths, and so on.
However, there didn't seem to be anything strange about it.
Since it was called a 'calamity,' such problems were to be expected.
"Is there... something wrong with this?"
Nara flipped through a few pages in confusion before turning back to Lola.
"Look closely at the initial period when each dragon calamity began."
Nara looked down and flipped through the pages again.
She still couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
She simply closed the book.
"Lola, just tell me. I'm not as smart as you. There's no need to beat around the bush, just say it."
Lola paused and let out a long sigh as she took the book back.
"Perhaps I'm just worrying over nothing, or maybe it's just a coincidence, but..."
"Whatever it is, stop being so mysterious and just tell me!"
At Nara's urging, Lola hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Fine..."
She opened the book and looked at it carefully.
"Based on my recent investigation, the prelude to every dragon calamity has been very consistent."
"From the first instance of destruction to the full onset of the dragon calamity, the interval is usually only about ten days."
"But this time, it seems to be different."
Lola pointed her finger at a page in the book.
Nara followed her finger and looked.
The record was clear.
【January 2nd, year 702 of the Holy Calendar: The first instance of this year's dragon calamity appeared in Seaview City.】
Then, her hand moved down to another entry.
【January 15th, year 702 of the Holy Calendar: This year's dragon calamity has officially begun.】
"So what? It's just a record of dates."
Nara looked up at Lola in confusion.
Lola shook her head and picked up the thick stack of documents.
"Look closely at the first and last pages of these reports."
Nara frowned, picking up the first page and reading it aloud instinctively.
"Report from September 7th, year 927 of the Holy Calendar: A frenzied serpent-like magic beast descended from the Eastern Mountains, causing damage to the local area. Two villagers who failed to escape in time were killed, and several fields were damaged."
Next, she pulled out the last page.
"November 13th, year 927 of the Holy Calendar...?"
Reading this, Nara froze, her voice trailing off.
She frowned and continued reading carefully.
"November 13th, approximately 9:00 AM: A bear-like magic beast suddenly appeared in a village at the foot of the Holy Mountains, injuring two villagers and destroying several fields and houses before leaving."
After finishing, she seemed to suddenly realize something and hurriedly placed the first and last pages side by side.
"September 7th to November 13th? Over two months?"
"How... how can the interval be so long?"
"You finally see it?"
Lola nodded.
"Starting from the first incident on September 7th, the dragon calamity should have arrived by the end of September. Yet, it still hasn't come."
"The only explanation is... this time is fundamentally different from the past."
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