Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 86
As she moved through the villages, she granted one wish in each village.
Of course, she couldn’t fulfill all the wishes due to the number of villages, but she did her best.
It was both her duty as a saintess and her initiation.
Some villages wished for their drying land to become fertile again, while others wanted the injured to be healed. Some sought blessings for their future.
Since she had used her powers before, Irene was now quite adept at performing miracles.
She made sprouts emerge from the barren ground and healed the injured in an instant.
“Oh, saintess!”
People who initially looked at her with skepticism would kneel and pray after witnessing the miracles.
“Saintess sent by the goddess, we believe in you.”
“There must be a reason you descended with the ominous symbol, right?”
Occasionally, she was faced with difficult questions, but Irene handled them with composure.
“Those who bear the ominous symbol are also people like everyone else. The goddess has said so, believe in her words.”
She couldn’t avoid taking a proactive stance, as it seemed that doing so would bring peace to others bearing the ominous symbol.
“The goddess is truly compassionate.”
Always by Irene’s side were Allen and Garan. Burt, on the other hand, kept a slight distance, observing her.
Allen’s presence made sense as he was a holy knight sworn to follow her. However, Garan’s constant meddling, despite having no need to stick around, was uncomfortable.
“Can’t you just stay close by instead?”
She had even spoken to Burt about it, but he shook his head.
“Having him this way makes it easier to keep him off guard.”
Thus, the pilgrimage group passed through several villages and headed for the capital of the Eastern Kingdom. The capital of the Eastern Kingdom had a different charm compared to the central area where the temple was located.
“The houses have a unique design.”
“But aren’t they magnificent? According to legend, the eastern, western, southern, and northern kingdoms were once separated by the sea. Because of that, each has its distinct culture. And I proudly say that our country is the most magnificent of all.”
Garan’s face was full of pride as he spoke.
To others, his expression might seem impressive, but Irene felt nauseated. So she turned her head without saying anything.
The day to bring down the first king was drawing near.
* * *
In a small room at the very top of the tower, surrounded by brick walls, there was a tiny window the size of a hand.
Light would briefly shine inside from that window before disappearing. Thus, the time when the light came in was extremely precious.
Although it was too far to directly feel the sunlight, just seeing it was a comfort.
The man chained in the tower with short shackles and handcuffs was named Guy, Garan’s older brother.
As Guy blankly stared at the light, memories of the past came flooding back. Days when he walked on soft carpets instead of the cold stone floor, smiling at his mother.
“Mother.”
Only his mother had loved him, despite the ominous symbol he was born with. She protected him from threats and tried to ensure he lived comfortably.
But that happiness didn’t last long.
After his mother died, he plunged into despair almost immediately. Neither his father nor his only brother, Garan, listened to his pleas.
‘But I understand.’
He was born with the ominous symbol. He was not a being permitted by the goddess.
Because of that, his mother might have died early.
Thinking this made him want to die immediately. Yet, when he considered death, he hesitated.
Having tasted the light, he was afraid to step into a death where only darkness existed.
“I should just die, just end it.”
Talking to himself was pointless; there was no one to listen. Someone did bring him food once a day, but they paid no attention to him.
Then, a bird poked its head through the tiny window.
It had been so long since he had seen an animal. Guy instinctively beckoned to the bird.
As if understanding his gesture, the bird slipped inside. It approached Guy and opened its beak.
─ Hello.
What came out of its beak was not a bird’s chirping but a human voice. Guy looked at the bird with a wary expression.
─ I am Burt, the king of the North.
Burt. He vaguely remembered meeting him at a gathering of kings when he was very young.
His father had wanted to leave him behind, but his mother insisted on taking him and introduced him to them.
“What do you want?”
Guy asked in a cold voice.