Chapter 292 - Chapter Seven: Price's Method for Learning Magic
According to Price-sama, by pushing oneself to the limit, an [Skill: Awakening] can sometimes occur.
Won't my brain break before I awaken?
"If you ignore the rank, your brain will break. However, if it's within the same rank, it's only to the extent of fainting. As long as you are a priest, falling into darkness is also unlikely. In extremely rare cases, the mind goes somewhere and doesn't come back, but normally it's fine."
Apparently, normal humans never put out their power to the true limit.
"It's what's called 'superhuman strength in a crisis.' True power won't come out unless it's a truly dangerous situation, and you won't awaken. It's just to the extent that you get some room to grow. This time, even though it was the limit, we guards were there. I wasn't worried at all."
When I collapsed, I was apparently supported by Harris-sama, who had been signaled by Price-sama.
When I glanced at James-sama and Gwyn-sama, the two of them were looking out the window. I'm truly grateful they worry about me, but I'd like them to keep it in moderation.
After that, we went around the battlefield ruins every day for a week.
What we did was the same, just constantly making eight Fireflies shine, but hard work pays off, and I became able to last for two hours even at full power.
Though, I fainted every night.
The last night was titled the 'Experiment Edition.' What would happen if Bishop Harris combined ten or more [Skill: Holy Lance] shots? Apparently, we were going to confirm that.
"At first, we have to gather them, so just like before. When they've gathered, let's have Bishop Harris do his best."
"Understood. I'll fire as many as I can."
He cracked his knuckles. He was full of fighting spirit.
As expected of a former monster hunter. Until now, he had only fired a basic-level [Skill: Holy] at the beginning. He must have a lot of pent-up frustration.
When we went to the site, things were different from before.
There were no farmers cleaning up, and there was a somehow bloody atmosphere.
"This is the place where a unit that put up a stubborn resistance, though on a small scale, carried out their final charge. As you can see, if this area of the hills continuing from the old border is broken through, the plains will spread out. There's no room for tricks, so if a large army invades, a small force cannot meet them. Those who fought desperately to buy even a little time here and fell must have become evil spirits, still trying to protect this land even after death."
The lord seemed to have chosen to destroy them rather than lay them to rest.
However, if warriors who died fighting to protect their land become evil spirits, then the ghosts of Finis are all evil spirits.
"Jeanne. What do you think?"
Price-sama asked.
"Depending on what they were trying to protect, wouldn't we be able to lay them to rest?"
"What do you mean by 'what'?"
"For example, if that ghost absolutely hated the idea of this becoming Medioland territory, I think the Medioland people would have no choice but to destroy it. But, for example, if they were trying to protect their ancestors' graves, or the people of the territory, or some other important thing, I think it would be fine if we guaranteed the safety of those things."
"I see. Then, I shall ask the person himself."
Does that mean I won't have to faint!
"Jeanne, please illuminate as usual. Harris-sama, as planned. Since the opponent is powerful, while the two of you are blocking their approach, I will speak to them and confirm the person's intentions."
I see... It's not that sweet, is it?
"[Skill: Light]!"
In response to the request, I let eight Fireflies drift above my head.
While illuminating the surroundings like a lamp, I walked straight to the place where the ghosts appear.
Blood-stained warriors slowly approached. Looking closely, there were several trees growing a distance away, and it looked as if pale blue flames were faintly rising from them.
Just looking at it made my spine go cold.
It's an evil spirit.
"[Skill: Holy]!"
Harris-sama fired a basic-level [Skill: Holy] first.
The ghosts drifted closer.
"Jeanne! Full power!"
I released it all at once. A light intensity that could be called a flash burst from the eight Fireflies.
I've gotten used to it; before, when using it at full power, I couldn't do it unless my face was turned in the direction my arms were extended, but now I can continue even with my eyes lowered.
Price-sama offered the prayer of laying to rest, and the ghosts that approached turned into orbs of light one by one and ascended to heaven.
When about a dozen orbs of light had ascended to heaven, a pale blue flame came out from where the trees were growing.
