NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39 - Fate Begins to Stir (3)
Translator: Marctempest
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Chapter 39: Fate Begins to Stir (3)
Disdel was the most developed city among the nearby satellite cities.
The temple where the High Priestess resided was always a sanctuary visited by many believers and pilgrims, but today, it was particularly crowded.
—The proof ritual is being held for the first time in fifteen years!
It was due to widespread publicity.
The activation of a divine artifact—an event enticing enough to captivate even seasoned priests and clergy.
Moreover, the subject was none other than the hottest topic of recent times: the Red Calamity.
The temple’s hall was abuzz with the citizens’ fervent curiosity.
I quietly observed my surroundings.
“……”
Past the towering columns supporting the ceiling and onto the platform, a woman dressed in ceremonial attire stood.
With her long hair draped forward over her shoulders beneath a veil, she exuded an elegant presence.
From the murmurs around me, I could discern her identity.
The High Priestess, Clavia.
“…Hmmm.”
Her name was unfamiliar to me.
Yet, seeing her face triggered an unsettling memory from the depths of my mind.
Why is she here?
“To witness a proof ritual in one’s lifetime…”
The whispers of the citizens reached my ears.
“The High Priestess is as noble as ever today.”
“That’s the Red Calamity… Just as ominous as the rumors say.”
“But who is that person undergoing the proof ritual?”
The chatter was chaotic, a mixture of gossip and speculation.
I glanced toward the outskirts of the hall.
“……”
A woman stood apart from the crowd, arms crossed and one leg casually crossed over the other.
It was Nell, isolated from everyone.
Was she hearing the whispers directed at her? Her expression wasn’t pleasant.
“Please, be silent.”
At that moment, a voice as clear as a bell echoed through the hall.
The High Priestess’s single utterance silenced the room.
She looked at me with a smile.
“I am High Priestess Clavia Wel Deira. I hold a position that is perhaps too great for me.”
“Quellière.”
We exchanged brief introductions.
Clavia naturally continued the conversation.
“Could you tell us where you are from?”
There was no hint of malice in her tone.
Yet, knowing her true nature, I couldn’t respond kindly.
“You don’t need to know.”
“How dare you speak so rudely to the High Priestess…!”
“Such ill manners!”
My curt response caused a stir among the believers.
In that fleeting moment, I saw it—the fleeting shadow of Clavia’s scorched expression.
She quickly recomposed herself, her smile returning almost immediately.
“Is that so… Well, it’s not an essential detail. Before we proceed with the ritual, I will explain the context.”
Her composed gaze swept over the audience.
Silence returned once more. Clavia’s lips moved with careful enunciation.
“The Red Calamity, Nell Sartilla. She possesses an unusual appearance—red hair, red eyes, and beast-like long fangs. Surely, you understand why such a nickname was given to her.”
She rested her cheeks on her hands as if expressing pity.
Nell clenched her teeth.
“Not only that, but she also wields overwhelming power. You all must remember the Overflow incident. Those who were present that day would understand.”
Some citizens nodded solemnly.
Observing them, the High Priestess added weight to her voice.
“The issue is… this isn’t the end. Surprisingly, the most crucial factors remain. These are the true reasons she is deemed a calamity.”
Everyone focused solely on her words.
Clavia articulated every syllable with meticulous precision.
“The curse that evokes fear in people and her habit of drinking the blood of others. You are all aware of the former, and eyewitness accounts exist of the latter. It’s truly terrifying. It’s difficult to consider her human.”
As she concluded, her gaze settled on me.
Her lips curled ever so slightly.
No one else noticed, as they were too busy murmuring amongst themselves.
“Now I understand.”
“How could such a monster have come to exist…?”
The audience’s anxiety was palpable.
Nell’s expression darkened further. She briefly glanced in my direction.
Our eyes met.
“……”
I simply nodded, and Nell blinked.
Clavia had succeeded in fostering negative sentiment.
But once the proof ritual was complete, the truth would overturn everything.
“Speak accurately.”
A cold, sharp voice emerged from my lips.
“Accurately?”
“The Overflow incident was resolved thanks to Nell. She practically handled it alone.”
She conveniently omitted the inconvenient truths.
Clavia briefly froze before conceding.
“…That’s true. The result was indeed commendable. But morally speaking, was her intent truly to help others? Could she really have had that kind of heart?”
“──Hey!”
