Chapter 336
Chapter 336: Faith and Belief
“I’ve always wondered, what exactly is ‘Holy Attribute’?”
While toying with the silver light in his hands, Edgar spoke up.
“The Holy Light bestowed upon the Human Race by the Gods of Light—this is what the Holy Church teaches. I initially believed this quite naively. However…”
With a whoosh, the silver glow faded as if it were melting away.
“As I trained to become a Priest, I started to have a few doubts. I originally had the Lightning Attribute, and later acquired the Light Attribute. To put it simply, the sensation is clearly different. When I came to wield the Light Attribute, I felt a new type of magical power settle within me, but there was none of that with the Holy Attribute…”
Is that so…? Since I’ve always possessed a single attribute in both my previous and current lives, I never had that kind of thought. The sensation is different, huh.
“By the way, when you move your limbs, there’s no need to think ‘move!’ is there?”
Suddenly, Edgar raised his right hand.
“If you want to raise your right hand, you just move it as is. You don’t have to think ‘—Right hand, rise!’ every single time.”
As he raised his hand, light flickered within it, while his left hand crackled with lightning.
“—The same goes for magic. Just like breathing, just like moving your limbs, you can naturally manipulate Light and Lightning with sensation. However, the Holy Attribute is different.”
The light and lightning shimmered with a silver glow.
“The Holy Attribute cannot be used without intention. You have to think, ‘Come, divine light to this hand.’ It’s more akin to the behavior of spells or curses…”
His expression deepened with conviction.
“Rather close to the behavior of magic or curses…!”
I too attempted to manipulate magical power.
The dark magic danced in my palm. Indeed, no thought was required. It moved just like my limbs, with adjustments to power and intensity being free; when intensified, it turned visibly darker.
However.
I cannot switch to the Holy Attribute sensibly.
(“Come, divine light to this hand.”)
Only upon thinking this did the dark magic change to silver.
“…There were times I couldn’t resolve this by myself, and I bravely asked the Bishop and Archbishop Gerhardt. Yet both of them spoke evasively. Despite that, they never scolded me, saying, ‘You’re wrong.’ So, I thought there had to be something behind it…”
Edgar stared at me closely, as if seeking confirmation. It was as if to say, “Do you know the truth?”
“Edgar said it’s ‘close to magic or curses…'”
That is the answer. I remained silent and nodded in affirmation. Edgar looked to the heavens, as if to say, “I knew it…”
Still, this guy is amazing. I had thought it was merely a special attribute until I was told by him and Antendeixis.
“Well… considering you’re a wielder of the Darkness Attribute, it seems the blessings of the Gods of Light are a lie…”
As Edgar looked at the light radiating from my hands, he chuckled ironically.
“…I hope you understand why I had been hesitant towards interaction with the Holy Church.”
“Ah, very much. I can’t even imagine how much impact this would have if it became common knowledge… I’m even surprised Alex uses magic so freely in public.”
“That’s because it’s the ‘Holy Attribute,’ right? It’s fine as long as it’s against ordinary folks…”
“I see.”
Being this guy, if he thinks the Holy Attribute is merely a form of magic, he can likely guess the mechanics behind it as well.
“Then, I can’t help but wonder…”
Yet Edgar’s inquiries show no signs of stopping.
“Is this truly a privilege of the Human Race?”
Again toying with silver lightning in both hands, Edgar muttered to himself.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if this is neither a blessing of the Gods nor a miracle, but merely a form of magic—”
He looked up.
His eyes pierced through me.
“—could it not be used by races other than the Human Race?”
…That lightning.
It seems ready to strike at any moment.
The back of my neck tingled, sensing a great storm brewing.
This is a critical moment. I corrected my posture and faced Edgar.
“I don’t mean to brag, but I’m not a particularly faithful person. In fact, in my childhood, I even hated the Gods of Light.”
Edgar’s eyes widened at my outrageous claim.
“My dad was decapitated by a demon. My mom was shot full of arrows by a Night Elf, turning her into a porcupine.”
