Holy Relic (2)
Holy Relic (2)
Johan’s party returned to the territory just before dawn. Since it was still the dim light of early morning outside, Johan could not return to human form.
He was still in his demon state.
Since he could not enter the castle in this appearance, the group decided to wait until morning at the village’s mill.
Johan sat in a corner of the mill and took out the Great Saint’s Eye.
A gold-covered eyeball model. The supreme holy relic shone on the pitch-black palm.
‘The results are worth far more than the cost.’
Though he had used up the Polymorph Slime, the jar sealing the Apostle, the Great Witch Rahel’s treasure chest, and various minor relics, what he gained was the Great Saint’s Eye.
It was a deal with much to spare.
‘The relationship with Beris became a bit unpleasant, but it can’t be helped. You have to take on some burdens to gain something big.’
The Apostle Beris had engraved a contract magic into the world, expressing his hatred toward Johan.
Someday, it will come back as a major crisis.
It was a massive risk, but it was worth bearing.
Because the Great Saint’s Eye boasted the best performance in dealing with people.
A relic that, with just a gaze, could win the goodwill of others, and even inspire respect and reverence. A power truly fitting for the main deity of a religion.
Through this eye, the Great Saint Marziel had easily ruled over all people.
‘Its potential uses are endless.’
While lost in such thoughts, Illea opened her mouth.
“The young master will be very pleased.”
Johan’s red eyes moved toward Illea.
“Why?”
“Because he will regain his sight.”
Johan looked again at the golden model. As no reply came from him, Illea spoke.
“Are you perhaps feeling greedy for it?”
“Greedy, huh. You’re misunderstanding something.”
“Hm?”
“This eye was never Raguel’s in the first place.”
Johan had never said he would give the Great Saint’s Eye to Raguel.
He had merely mentioned that the corpse fragment in the coffin was an ‘eye.’
Illea let out a small laugh.
“Looks like I overstepped.”
“Do you feel deceived?”
“Not at all. I’m rather glad, actually. This is a first-class holy relic; it would be a waste to use it just to restore eyesight. I believe Johan can use it much more efficiently. However.”
She paused before continuing.
“What will you do about the contract with young master Raguel?”
Johan had promised Raguel to return his sight. The price for breaking the contract was death.
Johan’s lips curled upward.
“I never set a specific deadline.”
Gaf slammed the straw bundle down hard.
“What an outrageous bastard!”
Illea covered her mouth, pretending to be shocked.
“You really are a demon to the bone.”
Johan shrugged.
“I intend to keep the promise someday. Just not now.”
“Opportunities for that won’t come easily. Things like biological transplants or restoration are within the realm of miracles.”
“That’s why you have to help. We’re in this together, aren’t we?”
“Johan, you’re really… so selfish.”
Gaf snorted.
“A selfish bastard indeed.”
Johan let out a small laugh.
“For a demon, that’s a compliment.”
Illea shook her head as if she couldn’t handle him and changed the subject.
“May I ask you something?”
“As much as you like.”
“The Great Saint’s Eye. What exactly does it do?”
She was still young, so there was much even a witch did not know.
‘Even Illea wouldn’t know the Church’s top secrets.’
Johan spoke.
“It inspires goodwill in humans who meet its gaze, and hatred in demons.”
Simply put, that was it.
As soon as she heard his explanation, Illea’s eyes widened.
“If it were corrupted into a monstrous relic, you could have countless demons under your feet.”
Corrupted relics possess abilities opposite to their original nature.
Just as Kazan’s Ring, which blocks miasma, became a monstrous relic that resists holy power, the Great Saint’s Eye would transform into a profane monstrous relic that inspires ‘goodwill from demons’ and ‘hatred from humans.’
If used well, countless demons would follow Johan.
“Correct. It’s quite a useful method.”
“So have you decided? To corrupt it.”
Johan shook his head.
“I intend to leave it as a holy relic.”
For a moment, a shadow passed over Illea’s expression.
‘Illea must find it unfortunate.’
Johan’s choice did not entirely align with Illea’s ultimate goal.
For her, corrupting the Great Saint’s Eye and gathering countless demons under Johan would be preferable.
“May I ask why?”
“First, I intend to transplant the Great Saint’s Eye into my human body.”
