C126
9. Sound Underwater**
Ouch, it hurts.
I returned home after meeting with Isidor for a while, and I was so lost in my thoughts that the tips of my fingers were cut by the sharp edge of the paper.
The cut was so deep that blood came out from my fingertips.
I was actually uneasy because of the serious atmosphere emanating from Isidor.
Because it wouldn't be a normal incident if he, who is usually calm, suddenly became so serious.
I treated my fingers roughly with a handkerchief, then lay on the bed while feeling uneasy.
It's obvious that I couldn't concentrate on anything with these thoughts.
"It shouldn't have been a big problem."
I counted the roses and snakes embroidered on the white canopy fabric while feeling dizzy for a while and then slowly fell asleep.
And I had that strange desert dream again.
The strange dream continued to repeat after being swept away by the mana waves of the ancient artifact.
I walked and walked inside the dream where the sandstorm blew incessantly.
The moment I saw the partially destroyed marble building, unknown information came to my mind.
This desert was originally a village.
However, the vitality of the land quickly depleted due to monster attacks and turned into a desert. The total number of declining regions increased rapidly every day.
In the dream, I was in the middle of the desert feeling depressed and looked towards the endless scorching sun. Then, I looked around because I was thirsty.
There was only piled-up sand inside the broken well.
"It's torture."
I had a soul blessed by God, but just because I couldn't drink a sip of water for a few days, I was on the verge of exhaustion.
Finally, I collapsed in the dream.
A man on the other side of the desert approached me while I barely breathed.
I thought it was a corpse.
I couldn't see his face because of the strong light behind his figure, but I could clearly see the water bottle hanging from the man's waist even in the midst of that.
Water...
I barely managed to say, squeezing out my energy.
Water? So what?
I feel like I'm going to die of thirst right now, so don't you have any thoughts of showing mercy?
There's not just one or two people dying here.
I know how to use divine power. I may look miserable right now, but people over there call people like me Saints...
In the dream, I promoted myself desperately. Because I was so desperate for water.
Do you know that there's not just one or two people proclaiming themselves as saints? The repertoire is a cliché.
He walked away as if he were dealing with some insignificant thing, and I grabbed him, crawling.
Don't touch my body. How dare those dirty hands...?
Hating the action, he shook me off roughly as if shaking off an insect. He seemed to hate others touching him.
You will surely need my power when you walk through the desert.
Divine power? If you wanted to convince me, you should have shown your creativity in some way. I've never been hurt before.
Don't be too sure. Because the monsters that appear in this region are poisonous.
The ground trembled horribly as soon as I spoke.
"Speaking of the devil, here it comes."
The centipede-shaped monster rose above the ground and unleashed a sandstorm in all directions. Sand grains entered my ears and mouth.
Even though it was a dream, the sensation of spitting out sand was very vivid.
I felt an intense thirst as if I were drowning.
Eventually, the yellow and golden sword, which was more intense than the sun, struck, and the dark slime of the monster splashed on my face.
Ah!
I suddenly woke up from my dream and took a deep breath.
"Why have the dreams been so fierce lately?"
I feel like I had an important dream, but I really don't remember much.
However, the feelings of despair that I felt while struggling in the nightmare remained.
"After being swept away by the mana wave, the nightmare with a similar feeling is repeating."
And I felt frustrated because I couldn't understand the reason.
I reached for the glass of water on the side table as I took a breath.
Even today, my neck was soaked in sweat and I was very thirsty.
I felt like I hadn't slept for a long time, but the sky was already bright.
I got out of bed with a damp body and untied the handkerchief I had tied to my hand rudely to wash my face.
What? The wound...
I thought it was a fairly deep cut, but the wound had healed.
-----------------------
I received a prophecy.
The clear voice of the woman echoed in the cave.
The disciples absorbed in dark magic bowed incessantly before the owner of dark magic who stood in front of the base wearing a mask.
What do you mean by a prophecy? How long has it been?
The devil's prophecy is no different from an oracle for black mages.
Even Marquis Francois was moved to tears.
The devil who signed a contract with the woman was subject to great restrictions that were very strong, so the fact that the prophecy was given in person has great significance.
"Everyone be silent."
The woman spoke while frowning.
"Eventually, it's not good news."
"What kind of prophecy did you receive to say it like that?"
"Lucifer said he felt the power of the true Saint, albeit weakly."
"S-Saint?"
The cave became as silent as a mouse.
It was because something contrary to their plans had happened.
"I doubted it, but the true Saint has appeared."
