Chapter 272: Righteous Light (3)
Chapter 272: Righteous Light (3)
Righteous Light and her followers were smashing through monsters, spending divine power like it was going out of style.
Perhaps it was because the cultists acting as commanders had all been killed, but the attacked monsters charged in total disorder or fled in the opposite direction, their formations completely shattered.
Thanks to that, it was much easier to break through and bring Iris and the others back.
However, she must have overexerted herself. Upon returning with the group, Righteous Light looked considerably exhausted.
The others who had followed her hadn't died, but they seemed to have sustained various minor and major injuries.
Even in that state, when our eyes met, Righteous Light gave a bloody grin.
"How was it? Pretty cool, right?"
"It was incredible."
"Then do you want to be my Apostle... no, my Pope?"
"...I'll pass on that."
When I gave my reluctant refusal, Righteous Light chuckled once and let out a long yawn.
"Just kidding. Anyway, I think I need to rest for today, so I'm heading in first. I've already made arrangements, so stay in the VIP room you used last time with your companions. As for the rest... here. Clara will handle it."
"Huh? Oh, okay..."
As I reflexively caught the medallion containing Clara, she turned around and headed toward the chapel exit.
Seeing her footsteps stagger slightly, she was likely going straight to rest.
The other believers noticed this as well, but while they hesitated to touch her, the old woman who had come with Iris—Gertrude—hurriedly moved to support Righteous Light.
It seemed Gertrude was the only woman among the high-ranking clergy.
Leaning halfway against Gertrude as she headed toward her own room, Righteous Light suddenly turned her head and looked this way.
"Oh, right. Yandel, we'll finish the rest of your treatment when Helena wakes up. Don't go causing trouble just because your body feels fine; stay quiet and rest for a few days, okay?"
"...Why does everyone look at me like I'm someone itching to cause trouble?"
Where else would you find someone as sensible and well-mannered as me?
For some reason, at my grumbling, not only Iona beside me but also the other women who were approaching happily flinched, though they nodded as if they hadn't seen anything.
"Anyway, I understand. Don't worry, I'll be resting plenty."
"Grrr... Good to hear. See you all tomorrow!"
Righteous Light disappeared while waving her arms vigorously at the believers. It was a very friendly sight, but the believers merely made the sign of the cross with solemnity.
It felt like their faith had grown even stronger.
Well, it made sense. They had just returned from roaming the battlefield alongside the god they worshipped. It was enough to make anyone's piety overflow.
Perhaps it was a bit much, though, as the church members didn't even try to lift their heads long after Righteous Light had completely vanished.
Did she think this was enough? The medallion, which had been quiet until now, began to glow with a small vibration.
As if she had been there from the start, Clara projected her image naturally and gave a light clap.
Well, she was an apparition, so there was no sound of clapping, but she made the gesture and called out.
-Now, now! That's enough of that. There are many wounded, so we must begin treatment first. For the seriously injured, squeeze out whatever divine power you have left to treat them first, and for the recovery of those with minor injuries...
"Ah, leave that to me. I brought plenty of potions."
-Pardon? But to heal this many people, wouldn't it be better to seek help from the priests who were tending to the refugees?
"Don't worry. I really brought a lot."
I opened my inventory and poured out a mountain of potions. There were so many that the pile reached my waist.
I shrugged at Clara, who stood there with her mouth agape, gaping like a fish.
"They're intermediate potions, but since you said they're for minor injuries, they should be enough. Oh, and you'll probably need these too."
-What? What more are you going to pull out...
This time, I took out about a box of high-grade potions.
At the sight of the bottle designs, which were clearly more luxurious than the previous ones, Clara stopped mid-sentence and shut her mouth tight.
"Divine power is best for recovery, but... everyone is exhausted right now, aren't they? If you use potions alongside it, you'll be able to save your divine power."
-Uh, well... thank you?
Oh dear. There was still a lot left for her to be dazed over.
Next, I pulled out various special potions I had obtained from Fay.
"This is a poison that works well against Greenskins. It's harmful to humans too, so make sure to throw it from inside the barrier to the outside. It should be enough to clean up Orcs easily."
"This one is a drug that makes a Troll's regeneration go haywire, turning them into a mass of pus. There isn't much, so use it on Variant Trolls rather than regular ones. However, it only works if they ingest it directly, so either pin their limbs down and force-feed them or aim well when you throw it."