At this point, Johan’s human body was too weak. Investing in and strengthening his human body would be far more advantageous for survival than focusing on the demon form, which had already rapidly grown.
No matter how strong the demon side was, if he died in human form, it would be meaningless.
But to transplant a corrupted Great Saint’s Eye into his human body? That would be a contradiction beyond contradictions.
A human hated by humans and loved by demons could not survive in this world.
“And the second reason?”
“A realistic one. There is no way to secure the sacrifices.”
To corrupt a first-class holy relic, countless lives were needed.
Kazan’s Ring had only required the prostitute Betra, but the sacrifices required by the Great Saint’s Eye would be too many to count.
Even sacrificing the entire population of a city might not be enough.
“How about saving it for the future? For now, we can set aside the relic, and later, when the opportunity comes, we can gather the sacrifices.”
Johan shook his head.
“I am not so leisurely that I can leave power I can use now unused. I must grow by any means necessary. So, rejected.”
It was an issue of opportunity cost. Rather than dragging things out, it was more efficient to use the Great Saint’s Eye immediately to exert influence in human society.
Illea’s expression turned cold. She slowly opened her mouth.
“……Then, what if I were to prepare the sacrifices right now?”
Johan narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t see why you would go that far.”
“Because the potential is certainly higher for the monstrous relic.”
To transplant the corrupted Great Saint’s Eye into the demon state Johan and then gather the Mother of All Evil.
It was indeed an attractive proposition.
But it was unpleasant. Even if he used so many lives for human sacrifice, would he really be able to remain sane?
‘Impossible.’
He would either collapse under the guilt and become a ruined man, or he would truly become a demon to the bone.
In short, he did not want to cross that line.
Even if it meant being called a weak human, that was fine.
Johan spoke.
“It conflicts with the first reason. As I said, I need to grow my human state’s power. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”
Illea smiled again. As usual, she seemed to give in first.
“I was just curious about your choice, Johan. I understand, so I won’t interfere further.”
Johan felt an odd sense of discomfort.
‘She was curious about my choice?’
Illea turned her gaze toward the window frame.
“The sun is rising. We can proceed with the transplant.”
A faint dawn was streaming into the room through the window.
At the same time, Johan’s appearance gradually changed.
He was returning to a normal boy.
A somewhat youthful voice came from his mouth.
“Gaf, crush the golden model.”
“……What did you say?”
“Just as I said. Smash it with a rock or whatever.”
Gaf, who received the Great Saint’s Eye, let out a deep sigh.
“Unbelievable.”
He took a deep breath and pulled out his steel sword.
Then he began to strike the model with the sword hilt with all his might.
Crack, crack.
Cracks began to spread across the model. Red liquid began to seep up between the fractures.
“That’s enough.”
Johan took back the Great Saint’s Eye and lifted it over his head. Then, he tilted his head back.
Drip, drip.
Bright red blood dripped onto Johan’s left eye.
It was the Great Saint’s holy blood.
***
Several days passed in a flash.
Johan stood silently in front of the full-length mirror installed in a corner of his room.
A boy with black hair and black eyes. Perhaps due to the beauty of his human mother’s side, his facial features were clear and well-balanced.
He had a high chance of growing up to be a handsome man.
It was not what mattered right now.
Johan’s attention was focused on his left eye.
‘There’s no change in color or appearance.’
Though he had absorbed the holy blood, the shape of the eye remained the same.
His vision was the same as well.
Only one thing had changed.
The treatment from others. Johan glanced sideways.
The maid who came in carrying a teacup flinched and lowered her head.
“Um, um…… that is.”
“What do you feel when you look at me?”
At the sudden question, the maid was flustered, her mouth opening and closing.
“Feel free to answer honestly. Tell me the feelings you get.”
After a long hesitation, the maid answered in a crawling voice.
“Handsome, dependable, and……”
“You feel a sense of trust?”
“Yes!”
Having shouted without thinking, she immediately covered her mouth.
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, you may go.”
The maid rushed out, forgetting even to leave the teacup.
‘It’s vague.’
Handsome. Dependable. Inspiring trust.
They were certainly positive feelings, but somehow, it did not match the original.
