Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Saintess is Born (1)
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I opened my eyes to find my body swaying gently, with the blue sky visible above.
Sway.
Sway.
"...?"
Dang-
"...?"
What an unusual bell sound.
Somewhere between a cymbal and a bell.
It'd be perfect for a shaman ritual.
The divine power resonating softly felt remarkably similar to that of a holy sword.
I wonder if it would blend well with spiritual energy?
"Ilia, please bestow your grace upon Chris's sacrifice..."
It was Aluerad's voice.
His tone was so desperate that even I felt my heart ache listening to it.
This time, an unfamiliar voice chimed in.
"What a noble sacrifice this is. For strangers he barely knows..."
"He's not someone who should be lying there like this..."
I could hear the Pope Uncle's voice, full of regret.
"Sir Chris... Please, wake up..."
I appreciated their concern for me.
But did they have to phrase it quite like that?
Next came Hans's voice.
"Though none of you may know, this isn't the first time Lord Chris has made such a sacrifice."
"Priest Hans, I'd love to hear stories of Lord Chris when he's in good health."
"To save innocent souls, he sacrificed both his eyes..."
"B-both... his eyes?"
"He couldn't even see the world for a long while."
Sighs erupted from all around.
And Hans continued.
"Even in the elven forest, he shed his blood to save an elf."
I didn't need to see to know.
Everyone's gazes had turned to Serena.
"Lady Serena here witnessed Lord Chris's sacrifice firsthand."
"Heavens..."
It was true that I'd gone through a lot.
Hearing this praise wasn't unpleasant.
It would have been even better if the content and atmosphere weren't so subtly off.
"He's not someone who should be lying here... He deserves far greater happiness..."
The mood was growing stranger by the minute.
This felt just like a funeral wake, recounting the deceased's life.
"Through Lord Chris, I heard Ilia's voice."
"As did I."
I was already fully conscious.
But even if I wanted to get up, I couldn't.
The atmosphere was too bizarre to rise now.
It felt like I absolutely shouldn't.
"And yet, the night goddess Iris has already come and gone ten times..."
"...?"
Who came and went ten times?
That's not supposed to happen.
"Lord Chris shows no sign of regaining consciousness."
"It feels longer than when we were in the elven forest."
"Doesn't that mean he suffered even more this time?"
I had suffered plenty, yes.
And then Serena's voice rang out.
"Chris?"
"..."
At that moment, my swaying body came to a halt.
The holy knights carrying what resembled the bier I was lying on had stopped.
"Has Lord Chris awakened?"
This was my chance to dispel the awkwardness.
I sprang up energetically, causing a priest walking ahead of me to tremble violently.
"Gasp...!"
"L-Lord Chris...!"
A crowd rushed toward me.
What can I say.
There were so many of them.
Far more than I'd imagined.
Pope Uncle approached right before my eyes.
"You've finally awakened. We waited so long."
Aluerad, Hans, and Old Man Klein were all examining my body from every angle.
Serena's gaze pierced right through me.
But that wasn't what mattered now.
"Where are we?"
"Following the direction of the divine power. We're almost there..."
Too much time had already passed.
I hadn't expected to be unconscious for so long.
This was a bit tricky.
"We still haven't arrived...?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Well..."
"Could it be... something related to the Saintess?"
Exactly.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
It was a supremely sensitive issue for them.
"Tell us quickly. Has something happened to the Saintess?"
Something had happened, sure.
"Do you remember what I said back then? That the Saintess would be born soon..."
"I remember it clearly."
"She's already been born."
Sssss-
My words turned the air to ice.
"Wh-when...?"
Recalling the memory, it was roughly...
"Ab-about four days ago?"
"...!!!!"
Everyone's faces twisted in shock.
There was a reason I hadn't specified the birth date.
It wasn't far at all.
On horseback, we could've arrived well before the birth.
So why on earth were they walking?
"It's tradition to go on foot to welcome a Saintess or Saint."
"...Pardon?"
Come to think of it, their attire was different from usual.
Not a single one lacked pristine white robes.
They seemed far more meticulous than during an oracle.
