Chapter 255
Chapter 255
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Power of Purification
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"Ack!?"
Rishir jumped in fright and raised both hands.
It was because some woman had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and charged straight at him.
"Saintess!?"
Surprisingly, the woman's identity was the Saintess.
He hadn't recognized her because the atmosphere had shifted so abruptly.
With her mystical aura, the Saintess glared at him fiercely with narrowed eyes and snapped in an irritable tone—it was impossible not to miss it.
"Are you kidding me?!?"
The Saintess grabbed Rishir by the collar with full force.
It was quite a genuine display of murderous intent(?), but Rishir didn't feel particularly threatened.
Right now, she wasn't the 'Saintess' at all—she was 'Tara Dolrin'.
Her holy and vast energy scattered carelessly.
Her solemn and embracing demeanor was cast off like uncomfortable clothes.
Her face now showed raw, ordinary emotions instead of unfathomable mystery.
The Saintess, having lost her composure, looked no different from any ordinary girl her age.
In fact, the power within her body felt utterly frail.
Rishir couldn't bring himself to resist her touch.
Her body was so delicate that it felt less like she was grabbing his collar and more like she was hanging onto him.
And that hanging figure seemed like it might just fly away if handled wrong.
'Could it be because of that...?'
Rishir suddenly recalled a story about her.
The tale of the Saintess who had completely exhausted her essence using the power of purification and met her end.
If that was the case, it explained why her presence felt so faint.
It even explained why she had lost her reason!
'Oh no!'
Rishir belatedly realized just how insensitive he had been.
The power of purification!
He had gotten excited at the thought that a Saintess who shared that unique power might understand him, and that was one thing.
But he hadn't considered the vast difference in their situations.
To preach 'use the power of purification, your constitution will change' to a Saintess who had met her end as the price for using it.
Of course, Rishir had his own grievances.
The Saintess!
Wasn't it none other than that Saintess!?
She exuded an aura that transcended worldly concepts, seeming utterly detached.
Overwhelmed by that atmosphere, Rishir had viewed her as something beyond human fate—something else entirely.
A being revered by the church's followers.
A divine existence!
That's why he never imagined it.
That she harbored such human traits!?
That she would react so humanly!?
If he had known from the start, Rishir would have been far more careful with his words and actions.
"Calm down, 'Saintess'."
The fairy Shuyen seemed to think the same, offering a wry smile as she began to intervene.
"Can't you see how startled your devotee is?"
At the fairy's teasing tone, the Saintess snapped out of it with an 'Ah!'
The Saintess.
To her, she was the exemplar and spiritual pillar for countless modern believers.
Some followers even based their faith on her as God's proxy.
For such a figure to show this vulgar side publicly—it wouldn't do.
"Ahem."
Tara Dolrin, who had looked like an ordinary village girl, reverted to the Saintess once more.
The Saintess emanated an unfathomable, profound mystery and drew a benevolent smile.
Tap. Tap.
At the same time, with seemingly casual yet affectionate touches, she straightened Rishir's clothes.
As if nothing had happened.
-Right?
The Saintess smiled brightly as she looked at Rishir.
-Tact...
Rishir nodded in response, but it came off incredibly awkward.
The experience had been too intense to dismiss as a midsummer night's dream.
"Pfft."
Unable to hold back, the fairy burst into laughter beside them.
"What's this? Another person who knows Saintess Tara Dolrin's sister, Maria Dolrin?"
The Saintess naturally had no sister named Maria Dolrin.
It was an inside joke among her comrades for the Saintess's vastly different public and private personas.
"..."
The Saintess failed to maintain her composure at the long-forgotten name and jest.
The fairy, even more delighted, said to Rishir,
"Rishir. Keep it secret that you met Maria Dolrin here? She's surprisingly shy despite appearances."
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
Quick on the uptake, Rishir readily agreed.
"What do you understand!"
The Saintess, reverting to Tara Dolrin once more, shouted.
"Ah. What in the world is going on—"
A rough sigh escaped her lips.
'Fantasy beast' Maria Dolrin.
It was a monumental moment encountering the mythical being seen only by the hero party.
Rubbing salt in the wound.
Rishir learned the meaning of those words through his body.
'I miss you, Saintess...'
The benevolent Saintess, whose mere presence purified body and soul, was no more.
"What are you standing around for? Just sit or whatever."
"Ah, yes."
Having left the cathedral and returned to the Saintess's residence, Rishir now had to deal with her prickly attitude.
Not Tara Dolrin, but Maria Dolrin!
She kept glaring at Rishir with displeasure.
Tsk.
Unable to hold back, she clicked her tongue.
Like a teenage girl sulking for some inexplicable reason.
It was unbecoming of a Saintess, but the fairy and the man had no choice but to forgive it.
