PAIGE knew that the best way to help Princess Neoma while the princess purified the Darkness that swallowed up the temple was to find the source of it.
Thus, she left the evacuation of the people in the temple to Duke Jasper Hawthorne's capable hands. Then she and Dion decided to search for the source of Darkness. Since she was a Light mage, it was easy for her to look for Darkness– especially Darkness laced with malice. But ordinary people wouldn't find the task easy.
And so, the Paladin's power surprised her.