All heads turned.
Nell bit her lip, barely containing her anger.
“This… woman! Of course, I meant to help! Do you think I saved lives with the intent to kill them? Use your brain—”
“Enough.”
Clavia cut off Nell’s outburst.
Her tone was firm.
“No one but the ritual candidate may participate in the proof ritual. Please remain silent.”
“What? But I’m the one involved—”
“There are no exceptions.”
Only the proposer of the ritual may challenge the proof.
Such were the Church’s ceremonious laws.
From Nell’s perspective, this was absurd.
She could have proposed proving her own innocence. But even if she had, who would have heeded the words of someone labeled a fugitive?
Ultimately, the authority to conduct the ritual lay with the High Priestess.
“Nell.”
“…What?”
“Leave it to me.”
Nell’s complex eyes trembled.
She had countless things she wanted to say, but this task was better suited to me.
No one knew her better than I did.
“……You.”
Nell barely uttered a single syllable before closing her mouth.
I turned back to the High Priestess.
“Nell acted out of her own will to save people.”
“Is that so?”
Clavia remained composed as she gestured toward a certain item.
“Then let’s begin. Place your hand on the orb.”
The Orb of Truth rested atop the altar.
A sacred relic of the Church, it radiated a resplendent light.
I gazed at it steadily before laying my hand upon it.
───!
A peculiar sensation welled up.
It felt as though my chest was being torn open.
“Do you know how to prove it?”
“I do.”
It wasn’t difficult.
All I had to do was speak.
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
What mattered here wasn’t Nell’s ideology or actions.
It was something more fundamental, a setting that could resolve the misunderstanding.
As I infused magic, the orb began to hum.
“Nell isn’t a calamity.”
I dropped a bombshell right away.
The orb rippled and turned golden.
Gold signified truth, black denoted falsehood.
The area fell into astonished silence.
“!”
“She’s not a calamity but a subspecies called a vampire. Similar to dwarves or desert sprites.”
Fundamentally, that’s what it was.
If a humanoid had unique characteristics, weren’t they classified as a subspecies?
“What…?”
“The unease and fear you feel when you see her are nothing more than a curse. It’s not her fault.”
The orb remained consistently golden.
Not a single lie.
That fact was endorsed by the divine.
Silence spread throughout the chamber.
No one dared to object, not even the high priestess.
“And as for the bloodsucking…”
My explanation continued for a while.
Using my knowledge and conviction, I covered Nell’s flaws and weaknesses.
Everyone listened with astonished expressions.
The orb’s color stayed uniform, and even after I stopped speaking, the temple was enveloped in stillness.
Clavia forced a smile and broke the silence.
“…I understand. There seems to have been some kind of misunderstanding. But the problem still remains unresolved.”
“Why?”
“Because the curse can’t be undone. As one who governs this archdiocese, I can’t let such a person roam free—”
“It’s possible.”
The momentum had already shifted.
Once the rite was permitted, it was a game I couldn’t lose. Clavia’s brows furrowed.
“What… did you say?”
“The curse can be lifted.”
“That’s impossible…”
Her tone betrayed disbelief.
There was no need to add more.
The sacred artifact unequivocally affirmed the “truth.”
I made my case.
“…!”
“Only I can accomplish it. You can judge after I’ve tried.”
It was a plausible suggestion.
Even the citizens murmured, seemingly swayed.
I noticed a gaze fixed on me and looked at the high priestess.
“…”
She glared at me coldly.
Was she no longer hiding her intentions?
I returned her gaze without flinching.
She was someone who could never be an ally.
For a moment, a thought crossed my mind.
What if I revealed her true identity here?
With the sacred artifact as a witness in this place…
“I’ll give you four days.”
“Four days.”
“If the curse isn’t lifted by then, I’ll have no choice but to act—for the city and its people.”
It would undoubtedly be effective, but I pushed the thought aside.
Doing so would mean I wouldn’t leave here alive. I’d deal with her later.
“Understood.”
That was enough.
With this, the rite concluded.
I removed my hand from the orb and stepped down from the platform.
The gazes piercing me from all directions were hot and intense.
I savored them as I thought.
Who could be the true culprit behind the Red Calamity’s false charges? I felt like I was starting to understand.
Outside the temple.
As the rite ended, the citizens and devotees poured out like the ebbing tide.
They glanced at me furtively but didn’t dare approach.
