Chapter 38
In this world, there exists divine power, and merely by being born in a nation that serves the gods, all citizens possess divinity.
However, simply having divine power doesn't mean one can use it. Only through tempering can one use it freely and increase it.
But occasionally, there are people like Emily who are born with this kind of disorder.
Originally, divine power swirls around the exterior of the body, and one must pull it inward to flow through the body's pathways.
Regardless, one must draw it into the body, but for Emily, that was blocked.
'So all I need to do is unblock it.'
Creak.
Emily ground her teeth, then feigned composure, wrapping herself in an awkward leisure.
"I'm fine! I won't hold you back! I'm confident I can fight better than Brans."
"The very fact that you're comparing yourself to someone like Brans is proof that you'll hold me back."
It was something that would have made Brans shed tears like chicken droppings if he had heard it, but fortunately only Callius and Emily were here.
"Are you going to abandon me? Tell me to just wait here until the war ends?"
"You're saying strange things. I never picked you up. To abandon when I never picked up—that's a contradiction, isn't it."
"Don't use difficult words when you're just a rogue."
"Then let me speak like a rogue."
I approached Emily and offered my hand, glowing with divine power.
"W-what?"
"I'm going to open your holy blood vessels."
"Huh...? Holy blood vessels? Just like that?"
"As you said, in your current state, you'd only hold me back, so I'm making you at least somewhat useful."
"...That's impossible. The patriarch told me too. He said that long ago, the Order would pour sacred water all over the body to open the holy blood vessels, but..."
Now there is no sacred water.
Therefore it's impossible.
That's what she must have heard.
However.
"I can do it."
In this world, only I can.
But it's not as simple as it sounds.
If opened artificially, one could become crippled.
And if the opened holy blood vessels don't heal, divine power leaks everywhere, mixes with blood, accumulates, and causes death.
Thus what's needed first.
Someone capable of fine manipulation of divine power. And second, someone trustworthy.
For holy blood vessels are a part that knights must protect as much as their dantian, next to their head and heart.
'And lastly.'
Is there preparation to completely heal the opened holy blood vessels.
In other words.
Is there sacred water.
And Callius was the only person in Carpe who met all those conditions.
It's a shame to waste sacred water, but it can just be made again.
Valterus's tears can be cultivated if specific conditions are met, and Callius knows all those conditions.
'I probably won't suffer fatal wounds requiring sacred water more than three times in this battlefield.'
It would be a lie to say it's not a waste, but this is a kind of investment.
As an adult, and as a pilgrim who wields a sword, there is an obligation to help a young and tender seed bloom under a solid foundation.
A frail girl who, more than anyone, bitterly realized her own weakness, and disguised her desperate desire not to be abandoned with a composure that didn't fit her body.
So that Emily could bloom properly.
"Give me your wrist."
"Can I really trust you?"
"If you want to live like that for the rest of your life, then don't trust me."
Emily hesitated for a moment, then held out her wrist to him.
"I'm Jervan. What I fear is not death or anything like that."
"I didn't ask."
"Ask me a little!"
"Then what are you afraid of."
"Being useless. I'm more afraid of that. So Callius."
So please.
"Make me useful."
"Then I'll tell you one thing too. You also become a useful sword to me."
Emily's small head nodded.
Then Callius's divine power seeped into the girl's body.
"Hah!"
As pure divine power seeped into Emily's body, the girl broke out in a cold sweat.
When pure divine power carved a path through the holy blood vessels that had never flowed before, unfamiliar pain and awkwardness coexisted.
But at some point.
Emily grew accustomed to the pain.
No, she felt ecstasy from the divine power flowing through her body for the first time in her life.
"Don't get carried away."
As much sweat as Emily was shedding, Callius was also sweating profusely.
Because Emily's condition was more serious than expected.
'It's not just one place that's blocked.'
As if someone had intentionally blocked them, multiple holy blood vessels were obstructed.
This wasn't a problem that could be solved by opening just one.
