Awakening, Part 4: The Purest Vessel
The man in black spoke. His tone was cold and blunt.
"I will give you exactly one chance. Explain to me why I shouldn't throw you to those rude guests of yours."
"Haa, hah. First... let me... catch my breath..."
"..."
"Haaah, whew. A deal! I came to make a deal."
The golden rule of negotiation was to never let yourself be intimidated, no matter who you faced. Yet, somehow, it felt like I had stumbled right at the starting line.
The man stared at me intently. My face burned with embarrassment, but I resolved not to lose my nerve. Fortunately, he didn't seem inclined to mock my pathetic stamina.
"A deal? What could someone who can't even look after herself possibly offer me?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I can give you something far greater than you could ever imagine. In fact, let me ask you instead—why did you save Rajen back then?"
This was a crucial question. Why had this man saved Rajen? And why, after sparing his life, did he persist in this cold, indifferent attitude? If I couldn't get an answer to this, I couldn't take the next step.
"Do not tell me you've misunderstood my actions. I harbored no sympathy for either of you. As I said, I couldn't care less whether you lived or died."
"That's exactly what I'm asking. If you're so indifferent to our fates, why did you save him?"
"Hmph."
"Wasn't it because someone else—someone other than you—told you to keep us alive?"
The man fell silent. He seemed to be weighing whether to answer me or not.
"I have no desire to discuss it."
"Just tell me. It's not like killing me would be hard for you anyway, right? Even if you just walk away, I'm dead."
"I suppose that is true. Very well. Your suspicion is correct. I was asked to perform a few favors. One of them was to aid you both, just once, in a moment of dire peril."
"Let me meet that person."
"Impossible."
His refusal was absolute, drawing a clear, unyielding line. He was not a man to be swayed by cheap bartering. No matter how I spun it, I was the one being dragged along without any leverage. If I let this conversation drag on for even a moment, he would vanish. I had to play my hand first.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me. I'm sure the Order of Hibras has its own complicated circumstances. Am I wrong?"
"Hooo."
"I don't know much about the god Hibras. All I've learned from the outside world is that Hibras is the God of Rest, that his priests usually oversaw funerals, and that the Order naturally lost its influence and faded into obscurity."
"Our uninvited guests are drawing near. They are keeping their distance out of wariness toward me, but it would be wise for you to get to the point quickly. I have no intention of getting entangled in troublesome affairs."
"Oh, but you'll have to get entangled now. Because the very reason your Order lost its influence and vanished? I am going to solve that problem for you."
No answer came. But neither did a denial. And in this situation, silence was as good as agreement. If my words had been nothing but wild, baseless delusions, this heartless man would have vanished before I could even finish. The fact that he stood there, quietly listening, meant he was intrigued. After all, this concerned the very god he served. To an ordained priest or a holy knight, this was not a subject that could simply be ignored.
"Your Order lacked a Saintess to receive the god's power. In fact, you didn't even have priests who could properly wield it. And it makes sense. How could a stained, living mortal ever fully contain the concept of 'Death'?"
Theology taught that mortals who received a Holy Mark were profoundly influenced by their deity's divinity. A ruthless mercenary could become a gentle soul upon becoming a priest of mercy, and a priest of war would naturally become an exceptional soldier. But the divinity of Hibras was death. By nature, finding a priest compatible with such power was nearly impossible. Even if they found one, they were almost always destined for an early grave. Ultimately, the Order of Hibras faded away, becoming a textbook example of how a religious order collapses when it can no longer perform miracles.
A god bestows grace upon the earth, and the believers offer their faith to sustain that god. This was the fundamental teaching of all religions. But conversely, a god who performs no miracles and receives no faith is bound to be forgotten.
"Vessels capable of containing the Divinity of Rest are exceedingly rare. If you cannot accept the divinity without resistance, you are instantly consumed by death itself. I will solve that problem for you."
"An intriguing proposal, but it does not sound like something within your capabilities."
"Hearing you say that, it seems you haven't been told who I am."
I felt his gaze. It swept over me from head to toe, evaluating me. There was a faint trace of mockery in his eyes, as if to say someone like me was utterly insignificant.