"...This is how it ends up."
Looking up at the sky, the divine powers were still swirling about.
Not much time left now.
"Well... She's already born, but she should be fine."
"..."
"..."
Their reactions felt off.
Did they even hear me?
"Everyone, full speed ahead!"
"We obey Your Holiness!"
Those who had been stepping so carefully now broke into a sprint.
It was practically a run.
The problem was...
"Um... could you put me down first...?"
They were carrying the bier I was on while running.
Surprisingly, despite the intense movement, my body felt comfortable.
It wasn't shaking much.
Dang-
Dang-
"Where'd you even get that thing?"
Dang-
As their footsteps quickened, the bell tolls accelerated accordingly.
Why were they ringing it non-stop...?
"Lord Chris! We should offer prayers of reunion, but we'll delay it just a bit."
"Huh..."
Waking from unconsciousness into this absurd situation.
It was nothing like I'd expected.
Who could've guessed we'd be late for the Saintess's birth?
"The Saintess is fine, so don't worry!"
Rush-
It seemed my words weren't getting through.
Only Aluerad beside me tossed a question my way.
"Di-did the Saintess... give birth safely?"
"Of course."
"But... we're heading deeper into the forest..."
As Aluerad said, our path led into the woods.
Dense trees loomed everywhere.
"Did the Saintess... come into the world here? Did her family live in the forest?"
Close, but not quite.
The Saintess right now...
"Hm... She's probably all alone."
"...Pardon?"
"She became alone the moment she was born."
"......"
"...The moment she was born?"
"Probably."
Old Man Klein's face grew rigidly stern.
Pope Uncle's face, astonishingly, flushed red.
"...When exactly did you say the Saintess was born?"
"Four days ago."
"Th-then... she's been all alone since then? Four days without eating anything...?"
The pace quickened even more.
My hair was whipping in the wind now.
"I told you she's fine."
"Chris, are you okay?"
Serena asked calmly, as if she trusted my words completely.
"Body's a bit sore, but not bad."
"Good."
We were drawing nearer to the direction the divine powers indicated.
For me, it was thrilling.
After all, I'd dreamed while unconscious.
A dream where the Body God visited personally.
It was quite the oracle.
"This doesn't make any sense..."
If I couldn't tell who the Body God was after coming this far, I'd have to quit being a shaman.
But really, this defied logic.
They say one is born grasping a god's thread.
A god descends along the thread.
Like an ancestral spirit receiving orders from a greater god and passing them down.
Great gods like this don't descend directly.
"So how does this even work...?"
In the dream, the Body God appeared as a glowing figure, just like in the elven forest.
The form was clearer now, but...
A figure full of apology and regret.
The dream was hazy, so my memory was too, but it was clear.
"Sorry for leaving you alone... something like that?"
"...Chris?"
My words must've lingered.
Serena stared at me with wide eyes.
"Oh, the Saintess and I have similar fates."
"Like yours?"
"Maybe because she divined it herself."
In that instant, the divine powers flared and shot forward.
"We're here."
It was a mystical sight.
All sorts of mountain beasts gathered around.
In the center, a baby wrapped in white cloth lay quietly.
Without so much as a cry.
"Th-the Saintess!"
"Ah... Ilia!"
"Quick, check the Saintess's condition!"
At Pope Uncle's command, female priests rushed forward and carefully surrounded the Saintess.
"I told you she's fine."
Couldn't these people sense it?
The immense divine power within that tiny Saintess.
Cries of awe burst from everywhere.
"The gods have sent us the Saintess!"
Then, urgent voices rose from the female priests examining her.
"The Saintess...!"
"Hm...?"
Their tones were truly frantic, as if something was wrong.
But that couldn't be...
"There's a bruise on the Saintess's back...!"
"What did you say?!"
"How could the Saintess's body bear a wound?!"
As I'd expected, nothing serious.
I thought it was something big...
"Check it immediately!"
What a fuss.
Of course that bruise was there.
"Um... Pope Uncle?"
"The situation is dire right now. Speak later."
"That's... a Mongolian spot..."
It was the mark from Grandma stroking her.