Chapter 34
Just then, a priest named Dietrich approached and infused holy power into Eliza’s wound.
Normally, they could simply send her to the infirmary, but immediate treatment was necessary to prevent the holy water from becoming contaminated.
“Ah, what an honor.”
Eliza tried raising her voice slightly.
Since the veil covered her face, it was convenient that she did not have to manage her expression.
However, the expression of the priest named Dietrich gradually hardened.
The faint light that had enveloped Eliza’s hand faded, and Dietrich spoke in a serious voice.
“This is……. Strange.”
Healing was within the realm of divine authority.
However, holy power was a force that repelled all corruption.
If she had come into contact with holy power, even if the wound did not heal, the bleeding should at least have stopped quickly.
But Eliza’s wound was still sticking out its bright-red tongue.
“Wait, let me examine it for a moment.”
“Is something wrong? ……Ow.”
“Look at this, Priest Gesle. It hasn’t stopped completely, but…….”
“Hmm. It is certainly strange. It should have had a little more effect than this.”
The two priests, Gesle and Dietrich, stared at Eliza’s wound with puzzled expressions.
Eliza tilted her head slightly to feign confusion and concealed her delight.
‘There’s no doubt about it. Luo absorbed the holy power.’
Luo was hidden beneath the clothes that covered her wrist.
And Eliza had clearly noticed the light slowly seeping toward her wrist when the holy power covered the wound in her palm.
“Ah. Could it be?”
“Do you know something?”
“Could it be because of my ability? Last time, Priest Gesle, you said that I had a faint trace of grace…….”
Eliza spoke in the most innocent voice she could manage.
Gesle stroked his beard for a moment before nodding.
“There are cases like that. If holy power flows through you, then you have already been blessed, so it may not work properly.”
“Gasp.”
Jenia, who had not known that there was something special about Eliza, drew a startled breath.
Eliza felt sorry for the surprised Xenia, but for now, she focused on getting out of the situation.
“Oh, such a blessing in Ruvin. May I know your name, sister?”
“I’m Eli. But it hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
“Even so, it is something to look forward to. I hope you can walk the same path beneath the embrace of our great Mother.”
Dietrich’s eyes sparkled as he made the sign of the cross again.
Behind him, Gesle looked strangely pleased.
“Um, would it be all right if I returned home for today? I’m worried that I might defile the holy temple with this injured hand.”
“Of course. Please take the carriage.”
“Thank you for even such kindness. Ah, I have a companion with me…….”
As Eliza turned her head, the gazes of the two priests fell upon Xenia.
Jenia hastily lowered her head.
“I-I’m Jenia. I, I…….”
“Could Jenia finish my share of the work?”
“Of course. I’ll do it. Ah, although I am worried about Miss Eli…….”
Jenia nodded rapidly, seemingly too flustered to think properly.
The two priests looked back and forth between Eli and Jenia with pleased expressions.
“You are both devout sisters.”
With the situation settled, the priests returned to their positions.
And Eliza returned home happily, while doing her best to keep her delight from showing.
***
The moment Eliza firmly locked the door of her home, she took out Luo first.
Then she exclaimed in admiration.
“Ah, this…….”
The opaque white light had become completely transparent, and within the glass-like raw stone, a dazzling array of colors flowed and swirled like the Milky Way.
After confirming that Luo absorbed holy power whenever it came into contact with it, Eliza smiled broadly.
‘Now, how should I use this?’
In the original story, simply breaking this was enough to release the holy power it contained.
That alone made ‘Luo’ undoubtedly an innovative item, but if it also possessed such beauty, its value would obviously skyrocket simply by being properly processed.
Excited, Eliza hummed a tune.
As she bandaged her injured hand and began changing her clothes, she kept humming without realizing it.
“I wonder how much can be mined. First, I’ll distribute it only on a limited basis…….”
But something was strange.
The area on the desk where Luo had been placed was strangely bright and radiant.
When Eliza noticed it, she quickly approached.
Light was slowly seeping out from the transparent Luo.
‘What happened? Is holy power leaking out even without giving it a shock?’
If that was the case, it was a disaster.
