The Priest of Corruption

The snowy mountains spewed forth a torrent of white, swallowing everything in its path without a second thought. The avalanche was growing rapidly, moving at a terrifying

speed. At this rate, we would all be swept away. If we were caught in an avalanche of this magnitude, I was certain everyone would die, except for me.

I needed to halt the avalanche, even if only for a moment. Was there a way to temporarily stave off this

I scanned my surroundings. The guards and my companions were fleeing, heeding my urgent warning. My gaze

natural disaster? No, there wasn’t.

landed on the back of Dachia’s head.

There it was. I sprinted after her.

Lady Dachia!

Dachia, who was running without looking

back, heard my call and turned her head.

“Yes?”

“Halt immediately!

“What?!”

Her voice was laced with confusion, but

she kindly obeyed my command. I grabbed her shoulder.

“Do you trust me?

“What? Why are you asking this all of a

sudden?”

Boom!

The enormous wave of snow was closing in at an alarming speed. I was running out of time to

explain.

“Listen to me!

Alright., alright!

I gestured towards the avalanche.

“You’ve always wanted an opportunity to use magic, haven’t you?

Now is your chance!”

Dachia-’s pupils quivered.

“What?! No magic

I know can stop an avalanche of this size!”

I met her golden

eyes and spoke with the utmost seriousness.

“Channel as much

magical power as you can and focus on stopping

the avalanche with a single

strike. It’s

the only way we can all survive, including you.

“But I’ll be drained and pass out! Plus, I can’t move while I’m

gathering energy!

I tightened my grip on her shoulder.

“I will protect you, no matter what.”

Her trembling ceased. Dachia bit her lip and

shouted.

'Alright, PH try! But you better keep your

promise! I’m putting my

trust in you!

I released her and smiled brightly.

“I hope you do.

Okay!

Dachia stepped forward. The ancient language

she murmured filled the

air, causing her magic

powers

to fluctuate wildly. Her silver hair sparkled and fluttered in the waves of

potent magic, gathering more and more. The surging magic power began

to spiral out of her control

but Dachia didn’t stop. She accelerated. Control was not crucial here.

The target was so massive that it was impossible to miss. Finally, the spell she had been chanting

was complete. Dachia gestured and yelled.

“Dieeeeee!!!”

I wasn’t sure if it made sense to call for the death of an avalanche, but somehow the completed spell began to work.

BOOOM!

Waves of wild flames clashed against the cascading snow. The wizard’s will stood against

an unstoppable natural disaster. She was pushed back, sliding on her heels, but her will

to save the others remained...

But it was still not enough. The snow began to engulf the fire.

“I said dieeee!

The exertion of magical powers beyond her limits caused

Dachia’s veins to rupture. Blood

flowed

as tears streamed down her cheeks, but still, Dachia didn’t stop drawing in mana.

“Ahhhhhh! ! !”

The flames of desperation flared up once more. The snow

retreated under the

fire, barely

half a

step away.

fKill.’

At this moment, Mother declared that Dachia’s worth had

increased by half a

finger. Three and a

half fingers in total.

Dachia took a step towards ten thousand divinity. Her body trembled. I held

her as she collapsed. Her fading voice whispered in my ear.

“Die...”

“It’s enough.

'...Really?

She had done well. With the time she

bought, the

others would be safely out

of the avalanche’s immediate reach.

'Absolutely.

Rumble!

The snow surged again. Now it was my

turn to use

my power. But first, one prerequisite was necessary.

Lady Dachia? Can you hear me?

There was no response. Thankfully, I

didn’t need

to knock her unconscious.

Rumble!

The snow was dangerously close now.

“Mother! Call it!

f Kill! ’

The air distorted, and a massive body fell. The Giant of Corruption roared.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaah! ! ! ”

“There’s no time for yelling! Protect me, now!”

“Gaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Recognizing the urgency, the giant dropped to its knees and shielded Dachia and me. The Corruption Arts activated in the darkness created by the giant. After accepting divinity to

the limit, it lifted my body. I

held Dachia and braced for the impending impact.

I shielded her with my body. It

was crude, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

Booom!

The shock of the crashing waves

swept over us.

*

Rustle.

The Giant of Corruption roared violently as his body pushed through the snow.

“Gaaaaaaah!!!”

With Dachia in my arms, I walked out along

the path made by the Giant of Corruption.

“Be careful. There might be people around.

First, take out the rocks.”

The giant pulled out the sharp rocks stuck

in his flesh. The open wounds healed quickly.

What was my

next move? The Giant of Corruption had helped me escape the worst of the situation, but the question of what to do next

loomed large. The avalanche had obliterated the

surrounding

area, rendering the landmarks I’d memorized utterly useless.

Ugh...J

At Dachia’s

groan, I swiftly gestured to the giant. The Giant of Corruption tore through the air, returning to its origin.

She regained consciousness shortly after. Her eyes fluttered open, and my reflection danced in her molten gold irises.

“Priest Marnak...?”

“Yes, it’s me.

“...Am I still alive?”

