I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

31 – 031. Blessing (1)

Blink.

Opening my eyes, what I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. The sweet scent of pristine white bedding filled this place, a place absent from my memories.

‘Am I… alive.’

The battle with the Blood Lion. After that, Ariel’s memories invaded my brain, and I lost consciousness at some point.

But seeing as I’ve woken up perfectly fine in this place… It seems my tenacious life has held on, thankfully.

“You’ve awakened.”

“……?”

A familiar voice came from beside me. Turning my head, I saw a woman with her usual expressionless face.

Is this her room?

It was a well-organized room. There weren’t any ornaments; only the bare necessities of furniture and supplies held their positions.

“……Why am I with Lady Maria?”

Maria, the room’s owner, was carefully, rhythmically polishing her sword. It was a priceless treasure of a blade even to a cursory glance.

“I… happened to come across you on the road, unconscious, Frey. This is Loven, the capital of the Archduke’s territory. The Archduke’s residence, in its center. It’s been a week since you collapsed.”

I nodded silently at Maria’s explanation.

“……Thank you. In that case.”

I continued, speaking with a trembling tone.

Considering the unfathomable experience I’d just had, I could tell that something had happened to Ariel. The phenomenon of her memories flooding my head like a tide was an experience I had never encountered in the ＜Silver Ring＞.

…At worst, she might have died instead of me.

“Ariel, how is Ariel? And what about Lancelot?”

“…….”

Maria turned her head with a heavy expression.

A rush of tension swept over my entire body in an instant.

Ariel.

A friend with a hamster-like feel, always smiling, yet seemingly cautious. It was her I was curious about right now. Going by my memories, something serious must have happened.

“Ariel, she…”

I watched Maria’s lips slowly open. It was then that her pink lips parted.

“She’s alive. Thankfully. For now, that is.”

“…For now?”

A sigh of relief barely escaped me before her next words sparked confusion.

If she’s alive, she’s alive. What’s with ‘for now’?

“Did you know? Lord Frey has once again narrowly escaped death. It’s likely that if not for Ariel, she would have certainly met her end.”

“Where is she, then? Where is she right now?”

“…In the Holy Kingdom, that is, at the Papal See.”

The Papal See?

The unexpected answer was quite shocking.

Ariel is a senior mage at the Helios Magic Tower. Naturally, if something happened to her, I thought the mages of Helios would protect her. But the Papal See, out of the blue.

‘Divinity. Did the priests recognize that trait?’

There was no other possible explanation. How absurd that she, who had lived her entire life as a mage, was now at the Papal See.

“I have to go see Ariel.”

“…”

I answered curtly and moved my body.

I didn’t know how Ariel had ended up being transferred to the Papal See rather than the Tower. But what was clear was that I had to meet her now.

“It’ll be difficult for you to see her.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Lord Frey’s friend has lost the source of all life as a consequence of using divine magic. The one who held onto her, as she stood on death’s door… was ＜Pope＞ Sullivan himself. Unless you’re a Cardinal-level priest, a visit is likely impossible.”

Pope Sullivan.

Suddenly, the name of a major figure I hadn’t anticipated popped out.

If it was someone of that stature, keeping someone whose source of life, that is, innate *qi,* had been lost from dying, wouldn’t be impossible.

However… he could only keep her from dying, but he couldn’t replenish the emptied innate *qi*, that was for sure.

“…＜Pope＞.”

In the original story, he was the only character who possessed the [Divinity] trait. Other than Ariel, who was supposed to have died before entering the mainstream, no other character possessed that trait.

“Then. Maria-nim said it was ‘by chance’, but how did the priests find us?”

“I do not know the details either. All I know is that they received a ‘Divine Revelation’.”

“A prophecy, a prophecy.”

The reason the Pope sought out and protected Ariel was because of a prophecy, they say.

Like the two people with the [Divine] attribute, maybe some god in the heavens was asking for help.

“Ah, what about Lancelot?”

“He’s outside. Look out the window.”

“Huh?”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Swwish!

…Come to think of it, ever since I came to, there’s been this unknown tearing sound echoing in the room.

I got up and slowly walked towards the window.

I must have been out for a long time, my legs were shaky for no reason, and I had to lean on Maria for support.

And then.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

“…Lancelot.”

The source of the noise outside the window was Lancelot swinging his sword.

Lancelot was practicing his swordsmanship, his face etched with deep guilt. It was as if he felt utterly helpless during the battle with the Blood Cult, the edge of his sword felt sharper than ever.

Thud.

“Frey!”

Was it because my face appeared in the window?

Lancelot, who had been training with a serious expression without saying a word, stopped his movements. Then, his gaze turned towards me, his face filled with deep worry behind the sweat.

“Wait there. I’ll be right up!”

He sheathed his sword and shouted loudly as he started walking.

