Chapter 53: Hope

 

     The chief priest ruminated in his heart the words of the spirit. The power to cancel and invalidate magic. With that power, can they break that spell?

     However, unlike the manastones, the spell is carefully crafted with both magical and holy powers. It was done by a fake saint so that the priests, who had only magical powers, could not destroy it.

     But if there is any hope—

     “Is there any one with such magic!? Where is that person?”

     The spirit did not answer. Suddenly, his body began to shake. He knew it was about to disappear. Wait, wait. He doesn’t want him to disappear yet. The chief priest stepped forward.

     “Wait! Who has that power—!”

     “I have responded to your request. I’ll get something important for you instead. It’s not your life, but a part of your body.”

     The spirit vanished, leaving a dreadful statement. After that, the magic circle disappeared and silence remained. He got what he wanted, but what it said was scary. Though, the saint is his first priority and he thought desperately about the power to cancel magic. A magical power to invalidate it.

     He  walked around  the whole room, jumped and skipped too. His back bent forward as he held his head with both of his hands; it didn’t occur to him till then.

     ‘…?’ As he thought, he checked again, then he turned pale. He placed his fingers over his eyebrows and placed his left hand upon his forehead, without leaving a gap between his thumb and forehead.

     Until the spirit was summoned, there certainly was a forelock. Yet he didn’t touch it till now. When he placed his right hand on the tip of the thumb, he feared that his hair would only touch the part of his ring finger.

     ‘What …!?’

     The spirit took the chief priest’s hair. It’s definitely important. It’s quantity is quite little, but it’s very precious and valuable to him. The shocked priest lowered his hands from his head. A white thing reflected from his view as he looked down. It’s the missing hair that fell from his right hand. Did it fall out even further?  He sadly gazed at it. White hair.

     White―’

     At that moment, the chief priest stood up as if he had been struck by lightning. A power that is able to counteract the magic. It’s magical because they have magic powers. Though the ability to counteract it, then is it someone who doesn’t use magic? That’s right. It’s someone who doesn’t seem to have magic, but has a power akin to it.

     ‘Liz…!’

     The chief priest gasped.

     He and the present saint knew that Liz was in fact magical. He doesn’t know why no characteristic or feature of it appears around her, but the sacred power is only visible to the saint.

     The reason that they didn’t dare tell Liz that she’s magical since she wanted to see her honest reactions as well as the other candidates. Especially their attitude, she wanted to observe how they act that’s why she changed her appearance to Manon, to blend with the candidates.

     Sacred power and magic power, it’s almost indistinguishable to the person. In particular, the holy power. Now that he thinks of it, that time during the manastone incident, he heard that the black light, the magic of the fake saint, disappeared the moment it touched Liz’s body. Was that not Liz’s holy power?

     Yes, that’s right. The manastone contained nothing but magic. If he were to use his sacred power, her identity might soon be able to be revealed. She was able to seal it from the chief priest. He thought that it was due to Liz’s divine power that was able to destroy the manastone, but it was different.

     The power to cancel out magic. A magical power that can invalidate it. If Liz has the holy power, will she be able to manage to do so with both magic and holy power? He saw hope. The chief priest, who had forgotten about his hair for a moment, rushed out of the room in a hurry.

 

* * * * *

 

     Liz was with Olivia in Rebecca’s room in the Second Temple.

     “—the saint was a fake? Oh, then, the manastone incident really wasn’t Liz’s doing after all. What? Liz found her door? Good! What? It’s already broken!? Yes? Manon is actually the saint and her life is in danger!?”

     Rebecca  seems to be unable to follow Liz’s story and she was holding her head. In a small box on the table, a worm was wiggling its head anxiously.

     Rebecca’s room is clean and tidy, the sun was shining through the windows and yet the air in the room was very heavy.

     “Mano— is the saint alright?” Liz and Olivia couldn’t answer Rebecca’s question. Rebecca looked down, shocked, and muttered, “I wonder what will happen to the selection—” 

     Liz sitting on the sofa, bit her lips. She remembered what happened in the first temple and felt a pain in her chest. Before she went to Olivia’s room, Liz made a short stop in her room.So—

     “Shiro, take it out.”

     The Holy dragon let out something from its belly. It is a broken piece of the mirror. It was the door of Liz that they used against Hades.

     A feeling of bitterness grew upon her. It’s a very bitter feeling.

