TOM Chapter 16

Alright, let's focus!

I can do this.

"Great and wise Phebula, your servant dares to wish."

Pure white light is released from the depths of my soul.

"Bring new salvation to the end. Open new possibilities to the conclusion."

The highest-level spell I can use.

It was different from the start compared to the other things I could use freely.

Like a waterfall's torrent, massive currents ripped through the hastily patched-together flesh, tearing it apart and destroying it as they overflowed.

This body that wasn't mine shrieked in agony, but the flow refused to stop.

"Show those who slumber in darkness the path that leads toward light."

The radiance that had violently carved open its passage finally erupted from my fingertips.

It enveloped the living creature being sculpted to another's will.

"Just one believer wishes this."

—Phebula Theology 10th Spell. Retrogression.

The pages of the book turn backward.

To before, to before, to before.

The life form whose soul had been exploited—the sacred power that had been crystallizing into hardness regained its freedom, and the glass tubes melted away.

The dark green liquids held within flowed viscously outward, erasing the magic circle as they swallowed it whole.

And so when the light finally died, everything in that place had been made whole again.

This is the divine authority of my god.

A miracle granted by Phebula, the god of stories.

...Well, it is.

"Huff!"

A 10th spell outside the temple!

I shouldn't have done such a thing with someone else's weak body.

"I feel like I'm dying..."

I didn't even have the strength to kneel, so I collapsed.

From inside my stomach, my whole body squeezed me and screamed.

'Are you crazy! What kind of rampage is this in someone else's body?'

To put it metaphorically, it's like a thousand people briefly stayed in a boat meant for ten and left.

It was obvious I'd need to rest for several days, and the gap between this body and soul would have widened too.

Did I do it for nothing?

Even if a revelation had come, I should have just muddled through it half-heartedly.

Getting all worked up just because the divine beasts' emotions came flooding in for no good reason.

Peep.

I suddenly heard a small sound close by.

Wondering what kind of baby bird it could be, I turned my head to find a winter lynx approaching.

Not as a heap of statue-like fragments, but in its complete, living form—the baby divine beast nuzzled its cheek against my hand.

It was cool to the touch. And because of that, startlingly real.

Mm.

"...Sorry."

Right, I might regret killing something, but I shouldn't regret saving it.

No matter how much of a delinquent priest I am, I did the right thing.

Even though my body feels like it's dying, I'm not actually dead or anything.

I moved only my finger to gently stroke the divine beast's back.

"What... did you do."

A heavy question echoed from above.

It was Kruelo.

I don't even want to have a long conversation right now.

My head was hazy and my body had no strength, so I answered briefly.

"Who knows."

"Did you revive a dead life form?"

"Of course not."

Revival, how absurd.

If I had to say what I did.

"I reversed the state. Like turning ice back into water, all the materials have to be there."

"How is that different from revival?"

"That would require solving the problem of the vanished soul too."

If I exerted divine power to the extreme, revival might be possible.

But miracles of that degree aren't given to believers.

Even with my original body, that wouldn't work.

I'd rather have to beg the god to do it, but they wouldn't do it without considerable cause.

"Because that's truly the realm of gods."

Ah, I can't hold on anymore.

My eyes close regardless of my will.

Even if I fall asleep here, Kruelo will handle things appropriately, right?

Still, since I learned he's not on the Council of Elders' side, I felt just slightly relieved.

"Yawn, but why."

I lifted my drowsing eyes to look at Kruelo.

"Is there someone you want to beg to be saved?"

"...No."

"Then..."

And around then, my consciousness went out like turning off an electric light.

Black rest came.

Kruelo looked down at the sleeping person and muttered.

"I don't make wishes to gods."

Because nothing had ever gone well when he prayed to gods.

He rubbed his face with his large hand and looked down at the small enemy.

The winter lynx was bristling its fur and glaring at him.

A laugh escaped at the incredibly lifelike appearance.

"It had definitely turned into Beatitudo."

Beatitudo.

This thing otherwise called a miracle was, as Siora said, made by giving form to sacred power.

To be more specific, the material is ancient sacred power.

The ancient people's belief that gods dwelt in all things branched out in various directions, creating ancient gods, divine beasts, and spirits.

Only that primordial divinity could become Beatitudo.

The objects made that way became energy that raised mana density to absurd levels or accomplished things impossible with human strength.

But even with those objects, divine beasts couldn't be returned to their living state.

That was, so to speak, another form of death.

Just as a wolf that had already been skinned couldn't be revived.

But how?

Could this really not be called revival?

A compulsive chain of rising questions.

"...Stop."

Kruelo shook his head.

Right, I know too.

Revival is not the realm of humans.

‘I was just mistaken because Siora Bonetti's actions were so strange.’

He looked down at Siora again.

He had lured her to confirm if she really came from the temple side.

If she were a priest, she would react to this magic circle in some way.

But what came out was an unexpected name.

"Phebula..."

