Chapter 25

“The head priest is praying today too.”

Hanna and the children, unable to go out to the village due to the plague, sat in the garden and watched the situation at the temple.

The nursery was built a bit higher than the temple, so if you sat in the garden, you could see the temple from there.

Today, Cesar was moving around and reciting prayers for the people queuing at the prayer room and at the entrance.

As Moisei said, he has been showing his face so much that he feels like he should take a nap for the second day.

“Imitate the Head Priest and grow up to be good people too.”

“You said we’ll be food worm someday.”

“Didn’t you also say we waste away rice?”

“You also said we’re just bedbugs.”

The children who heard Hanna’s words before were happy then.

‘No. Did I say such harsh things?’

Hanna was surprised that she said that.

I should have been careful with what I said in front of the children.

It was time to look back on one’s carelessness.

‘I shouldn’t be a person who talks carelessly as a teacher. I’ll reflect on myself.’

Hanna quickly admitted her fault.

“How long will the disease last?”

Marsha said in an uneasy voice, “I heard hundreds of people died in Sosolti Village.”

Jeremy said, shaking his feet while lying down on his stomach.

Please don’t roll your feet like that. Jeremy…?

“The disease will gradually get better here too.”

Ian said in a dry voice.

“You have to be careful, too. Don’t meet people, don’t eat just anything, and make sure to wear warm clothes when you go to the temple. Okay?”

She was paying attention to hygiene to prevent the children from getting sick by boiling the water they drank, but her anxiety continued.

“But the number of people in the temple is increasing.”

“Yeah. Is it because everyone is anxious?”

As if the crowds gathered on the first day were just the beginning, the temple was getting more and more crowded.

“There’s a rumor that you don’t get sick when you come to the temple.”

“Huh? Where did you hear that?”

“It is in the sword art book Moisei gave me.”

“Do you really believe that the Goddess prevents infectious diseases?”

If that’s the case, how great would it be if She* didn’t let the epidemic go in the first place? (She, as in the Goddess.)

Hanna looked at the goddess statue at the entrance of the temple.

“However, the number of patients in our village is not increasing significantly.”

“Really?”

It was still good news.

“In other villages, as soon as the epidemic broke out, believers were taken to the central temple one after another.”

“What do you mean, it’s amazing that you don’t get sick when you’re mixed with infectious disease patients in such an environment.”

No matter how different the world is from modern times, it was too old-fashioned.

“I guess that’s why there’s a rumor that this is the place where the Goddess grace fell. Look over there. There are people who aren’t villagers.”

“Other villagers are coming?”

“They’re from a port village.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

I don’t memorize all the villagers, and it isn’t written on their forehead that they are port villagers.

Ian’s guess was amazing.

“The material of the clothes is different. You wear boots like that in fishing villages, but you can’t get them near our village.”

“Oh, really?”

Ian’s eyes were amazing.

I just felt that there were a lot of people, but when did he figure out all the clothes?

“That’s weird. How the temple has been intact.”

At Ian’s words, Marsha and Jeremy looked at Hanna.

“Huh? Why?”

“I think I know.”

“What is it?”

“I knew it. Is that it?”

“What? What?”

Hanna tilted her head and asked, but the children were silent.

Guys! Don’t just keep it to yourself and tell me!

“It’s so much fun that only you don’t know.”

Marsha giggled and laughed, and Jeremy began to smirk.

“…Ian, do you know it, too?”

When I asked with doubt, Ian’s corners of mouth went up faintly. “You all… Are you bullying me?”

This is unfair.

“Teacher, aren’t you going to give out cold tea today?”

“Oh! It’s already been that long?”

Hanna took cold tea to the temple every afternoon.

I didn’t even know that time was up because I was talking in a daze.

“I need to boil the water first. I should get going.”

“Go ahead.”

The children said goodbye to Hanna, who stood up in a hurry, and Hanna headed to the kitchen in a hurry.

“I guess I was too greedy.”

Moving more tea than usual was not an easy task.

Hanna was wiggling and taking a big pot.

“Argh!”

At that moment, someone grabbed Hanna’s shoulder, and Hanna’s body faltered.

Fortunately, she was barely able to balance at the hand of someone who supported her waist.

“What are you so surprised about?”

It was Cesar.

“I was worried that I’d spill the tea.”

Hanna put the teapots she was holding with both hands on the floor and looked at Cesar.

“Oh, my. What’s wrong with you?”

He was breathless like boiled spinach.

“I feel like I’m going to die.”

“I think you’re already dead?” He has a paleness that could not be seen in a human being.

