False Prophet (4)

“-Have you ever seen the ‘light’ that rose that day?”

The Lushellini Territory was abuzz with activity from all intelligence agencies due to the ‘District 2 Outskirts Evaporation Incident.’ The few newspapers that existed were not about to miss out on an unprecedented scoop, and it was so intense that if you picked up any scrap of paper on the street, it would invariably read, ‘Breaking News! Massive Explosion in District 2!’ You could see it just by looking at the street bulletin boards without going far, so there was no way the residents of Lushellini wouldn’t know.

Considering the aftermath of the incident, it was only natural. Even if the outskirts were a neglected area, it was still under the dominion of Lushellini and land that would be developed someday. That land. Along with the explosion, one-third of the District 2 outskirts completely evaporated.

But strangely enough.

People paid more attention to the light that rose that day than the explosion. Darkness that was clearly visible even within the pure white cluster of light. Fire that burned intensely even within the sapphire-like seawater. A beautiful and brilliant light that you could never forget once you saw it. The magicians all said in unison. That is not within the realm of humans.

The question naturally led to ‘Who did such a thing?’ The White Magic Tower, the only magic tower that witnessed the light that day, was extremely excited and announced. They would give a blank check to anyone who brought them the magician who caused that light.

And the investigation of the incident was all.

The responsibility of the proxy, Shuriel Lushellini.

“Just where the hell have you been gallivanting around to end up in this state?”

Shuriel said in a voice filled with dismay as he looked at the melted land.

The first place to receive information immediately after the explosion was, of course, the Count’s family. Hairak, who grasped all the circumstances within 10 minutes of the explosion, dispatched Shuriel as his representative. Shuriel grumbled about why he had to go out for such a thing, but he had no choice but to go since he was the only one who could be dispatched right away.

But that wasn’t the only reason. From the moment she received the report, Shuriel had vaguely guessed that Yujin was the culprit behind this massive explosion. The way she nonchalantly regenerated her arm that day told her that she was a magician who had transcended the realm of humans. So, she wanted to know why she had done such a thing. She wanted to meet her.

“Calvert. Do you see anything?”

“…As of now, I see nothing.”

He shakes off the hardened stone fragments from his feet. The heat from the ground hasn’t subsided yet, so he steps on the warm soil and heads towards the epicenter of the explosion. But even with the two Aura Knights pouring all their senses into it, they couldn’t feel even a trace. There was nothing at the origin of the explosion. Nothing. Shuriel was contemplating whether to return as is.

“Let’s return now. There’s nothing more to salvage.”

“…Just a moment.”

Just as he was about to turn his steps. Shuriel felt a familiar scent of Mana. The scent of her that she had mixed bodies with countless times. Yujin. Yujin’s Mana exists here. Shuriel smirked and followed the scent of Mana.

“No. There is something. There is something.”

“I don’t see anything, but…”

Shuriel didn’t bother to open his mouth. He was sure he would be treated like a madman if he said that Mana had a scent. And it was only natural that Calvert couldn’t feel it. He had never mixed bodies with Yujin, nor had he seen the ultimate magic that Yujin used. There was something that only Shuriel, who had witnessed all of that up close, could feel.

He follows. The more he follows the scent of Mana, the more he heads towards the center, but there is no significant gain. Shuriel was frustrated. He was certain that Yujin was here. But there was no way to find her.

Then. Shuriel, who was circling around the center, felt a slight sense of déjà vu.

“…?”

Something was blocking him…

Something that was preventing him from approaching the center…

‘…I see.’

A barrier of perception impairment installed by Yujin.

He saw through it. When he concentrated his mind, he began to see things that he couldn’t see until just now. Faint lines… Shuriel made the most of his senses from the labyrinth and moved forward. The way to see things that he couldn’t see, which he learned there. If he followed the lines, he would be able to move forward.

‘This way… is it?’

Calvert looked at his master, who was flailing his hands in the air, with worried eyes.

“Master?”

After flailing around in an unsightly manner for a few minutes. Calvert thought that his master’s condition had become strange and tried to drag him away by force.

