Lyall gave a cautious look, his sharp gaze scanning the scene before him as the Pope—Cesio—fell to his knees in front of . His breaths ca out uneven, his shoulders trembling, and the white fabric of his blindfold darkened where damp spots blood. Tears.
A choked sound left his lips. "Y-You are, aren’t you?"
I exhaled slowly, watching him. His entire form quivered as though he were in the presence of sothing divine. I reached out, my fingers hovering over him for a brief mont before making contact.
"Get up, Your Holiness," I murmured, wrapping my hand around his and pulling him up with ease. "If anyone saw you kneeling like this, it would beco a headache for ."
A sharp intake of breath left him, but he didn’t resist. His hands trembled slightly as he probed forward and grasped mine fully, as if confirming that I was truly there. The mont he did, a familiar sensation washed over —his divine mana. It flowed harmoniously within him, soft and pure, like the gentle currents of a tranquil stream. But the highest concentration of it...
I narrowed my eyes. His eyes.
"I-I’m blessed..." Cesio whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "I’ve been praying ever since the day you appeared four years ago, My Lord."
Four years ago? I tilted my head slightly, watching as his expression shifted into sothing deeply reverent. Though his eyes remained hidden behind the blindfold, I had the uncanny feeling that he was looking right at .
"You... sensed four years ago?" I asked.
"Yes, Lord, I did. Ah, I’m Cesio Childe." He spoke like an excited child.
"I know," I said and he bead.
His grip on my hand tightened. "You saved my life when the evil demon’s attack broke out right outside this temple. I was the closest to the corpse of the forr Pope, and the vile creature—th-the evil—was going to latch onto . But with your blessed Holy Water, I was rescued."
His words dripped with unwavering faith, yet I furrowed my brows, searching my mory. That battle had been brutal. Demonic energy had flooded the temple grounds, and I had acted swiftly to exterminate the creatures. But try as I might, I couldn’t recall this particular man being there.
Had he simply escaped my notice? Unlikely. His mana presence was strong—had he been there, I should have sensed him.
"I’ve been waiting all this while," Cesio continued, voice thick with raw devotion. "Praying earnestly to et you at least once in my life, Lord. Now I can rest in peace."
His hands clasped mine in both of his, warm and trembling.
So, he had been praying...
A strange feeling settled within . It had been a whim that led to visit the temple today, or so I had thought. But if his prayers had been this earnest, then... perhaps it wasn’t coincidence at all.
With my increased assimilation with the Dragon bloodline, was I now capable of hearing the prayers of those who truly called out to ?
It would explain how I had sensed Kai’s pleas when he was tortured here. His cries had reached even when I hadn’t been listening. If that were the case, then...
Would Kai be considered my first devotee?
I turned my attention back to Cesio. His mana pulsed in a steady rhythm, filled with divinity. If he had been present during that battle, then I should have noticed his presence, yet I hadn’t.
Sothing didn’t add up.
"Open his stats."
A blue panel materialized before , letters glowing softly in the air.
[Na: Cesio Losna Childe.
Age: 30
Specie: Human (Pope).
Magic: None.
Power: Divine Mana, Purification, Healing, Blessing, Eyes Of Perception.]
Class: Archmage.]
I narrowed my eyes. Eyes of Perception?
"What do they do?"
The system responded instantly.
[Eyes of Perception bestows the vision of energy and aura. The user can see auras, emotions, or life force of the beings around them. They can also detect hidden entities, spirits, or energy sources.]
My eyes flickered to his blindfold. So that’s why, despite being blind, he can still ’see.’
But then—if he had been splashed by my Holy Water during that battle, shouldn’t his sight have been healed? My mana wasn’t weak. If it had been capable of cleansing demonic corruption, restoring flesh should have been trivial.
So why was he still blind?
Cesio’s voice trembled with anticipation. "Please say sothing, Lord."
I t his expectant gaze—or rather, the place where his eyes were hidden beneath the blindfold. The white cloth was still damp from his earlier tears, yet despite his blindness, he faced with a certainty that most sighted n lacked.