     “…Hey, Shiro. Is this really my door?” She looked at it for confirmation, a glimmer of hope flashed through her eyes. However, Shiro stared at the broken shard that came out from its stomach. It cried out a “Kew” in a very sad tone. Her shoulders dropped and all her hope was gone. She felt as if she was falling within the depths of the abyss.

     After all, it was Liz’s door. Now that it’s broken, Liz fails the selection of being the next saint.

     ‘No!’ She picked up the broken fragments with her bare hands and desperately tried to stick it together to see if it could be somehow recovered. However, the shards became brittle after it had finished its role and broke into smaller pieces just by grasping them, just like Liz’s heart.

     In Rebecca’s room, Liz had her hands covered on her face in despair and Olivia hesitantly tried to speak. Though it seems that when she said, “Well,” She couldn’t find the right words.

     Liz remembers Claire, the candidate who failed at the first round of the selection as she was unsure what to say to Liz who passed. Still, Claire gave out a laugh and smiled, “Good luck, I’m cheering you on.” Natalie and Anna also said that. Liz wanted to be a person who can support others like them.

     Liz tried hard and spoke in a bright and cheery voice,  “The final selection is now between Olivia and Rebecca. Either one of you will become the next saint. Good luck.” she tried to let out a laugh, but her cheeks were stiff. She admonished herself that she was being selfish. It’s a selection, some will fail and there is only one who would become the saint. It’s fine since she did her best, but she can’t help it.

     She tried to convince herself, but she couldn’t give a strong sense of intention. She wanted to be the next saint. She really wanted to—!

     ‘…It’s completely different from when we started.’

     It’s surprising to her. When she was brought to the temple by Lloyd, she felt chagrined at the mere act of Emilia trying to entrap her. Though, at the same time, her position and the circumstances as well as her surroundings had not changed from the previous life. She wanted to do something about it, but that was it. That was all. 

     ‘—and I can’t stay in the temple no longer’

     She  must return to her hometown, the village. She liked the village. However, if she leaves, she wouldn’t be able to see Keefa. 

     Her chest throbbed and she started to feel bitter. 

     A gentle smile, a warm tone. It was a tad bit strange, but he looks only at Liz. Not Cecil but Liz. She was quite happy when he told her that.

     ‘No. I want to be here!’

     An intense feeling went throughout her body and it seemed to be flowing out.

     Olivia and Rebecca’s concerned gaze pierced her. She was speechless.

     ‘No. I should laugh’ Liz concentrated all of  her nerves on her face.

     “…Liz, is your face itchy?” Olivia asked as Liz was desperately trying to raise her eyes and mouth with both hands.

     The penguin, who was sitting at the end of the sofa, eating a whole biscuit, shrank in a frightened manner.

     “No, it does not itch. I was trying to laugh.”

     “Laugh?” Olivia, who was somewhat withdrawn, looked at Rebecca and nodded in agreement.

     “Like the other candidates? But I believe that Claire, Natalie and Anna were laughing because they accepted that they had failed. It must have been very regrettable, but maybe it was because they found someone better suited to be the next saint than themselves…” she muttered to herself and she smiled fondly.

     “When I was a child, I met the saint.”

     “‘Is that so?”

     “I went to see the ceremony of the saint with my family. Once the ceremony was over, the people rushed to the location of her carriage. Of course, there were priests and guards surrounded, but they were all so enthusiastic that they wanted to go as close as possible to them.

     I was small, so I was able to slip through the gaps between people’s legs. I fell down on the way. As they were all excited, they didn’t notice me and I was afraid that I’d die from being trampled by many people. I was so scared that I couldn’t speak.” 

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     “Were you okay…?”

     Olivia nodded.

     “It was all right. Suddenly, my body rose. My vision became pure white as I noticed that my body was surrounded by light. I was stunned as the saint was before me. “Are you alright?” she asked me. At first I was so far away and couldn’t see a glimpse of her. Then, she was there and helped me, before I knew it, my injury had healed.

     In a gentle voice she asked me, “What’s your name?” But I was so nervous that I couldn’t speak, so I didn’t answer. The priests came to pick her up and the saint was gone. At that time, I was not able to say my name and I regretted it. I would like to see her again and tell her my name this time. I wanted to get closer to the wonderful person. That’s what I have been thinking.

     Olivia had a dreamy look on her face.

     From that time on, she must have longed to be a saint. They all had desired to be the next holy saint.