'This is maddening.'
Though he started with a light heart, as he progressed, anxiety writhed like a coiled snake waking from hibernation.
When the thought that if he made a mistake, she might die here rather than in the war dominated his mind.
Emily's holy blood vessel was opened.
"Cough!"
From the intense pain, Emily immediately vomited blood.
The satisfaction of divine power flowing through the holy blood vessel vanished without a trace, and her pale complexion changed to that of someone about to die.
'Not yet.'
It's too early to feed her sacred water.
"Endure it."
The blocked holy blood vessels were 7 out of hundreds of blood pathways. Only after opening all of them should sacred water be administered.
Callius's shoulders, with his hand placed on Emily's back, felt heavy.
But he must do it.
If he stops now, Emily will die without ever blooming.
Boom! Something inside her body surged as if exploding.
"Keuk!"
Pitter-patter. Falling blood droplets and a thick bloody scent stung the ears and nose.
But not yet. There's still a long way to go.
Right to the next holy blood vessel.
Boom! Boom! Booom!
The small body staggered as if unable to endure.
This much pain would make even a full-grown adult cry and beg to stop.
"Ugh, heup...!"
But Emily tried to endure.
If a young girl is trying that hard, how could I weaken.
I succeeded in opening all the holy blood vessels.
The time of endurance, maintained in silence, flowed sharply but not in vain.
Callius, who had successfully opened all the holy blood vessels, took out the sacred water.
"Drink."
Swish.
"Damn it."
Though he thought she was enduring well, Emily had lost consciousness.
She's already unconscious.
Her eyes rolled back, and the black blood she vomited from her mouth was enough to soak the floor.
Her condition is worse than expected.
No wonder she hadn't made a single groan since he opened the fifth holy blood vessel—she had lost consciousness.
Callius immediately fed her the sacred water.
He put his fingers into her mouth, let the sacred water flow in, and pressed down on her tongue.
She must be fed even if by force, or she dies.
But perhaps because he was too careless.
"Her breath..."
Emily's breathing stopped.
Callius spat out a curse and immediately breathed into her.
"Cough!"
Cough! Cough!
After vomiting a handful of pitch-black blood, color slowly returned to Emily's face.
Relieved for a moment, Callius grabbed the girl's wrist and infused divine power.
Not only his own, but he began to guide her divine power as well.
Following the path of the holy blood vessels, he slowly circulated it from the outside, gathering divine power and, little by little, directing it to the center.
To the dantian.
'Look at this.'
With just one guidance, the divine power had taken the lead. It surged rapidly like a fish meeting water.
"Don't get carried away."
Emily's holy blood vessels, just opened, hadn't been fully cleared.
Running that fast would actually make her prone to injury.
Treating internal wounds is more difficult than external wounds.
Right now it can be easily treated with sacred water, but there's no need to instill such bad habits from the start.
Callius guided Emily's divine power for one hour, then two, ensuring the opened holy blood vessels wouldn't become blocked again.
When the dripping sweat had cooled and a chill had settled over the entire body.
Gradually, a soft light began to glow.
From Emily's body.
A soft light of divine power flowed.
'It worked.'
The man who withdrew his hand from the girl's body sharpened his gaze.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked rough as if he hadn't slept for three or four days, but he had no regrets.
"Splendid."
The girl before his eyes was producing a dazzling light, shattering her own world.
A brilliant silver light.
Like a flower blooming, Emily was blossoming.
* * *
Booom—!
A massive frame collapses.
Blood-red fur was tangled over its body, and between the fur and leather covering its heavy form, there were clear signs of blade marks.
"Only wasted movements."
"But this much should be considered doing well. Praise me."
"Unnecessary. Consecutive strikes aren't a technique made to just wildly thrash your opponent about. It's a technique to hide one killing strike among dozens of feints."
"Stop nagging. I caught it, so it's fine!"
"On the battlefield, are you going to catch just one and die? If so, then do that."
