Ch 255
“Oops!?”
Lisir, horrified, raised both hands.
It was because a woman had suddenly appeared and rushed toward him.
“Saint!?”
Surprisingly, the woman’s identity was a Saint.
He hadn’t recognized her because the atmosphere had suddenly changed drastically.
The mysterious Saint, with narrowed eyes and a sharp voice, glared at him, making it impossible for him not to recognize her.
“Are you kidding?!”
The Saint, with a forceful presence, grabbed Lisir by the collar.
It was quite a genuine display of anger, but Lisir didn’t feel any particular threat.
Because right now, she wasn’t the ‘Saint’, but ‘Tara Dorin’.
The divine and vast energy was scattered haphazardly.
Her solemn and inclusive demeanor was cast off like uncomfortable clothing.
On her face, instead of unfathomable mystery, frank and ordinary emotions arose.
The Saint’s unguarded appearance was no different from an ordinary young lady of her age.
Even the power contained within her body was incredibly frail.
Lisir couldn’t dare to resist the Saint’s touch.
Because her physical strength was so weak, Lisir felt that she wasn’t grabbing his collar, but rather hanging onto him.
And what was hanging onto him seemed like it might fly away if touched improperly.
‘Could it be because of that…?’
Lisir suddenly remembered a story about her.
The story of the Saint who, as a price for using the Purifying Power, completely lost her strength and met her end.
That would explain why her presence felt so faint.
And even why she had lost her composure!
‘Oh dear!’
Lisir belatedly realized how inconsiderate he had been.
The Purifying Power!
Let’s say that he was excited to talk about the possibility that the Saint, who shared that unique power, might become his ally.
However, he failed to consider the significant difference in their circumstances.
To preach ‘Use the Purifying Power; your constitution will change’ in front of a Saint who had met her end as a price for using the Purifying Power.
Of course, Lisir also had a point.
The Saint!
Wasn’t it the Saint herself!?
She was the one who transcended mundane concepts and exuded a detached atmosphere.
Lisir was overwhelmed by that atmosphere and considered her something beyond human fate.
An existence revered by the Order’s congregation members.
A divine being!
Therefore, he couldn’t imagine.
That she possessed such human qualities!?
And that she would show such a human reaction!?
If he had known this from the beginning, Lisir would have been more careful with his words and actions.
“Calm down, ‘Saint’.”
Shuyen the Fairy, having the same thought, smiled wryly and began to restrain her.
“Can’t you see how surprised your devotee is?”
At the fairy’s mischievous tone, the Saint came to her senses with an “Oops!”.
The Saint.
She was an example for countless modern devotees and a spiritual pillar.
Some devotees even considered her, the Saint, as the foundation of their faith instead of God.
For her to show such an unseemly appearance publicly was unacceptable.
“Ahem.”
Tara Dorin, who had looked like an ordinary village girl, returned to her Saintly form.
The Saint exuded an unfathomable, profound atmosphere and drew a kind smile.
Tap. Tap.
Simultaneously, with a seemingly careless yet gentle touch, she adjusted Lisir’s clothes.
As if nothing had happened.
-Right?
The Saint smiled faintly and looked at Lisir.
-Nunchi…
Lisir nodded, but his reaction was extremely unnatural.
Because it was an experience too intense to be dismissed as a midsummer night’s dream.
“Pfft.”
The fairy, unable to hold back any longer, burst into laughter.
“What’s this? Another person who knows Maria Dorin, the Saint’s sister, has appeared!”
The Saint naturally didn’t have a sister named Maria Dorin.
It was an inside joke among her comrades about the Saint whose public and private personas were completely different.
“…”
The Saint failed to control her expression at the name and joke, which she hadn’t heard in a long time.
The fairy, even more excited, said to Lisir.
“Lisir, will you keep it a secret that you met Maria Dorin here? Unlike her appearance, she’s a very shy woman.”
“Ah, yes! I understand!”
The perceptive Lisir readily agreed.
“What do you understand?!”
