Chapter 267: Who are you? (7)

Chapter 267: Who are you?
(7)

What
would it feel like if WWE suddenly transformed into UFC?

The
usual sparring, even with faces not often seen, wasn’t much different
from normal given that those who came to the sparring room were
regular visitors.

No,
rather, even more attention was drawn because faces usually not seen
were sparring.

Many
paladins and priests paid attention to this sparring.

Hope,
Beer, and other church members in the sparring arena followed
Cleassia with their eyes as she charged forward at high speed to take
the initiative.

The
moment the axe deflected the rapier’s thrust, which was said to burst
through the tough skin of mid-tier monsters even without embedding
sword energy.

[You.
Are you really okay with this?]

[It
doesn’t matter. Shoot.]

[…Just
don’t complain later saying I hit you.]

A
magi explosion occurred.

After
receiving the magi of sloth, Bunny had recovered some strength and
could use magi more diversely and freely.

I
made her use a magi explosion on me.

As
a kind of self-destruct function, precisely at the moment when
Cleassia’s rapier made contact.

So
here’s the question.

“Kuhek,
ugh…”

Me,
spitting blood from my helmet and raising pure sacred power in my
hands to perform a healing miracle directly.

“……”

And
Cleassia, looking down at her hands with a face like she’d eaten
shit.

Between
these two, who looks more suspicious?

The
concealment ability of the recovered sloth magi was beyond
Cleassia’s, so the answer is…

“Giltear…?”

Jellicy,
with a stiffened expression, called out the guard’s name.

Unlike
her previous behavior showing unlimited affection toward Cleassia,
her face was now full of confusion and doubt.

“Are
you alright… No. This isn’t right… What is this… Grrrr…”

Unable
to make a quick judgment due to bewilderment, Jellicy growled lowly
while Beer controlled the surroundings.

“Paladins,
none of you move rashly! The priority is assessing the situation and
treating the injured!”

As
Beer’s gaze turned to me, Hope quickly ran over to perform a healing
miracle on me.

“Hope,
priest…”

“Don’t
open your mouth, Lord Balkan! My goodness…! The internal organs in
your body are completely shaken… Huh?”

“I
won’t die… so don’t be so dramatic.”

Hope’s
pale face gradually changed to one of bewilderment as he approached.

“Wh-what
kind of recovery speed…? With this level of sacred power and
healing miracle, you already have more than me…”

It
wasn’t that surprising.

After
raising my Finesse tremendously, it was a healing miracle that saved
even Denshi who was on the threshold of death.

As
long as the sacred power accumulated in my dantian isn’t depleted, I
can somehow recover from most serious injuries.

“How
can someone outside the temple perform a healing miracle at that
level…? Even with a blessing, that degree is…”

“The
quality of the sacred power is also incredible, right? At that level,
it’s almost like Lady Jellicy, no…maybe even beyond that…?”

Some
priests and paladins looked at me with friendly eyes.

Seeing
the pure sacred power and skilled technique as if I had performed
healing miracles as a priest for years, they probably thought I was
someone who had devoted myself to the Earth Mother Goddess order.

I
got up, grabbing the shoulders of the dazed and admiring Hope and the
priest who approached after her.

The
smell of blood, painted red on my helmet and soaking my clothes, had
dulled my sense of smell.

But
I could clearly feel the cold, tense air surrounding us now.

“…Giltear.”

Jellicy
called Cleassia’s alias in a cautious voice.

Thanks
to Bunny’s control, even if they didn’t know exactly who caused the
magi explosion, everyone knew at what moment it occurred.

“My
guard. Look around. A magi explosion has occurred! Why are you
standing blankly!! Quickly find the cause and bring before me the
traitor who attacked the temple, the sanctuary of our order!!!”

She
shouted to her guard with eyes still unwilling to abandon her faith
but Cleassia seemed not to hear that cry because she was just glaring
at me as if she wanted to kill me.

“Lady
Jellicy.”

As
I asked, spitting blood from my mouth, her eyes shook as if there was
an earthquake.

“I
don’t know exactly what happened, but the answer is simple. The magi
explosion occurred the moment our weapons met. Isn’t it simply a
matter of searching the bodies of those present for a demon’s bead
and examining their souls for the blessing that allowed them to
handle the power of a traitor?”

I
spoke as if I was just a victim who didn’t know what was going on,
but didn’t want to be considered a suspect, indicating I was fine
with being searched. Jellicy remained silent.

To
handle magi, one of two things was needed.

First
was a bead.

For
example, the bead given by the demon of sloth when reclaiming the
blessing, or the bead used by the criminal clan that tried to kidnap
Ellie at the academy graduation ceremony.

In
the letter Professor Manko Steel gave as a reward, she referred to
them as demon worshipers and warned to be careful of those carrying
beads.

Those
mysterious beads allowed even ordinary people to handle magi.

The
second was a blessing, or a curse.

Like
in Celsia’s case, when a sealed demon fragment transforms into a
blessing or curse.

And
now.

[◆
Blessing of Three Jealous Pieces]

— You
can induce emotions in those who think deeply about you.

— However,
limited to three subjects who have affection for you.

