Chapter 56

‘What do you mean by that?’ she asked, but Eched never gave her an answer.

Afterward, she returned to the lodging. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

And in her weariness, she had another strange dream.

‘Kill the witch!’

On a chaotic night filled with shouts and footsteps, people carrying torches began to set fire to the house where the Saintess resided.

The wooden houses of the slum quickly caught fire. The Saintess, who could not see, was trapped inside and unable to escape.

The area was engulfed in thick, black, acrid smoke. Mixed within it was a foul stench and distorted human figures.

A monster suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wreaking havoc. The cries of beasts and the screams of humans pierced the night sky.

A priest hiding in the forest stifled his laughter. Beside him was a dark sorcerer who had colluded with him to summon the monster.

And there were eyes that observed the entire situation in silence. Two glowing eyes shone coldly in the darkness, indifferent to all that was happening.

‘Please… save me…’

A voice, on the brink of death, pleaded desperately.

The observer’s eyes remained apathetic. The Saintess continued to pray for salvation.

‘I want to live… Please…’

She thought those eyes would never come to her aid. But she was mistaken.

Just before her faint breath ceased entirely, a gust of wind swept through.

The burning house vanished. The monsters and people disappeared, and the priest was left rolling on the ground. In the middle of it all stood a beast, clutching the dark sorcerer in its jaws.

Under the round, full moon that hung in the sky, the beast’s silver fur glowed brilliantly, even though it was stained red.

After spitting out the lifeless figure, the beast began to walk away. Its form gradually shifted into that of a human, and soon, it became someone she recognized.

With the same indifferent expression, he looked down at something. A blackened hand reached out and touched Eched’s feet.

No words were exchanged. There was no need for them. Eched picked up the Saintess, crossing the sticky, blood-soaked path to reach the Astrea Ducal Residence.

The Saintess took her final breath in the arms of her family.

‘It was a pitiful act of compassion.’

‘To think that God would impose such a punishment for something so trivial—it makes me question His mercy.’

‘What?’

The Goddess burst into laughter, as if amused. Her laugh was cheerful, as if she didn’t care about the insolent tone of the remark.

‘So, what brings you to me again? If it’s an oracle, deliver it to Anella, the Saintess. I hate bothersome things like this.’

‘I am the Goddess of Compassion. I’m different from that stubborn one who preaches equality for all. I pity you. Especially you.’

‘Me? Why? I’m living just fine.’

She protested, asking why the Goddess insisted on turning someone who was doing well into someone who wasn’t.

The Goddess clicked her tongue and spoke with a tone of pity.

‘You still don’t understand… Your soul is bound to that child, and you continue to suffer through painful reincarnations, always fated to be at odds with them.’

‘…What?’

‘I pitied you and sent you elsewhere, but you brought them along anyway… This time, I used my power to help you regain your memories, but something feels off. The world has become strange. Even the mayflies are getting tangled up. That stubborn one is starting to notice, so you’d better be careful.’

‘Wait, hold on. But as far as I know, the reincarnation of the Saintess from 500 years ago isn’t me!’

‘What are you talking about? It’s been your soul all along, then and now.’

A wave of dizziness hit her, as if she had been struck on the head.

I was Eched’s “her”? No, my soul was…

‘Why me?’

Unable to comprehend, she asked in protest.

‘Why you? Because you are you.’

The Goddess spoke in a tone that suggested the question was absurd.

‘But in the original story…’

Her thoughts became a tangled mess. She began to doubt what she had believed to be true.

Was it a misconception that Anella was the reincarnation of the Saintess?

She didn’t know. No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

As she sat there in her hollow confusion, the Goddess spoke one last time.

‘The dawn is breaking. Remember this one thing: only that child can end the punishment, but only you can end the situation.’

‘What? What does that mean…’

The light faded. When she opened her eyes, it was the dim light of morning.

* * *

“Shaterian?”

At the sound of her name, she turned to see Eched, who had just woken up. His hand was clasped tightly with hers.

Without realizing it, she shook off his hand. Eched, with his freshly woken yet composed face, blinked at her.

She had been wrong, and Eched had been right.

She was the reincarnation of the Saintess from the past.

‘No, how, why?’

In the original story, it was clearly stated that Anella was the Saintess. Eched had also been freed from his heart’s pain by receiving Anella’s divine power.

“Eched…if you receive my divine power, does the pain in your heart go away?”

He nodded.

