novelraw Chapter 61 : Archbishop (7)
Chapter 61 : Archbishop (7)
Chapter 61: Archbishop (7)
Elena’s lips trembled. She stared at the jewel that had turned unnaturally black.
There was no divinity in the relic. A corrupt aura was devouring the jewel, destroying it.
A phenomenon that had never once been recorded in history. This was blasphemy, an ominous omen.
“Aaaah!”
“Divine punishment has descended. Repent!”
The believers wailed and cried. The Holy Cross relic was the symbol of the Hall of the City God. It had been defiled. It was sacrilege.
“H-How could this happen…?”
Elena covered her mouth and muttered. Nothing came to mind about how she should respond. Even the Archbishop had fallen into panic.
“Your Excellency! P-Please, do something—!”
“O… O Sun God. Have you abandoned us?”
The high priests clung to Elena. If the Archbishop did not step forward, who else could?
There was no solution. They could not even guess what prayer might dispel the darkness.
“A-Ah. B-Believers, please remain calm… I will pray. Everyone, step back. It is dangerous…”
“Your Excellency! Look there!”
As Elena spoke in alarm, dark energy began to rise like shimmering heat from the Holy Cross. The ominous aura swelled until it took shape.
“B-Begone, entity of darkness!”
“Pray! We must purify it with prayer!”
“Uwaaaah! It is divine punishment! The Sun God is wrathful!”
Vilnogos descended into chaos in an instant. Believers fled in terror, priests fell to their knees in frantic prayer.
The paladins and witch hunters around them stood guard, on edge. Overhead, a flock of crows circled ominously.
It felt as though a witch might appear at any moment.
“Everyone, behind me!”
Elena took a deep breath and steadied herself. She pushed aside the priests who were praying chaotically and commanded the paladins to surround the Holy Cross.
‘Ominous… What kind of sign is this? Some kind of magic I have never seen before…’
A powerful magic radiated from the dark haze. The closer she came, the more her skin burned, the harder it became to breathe. The concentration of magic was immense.
‘Does it not intend to attack? Is it simply trying to consume the relic?’
The silver Holy Cross had already begun to corrode. Its radiant brilliance vanished, replaced by layers of black tarnish.
Dark clouds gathered over what had been a clear sky.
Even under the onslaught of powerful witches who had tried to destroy it in the past, the relic had stood unyielding.
Now, in an instant, it lost its strength. This was a dire omen, and Elena was at a loss.
If she were not the one in charge, she would have fled at once.
“In the beginning, there was a guardian deity of our world—”
Elena pressed her hands together and began to pray. Light seeped from between her fingers. It was divinity that could repel evil.
“Ooh!”
“Her Excellency performs a miracle! Pray, all of you!”
The believers and priests who watched cried out and prayed as one. When they prayed with one voice, they feared nothing.
Faith in God was the strongest sword and shield.
“Drive away the unholy colors from beyond our world!”
Flash—!
A dazzling rainbow light gathered in Elena’s hands. She gripped it in her right hand and approached the Holy Cross.
“Ugh…!”
The resistance of the magic was intense. As she neared the jewel, it was like forcing herself against the current of the deep sea. Her skin split, the bones of her wrist cracked.
Elena did not stop. Step by step, she pushed forward. If she faltered, the Order of the Silver Blades and the wave of believers would be in danger.
As Archbishop, she could not allow that.
“Kgh…”
Elena stretched her hand further toward the jewel. She forced the light into the darkness. The darkness thrashed wildly, trying to devour her light.
The pain was excruciating. It was hard to even hold on to consciousness. The physical and mental agony was beyond description.
“Ugh… O God.”
The darkness swallowed her divinity whole. Elena was losing. She was about to collapse, about to lose consciousness.
Then—
Another hand broke through the resistance and grasped Elena’s wrist.
The dying spark of light rekindled. Brighter, stronger, holier than before.
―!
‘Nike…!?’
On the verge of fainting, Elena saw Nike and regained her focus.
Nike was beside her. He held her hand and poured his magic into her palm. Her fading divinity was strengthened, enough to overcome the darkness.
Nike wordlessly helped her. The darkness lashed at him, tearing his cheek, crushing his wrist, but he endured.
The darkness invaded his mind. Nike grimaced slightly from the pain.
Then, suddenly, the dark energy disappeared inside him. More precisely, Nike absorbed it.
The curse left by the Witch of the Sword drank in the darkness. It was painful, but Nike felt magic welling up in his heart.
It was a power different from what he already had.
“Oh?”
“Nike! Hold on just a little longer!”
Now was the chance, while Nike bore the attack.
Unaware of Nike’s condition, Elena drew the divinity generated by the believers’ prayers into herself. The light grew even more brilliant, and the dark energy in Vilnogos was completely swallowed up.
Not a trace of shadow remained.
At last, the jewel in the relic shone with holy light again. As the light returned, Elena’s shattered arm and Nike’s wounds healed.
“Haa… Haa… Nike… what did you just do…?”
Nike steadied his breathing. Bathed in the soft glow of the jewel, his mind cleared. The rampaging curse settled again. His clothes hid the change, so no one noticed.
‘Power is overflowing?’
Only Nike quietly felt it.
True magic.
It was intoxicating.
“Hunting.”
He answered briefly, then squinted up at the sky. It was clear and blue, yet he stared for a long time.
The magic absorbed by the curse was trying to ascend into the heavens. Perhaps the one who had corrupted the relic was up there.
