Ch.139Chapter 139 – Consciousness (1)

[“It could be dangerous.”]

The high priest looked down at Christina with concern.

[“Your divine power was fundamentally the same, so it could accidentally mix with other divine powers, but this divine power is clearly different—it’s Lady Evgenia’s divine power.”]

“Since divine powers can’t mix, that’s why it’s dangerous, right?”

The high priest quietly nodded.

Christina briefly folded her hands in prayer, then spoke again.

“I am Lady Evgenia’s nun.”

Christina said with determination, as if reminding herself.

“…Even if I’ve actually been using another god’s divine power, even if that god no longer exists, I’m still a nun who decided to work for her.”

Christina gazed at the fragment for a moment.

“Even if another god had absorbed Lady Evgenia’s power, the fact that I chose to serve Lady Evgenia doesn’t change.”

[“Still though….”]

“There’s one more reason.”

Christina looked back at the high priest and said.

“I think if I were to transfer this much divine power to someone else without any conditions, something bad would surely happen.”

[“The fact that rituals are required to use divine power is partly to prevent people from using divine power without any restrictions.”]

Christina nodded at the high priest’s words.

“On the other hand, I’m already in a state where I can use her divine power through the Evgenia Order’s rituals. Rather than forcing the divine power into someone else, my body, which can already use divine power, would be more suitable.”

Christina spoke with a slight smile.

It was a somehow hollow smile.

A smile that gave off a strangely unsettling feeling.

“It’s killing two birds with one stone since I can also repay my benefactor for helping me in the past.”

[“…On the contrary, I think you would be in the most danger. After all, it’s fundamentally a different god. Even if the contract to handle divine power is established, it’s still a contract with a different god, so side effects could occur.”]

“I might damage my body to the point where I can never use divine power again.”

[“If something goes wrong, your life could be in danger.”]

“I see.”

Christina prayed briefly.

Then she quietly spoke.

“That’s okay. I’ll do it.”

[“…You’re stubborn, young lady.”]

“Isn’t it okay to be stubborn at times like this?”

The high priest and Christina looked at each other.

Soon, the high priest sighed.

[“You’re not just recklessly volunteering because you found out Lady Evgenia is gone, are you?”]

Christina couldn’t answer for a moment.

Her eyes trembled slightly.

‘That hit the mark.’

I thought her hollow smile seemed off somehow.

Seeing her like that, Sera stepped forward.

“Chris, I really think you should stop…”

Sera intervened to stop Christina.

Perhaps because her close friend was trying to stop her, Christina stared at Sera for a while.

Then she quietly said.

“I can’t. Divine power can only be used through a contract with a god. If the wrong person undergoes the ritual, there will definitely be side effects.”

Christina firmly cut off Sera’s concerns.

But her arm was trembling slightly.

I quietly stepped forward and spoke.

“I also think it’s better to stop.”

“Thank you, benefactor. But even if something goes wrong, I’m the one with the strength to endure it, so I should be the one to receive it.”

“That doesn’t mean I can let you put yourself in danger recklessly.”

Christina looked at me.

I looked back at her and quietly said.

“Unlike me, you have people waiting for you.”

“That’s…”

Christina fell into thought for a moment, then hung her head dejectedly.

“They would understand.”

Christina said weakly.

Then she shook her head.

“They would be sad.”

I remembered the priest who was sad when Christina was hurt.

If the church people are family to her, then she is family to the church people too.

Who wouldn’t grieve over the death of family?

I quietly said to Christina.

“I think that gods shouldn’t come before people.”

I honestly express the thought that comes to mind.

“People believe in and serve gods for their own sake. People don’t exist for the sake of gods.”

Christina’s eyes wavered slightly.

“If you’re doing this for yourself, then I won’t try to stop you anymore.”

Christina bowed her head.

And quietly said.

“But they are… unique beings…”

“If gods are unique beings in this world, remember that you too are a unique being in this world.”

I looked at Christina and spoke quietly.

“At least from my perspective as someone who doesn’t believe in gods, I want you to know that you are more precious.”

Silence spread around us.

After a while, Christina raised her head.

She was smiling with a peaceful expression.

“You really do dislike gods, benefactor.”

“…I’ve been harmed by people who claim to believe in gods.”

I was obviously referring to the Emiris Order.

Christina smiled.

“Indeed. What terrible people.”

Christina said with a peaceful face.

Then she looked at the high priest.

“I’m sorry.”

[“Are you giving up?”]

“No. I’ll undergo the ritual.”

Just as I was about to speak again after Christina’s words,

Christina was looking at us with a bright smile.

“I could come up with various reasons, but I’ve found the most important one. I’ll undergo the ritual.”

[“What reason is that?”]

Christina hesitated a little.

Then she smiled again and said.

“For the sake of those I care about, not Lady Evgenia, I’ll undergo the ritual.”

Looking at the high priest while saying something that might seem blasphemous, Christina waited.

The high priest quietly looked at Christina.

Then she looked at Beatrice.

[“You, witch.”]

“What?”

[“Sorry, but could you undo this? I’m going to start the ritual.”]

The high priest said with a somewhat relieved expression.

“Thank you.”

Christina said with a smile.

+

After Beatrice undid the chains, the high priest waved her hand once.

The wall beside them flipped, revealing a space.

“That’s…”

[“Follow me.”]

Following the high priest into that space, a passage appeared.

We quietly walked down that passage.

“Where is this?”

[“It’s a place I prepared in advance for the ritual we’re about to perform.”]

Something like a magic circle was drawn on the floor.

But it seemed different from an ordinary magic circle, as Beatrice frowned when she saw it.