If Mary saw it, it would probably be emitting a bright red light. The rising flame approached while swaying.
"Bishop Harris!"
"[Skill: Holy Lance]!"
One shot... two shots... three shots... the ghost still didn't stop moving. It's different from the ghosts until now. It approached slowly, but without changing its speed.
Four shots... five shots... six shots... seven shots...
By the time ten shots were counted, its movement finally slowed down a bit.
The figure of the ghost in the center of the flame was clearly visible.
Its right arm was missing from the elbow. Its right eye was crushed. Three arrows were stuck in its chest. Its throat was slit. Its belly was gouged out, perhaps from a spear. Its chainmail was covered in blood.
It's quite terrible.
It had sustained multiple wounds that could be fatal.
By the time fifteen shots were counted, its movement had clearly slowed. No, it was struggling to move forward.
It drew a sword. It was a silver sword.
Engrio doesn't have silver mines. Silver is only in the three countries of Sertoria, Regnentes, and Primordia. In other words, in Engrio, only some of the wealthy... the nobles... or mercenaries apparently have them.
I heard the nobles fled. Then, is it a mercenary? But wait, aren't mercenaries supposed to be all about surviving? And yet, he fought until he sustained such wounds. There must be a reason.
At Price-sama's instruction, Harris-sama added five more shots.
Harris-sama is also reaching his limit. I can see his knees shaking. Looking at his face, he's drenched in sweat.
A strange cry was heard... no, it echoed directly in my head. It was just like when using [Skill: Thought Communication].
For a moment, I recoiled and almost fell over backward.
Price-sama slapped both my shoulders with a Bam! to restore my posture, but it was close.
The ghost's pale blue light was trailing behind it. It looked like it was being fanned by the wind.
It was struggling to come this way, but it seemed unable to advance.
"Jeanne. Let's move forward. We're going to the grove where the ghost came from."
Perhaps the ghost got angry, as a cry echoed in my head. Of the five people surrounding me, the lord fainted with foam at his mouth.
Immediately, Price-sama drew a simple magic circle to surround and protect the lord.
"Bishop Harris! One more push!"
He added five more shots.
Harris-sama fell to one knee.
He's at his limit. It's a series of full-power shots. It's more than twice as hard as just a single shot.
Fine, I don't care anymore!
I concentrated all eight Fireflies, which had each been illuminating the entire surroundings, toward the ghost. If they disappear and it gets behind us, I'll have Price-sama do something about it.
"Guoooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaah!"
A cry was heard throughout my head.
Not to be outdone, I stepped forward.
Like hell! Be quiet!
I'll at least listen to what you have to say, so for now, stop screaming!
I gathered the eight Fireflies in one place and thoroughly illuminated only the ghost.
The pale blue flame and the light emitted by the Fireflies intersected. Something was making a roaring sound throughout my head. The flames around the ghost flowed backward as if blown by a sudden gust of wind.
Seeing the tips of the flames being blown off, I felt like blowing it all away at once.
"Ngaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
It wasn't that I was competing with the ghost, but I shouted with enough force to blow away the roar in my head, and as a result of illuminating with all my might... as expected, I lost consciousness.
"Gufu!"
I woke up.
Looking around, everyone was crouching and looking at me. Hands were on both my sides. Looking back, Gladys-sama had her right knee against my back.
It seems I was given a shock to wake me up. As expected of a soldier. Her way of doing things is rough.
"Are you awake? Are you okay?"
James-sama and Gwyn-sama have also become completely accustomed to my fainting and are no longer very surprised. I'm truly grateful they worry, but it's complicated to be asked like it's a morning greeting.
When I looked at Harris-sama, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, huffing and puffing. He was gulping down wine from a canteen, so I had him pass it to me and drank some to wake myself up.
The lord was stretched out beside us.
By the way, even though there are no torches or fire magic, it's not pitch black.
Wondering what happened, I looked around and saw one person was glowing.