She had been striving to maintain her saintly mystique, only for her true self to be unavoidably exposed.
And because of that absurd notion of the 'beneficial power of purification' to boot!
It perfectly matched the saying, 'Even the Saintess would snap at this.'
They could easily grasp the turmoil she must be feeling.
"..."
Throat parched.
Rishir gulped down his tea to soothe the awkward silence.
"Ah."
But realizing the cup was empty, he awkwardly set it down.
"..."
The Saintess, chin propped on her hand, turned away.
She glanced sideways, saw it, and let out a sigh.
She dragged her chair back, stood, went somewhere, and returned with a teapot.
Without even looking, she reached out and refilled Rishir's cup.
It seemed petty and crude at first glance.
Yet, true nature couldn't be fully hidden, it seemed.
Her body said 'I don't like you,' but the Saintess's benevolence was honest.
The tea, surely cold by now, had been freshly brewed and gave off a gentle aroma.
Poured without looking, not a drop spilled; it filled the cup neatly.
She even adjusted the slightly askew saucer for his use.
Finishing her routine, the Saintess returned to her seat across from him, propping her chin in a slouchy pose.
"Heh."
If this was her most negative response, so be it.
Rishir let out a chuckle, reminded anew why she was the Saintess.
"..."
Perhaps embarrassed herself.
Ahem.
The Saintess cleared her throat to lighten the mood.
Then, still turned away with chin propped, she muttered indifferently,
"Tell me the details."
"Pardon?"
"That power of purification you mentioned! Tell me in detail!"
"Ah, yes!"
For some reason, Rishir felt like a sinner confessing his crimes as he began his confession to the Saintess.
The power of purification.
About that horrific sin(?).
"..."
In the early part of the story.
The Saintess's eyes shook mercilessly.
Fear that her life of devotion might be negated.
"Phew..."
At one point, she let out a light sigh.
A sigh of relief.
"It's different..."
"Pardon?"
"Your power of purification is clearly a different force from mine!"
The ability the man described was indeed wondrous.
It even shared similar properties with her own power.
Even so.
The two powers were distinctly different.
"From what I heard, your power of purification turns impure energy into perfect white—no, transparent. Right?"
"An apt description."
"Meanwhile, my power of purification literally 'purifies' impure energy. It drives out the impure energy and replaces the void with my own. That's the ability."
Just like when explaining unique colors.
The Saintess knew showing once beat explaining a hundred times.
Whoosh.
The Saintess opened the window and whistled a clear note.
A small bird flew in from outside and perched on her hand.
"Tainted by black magic energy... It had suffered misfortune. I took it in."
"Ah...!"
Rishir understood the Saintess's words the moment he saw the bird.
The bird's tiny body brimmed with the Saintess's holy energy.
For example.
The Saintess's power of purification could be called the manifestation of overwhelming holiness.
A power that overlaid existing energy with stronger force.
Different from Rishir's ability, which affected the energy itself.
"Phew. Yeah. It's different, right? Of course it has to be!"
Emphasizing the subtle yet clear difference again, the Saintess sighed in relief as if saved.
What if Rishir's power of purification was exactly the same as hers?
And he wielded it with benefits instead of side effects.
If so, the Saintess could never endure that relative deprivation.
Of course.
She wasn't entirely free of those feelings even now.
"Isn't that too selfish?"
"Pardon?"
The sharpness in the Saintess's eyes softened a bit.
She glared at Rishir with a weary expression.
"Wielding such an incredible power without paying any price. Enjoying all sorts of benefits instead. Where's the justice in that?"
"..."
Rishir solemnly bowed his head.
He had grown somewhat accustomed to people's scrutiny of his unreasonable ability—
But maintaining shamelessness before a Saintess who met her end through infinite devotion and sacrifice was a stretch.
"Tara. I get your feelings, but don't be too harsh. Bluntly, what's Rishir's crime?"
Right.
That was spot on.
The Saintess nearly acquiesced, then felt a surge of injustice.
"You."
"Yes?"
"Do you have any illusion magic-related abilities? Or plan to learn illusion magic?"
"Tara!?"
The fairy gasped involuntarily.
Fear that the man might casually reveal a power negating her illusions!
The Saintess smirked at the fairy.
See?
Still think it's fair?
The fairy said solemnly,
"Rishir... You might be a sinner after all..."
"..."
The Saintess and the sinner(?)'s confession continued for a while longer.
As things calmed, Rishir felt a twinge of emptiness.
Shedding.
Unique color.
He thought meeting the hero party would reveal his ability's nature and his path forward—
'Another bust.'
What he realized instead was the depth of its inscrutability.
The hero party.
Even ancient great heroes couldn't define it—an inscrutable power.
