Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 60 Apprentice Priest Berat had never experienced the Lord's divine arrangement. The Lord, master of the Sacred Fire, always remains beside those who kindle the Sacred Fire. It must be because the Sacred Fire he harbored was not yet bright enough to reflect His presence. He still had a long way to go. However, was participating in the guidance journey led by High Priest Bardros this time the decisive factor? At last, he could feel the Lord's divine arrangement. The sunset that filled the world flowed through the window and dyed the room. In the center of that crimson-stained room stood a man. His entire body emanated a gentle yet intense radiance. The intermingling sunset and radiance were flames of the Sacred Fire. The figure of the man guarding the center was like the sturdy wick of the Sacred Fire. It was truly a devout scene that testified to a sacred and supreme existence. Overwhelmed by that reverence, Berat knelt down and bowed his head. "..." Berat's action, being the youngest in the group, influenced the other Priests' behavior. The Priests, who were already confused about how to react to the surreal scene unfolding before their eyes, began kneeling one by one following Berat. "We behold the Lord's apostle..." We behold the Lord's apostle. The Priests repeated Berat's words. Could the colorful radiance scattered through stained glass be more brilliant than the scene before their eyes? Could the choir's hymns be more majestic than the silence flowing through this place? For some reason, the young Priests recalled the day they first set foot in the great cathedral. It was then that the Priests' bodies and hearts were becoming filled with the warmth of the Sacred Fire. "...Everyone, please stand up. It's not like that." High Priest Bardros commanded the young Priests while feeling a mild headache. "..." Oh my. The Priests who had been filling their bodies with the warmth of the Sacred Fire blinked. They glared at Berat. Ah. He says it's not like that? I just thought maybe since you were all so devout. The seniors enjoyed it too, so it's not entirely my fault, right? Berat laughed awkwardly while gauging his seniors' reactions. The Priests closed their eyes and confessed in advance to the Lord for the sin they would commit tonight, seeking forgiveness. It meant you're dead tonight. Then Bardros let out a short sigh to straighten out the chaotic atmosphere of the place. Even in the midst of this, she looked at the luminous man who was shining dazzlingly and spoke. "I apologize. We've shown you an embarrassing sight." "Not at all. Rather, I'm the one who should be sorry. For sparkling unnecessarily. Are your eyes perhaps hurting?" "Yes. It's not that bad." "Not that bad, you say. It would be strange if my pride were hurt, wouldn't it?" "Yes. It would seem strange." "I understand. Then let's move on to the main topic without worrying about sparkling Risir." "..." No. That's a separate matter. How could they set that aside? He's blatantly glowing right in front of their eyes. Most importantly, Risir's current problem wasn't just the sparkling alone. "Excuse me for a moment." The High Priest's hand, densely covered with calluses, gently grasped Risir's hand. "..." Information transmitted through contact. As that information accumulated, the calm High Priest's expression gradually became tinged with bewilderment. Interpreting that expression somehow, Risir spoke. "Perhaps the last flame before burning out? Am I in bad condition right now?" "Ah. Sorry for confusing you. It's not like that, so please don't worry." "Then what is it?" "Your physical condition is so good that..." "...!" Risir looked hurt. My physical condition is so good that it made you look troubled!? "It's not that either, so please don't worry about it." "Ah. Is that so? I was wondering if I had caused you too much trouble while I was lying down, High Priest." "Hehe. You did cause trouble in various ways." "I heard from my colleague. That you took care of me when I was injured. I sincerely thank you. I will never forget this kindness." The young Priests who had been bowing their heads looked up at Risir in surprise. 'What did I just hear?' Normally, Mages from Magic Towers would have felt shame at being indebted to a Priest from the Religious Order. -Graaah...! Since it's come to this, I have no choice. Tell me what you want...!!! Even that much would be considered quite polite among Magic Tower Mages. But look at that Risir's reaction. No matter how much the High Priest cannot be treated carelessly, for a Magic Tower Mage to express gratitude so honestly for a Priest's help... They say he's someone praised unanimously by Magic Tower Mages for his innate talent, so they wondered how Mage-like he would be- 'There's a reason the High Priest has taken notice of him...!' When the High Priest said that he, being a Mage, had maintained the purity of the 'Tail Feather', they had impiously thought that the High Priest had other intentions. The High Priest, being in a position to represent the Religious Order externally, inevitably had times when political judgments and actions were necessary. However, the moment they saw this Risir's behavior, the Priests changed their minds. Someone who could be a decent human being despite being born with innate talent for Magic? It wouldn't be strange if he had accumulated good Karma comparable to Priests who had devoted themselves to the Religious Order since childhood and built up good deeds. After all, even those born with the Fate to become Priests would become unpalatable magic users once they entered a Magic Tower. 