Chapter 24 · Two Powers (1)

‘I hope it’s over in one blow.’

That was what I thought the moment Tanian raised his hand to strike me. I had been beaten to death by him in my fifth life too, and it had been agonizing beyond words. In that brief moment as his hand came flying, countless thoughts flashed through my mind. Strangely, the thought ‘I want to live’ was the strongest. Usually, in the final moment when death approached, I would resign myself…

This life is ruined. Just endure a little and the next life will come.

If I didn’t think that, I couldn’t bear the pain that was about to hit me. But this time was different. I simply couldn’t resign myself. I wanted to live so badly. The people I had connected with in this short life came to mind. Sierra, Rosa, Yuz, Rizen, Ark, and…

And Paeon.

My terribly hateful biological father.

You bastard, save me!

If you’re my real father, then use some parental instinct!

And just as I thought that, a light flashed.

When I mustered the courage to raise my head, a thrilling shudder ran through my entire body.

‘He came. This time… he came for me.’

Paeon’s dazzlingly handsome face was pale. But… in this moment, it was the most reassuring face I had ever seen.

‘I don’t have to die.’

He subdued Tanian in an instant and came toward us. An overwhelmingly terrifying power. Paeon destroyed Tanian’s suspicious magic stone in one breath, and even burst one of his hands.

‘Whoa, amazing.’

Again, I hate seeing blood, and a chill ran down my spine. And perhaps because my mana had been drained to the point of exhaustion, I felt a cold sweat breaking out. Paeon, as if he couldn’t even see me trembling, pounded Tanian like dough.

Honestly, it was satisfying. That pig deserved to die after being beaten like that. But… I was worried about Paeon’s hand. Well, one burst of divine power would heal it in an instant. Still, seeing his hand becoming a bloody mess made me a little uncomfortable.

Besides, I needed to heal the girl and her mother as soon as possible, so I approached him to stop him and was startled.

‘His eyes are completely gone…!’

Enlarged pupils with a piercing light. His white face, terribly contorted, had veins standing out. It was a murderous look I had never seen before.

‘I-is it okay for a priest to look like that?!’

I finally understood why his nickname was ‘the cruel envoy of Lord Lux,’ and why Sierra had shuddered, recalling how brutally ferocious he had been on the battlefield.

‘I guess it’s because that bastard blasphemed the god Lux.’

To say ‘Do you really think a god like that exists?’ to the true apostle of Lux. His suicide attempt was truly novel.

‘But he’s already finished, so hurry up and heal, and save Ark and Rizen too!’

I barely pulled him out of his mad rage. Fortunately, it didn’t take long. But once he had calmed down, he started berating me.

“Do you think the princess’s life is something you have several of?”

‘You fool, idiot, sea squirt, sea cucumber, anemone! Yes, I do have several lives!’

After not saving me nine times, now that your timing happened to be right, you’re acting all high and mighty. I felt a surge of irritation. Tears of resentment flowed. Hating me. And for such an absurd reason!

Now he’ll hate me even more. Because I’m a bad child who only causes trouble.

But… but still.

“…Please don’t hate Asha.”

He looked as if he’d been slapped.

What, can you really not bring yourself to love me?

“How much… how much have I…”

How much what?

He couldn’t finish. The most annoying thing is when someone trails off!

I let out a heavy sigh and took his hand. You fool, how long does it take to heal this? Take care of your own body.

But then he said something strange.

“Asha… used divine power?”

“…”

Why do you look like the world is collapsing? It’s scary.

“But… a person who uses mana can’t use divine power…”

“It’s not that there are no cases.”

What? There are cases? So it’s not impossible to use both? But in my past lives, divine power never manifested even once… Could it be that a variable has appeared this time?

Come to think of it, I had never drained my mana to exhaustion. I hadn’t had many chances to use it. Perhaps… now that my mana is completely empty, divine power has sprouted?

My head was spinning with confusion, and the chills were getting worse. It was hard to even stand.

“Then what happens to Asha now…”

I fainted right after saying that.

◇ ◆ ◇

Magic is the use of mana to twist the laws of nature; divine power is the force that draws on prana, the life force of nature. Both are considered gifts from God, precious powers held by only a very few people.

They are powerful forces that conflict with each other; when one manifests, the other does not. But it is not entirely impossible for both to manifest. Like a mutation, once in a century or so, such a person appears. Paeon had seen exactly one such person in his life. But…

He stood pale-faced beside Anastasia’s bed like a statue, unable to move.

“Sir Parsiel, what’s going on? Is something wrong with the princess?”

Sierra, her hair a mess, asked worriedly. Rosa and Yuz also paced restlessly around the bed.