“Quellière! Quellière!”
Correction.
Some did approach.
It was Sigina and Nell.
I had expected Nell, but Sigina too?
“What’s this! What’s this! That was amazing!”
She swung her braided hair around excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
It was a bit overwhelming.
Whether she noticed my discomfort or not, she kept babbling enthusiastically.
“To witness a proof rite after fifteen years! It’s an honor. And the famous High Priestess Clavia was so dignified… though not as much as you, Quellière!”
She seemed incredibly excited, likely due to the rarity of the situation.
I stared at the chattering Sigina impassively before shifting my gaze.
Nell stood behind her.
“Nell.”
Gone was her usual sharpness; instead, she was fidgeting as she looked at me.
At my call, she flinched.
“Ah, uh?!”
“What are you doing, standing there like a dog needing to relieve itself?”
“No, I just…”
Her words trailed off vaguely.
I tried to infer her thoughts.
She must feel a complicated mix of emotions. It was clear she was standing at a turning point in her life.
But that was only natural.
Her past life, marred by rejection and persecution, had been wrong all along.
“What will you do if the curse is lifted?”
Suddenly, I asked her.
What would she do if she gained an ordinary life?
“Huh?”
“If you’re no longer hated unilaterally.”
True vampires’ bloodsucking isn’t compulsory.
With proper control, it wouldn’t be necessary for a lifetime.
Even their fangs were easy to conceal.
Once the curse, the biggest issue, was removed, there would be no need for her to flee.
Nell blinked, her eyes rolling in thought.
“I don’t know…”
Her vacant gaze wandered in the air.
She seemed to have no particular plans in mind. That was actually a good thing for me.
I decided to instill a sense of purpose in her.
“You stood out during the Overflow.”
“Huh… the Overflow?”
“Yes.”
Preferably in a way that would benefit me.
“The Dark Cathedral must have noticed you then too.”
“The Dark Cathedral?”
“Yes. They’re likely the ones who turned you into the Red Calamity.”
“…What?”
Nell’s pupils ignited with light. She urgently questioned me.
“What do you mean by that? Is it true? Why would they do such a thing?”
“They must have coveted her power. Maybe they also wanted to study the curse.”
Or perhaps… they planned to turn her into an undead.
I didn’t voice the latter thought.
In any case, manipulating public opinion would have been difficult with only the original strength of the Dark Holy Society. However, leveraging the authority of the High Priestess would have made it simple.
Nell suddenly lifted her head as if something occurred to her.
“…Come to think of it, I was ambushed by them once. The ones with robes marked with whirlwinds and fireballs.”
“The Seven Apostles.”
They had already made their move.
This would simplify matters.
“They are the Seven Apostles, the executives of the Holy Order.”
“Seven Apostles…”
Nell repeated the name, her expression shifting rapidly. Then, like a demon, her face twisted in rage.
“Those bastards… I’ll tear them apart.”
“……”
That was enough.
I had imparted the truth.
The grudge she harbored would resolve itself.
For now, I had other matters to attend to.
“I need an item to resolve the curse.”
“Huh?”
“It will take a few days to retrieve it.”
It was a bothersome task, but necessary.
While at it, I could check on the condition of the Snow Castle.
“Ah…”
I didn’t think much of it.
But Nell seemed to feel differently.
She hesitated, glancing at me nervously.
Her mouth opened and closed.
It seemed like she wanted to say something but was torn between reason and emotion.
After a brief pause, Nell muttered softly.
“…Thank you.”
Her shyly spoken words were so faint that I barely caught them. Her face, along with her ears, turned Red.
I chuckled internally.
“Why say something you don’t normally say?”
“Ugh…”
Her expression said it all—So embarrassing.
She grumbled under her breath, spilling out words like regret and mistake.
Perhaps expressing gratitude itself was a first for her.
“Save your thanks for later.”
It was still too early.
Peace and safety wouldn’t be assured just because we overcame one ritual.
“And there’s something I need you to do.”
I spoke sharply, my gaze piercing.
Nell, holding her head, tilted it slightly.
“…What?”
*
On the road to the courier station, I brushed my long hair aside and contemplated.
I could feel my mana circuits circulating and supplying magic throughout my body.
“Hmmm.”
This strange sensation didn’t exist in the modern world.
Yet, I couldn’t imagine life without magic anymore.
