Chapter 32: CH 32

“I was trampled on by a horse earlier, but I… Did the Miss save me?”

The child asked me with his lips trembling.

“…I have no money, though.”

Those words made me cry.

“I don’t need things like money. How old are you?”

“I’m ten years old.”

He seemed relieved when I said that I didn’t need money.

That image pierced my chest again.

The child, who seemed to be at most eight, was ten years old. No wonder his words were so clear.

“Did the Gods save me?”

The child asked me, his eyes were sparkling.

“No. I saved you.” I just cut it off and answered.

The child looked surprised.

“The Gods supported me through the power, but I saved you.”

In fact, I had a little idea why the Gods couldn’t intervene deeply in human affairs.

The weak are slaughtered and the strong survive.

War brings tragedy, but the number of human beings decreases and it has a positive effect on other lives.

Unless the old dies and the child is born, human life can’t prosper.

When filming an animal documentary, just as humans don’t intervene in the life and death of animals, the Gods are, after all, beings on the top of balance.

But I was different.

I was able to use the sacred power and save the undead.

“T-Thank you. Miss.”

“Are you a member of the Burglar’s Guild?”

I asked the child based on what I had heard earlier.

He looked at me and nodded his head.

After a while, I pulled out my pocket and handed the boy 10 franc.

The child opened his eyes wide and looked at me. In modern terms, it was worth hundreds of thousands of won, which is surprising.

“You can buy clothes with this. Buy meals and eat them. From now on, if a crazy bastard on a horse runs up to you, dodge it quickly.”

“Yes. But this money…”

“It’s not a free gift. From now on, I’ll hire you.”

At my words, the child made a bewildered expression.

I didn’t have to give him useless and worthless money just because he was pitiful. But if it’s something that can help each other in the long run, that’s a different story.

“I need information from the Burglar’s Guild. You just need to periodically sell the information I need.”

I’ve heard of the Burglar’s Guild in the original story.

The Burglar’s Guild, where all personal information of the continent, as well as the Empire, comes and goes.

If I can get information from there through this child, it won’t be a loss for me either.

“I saved you from dying, so if I do this, will you be able to trust me?”

The child nodded his head.

Since I have to leave the temple soon anyway, realistic information from the Burglar’s Guild rather than the limited information about the temple will be helpful.

It will also be a protection for those who threaten me. In a world without the internet, no one is as fast as the Burglar’s Guild.

“If it’s information, what do you mean?”

I decided to try the child’s usefulness first. Is it reliable?

“I have a garnet necklace that the deceased Empress Dowager gave to the Empress. The octagonal red jewel is shining brightly inside the pure gold decoration. I want to find the material of that necklace.”

The child nodded his head with a clear look.

“I understand. Thank you for saving me.”

Although he said thank you, it was realistic for him to hold the money tightly.

“I’ll be waiting at the third pillar on the east side of the ceremonial hall of the Temple of Elium at noon in three days, so bring the relevant information. You’re a member of the Burglar’s Guild, so you can sneak into the temple, right?”

“I understand. miss.”

“And leave from the window, not the door.”

I said, pointing to the inn’s window. It won’t be difficult to get to since it’s on the first floor.

The child, half dead, but spared by sacred power, bowed his head to me once more, turned around, and went over the window.

“Haa… Anyway, this blood…”

Seeing the messed up floor, I let out a small sigh.

After a while, the door opened, and Dwayne, who was standing in front of the door, looked around the room in surprise.

The floor was covered with blood, and the child’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is the child’s body?”

Dwayne thought he was obviously dead and asked me, and I left the room and ordered Dwayne.

“He’s gone. Please clean up the mess. And today…”

I was going to order him not to speak, yet I gave up.

Everything that Dwayne saw and heard goes to Reihausd, anyway.

Well, he didn’t see me healing the child himself, so I guess there won’t be any trouble.

***

Returning to the temple after a tiring day, I stood in front of the mirror and rolled up my top. It’s fine now, but I remember feeling the intense pain as if it had been cut with a knife.

The moment I poured out all my energy, my whole body trembled at the rushing sensation.

And after a while, I found a long, half-moon-shaped scar on my navel reflected in the mirror.

It looked more like a kind of tattoo on the skin rather than a rough scar. It was the place where I had been stabbed in the past in my life, and it was the place where I had been hurting like crazy.

I felt nothing when I touched it with my index finger.

I put my coat back on, walked over to the pile of books, and opened the dictionary right away.

No way… This?

I found the ‘stigma’ and read the description.

[The stigma is a mark of the holy power that only appears in Saintesses, proving that they were chosen by the Gods…]

Reading it made me faint.

Wait a minute. I’m a fake saintess, but what if a stigma appears?

And then the chat window started blinking.

[You have proved your faith by fully opening your sacred power with extreme patience.]

[Your stigma has appeared. The Gods’ interest and favor with you increases.]

[‘Oracle LV.3’ is opened.]

And in the chat window, a sentence came to my mind.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, has entered your oracle.]

[Garden 5/5]

[▉▉▉ ▉▉▉, who couldn’t enter the oracle, sighs as the ground is gone.]

[▉▉▉ ▉▉▉, who couldn’t enter the oracle, is spreading the mat.]

The stigma that suddenly appeared on my stomach and the fact that the oracle level had risen to 3 made me bewildered.

In the meantime, the chat window flashed.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, enters the oracle and looks around.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, slowly steps back and makes a fuss.]

[The God of Art, Mond, shakes his head.]

I looked at the sentences that came to mind and put on a puzzled expression.

Maybe it’s just my feeling, but it wasn’t an atmosphere where other Gods actively welcome Oman.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, pretends not to know and coughs.]

Perhaps there is bullying among the Gods.

I looked at the chat window with a shaky expression on my face and said.

“Anyway, you’re in the oracle, so I hope everyone is getting along well.”

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, seems to be moved by your words.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, confesses that he has bought your share.]

At first impression, he seemed like a good rookie. Then another sentence came to mind.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, says that in fact, Oman is the most destructive of the Gods…]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, stretches out a gentle hand.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, senses danger and reveals his fangs to Oman.]

And it was then.

The chat window where the sentence appeared suddenly stopped. It was at the moment when I was worried in my mind that I might be being baptized by other Gods.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, is temporarily disabled.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, likes your shoes.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, falls asleep temporarily with tears forming around his eyes.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, pats Ciel’s droopy head, saying that he must be tired.]

Something must have happened, but I had no idea what it was.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, winks at you, telling you not to worry.]

Anyway, the newcomer of the oracle seems to be adapting well, so that should work, right?

Again today, after blurring the peaceful oracle room, I touched the stigma through my clothes.

Obviously, she was a fake saintess when I possessed this body, but it seems that I have become a real saintess.

‘There’s no way.’

I shook my head, thinking of the girl coming from Thiago.