The Holy Spirit Descends (2)
At the same moment, in Orias, the capital of the Nova Empire.
In a square at the edge of the slums in one corner of the city, dozens of people had gathered.
And in the midst of that crowd stood Paola in her maid outfit, accompanied by her fellow disciple Barnabas.
Paola was speaking with a woman standing before her.
“Um, is it really true that if the Holy Spirit comes upon me, I can be made clean too?”
“It is so. His sacred flames wash away all sin and wickedness. I too denied Deus, but the Holy Spirit granted me rebirth through fire.”
“Holy Spirit? What kinda crazy talk is that?”
“Washing away sins? Like there's a god who'd bother cleansing filthy whores like us.”
“Looks like the maid got dumped by her master and lost her mind.”
The onlookers treated Paola like a lunatic as they stared at her, but she heard every word and yet showed no reaction.
“Anyone who repents of their wrongs and abides in Deus will receive the Holy Spirit.”
“I repent! So please, grant me the flames of the Holy Spirit!”
The prostitute knelt and begged.
“The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not mine to give. All things flow according to the will of Deus.”
“Pfft. She's just dodging 'cause it's all a lie.”
“Holy Spirit, my ass. No such thing exists.”
“You ever see a priest sincerely help anyone? Fat chance.”
“Yeah, if it were real, she'd show it right here. If that woman proves it in front of me, I'll drop everything and follow her maid ass.”
At that instant.
A small dimensional gate opened above the head of the prostitute Paola had been speaking with, and a flame shaped like a tongue leaped forth.
“Huh?”
“Am I seeing things?”
The prostitute sensed people staring above her head and looked up.
There, in the air, something was burning.
“...Holy Spirit?”
Whoosh!
The moment she acknowledged the flame, her body was engulfed in it.
“Oh shit! Th-that woman's on fire!”
“W-what do we do? She's gonna burn to death!”
“Water! Someone get water!”
But despite the flames, she felt no heat at all.
Instead, it was a soothing comfort, as if the fire itself were washing her clean.
As if this blaze were purifying her very soul.
The flames consumed the whore's clothes she wore, burning them utterly away.
Then the fire took shape, wrapping around her body to form a single garment.
“Clothes?”
“It turned into clothes...”
“Looks like priest robes.”
The woman, eyes closed as she felt the sanctity of the flames, opened them and gazed at Paola.
“Apostle! I have received the Holy Spirit too!”
So that's the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's how I was reborn as well.
It was Paola's first time witnessing someone else's baptism with her own eyes.
Though startled inwardly, she kept her composure and replied to the woman who had received the Holy Spirit's baptism.
“Yes. You too have been chosen by Him. Welcome, sister.”
“It's real!”
“Deus... a savior who looks upon the dregs of society like us.”
“I'll repent too!”
“M-me too!”
“Apostle of Deus!”
As those who had witnessed the Holy Spirit repented, a massive tongue of fire descended from the heavens in response to their faith, splitting apart and entering those who knelt in repentance.
And the other slum dwellers who saw them receive the baptism joined in.
That day, Orias received three pillars of fire.
* * *
She had the appearance of a pint-sized girl, but her essence was that of a grand magus aged decades like fine wine—Wakpa Hucknockjuke, the academy head.
“Phew. Nearly had to rebuild the school building again like last time.”
Cronia Messene had lost consciousness and revealed her true form.
No matter how weak Cronia's main body was, she would have had multiple safeguards in place.
The only one in this academy capable of neutralizing her so easily was Wakpa.
“Still, with an incident like this, even the emperor won't complain.”
The emperor? Did she rush over here because of something with him?
Yeah, someone like Cronia going berserk was an emergency big enough for the head to intervene personally.
Huh? Does that mean I've pulled a ton of aggro on myself?
The stormiest freshman who forces the head to step in personally!
Uh... I was planning to do that later anyway, but this early is a bit...
“Hmm... student? A freshman, right?”
Ah, not the time to be spacing out.
—Salamander. Sorry. Go back in for now. I'll call you again later.
—Okay! Got it!
I quickly unsummoned Salamander.
The head was a transcendent being beyond walls.
Even if she couldn't see spirits, she might sense their presence.
Anyone else would think the flames around me meant I'd cast a spell or used an artifact, but the head was riskier.
“Ahh...”
As I unsummoned Salamander, the head let out a disappointed sound.
Disappointed? What for? Did she notice Salamander?! That's bad.
“...Ahem. Student? What happened here? And why did Professor Cronia go berserk like that?”
The head cleared her throat and approached me with questions.
“Well, it's... kinda a long story.”
“No, we shouldn't talk here with all these eyes on us. Let's go to the headmaster's office.”
“Yes?”
“Did I just see that right? That guy melted Professor Cronia's golem completely.”
“Perseino after all. I heard Siren Perseino overwhelmed Cronia's golem too.”
“Even so, how does a freshman have that kinda power...”
Ah, right. It was sparring class.
I'd done this right in the middle of all those freshmen.
Looking around, I saw academy students staring wide-eyed at me and the head.
Ah, so much for playing it low-key.
...Think positive. I'll be popular during practicals later.
This might even make it easier to approach them.
“Freshmen of the academy. An unfortunate incident has occurred. This class is temporarily suspended—please disperse.”
She announced to everyone in the lecture hall using voice amplification magic.
“...And you. Come with me.”
Snap.
The head snapped her fingers, and a temporary warp gate the size of a door appeared before us.
I looked back at her.
“Go on in. It leads to the headmaster's office.”
Even for such a short distance, creating a warp gate like this.
This is what a grand magus is.
* * *
“Hmm... so that's what happened.”
“Yes. Honestly, I feel wronged. I just did as I was told. Professor Cronia told me to come out, so I did. She said to spar, so I did. Sure, I provoked her a bit midway, but I didn't expect her to fly off the handle like that. She provoked me first anyway, so I thought that's just how it was.”
It sounded like a total normie excuse, but... I didn't want to draw too much attention from the head right now.
Of all people, she's a Christos member...
I needed to come off as just an average student, and make her think Cronia's rage was because of my sister Siren.
If she found out I was the one Lydia served—and that I'm no god—it'd be a disaster.
Especially since she's a grand magus; she might see right through me not being divine.
“...Indeed. Professor Cronia has clashed with your sister Siren before, so it makes sense she'd lash out at you easily.”
Yes!
I'm the victim here!
“However, that leaves some questions.”
Huh?
“That would mean you possess the ability to incinerate one of Professor Cronia's golems without a trace. Is that correct?”
Ah. I said too much truth.
But with all those students watching, I melted the golem right there. No hiding that.
“W-well, you see...”
What do I say?
She's a grand magus. Can't fool her on raw firepower.
Should I just come clean about the spirit?
Maybe it's okay to tell one person about spirits.
No! She might announce it, or even if she keeps it secret, she could tell Lydia later. Then what would Lydia think of me?
Can't even light a fire on my own and relies on a spirit? Clearly no god!
If Lydia learns I've been deceiving her all this time, who knows what she'll do!
Yeah. The head can't know about spirits.
...Maybe pass it off as an angel sent by Deus? No one knows spirits exist anyway.
But then that continent's only spirit user becomes a problem.
Suddenly, the head stood up from her seat.
The short-limbed head floated into the air from her desk and flew right up to me.
She placed both hands on my shoulders.
“Student Luke. Tell me the truth. Have you received the Holy Spirit from Deus?”
“...Pardon?”
What? Holy Spirit?
Where'd that come from?
What the hell is this woman talking about?