Wandering and the Beast
Who the hell are you?
Joseph drew his sword, but the priest didn’t move an inch.
He offered a faint smile and took one step backward.
Then he clasped his hands together as if in prayer and lowered his head slightly.
I never intended to frighten you. It was only that I was worried, so I stopped…
Looking at the man’s utterly calm face, Joseph clicked his tongue in his mind.
The action he had taken moments ago had been far too hasty.
He had drawn his sword the instant he realized the orb was hidden on the priest’s person.
This was tantamount to admitting that his own words were true.
It’s already spilled water.
Joseph tightened his grip on the sword hilt.
He circulated the mana inside his body, ready to expel the orb at any moment.
Answer my question.
I have already told you who I am. I am Laurent, a combat priest of the Silimaf Order.
Combat priest…?
Joseph’s tension spiked at the answer.
He had no idea what the Silimaf Order was.
But since the man had introduced himself as a combat priest, Joseph understood it meant someone well-versed in combat.
As if to prove it, Laurent’s face remained perfectly calm despite the sword pointed at his chest.
With a blade in front of me… definitely not an ordinary man.
How did you know about the orb?
Joseph asked, and the priest pointed to his own chest.
It was exactly the spot where Joseph kept the orb hidden.
Divine power is still leaking from inside your lordship’s clothes even now. To someone like me, it is visible like that.
Divinity.
Joseph frowned.
He had heard of holy magic only in passing. It was magic used by priests.
At the time he had dismissed it as just another type of magic, but…
Was it something different from magic?
Even if only third-rate, Joseph was still a mage.
He possessed the power to perceive, control, and reshape the world through mana.
Even he regarded the orb in his chest as nothing more than an ordinary orb.
Joseph had not left it untouched.
Yet no matter what he did, he could find no change in the orb.
Laurent claimed divinity was now visible from it.
Clearly, divinity operated on a different system from mana.
Divinity is coming out from my chest?
Yes. Precisely, the divinity contained within the orb cannot contain it and is leaking out.
How does that show?
It is not so much visible as felt… but the difference is negligible.
If this were true, it was a grave matter.
Whether in some way or another, Joseph could not see divinity with his own eyes.
Conversely, this priest’s eyes could perceive the divinity leaking out even from a distance.
It was the same as telling a fool who was wearing gold around his neck without knowing it.
What exactly is this orb?
Laurent opened his mouth first, watching Joseph’s expression.
You seem not to know what that is, my lord. If it is all right with you, I could explain…
Joseph nodded.
If the man was not lying, the information was necessary.
Your lordship’s orb is a somewhat special item. Occasionally, for some reason, divinity gathers in one place and forms a shape.
What reason?
I cannot know the clear cause. We priests simply believe it is the will of God.
It was saying he himself did not know.
The part that made no sense was that it was simply passed off as the will of God.
This part is definitely religious.
…Continue.
Sometimes it takes the form of an orb like now, and sometimes it may take another shape.
Then how did you know this is an orb?
I told you a moment ago, but the holy aura is so strong that the shape is completely felt.
Shit, should I discard it?
It must be a precious item.
But sometimes things that exceed one’s means take away one’s life.
It’s like a lump of divinity.
Joseph’s words, Laurent nodded.
You understand quickly. In the world, it is called a holy relic.
Joseph did not believe in religion.
Not in his previous life, and not in this one either.
Yet he had no intention of ignoring the power of religion.
This isn’t a normal medieval era.
It was an age where magic and divinity existed clearly.
There was reason not to take lightly the existence before him and the orb he carried.
Moreover, it’s a holy relic. What the hell did that guy give me?
He was not so naive as not to know what holy relics meant to religious people.
At the same time, he understood why the man had spoken to him.
A human carrying a holy relic walked around without knowing its value or being foolish.
This was definitely a situation that made one’s eyes spin.
…So you are asking me to hand it over?
Joseph asked with a somewhat cautious gaze.
Intuitively, holy relics would hold even greater value for religious people.
But contrary to Joseph’s thought, Laurent smiled faintly.
Haha, that is not the case.
Of course Joseph did not believe it.
Why? Aren’t you trying to collect holy relics?
Of course there are such priests. But they are merely those lacking in faith. In time, they too will realize.
Joseph understood it as if he might have tried to seize it from other priests.
Then why did you speak to me?
Joseph’s tone changed naturally.
Yet his cautious gaze remained.
That is because I did not know what kind of person you are. I have no mission to recover the holy relic, but if it falls into evil hands, problems will arise.
In other words, he had probed from the beginning and checked the reaction.
Just as Joseph thought he might be a thief, the priest also thought Joseph might be evil.
