Chapter 211 – Lucille (2)

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I impulsively took Yoo-seong’s hand.

I followed his innocent lead and stepped out into the world.

The world I had longed for.

The world I had feared so much.

The world beyond the fence.

What was all that worrying for?

Even I thought my decision was made too lightly.

I didn’t pack any belongings; the clothes I was wearing were my only preparation.

Held in Yoo-seong’s arms, I left the bleak room behind.

The scenery I had only watched from afar through the window now came right before my eyes.

As it rapidly passed by, the changing environment made Lucille burst into laughter without realizing it.

It was this simple.

It was this close and easy.

What had I been doing all this time?

“Will you be okay?”

“Huh? With what?”

“The church won’t just sit still.”

The church wouldn’t let her go so easily.

Once they realized the saintess had escaped, they desperately pursued her.

Lucille was a far more important figure than she realized.

She could heal any illness.

She could even reverse aging.

Every human desires eternal life.

An unyielding body. Eternal youth. Immortality.

The saintess could turn impossible dreams into reality.

The church offered her blessings to powerful figures across nations.

The blessings were like an addictive drug; once tasted, it was impossible to let go.

Lost youth returned.

Health stolen by time was restored.

Warriors past their prime regained their strength.

Beauties faded by age regained their former glory.

Wealthy men waiting to die from illness were given a new future.

Those who received her blessings paid their dues to the church.

To receive the blessing once more.

To maintain their regained youth.

Naturally, the church’s influence grew exponentially.

The existence of the saintess was kept a strict secret.

Miracles become more valuable the more they are monopolized.

Through the blessed saintess, the church amassed immense wealth and power.

The declining status of the church was restored to its former glory.

Nobles from powerful nations, even kings, groveled before the church.

But the church wasn’t satisfied with just this.

If the saintess’s blessings were an irresistible drug.

Power was no different.

The higher one climbs, the more they desire to go even higher—such is human greed.

But now, the saintess, Lucille, essential to their rosy future, had disappeared. The foundation of their power and wealth had vanished. A structure without a foundation is bound to collapse. 

The church, with bloodshot eyes, chased after the saintess. And it wasn’t just the church. Every powerful figure who knew of her existence sought her. 

They craved her blessings. It was a competition. Whoever got to her first would gain everything.

“Everyone will want me. They’ll try to take me.”

“It’s fine.”

Yoo-seong responded to Lucille’s worries as if it were nothing.

“I’ll protect you, my Saintess.”

And he did.

Yoo-seong possessed immense power.

Not because he came from a powerful family, or was a high-ranking politician, or owned endless wealth.

But he had power. More than enough.

Physical strength.

Strength is the most primal form of power.

The church’s attempts to forcibly take Lucille back turned to nothing. The same went for the powerful figures of various nations. 

When force didn’t work, they tried other methods. They tried to persuade her with words, offered conditions to lure her, and even framed her to threaten her.

But Yoo-seong only smirked.

He didn’t resort to any special methods.

He simply had a ‘conversation’ with a few high-ranking individuals as an example.

It was such a pleasant conversation that their mansions were half-destroyed.

At some point, the pursuit stopped. At least, it wasn’t overt anymore. They were surely still watching, but he decided not to care as long as they didn’t interfere.

“Lucille, how much do you know about the ‘otherworldly monsters’?”

After the situation settled, Yoo-seong asked with a serious expression.

Monsters. Lucille had a rough idea. The church had told her about them. They had scared her, saying that outside, dangerous creatures like monsters roamed, so she shouldn’t leave carelessly.

“I remember hearing that they’re monsters that have been attacking people for about 80 years…”

Ordinary people are in danger just by seeing a monster.

It starts with mild nausea or seizures.

Then nosebleeds, vomiting blood, or even crying blood before fainting.

In the worst cases, people go completely insane or die.

“They’re extremely dangerous, but if handled properly, they’re not a problem…”

The church had added this in case Lucille ever decided to help people.

It wasn’t a complete lie.

The otherworldly monsters were indeed dangerous, but not enough to threaten humanity’s survival.

But it wasn’t the whole truth either.

There was an unspoken condition: ‘for now.’

“It’s not wrong, but… it seems you don’t know the details.”

Yoo-seong had gathered a lot of information while searching for the hidden saintess.

He had a rough understanding of her situation.

Even common knowledge was unfamiliar to her.

“Alright, I’ll explain it to you in detail.”

Yoo-seong cleared his throat and began to speak.

The invasion of the monsters and the state of the war so far.

Why her help was needed.

He explained everything from start to finish.

“The monsters invade our world through rifts in space-time.”