Eliza bit her lip tightly as she observed Luo, but its light stopped spreading any further.
‘What’s causing this? Was there something else?’
As she rapidly turned it over in her mind, the calm voice of the priest suddenly passed through her thoughts.
‘Song is a good means of prayer.’
“……No way.”
Eliza hesitated for a moment before gently parting her lips.
Her face was rigid with seriousness as she produced a calm, repeating melody.
As she sang, the light leaking from Luo grew stronger.
It gradually became so bright that it dazzled her eyes, making Eliza narrow them.
Just as she began to worry that the light might be visible from outside, Luo suddenly flashed brightly, and then, with a soft flick, the light disappeared.
Eliza stood frozen for a moment, her eyes wide open.
Her hand trembled slightly as she unwound the bandage from the hand that had been injured.
“…….”
The wound in her palm had disappeared completely.
No matter how many times she clenched and opened her hand, there was no pain whatsoever.
It was complete healing.
—
“I think it’s singing.”
“What? Sister Eli, I’m having trouble understanding what you mean.”
“You said that I might possess divine power, right? I think the medium for it is singing.”
Eliza hurried to the temple as soon as dawn broke.
The priest who had welcomed her warmly first made Eliza sit down and placed a glass of water in her hand.
“I do not know what has made you in such a hurry, but rushing will only make you choke. First, take a slow breath and…….”
“The reason the hymn didn’t manifest anything even then. I think it’s because I either have no holy power or it’s too weak. But if you help me just a little, I can show you.”
Eliza first drank the water in one go.
Then, before raising her veil again, she held out her left palm.
“No, sister…….”
Startled by the palm that had come right before his eyes, Gesle took a step back.
But he soon noticed something strange and carefully examined her hand.
“Yesterday, you were definitely injured, weren’t you?”
“I was. Priest Dietrich’s holy power didn’t work very well, either. But after I went home, I think I discovered my ‘ability.’”
“You mean you possess the power of healing?”
Gesle’s voice rose slightly at the end.
It was only natural, since such complete healing belonged to the realm of divine authority.
Although it had been a small cut, being able to heal it without leaving even a trace meant that she was a saint.
“Perhaps, just a little.”
“Oh, Mother.”
Gesle made the sign of the cross and clasped his hands together in a brief prayer.
Discovering a saint was the greatest honor imaginable for one who followed God.
Although Eliza felt sorry for him, she knew her own limits very well.
Before Gesle could misunderstand any further, Eliza hurriedly added,
“I am not a saint. I have no stigmata, nor do I possess the faith required for that.”
“You may be in a position where you cannot see it yourself…….”
“No, that can’t be. I even bathed with Xenia a few days ago.”
The bath was a lie, but it was certain that she had no stigmata.
Even when Nancy helped her bathe, she had never said anything, and Eliza had never experienced the heat or light that was said to accompany the manifestation of stigmata.
Above all, Eliza was someone who knew of the existence of the true saint, so she was certain.
Faced with her firm attitude, Gesle looked confused.
“Then how exactly did you heal yourself…….”
“Can you keep a secret?”
This was the part where Eliza had to persuade Gesle now.
By singing yesterday, she had used up all the holy power Luo had absorbed.
Even when she tried singing more hymns just in case, neither holy power emerged from her nor did Luo’s light change.
Thanks to that, Eliza accepted that she would need the temple’s cooperation to supply Luo with sufficient holy power.
For that, she had to reveal Luo’s identity to the temple.
“Swear upon the River Mors. Swear that you will keep it a secret.”
“Sister. Although I have not perfectly followed the will of the Mother, I take pride in having never walked a shameful path.”
Gesle straightened his posture.
Keeping an appropriate distance from Eliza, the priest clasped both hands together.
“I swear beneath the great shadow of the Mother. Unless you wish otherwise, these lips shall keep eternal silence.”
“As for this, it is an ore I newly discovered some time ago. I named it Luo (lŭo).”
The moment Gesle finished his oath, Eliza took out Luo.
Gesle silently waited for her.
“It is a stone that absorbs holy power.”
“……Good heavens.”
And at Eliza’s following words, even the experienced priest could not hide his astonishment and slowly closed his eyes.