Magic was an incredibly convenient power.
“…There’s no one around.”
The streets were unusually deserted.
It was as though dusk had fallen and emptied the place of life.
It wasn’t like this initially, but I felt something pulling me forward…
I pretended not to notice and continued walking.
Eventually, when the sparse presence of others disappeared completely, shadows filled the ground.
“What an unpleasant reunion.”
I muttered coldly.
In front of me, the path was crowded with figures clad in black robes.
“You’re as arrogant as ever.”
At the forefront stood two men.
Bringle and Adein.
The bald one, Bringle, clearly hadn’t forgotten the humiliation I had previously dealt him.
“But this is where it ends.”
“…Don’t underestimate her. She’s far stronger than you think.”
Despite Adein’s tense expression, his determination to fight was evident.
It was a real threat.
Had I been alone, it might have been.
───!
Suddenly, a bloodstorm erupted.
Blood-red magic burst forth like a fountain, accompanied by a deluge of Red blades and thorns.
“Ahhh! Aaargh!”
“It’s an ambush!”
“Where is it? Find the source!”
The Dark Cathedral’s black-path followers were swept away helplessly.
Those who turned their backs on humanity amounted to little more than small fry. They stood no chance against the blood magic of a true progenitor.
“This sorcery… could it be…!”
Of course, there were those who resisted.
The most prominent were Adein and Bringle of the Seven Blades.
They neutralized the Red blades and evaded the bloodstorm.
“…It’s really here.”
Tap—
Nell landed lightly beside me and whispered softly. She must have been uncertain until now.
But I had realized Clavia’s true nature—
That she was the “Master of the Cathedral”—and immediately anticipated this outcome.
“Should I lend a hand?”
Facing them directly, I realized their numbers were greater than expected, so I asked.
Nell raised her eyebrows, seemingly offended.
“I don’t need help. Don’t worry about me and just go. …And hurry back.”
If we delayed, reinforcements would come for them.
I didn’t bother saying as much and leapt forward as she wished.
In her full condition, she wouldn’t falter at such a trivial crisis.
“You cockroach-like bastards—!”
An arrogant voice rang out from behind.
Savoring it, I kept running.
*
On the other side of Disdel, at the relay station.
This was where Sigina and Quellière had arrived, and numerous carriages were lined up.
The coachmen were either enthusiastically soliciting passengers or engrossed in conversations with their peers.
“Ahem.”
Amid the groupings, which resembled merchandise on display, an unusual carriage stood apart.
The design of the carriage differed from the others, and a man leaned against it.
Chevran.
Scratching his unkempt hair, he glanced at a passerby who approached him.
“Are you heading to Chelmbird?”
“I am.”
“Wow…! How much would it cost?”
“Five gold coins.”
The passerby’s delighted expression twisted grotesquely.
“What? Are you some kind of thief?!”
“Don’t take it if you don’t like it.”
The passerby, furious at the absurd price, turned and left.
Chevran simply adjusted his messy bangs.
He didn’t think his demand was unreasonable.
The value of money wasn’t fixed; it depended on its worth.
As a coachman, he believed he deserved such compensation. No, he thought it only natural.
“The world’s going to ruin…”
Of course, most people didn’t recognize his value.
Still, meeting someone who did every once in a while felt gratifying. Just as he sniffled and turned his head—
The noise of the station quieted.
A woman had appeared.
“…”
A stunning beauty with pale blue and white hair streaming behind her.
The area, previously teeming with rowdy, sweaty men, suddenly changed its mood.
The raucous chatter ceased, and all eyes focused on her. It was as if snow had fallen and purified the dusty ground.
In that moment, everyone’s thoughts aligned.
—Who is she? Where is she headed?
The woman didn’t stop.
With confident, resolute strides, she moved toward the corner, where the shunned coachman waited.
“That woman…”
Chevran, sensing something, straightened his posture.
He greeted her with utmost courtesy as she stopped in front of him.
“To Glenver. How much?”
“Heh. The same as always.”
The woman nodded and immediately produced the payment.
Ten gold coins were placed in Chevran’s palm.
A capitalist smile spread across his face.
“I’ll ensure your comfort, my lady.”
Without a word, he dashed to the driver’s seat and took the reins.
Quellière sat comfortably, gazing out the window, as the carriage sped off swiftly.
“…”
The remaining coachmen and passengers stood dazed, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.