He had black hair with a natural wave hanging to his shoulders and a rugged beard grown out like stubble, giving him a wild feel, but he was a handsome man with thick eyebrows and deep-set features.
He was wearing chainmail, and the sword he had been drawing and swinging was tucked into the scabbard at his waist.
"Who is that?"
Surely he's not some kind of god-like being.
"That's the evil spirit from earlier. As a result of you blowing away the pale blue flames, he changed into this form."
Did combining [Skill: Light] and [Skill: Holy] have such an effect?
When I looked at Harris-sama, he was giving a light fist pump.
"You'll listen to my story, right?"
The ghost spoke. This time I could hear it properly with my ears.
"Jeanne. This person came in response to your call. It must be you, and no one else, including me. I'm sure you're tired, but please, I'm counting on you."
Come to think of it, I did say something like that.
It was Price-sama's role, but I accidentally let the blood rush to my head.
"If you're okay with me. If it's just listening, I'll listen as much as you want, so please don't hesitate."
Price-sama cast [Skill: Hand Over] and [Skill: Refresh] on me, so both Harris-sama and I felt better.
We all sat in a circle around the ghost and decided to listen to his story.
The ghost was guarding a grave.
It was the grave of the daughter of the former lord, a noble, who died at a young age.
"I was hired to protect the Young Lady. When the Young Lady was young, her body was weak, and she couldn't even play outside to her heart's content..."
When the ghost looked back, a female ghost appeared from between the trees. She was wearing leather armor and carrying a bow on her back.
The man had been a mercenary. While fighting here and there, he met the former lord in a certain battle. He was invited to a banquet because he helped the lord and earned merit, and there he met the daughter.
While talking about various stories of foreign lands to the daughter who couldn't go outside much, they became close.
The former lord decided to hire the man as a guard for his daughter, who had no friends because she couldn't go outside normally.
The daughter became attached to the man who entertained her with various stories, and the man also adored the daughter like a much younger sister. While spending time with the man, she gradually became healthy. By the time she reached adulthood, she was able to go out hunting on horseback with a bow in hand.
As a token of gratitude, the lord knighted the man.
A knight is a noble. He must have intended to let them marry.
"How many years has it been now... The Young Lady died of a plague. I also died of the same disease shortly after and was able to be buried next to the Young Lady to guard her grave."
Wait? The timing doesn't match. And it wasn't a death in battle.
"Since then, to make up for the time the Young Lady couldn't live, we've been enjoying going out at night to play!"
What era are you talking about? Could it be that he's a person from quite a long time ago?
"And then! I don't know if it's a war or what, but the offerings that were brought every month without fail have recently completely stopped! On top of that, farmers have started entering the Young Lady's burial ground and trying to cut down the trees! Just what is going on!"
I don't know what it is, but he started getting angry.
Apparently, he's a 'pseudo-evil spirit' who is a ghost as a hobby.
They must be the bloodline of the original lord and his retainer. Because of this war, the lord who was visiting the grave disappeared. He seems to be angry because there's no one to look after the grave.
In short, you want offerings! That's what you're saying, right?
It can't be helped.
When I searched my bag, as expected, they were there. Highway Cookies.
When I looked at Roberts-sama, he took out a bottle of wine and handed it to me. As expected.
"Hey! You! Where are you going?"
Ignoring the pseudo-jerk who was doing nothing but complaining, I walked straight toward the grove. I showed the wine and Highway Cookies to the female ghost.
"For now, why don't we have a drink? Let's discuss future matters after that."
These are Sertoria's famous Highway Cookies. They're delicious.
When I showed them off, she approached with great interest. She looked to be in her late teens.
"That sounds good. First, let's all have a toast as an introduction."
Price-sama also had a bottle of wine from somewhere.
"Did you come from Sertoria?"
She spoke to me in a timid manner.
"Young Lady. That woman is a priest, so be careful."
"It's okay, don't worry. I'm already at my limit. You know I was fainted, right?"
In the end, that night was only for introductions, but the next day, the true identity of the pseudo-evil spirit became clear.
