Forsaken Priest of the Hero's Party-Chapter 11: A New Miracle

Roka’s confidence continued to grow.

Although she always stayed close to me, she now was able to leave the house and visit the Market district.

Now she told me what she wanted to eat and picked out the clothes she wanted to buy.

Of course, she was still afraid of others,

But instead of running away, she would simply grab the hem of my clothes.

“I am Master’s.”

......It was a bit troublesome when she came to claim my lap whenever I sat down,

It seemed that now was the time to start educating Roka.

It’s a process that every person should go through.

Education is only useless for those who think of themselves as savage beasts.

That’s why I had been content on pushing this matter till later, but if Roka wants to live as a Person,

Then there are things she must learn.

Among them, literacy is the most basic.

“Hmm...”

Well, at least there was a time when I thought that.

“Roka...You’re a smart girl, but...”

The Child shook her head desperately.

Less than one hour after I took a book, Roka was already at her wit’s end. Her face was full of reluctance. While she would continue to study if I told her so, I didn’t want to do that. If I kept ordering her, then there was no need to burn the slave contract in the first place.

“It seems you aren’t interested in this.”

“......You’re not disappointed, are you?”

“Of course not. However, you will need to learn how to read and write. Letters are the key to learning. If you don’t know how to read, you cannot acquire knowledge, and if you don’t know, your thoughts become simple and narrow.”

As Roka started to fidget, I reached out my hand.

Only after I stroked her head, did she relax. What a cute wolf.

“Master. Are you going to get rid of me, if I don’t learn?”

“Only you can decide when to leave my side, Roka.”

“Then I’ll stay with you forever.”

Her tail stood up stiffly. She seemed to like that conclusion.

“That’s why it doesn’t matter if I learn all the letters. Since I’ll always be by your side Master, if there are letters I don’t know, I’ll just ask you.”

“Sigh...I see. Well, at least for now you aren’t interested in learning how to read then.”

While I want her to learn how to read and write, I couldn’t force her.

Much of this child’s life has been lived without freedom.

As Mr. Rubert informed me, beastkins grow faster than humans. So, Roka’s childhood won’t last much longer.

It’s my duty to let her spend that remaining childhood freely and happily.

“You, me, and the others might be wrong sometimes Roka.”

Then, what should I do?

I know what. I should pray.

“But even if I don’t have the answer. The Lord will know.”

My Lord. Could this be the third time?

For the third time in my life, I wish to ask for a personal miracle.

Not as lone Priest of the God of Hope.

Nor as your Apostle.

But just as the human, Kyle.

As a simple man, I offer You this prayer.

Even if You don’t grant this small wish of mine. I shall continue to be part of your flock.

I shall be your faithful Apostle.

Life can be cruel. And everyone will suffer misfortunes during their lives.

But this child already went through much. May I ask you for a small reward for her suffering?

This ignorant servant begs you.

As I felt the Roka’s warmth on my lap, a familiar drowsiness came over me.

By the time I finished muttering the prayer in my mind, my eyes closed pleasantly.

Yes. I know this feeling. My Lord beckons me.

When I opened my eyes again,

Countless eyes, be they small or large, were staring at me.

*****In a place devoid of a sky or earth.

In an emptiness where I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality.

A mighty Tree stretched far beyond what I could see. In its branches stood countless eyes. Every single one directed their gazes at me in unison. On the Titanic Tree’s trunk, an eye much larger than the rest opened.

“It’s been a while. Angel of the Lord.”

There was no need to be afraid of its appearance.

For this being serves the same Lord as I.

My Lord doesn’t need the faith and adoration of humans. Naturally, the Angels under him are the same.

Since they don’t need our faith, there’s no reason to appear in a beautiful form tailored to fit a human’s desires.

They simply appear as they are, or as my mind comprehends it.

-Apostle. Your prayers have reached the Lord’s ears. By his command, here I am.

As the Angel spoke, I couldn’t help but laugh. Overjoyed at this news.

The Lord has heard my prayers once again. I’m beyond grateful.

-The Lord has seen fit to grant you another miracle.

“May I ask what kind of blessing is it?”

-Offer thy soul. Dedicate thy hands, let them be fruitful, for thy work is blessed.

Then, from nothing, a sapling sprouted. A new possibility bloomed.

What was once just a hypothesis, a possibility, gained form as a new stem and spread out towards the void.

Let the phylogenetic seedling be with you.

Those who wish to use the seedling must receive your permission.

Oh, my Father, great of the greats, who resides outside this world.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

Words cannot describe my gratitude for your grace.

As I closed my eyes and thanked the Lord, the Angel continued.

