Chapter 4

Guided by the acting high priest, I was led to a room at the very back of the temple.

In the middle of the water-filled floor, a single path led to an altar at its center.

This room was on a completely different scale from the one I was taken to last time for the appraisal.

It seemed that only high-ranking priests were allowed to enter this place.

Following the acting high priest, who was dragging the long hem of her robe, I headed toward the altar—

"Kyaa!?"

The acting high priest, who had stepped on her robe, fell with a rather cute cry.

"Are you alright?"

I crouched down beside her and asked.

"Ugh..."

The acting high priest, who had fallen flat on her back, groaned and lifted her face.

At that moment, the robe that had been covering her face fell to the back.

Smooth silver hair and eyes as clear as the sky.

Her perfectly composed features, which gave off a slight coldness, reminded me of a finely crafted doll.

If she had stared at me expressionlessly, I might have doubted whether she was a real, living person.

But now, her nose and forehead were red from the fall.

A very human state, contrary to her perfect beauty.

"S-Sorry. Please forget what you just saw... Kyaa!?"

In her haste to stand up, she tripped on the hem again and lost her balance.

"Whoa"

This time, I managed to support her before she fell.

"S-Sorry... I can't believe I did that... I feel so embarrassed I want to disappear..."

Seeing this clumsy side of her, the imposing aura of authority she usually exuded faded, revealing a more youthful and girlish side.

I chuckled and encouraged her.

"The priests' attire doesn't seem very practical for daily life, does it?"

"That's very true... I'm not used to this level of attire yet..."

She seemed quite embarrassed, fidgeting as she thanked me.

If she wasn't used to this rank, she must have been the acting high priest for a short time.

"I'll be more careful not to fall this time."

The acting high priest said this, grabbed the hem of her robe with both hands, and stood before the altar.

"Alright, let's get back on track, ahem. —First, could you tell me your name?"

"My name is Dio Bryce."

"Then, Mr. Dio. Let's proceed with your re-appraisal."

As the girl chanted a spell with her staff, it glowed with a divine light.

"Hmm, this is—"

The light turned rainbow-colored and shone intensely before slowly fading.

"Hehe, interesting."

The acting high priest narrowed her eyes meaningfully.

"Mr. Dio, the blessing you've been given is 'Devour Evil.' It's a very rare SSS-rank blessing."

"SSS? No, more importantly, Devour Evil... Could it be...?"

"Yes, you must know. You've been granted the same power as the great hero Orelan."

"The same blessing as the hero Orelan..."

I whispered, feeling incredulous.

Orelan is a legendary hero known to everyone.

His journey to save the world, the numerous enemies he defeated, his undefeated legend.

And his tragic end.

Recalling the illustrations from the Orelan legend I read as a child, I involuntarily gasped.

Orelan, who was consumed by darkness as a consequence of using his power, ultimately fell into the abyss of darkness.

The illustration showed Orelan's skin turning a dark, indistinguishable color from the darkness.

Why Orelan was consumed by darkness.

The story depicted it as a problem of his heart...

I slightly lowered my gaze and looked at my wrist.

A small, black mark that appeared when I first activated Devour Evil.

Could this be...?

"I want to know more about Devour Evil."

"Let's look at the Blessing Dictionary."

The acting high priest waved her staff, and a thick dictionary appeared in the air.

The pages flipped without being touched.

"There it is. 'Devour Evil—A blessing that absorbs objects and transforms the abilities, knowledge, and experiences of the absorbed into one's own power. It is named Devour Evil because it can absorb without limit and the method of absorption resembles predation. No one has received the Devour Evil blessing since the legendary hero Orelan appeared five hundred years ago.' Unfortunately, that's all the information available for now. Given that it's a famous hero's blessing, it's likely that the details are classified as state secrets."

"I see..."

If that's the case, I'll have to find out about the mark through other means.

Still, absorbing objects...

"So that's why I could absorb the Yeti..."

"Have you already tried using the blessing?"

"Yes, actually—"

I told her about what happened in the abyss.

"To be able to absorb the soul of a monster..."

The acting high priest's eyes widened in shock.

"Indeed, theoretically, with the Devour Evil blessing, such things are possible. However, absorbing a monster's soul along with its abilities and knowledge is unprecedented..."

I felt a bit uncomfortable under the acting high priest's disbelieving gaze.

"From what you just said, it seems I can absorb more than just monsters, right?"

"It seems so. For example, if there's a person whose abilities you want to take, you could use the blessing to 'eat' them."

"......That's a bit much."

Absorbing humans feels like cannibalism and is quite unsettling, so I want to avoid it as much as possible.

"Still, to encounter an undead monster by chance... It seems everything is unfolding as predicted..."

The acting high priest, looking down, muttered something to herself.

"Huh?"

"Ah, no... Actually, I have a lead on the diseased monster you mentioned."

Since the information was not yet public, she emphasized that I shouldn't tell anyone else.