In the grove were the graves of two lovers whose marriage didn't come true because of the plague. Looking at the gravestones, they had died long before I was born. According to Price-sama, at that time, a plague was rampant in the southern part of the island... in Engrio and Primordia, and many people died. Plagues come from the continent. Countries that are close to the continent and are hubs for trade are apparently prone to outbreaks.
Normally, those who contracted the plague were isolated in a separate room or building. The man probably caught the same disease while devotedly nursing her.
The place where the grave is located was also the former lord's private land, and previously the surroundings were not farmland. In this war, it became Medioland territory and was liberated to the serfs, but they didn't know about the grave.
I let one Firefly drift and called out to them, and they came out from the grave.
"A solution has been found."
After a toast to our reunion, we discussed measures. We had come with a barrel of sake loaded on a carriage.
Including the recovered lord, we proposed the response method that everyone had put together during the day.
"This land has now become my territory, but I will have it managed as a special place. If it's okay with the two of you, I'll build a simple shrine. And I'll have the villagers look after it as the land of the guardian spirits. What do you think?"
He had taken it away from the farmers he'd divided the land among, but in exchange, he apparently decided to hire them as caretakers.
"Is that okay? We are nothing more than mere ghosts."
"There aren't many spirits with that much power. That person must cherish you very much."
Both of them turned red.
"I am Price, the Archbishop and vice-head of the Medioland Capital Great Church. If it's okay with the two of you, I would be happy to officiate your wedding."
Those words became the catalyst for us to participate in a ghost wedding.
A week later, a wedding ceremony was held in the grove. Since it was at night, it was brightly illuminated by bonfires. I also flew eight Fireflies.
The witness was the new lord. The officiant was, of course, Price-sama. The women's group led by the lord's wife handled the costumes and makeup, and the head of the attendees was Crown Prince James. It was like a royal wedding. After all, there were royals from three countries.
By the way, I served as the officiant's assistant.
The groom was in his knight's attire, and the bride was in a luxurious one with various colorful embroideries on a light crimson background, provided by the lord's wife, who didn't have a daughter.
"Ufufu. It reminds me of my own wedding. I wore this costume too."
She also generously used hair ornaments and rings that she had brought from her family home. She had prepared them for her own daughter, but only boys were born.
"I'll give this to you. So, you are already my daughter. In exchange, please come visit our house sometimes."
"Thank you very much. I will serve you with all my heart to repay your kindness."
A conversation like a bride entering a family was being exchanged. Ghosts would be frequently coming in and out of the mansion, but I suppose that's fine.
Curtains were draped around the grove, and a custom-made altar, candlesticks, and chairs for the attendees were brought in. In the adjacent curtained area, luxurious food and fine alcohol were prepared.
Since the class system remains, they weren't allowed to sit together, but outside the curtains, people from the neighborhood who had newly become residents gathered, and food specially provided by the lord was prepared for them.
When the groom and bride went outside for the presentation, a grand round of applause broke out.
The wedding banquet continued until morning, and the groom and bride temporarily retired at dawn.
The group of middle-aged men who had drunk themselves into a stupor ended up being taken care of by Dune, but that's also the usual.
As an afterword, this wedding venue had a stone shrine built by the lord, and it became possible for any resident to hold a wedding ceremony there. The graves of the two who were welcomed as family by the lord and his wife are in the grove behind the shrine. It seems to have gained popularity as a sacred place with guardian spirits that bless the start of young men and women.
By the way. Originally, it was a rehearsal.
Just in case, I had a diviner look at me, and I learned [Skill: Refresh].
"With this, you can board a ship anytime. Also, even though he was a pseudo-evil spirit, that final push you made to blow away the pale blue flames he was wearing was magnificent. Let's do our best with that same momentum in the real thing."
Does that mean, in the real thing, I'll be pushed until Harris-sama's knees give out?
"The opponent in the real thing will be more powerful. I'll go until I faint, so I'll leave the rest to you. Well, your life won't be taken, so just take it easy as if you're training for half a year."
Harris-sama patted me on the shoulder.