episode_0031

As I watched the girl muttering words like “fluorescent… hand,” I quickly turned my head after a long time.

A warm feeling emanated from the light, and the few lingering wounds on my body from wearing heavy armor were neatly healed. It was healing magic.

Magic, whatever it may be. Even if Beom-boo twisted his whole body, he couldn’t use it, and it seemed like something that could only be used after rolling around in a university or church for a while.

The reason for the frustration was that the common knowledge of having talent in magic in a past life didn’t sit well with him.

From the introductory conditions of being able to read and write, even if the learning period was short, it had been over five years.

Of course, just as there were exceptional talents in this world, it was not uncommon for some to learn magic faster than others, but…

Even so, I am skeptical about whether the girl received adequate education to be able to acquire magic.

It is possible that the girl knows how to read… that could be true. It could be possible if her father was a secretary and her home environment supported her, it wouldn’t be impossible.

However, magic is a slightly different story.

In an era where stories are passed down orally, even if there are exaggerations and biases in the process, no magician of that age group has ever been heard of.

Moreover, the village where the girl was picked up was not that large, so even if the village priest could use simple magic, he would not have the capacity to teach.

So.

“If it’s not just learning magic?”

The only shortcut to acquiring magic.

Regardless of talent and background, isn’t there a way for everyone?

To perform some kind of miracle and rise to the ranks of adults.

It is more likely that I saw something wrong, but it was clear that Lycia used magic. And that was definitely not the power of a relic.

So there is only one possible conclusion to consider.

“Lycia, how did you use magic?”

“Well, um…”

“If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”

There was no need to pry, so I said to the hesitant girl.

Is there a reason she can’t speak? And how does it relate to her desire to go to university?

Looking back, the girl said she wanted to learn from the saint.

If it was not just a simple academic fervor or ambition, but rather something related to her situation, it somewhat made sense.

But if she wanted to meet the saint, it would have been better to talk to the church than to me.

“Have you been caught by anyone else?”

“No. Oh, there was a close call though…”

“If you haven’t been caught yet, it’s fine. Just in case, what do you think about informing the church?”

“I’d rather you didn’t mention that.”

“Hmm…”

“Hey, you promised! Right?”

If she had thought about revealing herself as a saint, she could have just told Father Pippin and he would have delivered her to the university with express delivery after taking a quick trip to the Papal Palace. And if she wanted to avoid the church’s wrath, traveling with me, a mere knight, would have made the journey safer.

Yet, if she wanted to go to the university with me, it could only be interpreted as not wanting to be caught by the church.

There was no need to ask why she didn’t inform the church herself. There were more than a few corners to suspect.

If she had been watching by my side, she would have witnessed the church’s ominous stumbles more than once. If she was a clever girl, she would understand this fact well.

Of course, there are cases like Father Pippin of Bolle, who live faithfully and uphold morals and ethics in their own way.

But the conniving politics, tightrope walking, and conspiracies of the Papal Palace, the head of the church, were not like that.

Therefore, this can be seen as the trust that Lycia is sending to me.

The belief that even after revealing this fact, she will not tell the church. And since she promised to keep the secret, it would be right to respond.

As I nodded my head in understanding, the girl seemed to sigh softly as if relieved.

The faint blue light diminished and soon faded away. And I didn’t just see that light when I received healing.

As my gaze shifted to my waist, at the end of it, the fluorescent sword was still there, guarding its place in the scabbard.

There was one question that arose here. If Lycia is a saint, then perhaps.

“Lycia.”

“Yes?”

Although I already suspected it deep down, there was still a possibility.

I cautiously asked the girl.

“Did you bless my sword by any chance?”

“That… yes, I did. Was there a problem? I’m sorry for doing it without permission…”

“No, there’s no problem. And I’m not looking for an apology. I just… have other things to think about.”

And there were not just one or two things to think about.

I slowly recalled what I did while looking at the glowing sword.

“Come down here.”

“Why are you saying that?”

“It’s a fluorescent sword.”

“….”

When I first discovered it while swinging the sword outside, I said this to Lycia.

And it wasn’t just once or twice. The accumulated experiences over the past few months were not light at all.

I used to show it to other people at the inns we visited. And every time, Lycia silently watched me.

Now I could understand the reason behind the subtle expressions the girl made.

*****

Since she wanted to hide the fact that she was a saint, I decided to coordinate my words with Lycia.

Just in case someone witnessed the use of magic, we should leave room for plausible deniability.

“Alright, let’s do this. First, let’s add about five years to your age when introducing yourself, and if someone asks if you’re using magic?”

“I’ll say it’s thanks to a relic.”

The girl said, showing the necklace around her neck.

It would work on most ordinary people. Of course, we should be cautious around skilled priests who might see through it, as she had almost been exposed once.

“Okay, and if a priest sees through it, what should you say?”

“That… it’s because I’m amazing!”

And I would roughly respond, praising Lycia, and put on a poker face.

Fifteen was too young an age to use magic, but if there were any objections, according to the medieval pro and con debate law, we could prove it with force. And the opponent would crumble in front of the fluorescent sword without any power.

Moreover, if someone claimed not to be the person in question, what could they do?

In a world where people even dared to impersonate adults, denying oneself would at least make others doubt, but they wouldn’t push further.

In the end, I didn’t directly ask the girl if she was a saint or what miracles she had performed.

Although we both tacitly knew the fact that she was a saint, making each other acknowledge it directly was a different matter.

At the same time, this was for the sake of the dignity that had been questioned and left behind, and by mutual necessity, we could ultimately agree to leave the past where it belonged.

After aligning the basics, it was time to move on to the next issue. I asked Lycia.

“So, you want to help the people in Philah?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s hear the reasons first. Why?”

It’s not an easy time to see others helping.

It’s not that the medieval era was primitive, but rather that the situation was not conducive to it.

In such an era, the value of sharing shines even more, but it also means that it is more difficult to practice.

“…because they need salvation. And perhaps, it’s something that only I can do.”

The response that came back was rather saintly, one could say.

“Do not turn away those who are facing difficulties as the duty given by God to adults. However, even if she was considered a saint, the answer from a girl of that age was not suitable.

Whether she sensed my doubts or not, Lycia added.

“I learned to willingly help those who ask for it.”

She didn’t ask who I was calling stupid. The target was clear.

And it was right to feel ashamed of not keeping the things I had said for educational purposes on the way to the Papal Palace.

“This is not me trying to teach you, it’s just how I think.”

“No, you are right. I was wrong.”

But even though she was an adult, it was a dignified thought that was not easily accepted. It was better to look for excuses in front of injustice than I, who often sought them.

Even though the educator was in trouble, the student was clever, which was fortunate. Thanks to that, I knew what to do.

I gently patted the girl’s head and said.

“Alright, let’s go.”