Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Saintess Has Been Born (2)
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No matter how much I turned the situation over in my mind, it simply didn't make sense. The god who was supposed to descend via the delicate medium of the ritual tightrope had chosen to manifest directly into the physical world. Well, I suppose such anomalies were only possible at this extraordinary level of spiritual interference.
"Then, are you saying the bruise on the Saintess's body is a literal mark left by the god?"
"Technically, yes, but it is more complicated than a simple injury," I replied.
There was a common legend regarding the Mongolian spot that many children are born with. It was said that the Three Spirit Grandmother slaps the newborn to hurry them out into the world, leaving a temporary bruise as a parting gift. While it was true that such marks were genetic, no specific gene dictated being born with a mark of such divine origin. This really was a signature left by my Body Goddess.
At my confirmation, the priests gathered around us collectively gaped in absolute shock.
"The Saintess... was born with the stigmata..." one whispered, his voice trembling.
Stigmata? Well, technically, I suppose it qualified as such.
"And what of the holy power the Saintess possesses? It is an unprecedented, enormous amount that defies all known scripture."
It was true that she radiated an immense amount of holy power. Even in this very moment, the residual energy lingering in the air was flowing into the infant Saintess as if she were a natural vortex. Suddenly, a light flickered in her gaze.
"...?"
The baby Saintess, with her soft, fluffy skin and fragile frame, had her gaze fixed directly on me. Her eyes were a haunting, pure white. Even the iris and pupil were devoid of color, yet they possessed subtly different shades that allowed for a strange sense of distinction.
It was clear that she was unable to see in the traditional sense, yet her eyes followed my every movement with unnerving accuracy. "Hm...? What is happening now?" I wondered aloud.
Now that I looked closer, I realized she wasn't seeing with physical eyes at all. It felt remarkably similar to my own ability, as if she were viewing the world through Spiritual Eyes. However, this was something more refined and powerful—this was the manifestation of Divine Eyes.
"So this is what it feels like to be watched by the heavens," I mused. Concentrating between my own brows, I opened the gate to the spiritual world, allowing me to see the flow of the wind and touch the weight of nearby scents. It was a mystical sense that transcended the standard five senses. My Spiritual Eyes met the Saintess's Divine Eyes in a silent, luminous exchange.
"Uu...?" the infant babbled, seemingly trying to articulate a thought. A small, genuine smile formed at the end of her tiny vocalization.
"She is definitely seeing me, isn't she?" It felt incredibly mystical. The young Saintess's eyes then turned to survey her wider surroundings, checking various spots as if the entire world were a novel she was reading for the first time. Then, her eyes stopped on Hans.
"Gasp...! The Saintess is looking this way!" Every time her eyes shifted, the priests gasped in a state of profound emotional overwhelm. It was an over-the-top reaction for simply receiving a baby's curiosity, but to them, it was a holy event.
The baby burst into a pure, innocent laugh, her tiny lips wriggling as a babble burst forth. "Auu..."
The holy knight who received that small sound suddenly dropped to one knee and bellowed with a fervor that shook the room. "I... I receive the Saintess's command!"
"...?" I looked at him, bewildered. Receive what? Did he even have a clue what she was trying to say?
"I receive your command!" he repeated, his face flushed with devotion.
Did the baby find their frantic reaction funny? She burst into another peal of laughter. This time, the Pope himself stepped forward, looking down at the young probationary knight named Gailin.
"Sir Gailin, you have managed to make the Saintess laugh. I commend you for this achievement," the Pope declared. I couldn't help but wonder if making a baby laugh was now a feat worthy of high commendation in this church.
Gailin's thrilled voice boomed in response. "I shall regard this moment as the greatest honor of my lifetime!" Unfortunately, his voice was far too loud for the infant's sensitive ears. The Saintess immediately burst into tears.
"Wahhh...!" she wailed, causing the female priest holding her to frantically bow her head in terror.
"Saintess! Please, we beg of you, withdraw your tears!" they cried. I looked at them with utter disbelief. You crazy people! What on earth are you doing to a newborn? Did they really expect begging a days-old baby to work? I understood her importance, but they were acting completely insane.
"Move aside," I commanded. "I will soothe her."
Right on cue, the Saintess began reaching for me, flailing her tiny arms. The female priest carefully handed the bundled infant over to me, whispering that she was doing so as the Saintess willed. As soon as I took her into my arms, her crying stopped abruptly. She looked up at me and smiled.
"H-How... she stopped in an instant..." the priests whispered. One suggested it was because they had harbored irreverent thoughts that she had seen through. I just sighed; it felt like the number of sane people in this building was dwindling by the second.
"You shouldn't learn from that nonsense," I whispered to the baby, who responded with another "Kyak!" Fortunately, she seemed to be in a wonderful mood now. It appeared that both Serena and the Saintess loved being in my embrace.
"Ahbu...!" Luna babbled, pointing her tiny arms toward the ritual rattle hanging at my waist.
"You can't play with this recklessly, little one," I said, though my resolve weakened the moment she smiled at me. I took the rattle and held it before her eyes. She seemed to recognize it, perhaps because I had used it to gather the holy power I gave her during the birth. I shook it once—Tinkle—and her smile brightened. I loved laughs like this; they were free of complex worries or the weight of karma.
Aluerd cautiously asked if it was alright to shake the sacred item so casually, but I just brushed him off. "It's just a rattle. If it makes a baby smile, it's fulfilling its highest purpose."
However, as I continued to shake the rattle, I felt a strange itching sensation in my mouth. This wasn't a descent from my Body Goddess; it was an emotion flowing from another deity entirely. I felt a warm, cozy presence, similar to a proud grandfather. The itch intensified, carrying a clear message that needed to be conveyed.
"Moonlight..." I whispered. It was a name that suited her silver hair perfectly, and it fit the current situation of the world—a light that guides those who have lost their way in the night.
"Dawn has broken, yet it is still night. Do not lose your way... the Saintess's name is Luna."
I wondered if they would believe such a sudden proclamation, but my worry was unfounded. The moment I uttered the name, the holy power in the room surged in a visible wave. The Pope immediately declared to all present that Lady Illia had bestowed the name Luna, and a thunderous cheer erupted, followed immediately by another wail from the baby who was startled by the noise.
I sighed again, shaking the rattle to calm her. "More importantly, Pope... do we have horses?" I asked. We had to depart soon if we wanted to help our comrades who were struggling in the field. Klein confirmed that horses had been prepared at a nearby temple.
"Chris, ride up again," Aluerd suggested, pointing to the ornate palanquin I had arrived in. I looked at the newborn in my arms and then at the palanquin, feeling a bit uneasy about boarding such a thing while holding a baby. My dilemma was resolved when Luna let out another babble: "Auu...!"
"W-We receive the Saintess's command!!!" the priests shouted in unison. I just stared at them. What command did they receive this time?