The surging respect, the awe that steals reason, the longing close to faith, and so on. When the Pope used the Great Saint’s Eye in the original, such dramatic reactions had returned.
It was likely due to the difference in having holy power.
‘Should I acquire holy power?’
Fundamentally, holy relics only display their true power through holy power.
The Great Saint’s Eye was the same.
If he could learn to handle holy power, he would be able to activate or deactivate the eye’s power depending on the situation, rather than having it constantly active.
In many ways, it was more efficient to acquire holy power.
As he was thinking about how to achieve that, a knock was heard.
“It’s Illea. May I come in for a moment?”
“Come in.”
As she entered, Johan stared directly at her.
Illea also did not avert her gaze.
The two stared at each other for a long time, as if in a staring contest.
Suddenly, a small laugh broke out.
“Master, are you trying to charm me right now?”
Johan clicked his tongue.
“So it really doesn’t work on you.”
“Because I’m not human.”
She was a witch.
“I expected as much.”
Illea gave a smiling eye as she approached Johan.
“Are you perhaps disappointed?”
Johan’s expression was slightly twisted.
Illea gently hooked her arm around his.
“Don’t worry. You’ve already won plenty of my affection.”
Johan cleared his throat and pushed her forehead with his index finger.
“Stop the nonsense. More importantly, state your business.”
Only then did Illea clap her hands lightly as if remembering.
“Shaferia has come. She’s with the lord right now.”
A puzzled expression crossed Johan’s face.
‘Why is that woman here?’
Having lost all her holy power and being chased out by the Church, was she looking for a place to take refuge? She didn’t seem to be the type to be so brazen.
He couldn’t tell her intentions.
“I should meet her directly.”
Johan immediately headed to the lord’s reception room.
***
Shaferia was glancing at Baron Grian’s expression.
The baron seemed timid in many ways. As during the last pilgrimage, he was always wrapped in anxiety.
He had no authority whatsoever for a local lord.
Rather, his young son seemed more like the real power.
‘Is that even possible?’
For a boy around ten years old to hold the real power of a family. It was hard to imagine.
‘It must be my mistake. I should speak with the baron.’
Shaferia slowly opened her mouth.
“My lord, you may have heard, but the pilgrimage group was attacked.”
The baron’s eyes widened. He truly seemed to know nothing.
“What on earth……”
“The Church is currently investigating.”
“Have they, have they found the culprit?”
“No clues have been found. However, there was something strange.”
“What was it?”
Shaferia sipped her tea and looked around.
“I don’t see a knight here.”
“A knight……”
“There’s a blond knight under your territory, isn’t there?”
She was speaking of Rail.
The baron had not seen him in a long time.
“Yes, but……”
“Do you know his whereabouts now?”
“No, I don’t. He hasn’t shown his face lately.”
Shaferia’s brow furrowed.
‘The baron doesn’t know the whereabouts of his own knight?’
The baron spoke.
“But why do you ask?”
At the same time, the reception room door burst open.
Johan was entering.
“Sir Shaferia, it is good to see you. Though, it hasn’t been that long, has it?”
Shaferia had only left the territory recently. It had only been about ten days since their parting.
She stood up to greet him.
“It’s good to see you again.”
“But what brings you here? You may speak with me directly now.”
The baron stood up as if he had been waiting for this moment.
It was natural, yet somehow strange.
Shaferia hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I’ve come to rely on a small connection. If it isn’t too much trouble, may I ask a small favor?”
Johan could not even guess what she might request. He decided to hear her out for now.
“Please, go ahead.”
She looked Johan straight in the eye.
“I would like you to……”
Shaferia could not finish her sentence. Her gaze dropped to the floor without her realizing it.
Unfamiliar emotions were swirling within her.
Feelings she had never experienced before. Johan slowly approached her.
“Are you unwell?”
“Don’t come any closer!”
Shaferia panicked and stepped back. Her eyes were trembling wildly.
To Johan, who knew the original Shaferia, this appearance felt unfamiliar.
‘Rather than the Demon Butcher……, she looks like a teenage girl.’
Johan found her both pitiful and somewhat interesting.
“Calm yourself and have a seat.”
“S-Stay there and speak.”
Johan let out a small laugh.
‘Great Saint Marziel, you really couldn’t help but become a womanizer, could you.’