I couldn’t help but squeeze the hand that was still carrying the Night Elf.
If I felt like it, I could probably twist this guy’s neck with one hand—thinking that made me feel strangely emotional.
‘Right now, you’re in the body of a Human.’
…Ah, yes. One hand is impossible. It has to be with both hands.
“My hometown was burned down. All my acquaintances and childhood friends are dead.”
Even my childhood friend is still dying. How could such a thing happen?
“After facing such dreadful experiences, even when I prayed or wished, the Gods did absolutely nothing for me. If what the Holy Church claims is true—that the Human Race has the favor of the Gods of Light—then why has the Demon Lord Army continued to run rampant? Is it that the Gods of Darkness are also favoring the demon race? Even so, they could have done something about it, the Gods of Light. …That was what I thought back then.”
If they truly were watching over this world—I don’t expect them to grant me powers as immense as Antendeixis, but at least a response to my prayers would be fair.
“So, I stopped praying early on. I just trained my body and joined the army to slay as many of those dark fiends as I could. That was all I lived for—until the coming-of-age ceremony awakened my Holy Attribute.”
I was surprised myself. The kid who inwardly thought “screw the gods” ended up becoming a Hero.
However, that too was inevitable. The Holy Attribute was not a blessing from the Gods…
It belonged to the Human Race.
For the Human Race.
A power that resides in the will to take down the enemies of humanity.
“………..After twist and turns, that’s how I ended up in this amusing position now…”
I scattered the dark magic that had turned from silver to pitch black, self-deprecating.
“One thing is certain: that Holy Attribute magic originates from the Human soul. …Because even souls of Heroes and Priests summoned through Necromancy can wield the Holy Attribute.”
“What! …”
Edgar was speechless.
“You might have sensed it, Edgar, but that’s the essence of the Holy Attribute. It’s not our individual strength. It’s the collective will of the people. Priests and Heroes are those entrusted with the authority to wield it. They are recognized by the collective consciousness of humanity as beings suitable to fight against the enemies of humankind.”
Therefore.
I clenched my fist raised before me.
“What does it mean to ask, ‘Is this a privilege of the Human Race?’ The answer is this: …’This is not a privilege. It’s a testament to the resolve to annihilate the enemies of humanity and protect the innocent.'”
Silver flames ignited on my fist.
The purifying light dyed the darkness.
“Edgar. I’m certainly not sincere.”
But there is no pretense in this feeling.
“……Is that so?”
Edgar, who had been staring at me, relaxed his shoulders and dispersed the lightning magic.
“That’s right. Exactly so. I’m sorry, I seem to have been more devout than I thought. Everything appeared strangely suspicious to me…”
Edgar laughed weakly, surprised even himself.
Well, yeah.
Unlike me, if he believed in the Gods even a little, it would be like having his anchor crushed…
The fact that I’m a wielder of the Darkness Attribute and have awakened as a Hero definitively proves the blessings of the Gods of Light have nothing to do with the Holy Attribute.
“Just to make sure, is it really Holy Attribute?”
However, Edgar was not letting his guard down! I don’t think he’s being too persistent. I’m well aware of how suspicious I am.
“Here.”
I lit silver on my fingertips and pressed it against the cheek of the unconscious Paulo = Hoentz. With a sizzle, the sound of searing flesh echoed, and Paulo’s body jerked as if in pain. Even without consciousness, the level of pain was enough to make him twitch. That was a bit concerning. I thought I had experienced plenty of pain from the Holy Attribute in a demon’s body, but I’ve never felt the pain of a soul before.
“…While we’re in the capital, please let me take care of Alex and the others’ accommodation costs. I can’t think of any other way to apologize.”
Edgar said solemnly while looking at me and Leila behind me.
“That’s fine. I actually find that cautiousness reassuring.”
Leila and I exchanged smiles. She tightly squeezed my hand, and I could see the tension in her expression easing.
However, I quickly tightened my expression again.
“Edgar… about this matter…”
“It’s a secret. Of course, I understand.”
