Because I wasn't sure if it had really stopped moving, I still tightened my muscles and didn't dare to relax at all.
Ethel seemed stunned for a moment, but she quickly floated over, and then the entire spirit penetrated its body.
I raised my voice slightly, and then used the remaining wind element to pinch a wind shield in my hand that could be triggered instantly just in case. Although it was actually useless for defense, it at least gave me a little bit of safety. feel.
Walk in, walk in, then come closer,
Until he stopped next to this tall body.
Its skin seemed to have lost its vitality, taking on a lifeless gray color.
I cautiously poked it with my sword, and finally found that it was indeed indifferent to my actions.
Probably indeed "dead".
While I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, the pain in every part of my body hit my nerves like a tide.
The fierce fight just now made me temporarily forget the pain, but the pain was still there no matter what.
I leaned against the pit wall suddenly, breathing heavily.
The violent inflow and outflow of gas made my lungs feel a little painful, but I can now calm down for the time being.
Ethel floated over with some worry and asked with concern: "Are you okay? You don't look good..."
"It's okay, compared to the pain before -"
I coughed violently, and spit blood mixed with phlegm onto the ground.
I originally planned to just let things take its course and say something like, "Don't worry, I'm fine." But now it seems like I can't be a hero, so I'd better tell the situation honestly.
"...Forget it, my current situation is indeed quite bad."
I grinned and said, "Come to think of it, you seemed to have said before that you could heal something?"
"No, that's right! But I haven't used magic in I don't know how long it's been."
"Magic? Are you a nun?"
Ethel was stunned for a moment and said: "What is a nun? But I am indeed the young priest in the village."
"...What is a young priest?"
We have entered the blind spot of knowledge.
Ethel looked quite surprised and said: "Does even the young priest no longer exist in this era?"
"Maybe it evolved into another name." I said slowly.
Probably due to the loss of blood, my body temperature is slightly lower than usual.
My mind was also groggy, so it took me a long time to realize what the obvious name of Priest actually meant.
"A person who worships gods..."
"Yes! Is there no priest in the village now?" The expression on Ethel's face could not tell whether he was anxious or crying.
"There is no priest... To put it simply, that thing should be called a 'priest' or a 'bishop'."
"Oh! Would God's father do something like that?!"
"That's not what I mean literally... In short, the functions are probably the same as those of a priest."
"That's great." Ethel crossed his hands slightly and showed a heartfelt smile, "It seems that God is still taking care of us. It's really great..."
"······"
"Is that guy the culprit who destroyed the village?"
Ethel smiled, shook her head and said, "I can't remember clearly."
"I don't understand why the village became like this, why I became like this, and who that guy is."
"It was just when I opened my eyes that I saw the world."
I leaned against the pit wall and turned my head to look at her.
"Yeah······"
"Have you ever tried to go out?"
Ethel was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Get out?"
"Just take a walk and see if this boundless world is really boundless."
Ethel showed a thoughtful expression and said, "Ah, I tried that a long time ago, but unfortunately when I reached a certain limit, I suddenly returned to the big tree."
I can't get out.
"That would be troublesome." I sighed.
Until now, I don’t know how to get out.
Are you really just waiting here like Ethel said?
Just when I was deep in thought, a soft power penetrated my skin.
Because there was no hostility, my originally relaxed nerves didn’t even react at first.
When he came back to his senses, he found that Ethel was holding up his hands next to him, and gentle power poured down from them.
"The magic...no, it's still different from what those priests use."
Because he was considered a brave man, he had glimpsed the Pope from a distance even if he was just going through the motions.
And this power gives me the feeling that it is purer and gentler than the power possessed by the Pope, and it is not as inclusive of all things as natural magic. It seems to be a more righteous and peaceful power.
"You're awake!!!" Ethel seemed to be about to cry. "You just suddenly closed your eyes without any warning! You scared me to death!"
"...Really?" I straightened my body slightly and my mind became a little clearer, "I don't feel anything at all."
Or is it probably only one step away from death?
"I'm actually trying to think of a way." I smiled, trying to ease Ethel's panic, "At least I have to think of a way to get out."
In other words, it may not be possible to take it out at all.
Because I realized something.
This ritual has not stopped yet.
All ritual cores have been destroyed, and the ritual product has ceased activity.
Logically speaking, it is no longer possible for this ritual to continue.
unless--
Unless what constitutes this world is another set of rituals.
In addition to providing it with rituals to shape the body, there is still a ritual to form the entire world.
······ha.
No, Cebolos has said it from the very beginning.
The function of this ritual is to construct a pseudo-underworld, and the reason why it exists here is simply because it can take advantage of the environment of the pseudo-underworld.
I picked up the watch again, and the hands on the watch were still spinning slowly as if they were broken.
Ethel's magic has made my health better, but at the same time, I also have a question.
Why can ghosts still use magic?
Will a sincere person be favored by the gods even after death?
But if that's the case, why is there the underworld?
The soul... after all, cannot be regenerated.
So it is impossible for God to care for the soul because it conflicts with the working pattern of the underworld.
There is only one maximum possibility.
The power Aesir uses comes from the world itself.
Or more simply.
Ethel is the key to this ritual.
That would explain why there is a soul that is completely outside the control of the ritual controller existing in this place.
