IBTHM Chapter 39

Of course, I suspected it might really be true, but I had no way to verify it visibly right now.

I could only hide my core jewel so far; I couldn't use its ability yet.

Hiding the core jewel itself wasn't difficult.

As soon as my body normalized, I'd simply concentrated my mind as Hades had trained me to do, and the core jewel that had been outside my body my entire life vanished in an instant.

It was like... the feeling I'd had when I first succeeded at riding a bicycle, something like that.

When using abilities too, if I tried it the same way I'd hidden the core jewel, maybe I'd succeed...

'But I need an injured person to even practice.'

Unlike other attributes, needing a fixed subject for training was frustrating.

I couldn't very well force someone to get hurt just so I could try it out.

"So for now, nothing is certain. It'll become clear once you use the ability. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"You want me to get hurt?"

"No, no. You don't need to hurt yourself on purpose."

Hades chuckled once, then hardened his face again and said,

"Anyway, the reason the temple has been suppressing your magic power until now. I suspect it's because they think the saint might return to your body, don't you?"

"To me?"

It was a suspicion both astonishing and absurd.

Hades nodded once lightly and continued.

"While I can't forgive them for forcibly binding your magic power, I'd like to think the temple made that decision from a humanitarian standpoint."

"Right. I don't want to think the temple fed me medicine with evil intentions either."

If that were really true, how hopeless and bleak would the situation be?

If I had to suspect and turn against Deborah, the character I'd loved second only to Abel...

It was horrifying.

Watching me shudder, Hades said,

"This will sound ironic, but if a saint truly appeared, the Empire would definitely fall into chaos."

Hades's eyes were filled with certainty as he spoke.

His words really did sound ironic at first hearing.

Usually saints are supposed to save a chaotic world, aren't they? Yet the saint's appearance would cause chaos in the Empire?

However, I could immediately agree with Hades's words.

Because.

"If a saint appeared, everyone would try to claim her, wouldn't they?"

"Right. Even 500 years ago during Abella Esclife's time, there are records of countless invasive wars."

Of course.

If I'd been reincarnated not as Aisha Esclife but as a king of another nation, and there was a saint in the Empire...

'I'd order her kidnapped immediately.'

The existence of a saint who could freely wield white attribute abilities was tantamount to victory in war.

The fully awakened white attribute ability. That was precisely.

'Nullification.'

What stronger weapon could there be than making all external forces powerless?

I was newly frightened.

"Well, the reason is, as expected, because the saint could fully awaken the white attribute ability..."

When I muttered carelessly, Hades looked slightly surprised.

"You know more than I expected?"

In truth, it was thanks to knowing the settings the author had laid out, but I gestured toward the ancient text Hades had brought and said,

"It was written here. The fully awakened white attribute ability."

Let me take a moment to address the white attribute here.

Deborah, who could use white attribute abilities, was an ability user who'd completed the 2nd Awakening.

Considering most temple priests only had 1st Awakening, Deborah was definitely a remarkable ability user.

The 1st Awakening ability of the white attribute was 'Offset.'

As I've mentioned several times before, all attribute core jewels fundamentally have the unique ability of 'Absorption.'

The 1st Awakening ability 'Offset' of white attribute users was the ability to transfer internal and external injuries to themselves through this absorption, then eliminate them.

Not just external wounds but internal injuries, mental collapse, even poisoning—everything that could be absorbed was offset, so it was also commonly called 'Purification' in simpler terms.

Of course, there were restrictions.

For internal injuries like mental collapse, if the caster's magic power level was nothing special, not only would the offset fail, but it would transfer to them as well, becoming dangerous.

'That's why no one but Deborah could help Abel.'

A character who was one of the Empire's few white attribute 2nd Awakening ability users, and moreover used it so freely that she was openly called a 'saint.'

'If even just 2nd Awakening gets you revered as a saint, Abella Esclife must have been truly remarkable, right?'

I was suspicious once again.

Why exactly was her story not described in even a single line in the book?

The white attribute's 2nd Awakening ability is 'Heal.' Literal healing.

Not only healing wounds but also restoring subjects whose vitality had simply dropped to perfect condition—a very useful ability.

Since using core jewel abilities absolutely requires consuming magic power, it was far more efficient than the 1st Awakening ability that required the two processes of absorption and offset.

'Moreover, Deborah was on a different level even from other 2nd Awakening priests.'

Deborah wasn't the only priest who could use healing abilities.