“Maria-nim protected me and Lancelot. It seems like she even gave us holy water.”

“It’s just a whim. Didn’t I tell you? That my gaze will watch over Frey-nim.”

Squeak!

After that brief conversation.

“Are you alright! How’s your condition? Do you hurt anywhere?”

Lancelot, not even wiping the sweat from his body, appeared as he opened the door. He was so relieved that I came to, he approached me quickly with a look of relief.

“Luckily. I just have a slight headache, but other than that, I’m fine.”

“Whew! That’s a relief. I was so worried when you and Ariel lost consciousness.”

“…Ah.”

Come to think of it, Lancelot was actually there, a direct witness.

Not like Maria, who found us late… he was someone who watched the whole situation unfold.

“Explain it. What happened between me and Ariel?”

“Mmm. Alright.”

Lancelot, his face hardened, immediately started his explanation.

It seemed the rumors about him being surprisingly smart were true, his explanation was concise and clear.

“…So, Ariel used divine magic on you. At the cost of her own life… It was a scene that reeked of a miracle.”

“A miracle…”

Silently listening to his explanation, I could only groan.

There was no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation. The circumstances were clear.

Ariel la Helios. She had used divine magic, sacrificing her own life, to replenish the ‘innate true energy’ I’d depleted to defeat the Blood Lion.

Why? Why would she? Those kinds of questions didn’t surface. Lancelot’s explanation and the flooding memories made it all too obvious.

‘For…me.’

Truth be told, the ‘Frey’ she remembered wasn’t actually me.

The original Frey had met his end in an Orc prison, and the one who filled his place was a new Frey, laden with countless divine blessings.

Naturally, it was only reasonable that I wouldn’t feel much towards a childhood friend from the distant past.

But.

That didn’t erase her act of self-sacrifice.

Undeniably… she had risked her life. No. To be precise, she had thrown away her noble life without a moment’s hesitation. For me, who was dying, losing his life.

That meant.

It wasn’t the past Frey who was saved, but entirely ‘me.’

“What are you doing?”

“……?”

I cast a blank stare at Lancelot. He was looking at me, dumbfounded, seemingly unable to grasp the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“Pack your things.”

“……! Got it!”

*Thud!*

Lancelot, understanding my meaning, hurriedly left the room. Maria, who had been silently watching our conversation, slowly spoke.

“The Papal State isn’t an easy place.”

“I know.”

“It’s a place that only selected priests, or those chosen by God, can enter.”

“I’m aware of that.”

Maria, as if deep in thought, rested her chin on her hand and stared at me.

It was that gaze again, the one that seemed to see through everything. But unwilling to yield, I met her gaze head-on, unflinching.

*Thwack-!*

“Haa, haa! Frey! I’m ready to go. Let’s leave quickly.”

“……Certainly.”

It was when Lancelot, having finished his preparations in a flash, rudely burst open the door that Maria, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke.

“It’s possible that your firm intentions might face a wall of reality.”

“……?”

At Maria’s low voice, as if she had come to a decision, Lancelot and I turned our attention to her.

A wall of reality? Is she worried we’ll be turned away at the Vatican?

“I will accompany you both.”

“Y-your Grace!”

Lancelot exclaimed in shock.

I, too, was just as startled.

Maria Theresa von Britzhardt.

She wasn’t just any noble lady.

She was a symbol of the sword, her name echoing across the entire Western Continent and even the world, a hero known for her beauty and prowess, second only to the Sword Saint.

“With the weight of my name, I might be able to vouch for your identities.”

“……Ah.”

Though her voice was even, it was filled with warmth. I couldn’t help but feel grateful to her.

The ring and the elixir she gave, then protecting us while we were injured, and now, offering to be our guarantor for entry into the Vatican.

‘Our bro… No, our sis…’

It was a sentiment that almost brought tears to my eyes.

Of all the ＜Silver Ring＞ players, who could have imagined that ‘Maria Theresa’ would have such a pure heart? Perhaps, it was something only I knew.

“However, even with me, things might be difficult. The Holy Nation, the Vatican, it’s like that.”

“Y-your Grace, does that mean even with your guarantee, entry might be impossible?”

Lancelot, taken aback by Maria’s remark, asked.

“That’s fine.”

My short voice cut into their conversation.

*Swoosh.*

Both of their gazes snapped to me at once. It felt heavy, like they were wondering if there was any other option if things went south.

“Chosen of God.”

The name of blessing, only granted to God’s proxy… [Divinity].

And.

.

.

.

[ Divinity ]

Three stars floating in the sky.

You are the owner of those stars.

Rank: Mythic (UR)

Effect: Becomes the master of potent Divinity. Every word you speak is imbued with the Holy Spirit and you gain the power to perform miracles. You gain the power to distinguish the ‘Demonkin’.

“That’s me.”

I am that person.