Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 182

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After that, everything flowed as if it had been planned.

Once Chrome disappeared, Eir no longer needed to hide from the priests, so she deliberately rustled the bushes to make her presence known.

She had expected them to shout a warning like “Who’s there!” but instead, an arrow suddenly flew at her, startling her—though it saved her from having to act scared.

Eir jumped up from the bushes. She raised both hands in surrender, but the priests still stood cautiously watching her.

“I’m…….”

She tried to speak to lower their guard, but at that moment, something trickled down her face.

When she raised her hand to wipe it away, she saw blood smeared bright red on her palm. It seemed one of the arrows had grazed her cheek.

But the reason she paused upon realizing this wound wasn’t from pain or fear.

‘What happened to your face?’

It was because when Rubel had clicked his tongue in concern and brushed her right cheek, it had stung in exactly the same spot.

Rubel’s whispered “Does it hurt?” still sounded so vivid, as if she could still hear it. Had it not just been an unpleasant nightmare?

As she stood there dazed, the knights and priests facing her, perhaps feeling threatened, spoke first.

“State your identity. Who are you to be alone in these mountains?”

“I’m…….”

Eir started to speak but hesitated again. She wasn’t sure how to introduce herself here. Saying “I’m not a witch” wouldn’t work since they believed she was one, and giving her name seemed pointless as no one would recognize it.

She couldn’t possibly say, “I’m the subject of all those rumors. I’m the cause that made Rubel so lovesick he even held a Purity Rite.” That would be too embarrassing.

In the end, Eir decided actions would speak louder than words, so she took out the God’s Mirror from her back.

“What are you doing?”

“If you don’t stop immediately…….”

The knights, thinking she was up to something suspicious, aimed their bows and swords at Eir again. But then the priest, instinctively sensing divine energy, stepped forward to stop them.

“Wait…….”

Meanwhile, Eir quickly unwrapped the curtain she had torn off and held up the divine relic. Thankfully, the deity immediately bestowed its sacred power, making the mirror fragment reflect light brilliantly.

The divine light shone brightly upon them, causing them to pause and shield their eyes from the radiance. The area, partially covered in dark shadows due to the witches’ power, was instantly illuminated and purified.

“What is that?”

“Isn’t that the God’s Mirror?”

“Why does she have the God’s Mirror……?”

Only after the light faded did they speak in confusion, looking at Eir as if she were a strange person.

Though they couldn’t consider her a bad person since she was holding the God’s Mirror that had just displayed sacred power before their eyes, her identity was still highly suspicious.

Eir stood before them and calmly said:

“I wish to meet the Proxy. Would you take me to him?”

They cleared their throats uncomfortably and slightly withdrew their hostile attitude toward Eir.

“But who are you to possess such a thing?”

“An ordinary person couldn’t handle a divine relic like that.”

Ordinary people couldn’t possess exposed divine relics without special precautions. Relics would gradually become corrupted without someone with special power to handle them.

Witches wouldn’t mind since they controlled corrupted land and monsters, but having just confirmed that the God’s Mirror was properly emanating sacred power, they could hardly accuse her of being a witch.

Finally, they carefully examined Eir, who appeared covered in wounds as if she had barely escaped from somewhere.

Eir felt embarrassed by the way their gazes scrutinized each of Chrome’s handiwork, and habitually tried to scratch her cheek before remembering her injury and letting out a soft “Ah” as she lowered her hand.

“And also…… if possible, could someone please inform Lord Shinote, that is, Lord Rubel Shinote, that I’m alive? My name is Eir. He might think I’m talking nonsense, but…… just in case he’s worried…….”

The priests and knights stared blankly at Eir as she rambled on without making eye contact. They felt a sense of futility—the cause of their exhaustive search throughout the northern border for days had suddenly emerged from the bushes, seemingly unaware that she was the source of all this trouble.