At that moment.

“…Master?!”

Calvert widened his eyes and ran to where his master had been. Shuriel had disappeared. He had evaporated without leaving any trace.

“What is this…”

Proxy Shuriel.

He broke through the Archmage’s barrier and entered the interior.

* * *

There were a total of seven villagers. Returning them to their original bodies wasn’t that difficult. It was easier than reconstructing my own body. It started with Clara and Ruri. Since the two had become one, separating them was the most difficult, but when I preserved and fixed their minds, they didn’t die even when I split them in half.

“Ruri!”

“Sister!”

The young sisters, who had regained their past bodies, looked at each other’s faces and repeatedly hugged each other while shedding tears. It was very heartwarming to see, but I didn’t have the leisure to feel such things right now. I wanted to finish quickly and meet Shemel. But. If I rushed the reconstruction, there would be a side effect of the body rotting, so time was inevitably dragged out.

I felt regret. I wondered if the child would die if I didn’t go now. I should have just gone, whether they were executed or not. It was a pointless promise. But, apart from regret, a promise was a promise. I had learned too many emotions to abandon the promise and leave.

And look at their admiring eyes. They are looking at me like a god. There wasn’t enough time to explain this miraculous power. Whether they misunderstood or not.

Ironically, I was the false prophet.

“Thank you… Thank you…”

Ignoring the sisters who were prostrating themselves before me, I called the next villager. Two, three, four people. Slowly reconstructing their bodies and returning them to their original forms. As carefully and cautiously as when God created humans.

-Crack.

“…?”

At that time.

An abnormal signal came into the barrier.

‘Did someone come in? Who?’

Even though I copied Harriet’s barrier, the output itself would be different. Even if it wasn’t perfect, it was a barrier with power that even skilled people wouldn’t notice. I was about to call the next villager, but I turned my gaze towards the place where the signal was ringing. Who is it? An investigation team from the temple? I even thought that if necessary, I would have to kick them out of the barrier and approached the signal.

But, the one who came into the barrier was an unexpected person.

“……Shuriel.”

“I knew it. It was you. A barrier. You’ve been doing interesting things.”

Shuriel smiled as if he knew it would be like this. Seeing his face, the tension that had been building up suddenly disappeared, and I turned my body away without even answering. I could ask how he got in later. Right now, returning the villagers’ bodies and meeting Shemel was the top priority.

He was puzzled by my blunt reaction and asked.

“What happened here?”

“……”

Then soon, he saw the changed body and swallowed hard in embarrassment. The breasts, which had been just right to grasp with one hand, had become very large, not matching the small height, and the pelvis had become more lewd than before. The short height and youthful, cute face remained the same, stimulating the man’s lust wildly.

I feel an unhealthy gaze. I am also aware that my body has changed lewdly. It was a proportionally perfect body, but now even the breasts have become bigger. But. I have no intention of ‘doing that’ inside the barrier, and I don’t have enough time. I read Shuriel’s thoughts and refused him before he could even speak.

“There’s no time for that, Doryeon-nim.”

“…I haven’t said anything yet.”

“I’ve spent several days by your side, Doryeon-nim, how can I not know your inner thoughts?”

He had nothing to say and turned his gaze to the villagers beyond. Three people had been restored after Clara and Ruri, so a total of five people had been restored. Shuriel looked at the three people who had not yet been restored and opened his mouth.

“Those are the cultists who were executed last time. Did you capture them?”

The villagers’ gazes turn to Shuriel. Fear could be felt in their eyes. The appearance of a stranger. Moreover, he appeared with a sword in his hand. The villagers were confused and didn’t know what to do. Shuriel accepted that series of movements as a threat and drew his sword and pointed it at them. I stopped Shuriel, who was about to emit sword energy, and nervously ordered.

“Put away your sword. They are not criminals.”

“You’re fierce today. Did something happen? …Looking at your body, it seems like something definitely happened.”

“…There’s not enough time to explain. Just wait quietly. Doryeon-nim.”