'Perhaps he really did maintain the purity of the Tail Feather...' The atmosphere among the Priests, who until now had considerable complaints about helping an unassociated tribe called Mages, completely changed. Their gaze toward Risir became special, like looking at a colleague, or even more so. Oh my. That precious one is in a Magic Tower...! Meanwhile, Risir and Bardros finished their formal greetings of 'thank you' and 'good work' and returned to the main topic. "You said you heard about your physical condition from your colleagues." "That's right. I've taken it deeply to heart, and it's already become part of my body." "Is that... so? Then should I say it's coincidental... You can forget all that talk for now. Your energy that had hit rock bottom has been completely recovered." "High Priest!?" Formal Priest Rotrang, who had cared for Risir's physical condition the most after Bardros, exclaimed. "His energy has been completely recovered? What do you mean by that!?" "It's as you heard." "Good heavens... Oh Lord..." Rotrang once again placed his palm on his chest and made the sign of the cross. Risir thought as he watched this. The Lord must usually treat them very well. Seeing how the Priests call on Him constantly. Separately, Risir could understand the Priests' reaction to some extent. The sensation when the empty void that had dominated his entire body disappeared without a trace... It was an unrealistic experience, like drinking a potion in a game and having all problems solved instantly with a cheerful sound effect. "Risir. What on earth did you do?" Bardros asked. Rather than being a Priest worried about a patient, it was the appearance of a scholar feeling curiosity. Energy was a limited resource that the body was born with, something that even Priests who handled the power of Divinity couldn't do anything about. "Your energy depletion was a problem that required at least years of recuperation. But how did this happen overnight..." "And you're even sparkling incredibly..." Apprentice Priest Berat quietly added from behind. Risir answered nonchalantly. "A Spirit I know gave me something like a bead. When I ate it, this happened." Though he spoke as if it were nothing significant, the Priests had to struggle for a while to understand the meaning contained in those words. "It sounds like you're talking about... a Spirit Core?" "But did Spirit Cores have such effects?" "At least I've never heard of it." The most important virtue pursued by the Religious Order was the ability to perform 'good.' The ability to save those who walk the righteous path and guide those who walk the wrong path. If Spirit Cores contained the power to restore energy, the Religious Order would have discovered it long ago and actively used it. In fact, certain Spirit Cores had already had their uses revealed and were being used for specific purposes by Priests and Healers. But a Spirit Core that completely recovers severe energy depletion? A precious treasure that even High Priests or Magic Tower Masters couldn't handle carelessly. Even 'Intermediate Spirit Cores' didn't have such effects. Therefore, if what Risir was saying was true, what it meant was obvious. He had consumed a Spirit Core from a Spirit of higher rank than an Intermediate Spirit. "..." The Priests were all struck speechless. Superior Spirits. These transcendent beings were not entities one could commune with simply by wishing. Having contemplated for eons, they possessed thoughts and perspectives that mere mortal beings couldn't fathom. According to stories circulating around, even among the Elves of the Great Forest who received the love of Spirits, only a very few could commune with Superior Spirits. But not only did he commune with such a Superior Spirit, he also received its core as a gift? It was an unbelievable story. A core was a crystallization of the energy that formed the foundation of a Spirit. Spirits that lost their cores had their rank greatly reduced, and sometimes their very existence would vanish. A Spirit giving its core as a gift? It was like a human gifting their own heart. Due to such peculiarity, even among the extremely rarely circulated Intermediate Spirit Cores, items with their energy perfectly preserved were extremely scarce. In short. Spirit Cores of Intermediate rank or higher were usually 'spoils of subjugation' rather than 'products of communion.' Since even excellent spirit practitioners rarely received cores as gifts from Spirits. "Are you certain...?" Even sinners who practiced deception as naturally as breathing became as defenseless as naive children before her. For a High Priest with Sacred Sight that penetrated essence, questioning was unnecessary. ...However, this time was an exception. No. This time was also an exception. Bardros found herself losing her composure every time she dealt with Risir. But what could she do? If there was any fault, it was the existence of this man who had strayed far beyond the ordinary. By now, Bardros had realized the identity of the radiance emanating from Risir's body. It was the result of incompletely controlled Divinity reacting with some element he possessed. Yes. This man had suddenly awakened to Divinity. (E/N: Divinity might be too grandiose a translation; it could also be translated as "Holy Power") "Why would I lie about something like this?" He claimed it was because he ate some Spirit's core- "...Now that I hear it, that makes sense!" The High Priest, who claimed to be an understander of supreme beings, gave up trying to understand the luminous man before her. Having followed the same path as seniors who had walked this road before, she reached the same conclusion. 