Chapter 18 - Road To The Temple
It was the first time I realized I was living in a different world. It was a funny situation. I hadn’t felt that way even when I had used divine power. Thankfully, many paladins were accompanying us, so I wasn’t in danger. The only problem was that beasts kept attacking us on the way to the Revelenon Temple.
“How weird!” I knew that this area had very few people because of the rampaging disease, but I hadn’t read something like this. “Is it because I left the Temple before Priscilla did in the novel?”
‘Is it the butterfly effect?’
As the beasts continued to attack, the paladins started to get tired.
“Where are all these beasts coming from?”
“Protect the Saintess! Don’t let any of them approach the carriage!”
I heard the voices of the paladins protecting me. However, during the fight, I was only looking at one person—Miltiades.
“Wow!” He wasn’t under a vow like the paladins, nor did he have a blessed sword, yet Miltiades was at the front killing the most monsters. “He’s amazing.”
‘Isn’t that why he became the villain?’
I felt bad for sitting in the carriage doing nothing, so I thought of something I could do to help. I had learned a lot of prayers and blessings, but I had to first think of what prayer to use in this situation…
“Get…back…”
“What? Get back?” I asked, confused.
I suddenly heard a small voice that sounded as if it were coming from a barely functioning radio. I turned my ear toward it.
All of a sudden, the carriage started to lean.
“Huh…?”
I had heard that everything started moving slowly when a person was about to die.
It took a second for the carriage to overturn. My body crashed against the walls of the broken carriage, and I trembled in pain as I crawled out. Some paladins were still around my carriage, but I was alone as I got up.
And…
Growl!
I could see a human-like creature encased in the silhouette of the moon. Its only instinct was to drink blood.
‘I’m going to die…!’ When I saw its blood-red eyes, only one thought came to my mind. I would get eaten here. However, for some reason, I wasn’t scared. I felt as if the beast was trying to tell me something.
“Marge…Castle…”
What? I made a face when I heard the voice, but then, I saw a bright line in the air.
The ray of light slashed apart the beast, and blood entered my vision. When I came back to my senses, Miltiades was on his knee beside me.
“Child.”
Everything that had happened felt like a dream. I blankly looked at Miltiades. He was looking at me with concern.
I grabbed him with shaking hands and closed my eyes so that I could forget the beast’s last words.
“Please save me.”
* * *
“Welcome, Saintess!”
The temple had been isolated for a long time.
“Our lives have finally become meaningful now that you’ve visited us.”
After Miltiades saved me, I had been so shocked that I had passed out. When I had opened my eyes, I found myself at the Revelenon Temple.
“Where’s Daddy?”
“He went to punish the beasts.”
I made a face, and Luciana patted my forehead.
“I was surprised, Saintess…”
“I was also surprised.”
Who knew I would faint? For that reason, the events felt more like a dream.
“What happened to the temple?”
“Let me explain.”
I looked up at the person who had spoken in a low voice. It was a white-haired priest who looked as old as the elders.
Luciana whispered to me, “He’s the priest who has been watching over the temple.”
“Not a bishop?”
“Our head bishop was watching over us, but he passed away last month.” He had a calm voice, but I could discern from his voice how much he was mourning.
“That’s why I want to thank God that you’ve visited us.”
“Well, it’s nothing much.” I hadn’t done anything yet.
Luciana made a face as though she didn’t understand what the Priest was implying. She said, “The Saintess just woke up, so please explain quickly.”
“Yes. I understand.” The priest then explained what had occurred in the temple over the past few years in a calm voice.
“You’re saying that beasts have been attacking for the past three months, and it’s getting dangerous now because you’re not getting any help?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“On top of that, the head bishop has passed away, and you’ve been holding on due to the vow of the holy sword?”
Priest Aiden nodded.
I started thinking. ‘I need to take the Holy Sword, but will that put the temple into danger?’
I couldn’t just leave the Holy Sword here, so I made a quick decision. ‘We can just take the Holy Sword and kill all the beasts!’ I would have to deal with the aftermath.
I moved from the bed.
“I want to see the Holy Sword.” I had to see the sword that had forced me to come here.