Once a rift opens, countless monsters pour through.

No one knows when or where a rift to the otherworld will open.

That’s why, whenever an invasion begins, there’s massive loss of life.

“The first rift appeared about 80 years ago.”

An entire city disappeared from the map.

The estimated death toll exceeded 100,000.

And that’s only counting those directly killed by the monsters.

If you include deaths from mental corruption, accidents while fleeing, and other factors, the number skyrockets by dozens of times.

“And 27 years later, the second rift opened.”

This time, thanks to past experience, they were able to respond quickly.

They could, but even so, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers.

“The third rift opened 23 years later.”

And the fourth rift opened 19 years after that.

As Lucille listened to Yoo-seong’s explanation, she furrowed her brow.

There was information she couldn’t just gloss over.

“The intervals… are getting shorter, aren’t they?”

Even one occurrence is a disaster with unimaginable consequences.

But the frequency of these disasters was gradually increasing.

While it took 27 years for the second rift to appear.

The fourth rift opened just 19 years later.

The next rift would likely open even sooner.

“That’s not the only problem.”

Yoo-seong spoke with a deeply serious expression.

There was an issue just as critical as the monster invasions.

“There aren’t enough people who can fight the monsters.”

Ordinary people suffer mental corruption just from witnessing a monster.

That’s why, during the first invasion, they were slaughtered without being able to put up a proper fight.

“Only supernaturals, whose minds are protected, can fight the monsters.”

“But the saints blessed by the Four Seasons…”

“Right. There are fewer than 20 in the entire world.”

A number far too small to protect people from the monster invasions.

The monsters that weren’t exterminated scattered across the world.

They hid in places untouched by humans and made their lairs.

Then, they periodically attacked people. Much blood soaked the earth.

Just when they thought they had finally exterminated all the monsters after a long struggle, a new rift would open.

It was a vicious cycle caused by the lack of people capable of fighting.

“I heard that in the empire, they drugged soldiers to make them fight the monsters.”

Surprisingly, it worked. The soldiers, intoxicated and dazed, were relatively safe from mental corruption. 

But even that was only a temporary solution. Most of the time, there were no survivors, even if they won the battle. Even if they survived, they often didn’t last long. 

That’s why they used criminals with heavy sentences as soldiers to fight the monsters.

“I’ve been wandering the world, hunting monsters.”

Ever since I became aware of my abilities.

It just felt like something I had to do.

I didn’t have to.

No one told me to.

But if I had the power to prevent disasters.

And if I just stood by and did nothing while people died.

I’d feel guilty, as if it were my fault.

“…So, what you’re asking of me is to help fight the monsters?”

Lucille thought she understood what Yoo-seong meant by ‘world peace.’

At first, she thought it was just a childish fantasy.

But his words were meant literally.

Protecting people from the monsters.

Protecting the peace of the world.

“That’s part of it, but what I’m asking for is a bit different.”

Defeating the monsters is important.

But the aftermath is even more critical.

Killing the monsters isn’t the end.

“The monsters corrupt the land. No, it’s more like they infected it. The places where monsters live change—both the environment and the laws.”

The lairs of the monsters are transformed, even down to their natural laws.

They become worlds suited for monsters, not humans.

The corpses of dead monsters become germs. They infect the world.

“Lands with strong spiritual veins are fine. Powerful spiritual veins can purify the corruption on their own.”

But there are far more lands without spiritual veins than with them.

“I can purify the corruption with my power. I can, but… it’s not very efficient.”

“So, what you’re asking of me is…”

“Yes, the purification of the land.”

To cleanse the lands corrupted by the monsters.

To turn lands uninhabitable for humans back into livable places.

It’s something difficult for the Chosen Ones but easy for the blessed saintess.

“It’ll be a tough journey. Can I ask this of you?”

“You’re asking a bit late, aren’t you?”

Lucille smiled wryly as she looked at Yoo-seong.

Wasn’t it too late to be asking that question now?

The answer was already decided.

“Let’s work together, you and I.”

It definitely won’t be easy.

As he said, it’ll surely be a difficult journey.

But Lucille felt no fear at all.

It was strange. She had longed for the outside world but was too afraid to take a single step.

Yet, even though she was about to embark on a dangerous journey, she felt no fear. 

Lucille smiled brightly. Seeing Yoo-seong smile, she couldn’t help but smile too.

That’s right.

Yeah, so what if it’s dangerous?

It might not be an easy path.

But this person will keep protecting me.

He’ll stay by my side.

So, I’m not scared at all.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
I fell in love at first sight. -Lucille

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Being used by a fool is better than being used by a cunning man!