But God whispered to me that you are not an evil person. If you were evil, I would have tried to take your property.
Joseph was a man who could cast magic without hesitation if necessary.
But he had not yet felt the need for the opponent before him.
Isn’t that something you don’t know yet?
He did not answer Joseph’s question.
He merely tapped his mace at his waist with his hand.
…If I had been a bandit, I would have thought of killing him.
This clear intention was not uncomfortable.
After all, the thought was the same for Joseph.
Then, what do you plan to do now?
I told you a moment ago. Divinity is leaking from the orb you have. I wish to help with that.
How?
The reason God led me here is clearly to help you.
…
Joseph stared at him blankly.
Somehow a strange unease rose in his chest.
This guy is a fanatic.
He came here of his own will and claims meeting him is the will of God.
Then he boldly reveals that if he had been evil, he would have killed him.
He might be crazy beyond imagination.
Honestly there was no fanatic, but he did not say it aloud.
How are you helping?
Could you take out the orb for a moment? You do not have to hand it over to me. Simply placing it on your palm is enough.
Joseph hesitated briefly and took out the orb.
Although he was a fanatic, it seemed he was sincere in wanting to help Joseph.
He would not go to such lengths to lie in order to take the orb.
If he had simply wanted the orb, there would have been many easier ways.
Especially since Joseph did not know that divinity was leaking from it.
…
Laurent looked at the orb placed on Joseph’s hand and nodded.
Then he spread his arms.
Whoosh—
And Joseph felt a faint wind.
Oh…?
At the same time, the mist inside the orb gradually swelled, covering the transparent surface with pure white.
It is finished.
The change was faster than expected.
Joseph checked the orb after Laurent’s words.
Except for size and color, it did not seem to have changed much.
Was that holy magic just now?
Yes.
…Amazing.
Even though the orb changed before his eyes, he felt nothing.
It was similar to magic but clearly different.
The form of the holy relic had not been perfectly settled, and divinity was leaking out. I used a little of the leaking divinity to settle the form, so no one will be able to recognize it even if you carry it in your pocket.
…Thank you.
Joseph lowered his head slightly.
Joseph could not see divinity, so he could not tell if there was any difference in the divinity Laurent had mentioned.
For now, there was no other way but to believe his words.
But what is the purpose of this holy relic, after all?
He understood that the orb was a holy relic.
Yet he still did not know why it had been given to him or what kind of item it was.
That will become clear when the time comes.
…
A bit irritated, but he decided not to ask further.
Anyway, for now, it seemed the problem was solved.
By the way, where did you obtain this holy relic?
The beast gave it to me.
A beast?
Joseph briefly explained about the beast.
Even if a fanatic, not an expert.
It was better to ask knowledgeable people when there was a chance.
Of course, excluding the part about killing people.
Um, according to what you said, that beast might be a sacred beast.
A sacred beast?
Yes. Precisely, it would be better to say it is a beast before it becomes a sacred beast.
According to Laurent, there was also the case where a beast with divinity becomes a sacred beast.
Probably, the black beast had some reason to touch divinity and cause some change, as per Laurent’s explanation.
Why would such a beast give this to me?
It would also be the will of God.
…
…He just throws anything anywhere.
After putting the orb back in his pocket, Laurent, watching him, asked cautiously.
By the way, was that beast close to this place?
At his words, Joseph looked back at the path he had walked.
Following the road, after walking for several days, there is a road leading to the mountains. I met it in the forest nearby.
Hmm… I see.
Are you going to look for it?
Laurent shook his head.
I do not intend to find a sacred beast. It seems there is something I need to check.
Joseph roughly nodded.
He did not care what he did.
Recently, the contact of a priest heading to the west fiefdom was cut off. He was on his way here because he was worried.
At those words, the bandits outside the village came to mind.
If the priest Laurent was talking about had walked along this path, he might have been caught and killed by them.
Was there a priest’s robe among the loot? I can’t remember because I only saw the magic book.
Joseph told Laurent about the bandits.
Then, those bandits…
I don’t know. There were no bandits on my way here.
I see.
Joseph did not need to say he had killed the bandit group himself.
But Laurent glanced at Joseph’s sword with a strange look.
Then, I will go. God is leading me there.
It was a response befitting a fanatic, or rather, a religious person.
Then, be careful.
May God’s protection be with you, my lord…
The priest who had surprised Joseph passed by Joseph as if nothing had happened and left.
Joseph stood still for a moment and stared at his back as he went away.
…
Among the things he had faced since leaving the village, there was nothing ordinary.
The beast and the bandit group. And that priest.
Suddenly, he thought that perhaps in this damned world, it might be difficult to meet an ordinary person.