Necromancer Of The Black Bible (54)

Erian woke up—far healthier than before.

It was probably thanks to the hundred-year ginseng she had taken before losing consciousness.

When she first opened her eyes, Erian didn’t recognize me.

She only blinked and asked:

“Who are you, grandfather?”

The moment her voice was heard, cries of joy came from outside.

Some called out to God, others simply wept.

Most only let out gasps of amazement.

When I brought Erian outside, the silent crowd erupted in cheers.

Then, seeing straight ahead, Erian ran forward.

“Daddy!”

Branch Chief Damir embraced her, tears streaming down his face.

As if unable to believe her recovery, he caressed her face again and again.

“Erian, are you alright now?”

“Yeah! I’m all better! My body feels so light!”

Erian spread her arms and spun in place.

Her bright smile and light movements.

A stark contrast to her frail self before.

Once they confirmed her full recovery, others approached.

Among them was Ray.

“Uncle!”

Seeing her bright smile, she seemed close to Ray. He too hugged her with moist eyes.

“A miracle happened. A true miracle.”

Ray checked her condition again and again.

Then he bowed politely to me.

“Thank you, High Priest. To bestow such grace again….”

Sincerity could be heard in his voice.

He seemed even more grateful than when I had saved his life before.

Likely because he cherished the girl that much.

But I doubted how long their gratitude would last.

From experience, people quickly forgot granted wishes—and sometimes repaid them with betrayal.

That northern village I once visited in a past life.

I still remembered the gaze of the boy who stabbed me there.

Was his name Kalik?

Before he stabbed me, I had shown him selfless kindness as he shivered and starved.

I brought him to the hut I shared with my master and cared for him for a week.

And a month later.

He stabbed us as we slept.

I still remembered what he said then.

S-sorry. Th-they said they’d give me money if I brought your heads….

The scar on my master’s face came from him. I had been stabbed just below the heart—close to death.

Had my master not healed me immediately, I’d have died.

My master broke Kalik’s neck on the spot.

From then on.

My master no longer showed kindness to anyone.

And I too lost sympathy for people after that.

They begged for help in hardship, but would gladly take the life of the helper when convenient.

I would never let it happen again.

I glanced at Sanchez watching from afar.

His bright smile overlapped with the smile of my master in a past life.

And then it struck me.

‘I changed the outcome—by my own hand.’

Erian did not die.

Thus Sanchez would not turn to black magic.

It was clear now.

I saved Erian to keep this timeline’s master from treading the path of black magic.

It was solely for my master—not for them.

So their gratitude didn’t matter.

As I collected these thoughts, Branch Chief Damir approached me.

With a bright face, he knelt and bowed.

“High Priest, I truly thank you. I don’t know how I can ever repay this.”

I hesitated on how to respond, but Nocturne whispered a convincing answer.

I replied as Nocturne suggested.

“I didn’t do this to receive anything. Confirming before all that Lord Kalios’s authority still lingers in this land—that alone is enough to be grateful for.”

When I clasped my hands, Damir and all the others followed, crossing themselves.

I recited the prayer Nocturne supplied, and when it ended, Damir rose with a resolute face.

“High Priest, as Branch Chief of the Black Leaf Merchant Guild, I will not let this pass. Whatever you ask of me, I will do.”

I smirked inwardly.

For a branch chief to be so reckless.

What did he think I might demand?

I met Damir’s gaze and replied.

“Can you stand by those words?”

His eyes wavered briefly, but with so many watching, he couldn’t retract them.

He nodded.

“Yes. I will.”

Many things could be read in his eyes.

Belief in my superior power, my rank and reputation as High Priest.

And beneath it, calculation.

‘He probably thinks a High Priest like Raiernov wouldn’t demand anything outrageous.’

He hoped giving what I asked would strengthen ties.

But what face would he make if I asked for the impossible?

I spoke to him with a serious face.

“If I said I would take Erian to the church, would you comply?”

Not such an unreasonable demand.

It was common here.

Entrusting a divinely healed child to the church was seen as natural.

But would Damir agree to that?

From what I’d heard, he had only just begun attending church—and only to save his daughter.

Not yet well-versed in faith or religion, how would he respond to my proposal?

As expected, Damir’s face stiffened instantly.

He could not answer easily, so I asked again.

“Then if I asked for your guild, would you give it?”

