Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Cling! Cling! Cling!

The jangling sound of coins cascading out of my account sounded pleasing, enchanting almost. With this, I acquired all divine power skills available for purchase in the cash shop. From the most basic skill to the transcendent ultimate skills, they were all neatly cataloged in my skill inventory. Attack damage, support, heal, you name it! I have it!

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World bursts into a standing ovation at your sound judgment.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls expresses goodwill toward you, praising your shopping spree.⟭

⟬The Executive of Creative Economy beams with pleasure, excited for this month’s profit reports.⟭

Oh, a new god.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World asks what business the operations head has here.⟭

⟬The Executive of Creative Economy wants to have a meeting with regard to the large-scale update coming up soon.⟭

With that, the gods disappeared to attend to their business. Once they left, the message I’d been waiting for popped up.

⟬«System» Your rank is rapidly increasing. Current Rank: 573 (▲20,412)⟭

I finally made it into the top 1,000. I still wasn’t quite strong enough to meet the tutorial quest’s completion requirements of getting in the top 100 range. I kind of already had a general idea of why I was still relatively low in the rankings despite having saint-level divine power and ultimate skills.

It’s probably because all of my skills are level 1. If nothing else, how could I even call myself a healer with level 1 healing powers? I’d better focus on raising my skill level for the time being. However, there was a glaringly obvious issue.

“How am I going to raise my skill level if I have no one to use it on? What am I gonna do with all of these skills?”

Ugh. What a drag.

✠

The Vatican in the Holy Kingdom of Elfenheim was in yet another uproar. The cardinals were running around like headless chickens because of the rays of holy light streaming down in the main sanctuary hall.

“Oh oh! We’re witnessing the birth of an individual with saint-level power! It’s been nearly two hundred years since we’ve seen such potential!”

“A divine power awakening in this day and age?! This is surely the individual behind the Divine Advent!”

“Our champion must’ve withdrawn their presence in order to isolate their being and immerse themselves in training!”

“Ah, how I wish to greet them into our halls! Where could they possibly be?”

The moment Ailette harnessed her saint-level latent potential, the cardinals all trembled in reverence. Among the cardinals gathered in the main sanctuary included Bianca’s grandmother, Cardinal Cartelaya. She sat listening to the other cardinals fuss about, totally oblivious to the fact that it was none other than her granddaughter’s friend that was the source of the auspicious rays of holy light.

“We must hurry and find where the venerable saint is residing and receive her into our ranks!”

“Cardinal Clovis is in charge of the search party and seems to be struggling with making any progress.”

“This latest display of power has made her presence ever more unmistakable. Let us have a little patience.”

“But has the saint’s gender been finalized? Everyone’s been calling her “saintess.”

“Ahem, well you see, calling her a saintess is better for PR purposes.”

The conversation started to get political. The cardinals all seemed to have had their fill of carping as they began to slink away. Once the main sanctuary cleared out for the most part, Cardinal Cartelaya also made her way out to the corridor.

As she walked, a voice called out to her, “O, your holiness, Cardinal Cartelaya.” The voice was of exquisite beauty, one that even the Vatican’s First Choir would endeavor to induct into their ranks. A young boy around her height stood facing her.

His hair, a cascade of shimmering silver, radiated with an ethereal brilliance drawn from the very essence of the moon’s glow. His eyes were a mesmerizing blend of turquoise shades, a captivating gradient that ebbed from the serene hues of shallow sea green to the depths of twilight.

His polished features were impeccably refined, yet retained a graceful charm that bewitched onlookers. Celestial-silver hair, porcelain-white face, and the alabaster uniform of a holy knight. Armed with chastity and pureness, the sun’s rays streaming down on the boy through the stained glass portrayed him more like a work of divine art rather than a human.

Cartelaya acknowledged the boy. “Brother Tesilid.”

The overwhelmingly powerful stigma bearer exclusively favored by god. Tesilid Argente. As usual, Cartelaya’s gaze shifted to atop Tesilid’s head.

He hasn’t changed at all. The life he’s lived so far was normal enough, but she couldn’t see his remaining lifespan. He, too, was a special individual chosen by God himself. His airy voice, not yet matured, gently filled the air.

“I heard you visited Gilette Castle this past Thanksgiving.”

“That’s right.”

“It must’ve been quite relaxing. Were there any issues at the castle?”

She and the boy were not exactly on intimate terms, making it even less likely for them to exchange casual greetings of any kind.

Cartelaya replied quizzically, “Nothing in particular. Our family has long broken off from the throes of dungeon expeditions, as well as the struggles of politics. Everything was as peaceful as ever.”

“Even among the servants?”

“The servants?”

“There was a child. A young girl that got swept into the dungeon sink when she was visiting the Vatican with you. If my memory serves me right, she is a servant at Gilette Castle.”

