Chapter 38 - The Artifact 🔥
I slowly lowered my hands.
The white glow faded from the woman's body.
The sickly look she had earlier had disappeared, and her complexion had returned to normal.
"Thank you, Priestess Aurora," the woman said gratefully.
I gave her a warm smile.
"You're welcome," I replied, then moved on to the next patient.
I had been using my divine power all day, yet the number of sick villagers continued to increase.
I took a deep breath, feeling exhausted.
If only I had the artifact...
With it, my divine power would have been a hundred times stronger.
I wouldn't have to exhaust myself like this just to heal a few people.
Thanks to Rishima, wherever the hell she was, I hadn't been able to do what the Queen had ordered me to do.
Queen Nadia had promised to make me a saintess in exchange for dealing with Rishima.
Everything was going smoothly because I was keeping an eye on her, but then she suddenly disappeared and everything became complicated.
I couldn't find her. I even tried the risky move of approaching the Duke of Grimaldi just to learn her whereabouts, but I got nothing.
I let out a quiet sigh.
I had kept sending letters to the Queen, hoping she would at least give me some instructions.
But I hadn't received even a single reply.
I clenched my fists.
How annoying...
I pushed the thought aside and continued using my powers.
By afternoon, I had already healed countless villagers.
My body felt completely drained, and even channeling my divine power was becoming difficult.
Just as I was about to take a short break, a villager approached me.
"Priestess Aurora, we've prepared a meal for you as a thank you for helping us," she said with a grateful smile. "Please join us."
She gestured toward a nearby table.
I followed her gaze.
There was a bowl of soup, some vegetables, and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
A few other villagers were already seated around the table, waiting for me.
The food looked warm and inviting.
I hadn't eaten much, and I was hungry.
For a moment, I considered joining them.
But my body was already exhausted, and the last thing I wanted was to sit among the very people who had caught the disease.
Besides, we still didn't know how the disease spread. I didn't want to risk exposing myself to it.
"Thank you, but I don't think I can eat right now," I said politely.
The villager looked a little disappointed.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Yes. Please don't worry about me. I'm just going to rest for a little while."
"Of course," she said with a small smile. "Then please get some rest, Priestess Aurora."
"Thank you."
I turned away from the table and made my way toward the tent that had been prepared for the priests and priestesses.
I stepped inside and let the tent flap fall closed behind me.
Finally, I could rest without anyone bothering me.
★★★
A few days later, more villagers had fallen ill.
The priests gathered near one of the houses where several sick villagers had been brought together.
I joined them to help treat the villagers.
I knelt beside one of them. I was about to place my hands over her body when I recognized her face.
My eyes twitched.
She was the same woman who had invited me to the meal the other day.
I looked at the other patients.
They were the same villagers who had been sitting around that table.
How annoying.
I had already healed them, and they were sick again.
Some were clutching their stomachs in pain, while others struggled just to breathe.
I let out an irritated sigh.
Thank goodness I hadn't eaten with them.
If I had, I might have ended up lying here with them, writhing in pain and struggling to breathe.
Just the thought made me shudder.
I quickly pushed the thought aside, placed my hands over the woman, and released my divine power.
A soft white glow spread across her body.
I focused on healing her, barely paying attention to the voices and footsteps around me.
Then I heard someone mention Lord Cassian.
My hands paused for a moment.
Lord Cassian?
I turned my gaze toward the sound.
A carriage had just arrived near the house.
Duke Cassian stepped out first.
But my attention quickly shifted to the woman who followed him.
Who was she?
She had long black hair that fell neatly over her shoulders and striking red eyes that looked almost identical to the Duke's.
She was dressed simply, but there was something elegant about her appearance.
This was the first time I'd ever seen the Duke arrive with a woman.
She couldn't be his sister, though, because I'd heard he was an only child.
I frowned slightly.
Duke Cassian was known for being cold and intimidating.
I'd seen him at the temple before, but even then, I had never dared to approach him.
I wanted to.