Then, the Saint, who had once again transformed into Tara Dorin, shouted.
“Ah, what on earth is going on━”
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
The fantastical creature ‘Maria Dorin’.
It was a monumental moment to encounter that fantastical being, whom only the Hero Party had encountered.
✦✦✦
Picking a scab.
Lisir spent some time understanding the meaning of those words physically.
‘I miss you, Saint…’
The benevolent Saint, whose mere presence seemed to purify one’s mind and body, was no more.
“What are you standing there for? Sit down or whatever.”
“Ah, yes.”
Lisir, having left the Cathedral and returned to the Saint’s residence, had to deal with her now-grumpy self.
Maria Dorin, not Tara Dorin.
She kept looking at Lisir with a displeased expression.
“Tsk.”
Then, unable to bear it any longer, she clicked her tongue.
Like a young lady sulking for an unknown reason.
It was an unsaintly, petty sight, but the fairy and the man could only understand generously.
She had been trying to maintain her saintly mystery, but she had inadvertently revealed her true form.
Especially because of the nonsensical talk about ‘the Purifying Power that’s good for the body’!
It was exactly the situation described by the saying circulating among the public, ‘Even the Saint is pissed off’.
They could easily understand the turmoil the Saint was feeling.
“…”
My throat is parched.
Lisir tried to soothe the uncomfortable silence by taking a sip of tea.
“Ah.”
However, upon confirming that the teacup was empty, he awkwardly put it down again.
“…”
The Saint, her head turned, rested her chin on her hand.
She glanced at him, then sighed, “Sigh”.
Pulling the chair back, she got up and went somewhere, returning with a teapot in hand.
Without looking, she reached out and filled Lisir’s teacup.
It was a slightly petty and unseemly action.
But, is it true that one’s true nature cannot be completely hidden?
Her body was saying ‘I hate you’, but the Saint’s benevolence was honest.
The tea, which must have gotten cold over time, had been freshly brewed and exuded a subtle fragrance.
The tea, poured without looking, didn’t spill a single drop, neatly filling the cup.
She also didn’t forget to adjust the slightly askew teacup coaster for Lisir’s use.
Having completed this series of actions, the Saint returned to her seat opposite him, sitting with a slouched posture, her chin resting on her hand.
“Heh.”
This was the most negative way she could act.
Lisir chuckled, realizing once again that she was a Saint.
“…”
Was she also embarrassed?
Ahem.
The Saint cleared her throat to lighten the mood.
Then, without changing her posture of looking away and resting her chin on her hand, she casually said.
“Tell me in detail.”
“Yes?”
“That Purifying Power you talked about! Tell me in detail!”
“Ah, yes!”
For some reason, Lisir began to confess to the Saint with the state of mind of a sinner confessing his sins.
The Purifying Power.
Regarding that terrible sin（?）.
“…”
In the early part of the story.
The Saint’s eyes were shaking uncontrollably.
It was the anxiety that her life, built on dedication, might be denied.
“Hoo…”
At some point, she let out a light sigh.
It was a sigh of relief.
“It’s different…”
“Yes?”
“It’s clearly a different power from my Purifying Power!”
The man’s ability was clearly wondrous.
It also possessed a similar nature to the Saint’s power.
Nevertheless.
Their powers were clearly different kinds.
“From what I hear, your Purifying Power is the ability to turn impure energy into complete white—no, transparent. Right?”
“It seems like an appropriate expression.”
“On the other hand, my Purifying Power—as the name suggests—is the ability to ‘purify’ impure energy. It’s the ability to drive out impure energy and replace the void with my own energy.”
It was like when she explained her Unique Color.
The Saint was someone who knew that showing was better than explaining a hundred times.
Whoosh.
The Saint opened the window and whistled a clear whistle.
Then, a small bird flew in from outside and landed on her hand.
“It’s a child who was… affected by the energy of Black Magic. I took it in.”
“Ah…!”
The moment Lisir saw the bird, he immediately understood the Saint’s words.
The bird’s small body was filled with the Saint’s divine energy.
