Chapter 126: Ch-127
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Everyone has desires. Depending on how they were born and the environment they grew up in, their desires may differ, but ultimately, they are still desires.
And people want to fulfill these desires.
If there's appetite, they will seek food to sate their hunger. If there's greed, they will chase after money. If there's lust, they will make efforts to beguile others with their charm.
This is by no means an immoral act.
Human civilization has developed using these desires as a driving force.
However, in the church, desires are considered sins and are taught to be kept at bay, to be given a wide berth.
Desires are never satisfied here, and if one pursues desires without restraint, one may eventually bring about their own downfall.
Ophelia fell into such a situation.
Having lived her whole life within the confines of the immaculate church walls, she stepped out into the world for the first time as a candidate for sainthood.
Unlike the church, the world was filled with all sorts of mysterious, stimulating, and pleasurable knick-knacks.
Naturally, she had no resistance to such things since she had never experienced them before, and she pursued them eagerly, just like a child chasing after a firefly.
Unaware that she was a moth diving headfirst into the flame.
Even if she realized it later, it was too late. Her wings had already caught fire, blazing into motes of ashes. She could no longer soar high in the sky. She could no longer witness the beautiful scenery.
All that was left was living a wretched life crawling on the ground like a worm.
In such situations, people usually forked into two paths.
One was denying reality and believing they can fly again, jumping off a cliff.
Occasionally, there would be cases of them soaring again, but most end up falling to their death.
Another, accepting reality and therefore accepting a wretched life.
They may consider themselves miserable, but they can still live somewhat like a person. Perhaps they would find different happiness within that.
So, which category did Ophelia belong to?
If she were to categorize, she would be closer to the first case, but it was slightly different from that.
"It's okay… It's okay…"
She was throwing herself toward a freshly stoked kindle, not a cliff.
"It'll be alright…"
Ophelia scratched herself. In her heart, she wanted to whip herself, but there was no soundproofing magic to ward off the lashes. Even if she wanted to ask for such magic, it was difficult to ask since Eri had been unusually depressed lately.
That's why she scratched herself with her nails.
Her arms. Her chest. Her stomach. Her waist. Anywhere her hands could reach.
As a result, there was no place on her body without wounds, and the blood and torn garb clung to the wounds hideously.
"Hero won't leave me…"
Tears constantly streamed down her dark green eyes that had sunk into darkness.
"It was the same back then…"
Before the Evil Heavenly King descended in Lupus.
When the Archbishop, charmed by a nubile nun, had proposed her as a candidate for sainthood, her hero had firmly refused.
He even tried to comfort her, who was anxious.
So there won't be anything different this time either.
Ophelia reassured herself with these thoughts, calming her restless heart.
"Ophelia, it's okay to let go if it's getting difficult."
It didn't take her long to realize that it was needless.
"…What?"
Ophelia froze at Cloud's words, which were like a bolt from the blue.
* * *
I know what it's like to be a "Hero" while not being one.
Ophelia is not suitable for a Saintess Candidate. It's not about her abilities or character being insufficient. It's just that her personality doesn't match the station of a Saintess.
Being a Saintess warrants a lot of patience, but Ophelia is… well, she has a very free-spirited personality.
She eats what she wants and buys what she wants.
I got to know her better as we spent time together.
'Besides, she wasn't keen to attain the position of the Saintess in the game.'
I said what I said because I was afraid of the aftermath and had no other choice.
Honestly, I think she's still the same now.
People don't change so easily, and lately, I haven't seen Ophelia going to church much.
Perhaps she hit rock bottom in her faith after the previous incident.
If she doesn't want it herself, I have no intention of forcing her into the role of a Saintess Candidate.
'As long as I look into that she doesn't get bullied and finds a more skeptic job in the church, she would be 'fine.
Or she can renounce her life as a nun and live as a civilian.
She would lose her divine power, but as long as she lives moderately accordingly, no harm would come to her.
Ophelia looks pretty and has a pretty decent personality…
Well, she'll live comfortably.
At least it would be much better than living with incessant stress like now.
…so that's why I said what I said with those thoughts in mind.
"H-Hero, what are you saying…?"
"H-Hero, what are you saying…?"
Considering her stiffened body posture and emotions bristled like the hairs of an animal, it seemed like my conjuncture was wrong.
Or was she simply surprised?
