Chapter 73 – The Great Being (3)
“I had a clever idea.”
Returning to the city of humans, I smiled as I received Ethan’s report. In this case, it seemed that he had come up with the most optimal method based on the hints I had provided.
If there really is someone with the potential to be a Saintess, wouldn’t they eventually show up?
“Then… does that mean nothing will happen until the Saintess candidate directly touches the relic?”
“Not at the moment. It could take a few days, or even months.”
Hearing this, Arisa appeared dumbfounded. It seemed incomprehensible to her that time and money would be spent searching for someone whose existence was uncertain.
Well, even the leap engine, though superior to airplanes, had its conditions and wasn’t limitless.
“There’s no rush. There’s no urgency now, is there?”
I wanted to proceed slowly. With the issues concerning the Elves resolved and the World Tree planted, the remaining problem was the ongoing erosion, which was already a topic of public discourse, with many people thinking about countermeasures.
This was a matter threatening their land and lives.
Both the powerful and ordinary citizens would likely try their best to prevent it. If it were something I could do together with others, it would be different; I didn’t want to be the only one caught in the struggle.
Up until now, I had been running around since there was no other option, but now methods were starting to emerge one by one.
“Let’s go see. There’s not much else to do anyway.”
With this in mind, I set out with Arisa to observe the work that Ethan’s subordinates were doing.
Naturally, they were present in this city as well. Though I had already been informed about the plan, I needed to see how it played out in practice.
“It seems better than just staying in a room.”
Arisa followed along, looking pleased. Frankly, she had been openly bored being idle by my side for the past few days.
It seemed she thought that following me would guarantee her spectacular adventures, but that was a disappointing misunderstanding.
The only downside was that we both had to keep our faces covered. Since the Elves had stirred things up earlier, I was fine, but Arisa might still attract attention.
“Looks like it’s over there. With so many people gathered, it’s hard to miss.”
As we exited the hotel, it wasn’t long before we discovered where the activity was occurring. People were gathered where Arisa pointed, buzzing with excitement.
I suspected that the one who would inherit the power of the Saintess would be a human, yet the assembled crowd did not discriminate based on race or origin.
“Are they really offering gold just for touching this relic?”
“When you touch it, if something unusual happens, those who do will receive 100 gold coins!”
As I got closer, I could hear more clearly. Ethan’s subordinates were diligently going about their work.
“Is that really it?”
“No change at all. Go ahead. Next!”
With gold offered without any conditions, there was no reason not to try. It felt as if all the teenage girls in the city had gathered for the verification process.
All it took was to touch the prepared contaminated relic.
‘…I hope what I know isn’t wrong.’
The Saintess, known for her power over farming, was a well-known figure. A lot of information had been released about her, and what I knew was based entirely on that.
The fact that she was a teenage girl was also one of those aspects. But having seen how much the world had changed over the past 10,000 years, I couldn’t honestly make any determinations.
If that were the case, then all of this would be a wasted effort.
“It looks like today will be a bust.”
Arisa murmured, glancing at the dwindling volunteers with sympathy. The day was ending, and those who had gathered were all leaving.
Of course, if this rumor spread, people would keep coming for a few days.
“Honestly, the odds are low. With so many people in this world, how could we find her right away?”
Unlike Arisa, I didn’t feel particularly disappointed. Frankly, I saw this plan as having a better than fifty percent chance of failing.
However, I couldn’t give up on the water spirit, so I was planning to come up with another scheme as time passed.
“Hey, you. You seem to fit the criteria too. Why not give it a try?”
At that moment, one of Ethan’s subordinates, who was about to put the relic back in its box, pointed a finger at me. It was amusing to think about how shocked they would be if they knew why they were doing this, but it wasn’t an impossible misunderstanding.
Right now, I was dressed like an ordinary girl with only my face covered by a hood attached to my cape. I fit perfectly into the category of a teenage girl I had defined.
“I’ll decline, thank you. I wish you all the best tomorrow as well.”
“Huh?”
I flatly refused. The moment I touched that relic, the purification process would begin, making it meaningless.