“Nike?”
“Hah?”
“…Nothing. Thank you.”
Nike shrugged. Then, suddenly, his name rang out from behind.
“Nike! Nike! You bastard! You crazy bastard, you went and did it again huh!”
“Nike! You are incredible!”
“You are something else. As expected from you!”
“Hahaha! That brat, I taught him! He is my disciple!”
“Shut it, Hans.”
The hunters of the Silver Blades shouted Nike’s name again and again. Their faces overflowed with emotion.
Hestia could not even speak, her mouth hung open.
She did not know what had just happened, but the gray-haired hunter had aided the Archbishop and driven away the darkness.
Even believers and high priests of the Hall of the City God, who had never seen him before, rejoiced and cried his name.
“It is the providence of the Sun God.”
“A miracle. Pray.”
“God has planned all things. That child… is he the ‘Sword of Destiny’ written in the scriptures?”
“This may be a historic moment I have witnessed.”
Everyone remembered Nike. His name would now spread even within the Hall of the City God.
“Glory. Gold. Riches.”
Nike grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
* * *
“From the Golden Dawn incident to this corruption of the relic… disturbing events are happening one after another. Report directly to the Hall of the City God. We must prepare for the end.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Have the believers and the paladins return at once to the Hall of the City God.”
“…Are you truly sure? After what you have endured, would it not be better to return with us and prepare together?”
Elena smiled at the high priest.
“Sister, you witnessed it yourself. The Sword of Destiny has appeared. With him by my side, what do I have to fear?”
“…You speak the truth.”
“And at times like this, I must also visit the Holy Land. I must purify myself, in case any darkness has lingered within me.”
“You are right. The Sword of Destiny… what an auspicious time for that boy to appear.”
“Yes. He will be the light that illuminates this dark world.”
The high priest looked at Elena, then at the gray-haired boy. A boy who seemed insignificant had performed a miracle that even the Archbishop could not.
A savior said to appear when the end draws near.
If Nike was not the Sword of Destiny, then what had they just witnessed? Nike had to be the child destined by the Sun God from the very beginning.
“I will pray for the blessing of the Sun God upon your pilgrimage.”
“…And I pray you return safely as well, Sister.”
The high priest accepted her words and departed.
The Archbishop’s procession would now split apart and return to the Hall of the City God. Without her, the Holy Cross would be placed in a great reliquary and transported.
“Well, Nike. Are you done talking?”
Elena returned to him.
Nike was surrounded by hunters showering him with praise. He had become a hero.
Some even whispered that he might surpass Vigo’s legacy.
Such a thing was rare in all the history of hunters.
“Hah? I am only just beginning!”
“…”
Hestia’s face twisted slightly in displeasure as Elena drew closer. Of course, she made sure that Elene couldn’t see.
“…Nike. Let’s go.”
“Y-Yeah. Hurry and go.”
“We apologize, Your Excellency.”
All except Nike bowed their heads at Elena’s presence.
The Archbishop was someone no ordinary hunter could speak to informally. Nike was insane to address her so casually.
Even as a hero, his behavior was incomprehensible. Yet the fact that the Archbishop did not rebuke him only made her seem magnanimous.
“Ungh!”
“…Quickly.”
In the end, Hestia grabbed Nike by the collar and dragged him away. Nike smacked his lips, still wanting to bask in the praise.
“Shall we go, knights?”
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The horses began to move. Elena, Nike, and Hestia set out on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
“Hahaha. This is nice. To tell the truth, bringing only you along was a personal wish of mine.”
Elena laughed lightly in the breeze. It was a genuine, unfeigned smile.
“As mere hunters, you cannot know the Archbishop’s weary life. The Archbishop is always watched by priests. At meals, while sleeping, even while relieving oneself, someone is always there. Can you imagine that?”
“…”
“That must be annoying.”
“Exactly. So with you as my excuse, I will enjoy my freedom. Please cooperate actively.”
Hestia sighed quietly. It was hard to believe such a self-indulgent person could be Archbishop of the Hall of the City God.
Yet Elena’s sacrifice earlier was worthy of respect. For that, Hestia decided she would continue to show respect, at least for now.
“So. Where are we going?”
Nike asked, lying against his horse’s neck. Elena answered with a smile.
“To the Holy Land. On the way, we will stop in the Hebra territory.”
“…Hebra?”
For once, Hestia spoke. It was a breach of etiquette. Realizing her mistake, she quickly lowered her head.
Elena regarded her with slight displeasure, then replied.
“Yes. Rumors of trouble have surfaced again in Hebra. Nike, have you heard?”
“Hah? No idea.”
Nike grumbled, stroking his horse’s mane. He seemed quite disappointed that this mission was not witch hunting.
“For a long time, there have been stories of a wicked witch in Hebra who abducts young girls and raises them as witches. The rumors had died down, but… troubling news has begun again.”
“…”
“A witch!?”
Hestia’s face hardened gradually. Nike, on the other hand, jumped up with delight at the word.
“This should have been dealt with long ago, but the Sacred Iron Chain Order lacked manpower… This time, I intend to see for myself.”
“Good! I will help!”
“My, how reassuring. I will place my trust in you, Nike.”
“Leave it to me!”
Nike clenched his fist with confidence. Hestia clenched hers in secret.
Despite her grim expression, her heart was racing.
Perhaps, at last, she would find the witch she had been searching for.
‘…Mother.’