     There was a lot of noise in the hallway, outside the room. Their murmurs, the sound of the footsteps, as well as the screams of the maids were heard.

     Olivia and Rebecca look at each other as they are  frightened.

     Liz quietly approached the door. She held her breath as she reached the doorknob. At that moment, the door was thrown open.

     “Liz—oh!”

     It was the chief priest. Liz was surprised when the door suddenly opened, though the man before her was even more surprised.

     ‘What is happening?’

     The chief priest was out of breath and his long robe tucked in. Behind them were the other priests with faces full of impatience and maids with a pale complexion.

     Her blood ran cold.

     “No, the saint—!?”

     “No,” The chief priest seized Liz by the shoulders, “Liz Stefan, I want you to help the saint.”

     “…What?”

     “Liz, you can do it. You are magical and able to use magic. I’m sure of it!”

      Liz was dumbfounded. She’s magical? What was wrong with the chief priest? Did the spirit took over his body? 

     The priests behind them gathered around them and Liz felt cold.

     “What on earth do you mean? Please explain!”

     “Was summoning the spirit a success? Immediately after you came back, you looked for Liz and ran!”

     “Liz can do it? What did you mean by that?”

      Lloyd came into the room pushing past the other priests to Liz.

     “What is going on, Lloyd?”

     “Well, I don’t know.”

     There was a relief expression on Lloyd’s face as he turned his head. He knew that the chief priest had returned safely. When Liz smiled, he noticed that she must’ve read his thoughts and turned away, his cheeks slightly blushing

　     Liz opened her mouth. There is one other thing that she has noticed and it’s very important.

     “Lloyd, the priest’s hair seems to have gotten a little shorter, but don’t you feel as if it had receded?”

     “Eh?” Lloyd raised his brows and looked at the chief priest’s head, who was trying to break through the group of priests.

     “True and it’s going to go back further. Rather, is that what you call a forelock?”

     One of the priests, who was devoted to the chief priest, shouted in an angry voice, he heard their conversation.

     “What are you talking about at such an important time? It did not recede in the first place! His hair is originally like that!”

     “…I can hear you.” murmured the chief priest, in a somewhat sad voice, as if he were much shocked.

     Then, he turned to Liz again seriously, “Liz Stefan, I know you’re surprised, you are someone who holds magical powers.”

     “…What?”

     “And you are the only one who can help the saint. She needs your power to cancel out the magic!”

     There was a mixture of shock and confusion as she gaped at what he said.

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     “Please, help the saint!” the chief priest bowed. She’s really surprised.

     Then,

     “Chief priest, for someone your age, you’re quite fast and that’s a wonderful thing.” someone said, panting.

     “King!” the maids cried out. Behind him were his people and soldiers, also Keefa.

     There were so many people who could not enter Rebecca’s room, but even beyond the corridors, it was crowded. Liz was overwhelmed. She didn’t expect that she’d see him in the temple, what happened in his room was quite a fearsome sight.

     “Your Majesty, Liz is the only one who can help the saint.” 

     “Well,”

     By the chief priest’s words, the king went before Liz and they both faced each other. Liz took a step back in spite of herself.

     “I ask of you, too. Please help the saint. Save the country.” The king bowed deeply at her.

     Suddenly, the people around them became flustered. It’s a matter of course since the king bowed to a commoner. His ministers turned pale. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is strict with his social status, felt like he was going to collapse.

     ‘…What is this?’

     There’s a head in front of her bowing, however it’s the head of the powerful man in the country. She looked down in fear and saw the hems of the robes flowing on the floor. The king wears a luxurious robe  sewn up with gold threads and several jewels. Even a single piece of gold in it could not be bought even if Liz worked for her whole life.

     She breathed in. It didn’t seem very real. She looked for Keefa for help. Once their eyes met, she was relieved, but rather than stopping his father, he bowed down at her with a serious expression, his brown hair swayed.

     No, that’s not what she wanted him to do. She frantically looked for him and the moment she saw him, he averted his gaze and he did as unexpected.

     “Please!”

     “Please! The saint is someone we and this country need!”

     “—we ask of you.”

     The priests, who had sensed the chief priest’s earnestness, bowed down one after another. The other senior ministers realized that there was no other way. Before Liz are a number of people bowing their heads at her. It was a sight that she had never seen, it was unusual.

     ‘What is this?’

     Liz took in another breath.

 

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