Chapter 10 – Chasing Clues (Part 5)

Yurishien was a being loved by the gods.

Born an orphan, she was taken in and raised by a nearby temple. Naturally, her presence within the temple wasn’t significant.

While spending her days doing menial tasks, at sixteen, she manifested a powerful holy power that no one had ever possessed.

Recognizing her power, the priests elevated Yurishien from a commoner to a Saintess overnight. People’s perceptions changed instantly as if flipping a palm, but she wasn’t happy at all.

It was hard for a child to endure being suddenly revered as a Saintess by people who hadn’t even treated her as human before she manifested her holy power.

In those moments, Yurishien would escape to an unused chapel and hide until everyone left. But even in this suffocating life, there was light.

“Yurishien!”

With a clear voice, a small girl opened the chapel door and entered. At the appearance of the long-awaited person, Yurishien smiled brightly and crawled out from under the chair.

“Diana!”

She ran to Diana and hugged her. Diana was a noble girl who occasionally came to pray.

She had shown kindness to Yurishien even when she was a commoner and continued to approach her without hesitation even after she became a Saintess.

To Yurishien, Diana was her only refuge and someone she wanted to protect. Because of that, Yurishien could bear the burdens others placed on her.

As long as Diana was there, everything was okay. And she thought this peace would last forever.

Until Diana fell ill.

Diana’s health gradually deteriorated. She grew increasingly tired, then couldn’t run, and eventually couldn’t even walk properly.

She vomited everything she ate, and her limbs began to stiffen.

She couldn’t even leave her room, let alone go to the temple.

For the first time, Yurishien prayed in the chapel. It wasn’t a plea to the gods like others but an angry outburst questioning why Diana had to suffer.

And that day, she heard the voice of a god for the first time.

[You are my child.]

The first voice she heard was sweet enough to make her want to offer her soul. Additionally, the first appearance of the god was blindingly radiant.

However, Yurishien, who had already decided who to dedicate her heart to, looked at the god with cold eyes.

“Tell me why Diana is sick.”

Yurishien asked. The god, looking down at his little child, took a step closer to her.

[The child is cursed. It is the fate of the royal family.]

At those words, Yurishien shouted angrily. Being chosen out of nowhere was annoying enough, and now the god could only say to accept it as fate.

“What is fate, and what is the curse? You’re a god! I don’t need anything else! Just lift Diana’s curse!”

At Yurishien’s words, the god showed a sorrowful expression. He slowly circled around her.

[That is impossible. I cannot interfere with curses.]

At his words, Yurishien cried out in anger.

“Then why did you even appear! If you can’t lift it, at least tell me how. I’ll do it!”

The god remained silent. A silence passed, and he asked.

[Are you prepared to endure everything?]

“I am. You can take my life.”

After those words, everything proceeded swiftly.

Yurishien went to Diana and accepted the core of the dark magic rooted in her body.

Her original divine power was suppressed by the dark magic, and the core of the dark magic quickly filled its place.

It said that everything would be resolved if she just listened to it. And exactly from that moment, Yurishien turned cold.

The only thing it desired from Yurishien was for everyone to worship it.

Under the command of the entity that called itself a god, Yurishien’s former self disappeared without a trace, and she took on the perfect form of a Saintess that everyone desired.

While offering believers to the greedy god and spreading its name, she continued to try and eliminate the dark magic still lingering in Diana’s body, but her condition didn’t improve at all.

The tyrannical god said that people’s lack of faith prevented miracles from happening. Yurishien argued against this, but the god only looked at her coldly.

And simultaneously, punishment was inflicted on Diana.

Diana, who was punished, maintained her life in a barely alive state. If the greedy god willed it, Diana’s life could vanish in an instant.

Realizing she had made the wrong choice, Yurishien had lived as the greedy god’s puppet ever since.

***

“I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

Yurishien growled fiercely.

“I can help you. If you help me, that is.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“I have the power of healing. It’s still weak, but if I know how to strengthen it, I can help you.”

“How is that possible? What makes you think I can trust you?”

Her words were fierce, but it was clear Yurishien was shaken.

Seeing the firm resolve in Ellerdin’s blue eyes, Yurishien bit her lip. Unknowingly, she was listening intently to Ellerdin’s words.

‘But if what she says is true.’

She had worshipped that damned being as a god, but Diana’s condition hadn’t improved, and the process of transferring the curse was too slow.

With Diana’s remaining life short, Yurishien, in a desperate attempt, hoped Ellerdin’s words were true and pressed her for answers.

“I’ll show you. And I’ll tell you my identity. I am…”

At that moment, a voice filled with joy interrupted Ellerdin’s words and echoed through the chapel.

[Kill that child.]

At the greedy god’s words, Yurishien, flustered, lowered her hand.

Kill her.

Yurishien glanced at Ellerdin. It was the first time the greedy god had directly ordered her to kill someone since Fernan.

Surely Ellerdin had heard the voice, yet she looked straight at Yurishien with unwavering eyes.

Yurishien took a step back.

Was following the greedy god’s words the right thing to do? If I killed Ellerdin, there might never be another person who could lift the curse.

How long must I follow this greedy god’s words? Why isn’t Diana getting better? From the start, it was wrong to accept that being as a god.

All sorts of thoughts dominated her mind.

[My believer does not trust me. How lamentable. Despite leading you so well.]

The god spoke in a cold voice when Yurishien didn’t comply.

[For your lack of faith, I shall punish you.]

Thud. At the same time, a strong pressure crushed both of them. At his words, Yurishien turned pale and shouted.

“No!”

Yurishien turned her back on Ellerdin and flung open the chapel doors. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Ellerdin hurriedly began to chase after her.

Yurishien ran deep into the temple.

Following her, Ellerdin crawled under the old chapel chairs and found a small iron door leading downward.

‘I can’t believe this exists.’

Ellerdin descended through the iron door. Upon reaching the underground, she saw Yurishien running far ahead.

Yurishien knew Ellerdin was following her, but there was no time to worry about that now.

She ran frantically, exited the basement, and opened the back door of the castle. Climbing the stairs again, she opened a small door to find Diana writhing on the bed.

“Diana!”

Yurishien rushed to Diana with a pale face. She was convulsing, unable to breathe.

Ellerdin, who followed her in, gasped and covered her mouth at the sight before her. Yurishien, holding Diana’s body, knelt down.

“I was wrong. I will never doubt you again. I will never betray your words. Never. Please lift the punishment, please.”

Yurishien cried out to the air, tears streaming down her face. But there was no response. Diana’s face began to turn white.

Breathing heavily like someone about to die, Yurishien spoke.

“Huff, huff, please. I was wrong. Please punish me instead. Just spare this child. I was wrong. You are right. I was foolish.”

Like a sinner confessing to a god, Yurishien continuously apologized to the greedy god. Just as Diana’s breath was about to stop, the greedy voice spoke.

[I will watch over you.]

Simultaneously, the punishment was lifted, and Diana gasped for air. However, due to the sudden supply of oxygen, she soon lost consciousness.

Holding her fainted body, Yurishien began to mutter endless thanks with a distorted expression.

‘…This isn’t a god.’

Ellerdin looked at them with a serious face. It was like seeing herself begging for forgiveness from the Baron.

At that moment, a different voice from before echoed in her mind.

[Please, stop that child.]

Ellerdin looked around in surprise.

[If more time passes, it will be irreversible. Please help us.]

With those words, unfamiliar memories flowed into Ellerdin’s mind.