"I'm saying that it's alright to let go of the burdens that bind you. Even if you quit, I'll take measures to ensure it doesn't affect your life…"
"I don't want to quit!"
Uh-oh, a surprise.
Startled, Ophelia dithered back and then bowed her head.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice… but I have no intention of quitting as a Saintess Candidate. Please let me continue!"
Ophelia's voice carried a sense of earnestness.
'She seems sincere.'
Has her perspective changed from the game version?
No, but if she wants to be a Saintess Candidate, why hasn't she been going to the church?
As I was pondering, Archbishop Vedic suddenly cut in.
"I didn't know Lady Ophelia have such overflowing passion. I must have misunderstood because you haven't been showing up at the church for a while."
It seemed the Archbishop had the same second thoughts like mine.
"Then, how about we do it this way? As planned, Lady Marietta will join Hero Cloud's party, and Lady Ophelia will join Hero Lorian's party."
"…What?"
Ophelia widened her eyes in apparent confusion and tilted her head. I felt the same way. What kind of nonsense was this old, senile man blabbering with such a winsome, cheerful smile?
"Lady Marietta has already estranged herself from the people in Hero Lorian's party. It'd be difficult for her to go back. That's why I'm making this suggestion. It might be a little jarring, but Lady Ophelia, as a Saintess candidate, can still fulfill her role. Isn't it a good thing?"
"What nonsense are you babbling?! Why should I leave Cloud's side just because of something you two arbitrarily decided?"
"Well…"
Archbishop Vedic let out a heavy sigh as if it was difficult for him to say what he was about to say.
"It's because Lady Ophelia lacks the ability to serve alongside Hero Cloud."
"What, what are you saying…?"
""
Her eyelids trembled as if in shock. I, who was about to interrupt, stopped short upon hearing the Archbishop's words.
Lacks the ability, huh?
What did he see to make such a judgment?
"Do you not trust me?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, then there's no choice. I'll have to show you myself. Lady Marietta, I know it's bothersome, but I ask for your assistance."
"No, it's fine."
Marietta calmly nodded her head, clasping her hands to her chest and reciting a prayer.
A golden radiance intertwined in her hands. The light briefly enveloped Ophelia before disappearing. However, even though the light was gone, she still looked bewildered.
"Marietta, please endow this upon the hero as well."
A golden radiance enveloped me.
As my head cleared, my body felt lighter, and my mana became purified, the effect was even better than my usual buff, [All Blessings].
In "The Hero's Party," there is only one buff that surpasses [All Blessings].
"The Blessing of the Goddess?"
"As expected of you, Hero. You recognized it right away. As you can see, Lady Marietta can use the 'Blessing of the Goddess,' which only a select few devotees could use throughout history. She can even bestow the blessing upon others."
The Archbishop praised her, pronouncing how she was the only one on the whole continent who could do such a thing in the present.
I wasn't particularly impressed by those words.
Well, that's understandable.
"But Ophelia can use this too?"
Since [Blessing of the Goddess] is a basic skill that Saintess Candidates learn automatically as their levels increase.
"It's not like it's some ancient hidden blessing found in a dungeon… It's a bit excessive to arrange replacement because of something like this…"
Isn't that right?
That's what I think.
However, it seemed unexpected both to the Archbishop and Marietta, judging by their stiff expressions.
No matter how indolent our Ophelia looks, how could they undermine her so?
"Ophelia, show them."
Actions speak louder than empty words.
I turned my head towards Ophelia.
However, something unexpected happened.
Ophelia began sweating profusely, keeping her mouth tightly shut…
"Ophelia?"
What are you doing? Show them already.
If you keep doing this, it would look like I'm lying for the sake of appearance.
"Ophelia??"
Why are you clenching your fists so tightly?
Why does your face look so pale?
Just using the darned blessing once.
It's supposed to be extremely easy.
After all the hard work we went through, you went around showing off everywhere once you mastered it, didn't you?
Back then, even if I tugged your braid, you wouldn't stop bragging, but now, even when I ask you to do it, you won't?
"Well, um…"
"Um?"
"Well, you see…"
"I see?"
As Ophelia stumbled over her words, she finally managed to speak with a quavering tone after several attempts.
"I, I can't do it any lon—"
I was upon Ophelia and Ophelia was before me, hand struck to the wall beside her head, red-eyed, I asked.
"What happened to the levels we ground?!"
You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.
p(a)treon.com/Daoist02
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