"Indeed. I do not know you. Just as one does not bother to ask a corpse its name."
"How cold. If I actually become a corpse, you're the one who's going to be in trouble."
I squared my shoulders and stood tall. Though I was currently clad in tattered rags and cut a pathetic figure, it did not matter. I believed that true nobility did not stem from outward appearances.
"Since you don't know me, allow me to introduce myself."
The price of a precious gem is determined not by its beauty, but by its rarity. People talk of a jewel's splendor, but in truth, they are intoxicated by its cost—its sheer value. And in this entire world, I was one of a kind.
"My name is Sirien Ilensia."
Look at me. This mud-stained girl will become your most precious jewel.
"The Sword of the Empire—the legitimate daughter and rightful heir of the Grand Duke of Ilencia."
Though my title held no sway in this forest, it had not vanished into thin air. A mere stroke of my name possessed the power to sway the hegemony of the Empire's western territories. Once I ascended to my rightful seat and poured immense patronage into your Order, I could revive your influence, even if I had to drag it back to life myself.
"The sole successor to the highest and purest bloodline."
Was that all? If a member of the Ilencia family received a divine blessing, they were guaranteed the rank of bishop at the very least. Depending on the circumstances, they could even ascend to the position of Saintess or Saint. The imperial family went so far as to interfere in our baptismal ceremonies out of fear that the Grand Duchy would grow too powerful by aligning with the temples. That was how peerless the Ilencia family's divine compatibility was.
Divinity corrupted mortals because their vessels were impure. It was due to the innate stains of mana. Just as a winding river is carved flat by the rushing current, the flow of divinity carves away and alters a human being. The divinity of Hibras was no different; the process of this alteration simply drove its priests to death, not because the god harbored any malice. But I possessed no such stains.
"...A bloodline of pure origin. Are you certain you can contain the divinity without being consumed?"
"In theory, yes. From the perspective of divinity, I am the cleanest vessel in this world. I can receive a baptism from any god, and I can perfectly assimilate any form of divine power."
"It is merely a theory."
"Because I've never had to try. But I assure you, if I can't do it, no one can. And I am the only direct descendant of Ilencia left."
The man in black fell silent. Meanwhile, rustling movements echoed from the thickets. Until moments ago, those pursuers had been squeezing the life out of my remaining time, but now, it was this man who was being rushed. His brow furrowed in irritation at the encroaching noise. Watching him, I feigned an air of calm composure. Go ahead. Kill me if you dare. If I died, Rajen would be in danger anyway, and if Rajen died, I had no intention of living. I couldn't follow him into the afterlife immediately like Hena had... but once I offered Count Roxen's head to their graves, I could finally rest in peace.
The man spoke, his words sharp as a blade.
"If you fail to accept the divinity, the price will be death. A death so swift you won't even have time to utter a final testament."
"Probably. But neither of us has a choice, do we?"
I didn't know what the Order of Hibras was doing holed up in this forest. But I knew they couldn't be happy with their current state. The reason Hibras was cited in theology as the textbook example of a collapsed order was because they had exhausted every effort to revive it. They had been incredibly passionate about expanding their influence. Even now, if they could, they would want to step out into the world and spread their faith. So, in truth, this man had no choice. If he had any connection to the Order of Hibras, he could never ignore my offer.
Of course, I was in the exact same position. I desperately needed their help. I needed this man's martial prowess, and I needed the divine power or medicine to heal Rajen. To save Rajen's life, I would gladly become the Saintess of this pathetic, run-down Order a hundred times over.
"You aren't the one who gets to decide whether to accept my deal. It's the god you serve. From this moment on, you are obligated to guide me to your altar."
"Do not command me. You are not yet the Saintess of this Order."
"But I will be. I am going to become your Saintess."
The man slowly raised his sword. His gaze shifted past me, focusing on the space behind my back. That was where my enemies were. I slipped my hand into my robes, drew my dagger, and pressed it against my own throat. He had told me not to command him, but I had no choice but to order him once more.
"If you understand, then slaughter every single piece of trash chasing me. Otherwise, I will take my own life right here."