"Among adventurers exploring ruins of temples and underground caves, there have been reports of seeing monsters like the one you described, and the national security department is secretly investigating. —There are monsters that can't be killed. These monsters are extremely aggressive and display attack power beyond their usual rank. Does this match the monster you saw?"

I nodded, and the acting high priest sighed heavily.

"It's believed that the monsters may be infected with some kind of disease. If such a disease really exists, it could cause significant chaos. In some areas, there are already calls for the extermination of the monsters. However, if the monsters are truly undead, it's more likely that humans will be the ones destroyed."

That's just a human-centric view.

"Even if the disease causing the undead state is contagious, the monsters that aren't affected by it are innocent. It's absurd to try to exterminate them all."

"If humans have no means to counter the undead monsters, it's a natural response to try to reduce their numbers before they become uncontrollable."

"That's a selfish view that only considers humans. A species that only seeks its own benefit will eventually face its downfall. Humans can't survive on their own."

"Then, do you have any other ideas for dealing with the undead monsters?"

I was wondering why I was granted such an incredible SSS-rank blessing, but now I think I understand.

"I can't stand the idea of exterminating all the monsters. Before such a brutal plan is carried out, I'll use the power of Devour Evil to absorb all the undead monsters and protect them."

"Are you saying you'll solve this problem on your own? That's not realistic. We don't even know how many undead monsters exist."

"There might be many, or there might be few. But it's pointless to argue about something we don't know. If the country is planning to exterminate the monsters to solve the problem, I'll stop it by absorbing all the undead monsters and protecting them."

"......"

The acting high priest remained silent, staring at me.

"You're not even an adventurer yet. If I introduce you to the national security department, they'll likely think you'll be killed by the monsters before you can even activate Devour Evil. If you're serious, first get the qualifications to be an adventurer. To meet with the officials, you need to be at least Rank A."

"Will I get a chance to persuade them if I reach Rank A?"

"Yes, I promise."

"How do I contact you?"

"You don't need to contact me."

She pointed her staff at my head.

The tip of the staff emitted a different color of light than during the blessing appraisal.

"With this, I can sense your presence no matter how far away you are. When I determine that you've met the conditions, I'll come to you. Whether you become strong first or the country adopts the idea of exterminating all monsters, I expect you to be more than just talk."

Her words were cold and matter-of-fact.

However, for some reason, there was a sense of urgency in her eyes as she continued to look at me.

Could she also be against the extermination of the monsters and is trying to provoke my enthusiasm on purpose?

That thought crossed my mind, but she turned away, indicating she had nothing more to say.

It doesn't matter whether she shares my thoughts or not.

I just need to prove to the ridiculous people in the national security department that I can protect the monsters.

First, I need to go to the guild to register as an adventurer.

However, for minors, parental or guardian consent is required for guild registration, unless they are the head of a household.

"I need to talk to my stepfather."

I was planning to return home anyway to take Lucy with me.

Besides, I want to greet my stepbrother, who wished for my death.

◇◇◇

"High Priestess Leithia...!!"

After sending Dio off.

The girl, lost in thought, was called from behind.

Turning around, she saw an elderly man rushing toward her, his face flushed.

He was Lagras, the high priest of this Accardo Temple.

"Ah, High Priestess Leithia, I am truly sorry...!! I heard that one of the priests made a terrible spectacle in front of you and rushed here. I was away for only thirty minutes, and this happened... I should have left the morning prayer to someone else while you were here..."

In truth, the high priest had been intentionally led away to allow the appraisal of Dio, but the high priest didn't need to know that. The girl thought.

"Anyway, I am truly sorry...! It seems that the fool mistook you for the acting high priest...!"

Lagras, the high priest, looked worried, fearing he had offended her.

It was understandable.

The hierarchy of the clergy, from top to bottom, is: Archbishop, Bishop, Dean, High Priest, Acting High Priest, Priest.

As a Bishop, the girl was above the High Priest, and Bishops have the authority to dismiss High Priests.

Lagras, the high priest, was likely worried about losing his position.

Honestly, it was always strange to be treated this way by an elderly man much older than herself.

However, in the world of the clergy, rank is everything.

Still, she wasn't the type to abuse her power.

"High Priest Lagras, please calm down. The priest was bribed to give false appraisal results, so I used my authority to revoke his priestly status."

"Wh-What!?"

"As for the misunderstanding about me being the acting high priest, it was because I pretended to be in a lower position, so please don't worry."

"......! Why...?"

"I wanted to approach someone in a more natural way."

Lagras, the high priest, tilted his head in confusion.

It was unheard of for a Bishop to visit a rural temple.

If she had revealed her true identity, Dio Bryce would have realized that their meeting wasn't a coincidence.

That wasn't a desirable situation for her.

"......I need to determine if he is truly the one chosen by fate."

She murmured to herself and smiled faintly.

Today, I will update one more chapter.

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