“She doesn’t seem to have any wounds. Isn’t she just exhausted and shocked? If she rests like this, won’t she wake up tomorrow?”

Yet he remained motionless and silent. Rosa pounded her chest in frustration. She couldn’t even guess why he was acting like this.

Normally, he would have left immediately after putting the princess to bed, but now he stood guard without moving even as dawn broke. It was frightening to think something terrible had happened to the princess.

“His Majesty will call for you soon…”

He looked as if he would remain rooted to this spot no matter who called. Just then, Anastasia, who had been sleeping with cold sweat beading on her forehead, struggled to open her eyes.

“Princess!”

Everyone rushed to the bed in surprise.

“Sisters… Is this the temple?”

At her fragile, breaking voice, Yuz choked up and covered her mouth.

“Yes, Princess. It’s the temple. You’re safe now.”

Rosa dabbed the sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief and answered affectionately. But suddenly Paeon slapped her hand away and said in a low voice,

“Everyone, leave.”

“…What?”

The three priestesses asked back, thinking they had misheard.

“I said leave.”

His eyes were very resolute. No, they were even murderous. The three priestesses were dumbfounded. He had always been quick to run away from the princess’s affairs, and now he was suddenly saying they weren’t needed and to get out?

“What do you mean by that! The princess needs us more than anyone right now. Taking care of the princess is our job, not yours, Sir Parsiel!”

Rosa clutched her handkerchief and shouted. No matter how she thought about it, Paeon was too shameless and had no conscience. He had no right to kick them out!

“Please don’t make me resort to force to remove you, sisters.”

At his words, Sierra let out a gasp. It was closer to a threat than a request, and she was furious, but she exercised maximum rationality and looked at him. Paeon’s eyes were very dark and very serious. There must be a reason.

“…We’ll step out for a moment. Please call us if you need anything.”

She said quietly and turned toward the door.

“Sister Sierra! What are you…!”

Rosa and Yuz were incredulous, but Sierra pressed her lips firmly together and shook her head.

“…”

The two priestesses reluctantly followed her out, glaring at Paeon until the very end.

With the click of the door closing, the room fell silent in an instant. Only Anastasia’s labored, rasping breaths could be heard. He sprang up and locked the door altogether.

“Papa… Why did you send the sisters away?”

He didn’t answer her question and said,

“What is it… Is there no particular reason? Asha is… fine…”

“…Are you truly all right?”

His eyes were doubtful. Anastasia didn’t like that look. She was exasperated by his uncharacteristically fussy behavior.

Then she remembered the conversation she had with him just before fainting.

‘Come to think of it, what happened? Can I really use both powers? But how do I use divine power? Has my mana returned a little?’

Anastasia carefully tried to draw a little of the mana inside her body. But then,

“Aaaagh!”

She screamed at the sharp, stinging pain she had never felt before and thrashed on the bed. Paeon sprang up, grabbed Anastasia, and covered her mouth with his hand.

“What’s going on?!”

Bang, bang, bang! The priestesses knocked on the door in shock, but the locked door wouldn’t open.

“Sir Parsiel! Open this door right now!”

“It’s nothing.”

“Liar! What do you mean nothing! I heard a scream!”

“It’s really nothing! Don’t make a fuss!”

Beneath his palm, Anastasia was trembling, stifling her screams. She was in so much pain that the hand gripping the bedspread turned white.

‘What is this! It feels like firecrackers are going off inside my body! All my organs hurt!’

Paeon looked pained as he watched her face become wet with tears.

“Princess, can you hear me? You must not use mana right now. You have to let go of all your power.”

He whispered so softly that only she could hear.

‘Hngh… It hurts so much. It hurts to death.’

Anastasia tried not to feel her mana as much as possible and released the power from her body. Then Paeon’s divine power seeped into her.

Little by little, the pain disappeared. But afraid that the pain might strike again at any moment, she was scared to let his hand leave her body. She clung to him and whimpered.

“Hngh… Can Asha not use mana anymore? Does it hurt like this whenever I try to use it?”

“…The two forces are incompatible in nature, so when one moves within the body, it tends to try to fight the other.”

“Hngh… What is that. Then I can’t use either one!”

Anastasia wept bitterly. Just when I thought my fortunes were turning, what is this! Does this damn god just hate seeing me live even a little comfortably?

“If you gradually let the two forces accept each other, and if the princess also builds up immunity, you will be able to use both.”

When Paeon spoke calmly, her expression improved a little.

“Really? Is there someone like that?”

“…”

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that there wasn’t a single one. Because all the few people who possessed both powers had died within two months.