Ch.237EP.53 – The Story of the Main Characters (2)

Several people were helping with the restoration work of the Grand Temple, which had been burned down in the previous day’s great fire.

Even though it had collapsed, it was still a temple, and there were still believers in the Light of Radiance.

…The problem was that those religious papers had been worse than monsters.

So while in the past, all citizens of the kingdom would have gathered to help, now only a very small number of people were lending their strength.

About 90 people?

Half of these were construction workers hired by Roen, meaning the volunteers who came of their own accord numbered a pitiful forty-five at most.

And what made this even more pitiful was,

“Hey, Barry! Hold that hammer straight!”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Bring the pickaxe over here!”

“Shovel! Use the shovel, the shovel!”

Thirty of these people were students from the Swordsmanship Department.

The One Hundred and Eight Arhats, Berserkers (Bears), Baldies.

Known by various names, they were diligently providing free service at the Grand Temple site.

Not because they were particularly devout, but because their master…

– Reshaping a mountain is good training too.

– What? Reshape what?

– A mountain.

– …How?

– Well.

– ???

…had sent them here under the pretext of training.

– It’ll help with your external training, developing your strength. Climb mountains, dig the earth, build some muscle with pickaxe work. Don’t worry about protein, the dark-skinned one will feed you three meals a day.

– …….

– Report to the mountain instead of the training ground for now. You can finish it in a week, right?

– …What?

– No, five days should be enough. I know because I’ve done it myself.

– …But we’re human?

Their objections had no effect whatsoever.

How could they argue when he said he had done it himself and even offered to show proof?

Above all, when someone tells you this is the path to becoming stronger, there’s nothing more foolish than refusing.

So the Bears were mostly assigned to construction work, concentrating on reshaping the mountain.

If such work could help revive the mountain, finding fulfillment would be a bonus…

Truly fulfilling-.

“Damn…”

It was impossible not to curse with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the two new assistants from the Swordsmanship Department, who had accompanied the Bears as assistant instructors and supervisors of the students’ outdoor lectures, were amazed by the students.

“Their working speed is quite impressive.”

“What exactly did No. 8 teach them? These kids will be truly strong in three years.”

No. 7 and No. 11, or Dina and Yan as they were called, stared blankly at their former colleague’s disciples.

Is this what human excavators would look like?

How could they be so fast?

“If it were the instructor, he’d just overturn everything with his bare hands, right?”

“Five days? If he put his mind to it, he could finish it in two days.”

“I say one day.”

…What kind of monster was No. 8, who was supposedly even more impressive than these human excavators?

Dina and Yan let out hollow laughs.

But while laughing, they also felt absurd.

In reality, they had been members of the organization that had planned to burn down the temple, and now they were helping with its restoration.

Dina touched her empty sleeve and shook her head.

“It’s hard because it feels strange.”

“Strange or not, we have to endure. No. 8, I mean Ihan, is our lifeline.”

“Life…”

The fact that Dina and Yan were still alive, and not dragged to the torture chambers of the cruel Galahad or Lionel, was all thanks to him maintaining neutrality.

That’s why they had to diligently perform their duties as faculty members, even though it didn’t suit them, and they had to cooperate with whatever he said, being in a position where they could die at any moment.

Even if it was miserable, it was for survival-.

Just then.

Whoosh!

…”Light of Life” poured down as if to comfort the two in their miserable situation.

Tok, tok, todok!

Sprouts and leaves began to emerge from where the students had overturned the earth, and they froze, their pupils shaking.

“…That girl, she’s just a magician, right?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Holy Maiden, ha! I thought that was just made up…”

Dina and Yan were clearly great disbelievers, though perhaps not as much as the black-haired young master.

When they were kidnapped as children, they prayed to God every day, but He never saved them.

But now, witnessing such a miracle, they almost felt like believing in God’s mercy and holiness.

…Foolishly so.

The two assassins smiled bitterly.

* * *

Woong-!

The ground touched by Irene’s water-like magical power vibrated as if in resonance.

It was a mysterious phenomenon where the remnants of holy power around the Grand Temple resonated with her magic.

Todok.

The sight of new sprouts emerging and trees regenerating once again.

This must be what people mean by ‘a magical sight.’

Of course.

‘The amazing thing is that this isn’t something just any magician can do.’

Ironically, such a phenomenon wasn’t possible simply because one could use magic.

It was a talent only possible for someone with pure magical power like Irene.

‘Other magicians would rather pollute the land…’

The previous day, when Irene purified the land, people thought magic could help restore the Grand Temple faster, but contrary to that hope…

– What is this?

The land became even more polluted, and that magician was almost beaten to death.

– W-wait! Please calm down! I didn’t do this on purpose! It’s just that Lady Irene is extraordinary!!

The magician, usually considered somewhat dim-witted, seemed to have quickened his thinking when faced with death, and quickly succeeded in identifying why such pollution occurred and how Irene managed to accomplish what she did.

– If the average purity of a magician’s magical power is grade 5, Lady Irene’s magical power purity is grade 1! No, it’s like a diamond ore level of cleanliness! In other words, she’s the only one in this kingdom who can perform such magic! S-so… please spare me.

…And so the magician survived.

Though he did take a few hits.

But perhaps because of his testimony that only she could purify the land?

