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* * *

I quickly set out to find Bael. There were countless questions I wanted to ask him about divine power, especially since he had mentioned in his letter that he was worried about me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something might be wrong.

Lily had told me that as soon as Bael arrived at the estate, he had asked for me, but upon hearing that I was speaking with the Duke, he headed to Axel’s room instead. However, when I reached Axel’s room, it was empty. It seemed our paths had crossed. When I inquired with a servant, I was told that they had gone to check on Eugene’s condition.

Eugene still hadn’t regained consciousness and was lying in the annex. Leonid and I visited him every day to keep watch by his side, but he remained unresponsive. It was frustrating not knowing why he wasn’t waking up. The doctor who examined him said that Eugene’s body was in perfect health and that there was no medical reason for him not to open his eyes. It was as if he were in a deep sleep, the doctor explained. Despite consulting multiple physicians, all of them echoed the same opinion.

‘I hope Bael knows the answer.’  

With urgency in my steps, I soon arrived at the annex. I hurried to the room where Eugene was lying and flung the door open. Inside, I saw Bael sitting by Eugene’s bedside, holding his hand and carefully assessing his condition. Next to him, Axel stood with his arms crossed, his expression grave.

“Bael.”  

I approached cautiously, not wanting to interrupt, and softly called his name. Bael, still holding Eugene’s hand, turned to me and asked,

“Reshia, I heard you used your divine power in a very unusual way.”

“Uh, yes… Do you think that’s what caused the problem?”  

Feeling a bit nervous, I glanced at Bael. He had put so much effort into teaching me how to properly wield divine power. No matter how urgent the situation had been, I had ignored everything he had taught me and used the power recklessly. Considering that my actions had left someone unconscious, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he was angry with me. I braced myself for a harsh scolding.

But to my surprise, Bael shook his head gently, his expression as calm and kind as ever.

“No, that’s not the issue. Eugene’s condition isn’t bad at all. In fact, it’s exceptionally good.”

“Exceptionally good?”  

Then why isn’t he waking up? I blinked in confusion, and Bael gestured toward Eugene’s hand, indicating that I should take hold of it. I hesitantly placed my hand on Eugene’s, and it ended up with both Bael and I holding his hand together. At that moment, Bael began to channel divine power, gently enveloping Eugene’s body with it.

Though he wasn’t physically touching Eugene, it felt as if he were softly caressing him with divine energy. The sensation was so palpable that the word “caress” seemed the most fitting.

As I quietly observed Bael’s energy, he began to explain in a calm, steady voice.

“Typically, when we use divine power, it’s done like this—raising the energy within ourselves and using it to soothe and heal the other person’s body. But how did you use your power, Reshia?”

“I released the energy outward, and then tried to push it into Eugene’s body…”

I could feel the crucial difference. I frowned slightly, realizing my mistake as I spoke.

* * *

“I see, I ended up infusing divine power into Eugene’s body.”

“Yes. It’s a situation similar to what Reshi experienced before. A large amount of divine power suddenly entered his body, and he couldn’t control it.”

“So, can Bael fix it like he did back then?”

“Well… that’s somewhat problematic.”

Bael looked at Eugene with a rare dark expression.

“This boy’s body is excessively pure. Human bodies possess various energies, but his body has almost none, and the energies are only very faint.”

“!”

Bael’s explanation reminded me of the purification rituals Eugene was forcibly subjected to during his childhood. I quickly turned my head to look at Axel, who seemed to have the same thought, staring back at me with wide eyes. As our eyes met, both Axel and I exclaimed the same word simultaneously.

“Vessel!”

“Vessel!”

Axel recalled hearing Duke Kloiche talk about a “vessel.” At that time, I didn’t understand what he meant, but hearing that Eugene’s body is excessively pure, all the puzzle pieces suddenly fit together.

“To put something new into the vessel, we first need to completely empty what’s already inside.”

Axel nodded slightly at my words. Bael seemed confused, as if he didn’t understand what Axel and I were discussing. But for now, explaining that was less important than Eugene’s condition.

“If this child is truly the vessel for the Mad Dragon…”

Just moving Eugene to the Ivory Tower significantly disrupted the enemy’s plans. Yet, they hadn’t made any moves for several years. I could speculate on two reasons.

First, there were other humans suitable to be vessels, so they didn’t need Eugene.  

Second, the Mad Dragon wasn’t ready to enter a vessel, so there was no need to rush.

I weighed these two possibilities.  

“Considering Eugene’s recent strange behavior, the latter seems more likely.”  

If they could have used another human as a vessel, there wouldn’t be a reason to reach out to Eugene again. Thus, merely protecting Eugene might be enough to prevent the resurrection of the Mad Dragon.

“On the other hand… if this child dies like this…”  

I couldn’t bring myself to continue thinking that and shook my head. No matter how much I value efficiency and practicality as a former dark mage, I didn’t want to think like that.

“…Anyway.”  

I took a deep breath and said,  

“What’s the problem with waking Eugene? What’s wrong with him being excessively pure?”

“Being pure means there are no energies that should be present. Reshi’s divine power is filling that empty space. Normally, divine power can’t be transferred to others or contain others’ divine power, but strangely, Reshi’s divine power has taken root well in Eugene’s body.”

“Oh… why is that?”  

I tilted my head in confusion, unable to find any clue, and Bael let out a deep sigh.

“Reshi.”

“Yes.”

“When you used your power, you felt something being sucked out of your body, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Such a phenomenon usually occurs when divine power is used within the allowable range…”

Bael looked overly cautious and glanced at both me and Axel. Frustrated, Axel struck the wall with his fist, making a ‘thud’ sound.

“Are you going to keep dragging this out?”

“…In such cases, it can start to consume the life force of the priest.”

I blinked in surprise at Bael’s unexpected words.  

“Does that mean my lifespan is shortening?”

“Yes. But Reshi, your lifespan is somewhat unique, so it’s hard to say for certain. Have you noticed anything unusual?”

“Unusual…?”  

I quickly opened the message window to check my remaining subscription period. Fortunately, it hadn’t suddenly decreased or anything alarming.

“My lifespan seems to be fine,” I said confidently, trying to reassure Bael and Axel, who were both watching me with anxious eyes. But just as I spoke, I felt something wet trickling down from my nose. At the same moment, Bael and Axel’s faces filled with shock.

‘Huh?’  

Instinctively, I raised my hand and wiped my nose. When I looked at my hand, it was smeared with dark red blood.

‘Oh no!’  

What is this?  

Startled, I quickly looked up at Bael and Axel, but before I could fully process what was happening, my head started to spin.

“Reshi!”

“Hey!”

Their urgent voices sounded distant as everything around me faded to black.  

* * *

I jolted awake, feeling as if my entire body was being pulled by a powerful force. As soon as I opened my eyes, the strange sensation vanished instantly.

What lay before me was an endless white space that stretched out in every direction. It was a place I recognized all too well.

‘Wait a minute.’  

If I’m here, then…!

“Welcome back, subscriber!”  

A lively voice echoed in my ears the moment I realized where I was.

“Responsible for your Reincarnation Subscription Plan, the clever little helper from Heaven, the errand runner of the gods! The one and only idol of Heaven, ‘Serlus’ is here!”

The overly energetic introduction made me sigh involuntarily.

‘Did I die again?’