For example.
The Purifying Power possessed by the Saint could be called an overwhelming manifestation of divinity.
The ability to overwrite existing energy with stronger energy.
It was different from Lisir’s ability, which affected the energy itself.
“Hoo. Yes, it’s different! It has to be different!”
The Saint, having once again emphasized the subtle but clear difference, felt relieved as if she had been saved.
What if the Purifying Power Lisir wielded was exactly the same as her power?
He was using that power and enjoying all sorts of benefits instead of side effects.
If that were the case, the Saint would never have been able to endure the relative sense of deprivation.
Of course.
Even now, she wasn’t completely free from that emotion.
“Isn’t that too selfish?”
“Yes?”
The sharpness in the Saint’s eyes dulled somewhat.
She glared at Lisir with a disgusted expression.
“To wield such tremendous power without paying any price. Instead, you enjoy all sorts of benefits. How is that possible?”
“…”
Lisir humbly bowed his head.
Lisir, who had become somewhat accustomed to his unreasonable ability and could now take people’s complaints in stride—
was somewhat unable to maintain a brazen attitude in front of the Saint, who had met her end through endless devotion and sacrifice.
“Tara, I understand your feelings, but don’t say too much. Frankly, what did Lisir do wrong?”
Yes.
That’s right.
The Saint was about to readily agree, but then felt a sense of injustice.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to have abilities related to Illusion Magic? Or are you planning to learn Illusion Magic?”
“Tara!?”
The fairy involuntarily gasped.
For fear that the man might casually reveal the tremendous power that negated the fairy’s illusions!
Then, the Saint looked at the fairy and smiled faintly.
How about that?
Is this still the right thing to say?
The fairy said with a solemn face.
“Lisir… you might be a sinner…”
“…”
The confession between the Saint and the sinner（?） continued for a while after that.
✦✦✦
Once the situation calmed down, Lisir felt a slight sense of disappointment.
Exuviation.
Unique Color.
Thanks to the Hero Party, he thought he would understand the nature of his abilities and find his path forward—
‘Another miss.’
What he realized was the depth of its unfathomable nature.
Hero Party.
An unfathomable power that even the knowledge of ancient Great Heroes couldn’t define.
‘So, once again, my future will be filled with countless unknowns and mysteries.’
The Saint who had passed away as a price for using her powerful abilities.
Was it because of his encounter with her?
Lisir began to worry more about the ‘price’ that might come someday.
That’s when Lisir was agonizing for his own reasons.
“Unnecessary worry. That’s a luxury, and a sin. Do you understand?”
“Yes?”
The Saint spoke to Lisir.
Although she was in her ‘Maria Dorin’ state, the Saint’s demeanor was subtly evident in her grumpy attitude and tone.
Lisir felt his scattered thoughts and emotions instantly focus.
“I never had unnecessary worries when I used the Purifying Power. Do you know why?”
“Uh… was it because of your faith in God…?”
“What.”
Flick.
The Saint smiled wryly.
It was a reaction as if she had heard a pretty good joke.
“That was a pretty good answer. But more than that—the reason I didn’t have unnecessary worries was because I was too busy dealing with the worries right in front of me.”
“Ah.”
Lisir unconsciously looked at her frail body.
Her body and energy, which had become weaker and more ill with each use of the Purifying Power.
Then Lisir looked down at his own body.
His perfectly healthy body, which had momentarily made the Saint’s eyes widen（?）.
Ha.
Lisir unconsciously chuckled.
It was exactly as the Saint had said.
To worry because things are going too well.
To worry about bad things that haven’t even happened yet.
It was a worry of being overly full.
A sin of ‘deception’, perhaps.
“So.”
Tap.
The Saint casually took Lisir’s hand.
It was an action that he absolutely didn’t want to do because he was embarrassed, but he couldn’t go against his instincts.
“Don’t wander off. There’s no need to worry about things that don’t need to be worried about by looking elsewhere.”
The Saint moved her lips.
She seemed hesitant about how to bring up the next words.