I emphasized the last word with force in my voice. Shuriel received my sharp glare and quietly shut up. He should have done that from the start. I became very sensitive because I didn’t know the exact life or death of the child. I don’t want to be like this, but I keep grumbling without realizing it. Haa. I took a short sigh, calmed the villagers, and continued the reconstruction.

I go back into concentration. Shuriel couldn’t help but be amazed to see the monstrous villagers returning to their original forms. Didn’t I tell you? I’m a much better magician than you think.

“…I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

“I trust that you won’t report this to the temple.”

“Why would I? I’ll just be treated like a madman if I say anything.”

“……”

* * *

The District 2 outskirts explosion incident was settled as Harriet’s doing. It was partly because I had coordinated with the villagers, but Shuriel’s help was also a big factor. The outskirts that I had destroyed were clearly Lushellini’s land, but Shuriel didn’t seem to think much of it. He said that the territory management was the responsibility of his older brother, the eldest son, not him. He said it wasn’t a problem for him to worry about. After seeing him off, I said that I would stay outside a little longer. With a promise not to cause any more problems.

And so, the temple.

The Baptismal Site.

I reconstructed all the villagers’ bodies and immediately ran to the Baptismal Site. Shuriel said that Shemel had also returned as soon as the explosion occurred, so if I waited here, I would be able to meet her soon.

The villagers’ words of gratitude didn’t even enter my ears. It might cause problems if I went around saying that I had reconstructed their bodies, but, fuck. Who cares. It didn’t matter what happened. Quickly. I wanted to meet Shemel. Quickly.

-Crunch. I bite my nails. I was anxious. Every minute and every second felt like an eternity. The sound of biting nails echoed. Looking down at my hands, they were already a mess and blood was flowing down. Just as I was gnawing at the raw flesh because there were no more nails to bite. Someone knocked on the door.

-Knock knock.

“Sister Yujin. I heard you’re inside.”

It was Shemel’s voice. I jumped up from my seat and opened the door. Crimson hair. A huge body two heads taller than me. I could see Shemel. Why did you only come now. I feel relieved inside. Shemel nodded when she saw my messed up fingers.

“You seem to have… grown a lot since I last saw you.”

She opened her mouth, especially with her gaze on my large breasts. I didn’t care. I handed her the money pouch and urged her.

“The Blessing of Birth. Quickly. I’ll give you the money.”

“……”

She didn’t panic at the sudden urging and closed her eyes silently and then opened them. Shemel’s eyes shine white. Sanctification. A black cross is engraved on her white eyes. It was the beginning of the blessing. I swallowed hard and waited for the result.

“…?”

Shemel tilted her head. Her shaking was so unsettling that I forgot to breathe and looked at Shemel.

“…10 weeks? No, 11 weeks? How could you in this short amount of time?”

“Th, that’s not it. Is the child okay?”

“……”

“Ye, yes?”

“Calm down, sister. I was just surprised.”

Shemel, who calmed me down, who had become extremely anxious, handed me tea and sat in a chair. I drank the tasteless tea and exhaled. The shortness of breath subsides. The trembling subsides, I took a deep breath and looked at Shemel. The emotion reflected in her eyes was ‘surprise’.

“The child is growing normally. It seems that the time has been moved up a bit for some reason… Rather, that’s why it’s even more amazing. More than half of the body is made of Mana.”

“Yes…?”

“It’s like a spirit.”

A spirit?

My brain stopped and I answered in a trembling voice.

“A spirit… what do you mean?”

“What’s even more surprising is that the fetus has put up its own shield. I’m not sure if it’s for self-protection, but the fact that it used magic is important. And. The only races that learn magic before they are born are…”

Shemel glanced at me and continued with a suspicious look.

“…I’ve only heard of Elves or Dragons.”

The tension in my body completely disappears. I couldn’t even sit in a chair and collapsed, squeezing out a voice as small as a mouse and barely opening my mouth.

“I, is the child. Healthy, right?”

“It’s so healthy that I doubt it’ll ever die. Even if you pour poison into the uterus or stab a knife into the stomach, it won’t die. Maybe, it’ll grow on its own even if the mother dies.”

“……”