However, the reason Deborah excelled was because she handled the ability remarkably well even among fellow 2nd Awakening priests.

Long-distance and area healing were both possible. Naturally, dozens of factions targeted Deborah in the story.

Of course, since Abel protected Deborah without a single hair on her head being harmed, there were no problems...

Anyway, if Deborah just threw heals from afar, Abel would sweep through everything himself, and their powerful combination produced countless achievements in the story.

'But the 3rd Awakening is...'

I was suddenly seized by doubt again.

If you awakened the white attribute to the 3rd level, you could use a truly terrifying ability that nullified all attack magic.

It was definitely an ability that existed in the setting notes the author had separately released on social media. However, it had never appeared in the story itself.

Even Deborah, who was called the foremost white attribute ability user, had only reached 2nd Awakening at most.

'Was it because the ability was too overpowered and the balance didn't work?'

That might be possible, but considering how the author had used every created setting to give readers chills, it was still suspicious.

Once you start doubting one thing, doubts lead to more doubts in a chain—the situation was quite exhausting.

I must have sighed without realizing it, because Hades comforted me in a casual voice as if to say not to worry.

"Even if my suspicion is correct, you have nothing to worry about. As long as I'm here, there's no way you'll be in danger."

"Thank you. But still, the suspicion that I might be the saint seems like quite a leap. I really need to try using the ability first before worrying about it."

"Right."

Hades spoke briefly and turned his gaze back to the documents.

His eyes were sharp as a hawk's.

After struggling all through dawn and barely sleeping, yet still throwing himself into this so intensely—I was newly grateful.

Anyway, because of me he had dark circles extending down to his chin yet was still working so hard, it made me feel... somehow...

"Ah."

It was the moment I was falling into vague, unsettled thoughts.

As Hades turned a page, a groan escaped his lips inadvertently.

The stiff paper must have cut through his flesh as it passed, because a long wound appeared on his right index finger.

Watching red blood quickly form in a long line, I was startled. And simultaneously.

"Oh!"

I'm sorry to say it, but I was a little pleased.

At my reaction, Hades let out a pfft of disbelief and extended his hand.

"Try it."

"Oh my, let me attempt this with complete sincerity."

I was slightly nervous.

Gripping Hades's extended right wrist firmly, I began staring intently at the wound on his index finger.

I had no clear idea what I should do.

I just concentrated my mind like when I'd hidden my core jewel, concentrated, and concentrated...

"Hmm..."

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

Feeling slightly embarrassed as I glanced at Hades, he raised an eyebrow and said,

"Try putting some sincerity into it."

"I'm being incredibly sincere right now. I'm saying I'm terribly worried Your Grace's wound must hurt."

"Your mouth says that, but your inner heart seems otherwise?"

"You misunderstand."

I concentrated my mind again and stared at Hades's finger.

When I'd hidden my core jewel, there'd been a feeling of—how to describe it—something swirling inside my body suddenly gathering toward my wrist.

But now, far from feeling anything like that, it was difficult to even focus my mind because of Hades staring at me fixedly.

"Oh dear..."

After spending quite a while just fidgeting with Hades's wrist without progress...

Clicking his tongue, Hades scolded me.

"I said to put earnestness into it?"

"Is there anyone more earnest than me at this moment?"

"Don't you want me to get better?"

"Ah, of course I do."

"Put sincerity into it!"

I am sincere, really!

Unlike my welling emotions, the ability wouldn't manifest as intended.

Well, obviously. A saint? Not even close.

Nothing was happening to the point where I felt embarrassed that Hades had even made such a suspicion, so I just kept touching his wrist with flushed cheeks.

"You can't get full from the first spoonful, so don't rush. Ah, stop fiddling with it already."

"No..."

As Hades tried to pull back his captured hand, I reflexively tightened my grip.

I wanted to do something for him, but being unable to was truly lamentable.

If only I could solve ability-using like fangirling—by throwing money at it.

The blood welling up in the wound looked somehow pitiful, so my lips moved unconsciously.

Well...

Actually, I hadn't meant to.

Just instinctively, because it looked like blood would flow...

The moment I brought Hades's right index finger to my mouth and bit down, the coppery taste of blood spread in my mouth.

The instant I stuck out my tongue and licked, I felt his solid hand, which I was gripping, stiffen sharply.

I only raised my eyes to check on Hades, and he looked more flustered than could possibly be imagined.

His red eyes, grown so wide they looked ready to pop out, were shaking violently left and right as if struck by an earthquake.