Chapter 843 - Chapter 6: Beyond That ④
A 'chosen child' is apparently an existence whose innate qualities are extraordinary and can truly be called a genius. An existence chosen by the Goddess. Successive heroes must be like that.
"Indeed. After all, I too was called a genius."
"I thought so."
Well, of course. He's called one of the legendary eight.
"But that is all."
"Th-That is all?"
I wonder how many people lost their lives trying to be called heroes. The favorites of each country were all brave and excellent people. Henry-sama and Roberts-sama likely say they were lucky because they understand that, which is why they were able to be present at the final moment of the Demon Lord's subjugation and successfully subjugated him.
"Yes, that is all. More than that, someone whose innate qualities were mediocre yet was chosen by others and received help, and who fights on equal terms with those of us called heroes or the Demon Lord. I believe such a 'child who is chosen' is far superior as a human... no, as a living creature inhabiting this island."
"I see."
Is that how it is? Certainly, I was helped by various people. I received various blessings or influences from the spirits, and my mana and magic defense increased. The plague countermeasures were also possible because of the cooperation of various people.
The spirits said that it was possible because Jeanne is Jeanne. Does that mean I am a 'child who is chosen'?
"I know that we eight are called heroes among heroes and have become legends not only in our birthplace but throughout the White Island. However, with only that, we are nothing more than people good at monster extermination. Something decisive was lacking."
Coexistence and prosperity, the first teaching of the Goddess. Gavan-sama says that those who aim to realize this must not be those born with blessed qualities that allow them to fight the Demon Race head-on. They must be those who truly believe that even the souls of those they oppose should be saved.
"We were consulting with Diana-sama about what kind of person we should grant Light magic to, in order to offer suggestions to her. As you may know, users of Light magic appear only once every 200 years or so. If we count the user of the generation following our companion as the first, Bishop Jeanne is the twentieth."
Twenty people, huh. It must have been a series of trial and error. Since the aim was what it was, they granted Light magic to those centered around the priesthood in the form of oracles, but due to Diana-sama's intent, they couldn't convey everything. So, to find a target, they apparently conducted a selection through individual scouting and granted Light to that person. For the first ten or so, they targeted those in their late teens with talent—in other words, chosen children—but for some reason, it didn't go well. Apparently, they couldn't reach the Black Stones. Originally, even the Black Stones were a secret art. Their locations weren't easily known, and only the existence of the Black Stone protected by the Water Dragon was known. However, that is the Black Stone corresponding to Anti-Sepsis. Even if one learned the Light spell first, it should be difficult to associate them.
In the years marking the two-thousand or one-thousand-year intervals, when children with high talent are born and raised due to the fluctuations of mana, they had particularly high expectations. As priests, many made a name for themselves in monster or evil spirit extermination, but they couldn't draw a person who could strongly promote coexistence and prosperity.
"So, we changed our way of thinking. We began to look for people who had the potential to establish friendly relations with various races inhabiting the White Island, including the Demon Race and monsters."
As a result, many people with mediocre qualities, both physically and magically, came to be included. However, because they were mediocre, they never rose to prominence. Among them were those who met tragic ends because of their mediocre qualities that didn't allow them to strike down their enemies: a person who contracted a disease at a young age and became a Revenant only to be left as a user of Light magic, then was destroyed after being caught in the north-south conflict; a person in Morandine who was excommunicated due to a false accusation and became an evil spirit; and a person who was forcibly made into a Revenant while alive and blew themselves up with a Purification spell they cast themselves.
"Bishop Jeanne, you were just right in various ways. First of all, despite being born and raised in the relatively central part of this island, you are a possessor of a bloodline that doesn't have much blood from the continent flowing in it. Therefore, it is easy to grant you Light magic. And Sertoria, where you were born, is a country with a national character where the previous user of Light magic, the first king William, established friendly relations with various spirits. Especially, you were born near the Nakanohara Lake where the water spirit William befriended dwells, and near the Dryad's Forest. In a geographical sense, it was also significant that it was near the tomb of King Griffith, where the Black Stone corresponding to Light sleeps. Moreover, you met a good master and underwent magic training from a young age, while simultaneously receiving sufficient instruction regarding the spirit of coexistence and prosperity. As a result, even after becoming a monster exterminator, you were carefully offering prayers and sending off the souls of the monsters you were involved in exterminating, just as you would for humans. And you were able to establish friendly relations without any problem with the Goblins, who were treated almost as monsters as a result of being organized in large numbers into the Demon Lord's army. You developed the power to take a bird's-eye view of what it means for various living creatures of various races to live and die on this island while being involved with each other, and how that leads to coexistence and prosperity. The environment was ripe for nurturing that."
