Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Comprehension (5)
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The water giant, whose arm had been severed mid-punch, failed to regenerate it this time.
The fierce waves that had always swiftly filled the gap left by the heavy giant's missed strike fell silent.
"......"
It was because Galen, who needed to permit mana usage, had frozen in place.
"Let's call the sparring match here."
Daimus spoke calmly and dispersed his radiant spear.
Even after the end was declared, Galen remained trapped in shock.
Lilia, who had also been frozen, was the first to snap out of it—precisely because she wasn't the one directly involved.
She swallowed dryly and opened her mouth in a slightly trembling voice.
"What... was that...?"
"Did you get a sense of it again this time?"
"N-No, not at all... I couldn't see anything... This has never happened before..."
Lilia was flustered in a way that was unlike her usual self.
The first time she saw the miracles of acolytes and priests, the first time she witnessed Myra's radiance, the first time she experienced Roald's blessing.
Each time she encountered a higher level of miracle that she herself hadn't yet reached, Lilia had always felt the same sensation.
The feeling of almost grasping it, but not quite ready yet.
She had filled in those missing pieces one by one through diligent contemplation, sparring with Galen, and various experiences. That was how Lilia had grown.
But this time, it was a feeling of seeing absolutely nothing.
Daimus had clearly used a miracle. She had seen holy power being wielded, and he was a fellow cleric.
Why was it completely incomprehensible? It felt just like witnessing magic—as if it belonged to an entirely different realm from miracles.
"To be honest, it was abnormal that you've always gotten a sense of it just from seeing it once before."
Daimus gave a wry smile.
"So, feeling utter darkness this time is, in a way, understandable. Lord Galen, are you all right?"
"......Not particularly."
After remaining rigid for a long while, Galen finally shook his head with great effort and muttered in a subdued voice.
The shock had been so immense that he had completely let go of his mana control, but now he regained his senses and seized it once more.
Shwaaah—
Like rain pouring down on a stormy day, the water that had submerged the backyard gathered in one spot beneath his feet.
The one-armed giant absorbed the converging water and slowly began to collapse. It huddled into a round blob, shrinking in size.
Soon enough, the backyard returned to its original state.
Though patches of it were gouged out like a construction site, so it wasn't exactly the same, at least it was no longer a muddy mess.
"It was even worse than an Illusion Domain."
Galen said as he recalled his spirit and wrapped it around his wrist.
"It felt like magic itself was outright forbidden."
A mage who reaches the golden realm gains the ability to create a special domain centered on themselves.
Illusion Domain.
A sort of home-ground advantage where their own magic is buffed and others' magic is debuffed.
That was why Moritz in the Devil's Cradle couldn't directly burn Galen's body, and why Galen couldn't drown Moritz outright.
Much like how the atmosphere protects Earth from cosmic threats.
But the miracle Daimus had just shown... was more like a black hole than an atmosphere.
It wasn't merely suppressing emerging magic with force—it felt like dismantling its very structure entirely.
It was a chilling sensation that no amount of flattery could call pleasant. The momentary denial of magic's existence, something he had grown so accustomed to, was terror incarnate.
Daimus nodded as if understanding his feelings perfectly and spoke up.
"Warriors and mages go through bronze, silver, gold. Clerics go through acolyte, priest, bishop. Once you've completed this series of growth stages, we can call it 'mastery.'"
"Mastery?"
"By the time you reach gold, you can perfectly fulfill the role expected of a warrior or mage. The same goes for clerics. After years as a bishop, freely wielding up to the seventh miracle, you can fulfill every role expected of a cleric. That's why it's called mastery."
A master warrior, a master mage, a master cleric.
The golden realm—or bishop realm—was exactly that, according to Daimus.
"Of course, there's natural variation even within gold. Just as you in the cradle differed from you in the ruins. But that kind of improvement is just refining mastery, not breaking out of the mold."
"The mold..."
"You and Bishop Lilia reached your current realms in your early twenties, but others don't. Even from prestigious families, reaching gold before thirty is rare, and refining that mastery takes even longer. Even starting around age ten, it takes at least thirty or forty years."
From childhood through middle age, and sometimes into old age. A lifetime dedicated to one path.
"After devoting so many years to perfecting your own world, you must step beyond it to advance to the next stage after gold."
"......That's a tough concept."
"It has to be. Do you think it's a coincidence that so few reach the gem realm? I'm no mage, so I can't help you with it. At best, I can offer Bishop Lilia some brief advice."
With that, Daimus turned to Lilia.
"Unlike usual, you said you saw nothing this time, right?"
"Yes."
"Your talent is so exceptional that you've always vaguely glimpsed the path ahead on your road. But the archbishop realm requires reaching the end of that path and seeking a new one, as I just mentioned. That's why it feels so dark."
"Ah......"
"So for now, focus on perfecting your radiance and blessing."
"Yes!"
"And."
Daimus paused thoughtfully before continuing.
"This advice probably won't help much right now, so just keep it in mind. The eighth miracle requires unshakable faith."
"Faith...?"
Lilia tilted her head, clearly puzzled.
"I've never had irreverent thoughts, though..."
