Chapter 10. Stubbornness and Arrogance (14)

What is the meaning of dying swept away by mana to those who worship the power of mana?

If no one has ever properly thought about it, that would be a bad joke.

Of course, the priests agonized over it for a long time.

And they somehow fitted their faith to the phenomenon, concluding that those who couldn’t withstand it lacked faith.

Those higher up have deep faith, so they can endure. Those lower down cannot, so they cannot endure.

It was a strange story, but over time, philosophy was added to it, and a framework of doctrine was attached. After a long time passed, no one doubted that fact.

Then- to such people, what is the meaning of dying by mana corruption?

If they haven’t died until now because their faith was great, how should they react when they truly encounter mana beyond their faith?

If mana that could not be endured by the king, royalty, nobles, or priests, mana that could wipe out all the heritage built by the dwarves without leaving any evidence, were to sweep through, how should they accept it?

Should they accept it as a judgment on those with insufficient faith? There were such denominations. If so, should they accept it and die obediently?

Or should they accept that their faith until now was wrong?

However, in the end, no one fully accepted all of that at the last moment.

Everyone was busy running away.

To the most secluded place, to the corners of the mine they had avoided, to escape the encroaching mana.

But even that was eventually blocked.

It’s not that they hadn’t made any preparations. They listened to the advice of outsiders and the king’s orders. The nobles also knew to some extent what would happen if mana surged, and their territorial residents were like their property.

Wouldn’t they have to live as nobles while rebuilding after it passed? Everyone thought so.

But it was nothing in the face of death.

Mana swept away everything. Faced with immense mana that made their eyes sting just by looking at it, everyone fell into a panic.

Ironically, it was the outsiders who somehow managed to block that mana. Those who could purify mana, those who wielded shining weapons.

Even that was insufficient.

Monsters could be repelled. It was possible to repel all sorts of beasts made of mana.

However, it was impossible to completely block the mana that overflowed between them.

Through the barriers, between the people holding shields. Mana flowed in. The fire went out. Even the light lit by mana was instantly swallowed.

In extreme pain- people sank into death.

…They should have.

But soon, light was seen in the distance.

Whether it was reality or just an illusion seen deep in consciousness, it was impossible to distinguish.

At the end of that light, someone was seen kneeling. At the edge of the darkness, someone was sitting alone and praying.

It’s impossible to know who that prayer was directed at. Whether it was a prayer to God, or just a prayer for those who were about to die.

However, if one saw such light in the complete darkness, whether they were dwarves or humans. Everyone would have only one thought.

They wanted to go there.

They reached out their hands. Step by step, they moved forward with difficulty.

The chilling sensation that felt like it would freeze their bones and shatter them gradually disappeared as they got closer to the light. The mana that had clung to their bodies melted and washed away, and the lost vitality slowly recovered. The painful sensation disappeared, and strength returned to the hands holding the swords.

After blinking their eyes, they were standing exactly where they had been.

The dwarves, unable to immediately accept the fact that they had survived, just blinked their eyes. Only the nobles, royalty, and priests were astonished to notice that the mana on their bodies had disappeared.

There was no more arrogance left in that place. Only relief at having survived.

The humans ran immediately.

Holding shining swords. Holding the shield Anna had consecrated.

Towards the place where that call was directed. Towards the light.

*

Light is praying.

Ria thought so, seeing that sight.

Anna was sitting in the center of the square in front of the Dwarf Kingdom’s palace.

Of course, Ria had already come out after seeing Anna. The warmth she felt when she held Anna’s hand was still lingering in her hand, and following that warmth, her sword was also shining.

This too would be a miracle. Anna’s miracle of saving people from the midst of mana.

Prayer.

The sound of armor clanking was heard from various corridors. Soon, people began to emerge from all the corridors where light was shining.

Those wearing the armor of the Church Knights. Or Dwarf infantry.

Seeing Anna’s appearance, stopping in their tracks, and gaping, Ria raised her sword.

“Form a formation!”

Ria had no such authority. She was merely an escort knight and attendant to the Saint Candidate.

However, no one dared to contradict Ria, who stood with a divine light in one hand and a shining sword raised, next to Anna’s clone.

“Obey the command!”

“Follow the faith!”

Such sounds were heard among the knights. Various shouts. Not unified at all.

But-

“Follow the Saint!”

In the end, it led to such words. They too knew. Whose light this was. Who had saved them from the darkness.

Knights holding shields in one hand and swords in the other rushed forward and formed a formation.

The direction was the entrance to the Dwarf Kingdom, where mana was still surging. The largest passage.

“—-!”

Monsters that were difficult to describe screamed. They were monsters never seen before. Monsters that had never even been given names, simply meant to wipe out all life here.

However, no one was afraid. Rather, the monsters at the forefront seemed to be the ones who were afraid.

Like a frightened and wounded beast, like a beast with a burning torch waved before it, they puffed up their fur and howled loudly to appear larger.

Are they perhaps afraid of the being behind them?

Ria stood at the very front of that line.

The shield was too small to cover her body. But she felt no fear.

Ria should not be afraid. Because the being she protected was offering itself without fear.

It was not right for the one protecting that being to be afraid.

First, a wolf with multiple eyes lunged. Its mouth was torn from ear to ear, and a black tongue was horribly visible inside.

Ria swung her sword.

The sword scattered the shining white light like a whip, and the monster disappeared without even leaving a trace of being split.

“…Is that so.”

Even seeing such a sight, Ria only muttered softly.

The formation advanced. Slowly, but surely.

There was only certainty in that advance.

*

As soon as the battle ended, Ria ran to the room where she had met the princess.

Anna was still praying. The white thread was still touching her hands.

Ria approached her closely, sword drawn.

It was a holy sight, and could be called beautiful-

“…”

Ria felt a strange sense of foreboding from that sight.

Crackle, and.

A sound that seemed to support Ria’s thought echoed. Ria instinctively swung her sword.

The divine sanctity, like a white thread, was cut and disappeared with too much ease.

“Anna!”

Ria rushed towards Anna, who was falling to the side.

Blood was flowing from both of Anna’s hands. There was a small wound on the back of her hand. A small wound, like a needle prick, that seemed like it wouldn’t even leave a scar at first glance.

However, the amount of blood flowing from that wound was unusual.

“…Ria.”

As Ria picked Anna up, a weak voice came from Anna’s lips.

“…Did the fight end well?”

“…”

Ria gritted her teeth.

Everyone saw that sight. A miracle that even the princess of this country was bewildered by.

No one would have felt anything after seeing her effortlessly illuminate that dark chasm as if it were broad daylight.

She made the disaster that could have erased the dwarf race itself disappear in an instant.

“…It ended well.”

I wanted to say something.

Because blood was still dripping from Anna’s hands. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to go this far, that she didn’t need to sacrifice herself at all.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. My throat was choked.

My vision blurred. My head was spinning. It wasn’t just because of the intense battle.

Somehow, I felt like Anna’s future had been decided by this, and that what happened when Ria first pushed her had led to this.

“That’s a relief.”

Anna replied as if exhaling, and closed her eyes. And then she fell asleep.

Hearing her soft breathing, I felt relieved.

Because I was holding Anna with both hands, Ria couldn’t even wipe away her tears.

What is going to happen from now on?

It wasn’t that event that was frightening.

Ria was so afraid of what would happen to Anna as a result of that event.

Anna absolutely must.

No matter how big that event is, she will be stubborn.

She will say that she will bear it herself-