Chapter 27

Until now, she had never seen anything like it.

The coming-of-age ceremony is the day when the 'Divine Gift Skill' granted by the gods is confirmed. The ceremony is conducted by the holder of the 'Oracle' skill, which is bestowed upon those who have long served the gods.

Rena had witnessed the manifestation of skills during the ceremony several times, with the priest, who could be considered her foster parent and a holder of the 'Oracle' skill, overseeing the process.

However, the skill that manifested today was different from anything she had seen before.

It was a strange shape, resembling a holy cross, a person with wings, and even a sword.

When she shifted her gaze to the priest, he appeared unusually restless, with sweat on his forehead. It is said that the name of the skill appears in the mind of the 'Oracle' user. As Rena waited for the priest to speak, he finally opened his mouth solemnly.

"Rena, listen carefully... Your skill is... 'Holy Maiden.'"

Although the words were finally spoken, Rena still couldn't grasp the reality of it.

Before the words could fully sink in, the priest continued.

"I'm glad I was the one to confirm it. If the world knew you were the Holy Maiden... you would undoubtedly be expected to fight the Demon King's army."

As the priest continued, Rena's understanding of the situation gradually caught up. At the same time... her body began to tremble.

"Such... What should I do..."

The coming-of-age ceremony, where the 'Oracle' skill is used to confirm the Divine Gift Skill and roughly determine one's future path, is supposed to be a joyful day, marking the first step into adulthood. Rena, due to her upbringing, had always harbored a sense of resignation, not expecting much. For her, this day was special.

"If I could have a skill that would be of some help to the priest, who has taken care of me..."

Her modest hope was shattered.

"I never thought it would be me..."

The Holy Maiden.

In the past, there was a different Demon King. The Holy Maiden is said to be one of the members who defeated that Demon King and sealed the evil god who sowed distrust and conflict among people. She is a symbol of hope against those who threaten humanity. In other words, it is a skill that binds one to the duty of fighting powerful enemies. Not only must she pray for the peace of the people, but she must also place herself on the battlefield to protect them. Rena understood this, or rather, the fact that she might not be able to bear it.

Her hands and feet trembled as if they had a will of their own. Just before she collapsed, the priest gently touched her hand.

The warmth of his hand and his expression, which exuded the usual sense of acceptance, slightly calmed her. Not completely, but...

"Calm down, Rena. I know better than anyone that you are not in a state to fight the Demon King's army. This will be our secret for now."

"Yes, Father... I'm sorry."

"It's alright. And you must never tell anyone. The Holy Maiden is said to have possessed a rare healing magic. So, for now, let's say your skill is 'Healer.' Is that okay?"

There was no need for the priest to emphasize it. She didn't want to boast about being the Holy Maiden.

Since the day she lost her parents to the Demon King's army, her world had been closed off.

Inward, inward.

But even so, through the priest's dedication and the daily interactions with other orphans in similar circumstances, she had gradually started to open up, finally beginning to feel it.

The day of coming of age.

A day when she should have been recognized as an adult, acknowledged as a full-fledged individual, and ready to leave the protection of her parents and fly on her own.

-- Rena's world was once again closing in on itself.

"Hmm, that's strange. The incantation is correct..."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I can't do it well..."

"No, it's fine. But if you have the Healer skill, you should be able to do it quickly."

As the Healer pointed out, Rena felt her heart beat strongly. She had visited the Healer in the city, introduced by the priest, to learn healing magic. This was to provide a legitimate basis for her activities as a Healer, rather than as the Holy Maiden.

The Healer, perhaps sensing something from Rena's expression, said apologetically,

"Well, you just awakened your skill. There aren't many Healers, and I might be assuming others are like me when I was young. I'm sorry."

"No, not at all... Thank you for your concern."

It seemed he had judged that Rena's expression was clouded by her own inadequacy. She had been learning healing magic for a month, and this outing was a valuable change of pace, but it was time to move on.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I'll practice on my own for a while."

"Alright? I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help."

"No, I found it very helpful. Thank you."

She had learned the basic healing magic, but it was still clumsy. Was she really the Holy Maiden?

If she were the Holy Maiden... she should be able to use advanced healing magic immediately.

Or...

Perhaps she was only half a Holy Maiden. Maybe that was her fate.

After that, she hardly ever left the church.

Fortunately, there were few visitors to the church. People were too busy with their lives, struggling to make ends meet, to have time for prayer.

The church operated on a small subsidy from the government, donations, and funds sent by former orphans who grew up in the orphanage attached to the church. However, the people of this country were poor, and donations were scarce.

As a result, most of the operating funds came from the remittances of former orphans.

It was a few days after she arrived. A young man was about to go to war. He seemed to be a leader among the orphans and gathered them the night before his departure.

"You guys! I'll definitely bring back some glory and give you all a better life! So, take care of Father for me!"

At the time, she didn't know that many of the orphans who grew up in the church's orphanage went on to serve as soldiers in the kingdom's army, fighting the Demon King's army. In this country, with few industries, it was almost the only way for him to earn a salary. He patted each of their heads and spoke to them one by one. When he stood in front of Rena, who had hardly interacted with him, he smiled and placed his hand on her head.

"Father is a great person. If you stay here, you'll surely start smiling, just like me!"

He then laughed loudly, as if to set an example.

Although she couldn't laugh as loudly as he did, Rena felt her lips relax for the first time in a long while.

Later, she learned that he never sent any money. He was attacked by a monster before reaching the garrison and lost his life.

The lives they lost turned into money, and that money was used to raise new orphans, who would then be sent to the battlefield and lose their lives.

It was like a facility for training soldiers. An endless negative cycle. The priest was aware of the church's reliance on human lives and was troubled by it. Every time he received news of a death, he would pray solemnly for the deceased.

Was it right for her to be treated specially?

If she revealed herself as the Holy Maiden to the country and fought the Demon King's army, could she secure more support for the church? Would that be a way to repay the priest, who had taken care of her all these years? However, she knew that the priest would not be pleased by such a decision.

One day, while she was struggling with these thoughts, a young man visited the church.

He opened the closed world of Rena.