So that's why I learned Light magic.
It feels like mere coincidence, but...
"It is not a coincidence. It is a miracle that all those things were connected. You were not chosen because you were meant to be chosen; rather, you learned Light magic naturally, as if the magic itself chose its user. And now, you are here as an ultra-high-level mage."
Certainly, there's no doubt that the probability of all the things Gavan-sama just said connecting is miraculous.
"And you were born in an orphanage belonging to the church. In that sense, it seems it was also easy for Diana-sama to find you."
From what he just said, it means I've been attracting the attention of the ancient heroes since I was born. However, there were apparently dozens of candidates in the same generation within a span of about ten years. It's true that Nakanohara in Sertoria was being watched, but they were apparently looking carefully from the north to the south of the White Island by dividing the work. Gavan-sama, as the one observing me among other candidates, apparently came to Nakanohara once every few years to see me. However, he never intervened. He simply observed. If a problem was found, they apparently removed the person from the candidates.
"Observing you was fun. For example, being the record holder for eighth place in the Nakanohara Madonna contest for consecutive years. It's an exquisite way to be chosen, isn't it?"
He's chuckling. I mean, he knows even that?
"Yes. You are a celebrity, after all. When I went to Nakanohara, I heard rumors about you even without doing anything."
"Ugh!"
Damn it. I can't let that slide. No doubt all sorts of things were being spread about me.
Hey, don't you people on this side chuckle too!
"And when Diana-sama was about to grant a new magic to Bishop Jeanne, the Light magic 'Light' suddenly came to her mind. Such a thing is rare, apparently. Much less for Light magic, it had never happened. It was thought that perhaps the magic itself chose Bishop Jeanne as its user."
As a result, I learned Light, and the observations by the ancient heroes other than Gavan-sama, who was my person in charge, ended.
Hmm. Light magic chose me. However, for Light to suddenly come to Diana-sama's mind... in the end, it's become a story I don't quite understand. Even if I had another chance to meet Diana-sama, even if I asked, she probably wouldn't know herself. If I could ask Light and it would tell me, I'd like to hear why it chose me.
"Why did you tell me such a story?"
Gavan-sama is also a priest. There must be an intent.
"I wanted Bishop Jeanne, who is about to proceed further, to know. What a user of Light magic should do from here on."
Coexistence and prosperity with the Demon Race... I think it's starting to happen, even if only a little. But before that, there's one trigger that brought me here.
"The Wetlands Priestess, Fiona, and I activated Testament as a trio. As a result, we ended up sealing the Demon Lord in the cave. But that wasn't what we wanted. We only wanted the Demon Lord to return to where he originally belonged. Therefore, if there is someone with power ahead, I intend to ask for that first."
Gavan-sama looked at me as if he were stunned. Then, he looked at the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord nodded with an incredibly awkward expression and immediately looked away. He's like a child whose prank was discovered. He's surprisingly cute.
"I see."
"Yes."
Was that bad?
"I understand well. Or rather, I might have finally understood just now."
He suddenly had a clear smile.
"Why Bishop Jeanne is a child who is chosen. Why she could come this far even with the Demon Lord as a guide. And what we were lacking."
"I see."
"Bishop Jeanne, let me thank you. I feel as if I have returned to my original intentions as a priest."
He bowed his head to me, but I don't understand it at all.
"Then, the first act in this room is over. Next is the second act."
"Eh? Second act?"
"Yes. As I told you at the beginning, I am one of the judges for Bishop Jeanne and her companions to proceed further. If you wish to proceed, please fight and defeat me."
"Eh? Is that how it's going to be?"
"Yes. That is how it will be."
"But if you can't use magic..."