After all, who wouldn't want to get close to a man with such high status, wealth, and a handsome face?
But whenever I saw him, I could never bring myself to even greet him.
There were rumors that he had no interest in women. Countless noblewomen had sent him marriage proposals, but he had rejected every single one.
I couldn't help but wonder how this woman had managed to get so close to him when I couldn't even bring myself to greet him.
I watched them for a moment before turning my attention back to healing the villagers.
After finishing with the woman, I noticed a trace of vomit beside the patient next to her.
I frowned.
They needed to be cleaned up.
"I need to get some towels and a basin to clean them up," I said, quickly standing up.
"I'll help you," the woman who had arrived with Duke Cassian offered.
I paused, slightly surprised by her offer.
Perhaps she wanted to show off and make the Duke see how helpful she was.
I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
Still, I agreed.
"Alright."
I led her toward the small storage area behind the house.
Once we reached it, I picked up a basin and a stack of clean towels.
The woman reached for the basin.
"I'll carry it," she offered.
I immediately took the basin from her.
"There's no need," I said coldly. "I can handle it myself."
She froze.
I glanced at her, already irritated.
"If you're only here to show off in front of Lord Cassian, you can forget it," I added.
I turned away from her and walked back toward the house.
I didn't hear any footsteps behind me.
She must not have followed me.
It's not like I care, though.
When I returned, I saw Duke Cassian speaking with one of the priests.
I glanced at him.
His gaze moved across the area as if he were looking for someone.
For a moment, I found myself hoping his gaze would fall on me.
After all, I knew I was beautiful. I was used to men noticing me wherever I went.
But then his gaze shifted toward the area behind the house.
My expression stiffened.
He was looking for her.
The woman who had arrived with him.
My annoyance grew.
What was so interesting about her that she was worth his attention?
After a while, the woman finally returned.
She immediately walked over to Duke Cassian.
The priest he had been speaking with soon excused himself, leaving the two of them alone.
They began talking.
I couldn't help but observe them from a distance.
What were they talking about?
I stood by the doorway for a while, keeping an eye on them.
Then the woman suddenly glanced back toward the house.
Our eyes met.
I stared at her with a cold, displeased expression.
She quickly looked away.
A moment later, another villager was brought in.
I frowned.
I had already healed so many people, yet more villagers kept falling ill.
How many more was I supposed to treat?
I let out an irritated sigh and turned my attention to the new patient.
Before I could begin, Priestess Dianna approached me.
She held out a small pouch.
"What's this?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," Dianna replied. "Someone handed it to me and told me to give it to you."
I frowned but took the pouch from her.
I opened it and pulled out a folded note.
The moment I saw the handwriting, my eyes widened.
I knew that handwriting.
It was from Queen Nadia.
"I need to use the bathroom," I said quickly.
Without waiting for a response, I hurried away.
Once I was inside, I quickly unfolded the note and read it.
We found her, but she escaped.
Use this to draw her out.
My heart began to race.
Rishima.
I looked down at the pouch in my hand.
I turned it over, and a necklace fell into my palm.
A blue pendant hung from a delicate silver chain, with strange symbols engraved on the back.
I stared at it for a moment before putting it on.
The moment the necklace settled around my neck, something inside me suddenly stirred.
My eyes widened.
I had never felt something like this before.
Then suddenly-
A brilliant white light erupted from my body, accompanied by a radiant golden glow.
The light continued to expand, growing brighter and brighter until I could no longer see anything around me.
A smile slowly spread across my face as I stared at the blinding light in amazement.
So this was the artifact...
I reached up and grasped the pendant.
It was far more powerful than I had imagined.
I struggled to remain standing as the overwhelming power coursed through my body.
"Priestess Aurora!"
Someone called my name from outside.
I could hear hurried footsteps approaching.
I tried to steady myself, but my body felt heavier with every passing second.
Slowly, my vision began to blur.
The last thing I felt was the immense power surging through my body.
Then everything went black.