-Apostole. The Phylogenetic Seedling is a miracle that forsakes causality. Do not overuse this power that brings results without cause.

“I didn’t ask for such a dangerous miracle, but...”

-The Lord has seen fit to grant you this boon. So you shall accept it. How will you use it and what will happen henceforth, is up to you, Apostle.

The Angel’s warning couldn’t be ignored.

Because even when I received what I believed to be the most powerful miracle at my Lord’s disposal, The Observatory of Celestials Dreams, the Angel never warned me against overusing them.

-Should you abuse the Lord’s boon, the Results of twisting the greater order of the World shall be catastrophic. For your world cannot handle the power of the Lord in its entirety.

“I will keep the Lord’s will in mind.”

At that moment, the Angel disappeared, and I also woke up from my dream.

Looking at Roka, who was now sleeping on my lap, I smiled.

No matter how much I thought about it, I still couldn’t comprehend my Lord’s designs. Therefore, all I could do was live this present to the fullest.

Phylogenetic seedling. The Lord’s answer to what I asked for.

The angel told me not to overuse this new miracle, but my thoughts are a little different. The Lord is not one to give miracles that will not be used.

Of course, I should refrain from overusing it beyond the scope of its intended purpose.

I wonder why He gave me this miracle after I parted ways with Yurinel.

While analyzing the new miracle instilled within me, Yurinel suddenly came to mind.

Parnell and Lucia too. In fact, this miracle seemed more suited to use on those three than Roka.

Because it’s a miracle that gives more to those who have already achieved much.

So powerful that it’s incomprehensible, to the point where I can understand the angel’s concern.

I hope they’re all doing well.

Yurinel and her companions are probably enjoying their next adventures.

They are all outstanding people with remarkable talents.

Above all, the Saint will be with them.

Since they recruited such an esteemed person, chosen by the Goddess into their Party they surely must be achieving new heights.

I guess it’s okay not to pray for more blessings for them.

Even without the blessings of someone like me,

They’re the kind of people who will do well on their own.

Of course. They’re the heroes who lead this world.

So, I should focus on the people in front of me.

“May Hope be with you, child.”

I lightly tapped Roka’s forehead with my finger.

Until the day I withdraw my blessing, the Lord’s grace will follow this child.

Until you grow up to the point where you no longer need such grace, the Lord will watch over you.

*****“Oh? The candlelight is weakening.”

Deep in the mountains, Parnell who just returned to the camp was puzzled.

The force of the Candle of the Sanctuary, which always emitted a soft glow, shimmered.

“At this rate, it might go out soon...”

“Well, it’s only natural since Kyle left the party.”

“Hm...It can’t be helped. We’re already prepared for this eventually anyway.”

Parnell replied with a yawn.

“While he was good-looking and a bit talented...He didn’t fit with us.”

The party was on its way towards the Citadel, an independent Nation in the southeast of the Empire.

It hasn’t been long since it became a republic instead of a kingdom.

Yurinel was well aware of Parnell’s dislike towards commoners, so she didn’t say much.

Back then, Parnell used to ignore even her until she received her noble title.

“Anyway, we will meet with the Saint soon, so it’s not much trouble if the candle go out.”

Said Lucia as she touched the candlelight with her hand.

Even though her flesh was directly touching the fire, it didn’t burn, and the wound in her hand disappeared. While a surreal sight, they had grown used to it now.

“Where did you get that wound?”

“I have several weapons. I got slightly cut while sharpening a dagger.”

The dagger was coated with a deadly poison, but Lucia didn’t bother with taking an antidote.

Because no poison shall harm the body of those within the Sanctuary. It may not look like much, but this was also a Miracle.

A crystallization of mystery that a God bestows upon their chosen. That’s why although simple, the candle holds more meaning than what meets the eye.

Frizzle-.

The fact that such a candle didn’t burn out quietly but merely flickered slightly, means that the time for such a miracle is coming to an end. As the blessing disappears, only a weak glow remains tethered to the candle.

When even that vanished, the miracle crumbled like an illusion.

“Yes, because that Saint is coming.”

Yurinel who didn’t care about the candle muttered.

The Saint from the Nemi church, was still rather young, so she was protected since being chosen by the Trinity Church.

Thanks to that, they never met. But just hearing the word ‘Saint’ already invoked a certain feeling of trust for her.

Whether in terms of ability or power,

It’s a good thing that a Saint was joining the party. Compared to a person like that, this candle seemed like a trivial thing in Yurinel’s eyes.

Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among biological entities – often species, individuals or genes.

Basically it's a diagram/study that shows the evolutionary history of an organism, mostly used for plants and such from what I gathered.