Chapter 7
It didn’t take long for people’s concern to turn into ominous speculation.
“I heard Commander Arle’s condition is quite bad.”
“They say there’s been no improvement even with the Saintess personally healing him?”
“Isn’t the current Saintess said to possess the greatest divine power in history? If even her healing isn’t helping…”
“Could it be that he was tainted by miasma in that demon den?”
“Hey now, you shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly!”
“Everyone knows what happened before. There was a Commander of the Holy Knights who was corrupted by miasma and slaughtered dozens of people…”
“Enough! I’m telling you, we’ll be in serious trouble if someone hears!”
Someone tainted by miasma.
That was the gravest stigma one could bear in this world where divinity existed.
The prevailing belief of this age was that such a person was no different from evil itself and couldn’t be saved even through divine power.
They said the symptoms of miasma corruption were the same for everyone.
Along with a fever, the eyes would turn dark red, and the person would lose all reason and indiscriminately attack any living creature before them.
Strangely enough, it was extremely similar to an Esper going on rampage.
Arle hadn’t shown any symptoms like the latter yet, but people were afraid.
They feared losing the Commander of the Holy Knights, who was regarded as the strongest and most beautiful in history.
But even as concern spread like an epidemic, I scoffed.
‘Miasma, my a*s.’
Because I knew there was nothing like that inside a Dungeon.
There was only an unfamiliar space, countless monsters, and one extremely powerful monster called the boss.
Even so, I prayed every night.
‘Please, tell me it isn’t what I think it is.’
Arle might never become someone tainted by miasma, but there was still a chance he could become ‘something else.’
However, Arle’s condition showed no easy signs of improvement.
Not only the Saintess, but all the high-ranking priests tried healing him day and night, yet his fever showed no sign of breaking.
Even the Saintess herself was wasting away alongside him.
She barely slept and remained by Arle’s side almost constantly. Yet nothing improved.
Everyone in the Holy State was swept up in a grave atmosphere.
Some were already whispering that perhaps they ought to begin preparing the Commander’s funeral.
How many days passed like that?
While wiping down a pillar with a rag, I heard the priests talking excitedly.
“Commander Arle woke up a little while ago!”
“How could someone who was at death’s door just last night?”
“They say his fever broke at dawn today, and he recovered immediately?”
My heart dropped.
‘His fever broke, and he recovered.’
Just like the symptoms of an Esper’s first awakening?
Ignoring my heart pounding with anxiety, I followed the others to the prayer room.
The front of it was already packed with people who wanted to check on Arle’s condition.
“Excuse me, just for a moment!”
As I pushed through the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Arle.
‘…Commander?’
The fever that had flushed his skin red was completely gone.
No, if anything, his complexion looked remarkably healthy, as if he had never been sick at all.
It was an extremely positive sign.
Except for one thing.
All sorts of objects were floating around Arle, who wore a troubled expression.
“What is that?”
“How are those objects floating in midair?”
“Say, what is happening? Are we witnessing a miracle of God?”
Everyone gathered outside the prayer room looked bewildered.
It was only natural, since this was probably the first time any of them had ever seen such a sight.
But I, who wasn’t seeing it for the first time, covered my mouth with my palm.
‘Oh, my God.’
No matter how I looked at it, that was the unmistakable sight of a newly awakened Esper.
And one with telekinetic abilities at that!
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