It's a resonance he'd dimly seen in ancient theology.

Could such enormous power remain with a forgotten god?

The more he thought about it, the more complicated it became, but there were also parts that felt refreshing.

Neither the Council of Elders nor the temple.

It was strangely refreshing to have all the assumptions he'd taken for granted completely shattered.

Squeak.

Finally gaining courage, the winter lynx charged.

It bit his hand with all its might as if trying to defeat Kruelo, but it wasn't even ticklish.

When he flicked his finger once, the baby divine beast easily fell asleep.

Since it was still a baby, its magic resistance would be weak too.

He looked around at the other divine beasts that were slowly awakening.

Well.

"I reported it to the temple, so they'll handle the cleanup themselves."

Kruelo opened a gate that connected spaces.

The figure carrying Siora in his arms slipped away from the scene.

The temple's holy knights came bursting in immediately after.

Sparkle, I lifted my eyelids.

What entered my vision was a ceiling with deep blue darkness fallen over it.

I muttered blankly.

"I'm getting déjà vu."

Is this really a human voice?

Did they hang metal on my vocal cords? I was startled by my own speaking.

I haven't died again and awakened in a new body, have I?

Then has the world already ended?

"Have you awakened, Miss?"

A gloomy sound echoed right next to me.

A ghost!

"Ahhh!"

I threw a pillow toward where the sound came from, and there was a sound of something being hit.

Did I hit it? A person?

I carefully turned my head and saw a familiar face.

"Be, Betty?"

"Yes, Miss Siora. It's Betty Phlox."

"What are you doing there without even turning on the lights?"

"I thought it might disturb your sleep. Shall I turn on the lamp?"

"Turn it on quickly."

Soon the bedroom became bright.

Betty arranged her disheveled hair after being hit by the pillow.

Seeing her haggard face, I shrank and apologized.

"I thought you were a ghost."

"There are no ghosts in the world, Miss."

"There are."

"Banshees aren't ghosts, they're monsters."

"No, not banshees... Never mind, more importantly, why were you here?"

"Since you're ill, Miss, your personal maid should stay by your side."

"You're my personal maid?"

No wonder only Betty has been coming lately.

To plant a spy so openly is too blatantly obvious.

When I thought it was surveillance rather than nursing, my apologetic feelings completely disappeared.

"How did I get in here?"

"His Grace the Duke carried you in."

"Ugh."

"You caught a cold from being in the cold wind so much, and I never expected you'd sleep for exactly two days."

That's how he made excuses.

It's just the side effects of overusing sacred power in someone else's body... Wait.

"I slept for two days?"

"To be precise, 47 hours, 3 minutes, and 18 seconds are passing."

"Huh..."

"A priest came by and said there's nothing seriously wrong with your body. I'll go bring some food for now."

I stared blankly at Betty leaving.

I knew using a lot of sacred power wasn't good, but the backlash is worse than before?

My body felt even worse for no real reason at all.

Shivering uncontrollably, cold chills crept up through my limbs, so I pulled the thick blanket close and wrapped myself up like a cocoon.

Was the last time I was actually sick back when I was Amy?

When I lived as Biga... I think I was too busy with work to have time to be sick.

I was practically the only one working in that big mansion.

Isn't this possession thing a total scam? Just stick me in the same mansion as Kruelo and call it a day?

When I shot a resentful glare upward toward the heavens, thunder crashed overhead with a rumble.

I quickly averted my eyes downward.

Phebula, I didn't say anything.

After that, I spent another full week being sick.

I ran a fever, my stamina plummeted, and just generally felt awful.

It was because the disconnect between my body and soul had grown wider, but thankfully I did recover.

And so, today.

"Hello, Miss Siora. You look good today."

Betty greeted me with a smile for the morning.

"Yeah, I think I'm almost completely better."

"That's good."

I also smiled and greeted her.

Right at that moment, thump!

A mountain of invitations came crashing down in a pile before me.

How on earth did she manage to carry all of this? I found myself genuinely curious about Betty's physical strength.

I searched through my past memories and asked.

"From the guests who came to the party?"

"No."

"Then?"

"Many invitations have come since His Grace the Duke carried Miss Siora."

Mm. I blinked blankly.

Are they asking me to tell them my impressions of being held by the Whitedesert Duke?

How broad his embrace was, that kind of thing?

A Dark Kruelo fan club?

"There haven't been any attacks on Bonetti for corruption since the puppet theater either."

"Betty, you're quite bold."

"I get pointed out for occasional slips of the tongue. But I know Miss Siora will keep it secret."

Is this an expression of trust, or are they feeding me the idea that I have no connections?

The twisted Siora Bonetti planned future revenge.

"Everyone's talking about how His Grace has fallen for Miss Siora."

Cough, a dry cough came out.

That really worked?

I want to show people the marriage contract hidden in my bedroom.

What would they say if I showed them the divorce clause?

No wait, maybe they'd think that's also proof of love.