Zombie. Isn’t he just like a zombie?

“Give me some water.”

Cesar spoke in a dying voice as if he were asking for life water.

“Oh… Wait a minute.”

Hanna hurriedly took a ladle and spooned some tea.

Cesar took the tea to his mouth in a slow-motion, not even having the strength to lift the cup.

Gulp. Gulp.

His adam’s apple moved greatly.

Hanna was just watching how he drank it coolly and as he felt refreshed.

“Did you get some sleep?”

“No.”

I could guess roughly without answering, but I sighed because I felt sorry for the immediate answer.

“I do it while taking turns. Then, instead, another priest will go to pray to the Goddess first.”

“You’re very kind to your co-priests.”.

Cesar looked at Hanna, who seemed absurd, and leaned against the window of the hallway.

Cesar’s heavy eyelids, leaning with his arms folded.

“Do you sleep standing up?”

“I’m just closing my eyes for a while.” Cesar really closed his eyes after that.

Hanna watched him like that.

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Oh.”

When Hanna had no signs of movement, Cesar quietly opened his mouth.

As usual, Cesar was merciless when he got the tea he really wanted. Can’t you say goodbye to me?

Hanna’s lips are pouting.

“By the way, Cesar.”

“What?”

“I heard you’re a great person.” Cesar’s eyebrows wriggled a little. “You can block the demons with your awakened holy powers, right?”

Hanna’s eyes lit up, as if asking for a quick talk.

How fun it would be to hear a story from his own mouth!

Cesar’s closed eyes slowly opened.

“I know who talked about this.”

“Hey, don’t do that and tell me. How did you feel when you gained power?”

“What are you going to do about it?”

Cesar’s expression was still sour.

Don’t you feel excited and want to brag about yourself?

“I’m just curious. I’m sure everyone’s curious.”

Hanna smiled as if she were asking such a natural question.

“Usually, the temple was more curious about how much they would give me.”

“How much do they give you?”

Actually, I was curious about that, too.

How the temple treats such a talented person!

“They said that if I die, I will have a good seat in heaven.”

“Is that possible?”

Is it possible for gods and goddesses to trade places like that? Is it possible because it’s in this world?

“Can they do that?”

Cesar’s eyes were talking. ‘Are you a fool?’

“But do you have to keep living like that?”

Cesar narrowed his eyes, asking what nonsense I was talking about.

“I was wondering if you had to live like a sloth all your life to maintain the power that blocks the demons.”

“I was thirteen at that time.”

“Oh! Has your power increased since that time?”

“No.”

Then, age doesn’t have anything to do with it.

I tilted my head because I didn’t understand.

“It means that I am not as stupid and soft as I was then. It should be wiped out without wasting any power.”

“What?”

“I’m going to rip everyone off and kill them all.”

Hanna is speechless.

Cesar was evaluated as a true envoy of peace, but now Cesar was just Cesar.

Come to think of it, Cesar in the novel was a priest stained with madness to neatly exterminate the villains and find peace.

“Hmm.”

Hanna nodded.

Like a bear, people who do not react even when stabbed go crazy once their eyes are turned over.

I shouldn’t stress Cesar as much as possible.

“Sure. Stay healthy.”

I said with my heart more than any other greeting and picked up the pot.

In fact, as I picked up the pot, I glanced at Cesar with a small expectation of only 0.1%.

Usually, if it was another priest, they would have lifted or helped me with this heavy thing.

Whew.

Cesar flapped his hands.

A cold-hearted person.

But I thought there would be a miracle of 0.001%, so I put on a sad face.

It was because my arms were shaking.

“Can’t you just give me a hand?”

“What. I’m weaker than you.”

Cesar leaned his head against the window again and closed his eyes. There was nothing more to say. You’re right. What do you mean to a person who’s shaking and lifting a big pot?

“I’ll get going.”

Eventually, Hanna carried the pot with her strong arms.

As Hanna moved away, Cesar’s closed eyes gradually opened.

His blue eyes moved along the place where Hanna passed.

Soon he lifted his left arm.

And when he expressed his holy power and clenched his hand, a golden light shone and is trying to achieve some kind of form.

Cesar regained his power.

In fact, he was really on the verge of exhaustion until he met Hanna.

Far from showing holy power, he had no strength to even lift a spoon. That was certain.

However, after drinking Hanna’s tea, his body was recovering as if he had a good sleep and woke up.

Cesar’s complex head hit the window.

He has a lot of thoughts.

His arm was twisted again, and his mind was twisting, too.

Tuk.

Cesar’s head knocked on the window for a long time.