[Ariel's POV]
Blood... For some reason, I still tremble whenever I touch it or see it directly.
"Oaaakk! Oaaakkk! Oaaakk!"
The cry of a newborn baby rang out; a midwife had just brought the infant from its mother's womb into the light of this world. Its head was smeared with blood, its eyes were closed, and as the baby wailed, those around it wept with joy.
This was the sign that the child lived.
However, a sudden silence fell over the room, leaving only the sound of the infant's cries. A man approached me and shouted, though his voice felt distant, as if muffled by my thoughts.
"Sister Ariel! Please heal my wife!"
Snapping back to reality, I saw a woman drenched in sweat, her eyes shut as she breathed heavily. I moved closer and knelt, seeing the blood flowing between her legs. I hesitated for a moment, then turned to the midwife. "Please, can you uncover the area?"
The midwife nodded and handed the baby to the father.
Although I have managed to overcome my hesitation toward acts of violence, I am still not accustomed to the touch of human blood. The scent of blood signifies that someone is hurt, someone is dying, or that a corpse has been found. Nothing good comes from seeing blood around you.
And yet... after witnessing this birth, my aversion to blood began to fade.
"I have uncovered her, Sister," the midwife said.
Gathering Mana in my right hand, I began to recite the incantation to heal the lacerations.
"Healing Magic... Green Cure!"
Placing my hand near the mother, a soft green light emanated from my palm, causing the internal tears to close. For another Priest, this procedure would have taken five minutes. However, because I possess superior mastery over Divine Magic, it took me only one minute to complete.
Withdrawing my hand, I saw that the mother was no longer in pain; her breathing had returned to normal, and she showed no signs of trauma.
"Let the mother rest; she is likely very weak after losing so much blood," I told the father.
Healing magic only regenerates injured tissue; it cannot replace the blood that was lost.
"Thank you so much, Sister Ariel! You have been such a help to the villagers during your time here," the father said.
I simply smiled and nodded, preparing to leave. But as I reached the door, the father called out again, cradling his newborn.
"Sister Ariel, wait a moment," he said, bringing the baby before me. "Would you be willing to give our child her first name?"
I was startled by the request. "I wouldn't mind—I would be honored, sir. But why do you wish for me to name your child?"
"I believe you are a great person, Sister, and one day you will leave this village to become the most famous Priestess in the Empire!" the father exclaimed. "We want you to give her a name as a memory you leave behind. Besides, we can brag that our daughter's birth was witnessed by you! I think that will make her proud."
"Very well. Since your baby is a girl, I shall name her..." I thought for a moment, searching for a fitting name.
"Ariana..."
After I gave the baby her name, the father thanked me once more, telling me that my presence would always be warmly welcomed by the people of this village.
Having finished my duties, I headed back to the pickup point. Raul and several members were already waiting. I boarded the carriage Raul was driving, as the other carriages were crowded with men.
Once everyone was accounted for, we began our journey back to the city. Raul and I did not speak at all. Lately, he has looked more refreshed than usual. Over the past month, he was always difficult to find once a mission was over, and the next day, he would look exhausted and sleep-deprived.
Could he be involved in some specific activity?
A few nights ago, he suddenly came to me covered in wounds. I tended to him all night; he had sustained numerous magical and physical injuries. I asked him what had happened, but the black-haired man never answered.
Truthfully, he has remained a mystery to me for the past year. I still remember when we were friends. He used to be like Brian—always sticking close to me. No matter where I was, he was there. We were such good friends until everything changed when Brian entered my life.
He became a nuisance, pushy, and constantly picked fights with Brian. He even turned into the arrogant, cruel noble I came to despise.
But a year ago, Raul changed again, becoming quiet and mysterious. Although he no longer pesters me, he and Brian still argue constantly.
If only your attitude could be better than this, perhaps we could be friends again like we used to be.
I looked at his face; his expression seemed strange, as if he were anxious. What is actually on this man's mind?
"Hey, Ariel."