The head of the black mages is the 4th Queen of the Empire.
Jamilla Baskar's eyes darkened.
If the true Saint appeared according to Lucifer's prophecy, there would be a huge problem in her plan.
<Project of the False Saint>
The fourth Queen of the Nerman Kingdom had been planning this for a long time in order to grant legitimacy to her son, the 3rd Prince.
The third prince, who was mixed with foreign blood and did not have blue hair, the symbol of the imperial family, had much less legitimacy than Prince Behonick Histach.
"If the third prince is named the heir, there will be opposition from the nobles. The same goes for the people."
A dramatic scenario was needed to bring her mixed-race son to the throne and put the snobbish people of Azutea under his feet.
So, the person who would play a significant role in that scenario was the Saint.
There was something written on the ancient oracle tablet.
[Fear not even in darkness. The Saint sent by God will appear.
The chosen by the Saint will be honored with glory as the hero from generation to generation.]
Even the people of the Empire considered the first emperor, Dominique Histach, as the hero chosen by Saint Nayla.
The one chosen by the Saint had a stronger symbolic meaning than the blue hair, the symbol of the imperial family.
"If the Saint chooses my son as emperor, I could gain recognition from the nobles of the Empire and also the people."
No, she will make it so that they have no choice but to recognize him.
In the end, it was a justified battle.
"I will create the darkness. My son."
Her red lips curved.
"You will enjoy the honor of being chosen."
The moment she met her son's confident black eyes, Jamilla was determined to put all the good things in the world in that little hand of his.
She thought it was possible.
Jamilla had a strong power of black magic that could turn desires into reality. She also had loyal followers who practiced witchcraft.
Originally, Jamilla planned to turn the beautiful Mia Binoche into the saint because she was easy to handle, coming from a ruined noble family.
However, the plan to turn Mia into the saint of the empire and have Mia choose her son, the third prince, was not going well.
It was because Mia couldn't play an active role in social life despite receiving all kinds of support.
Eventually, it is important for the nobles to recognize Mia as the saint, but she was only recognized a little for her humble acts.
"Even though she used holy blood!"
Holy blood in her terms is the vitality of the highest purity extracted from the sacrifice of hundreds and thousands of humans.
It may seem contradictory to create the vitality of the highest purity, enough to deceive the High Priest, through witchcraft based on the power of the devil, black magic, but it was possible because Jamilla was Lucifer's contractor.
"The basis of divine power and black magic is the same."
Lucifer, who became the fourth demon of hell and had been a powerful angel guarding the gates of heaven, said so.
Just as magic and aura are based on the enormous energy of mana, divine power and black magic are the same coin with different faces.
—Contractor. My strength was the same whether I was in the supreme heaven or in hell, the bottom of the world.
All changes in the natural world will surely take place in growing disorder.
However, divine power and black magic are opposites.
God restores the bones and flesh of humans by reversing the laws of nature in exchange for faith.
The devil satisfies human desires by reversing the laws of nature in exchange for soul sacrifices.
For example, a life close to eternal life, a body suffering from incurable diseases, an unfounded wish like a body that does not age...
Lucifer, who became the fourth demon of hell and had been a powerful angel guarding the gates of heaven, said so.
Just as magic and aura are based on the enormous energy of mana, divine power and black magic are the same coin with different faces.
—Contractor. My strength was the same whether I was in the supreme heaven or in hell, the bottom of the world.
All changes in the natural world will surely take place in growing disorder.
However, divine power and black magic are opposites.
God restores the bones and flesh of humans by reversing the laws of nature in exchange for faith.
The devil satisfies human desires by reversing the laws of nature in exchange for soul sacrifices.
For example, a life close to eternal life, a body suffering from incurable diseases, an unfounded wish like a body that does not age...
The contractor of Lucifer, Jamilla, who dealt with both powers, could subtly transform witchcraft into divine power using her wisdom as two sides of the same coin.
In the midst of the imperial family, which suppresses black magic the most, was this secret that had not been discovered until now.
However, if the true Saint appears, all her efforts will be in vain.
"They have to find the true Saint and kill her before she can stand out."
Mia can stand out under her thumbs, but the true Saint has too many variables.
"We will fulfill your order."
The unknown man who controlled the insects responded while putting his forehead on the ground.
"As only our side knows that the true Saint has appeared, we are a few steps ahead."
Jamilla narrowed her eyes as she thought that.
"First of all... Find out if any girls with strong divine powers have been born these days."
The search for the Saint had begun.