"Yes. I cannot use it. But even if I could use Holy magic, I wouldn't be able to deal any damage to you. Ah, there are ghosts and monsters among you. But only those three."
"Then, how will you fight?"
"I have knowledge of staff techniques and martial arts. Therefore, if my request can be accepted, I would be grateful if one person would fight me first without magic."
The first opponent became Will. She was shielded by Bonnie, and she can't use magic. If so, Will is the most suitable among those remaining. Both use long weapons and are good at martial arts. It will be a good match.
After both sides greeted each other with weapons in hand, they jumped back to take distance. One is an ancient legendary hero, and the other is someone who received instruction from current former heroes like Henry-sama and the Headmistress. There's no way there would be carelessness or openings. Both lowered their waists and closed the distance with sliding steps. Both pointed the tips of their weapons at the opponent's throat.
Suddenly, Gavan-sama stepped forward with his right foot. He turned half-body, or rather, he rotated half a turn to the left as if wrapping the staff he held around his body and brought it to his back. He was looking at Will over his right shoulder. His right hand, holding the base of the staff, was brought to his left shoulder, which was behind him from Will's perspective, and his left hand, holding the middle of the staff, was brought behind his right waist, so the tip of the staff was pointing diagonally downward.
Will, after taking a little distance, jumped forward a short distance and thrust her spear all at once, aiming for Gavan-sama's head.
In response, Gavan-sama rotated further and, by raising his right hand high, parried Will's spear and diverted her aim, while simultaneously twirling the staff above his head with his raised right hand to swing it and aim for Will's head all at once.
Will once discarded her diverted spear diagonally forward, rolled to the right to avoid the blow, and got into a crouching stance on one knee. By then, she had picked up her spear and was in a stance. Or so Beowulf taught me.
"Splendid! You did well to avoid my staff."
"Because the person who taught me staff techniques used the same technique."
Will, who replied, slowly stood up.
"Could it be Bishop Catherine, who raised Bishop Jeanne?"
"So you know Bishop Catherine."
"I am familiar with her. To have practiced with that person. This is worth doing."
The Headmistress came up in a place like this! And she seems to be recognized by the legendary hero. As expected, the genius Catherine is different. If she had been born several decades later, wouldn't the Headmistress have been the one to learn Light magic?
After that, the two clashed and missed many times, taking on the appearance of a battle of endurance. The room temperature wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. Despite that, something was incessantly dripping from Will's chin. In contrast, Gavan-sama hadn't broken a sweat. I was taught to be most careful not to make a battle with a monster into a battle of endurance. However, all of Will's attacks were being avoided. Of course, it became like this because she was avoiding all of Gavan-sama's attacks too.
"This is bad."
Beowulf muttered at that moment.
Gavan-sama's staff, which had been persistently aiming for Will's legs, finally caught Will's left knee.
"Clang!"
A sound echoed as if he had struck a rock, and Will stumbled for a moment. With Almighty Guard cast on her, I don't think there's a fracture, but it must hurt. She didn't stumble, but her posture broke slightly. Gavan-sama didn't miss that opening and struck the right side of Will's head with the staff he twirled, then closed in all at once. And then, he dropped the staff in front of him. It looked like a trick. Will lowered her spear to try and use the tip to blow away the staff that had rolled onto the ground.
"No!"
Beowulf clicked her tongue.
Gavan-sama closed the distance as if he had teleported, and at the same time stood on Will's spear, delivered a roundhouse kick to her face with his right foot, and pounced on the blown-away Will, placing both hands on Will's neck. Then, I don't know how he did it, but Will went limp. Did she lose consciousness in an instant?
"Will lost the moment she fell for that lure. Her gaze and attention were diverted to the staff. But if it's done that skillfully, I'd fall for it too."
I have Beowulf explain it to me. Gavan-sama, who heard the explanation, is looking at us with a smile.
"It is my victory, is it not?"
Gavan-sama, who stood up quickly, said to the Demon Lord, the referee.
"She has lost consciousness. Due to the opponent's inability to continue fighting, I declare Gavan the winner."
The judgment was made, and Will's loss was decided. But it's just unconsciousness. Thank goodness. If her head had been taken off, she wouldn't have been saved.