'Let's just accept it as it is.' Afterwards, Bardros decided to teach Risir how to suppress his Divinity. It was suppression rather than control, because control clearly belonged to the category of 'Holy Magic.' Holy Magic couldn't be awakened overnight. On the other hand, simple suppression of Divinity could be sufficiently learned in a week, if not overnight, depending on innate qualities. Bardros clarified her policy. Since there wasn't much time left to stay at the Magic Tower, she couldn't make him into a proper Priest, but at least let's not leave him as a luminous man. Thus began the High Priest's untimely teaching. *** Because Risir was sparkling so much, they didn't even notice the day was ending outside. Bardros confirmed that the window outside was already being dyed in twilight. She was about to say 'Let's stop here for today. Ah, and could you clear your schedule for the next week?' "Oh, wait a moment-" Risir made a face as if something was stuck in his throat and fell into contemplation. How long had it been like that? "Oh, got it." He looked down at his hands and muttered. The luminescence stopped. Risir had mastered the method of suppressing Divinity. Bardros, who had been teaching Risir with a strange expression at some point. The Priests, who had been watching the scene with strange expressions at some point. They nodded benevolently. 'He's making sounds like "oh, got it."' They couldn't help but briefly question the Lord's existence. "Risir." Soon, Bardros, who had come to her senses, spoke as if enchanted. "By any chance, do you have any thoughts of converting to the Lord? Your existence would serve as an example to many, and would itself become a bright Sacred Fire to lead the lost onto the right path." The Priests were startled and came to their senses as well. The High Priest was directly conducting missionary work. And to none other than a Magic Tower Mage. If Risir accepted the proposal, there was a high possibility it would escalate into a political issue between the Religious Order and the Magic Tower. Nevertheless, the Priests didn't question the High Priest's judgment. Oh my. That precious one is in a Magic Tower...! We must definitely take him! This was the common thought of the Priests who had witnessed the abnormal phenomenon called Risir before their eyes. The Priests' earnest gazes shone in the darkness and pierced into Risir. Risir, under that pressure, ended up emitting light again. "Kyaak!" The Priests, who were getting accustomed to the darkness, turned their heads at what was called a flash-bang. "Ah, I'm sorry. It seemed a bit dark somehow. I did it without realizing." "...Illuminating darkness can also be considered part of Holy Magic." "Ah, is that so?" "However, there are no cases of using one's body like a lamp. You're not a firefly." "Ah, is that so... Well, anyway, to answer your question- as you can see right now, I'm not someone who fits with the Religious Order." Bardros shook her head without a moment's hesitation. "I swear on my name. There won't be many people who fit the Religious Order better than you. You can put down some of your doubts about yourself. You are a much more noble person than you think." "But I'm already-" "I know. About the fact that the Magic Tower is trying to appoint you as an Honorary Mage." "..." Risir looked at Bardros blankly. Isn't this against business ethics? Isn't the Lord watching? Such voices seemed to be heard. Ahem. Bardros felt unnecessarily guilty and averted her gaze. "The Lord would also desire it. All the things your choice will bring about. You don't need to worry about anything. I'll take responsibility in the name of the Religious Order and myself, High Priest Bardros." "..." Feeling the determination in Bardros's gaze, Risir began seriously considering her proposal. Eventually, he opened his mouth with a serious atmosphere. "This might be a rude question, but may I ask one thing?" "...!" That serious attitude. Surely a profound question encompassing his beliefs and philosophy would emerge. Moreover, that question would probably contain doubts about religion. Bardros nodded without hesitation. The faith and wisdom she had accumulated over the years would surely provide sufficient answers to his religious doubts. "For a Priest of your level, High Priest, what would your annual income be?" "Oh..." Oh Lord. Bardros closed her eyes tightly and confessed to Him. It was lamentable. The Religious Order was not prepared to embrace the talent that was absolutely necessary for Him. *** Late at night. I got up from bed and left the lodging. The words the Priests had said regarding Spirit Cores weighed on my mind, and I couldn't fall asleep at all. 'Spirits that lose their cores have their rank greatly reduced, and some even vanish?' What I thought was a hairball turned out to be internal organs. I hurried across the courtyard toward the Alchemy Hall where Feryn was staying. It was when I was getting close to the Alchemy Hall. A shadow fell from the roof and rushed straight toward me. It was Feryn, who had been basking in the moonlight(?) in wolf form. Feryn, who had transformed into human form, immediately rushed to me and repeated the usual process. First. "Hieeeung..." Charging up on my energy. Second. "You must have nothing to do? Wandering around this late at night." Acting coldly while immediately distancing herself, saying her business was done. I felt somewhat relieved at her shameless, more-than-healthy appearance and brought up the topic. "What about you?" "Idiot. I'm a wolf. Of course I'm nocturnal." "Most humans are nocturnal too." "?" "Anyway, Feryn. About that thing you gave me back then-" "...Oh. Did you eat it?" Hmph. I'm not interested in you. Feryn, who had been saying that with her whole body, looked at me with shining eyes. "Huh? Ah. Yeah. Thanks. It was a big help." "...Really? So that's how it is." "Huh? Uh- wait, Feryn?" I didn't have time to stop her. "Bweeeh..." Feryn suddenly crouched down on the ground and vomited something up. In her human form, no less. Having produced another hairball like that, Feryn showed it to me proudly and said, "How about it? I think I made this one a little better." "?" Feryn's appearance as she spoke looked incredibly relieved. As if she had emptied a full container.