"Next are flashbangs... Cyclopes tend to hesitate when they can't see, so use them when things get dangerous. Conversely, Minotaurs get excited and charge when blinded, so be careful."
"Lastly, there's this... it's not for combat, but an adhesive made by melting Trap Spider silk. For now, use this to roughly prop up any collapsed walls, and we'll fuse them together with magic. It won't be as good as proper repairs, but it'll serve well enough as a windbreak."
Clara gulped at the sight of the supplies that had piled up in an instant. Seeing that, I remembered something I'd forgotten and opened the inventory again.
"Oops. I almost forgot this."
Thud.
Five large sacks were placed on the floor.
-...And what is this?
"Bread. I heard you took in refugees, so I figured food would be scarce. I swept the bakeries near the Academy clean, but since I just bought up the stock without warning, it's not that much."
-Even so, this is enough to feed everyone for about four days! I heard that spatial magic had developed beyond comparison to the era I lived in, but to think such a thing was possible...!
She was so moved that she clasped her hands together and offered a short prayer.
Then, just as Righteous Light had done before, she hopped up and down in joy.
-My goodness! To bring exactly what is needed, exactly when it's needed! Your face, which was already good to look at, seems to be glowing today! I could even give you a kiss right now!
"What's the point when you don't even have a physical form?"
We both knew it was a joke and laughed it off, but there was one person here who didn't take jokes very well.
"N-No, you can't...!"
Iris, who hadn't been able to speak due to the atmosphere and had just been circling around me to express her joy, suddenly jumped.
Then, standing in front of me, she waved her short arms back and forth, gesturing to prevent Clara from approaching.
"Master is... that is... ugh... Master is...!"
But it seemed she hadn't thought of what words to use to stop her.
As Iris struggled to the point where steam practically rose from her head, Clara smiled softly and shook her head.
-Do not worry. I am but a ghost of a bygone era that has already faded. I cannot, and must not, be joined with someone living in the present.
"...Is that true?"
-Yes. As you can see, I don't even have a physical body.
"But that is..."
-You're saying it's too pitiful, even though I managed to remain in this world?
"......"
Iris remained silent. But that in itself was an answer.
-In the first place, the fact that I exist like this in this era is a miracle. To wish for more would be greed. ...More than anything, even if I were given a body, there is a reason I could not intervene. Or should I say, a reason has been created?
"???"
I picked up Iris, who was tilting her head incessantly at the cryptic answer, and held her in my arms.
These days, when I picked her up, she didn't resist at all; instead, her small body went limp as if she had been waiting for it. Patting Iris on the back, I gently shook the medallion I had just received.
"Well, if you're satisfied, that's all that matters. Anyway, I've handed over everything I needed to, so I'd like to go rest with my party... what's the range on this? Since Righteous Light entrusted it to me, it's a bit awkward to hand it over to someone else."
-The limit is a few meters around the medallion. But you don't need to wait because of me. It just so happens that my divine power is depleted, so I have to go back in after giving out instructions anyway.
"...Didn't you charge it to the brim before we set out?"
-Well... embarrassingly, I got a bit excited and caused a few light explosions...
"......"
Come to think of it, no matter how gentle she seemed, Clara was also a follower of Righteous Light. And a Former Saintess at that.
She had probably used the divine power explosion option attached to the medallion.
Just as stories tell of an Ego Sword moving on its own to cut down enemies, it felt like the Ego Medallion had released divine power of its own accord.
"I-I see. Then I'll wait a bit longer, so take your time finishing up."
-Thank you. Then, one moment.
After bowing her head, Clara relayed something to Pope Albaor, and after they both made the sign of the cross, she returned.
It made sense. This was originally the Pope's job.
Albaor had stepped back because of the presence of a god descending into the Saintess's body or the residual thought of a Former Saintess, but he was strictly the leader of the Church of Light.
As soon as Clara returned, she left a message to bring her to Righteous Light tomorrow and entered the medallion.
We also shared brief greetings with Albaor and Gilbert before heading to the VIP room and falling into a death-like sleep.
And the next day.
As soon as Righteous Light got the medallion back from me, she dashed out and had a massive brawl with the monsters.
Unbelievable.