Suddenly, he turned toward me and called my name. Our eyes met, and I felt a bit flustered at being caught watching him.
"W-what is it?" I asked.
"Do you know how the First Saint—Yeriel—was able to summon the Goddess to descend to this world and appoint her as the first Saint of the Temple?"
"If I recall correctly, it was during the final battle at the Holy City of Notredame, wasn't it?"
At that time, the human alliance forces were surrounded by the Demon King's army. All hope seemed lost; it was only a matter of time before human resistance ended and the Demons claimed victory over the world.
However, amidst the slaughter, a woman prayed atop a mountain of human corpses. She prayed to the Goddess for humanity to be given a chance to fight back—a chance to live, to worship her, and to spread the teachings of goodness.
"The Goddess answered her prayer. Light broke through the dark clouds shrouding the night sky, trumpets sounded, and angels descended in ranks to welcome her."
There is a painting on the wall of the Main Temple in Notredame that depicts this legend.
"And in four days, it will be the annual ceremony commemorating the Descent of the Goddess and the Ascension of the First Saint... In other words, the Night of Blessing, where the Goddess will choose a new Saint."
I imagined that wondrous sight—the majestic Goddess slowly descending to the battlefield right before Saint Yeriel. For a thousand years, she has been the only one with the honor of being chosen directly by the Goddess, earning her the title of the holiest woman among the holy.
***
[??? POV]
After resting for a few hours, my wife finally woke up and was able to hold the child she had brought into the world.
"Look, she's beautiful, just like you, isn't she?" I said to my wife.
"She is, but she has your narrow eyes, James! By the way, what is our daughter's name?" she asked.
I told her about Sister Ariel giving our child her first name.
"Ariana, hm? It's a good name," my wife murmured. "I must thank Sister Ariel if she ever returns to the village."
As we were celebrating the birth of our child, there was a sudden knock at the door. I hurried to the front and peeked through the door's knurled hole, but no one was outside. Was it just my imagination?
After confirming there was no one there, I went back into the room with my wife and child.
— Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound returned. I grabbed a sword and walked slowly to the front, peeking through the hole once more. Again, I found no sign of anyone. Opening the door, I stepped outside to see who was playing tricks on my house.
"Come out, whoever you are!" I shouted, calling out to whoever was knocking.
Despite searching all around and shouting, I found nothing near our home. After a few minutes, I went back inside.
— Knock! Knock! Knock!
Hearing the knock for the third time, I ran to the front and threw the door open.
"...!"
I was frozen in shock by the sight of a terrifying, 2-meter-tall monster resembling a praying mantis, its arms shaped like jagged scythes.
I turned to dash back to the bedroom, but my left shoulder was suddenly impaled from behind by the creature.
— Krik! Krik! Krik!
"Linda! Take the baby and get to the village center, now!" I roared.
I plunged my sword into the mantis's abdomen, forcing it to release its scythe-like grip on my shoulder.
"James! What's happening!?" Linda cried out, horrified to see me covered in blood.
"There's no time to explain! Run with our child! I'll hold this monster back as long as I can!"
— CRASH!
Suddenly, the sound of a wall collapsing echoed through the house. I hurried Linda toward the back of the house to escape through the rear door.
"Run as far as you can! Don't look back!"
— Krik! Krik! Krik!
It wasn't just one monster; four of the hideous creatures had breached the house and were now tearing through our kitchen. They spotted us and began to crawl slowly forward.
"I won't let you hurt my family!" I screamed, lunging at them and swinging my sword at one of the beasts.
The mantises hissed in anger and attacked simultaneously. One of their scythe-like limbs tore into my side, making it difficult to keep fighting.
But I cannot give up here! My family is in danger if I let these monsters do as they please!
"Die, you monsters!" I managed to hack off the head of one of them.
However, that move left my guard open. Another mantis drove its scythe through my chest.
My body collapsed to the floor. The mantises began to feast on me from the top down, and my consciousness slipped away as I lost too much blood.