Edgar nodded gravely.
“If the doctrine of the Holy Church wavers, not only will the people’s heart be disturbed, but the very power of the Holy Attribute could be at risk—that’s what it means, right? Such a situation is absolutely intolerable.”
That’s exactly it. It’s all based on the collective consciousness of the people, thus if it were to be lost, the Holy Attribute itself could disappear.
“The problem is that this guy has found out about it already.”
Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later.
“…I think the class above the Bishop seems to know the true nature of the Holy Attribute.”
Edgar pondered with his hand on his chin.
In a few years, Edgar will probably become a Bishop class, too. Either way, I thought he was going to uncover the secrets of the Holy Attribute anyway.
“The higher-ups of the Holy Church, of course, must be using the Holy Attribute while being aware of its true nature. As for me, I may be below Bishop rank, but… well, circumstances are circumstances.”
“There’s no way you can’t explain it.”
We exchanged glances and chuckled wryly.
“Just one thing, Edgar. I have a little favor to ask.”
“Ask anything I can help with.”
“—Don’t die on the front lines.”
“Huh?”
With a serious face, I continued towards the bewildered Edgar.
“Or if you do die on the front lines, die while burning yourself thoroughly with Light and Holy Attribute. There are seasoned Necromancers in the Demon Lord Army. If by any chance your soul is taken, this information might leak.”
Edgar seemed to have not thought about that danger, as he turned pale enough that I could see clearly even in the dark streets.
“That’s… indeed. Isn’t there any countermeasure in sector 7?”
“To be honest, I can’t imagine that there are any Necromancers in the allied army or the Holy Church that could rival the Demon Lord’s.”
I would suspect that the Holy Church probably has a department that deals with Necromancy, but I doubt they have the accumulated know-how to surpass Enma.
In the current allied territory, wouldn’t I be the best Necromancer? Unless Enma’s loyal subordinates are lurking here, that is.
“Even without that, handling the souls of the dead is difficult. The countermeasures are limited at best.”
“What a predicament…”
“So Edgar, please be really careful. Just in case, I’ll tell you what to do if summoned by a Necromancer: use your Holy Attribute magic with all your might before they do anything. That way, your soul will shatter. Even if they attempt to stop you midway, the majority of your memories and reasoning will fly away, making it difficult for them to reuse your soul, and information will leak less easily.”
“…………….”
Edgar looked more speechless than ever. He remained silent, and his speechlessness was truly captivating!
–While we were discussing such things, the spires of the Holy Church came into view ahead. We seemed to be quite close now. Isn’t it around the time when Paulo on my shoulder should be waking up…?
Then, from ahead, shadows approached us. A pair of figures. One seemed to be dressed in the attire of a Priest, but— I解除 the soundproof barrier.
“Oh, if it isn’t Edgar.”
“Why, it’s Iyas.”
A middle-aged man in priestly robes waved his hand lightly in greeting. He seemed to be familiar with Edgar.
“What happened with your rounds?”
“No, there was a report of trouble, and… What about you, Iyas? What brings you out at this late hour?”
“I received a somewhat urgent request, and I’m on my way to provide healing.”
He nodded, indicating that he was the one who made the request.
The Priest pointed to the—childlike merchant beside him, feeling quite pleased.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Outluke of the Cortera Trading Company.”
With a friendly smile, he introduced himself.
“Actually, there are several individuals amongst the war victims my company supports who are in poor condition. We’ve urgently asked Iyas to assist with their treatment—”
Interesting. Quite commendable…
The moment I confirmed Outluke’s true identity, I began to gather my magical power.
And he, too, recognized my presence.
“———-!”
More precisely, he recognized the merchant-looking man slung over my shoulder.
In the dark, he must have realized from his build and attire.
—After all, Night Elves can see well in the dark!!
As Outluke’s forced smile turned into a tense expression, at the same time, I stretched my hand with a ferocious grin.
“【Let there be Light!】”
I unleashed my Holy Attribute with all my might.
—The night path turned silver.