“Let’s head back.”
Afterward, I spoke to Arisa and we returned to our lodging. At least I had confirmed that things were progressing well, so, if luck was on my side, I would receive news soon.
*
“What’s with this strange rumor?”
“It’s real… it appeared in the village, and they said they’d pay gold once it’s confirmed.”
“It still seems suspicious. They say if you prove your qualifications, you have to go to the city together to receive the money.”
In a village that was neither too small nor too large, known as a lower-class village, rumors began to circulate. People who had gone to the city were excitedly talking about the unusual sights they had seen. Those claiming to come from the upper class were looking for others with the ability to restore unrefined relics.
“Are the targets young girls? That’s too suspicious.”
Her friend couldn’t shake off her skepticism. The merchants had said that guardians or escorts could accompany them, but what if those guardians or escorts weren’t available?
Even in the middle of a busy city, it wasn’t rare for such girls to fall victim to human trafficking.
‘But 100 gold coins…’
Despite knowing better, she couldn’t easily fall asleep that night. It was an amount that was hard to forget, even when she heard her friend’s warnings.
Coincidentally, she planned to head to the city the next day with several people for some errands. Surely, simply touching a stone wouldn’t be too problematic.
There were plenty of people there, so it was unlikely anything would happen, and if she found herself unqualified, she could give up without regret.
“What’s that? Are they priests?”
The following morning, a group passed through her village.
“Oh my, they say one of them is a hero! They’re heading to the church headquarters in the city right now!”
“And they said the Saintess is with them.”
Thanks to the commotion caused by the villagers, she woke up with a start and learned the identities of the passing group. Knights in shining silver armor and numerous priests.
However, the existence that truly caught her attention was none other than the Saintess herself.
The Saintess is born with powerful healing abilities and holds the power to create miracles.
‘If it’s someone like that, surely!’
Without realizing it, she sprang into action. Leaving behind the crowd that had gathered, she dashed towards the procession passing through the village.
“Please save my father, who is gravely ill…”
Of course, she was caught by startled knights before she could even get close. The knights, experienced enough to control their strength even in surprising situations, were at least considerate enough not to crush her entirely against the ground.
At least the procession had come to a halt.
“Can’t you just get the holy water?”
“I heard she’s a poor farmer’s daughter who used her entire fortune to buy holy water, but even that didn’t work. Holy water is supposed to be a miracle cure but not a panacea for every illness.”
The priests in the carriage seemed indifferent. The power of holy water was simply drawn from the strength of the priests.
If the holy water didn’t work, it was likely the priest’s abilities wouldn’t either. A higher and stronger force was needed.
That meek girl pressed down to the ground mentioned the power of the Saintess.
“Is there really no other way?”
“It is indeed unfortunate, but hero, the person next to you, Melissa, has not awakened her powers yet.”
The priests glanced sideways. She, still crushed to the ground, did the same.
In stark contrast to her humiliating position on the dirt, a pair of young men and women sat in the splendid carriage prepared by the church. All around her age.
“You never know. It might be hard work, but if we forcibly extract her powers and mix them with the holy water, it could work.”
“Hey, Copelius. Are you suggesting we ask the Saintess to undergo such a painful process?”
“I’m just stating there are ways. The choice is yours,” he said.
There was a brief commotion among the priests. It was true that one of them spoke about the Saintess still being in the early stages of awakening, but it wasn’t impossible to extract her powers.
Though it could be a painful process where blood would have to be drawn to mix it with the holy water, it was true that a fine girl should be able to spare a few drops of blood.
‘This is a chance to see how merciful the new Saintess can be. There are plenty of eyes watching too.’
And the reason they didn’t act more actively was also politically advantageous. The hero and Saintess monopolized by the church might shake this world for another century.
All of it becoming the church’s possession.
“Melissa, it’s up to you to decide.”
The hero Ian looked at the short brown-haired girl sitting beside him, gauging her reaction. Ultimately, everything rested on the tongue of the would-be Saintess.
“I don’t want to.”
And with that, the girl smiled and answered without a hint of hesitation.