Finally, she returned to her Saintly form and continued.
“Great Hero.”
“…!”
“Believe in yourself.”
The Saint’s divine energy was now strongly embracing Lisir.
“Yes.”
Lisir deeply engraved the Saint’s words in his heart and nodded with firm eyes.
The delusion disappeared from within him.
✦✦✦
“By the way, you.”
“Yes?”
“You seem to have quite good talent for divine power. Instead of letting it go to waste, why don’t you try learning Divine Magic?”
“Oh—”
Lisir’s eyes widened at the unexpected and radical suggestion.
‘I’m currently learning Nature Magic, is that okay?’
But for a moment—
He couldn’t refuse the offer of guidance from someone who was the very symbol of Divine Magic, saying ‘I have a prior engagement, it’s inconvenient’.
‘Ah, I don’t know. If I do well at both, it’ll somehow work out.’
In the first place, wasn’t his vision, Dark Magic Swordsmanship, about using various powers flexibly and skillfully?
Learning various powers also aligned with the principles of Dark Magic Swordsmanship.
That’s right.
Having made up his mind, Lisir nodded.
“What a surprise. ‘Maria Dorin’ teaching someone Divine Magic.”
“Don’t say useless things.”
“Lisir, do you know how amazing this opportunity is? It’s like learning Black Magic from a demon?”
“What kind of metaphor… will she understand that kind of metaphor?”
“Ah! I have learned Black Magic from a demon!”
“…”
“…”
A gaze passed between the two Great Heroes.
Is it okay? Divine Magic?
I don’t know. I don’t know what’s what anymore.
Anyway.
Thus, Lisir stayed in the Saint’s Village and became her disciple, receiving guidance in divine power.
✦✦✦
The Saint’s guidance began the next morning.
After waking up early and completing his routine training in Dark Magic Swordsmanship and Nature Magic, Lisir went to the Cathedral with the Saint.
As the Cathedral came into view, Lisir softly spoke.
“But, is it alright? I don’t particularly serve God, so even if I learn Divine Magic—”
“Whether you serve God or believe in Him, it doesn’t matter.”
“Yes?”
“No matter what you are, God will embrace you without discrimination. As He does with all beings in the world.”
“Oh…”
Lisir felt her strong faith coloring even him.
‘No, Saint, you’re too—but what? Am I going to become a priest here?’
Lisir arrived at the Cathedral while having such worries.
Was it because the topic had changed to ‘divine’?
Lisir felt the divine energy filling the Cathedral’s interior.
He unconsciously compared it to the High Priest of the Order he had met before.
Then, a gasp escaped his lips.
‘If I just gather the Saint’s energy remaining in this space, I could easily create a High Priest, couldn’t I?’
The Saint’s divine guidance.
Lisir’s expectations were gradually rising.
It was the moment he was about to gaze at the Saint with the eyes of a shining disciple.
-…~
-#@!#@!
-…nim.
-Saint… please hear my prayer…
“Huh?”
Lisir looked around in surprise.
A sacred and solemn whisper had come from somewhere.
As Lisir was trying to figure out the source of the whisper, the Saint approached the statue of God.
And as she was about to naturally kneel—
“Ah.”
Remembering Lisir’s presence, she stopped in an awkward posture.
Ha. Sigh.
How am I going to explain this again?
Such a voice seemed to come from her face as she looked at Lisir.
A moment later.
She cautiously opened her mouth.
“Will you wait there for a moment? I have some urgent business right now. What is it, you ask—”
“Ah, are the priests offering prayers to the Saint?”
Huh?
Right.
This makes sense?
The Saint’s expression, which had been stiff with frustration and embarrassment, softened.
“Huh?”
And then, it immediately stiffens even more than before.
“Wait. How did you know that?”
“I could hear it.”
Awkward posture.
Wide-open eyes.
The Saint stared at Lisir.
“Why （how） did you hear that?”
The devotees’ prayers were conveyed through their deep faith.
To a stranger.
✦✦✦
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