A Snake’s Life Ch 73

Chapter 73

 

“I didn’t take you for the charitable type, yet here you are, volunteering in such a remote place. I’m surprised.”

“I was deeply moved by Your Majesty’s actions. That’s why I made this decision. But now that I’m here, I find myself lamenting my ignorance. I had no idea so many people were suffering like this.”

Though his tone was more accusatory than praiseful, the Pope responded with composure. Zerpell scoffed with a laugh that seemed to warn him against acting foolish.

“It must weigh heavily on you.”

“It’s fine. Surely God wishes to bestow mercy upon all. Don’t you agree?”

The Pope said this while looking at me. The arrow had now turned toward me. My expression immediately soured. Even after seeing my reaction head-on, the Pope shamelessly continued speaking.

“Your Majesty, I’ve heard the rumors. With the Divine Envoy by your side, your path is sure to be smooth.”

The Pope smiled as he spoke. It was hard to tell whether his words were a warning or flattery. Zerpell changed the subject.

“More importantly, what’s the situation? I heard it hasn’t been easy to resolve, which is why you requested Shuiren’s help.”

The Pope’s face darkened. He nodded gloomily and spoke.

“For some reason, the entire village has fallen ill. Our priests are doing their best, but there’s no clear solution. There are temporary effects, but the symptoms always return.”

“What symptoms, exactly?”

“Coughing. But it’s quite severe. Some even begin coughing up blood. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem contagious, but still…”

“Have you consulted a physician?”

“We are using the power blessed by God.”

A priest standing beside the Pope suddenly interjected. It seemed that physicians were regarded as being far beneath them. Zerpell let out a quiet sigh and spoke, reprimanding the priest.

“So, you didn’t consult a physician. That’s what I’m hearing. Identifying the symptoms properly and determining the illness should be our top priority.”

“The divine power clearly works. We don’t need a physician’s help.”

“How dare you speak so rudely to His Majesty? Compose yourself.”

The priest raised his voice, seemingly offended at being dismissed. The Pope tried to calm the priest down in response to Zerpell’s scolding. He defended the priest as he spoke.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. He is a devout youth and reacted too strongly. There are no physicians here. Or rather, we had one, but he has since returned to God’s embrace.”

The Pope placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head as though mourning the physician. One of Zerpell’s eyebrows arched upward.

“You didn’t request aid from the neighboring territory?”

“Somehow the rumors were distorted, and they now fear it to be an epidemic. No one has come.”

“…Are you certain?”

Zerpell narrowed his eyes, studying the Pope intently. The Pope gave a bitter smile and nodded. Did he really ask for help? Doubts swelled. Zerpell seemed to share them as he sighed softly and spoke again.

“So, you said Shuiren’s power was necessary? You claimed that once Shuiren arrived, salvation would come?”

“Isn’t that only natural? He is the Divine Envoy. Surely he can save the faithful. He possesses a power far beyond ours, so he should be able to cure their illness completely.”

The Pope said this while staring at me. Zerpell’s exasperated sigh didn’t seem to reach his ears.

“Divine Envoy, please save the faithful. Their faith in God is unmatched. Please, stop their lives from flickering out.”

A dry laugh escaped me. Did the Pope really use divine power for the sick? I doubted it. If he had truly labored over the ill, his pristine white robes wouldn’t be so spotless. I dusted off my seat and stood.

“Alright. I’ll go take a look.”

I said it with confidence.

“Shuiren…”

“It’s okay.”

Zerpell looked at me with concern. After seeing the state of the tent earlier, he probably had a worse picture in mind. The Pope lowered himself and led the way. It was the same place as before. The priests were channeling divine power into two people at once. There weren’t enough priests for the number of sick, so each held the hand of a different patient and channeled power simultaneously. The villagers were clearly in pain, but the priests themselves looked pale and on the verge of collapse.

I approached the priest who looked the most serious. Though someone poked his shoulder from behind, he didn’t even flinch. That’s the dedication of a priest, I thought. I glanced behind. The Pope was wandering around, offering words of comfort to the priests, but he never actually used his divine power. Only when I grabbed the priest’s hand did he open his eyes to look at me.

“Oh? Divine Envoy?”

“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Why don’t you go rest? I’ll take over here.”

“An honor… cough cough”

The patient who saw me opened his eyes wide. He tried to speak, but his throat caught and he began coughing. I helped him sit up and patted his back.

“Don’t speak. Just stay still.”

I did as the priest had done earlier, channeling power through my hand. From what I’d heard, the illness was quite serious, so… I wasn’t sure how much power was appropriate. This much should be fine, right? I channeled a significant amount. The area briefly brightened before dimming again. The patient, who had been lying still with eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. I was startled, wondering if something had gone wrong.

“A-Are you alright?”

I helped him sit up. The patient felt his own hands, his body, then his throat. In an emotional voice, he said,

“I—I’m healed…”

Did I use too much at once? His face looked even more energetic than a healthy person’s. I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. I’ll ease up next time. He dropped to his knees in front of me.

“Thank you so much!!”