"Have your eyes always been like this?" I asked.
He nodded without hesitation. "I was born blind, Lord."
I had expected as much, but before I could say anything else, his expression brightened, and an almost involuntary squeeze of my hand followed. His excitent was palpable, radiating through the very air between us.
"But while I was praying to you..." His voice was light, filled with a joy so sincere that it made pause.
He smiled, his happiness almost childlike, and then continued, "While I was praying to you, I t another Dragon."
I stiffened. "You what?"
Cesio nodded, completely oblivious to the sudden shift in my expression. "He was happy with my devotion, so he blessed with a sight that allows to see the life force of people."
A Dragon...? My fingers curled slightly as I processed his words. Dragons were not beings that interfered lightly in the affairs of mortals. If one had granted him such a gift, there had to be a reason.
"Which Dragon?" I asked, my voice asured.
"I... I don’t know," Cesio admitted, shaking his head slightly. "But the first thing I saw when I received his blessing was a presence of pure gold. It was overwhelming—so bright and warm, like the sun itself."
Gold.
A flicker of recognition sparked in my mind. The description felt strangely familiar, tugging at a mory from years ago. Four years ago... when I had been possessed by the demon, when I had been saved. Could it be the sa presence?
"So, that Dragon blessed you with these Eyes of Perception?" I asked for confirmation.
"Yes, Lord," he said, his voice full of unwavering faith.
I sighed softly. The devotion in his expression was unmistakable, and despite my initial skepticism, I could feel the sincerity behind his every word. His cheeks were flushed with happiness, his body trembling as if he could barely contain his emotions.
And then—
[Giver of Gifts tells you that you should bless him.]
I blinked. "Wait-"
[Goddess of Wisdom agrees.]
I barely had ti to react before a third ssage appeared.
[Defender of Divine Glory says that the man has been praying to you for four years earnestly, so it is your duty to bless him.]
I exhaled, shaking my head. They were watching , waiting for to act. But then again, I was thinking of giving him sothing in return for being so devoted to .
Cesio was leaning towards , his hands still wrapped around mine, completely unaware of the divine intervention happening in my mind.
I reached out and gently placed my hand on his head. At the touch, he leaned in slightly more, as if instinctively drawn to the presence of my power.
"Cesio Childe," I spoke, my voice steady.
[The host is required to use their entitled na to bestow a blessing.]
I rolled my eyes slightly. "I know."
Taking a deep breath, I let my power flow into my words.
"I, Reina Aurelius, scion of the Supre Aqua Dragon, bless you with the power in . That whenever you gaze upon a soul, you shall see not just their life force, but the truth hidden within them—their intentions, their burdens, and their fate. No deception shall cloud your vision, and no malice shall escape your sight."
A surge of power rushed through , flowing into Cesio as the blue light wrapped around him. His breath hitched, and for a mont, there was a golden glow with blue spangles in the spot of his eyes. I could see the glow despite the blindfold.
Then, he gasped.
I could feel the change imdiately. His mana resonated with mine, and his entire body trembled under the weight of the blessing.
"Th-This...!" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I—I can feel it. Lord, this gift...!"
I withdrew my hand, watching as his fingers shakily rose to touch his blindfold. He didn’t remove it and he didn’t need to.
His new sight had already awakened.
"My Lord!" He almost fell to his knees again but I gripped his shoulders.
"Now, now, like I said don’t get on your knees, of soone saw you kneeling in front of it’ll be a headache for ." I said and he sniffled.
"All right, I understand, My Lord." He said and I sighed.
"I should leave now," I said and his smile faltered.
"A-Are you leaving already?" He asked and I smiled.
"You called for so, I ca but I do have so work so, I will need to leave now." I said and his face fell.
"But don’t worry, I’ll be listening to your prayers and whenever you feel like you need , call for . I will co." I said and his face brightened up again.
I patted his shoulder twice before I gestured for Lyall to move and we walked out of the Temple.
User Comments
0 comments from readers