“Ah, you mean Ailette. You’d saved her and carried her out of the dungeon. It’s been over two years since then, has it not? Have you been concerned about her all this time?”

“Yes, perhaps just a little.”

“She’s doing fine. She’s grown taller, although perhaps not as tall as you. She’s growing to be a fine young lady.”

“Is that so?” Tesilid bashfully dropped his eyes as he cast a faint smile. He was generally known for his good-natured, gentle temperament, but his smile just now was a bit different from his usual self. Tesilid, feeling Cartelaya’s gaze boring into him, quickly wrapped up the conversation. “Thank you for your time, your holiness. I’ll be on my way, then.”

He silently placed a fist over his chest and bowed in accordance with the knight’s code before turning away. As he neared the end of the corridor, he ran into two boys waiting for him.

“What’d you go and see the old fart for?” Hestio, who had hit his growth spurt last, brushed aside his long, black hair and asked brusquely.

“Yeah, what did you want from her? Cardinal Cartelaya isn’t very friendly, not even to us stigma bearers.” Ephael, whose voice was in the middle of transitioning into manhood, asked in a raspy, uneven voice.

Tesilid answered politely, “I only wanted to inquire as to how Ailette was doing, dear friends.”

“Hey!”

“Hey!”

The two friends flared up simultaneously.

“I told you to stop being so polite to us!”

“Have you gone off your rocker after awakening your aura? Did being appointed to knighthood make you lose your mind? I know you’ve been deeply touched by the knight’s code of honor, but this is really taking it too far.”

There was nothing Tesilid could do but scratch his head apologetically as his friends accused him of being an overzealous fanatic.

I wish I could explain to you guys that the way my divine power works, I have to speak respectfully to everyone for it to increase. The Commandment of the Seven Heavenly Virtues and Seven Deadly Sins buff was the bane of his existence. Knowing that showing modesty and courtesy in his words would boost his divine power, Tesilid could not help but alter his speech to suit these principles.

There’s actually a very tragic, heartbreaking story behind this. Tesilid had originally believed that he would no longer need to use his divine powers if he could just awaken his aura. But lo and behold, he, as the protagonist, somehow ended up manifesting Divine Aura. Ironically enough, he was forced to manage his divine power even more rigorously after awakening his aura.

“I humbly ask you, dear friends, for your understanding.” He tried to appease his friends, but it was to no avail.

“I can’t understand you!”

“Enough of this nonsense!”

Their reaction was fierce. He couldn’t bear to lose what few friends he had. These were some of the rare moments that Tesilid took a step back.

“Okay, fine. I’ll try to not talk like that in front of you guys.”

“Yes! Please. Can’t we all just live and talk like normal human beings?”

“Don’t embarrass us when we’re together.”

Tesilid shared why he’d been talking to Cardinal Cartelaya in the main sanctuary.

Hestio responded, “You asked about how Ailette was doing? Ailette... is that one girl we met at the Manor of Toys last time, right?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

“I mean, I guess she did leave a pretty strong impression on all of us. I was really about to lose it when that airhead almost married the demon. It was like seeing another Tesilid,” Hestio said. “Anyhow, I admit she was quite peculiar... but you’re still worried about how she’s doing? She’s just a normal kid that’s living a totally normal life. Unlike us. I don’t even think we’ll ever see her again.”

“I’m going to see her again,” Tesilid retorted firmly. They’d even learned complementary skills. A reunion was inevitable.

Hestio opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words to reply to Tesilid’s adamant response.

Ephael cleared his throat as he advised his friend, “Well, just make sure you don’t get caught by the old farts. They’ll probably lose their heads if they find out you’re interested in a girl.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Doesn’t matter. Just be careful, even if it’s not like that. They’ll get all worked up and throw a fit.”

He wasn’t wrong. The religious order was as conservative as it was faithful. It’s already been two centuries since the religious order’s doctrine was amended to allow marriage, yet the order insisted on exempting stigma bearers from this amendment under the pretense that stigma bearers must dedicate their lives solely to god and the church.

The church sought to impose a life of chastity upon the bearers, akin to their strict, one-way puritanical ideals, in order to manipulate them into fulfilling the church’s own agenda.

Ephael, whose lifelong goal was to return to the secular way of life, gave a heavy sigh at his own words.

Hestio tried to change the topic since there was some good news. “Stop being so gloomy. Did you hear? We might be able to travel outside the Vatican.”

“Outside? Really?”

“That’s right, Ephael. I was eavesdropping on the state council’s meeting this morning when they brought it up. They plan on sending stigma bearers wherever the religious order’s presence is needed on the continent. They say we’re to evangelize and do volunteer work, but I imagine it’s mostly going to be dungeon expeditions.”

“Oh yeah!”

“That’s awesome.”

The stigma bearers looked up at the sky with hopeful expressions, delighted at the thought of seeing a world outside the Vatican.

Tesilid found his heart pounding a little faster at the thought as well.