"...Tch."
Before Emily lay a giant bear with a horn on its forehead.
It was a demonic beast, the original owner of the cave that Emily and Callius had entered.
It was a perfect opponent for Emily, whose holy blood vessels had just been opened, to get accustomed to her body.
'A bit undisciplined, but not bad.'
It was her first time ever handling divine power, so how could it be otherwise.
Even so, her talent is real.
The girl was already gathering divine power into her dantian as she pleased.
But it wasn't harmful.
'She's not a sword that can be taught by someone telling her.'
There are many ways knights train their swords.
There are innate and acquired.
Most are acquired, entering a knight's lineage, receiving sword instruction, and learning the sword path through training.
That would be the norm for most.
But not Emily.
Because the talent of the girl who had just bloomed was too dazzling.
Emily was an innate knight.
A talent that shouldn't be taught by anyone.
Simply put, she's a child who will do well on her own even if left alone.
'As long as I correct the habits that would form bad ones, she'll soar in no time.'
Unlike himself.
"Unlucky bastard."
"What? What did you say?"
"Demonic beasts can't be eaten anyway, so just skin it and take it as a souvenir."
"And this?"
"Good eye. A unicorn beast's horn would make a fine artifact, so it's better to harvest it. It will be useful."
Callius flipped the unicorn beast's massive body with one hand and began to skin it.
With skill that didn't seem like he'd only done it once or twice, he completely skinned it in the blink of an eye.
It was something that couldn't be easily done without considerable strength and dexterity.
"You try the horn."
"Yeah!"
Emily used the short sword Callius handed her—Zornik—to harvest the unicorn beast's horn without difficulty.
"Leave the tanning to Brans. He's pointlessly good at petty skills."
"Yeah! Are we leaving now?"
"Yeah."
Day is breaking.
Mornings in the north are late.
More time had been delayed than expected.
"Let's go."
"Yeah! Callius!"
The black-haired man and the girl stretched their shadows close together under the northern dawn that shone upon them.
* * *
A short while later.
Callius, who returned to the temporary barracks, was immediately summoned by Bernard upon his return.
Bernard had a pipe in his mouth, puffing out smoke.
"What is it? From the morning."
"That's exactly the problem since it's morning. What did you do with Emily!"
"...Are you worried I might have done something to that kid?"
"Tell the truth!!"
Did he eat gunpowder for breakfast.
His shout was like thunder.
Callius, covering his ears with his hands, confessed what happened last night before the old man could get even louder.
"What... You opened her holy blood vessels?!"
"Yes. I did a good deed, so stop looking at me with eyes like I'm a pedophile."
"Impossible! How could you have the skill to open Emily's holy blood vessels! If it were something else I might believe it, but..."
"...Did you think I opened something other than her holy blood vessels?"
"If not, then it's fine."
"Damn it, what do you take me for."
After Callius spat out a curse, Bernard must have felt apologetic inside, as he put down his pipe.
And he immediately ran out.
It seemed he wanted to check on Emily's condition.
It wasn't without a sense of unfairness, but the credit of a rogue is just that.
Crossing his arms and waiting for a moment, Bernard approached with a smile across his face and said.
"Callius. From what I've seen of you up until now, you weren't one to show kindness to just anyone. I don't know what method you used, but I must ask this. What was your motive for opening Emily's holy blood vessels?"
"It was just a whim."
"I too have carefully examined Emily's blocked holy blood vessels. Even a Paladin in the Master ranks would have said that fixing that depended on God's will. It surely wasn't easy. Am I right?"
That's true.
Emily nearly died in the middle of it.
And I was also exhausted.
"I think you already know. Right?"
"What are you talking about."
What does he mean by knowing.
"Stop playing dumb. Knowing your personality, I can clearly see you wouldn't go through such hardship even for your own flesh and blood. I'm saying this because I realized she's your own offspring."
If not that.
"Did Emily tell you?"
The truth is that.
You are her father."