For now, she set aside the fact that the pain could be alleviated with a certain amount of divine power.

“You’re certain I’m the reincarnation because of the divine power, right?”

He nodded again.

“When did you start being certain? You originally thought Anella was the reincarnation.”

“It wasn’t certainty, just a vague feeling… On the hill in spring where you declared the end of the war.”

That day was precisely when she had regained her past life’s memories.

In her seventh year at the academy, she had been desperately trying to defeat Eched, ignoring the headmaster’s pleas for her to just graduate.

On an ordinary day, as cherry blossoms scattered and swords clashed, she had unexpectedly recalled memories of her past life.

When the sudden flood of memories caused her to stumble, Eched had caught her. She vaguely remembered their bare skin brushing against each other for a brief moment…

She didn’t know anymore. The situation had grown so complicated that her head began to ache.

The words of the Goddess, who had introduced herself as the Goddess of Compassion, swirled chaotically in her mind, leaving her dizzy.

“Are you hurt somewhere again?”

“No. It’s… I’m just hungry. Let’s go eat.”

There were still many unanswered questions.

If I was the reincarnation of the Saintess, why did I possess so little divine power?

She began to wonder if breaking through whatever was blocking the flow of divine power in her body might allow her to wield the extraordinary divine power that Anella had.

Today, they were supposed to meet Orgon’s informant at a nearby tavern to gather information directly.

The tavern they entered was an ordinary place with a moderate number of patrons. Following the server’s guidance, they sat at an appropriate table and ordered food.

As expected of a popular establishment, the place soon became lively, with various conversations filling the air.

Before long, a figure wearing a hooded robe entered the tavern. They immediately recognized him as Orgon’s informant.

The man, who also recognized them, wasted no time sitting across from them. After a brief nod of greeting, he casually ordered a drink and began to speak.

“There’s nothing new to report.”

Despite the passage of time, the lack of discoveries sounded disheartening.

“However, during the investigation, I came across an incident related to a dark sorcerer from 500 years ago.”

“Go on.”

“As you may already know, Duke Astrea, 500 years ago, a lady of the Astrea Ducal Family—who was said to have the strongest divine power at the time—lost her life fighting a dark sorcerer alone.”

Uh… Her eyes darted around, as if she understood but didn’t.

“At the time, the dark sorcerer controlled people’s minds through their eyes and summoned monsters to devastate villages. However, the Saintess, with her immense divine power, resisted the dark sorcerer’s influence. In the end, the dark sorcerer was devoured by the wolf-like monster they had summoned.”

Um… That wasn’t a monster…

“Over 30 villagers died during that time.”

“I see… Over 30 people…”

Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal, was it? 

She recalled the wolf she had seen in her dream. The blood-soaked, crimson ground under the wolf’s paws came to mind, sending a chill down her spine.

“Yes. If the dark sorcerer hadn’t been stopped back then, the Empire as we know it wouldn’t exist today. People regard the Saintess as a hero.”

She quietly lifted her cup and took a sip.

“Then, the praying statue in the square?”

“Yes. That’s a statue of the Saintess who protected this place.”

“…”

Well, technically, the Saintess was a victim, so this level of image crafting could be forgiven.

Even though it was said to be her past life, it didn’t feel particularly real to her.

Still, knowing the truth made her feel awkward. The one responsible for hiding the truth and creating a false hero seemed indifferent and unbothered.

“And what else did you discover?”

“Nothing significant, but… Do you remember the incident two years ago when monsters rampaged? While the Kulnensi Marquisate suffered minimal damage, a nearby village was severely impacted.”

“Yes.”

“Because of that incident, there are quite a few people who harbor resentment toward the Imperial Family and the Holy Church. Of course, the one who bore the brunt of the blame was the Marquis of Kulnensi.”

The informant lowered his voice and murmured quietly.

“At that time, villagers flocked to the Marquisate, begging for the gates to be opened, but the Marquis refused them all. He feared that opening the gates might allow the monsters to enter.”

It was a selfish decision, but it wasn’t something for which the Marquis could be entirely blamed. After all, it was an act that ultimately protected the people of the Marquisate.

“But there’s no need to worry too much. Even if they’re resentful… they’re in no position to rebel.”

With that, the conversation with the informant concluded, and they left the tavern.

The man promised to contact them if he learned anything new before disappearing into the crowd.

“You’ve come a long way.”

As she walked through the streets again, her steps halted as familiar words echoed in her ears.