The Goddess, Freiyan (2)
Nasha spent another full day confined to her bed under Miria's watchful eye. The news that she had woken up after two days brought the children flocking to her side. When Arni burst into tears at the sight of her face, Nasha had no idea what to do, but Miria quickly ushered the children away. After that, Miria even brought her meals, allowing Nasha to rest completely while lying down.
It was a little earlier than usual the next morning. Maybe she had slept enough, because even the smallest sound made her eyes snap open. Nasha sat up in bed and stretched her body this way and that.
Feels better than yesterday.
“How are you? Feeling alright?”
The owner of the voice was Miria. Already dressed in her usual nun’s habit, she placed the back of her hand against Nasha’s forehead.
“Your fever has gone down a lot.”
“My body feels fine to move around now, too.”
At Miria’s suspicious gaze, Nasha waved her arms around to prove she was perfectly fine. Only after watching her for a long while did Miria’s stern expression finally soften.
“If you’re feeling well enough, since you’re up early, help me with breakfast.”
“Me?”
Was she really going to trust her with cooking? As if reading Nasha’s thoughts, Miria added,
“You’re not cooking. Just help with the prep work.”
Recalling how Miria had managed all the cooking alone until now, Nasha got up without complaint.
Starting from the heavy rain that day, the temperature dropped rapidly. It looked like winter would arrive early this year. The children, too, began spending more time inside the building than playing outside.
They just won’t leave each other alone.
According to Miria, ever since Arni returned, Arsen had been glued to her side. It would probably stay that way for a while.
Not a bad thing, though.
With the colder weather and everything that had happened recently, having everyone stay inside made things easier for the caretakers. There was no reason to complain.
I think it’s okay to go out now.
The sky, which had been overcast all morning, was gradually letting the sun peek through the clouds. Miria had said she wouldn’t let Nasha outside if the weather was bad, so Nasha had been sneaking glances at the sky whenever she could. When Nasha quietly stood up from her seat and looked at Miria, the nun gave her a small nod. Permission granted.
Just as Nasha was about to leave the building, Miria called her back. In her hands was a coat.
“It’s still cold out.”
Miria approached and carefully helped Nasha put on the coat. After tying the strings tightly to make sure it was secure, she added one last warning.
“If you come back looking like that again, I won’t let it slide.”
Nasha took the gentle threat to heart and quickly left the orphanage.
“Where is Sister Nasha going?”
“She has something she needs to do.”
That was how Miria answered Alt’s question as he watched Nasha’s retreating figure.
She’s finally heading out.
From the second-floor window of the orphanage director’s office, Raksha watched Nasha’s figure with quiet eyes.
Unlike last time, Nasha walked with careful steps. The situation was different, and the ground was in terrible condition. One moment of distraction and her foot would sink into a deep puddle.
Now that I look at it…
Nasha, who had been walking with her head down, spotted a shadow and lifted her gaze.
It’s ridiculously tall.
Goheng Peak cast an enormous shadow under the sunlight that had begun to pour down. Because the surrounding area was a flat plain, the peak looked even taller when viewed up close.
How the hell did I climb this before?
She could hardly believe she had sprinted up a peak this steep in the middle of a torrential downpour.
“That aside…”
After scanning the summit once, a long sigh escaped Nasha’s lips.
“I really don’t want to climb this…”
Maybe that voice back then had just been an auditory hallucination.
Even Sister Miria didn’t seem to hear it.
She came up with several excuses not to climb, but after shaking her head, Nasha took her first step forward.
If that were the case, Arni wouldn’t have been up there.
Last time she had run up, carried Arni down on her back, and still underestimated the mountain. She had overlooked the fact that she had been in an excited state, radiating energy at the time.
“Hek. Heeeek.”
By the time Nasha reached the summit, she was gasping for breath.
I’m never doing this twice.
Having resolved to settle things today, Nasha lifted her head. Beneath the tree where Arni had been lying unconscious, a young girl with golden hair leaned against the trunk, staring straight at her.
[So you’ve finally come.]
The voice rang directly inside her head. It was the same voice from that day. The girl pushed off the tree and approached Nasha with light steps. As she stepped out from the tree’s shadow, sunlight poured over her. Her golden hair, the same brilliant shade as Nasha’s, sparkled in the light.
[You seem too stunned to speak. That’s understandable.]
The girl, wearing a kind smile that didn’t match her youthful appearance, stopped in front of Nasha.
[This isn’t the first time we’ve met. Don’t be nervous. Speak freely.]
A little girl?
A girl this young all the way up here? She looked two or three years older than Arni at most. About Ceres’s age. Eleven or twelve at the oldest.
“Did you get lost?”
A young girl at the summit of Goheng Peak. It was the best question Nasha could come up with after assessing the situation.
[What?]
