CHAPTER 98……………………….
It was purely by chance that she approached that man with the hives.
Of course, it was true that Erish had originally been looking for someone in that direction to guide her to meet the Sage of Saruin.
Among the eight sages of Til Neve Chedric, it had been Erish’s decision to meet Saruin first.
She had told Bernadette, “Find someone who can guide us.”
Bernadette had protested at first. But when Erish said, “As the Emperor said, it’s wiser to attempt negotiation before resorting to war—it saves effort,” Bernadette had agreed.
“But why Saruin?”
Til Neve Chedric consisted of eight nation-states. Even excluding Girgaia, there were seven others. There was no reason not to choose an easier destination—but she had chosen the most difficult one, Saruin.
To that question, Erish had simply answered,
“Because I feel like it.”
And indeed, there was no other reason. It was just that…
She remembered once thinking, when she’d held someone close who smelled faintly dry, “So this is what the desert must smell like.”
In any case, Erish had little interest in the guides. She wasn’t going to be the one directly receiving their guidance, after all.
“Identification badge.”
“Ah, here it is.”
The incident happened just as she was about to pass by. The axolotl hiding in her hair began acting strangely.
Kiiik, kiiik.
It was the most violent reaction since Erish had awakened. The axolotl scratched frantically at her scalp, making shrill metallic noises.
What’s over there?
Startled, Erish looked in that direction—and saw a man who had not taken off his robe.
“Um… my appearance is rather unsightly, you see…”
For some reason, he refused to remove his robe.
No way…
His build and height were different, but still—
The fact that Rahan’s body had never been found had tormented Erish for over two years.
Fragments of what the axolotl had told her two years ago suddenly resurfaced.
That demons would always seek out the souls whose footprints they had once marked.
Erish had wept every night, wondering—could the man she loved still be alive somewhere?
Even if he had fallen from the cliff, could the sea have cradled him gently and sent him back?
Of course, those fantasies always ended with sorrow: If he were alive, there’s no way he wouldn’t have come to find me.
Yet her foolish hope clung to tales of people who, by the whim of the gods, had lost their memories.
She never tired of imagining all sorts of legends, miracles, and sudden happinesses finding their way to her.
Every time, her imaginings ended the same way—with her meeting the man again one day, somewhere far away, embracing him in joy and kissing him.
And every time, it ended in despair. Because he was not by her side.
Yet that same fantasy lifted its head once more, right there and then.
So Erish did not leave. She kept watching.
But despair, the closest friend of that fantasy, soon came for her again. The hope that had flared for a moment turned quickly into disappointment.
The man under the robe was a stranger. The axolotl too fell silent, as if nothing had happened.
Still…
The fantasy did not entirely fade.
If you really went blind… if your handsome face was marred and you could no longer see… how heartbroken would I have been…
She only wanted to give him a little comfort. She hadn’t even thought about healing his eyes.
Erish never granted blessings lightly. Her own heart was a hell—how could she wish happiness for others?
“But… maybe your holy power was stronger than you thought,” said Bishop Marid. “Maybe it healed him?”
“Bishop Marid,” Erish cut her off. “I’ve long since grown sick of this saint business.”
“I wanted to heal my heart with my own power, because it hurt so much. But no matter how much I poured out, I couldn’t fix it. What I did learn, though, was how much power it really takes to heal someone else. At some point, I understood that.”
“…”
“I don’t have the power to open a blind man’s eyes. Even if I did, I doubt I could be sitting here calmly talking to you.”
So it was only reasonable to assume that man had never been blind in the first place.
“Then aren’t they suspicious people?”
Marid asked nervously, but Erish waved a hand.
“Leave them. I’m sure they have their reasons. You’ve seen people share identification badges before, haven’t you?”
Even in the village of Vandel, many who couldn’t afford a badge would borrow one from the chief.
They didn’t seem to have any sinister intent. If they had, they would’ve acted already—when the saint was near.
…If only they had attacked me instead.
Thinking that, Erish gazed quietly at the axolotl on her shoulder.
“Why did you do that?”
Of course, she knew it wouldn’t answer—but she spoke anyway.
“You feed on my sorrow every day, don’t you? Earn your keep.”
Her tone was playful, but her meaning wasn’t lost. Marid looked horrified.
“You mean… that demon feeds on you?”
“Not just me—on everyone. Behemoth is dead, but do you know why this one isn’t?”
Erish’s tone was weary, cynical. Marid looked as if she might cry. She had understood the meaning behind the words.
“Yes. This little one survived by feeding on my despair.”
When the Saint returned to the Windstone Monastery, she had annihilated demons and sorcerers alike.
No monster could have survived that sacred domain. Erish had thought Leviathan dead as well. But she’d been wrong.
The memory of that day was so traumatic that most of it was gone—but fragments remained.
[Ahahaha! Such despair! With this, I, Leviathan, can finally return to the sea—huh? Wha—Aaargh!]
The axolotl’s voice still rang in her ears. The demon that had fed on her despair and regained its strength had once again been drained by her holy power.
That had saddened her—not because she pitied the axolotl, but because if Leviathan had regained its power, she would have made a pact without hesitation.
And she would have asked it to find Rahan.
“Where are your footprints now?”
Erish placed the axolotl in her palm and asked softly. The creature turned away without answering. Marid only watched, face heavy with grief.
* * *
A pub in Girgaia.
“Hey! That bastard’s hilarious! He pretended to get his sight back?”
“I’m telling you, I nailed it today. Crazy, right?”
Yannick had returned with Nicholas and was bragging to their comrades about what had happened that day.
Rumors of the Saint’s miracle at the harbor had already spread through Girgaia, so everyone knew Yannick was the so-called miracle’s subject—and they laughed until they nearly fainted.
Of course, since it wasn’t something to shout about in public, only a few were whispering together.
“You really added some shine to the Saint’s reputation, huh?”
“From now on, call me Yannick the Sighted!”
The two said they had been briefed at the governor’s mansion on what to be careful about.
Nicholas had been furious about the lack of payment, but the knights had only sneered.
“She gave sight to a blind man—should she really need a reward?”
“Man, I had nothing to say to that.”
“What do you mean, Nicholas? You should’ve said—‘When I was blind, a coin was enough, but now that I can see, it’s five coins!’”
“Pffft—haha! You lunatic!”
They burst out laughing again. But not everyone laughed.
The real Adem didn’t.
“Then I suppose I can no longer remain here.”
“…Huh?”
Nicholas blinked dumbly. Adem smiled faintly and spoke.
“I too heard the rumor—that the blind Adem of the Atheist Guild regained his sight thanks to the Saint. But as you can see, I’m still blind.”
The room fell silent. Still smiling, Adem continued.
“I suppose it’s about time I left anyway.”
Everyone’s face went pale.