“Please, don’t do that. Get up…”

He continued to express his gratitude profusely. The surrounding atmosphere grew lively.

“As expected of the Divine Envoy. Unlike us, he heals in one go…”

The sound of clapping grated on my nerves. When I turned around, the Pope was standing right behind me. He smiled broadly, but in his eyes gleamed a strange desire. My brows furrowed.

“Even with such recovery, you say it’s only temporary?”

Zerpell, standing beside me, asked the Pope. His expression turned solemn.

“That’s right. It’s frustrating not knowing the cause.”

Zerpell studied the Pope’s face carefully, then pressed his lips into a grim line.

I quickly moved to tend to more patients. Even as I sent some away, others kept arriving. It was hard to ignore those struggling to breathe. I poured out power until I was exhausted. When I glanced to the side, Zerpell was nearby, gathering information from the priests and villagers assisting with care.

Each time I healed someone, noise followed behind me.

“Truly incredible, as expected.”

The priest who had been shadowing the Pope kept muttering behind me. His constant chatter grated on my nerves. Was he spying on me?

“Thanks to you, Divine Envoy, so many—”

“What are you?”

“Ah… Your Majesty…”

Just as my irritation reached its peak, Zerpell appeared at my side and sharply cut him off. I turned at the commotion. The priest was flustered at the sight of Zerpell.

“A-Are you speaking to me?”

“Who else here is standing around?”

Zerpell shot the priest a cold glare. The priest clamped his mouth shut. When Zerpell looked around, the priest did the same. I also glanced around. The priests were busy channeling divine power or tending to patients—helping them drink water or patting their backs as they coughed violently.

“Everyone else is tending to the villagers, yet your mouth seems busier than your hands.”

The Pope also approached at the sound of commotion.

“Your Majesty, is something wrong?”

“Isn’t this a time when even one extra hand is valuable? Yet I see someone idle.”

The Pope looked at the sweating priest. While everyone else was busy, only the Pope and his attendant stood around.

“If you have time to chatter, go and help.”

“Yes!”

The priest’s face turned pale. With a loud response, he scurried away and clumsily began channeling divine power to a patient. The Pope watched for a moment before apologizing to Zerpell.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I failed to supervise properly…”

“Pope. Did you exhaust your power before Shuiren arrived?”

“……”

“I only say this because someone who should be leading the priests isn’t using divine power himself. If you’re unwell, perhaps you should rest.”

Zerpell’s words stirred unease among the other priests. I caught them casting subtle glances. The Pope’s gentle smile cracked. I could see the veins bulging in his hand.

“……”

“Was I mistaken?”

“I was shortsighted. But it’s not enough to trouble Your Majesty.”

The Pope turned sharply and approached a patient, as if to prove something.

“My ignorance has caused you to suffer.”

“N-No, not at all.”

The patient waved his hands in denial and bowed his head as if honored. I was too stunned to laugh. The Pope’s hand lit up briefly before he stood again. Where he had knelt, a black stain remained.

“Thank you.”

“Thank God for His mercy.”

A nearby priest handed him a handkerchief nervously. The Pope wiped his hands clean without a care, glanced at his robe, and stiffened upon seeing the stain. With a smile that curled only one corner of his mouth, he addressed Zerpell.

“You’re right, Your Majesty. I was short-sighted. But I bear the responsibility of overseeing this place. If I collapse, that would be disastrous. That’s why I conserve my power. I now have another matter to attend to, so I must excuse myself.”

The Pope bowed, but Zerpell merely looked down at him. Without making eye contact, the Pope turned and left. Zerpell’s loud tongue click was obvious. I stuck my tongue out at the Pope as well. Watching him flee gave me an odd sense of satisfaction.

“Should’ve left sooner.”

The words slipped out of my mouth.

“Shuiren.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. If you collapse, we’re in real trouble.”

He approached and gently stroked my hair as I knelt beside a patient. I tugged at his collar and whispered in his ear.

“Master, you were cool—especially when you put the Pope in his place.”

Zerpell smiled faintly at my words.

“I couldn’t let you shoulder this alone. I’m not happy he ran, but… Shuiren, I’ll investigate the village to find the cause. I’ll leave Wol and Pol to watch over you. If anyone gets on your nerves, let me know.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Zerpell gestured for Wol and Pol to stand guard behind me. Then he left with another priest guiding him. With the nuisance gone, things went smoothly.

“It’s finally over!!”

I straightened my aching back. At that moment, bells began to chime. Though they rang with a clear, pleasant sound, my body felt oddly lethargic. Had I overexerted myself?

“Divine Envoy, thank you for your efforts. And right on time too. Shall we go eat?”

The priest who had first guided us stood nearby.

“You’re Reute, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Great. I’d love to eat. But what’s that sound?”

The bell continued to ring. I tried to brush it off, but it irked me. My stomach also felt unsettled.

“Ah, that’s the church bell. It signals mealtime.”

I looked around. People were slowly getting up. Before I could even ask where to go, Reute gestured with his hand to guide me.

“I’ll show you the way.”