A Great Being (9)

“Hmm, it’s a bit disappointing that I can’t strike them all down.”

I smirked as I looked at the scene before me. If I had my way, I’d like to drive out or thoroughly beat all those who were barking at me, but I lacked justification.

After all, if they break their stubbornness and finally agree to my persuasion, it’s hard to push them further.

I haven’t yet investigated what cute conspiracies they’re plotting within the Order. I wasn’t particularly interested either.

If I forced it, it seems I could punish those holy knights who attacked me, but it felt like it would be to my disadvantage to cause unnecessary commotion dealing with such trivial beings.

Since I’ve stepped forward directly, I need to manage my image. It can’t be helped. Having decided to imitate a 10,000-year-old monster, image-making is essential.

“Proceed with the ceremony quickly. As newly decided, one hero and two Saints will awaken today.”

The young Chief Priest, the eldest son of the previous Chief Priest, backed by Lebevre, conducted the ceremony. Maria, whom I had directly made acknowledged, and the two existing candidates would all undergo this ceremony and awaken.

“—, —. —-.”

“Is that so?”

Through the water spirit that had newly communed with me, I learned exactly what this ceremony was. It stimulates later generations with holy water in which the first Saint dissolved her power, awakening that power.

The power of Parma, which purifies everything, made this possible.

It purifies the ‘flaws’ that descendants inevitably have as the blood dilutes, awakening the power passed down from ancestors.

‘That helps me too.’

I grinned and proudly stood watching the three people slowly walking towards me. They approached me, carefully immersing their bodies in the holy water, wearing only clean white cotton clothes.

Because it’s not very deep, it only comes up to the chest of these not yet fully grown individuals.

“Strictly speaking, I am an outsider to this matter, but the water spirit dwelling in the holy water has conveyed the ancestral teachings that you didn’t know all this time. I am someone who grew up directly seeing beings like the origin of the Order, so I should at least convey the teachings of the first Saint, their descendant.”

Once I’ve decided to act and stepped forward, I intend to do it thoroughly. It seems the life of lazily playing and enjoying comfortably that I initially intended is already ruined.

“You three descendants, and of course everyone here, must willingly fight against the calamity that has befallen the world.”

I, who had entered the water before them, naturally moved the holy water through communion with the water spirit, which was rapidly growing thanks to the holy water.

Water, a nature with completely different properties from wind and earth, now moved like my limbs and enveloped their bodies. They probably don’t feel very good about it.

It must feel like being wrapped in damp tentacles.

Still, the ceremony itself ended quickly. It’s just a matter of forcibly inserting the power dwelling in that water into their bodies.

While they were stunned by the power they were encountering for the first time, I calmly watched them from a step away.

“You are the true Saint, Maria. Your responsibility is that much greater.”

And when they staggered, I caught Maria first.

This child got involved in this purely because of me. I couldn’t help but be more concerned about her than the other two children.

* * *

“The three who collapsed from exhaustion have all arrived safely at their lodgings. Just like the records, but the amount of power they received during awakening…”

“Of course they awakened more easily than others because I helped. You lot just immersed your bodies without properly knowing the intentions of the Saint who created the sacred place or the use of the holy water.”

Dawn must have already broken outside, but I still couldn’t leave this underground cave.

Lebevre, who approached me soaked in water, carefully opened his mouth. The others were just watching my mood and keeping their mouths shut.

“You don’t like it, do you? After all, I entered a place where even priests can’t immerse their bodies.”

When I smirked, gathering the moisture on my body into droplets and floating them, the priests all flinched at once. Clearly, according to the ‘rules’ they had kept for thousands of years, my entering the pool with the candidates was an act close to blasphemy.

However, they couldn’t open their mouths even knowing this.

Aren’t I older than the holiness they so believe in and follow? These central figures gathered from across the continent are devout enough to be called fanatics, but the Order of Light was not the ordinary religion I knew.

It was a religion where god, divine power, and miracles actually existed.

They can’t carelessly ignore me, who existed on the same level as those miracles, calling me an evil heretic or whatever. I clearly exist even at this moment. Indeed, fists are closer than the law.

“Please make this clear, mythical High Elf. Is your intention perhaps that of the elves who recently formed an alliance…”

“The elves of this era are certainly my descendants, but at the same time, they are distant beings. I did visit those poor descendants and give them some advice, but I’m not their ruler and they are not my subordinates. Arisa, who followed me, didn’t follow me because I’m an elf, but purely as a warrior to serve me, so you don’t need to worry about the issue you’re concerned about.”

In the end, the first to gather courage was the Chief Priest. I didn’t like the old men using a mere teenager in his late teens as a shield, but anyway, he’s the leader.

“From the beginning, I don’t belong anywhere. Do you think there are those in this world who can dare to embrace me? There is no force using me to interfere with the Order.”

It might sound a bit arrogant, but this was my sincere thought. Rather than becoming a leader, I had no intention of going under anyone. There was no reason or need to do so.

“Indeed, those words of the High Elf are correct. Even the foremost empire or the largest alliance has a history of at most a few hundred years. No one in this world can embrace an adult like you.”

“…”

The priest Lebevre introduced as Coppelius nodded vigorously and affirmed my words. Although I created such an atmosphere, I felt uneasy for a moment, wondering if they were really going to treat me like a real old person.

“What do you all think? Our Order has merely received grace. From an ancestor who came from the distant past. This is not outside interference.”

“Ahem, now that I hear it, that does seem right.”

Still, public opinion among the priests began to tilt rapidly. They think it’s better to join hands rather than attacking me now by calling me a heretic, which wouldn’t work at all.

I had no intention of swallowing up the Order either. I’m satisfied just being a collaborator.

“Although immature, Maria and Ian’s powers and authority are the same as those of the ancestors I saw in that era. They should certainly be able to purify the erosion.”

“Do you really intend to help those two?”

“That’s the only option. It’s true that something that must be solved has occurred in the world.”

The aftermath of revealing myself is still confined to the Order headquarters, but I didn’t believe that the mouths of these priest and holy knight bastards, numbering easily 100, were completely sealed.

My identity will likely spread across the continent before long. My only option was to hide even more thoroughly when hiding, and reveal more boldly when revealing.

“Of course, it’s beyond our wildest dreams for the High Elf to help with their training, but…”

“If I leave you alone, it seems you’ll just mess around among yourselves again. Not knowing what’s more important.”

“Hmm…”

Lebevre couldn’t deny my words.

Using the Saint and hero for political maneuvering was one of the Order’s bad practices. The holy water and branches of the Order spread across the continent were both necessary exchanges and fatal daggers for each ruler.

If the Order decides to abandon somewhere, that force is instantly expelled from the order.

“There’s supposedly a source of danger that looks like erosion nearby. Let’s deal with that first.”

I decided to stay with the Order for a while longer, both to resolve my sense of responsibility towards Maria and to erase the erosion that had to be dealt with anyway.

Although they’re at a toddler level now, Maria and Ian need to grow as quickly as possible and do more than their share so that my work decreases too.

“The Chief Priest has already decided to seek advice from the High Elf on the treatment of the Hero and Saints. Do as you wish.”

Lebevre nodded with a satisfied smile. In the end, it was the leisure he could afford as the biggest winner.

He is still second-in-command, and now that I’ve appeared, no one will be able to covet that position.

‘Those few I pointed out. Keep a close eye on them.’

It would be nice if this were the end, but just in case.

I used the wind spirits to keep surveillance. The targets were those who had been sulking and keeping their mouths shut until everything was settled. I doubt they’d do anything strange in this situation, but historically, there have always been steady madmen.