'So, my future fills again with unknowns and mysteries.'
The Saintess who met a different end from using great power.
Because of meeting her?
Rishir grew increasingly wary of the 'price' that might someday come.
As Rishir pondered for his own reasons,
"Unnecessary worry. That's luxury, even sin. Know that?"
"Pardon?"
The Saintess said to him.
Though in 'Maria Dolrin' mode, her prickly attitude couldn't fully hide the Saintess's essence.
Rishir felt his scattered thoughts and emotions focus instantly.
"I never worried unnecessarily when wielding purification. Know why?"
"Um... Because of faith in God...?"
"What."
Pfft.
The Saintess smirked bitterly.
Like hearing a decent joke.
"Not bad. But more than that—I didn't worry because handling immediate troubles was overwhelming enough."
"Ah."
Rishir involuntarily glanced at her frail body.
The body and energy that grew weaker and sicker day by day from using purification.
Then he looked down at his own.
The intact body that had briefly spun the Saintess's eyes(?).
Ha.
Rishir chuckled unwittingly.
Exactly as the Saintess said.
Worrying because things were too good.
Worrying about bad things that hadn't happened.
A glutton's fret.
The sin of 'deception,' perhaps.
"So."
Tap.
The Saintess casually took Rishir's hand.
Embarrassed and reluctant, yet unable to resist instinct.
"No need to veer off. No need to worry about what you don't have to while looking elsewhere."
The Saintess's lips twitched.
Seeming troubled how to voice what followed.
Ultimately, reverting to Saintess mode, she continued,
"Great hero."
"...!"
"Believe in yourself."
Before long, the Saintess's holy energy enveloped Rishir strongly.
"Understood."
Rishir etched her words deep in his heart, nodding with resolute eyes.
The delusion within him vanished.
"Come to think of it, you."
"Yes?"
"Seem to have decent holy aptitude. Why not learn holy magic instead of letting it rot?"
"Oh—"
Rishir's eyes widened at the unexpected bold offer.
'I'm in the middle of learning nature magic— is this okay?'
The thought crossed his mind briefly—
But he couldn't refuse when the icon of holy magic offered to teach.
'Eh, whatever. If I master both at once, it'll work out.'
His specialty, magic swordsmanship, flexibly wielded various powers adeptly, right?
Learning multiple powers simultaneously aligned with magic swordsmanship principles.
Of course.
Decision made, Rishir nodded vigorously.
"Never thought I'd see this. 'Maria Dolrin' teaching holy magic to someone."
"Shut up with the nonsense."
"Rishir. Know how huge this is? Like learning black magic from a demon."
"What analogy... With that, will she get it?"
"Ah! I have learned black magic from a demon!"
"..."
"..."
The two great heroes exchanged glances.
Is this okay? Holy magic?
Who knows. I don't even know anymore.
Anyway.
Thus, Rishir stayed in the Saintess's village, becoming her student in holy arts.
The Saintess's guidance began the next morning.
Rishir rose early, finished his routine of magic swordsmanship and nature magic training, then headed to the cathedral with her.
As the cathedral came into view, Rishir murmured softly,
"By the way, is this okay? I don't serve God, so can I learn holy magic—"
"Serving or believing in God doesn't matter."
"Pardon?"
"No matter who you are, God will embrace you without discrimination. As with all beings."
"Oh..."
Rishir felt her strong faith infecting even him.
'Wait, Saintess— isn't this making me a priest if I stay?'
Harboring such non-worry, he arrived at the cathedral.
Perhaps because the topic was 'holy'?
Rishir anew sensed the holy energy filling the cathedral.
Involuntarily, he compared it to high priests he'd met before.
A gasp escaped his lips.
'Just gathering the Saintess's lingering energy here could easily outmatch a high priest, right?'
The Saintess's holy guidance.
Rishir's anticipation built steadily.
As he tried to gaze at her with sparkling disciple eyes,
"Huh?"
Rishir startled and looked around.
Solemn, sacred whispers came from somewhere.
As Rishir pondered their source, the Saintess approached the statue of God.
She seemed about to kneel naturally—
"Ah."
Remembering Rishir, she froze in an awkward pose.
Ha. Damn.
Her face toward Rishir seemed to say that.
Moments later.
She cautiously spoke,
"Wait there a bit? I have urgent business right now— what it is—"
"Ah, are the priests praying to you, Saintess?"
Huh?
Right.
This guy gets it?
The Saintess's tense, troubled expression relaxed.
"Huh?"
Then stiffened even more rigidly.
"Wait. How do you know that?"
"I can hear it."
Awkward pose.
Wide eyes.
The Saintess stared at Rishir.
"Why (how) can you hear that?"
The followers' prayers transmitted through deep faith.
To some random outsider.