Chapter 26
Luke stared at Adina, dumbfounded.
‘…Not threatening at all?’
She knew he wielded some strange power.
She had no choice but to admit he was stronger than her.
But to be looked down on like this… it was unacceptable.
‘Has he never met a White-Haired Clan member before?’
The White Mana unique to the White-Haired Clan was a specialized Mana manipulation method solely focused on destruction. Not only was the Mana itself inherently destructive, but it also possessed the property of shattering an opponent's Mana, making it impossible to defend against with ordinary defensive Magic.
‘His body is just that of an ordinary human. And he says I’m not threatening?’
Of course, she knew he was incredibly powerful.
How could she not?
Although her mind was hazy from the Intimidation and she couldn't see clearly… she was certain he had personally dealt with the Monstrous Beast she saw from beyond the Border.
However, her pride was stung.
His sneering attitude, claiming she wasn’t threatening at all, was infuriating.
At the same time, curiosity bloomed.
She wanted to see the power he wielded up close.
So, Adina decided to experiment.
She drew upon all her Mana.
Literally, all of it.
She even incorporated the 'White Wheel,' her clan's secret technique that amplified the power of her Magic.
This was the strongest single blow she could muster at her current level.
…However.
“!!!”
He was completely fine.
Not even a scorch mark appeared on him amidst that insane barrage.
Even a single strand of his hair should have been ruffled by the rushing wind pressure, but he remained unaffected, as if he were in a different dimension.
It was so stark that Adina, who had exerted all her power, felt embarrassed.
“Is that all?”
He asked, standing calmly.
It was a simple question, but it grated on her nerves all the more.
It was as if he was asking if *this* was all she had.
“……It’s not over yet!”
She had no choice but to retort.
Belatedly, she drew upon her Mana again.
She squeezed every last drop, scraping together whatever power she had left.
Even though she boasted an exceptional Mana capacity among her clan, she had poured everything out until her reserves were nearly depleted.
“Huff… Huff…”
However, only the training grounds were devastated; his expression remained unchanged.
Truly, not a single movement.
He just stood there, observing her, his gaze fixed on her.
His composure sent a sudden chill down her spine.
Finally.
“So the duration is about this much.”
“……”
“Hmm, still quite lacking.”
Muttering something incomprehensible, he left the training grounds.
Adina's legs gave way, and she collapsed, staring blankly at his retreating figure.
As she sat there, dazed, she felt a presence behind her.
“Adina, was it?”
A woman in clerical robes, her blonde hair fluttering, approached her.
Her name was… Elfriede Trivia, if she remembered correctly.
But why was she coming this way?
“You seem quite dejected.”
“……Isn’t it obvious?”
"There's no need to be disheartened. Judging the Authority of the great Moon by the standards of us mere mortals is a mistake, wouldn't you agree?"
“The great Moon?”
Adina tilted her head.
Confused by the unexpected words, she perked up her ears.
“Adina, you have served the great Moon from the closest proximity.”
“……What are you talking about?”
“I respect your efforts thus far, but it seems you haven’t been fulfilling your role properly.”
“…?”
Elfriede smiled and bowed.
Matching her eye level with the seated Adina, she continued.
"I can see the Form of the Soul."
"...Form of the Soul?"
"A pure white soul, Fierce yet harmonized with all creation. A rare soul, but one I’ve seen before… White-Haired Clan, correct?"
Elfriede could see the Form of the Soul.
She had spent a long time in the Holy Order and traveled the continent as a member of the Hero Party, observing the souls of countless individuals.
Therefore, she knew well.
That every being in this world possessed a soul, similar yet slightly different.
And that the distinct form of a White-Haired Clan's soul was just like this.
"The White-Haired Clan wields a special Mana called White Mana, right? And among them, some create a white ring called the White Wheel to amplify its power."
"...How do you know that?"
"I've had encounters with members of the White-Haired Clan. So, I know quite a bit. For example, some individuals within the White-Haired Clan are born with an extremely rare inherited affliction called 'Karma'..."
"...!"
"Those afflicted with Karma are born with immense White Mana, but they can’t control the White Wheel."
Elfriede looked at Adina, who had abruptly stood up, and said,
“From what I saw earlier, your control over the White Wheel seemed unstable.”
“……What are you trying to say?”
Her magnificent silver tail bristled.
Elfriede smiled brightly at the wary look in her eyes.
“Karma, I can cure it.”
“!!!”
Adina's heart pounded in her chest.
“How? Are you serious? You’re lying!”
“Hee hee, I’m not lying. Are you curious?”
“Of course I am! Do you know what I've been through because of this…!”
Elfriede straightened up, her expression calm.
“Have you heard of a Geas?”
“Of course! It's a pact made in the name of God, overseen by the Pope, isn’t it?”
“You know well. The method is simple.”
The inherited affliction, Karma.
It was the price of a contract made between the Sacred Beast, the progenitor of the White-Haired Clan, and God.
Originally, it was an original sin that descendants had to bear for generations. But.
“I will bear your original sin for you with a Geas.”
“…Is that even possible?”
Adina's doubt was valid.
Bearing the Karma for someone else?
A pact of that magnitude would require an immense amount of Divine Power, far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person.
At the very least, it would require someone like the Pope, or perhaps a Saintess.
However.
“It’s possible.”
Elfriede smiled and extended her hand to Adina.
An immense Divine Power emanated from her body.
It was so pure that just being near her replenished Adina’s depleted Mana.
Gulp.
Adina stared at the woman before her, her eyes wide.
"What's the price?"
