Chapter 40

In the town of Kelvim in the northern region, everyone has been busy preparing to exterminate the undead beasts ever since.

"Flora, please bring the next jug of water!"

"Leave it to me!"

"Have we got any more empty bottles over here? I've finished filling these ones."

"The glassmaker's father has made some new ones for us!"

Amidst the lively voices buzzing around, I am also helping the townspeople prepare holy water.

The pot that Gilbert and the others used to make the stew the other day has been carefully washed and polished to a shine by them. Now, it is being used by the clerics as a vessel to turn spring water into holy water.

When the pot filled with spring water is placed on the stand, the cleric begins to pray, and seeing this, the children and the elderly around also join in the prayer.

According to the cleric, the more people who pray, the stronger the blessing of the holy water will be. People with free hands gather around the pot, forming a circle to pray, and I am also allowed to join in at the back.

Barbara, standing next to the pot, is stirring the water slowly with a ladle to keep the concentration uniform.

"Hmm, it's coming out wonderfully. Hee hee hee."

"…Granny, you're doing that on purpose… It's starting to look like a suspicious ritual…"

Gilbert and the mercenaries, carrying barrels of water, are half-smiling at Barbara's antics to make the children helping out laugh. Indeed, it might look a bit suspicious from a distance.

Dorf and the private soldiers are making catapults.

The plan is to first remove the upper part of the barrier sealing the undead beasts and then reduce their numbers by throwing stones that have been purified with holy water.

"Well, I never thought I'd be purifying stones one day…"

"You never know what might come in handy, so it might not be a bad idea to purify all sorts of things…"

Despite saying this, the cleric making the holy water for the stones seems to be enjoying it.

◆◆◆

Two days before the operation to exterminate the undead beasts, the sky began to be covered with thick clouds.

"We're approaching the rainy season. The rain will make the ground and visibility worse…"

Lord Kelvim, the baron, glares at the sky.

"Will the blessing of the holy water be washed away in the rain?"

"No worries. Holy water, in simple terms, is a catalyst to transfer a cleric's blessing to a vessel. Once an item is purified and blessed, it remains so."

When I voice my concern, the cleric smiles gently and explains.

"We clerics can manifest blessings directly as healing or purification. That's why we need holy water as a medium. On the other hand, mages can directly bless objects with their power."

The priest from the Western Grand Church adds, and Barbara nods beside him.

"…But the blessings of mages can be tricky. You never know what will happen."

Hearing this, Barbara chuckles.

"Most of the time, what happens aligns with what was prayed for. For example, if you pray for a pot that everyone can eat from, that will happen. If you pray for a sewing machine to be convenient for the person using it, it will gain effects to match that."

Then Barbara strokes the pot used to make the holy water.

"But blessings, as the priest mentioned, amplify when combined. It's not just one person's prayer that decides everything. For example, when Flora uses my pot, it makes her even happier. That's how they become stronger, but it can also make the outcome unpredictable."

The priest nods and smiles, continuing.

"Dorf, in that sense, is both a craftsman and a mage."

"That's true. Mages are actually everywhere. Anyone who can give selfless blessings is one. Among them, those with particularly strong focusing and amplifying powers are called mages because they can cause mysterious things to happen."

The idea that mages are everywhere seems wonderful. Even without the power to fight, the children and the townspeople pray every day for the peace of the town and the safety of their families. If these prayers combine and eventually become a blessing, a kind of magic, then that is truly something.

As we finish our work and start preparing dinner, the town becomes noisy.

"Injured person! We need treatment!"

A private soldier on horseback is carrying a badly wounded man with unfamiliar shield and armor.

"Hey, that shield belongs to a knight from the Duchy of Jemerald! What happened?"

"We sent a messenger to check on the situation in Jemerald, but the checkpoint was sealed, and we couldn't proceed. While we were wondering what to do, we found him on the way."

"I've applied basic healing, but I specialize in barriers, not healing…"

The cleric who accompanied the messenger looks pale. The injured man is carried into the church, and clerics skilled in healing and recovery gather to begin treatment.

"…What a disaster. I had a feeling, but… Is the Duchy of Jemerald in the same situation, then…?"

"Surely not. The proud Knights of Jemerald failing to exterminate the beasts… Is that even possible…?"

As Lord Kelvim mutters, a sense of unease spreads through the town.

Behind him, Lord Lionel and Gilbert also have serious, thoughtful expressions.