“What is this thing?”

[“It doesn’t really have a name… since it’s for a ritual, maybe a ritual circle, no, a divine ritual circle?”]

What an inconvenient name.

“Let’s just call it a magic circle.”

Why use a different name when there’s already a suitable one?

The high priest seemed uncomfortable and began to protest.

[“A magic circle? This is clearly a circle engraved with high-level techniques using divine arts. It’s incomparable to mere magic circles!”]

“Helmet, you’re going to lump this together as a magic circle? Magic circles are the result of years of research and continuous improvement. Even if they look similar, don’t compare them to something this rough and crude.”

Beatrice also started protesting to me.

After venting their complaints to me, they soon looked at each other.

And then they growled at each other.

[“Are you done talking? Crude?”]

“Incomparable? Anyone can see it’s full of copied elements.”

With those words, the two began to bicker lightly.

Unable to watch anymore, Eve stepped in.

“Both of you, that’s enough. We’re not here to show off knowledge, are we?”

[“…Fine, I’ll be the adult and let it go.”]

“What did you say, you old hag?”

The two growled at each other again.

Watching them, Eve quietly said to me.

“So this is what they mean by birds of a feather flock together.”

“In her case, she seems strangely happy about it.”

[“Ahem!”]

When Sera said that, the high priest seemed to realize something and cleared her throat loudly.

She made a show of adjusting her clothes, though it was probably unnecessary.

After a moment, the high priest stood next to Christina.

[“I should warn you in advance, it will be quite painful.”]

The high priest spoke seriously.

Christina quietly nodded at those words.

[“For safety, I’ll drain your divine power to its limit while you absorb Lady Evgenia’s divine power. Then her divine power will gradually fill you as a vessel.”]

“And if there’s a rejection, we don’t know what might happen.”

[“As you said earlier, you might permanently lose the ability to use divine power.”]

The high priest said with concern.

[“Are you okay with that?”]

“Yes.”

Christina answered without hesitation.

The high priest nodded once, moved away from Christina, and waved her arm.

[“Lie down in the center.”]

As instructed, Christina went to the magic circle and lay down in the center.

Meanwhile, the high priest looked at us.

[“I’ll warn you in advance. No matter what happens, do not interfere.”]

“Because it could ruin the ritual?”

[“Yes. And if the ritual is ruined, we don’t know what might happen.”]

The high priest warned that it definitely wouldn’t end well.

She said this especially while looking at me and Sera.

After warning us, she spread her hands, and several magic circle-like formations appeared around.

[“Then I’ll begin.”]

After a moment, the light in the room grew brighter.

And the magic circle where Christina was lying also began to glow.

“Ugh…!”

Christina winced as if in pain.

Soon, a golden aura began to emanate from her, and another golden light began to seep into her.

‘…There was a slight difference after all.’

The golden light coming from Christina was slightly paler and occasionally showed a silvery hue.

The golden light now entering her was a distinct gold.

If the light coming from Christina felt somewhat cool, the light now entering her felt warm.

It was just a feeling, but that’s how it seemed.

Probably because the divine power was swirling so intensely.

After a while, Christina began to writhe.

Meanwhile, the light continued to seep into her more and more.

‘What was that?’

I had the impression that the light coming from Christina briefly took the form of a person.

I had the illusion that it gently caressed Christina’s cheek before disappearing.

A moment later.

The golden aura from Christina began to emanate more strongly.

+

“Ugh…ah…!”

It was painful.

It felt like her insides were burning.

Her blood felt like it was flowing backward, almost reversing.

Her insides were twisting, and her clothes felt heavier.

“Ugh…!”

Christina tried not to lose consciousness.

But consciousness began to drift further and further away.

‘If I lose consciousness now…’

At that moment, something caressed her cheek.

Some unknown entity made of a slightly silvery light.

It felt warm and cool at the same time.

Christina felt an inexplicable emotion, and then.

Suddenly the pain disappeared.

“…What?”

She had clearly been surrounded by bright light, but now her surroundings were dark.

Moreover, there was no one around.

“…Did I pass out from the pain?”

She briefly thought so, but something felt off.

There was a strange lack of reality.

It felt as if only her mind had been transported elsewhere from the midst of pain.

“…Wait, this is…”

Looking around, she realized one thing.

There were scenes floating around.

Screens showing her past and present.

It was the place she had visited before.

“Why am I here…”

Come to think of it, she had suddenly obtained the stone tablet after visiting this space.

‘Could this space be connected to that stone tablet?’

Christina thought as she looked around.

She could see recent scenes—visiting the count’s mansion and fighting with the high priest earlier.

“If I wait, will it be okay?”

She found herself smiling without realizing it.

Since it had been so painful earlier, being in this seemingly unconscious state might actually be easier to endure, she thought briefly.

‘Stay strong.’

She wasn’t sure if staying strong would affect the outcome.

Still, she thought of the people waiting for her.

‘The church people, Sera, Guildmaster Eve, Miss Beatrice, and my benefactor…’

Christina waited, thinking of each person precious to her.

Surely when the ritual ends…

“What are you doing sitting there?”

“Huh?”

Her eyes widened involuntarily.

Christina searched for the source of the voice.

“Where…”

“Here.”

The voice came from above.

Looking carefully, she saw “her” sitting on top of the scene where they had been fighting the high priest earlier.

“Kara!”

“Yes. It’s me.”

Kara said as she descended from atop the scene.

Like a ghost, gliding down.

Looking closely, she was even glowing with a faint silver light.

“It’s been a while.”

Kara said with a smile.