"Just help me out from now on."
"..How?"
"Well, some simple missionary work?"
……Missionary work?
It was a baffling statement, but Adina didn't have the time to question it.
If her Karma could be resolved, she could finally break free from the limitations she had carried and reclaim the true essence of the White-Haired Clan.
It was her lifelong dream.
So, there was nothing to think about.
“……I’ll do it.”
With a resolute gaze, Adina firmly grasped the outstretched hand.
Watching this, Elfriede's eyes crinkled in a smile.
“I look forward to working with you.”
****
Time passed, and when it was Time to Return, I finally arrived at my office using a Scroll.
Located at the edge of Blackmore, the area around my office felt more like an empty lot than a Magical Boundary.
Upon arrival, I immediately sprawled out.
There was nothing to do, and nothing urgent to attend to.
Monstrous Beasts occasionally prowled nearby, but there were more than enough people here to deal with them.
After arriving at the office, Elfriede was given suitable lodgings and had been holed up there ever since, praying.
She was muttering something I couldn’t understand, but judging from the few words I could make out, it seemed like a prayer to Cavilla.
‘It’s pointless.’
Prayers only had meaning if there was a god to listen.
But there were no gods left in this world.
There was a reason why gods were called forgotten beings.
An abandoned world.
Only Fragments of Chaos remained, so the world was inevitably heading towards its End.
……Should I tell her? Or shouldn’t I?
After much deliberation, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
However.
‘Why is she doing *that*?’
From some point on, Adina, who had always been a bit of an outsider, started trailing after Elfriede. She looked like a pet fox, but the surprising thing was that she started clumsily mimicking Elfriede’s every move.
‘Is she… praying?’
She even wagged her tail while praying.
Elfriede, finding Adina endearing, would often pat her head.
It was truly a sight to behold.
And a few days later.
“Great Moon.”
“…?”
Elfriede came to find me.
Adina hid behind her, gauging my reaction while wagging her tail.
“I will be away for a while.”
“Alright.”
I didn’t particularly care. She couldn’t be cooped up here all day, and I had no intention of restricting such trivial matters.
Elfriede bowed her head and left.
Adina followed her with quick, short steps.
“…What was that?”
What a bizarre duo.
I chuckled at the thought.
****
A passage located at the border between the Duchy and the Empire. This route led to Blackmore and also served as a passage from the Duchy to the Empire.
For this reason, a considerable number of merchant groups used this route. Although the road was rough and remote, posing considerable danger, many chose this path despite the risks because taking a detour would double their travel time.
And now.
Heeheeheeheehing—!
A horse galloped down the passage. In the direction the horse had fled were wrecked carriages, looking as if they had been swept away by a storm.
And behind those carriages.
There stood fifteen armed men.
They were wary of something.
Kiiiieeeeeeek—!
…Its identity was a Monstrous Beast. It was a Black Wolf, a Monster-level magical beast known for its wolf-like appearance.
“Huff… Huff…!”
The men at the front, swords drawn, barely stood, their bodies covered in blood. Behind them, a man and woman, presumably nobles, clung to a young child, their appearance disheveled. The woman’s arm was severed, and the man’s leg was missing, a gruesome sight for anyone to see.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The ground shook as the Monstrous Beast moved its massive body. Every swing of its sickle-like claws brought down the men at the front like leaves in autumn.
Death.
That was all that awaited them.
And.
“Ru… Run…!”
The last man standing collapsed.
Then, the Monstrous Beast’s gaze shifted towards.
“Aaah…”
The terrified couple and their child.
Just as they squeezed their eyes shut in terror.
Crackle!
A spiraling bolt of lightning appeared and disappeared like an afterimage in the air.
Kwaaagwaagwaang!
With an earsplitting roar, an intensely compressed lightning bolt erupted, sweeping over the Monstrous Beast like a wave.
“!!!”
Dozens of electric currents crackled from the crater-like depression in the earth. The power was so immense that the Monstrous Beast that had threatened them was reduced to ashes, leaving no trace.
“Wh… What is this…?”
The couple could only stare in disbelief.
It was such an otherworldly sight. They blinked a few times, then turned their heads towards the direction of the attack.
There, only two girls were walking towards them.
One was a Beastman with fox ears.
The other was a girl clad in pure white Clerical Robes.
“……”
The girl in the Clerical Robes approached without hesitation and gently grasped the woman’s mangled, dangling arm.
And.
Flash!
Bright yellow Holy Light emanated from the girl’s hand. The nobles instantly recognized the nature of the power.
The power to purify evil and heal diseases.
It was Divine Power.
Woooong.
As the white beam of light enveloped the severed wound, red heat and smoke rose from the injured area.
The woman writhed violently from the burning pain.
But the pain was fleeting. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but gasp.
“!!!”
The severed area had regenerated as if new flesh had sprouted. Even the pain had vanished, and she could move her regenerated arm freely.
“Th… This is…?”
They were in disbelief. To perfectly regenerate a lost limb in such a short time. It was a miracle that only a Saintess, an Apostle of God, could perform.
The girl who had performed the miracle smiled gently and repeated the same actions for the woman's husband and child.
The horribly mangled leg was restored, the fatal internal injuries disappeared, and even the dying child began to awaken.
It was a sight too unbelievable to be true.
While everyone was in awe, the girl who performed the miracle spoke.
“By the will of the Great Moon.”
A single, enigmatic sentence was all she said. With that, they turned back without hesitation, retracing their steps.
The direction they headed towards was.
“…….”
The Magical Boundary, Blackmore.