"Of course. How could I doubt you? But the faith I mean must be backed by absolute self-conviction to have meaning. Bishop Lilia, do you faithfully follow and uphold the church's teachings?"
"Yes!"
"Then, are your actions, as someone so faithful, always righteous?"
"......Pardon?"
Lilia faltered at Daimus's sudden question. She answered hesitantly.
"W-Well... I try my best to live righteously, but I don't think I'm always righteous."
"That's the usual, correct answer. A humble acknowledgment of your own shortcomings."
Daimus nodded as if in approval, but his eyes sharpened.
"However, an archbishop cannot afford that contradiction."
"Pardon?"
"What happens if the one at the pinnacle of the church, the cleric preaching teachings to the masses, lacks self-belief? A ship can't sail straight without a confident captain."
"B-But... what if that becomes dogmatic refusal to admit mistakes?"
"Then don't make mistakes. Strive endlessly. Understand the church's teachings more deeply than anyone, and take pride that your actions are the teachings themselves."
Daimus lightly extended his arm. Radiance in his hand stretched into a long staff.
"Once you do, your standards will become the new divider between righteousness and evil."
The staff tapped the ground lightly.
Thoom!
Like a drumbeat stirring the heart, an inexplicable vibration spread outward.
That was all it took.
"Ugh?!"
"Eek?!"
Galen and Lilia groaned in unison.
It felt as if invisible ropes were binding their bodies.
"What I deem right shall gain life, and what I deem wrong shall not."
The staff tapped the ground again. As the vibration spread once more, Galen and Lilia's bodies relaxed.
"This is the eighth miracle: the Miracle of Selection."
Daimus dispersed the staff.
Lilia, who had been staring blankly, muttered in a deflated voice.
"I still don't quite get it... Sorry to say this, but it feels like it could easily turn into fanaticism..."
"I understand. If you could truly empathize with my words, a new archbishop would have been born right here."
Daimus smiled gently.
"You're still young, Bishop Lilia. Not in a belittling way, but you haven't had time to carefully reflect on your path. You've just raced ahead with your exceptional talent."
"......"
"As I said earlier, focus only on radiance and blessing for now. Once your own convictions are fully formed and unshakable, you'll understand my words someday."
"......"
Seeing her sullen silence, Lilia clearly wasn't convinced yet. Daimus chuckled.
"Well, that's enough for today."
"Ah, yes..."
"Ponder it slowly. You have plenty of time. Such contemplation is precious too."
Daimus patted Lilia's shoulder encouragingly and turned away.
He told the pensive girl not to see him off and left with only Galen's escort.
"I'll come again tomorrow. Morning would be better than evening, before my work hours."
"Yes, please do. I'll let Lilia know."
Galen nodded, hesitated briefly, then asked.
"Your Excellency Archbishop."
"Speak."
"About the Miracle of Selection. Simply put... is it like canceling magic as you wish?"
"More precisely, any being I haven't permitted has their power restricted. Warriors, mages, even fellow clerics."
Was it too rude to think of medieval witch hunts on Earth?
Labeling innocents as witches and burning them without question.
Wasn't it saying an archbishop could eliminate anyone they disliked?
Honestly, he could see why Lilia worried about the risks of dogmatism and fanaticism.
But for Galen, a non-church member, the nuances of clerical enlightenment weren't his concern.
"Then... is there no way to block a miracle?"
"Below gold, assume there isn't. Or wait for me to tire."
"Gems can resist it, then."
"Something like that."
Daimus nodded and added quietly.
"I hope you never have to."
"......Why would I ever become enemies with the church?"
No need to fight the archbishop meant no need to resist the Miracle of Selection.
Grasping the implication, Galen gave a wry smile. Daimus mirrored it.
"As an outsider, you can't unconditionally follow church orders. Even in a cooperative relationship rather than a hierarchical one, breakdowns are always possible. Even if they don't want it, circumstances can twist badly."
"True... but I'll do my utmost to prevent that. I like our current relationship."
"Same here. Personally, I like you too. It'd be great if the church could stand with you to the end."
Daimus gave a faint smile, a light bow, and departed.
Galen closed the gate behind him and let out a soft sigh.
The road ahead is still long...
After overwhelmingly outperforming other golds in the ruins, his confidence had soared.
He might have stood out among golds, but who knew the gap with gems would be this vast?
If magic itself was blocked, the fight couldn't even begin.
Of course, fighting gem-level warriors or mages might play out differently.
But he doubted he could properly contend with them if he couldn't even match an equivalent archbishop.
......No. No need to get depressed.
Galen shook his head.
It had taken him barely a year to reach his current level.
Whether becoming silver or gold, he had grown without feeling any real difficulty, thanks to the status window.
The archbishop's power felt like a wall, for certain.
But not the kind others felt from lacking enlightenment to climb higher.
It was merely an area he hadn't reached yet due to insufficient experience.
For now, as originally planned, it was time to level up Earth Bind and Territory March.
Gem experience could come after.
Lilia could refine her radiance and blessing in the meantime.
I'll just do my part.
Without haste.
Galen steeled his resolve once more.