Again, Damir could not answer.

I patted his shoulder and continued.

“As the branch chief of a merchant guild, don’t speak promises you cannot keep. I’ll take only your goodwill.”

As I passed him, his voice rang out.

“I will give it!”

When I turned back, Damir repeated with a resolute face:

“My daughter, the Merchant Guild—whatever it is, I will give it, if that is what you wish, High Priest!”

Oh-ho.

An interesting reaction.

A declaration like that, in front of so many, could not be easily withdrawn.

Perhaps he would even keep his promise.

If so, I needed to cement it now.

I met his eyes and replied:

“I will remember those words.”

“Th-thank you.”

Damir bowed his head deeply, and I returned to the carriage with Sanchez.

When I climbed into the carriage and looked outside, everyone in the courtyard was kneeling and bowing toward me.

On the carriage ride back, a strange feeling came over me.

What was this?

Something refreshing, a sense of lightness.

And my heartbeat quickened a little.

With so many feelings crossing, I almost felt… happy.

‘What is this feeling?’

This faint fluttering in my chest.

Had I ever felt this in my past life?

Then Equinox’s voice came.

[That is pleasure—the pleasure gained from helping others.]

[Hard to agree. I didn’t help him.]

I had clearly demanded compensation.

Though whether he would keep that promise was uncertain.

It was not pleasure from helping others—but from achieving my goal.

I glanced at Sanchez beside me.

A smile rested on his lips.

I didn’t need to ask why.

“He is genuinely happy that Erian recovered.”

With his kind nature, of course he was.

Seeing this, one question was answered.

I had wondered why my master had taken me in, and now I understood.

‘I must have looked that pitiful.’

Nearly twenty years old, stunted, lame, and ignorant—I must have stirred his sympathy.

All things considered, I was lucky.

That I had met him before crossing paths with someone like Kallik.

I chuckled, and Sanchez, seeing it, laughed too.

Seeing that warmed me further.

[That is empathy. To share in another’s joy is a human ability. It is possible because all souls were once one. Even though they split and took separate bodies upon entering the world, they remember being one at the beginning.]

An interesting theory.

That human souls were once one.

How did Equinox know this?

[I was there when God created this world at the beginning. That is why I can tell you this.]

I listened silently.

It was a rare, intriguing subject.

Though I had read countless books in my past life, few dealt with the soul.

Equinox went on.

[We were all once part of God. The God who created this world made the six races and breathed parts of Himself into their bodies.]

[Why?]

[To become more complete.]

Equinox sighed, as if recalling a distant past, and continued.

[God sent His incomplete parts into the world to become complete. Through the rises and falls of joy and sorrow in life and death, He sought to give enlightenment—so that matured spirits would return to Him.]

[But He failed.]

[Unfortunately, yes. Souls tainted by chaos grew too strong, and God lost balance. In the end, God….]

Equinox trailed off.

But I knew the rest.

God died, and the Demon Kings who slew Him seized the heavens.

Now the heavens were held by the Great Demon Kings Illinas and Dikrea.

My master had known, which was why he bound himself to Dikrea early—and arranged for me to bind to Illinas.

[Though God died, the souls He sent remain in this world. For you to become the new God, Master, you must become their center. From that center, unite them, and lead them into completeness.]

Equinox’s words weren’t easy to grasp.

What did he mean by “unite” and “completeness”?

But one thing was clear.

[So, to become God, I must keep gathering souls.]

Equinox didn’t reply, but I could sense his agreement.

Then Sanchez spoke.

“Father Raiernov, I was truly moved today.”

“By what?”

“To see you heal a girl no one else could—so simply.”

“Was that my doing? No, it was Lord Kalios.”

At my reply, Sanchez shook his head.

“All priests heal in Lord Kalios’s name, but none as you do, Father Raiernov.”

I gave a faint smile.

I couldn’t smile openly.

Then Sanchez continued.

“There are many who seek healing. Starting tomorrow, may I bring them to the First Monastery?”

Before, I would have refused outright, but now things were different.

Most who could not be healed here likely shared a common cause.

‘They must be tormented by evil spirits.’

Evil spirits were still souls—and I needed them.

I didn’t necessarily want godhood, but gathering souls now would strengthen me.

And that strength would be my leverage against the Demon Kings.

I looked at Sanchez and answered softly:

“I will see them starting tomorrow.”