Of course, that wasn’t the reaction of the last remaining goddess who watched over the world in the form of a young girl—Freiyan.
After finishing her explanation, Freiyan caught her breath.
“So you’re saying… you’re a goddess?”
At Nasha’s question, Freiyan nodded vigorously. Her long hair swayed like waves. Nasha, arms crossed in thought, organized her thoughts. She pictured Miria’s face and smiled.
“Alright. First, let’s head down. There’s an orphanage nearby. We can talk more once we get there.”
She must have hit her head from the shock. I need to show her to Uncle Raksha and Sister Miria.
[I’m perfectly fine! What do you mean, show me to them!]
Nasha, who had been approaching carefully, froze.
Did I just say that out loud?
[No, you said it in your head.]
Right. I’m not an idiot…?
“What the…?”
[What do you mean, what? I told you, I’m a goddess.]
“For real…?”
Freiyan stood with her arms crossed while Nasha’s eyes met hers awkwardly. A suffocating silence hung between them.
“No way.”
Before she knew it, Nasha had dropped to one knee in front of the girl—who claimed to be the goddess Freiyan—and began making excuses.
“When people talk about a goddess, they usually mean an adult woman.”
Freiyan listened to Nasha’s words in silence.
“According to the scriptures, she’s surrounded by golden divine power.”
Still no response.
“Anyway, there’s never been a single record of a goddess appearing as a ten-year-old girl.”
Nasha put on her most pitiful expression. The secret weapon she had learned from getting scolded by Miria multiple times worked even on the goddess.
[That’s enough. Since you’re not even a child of this world, I’ll forgive you just this once.]
“How do you know that?”
Freiyan reached out toward Nasha—specifically toward her heart. A stream of golden divine power flowed from the goddess’s fingertips.
[It means I was the one who brought you back to life, child.]
A story no one else knew. A truth shared only by Nasha, who had been there, and the woman who had been a goddess at the time. Only then did Nasha realize that the girl’s face resembled the woman from that day.
[Have you nothing to say?]
Seeing the changing expression on Nasha’s face, Freiyan squared her shoulders as if to say, Finally figured it out?
Gulp.
Nasha swallowed hard and finally spoke with difficulty.
“Um… could you show me some divine power?”
[Huh?]
[Is that all you have to say to the goddess who gave you a second life?]
Who had ever treated her this rudely? To recall the last time, Freiyan’s memory had to reach all the way back to Yustia.
[It seems children like you have always existed, whether in the past or now. If someone gives you a new life, the least you could do is say thank you.]
The goddess’s age-old nagging continued. Nasha, who had been listening quietly, suddenly shot to her feet.
“No! It was hard for me too! I couldn’t speak or write! Because of that, people called me a mute or an idiot. Do you know how hard that was? You should have at least fixed that much!”
[Hmm? Did I do that?]
Freiyan’s momentum faltered slightly, as if she hadn’t been aware. Nasha didn’t miss the opening and pressed on.
“Of course you did. And right now I can’t even awaken my divine power, so I’m on the verge of losing my apprentice nun status. It’s been so difficult.”
Contrary to Nasha’s expectations, Freiyan tilted her head in confusion.
[Divine power? I don’t know about anything else, but that can’t possibly be wrong.]
Freiyan stepped forward without hesitation and placed her hand over Nasha’s heart. Closing her eyes and concentrating, the goddess spoke.
[It’s right here. Your divine power.]
With every word, their positions in the conversation kept flipping. In the end, Freiyan came out on top.
[The problem is your prayer. You have the form down, but there’s nothing inside it. That’s why it never reached me.]
Nasha listened to Freiyan’s words with renewed respect.
Uncle Raksha and Sister Miria never said anything like that.
[That’s only natural. They can’t look into your heart.]
In her previous life, Nasha had been burned by a cult and lived her entire life as an atheist. Religion had always been an uncomfortable subject for her. It was only thanks to Raksha and Miria’s sincere care that she had learned to show proper respect.
“Then what should I do?”
[Weren’t you the one who didn’t believe in gods?]
“I’m going to become a nun, you know.”
Freiyan studied Nasha’s eyes. Despite the skepticism in her heart, those jewel-like green eyes held genuine sincerity. The sun, which had occupied a corner of the sky, now lay low on the horizon, dyeing the heavens red.
[Ha. Why did I even save you?]
With a sigh, Freiyan looked at Nasha again. Nasha was still staring straight at her. Many things were different, but those confident eyes resembled the first Saintess.
[Come up here again tomorrow.]
“Huh?”
[I said come up again tomorrow. You need to awaken the divine power inside you, don’t you?]
Climb this thing again?
Worry outweighed joy for Nasha. Her legs were already starting to tremble. Seeing this, Freiyan laughed.
[Did you really think it would be easy for a child like you to awaken divine power?]