The
forehead of Cleassia, who had that blessing, wrinkled.

“Cough!
Ugh… You can search me first. But if my innocence is proven.”

I
closed my eyes and murmured in a bitter and pitiful voice.

“In
the sacred temple of the Earth Mother Goddess order, who could be the
traitor handling magi…?”

A
delicate…hmm.

As
the delicate man said that while spitting blood, the suspicious gazes
and raised sword tips of the paladins, who were already showing
jealousy toward Cleassia, were gradually raised.

“Stop!!!”

Then
Jellicy shouted in an urgent voice.

“My
benefactor, the benefactor who saved me, couldn’t possibly do that!
The one who protected me more preciously than myself is a demon’s
minion? Grrrrrr!!! That’s absolutely impossible! It shouldn’t be
so!!!”

Jellicy,
unable to hide the fierce wildness of a lion beastkin, growled lowly
while striding toward Cleassia.

“Rather,
I will personally examine Giltear’s blessing! Thus I will prove her
innocence!”

Jellicy,
who shouted boisterously, faced Cleassia.

“Giltear.
Show me your back. I will prove your innocence. I will personally
prove that the current situation is an evil attack by wicked demon
worshipers intended to induce a rift in our order.”

“……”

“Show
me your back, Giltear!!!”

Jellicy
seemed to want to examine Cleassia’s blessing to prove her
innocence and believe that there was another traitor here.

As
Jellicy reached out to Cleassia with a howl.

Smack!!!

Cleassia,
frowning, struck away Jellicy’s hand.

“……Giltear?”

Jellicy
looked at Cleassia with disbelieving eyes.

In
this situation, everyone present knew what it meant to avoid contact
for a blessing examination.

“…Haa.
What a fucking mess… Shit.”

Cleassia,
who sighed deeply, spat out a rough curse.

“…What
did you say?”

“I
fucking, for 2 years, how much have I licked that growling lion’s ass
every day. Half a year. No, not even half a year. In just a few more
months, I could have completely brainwashed you…But now that the
seed of doubt has grown, it can’t be fixed. Huu…”

With
a voice full of irritation and anger, like an art student whose
graduation project was ruined after years of effort, Cleassia wiped
her forehead and raised her head.

The
gaze that had seemed to maintain boundaries until now was nowhere to
be found.

Only
fierce hostility and killing intent were contained in those green
eyes.

Those
anger-filled eyes scanned the surroundings, and I moved quickly.

Swoosh!!

With
explosive acceleration, I pushed Jellicy aside, and the magi-infused
rapier grazed my cheek.

“…What?”

Screeeech!

Jellicy
froze, realizing she had nearly died with her forehead pierced by the
sword of the guard she had so trusted, and without time to care about
the blood flowing down my torn cheek, the continuous attacks
continued.

-Thwack!

Dodging
a thrust aimed at my forehead by tilting my head back, I kicked
Cleassia’s abdomen to create distance.

The
air froze in the brief moment of exchange.

“Everyone
battle positions!! Priests call for support and paladins block the
retreat routes!!”

Even
the hesitant paladins raised their sacred power at Beer’s shout.

“…Giltear.
You…”

“Tsk.
This face is ruined now. This was the only face that wasn’t known.”

Cleassia,
who clicked her tongue and sighed deeply without even listening to
Jellicy’s murmur.

Then
something surprising happened.

[◆
Blessing of Deception]

— You
can store up to seven appearances.

— You
can change your appearance to match the stored appearances.

Like
putting on someone else’s shell, Cleassia’s body transformed.

From
hair color to skin color, the size and impression of facial features.

The
size and contour of the face, the structure of bones and muscles
forming the body, even the reach of arms and legs.

Unlike
just before when she had the appearance of a sturdy female warrior,
she raised her rapier after transforming into an obese woman with
green hair and green eyes, causing an uproar around her.

“The
branded one, Closier?! Why is that wanted criminal…?!”

“G-Giltear…
No! That traitor has been hiding her identity and targeting Lady
Jellicy all this time!”

Jellicy’s
body, having clearly confronted the fact that the guard she had so
trusted was actually a traitor who had committed numerous crimes,
began to swell little by little.

“…Ah…”

That
phenomenon was not a simple illusion.

“Giltear,
you dare…”

With
each blood vessel that stood out on the lion beastkin’s face soaked
in anger and betrayal, her body gradually grew larger, eventually
transforming into a gigantic lion monster form that must have been at
least 3m in body size.

“You
betrayed me, the order…the Earth Mother Goddess!!!”

Unperturbed
by the mighty beast’s roar as it fluttered its golden fur, Cleassia
calmly pointed her rapier.

She
was no longer looking at Jellicy.

Her
eyes, full of killing intent, were directed entirely at me.

“Hey.
Let me ask you one thing.”

She
asked me.

“Who
are you?”

It
probably wasn’t simply asking for my name.

If
I had to find a meaning, it was closer to asking: what the hell are
you doing, why did you suddenly appear, make this mess, and cause
trouble?

“Well…”

Despite
pondering with my chin in hand, I had nothing to say to someone who
was about to be captured. So.

“Just
because?”

I
raised my middle finger and gave her the bird.