The priests, religious people, and others watching the scene all…

“A miracle! The Holy Maiden is performing miracles!”

“Holy Maiden…”

“Irene, Irene Windler!”

They didn’t hesitate to praise the girl and call her the ‘Daughter of God (Holy Maiden).’

The spectacle of Irene being called a Holy Maiden when she wasn’t using holy power but merely magic.

It was absurd, but in a way, this was no different from the build-up Irene had deliberately created.

“They say she instantly quelled the fire during the great conflagration?”

“How could such a thing be possible with mere magic? It must be the power of a Holy Maiden!”

The miracle of instantly extinguishing the forest fire on the mountain, including the Grand Temple, by spraying a large amount of rain during the great fire.

It could be dismissed as the talent of a great magician, but the southern region had more people ignorant about magic compared to other regions.

After all, being known as the kingdom of knights and [Mystery], their perception of magicians was simply that ‘magic is possessed by humans with [Mystery].’

Also, thanks to Irene spraying rain, people who would have been innocently sacrificed that day were able to survive, so it was natural to praise Irene. Additionally, while other magicians were useless, only Irene was turning the burned land green…

Well, this was…

‘It’s like she’s declaring, “I am a Holy Maiden.”‘

With these complex factors overlapping, from people’s perspective, it wasn’t about magic, but rather that it was more convenient to recognize Irene as a [Holy Maiden].

Recalling the words of her lord, Roen:

– People tend to perceive situations in ways that are comfortable for them, and they project fantasies onto others. Especially since it’s the temple that’s fallen, not the Light of Radiance. Perhaps a new power holder has emerged to take over the temple after Raphael.

That was his prediction.

And according to that prediction, the [Irene Holy Maiden theory] would only be confirmed, never to disappear in vain.

‘Even though I know Irene isn’t a Holy Maiden, she does look divine, so from others’ perspective, it must seem even more so.’

Her fairy-like beauty as she flew through the sky, and the way life returned to the earth whenever her water-like magic swept across the ground, was indeed divine. Whether Irene felt wronged or not, the girl being acclaimed as a Holy Maiden was…

‘She brought it upon herself.’

Jack thought.

Irene had come out to help with good intentions, saying, “Oh well, let’s consider it volunteering!” But the more she stepped forward like this, ultimately…

‘…she’s digging her own grave.’

It seemed like unnecessary trouble.

* * *

“-Why are my ears so itchy?”

Irene tilted her head, wondering why her ears were itchy.

Could someone be talking about her?

“That can’t be! No one would talk about me.”

[Arin, they say people need to be self-aware.]

“What do you mean?”

[It means there are many people who would talk about you.]

“…You’re mean.”

Irene puffed her cheeks, scolding the ghost girl.

Whoosh!

Even while pouting, she didn’t stop her magic.

[Arin, you’re working really diligently? Unlike your usual self?]

“Are you going to keep dissing me? …I just think fire damage should be restored quickly, don’t you?”

[Hmm….]

Irene was, unlike her usual self, passionately working to restore the fire site with pure intentions.

It wasn’t that Irene had suddenly awakened to faith or a spirit of service; she genuinely wanted to restore the fire damage.

“…I just hate fires.”

[Why?]

“The soldier who saved me died because of a fire.”

[……]

“By the way, this wasn’t in this world, but in my ‘original world.'”

[……]

“Sigh, that soldier was such a good person… like our instructor.”

[Arin….]

“……”

Irene’s expression, unlike her usual carefree look, was somewhat sorrowful.

Looking at the fire site brought back many memories from the past, and as old memories surfaced, her longing for her original world… her hometown naturally grew stronger.

A world without magic or mystery.

She wouldn’t be able to use telekinesis like now, would have to walk on her own two feet, and would lose this beautiful appearance, but…

‘I need to go back. Visit the soldier’s grave, and take the college entrance exam too.’

Irene desperately wanted to return.

This world was nice, but she missed her life in her hometown.

Her mother, who nagged a lot but always cherished her, and her father, who was taciturn but always protected her.

Her brother and sister, who were a bit annoying but always took her side when she was bullied by others.

The girl missed her family.

And,

“Right, I need to audition too.”

…She had dreams she wanted to fulfill.

[You still haven’t given up on that impossible dream? I’m telling you, you don’t have the look of an idol…]

“I’m good at singing, I tell you.”

[Sigh…! O-okay, dreams are free, after all.]

“Oh geez…!”

Whoosh!

Even while feeling annoyed, Irene continued to use her magic with all her might.

Her hometown that she would return to someday was important, but for now-.

‘I need to do my best at what I’m doing now!’

Yes,

…just like our instructor.

The girl flew through the sky, thinking of her beloved.

*

*

*

“-How long do I have to stay like this?”

“It’s only been a day, why are you so impatient?”

“It’s not just a day for me.”

“Oh my!”

“…This is driving me crazy.”

The man whom the magic girl—now being acclaimed as a Holy Maiden—respected immensely, the one who always gave his best in everything, was unusually troubled…

He trembled with a terrified expression.

And for good reason…!

“For the next week, I forbid you from exercising. You must relax completely.”

“…Damn it.”

The order to rest for a whole week was terrifying to him.

…Muscle loss was unacceptable.