Don't Be Holy! - Chapter 3
“So, you left him in the cabin?”
Village chief Brom climbed the mountain path with the aid of his staff. Despite his considerable age, years of traversing the mountains had left him as swift as any young man. In contrast, Eir, who was on her second trip up the mountain, lagged behind repeatedly.
Having suddenly expended her divine energy, her strength was depleted, and after dragging the man from the cliff to the cabin, she was on the verge of collapse. By the end, she was nearly hallucinating, seeing the spirits of her late grandmother and High Priest Magnar beckoning her from the beyond.
If only she hadn’t used her divine energy so recklessly. Grinding her teeth in frustration toward the unconscious man, Eir responded as calmly as she could.
“Yes. I was worried about the beasts gathering around him.”
“Did you take proper precautions? Should we fetch a doctor?”
“I treated him briefly.”
Still, he was a precious vessel chosen by the gods. Ignoring his injuries and leaving him untreated would surely incur divine punishment. So, she had hastily gathered whatever medicinal herbs she could find and administered them, though most of it had dribbled out of his mouth as he prayed whenever he had the chance.
“What kind of injury was it?”
Alf, walking ahead, suddenly turned back to ask. It wasn’t mere curiosity but a concern that this peaceful village might get swept up in trouble.
The villagers were devout believers who wouldn’t turn away an injured person outright, but they’d likely urge him to leave as soon as he recovered. Eir hesitated, thinking how best to answer.
If she told the truth, the villagers would quickly rid themselves of the man, as she hoped. But there was a risk he might die in the process.
On the other hand, letting him stay posed a danger of exposing her closely guarded secret. Torn between the greater good and her own safety, Eir finally sighed and replied.
“He seemed to have been attacked by a beast. Don’t worry.”
Hearing this, they visibly relaxed, their shoulders lowering in relief.
“If Eir says so, it must be true.”
Their steadfast trust in her wasn’t so much about her character as it was a conclusion drawn from three years of observing that she was incapable of lying.
However, Eir wasn’t entirely unable to lie. Depending on the severity of the falsehood, she faced varying degrees of ‘divine punishment’, which she generally tried to avoid.
‘But this time, it’s to protect a divine messenger, so surely I’ll be forgiven?’
Trying to convince herself, Eir maintained a composed expression.
After walking for some time, they reached the cabin.
Alf and Peter, who had gone in to carry the patient out, soon emerged with puzzled expressions.
“Is this the guy?”
Hurrying over to check, they found not an injured man but someone slumped against the wall with his hands bound behind him like a criminal.
“You said you saved someone, but this looks more like you hunted him down.”
Alf sighed, his face growing serious as he turned to Eir with a furrowed brow.
“Did he try to harm you in any way?”
“N-no. It’s just that after I gave him a stimulant, he started thrashing around in pain.”
Eir offered an awkward excuse. No matter what, she couldn’t paint the divine messenger as some sort of brute, so she hastily cobbled together an explanation. The villagers’ expressions only grew more dubious.
Who ties up a patient just because they’re thrashing around?
“He needs to conserve his energy.”
Eir added shamelessly, her calm tone prompting reluctant nods from the villagers. Still, a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of how painful her divine punishment might be this time.
Thus, the great hero Rubel Shinote was transported to her house, bound hand and foot and gagged like a prisoner.
After their arduous trek down the mountain, Eir offered the villagers water to quench their thirst. From her spot, she noticed them huddled around Rubel’s bedside, curiously observing him.
“Is he a young man from the neighboring village? With a face like that, he’d have caused a stir if he lived nearby.”
“Exactly. How did he end up here alone and get mauled by a beast on that mountain?”
“Although, he does look a bit familiar…….”
They tilted their heads, scrutinizing the unconscious man’s face. Though they didn’t recognize him, something about him struck a chord of familiarity.
It wasn’t surprising.
This man was a hero of the nation, one of its most prominent holy knights. Anyone who had seen the knights’ triumphant return to the capital, with Rubel atop his horse enduring the rain of celebratory flower petals, would never forget his face.
If the village chief had gone to the capital last year, he might have glimpsed Rubel by chance.
Realizing that his identity might be discovered, Eir quickly intervened.