“You were unconscious, but for now, you’re alive. Can you move?”

After

attempting to move, Dachia responded in a somber tone.

“No...I

can’t move at all.”

“Your

condition will improve gradually.

It was clear that her magic was drained. An experienced

wizard could move even when their magic was depleted, but this seemed to be

her first experience with such a state.

By the way...J

“Yes, feel free to speak.

“I saw everything.

“What?”

Could it be? Dachia stared

“You summoned that ominous

directly into my eyes.

giant.

A chill ran

down my spine.

I had summoned the giant too

hastily and should have ensured Dachia was unconscious.

'Kill!!!’

Mother said

it worked out for

the best since

she didn’t

particularly like Dachia anyway, and she urged me to kill her

while she was

immobilized. But did I really need to kill

her? Should

I

take the chance

now, while she

was unable

to move, to end her life?

Dachia smiled

bitterly as she

saw that I was

struggling

with some decision.

“As expected

Priest Marnak isn’t a priest who worships

the Goddess of

Maintenance.”

That bothered

me.

“As... expected?

Dachia slowly nodded.

“Yes, as expected.

“Can I ask you why?

“Priest Marnak, I’ve seen a few

other Priests of Maintenance, and they

are very different from you. First, they don’t

fly around with swords full of power like you.

“It is the result of individual

training.

“It’s not just that.

She looked piercingly toward my

chest pocket.

“The hand you carry. You

hold it and talk to yourself a lot.

You think

you’re doing it secretly in a place no one can

see, but someone patient like me, sneaking around, can

notice

everything.

“It is

a prayer

I make.”

Dachia

narrowed

her eyes

at my reckless excuse and glared at

me.

Obviously, the

things I

said just now are nothing more than

assumptions, but I’ve seen it. You shouted 'Mother!’ and

an ominous giant appeared out of the

“You must have seen things given your magic exhaustion.

“No. I saw it right. Perfectly, even.

I shook my head.

Stop insisting. It will be troublesome for me if you keep

whining like that.

I was still pondering whether I should really kill her.

“As expected, you’re an evil g...-

I covered Dachia’s mouth. In order not to kill her.

Lady Dachia, I will give you one piece of advice. A white

lie is

necessary for a smooth relationship, and a golden silence sometimes saves people’s lives. My lady

at least while

you’re recovering. No, you should have kept pretending you

didn’t

see anything past that.

I removed my hand, covering her mouth. I looked into her eyes and

asked.

My lady did not

see anything. Nothing. You’re someone who knows faithfulness, so I believe you will listen to my request for saving your life from being swept away

by an

avalanche...”

“I don’t care! I

don’t care if you’re an evil god worshiper! I meant to say that!

“What?”

The words poured

out of her like a waterfall.

“Priest Marnak, you’re a good person! Sure, there are

times when you can be a bit ruthless, but at

your core, you’re decent! I’m not just saying this on a whim. I’m

saying it

because I thought you’d be more receptive to my words

in my current weakened

state.”

Before I had the chance to respond, she carried on.

“In my opinion, the true measure of power lies in how

it’s used. Moreover, I

don’t really hold any

faith in gods. Being born a wizard, I’ve grown weary of the unwarranted contempt

and hatred in people’s eyes. I think I can understand

you a little!”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“What do you want to say?

Two golden eyes stared at me, and there was a clear conviction in them.

Nothing will change, even if you are a worshiper of an evil god! I’ll treat

you the same tomorrow

as I did yesterday. Naturally, I’ll keep this a secret.

fKill!!!’

In a flash of dark light, Mother transformed into a girl. She leapt up and pummeled Dachia with her tiny fists.

'Kill! Kill! Kill!’

She swung her fists with fervor, silently commanding her to die without uttering another wicked word. However, no one would perish from Mother’s cotton-like blows.

“K-Kyahh?! Priest Marnak! Stop her! Where the hell did this kid come from?!

f KILL! ’

I let go of one hand holding Dachia and took Mother with the other, who was struggling to shut her up.

“Mother. Please calm down for a moment.

f Kill! ”

Mother looked into my eyes and pointed her finger at Dachia. The message was simple, that she was no doubt saying these things to survive and that she was going to tell everyone

when we reached the rest.

“She seems serious to me.

'Kill!’

People are unreliable, but Mother, I am also human. Do you not believe

in me either?”

fKill?!’

After a moment’s bewilderment, Mother vigorously shook her head.

“I know Mother’s feelings, too. I know it’s all because you worry about

me. But I will try to trust people just as Mother trusts me. From what I’ve seen during this trip

she knows what faithfulness is. And since Dachia is a wizard, I plan to

make her swear.

f Kill...’

With a sigh of relief, Mother declared me hopeless. She turned her head, stretched two fingers towards Dachia, poked her own eyes, and then pointed back at Dachia in a threatening

manner.

Dachia, looking confused, turned to me.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means she’ll be keeping a close eye on you, so tread carefully.

Dachia paused

her lips moving as if she was carefully choosing her words. Then she asked me again.

“Can I ask you

something?

“Of course.

“Is she really

your mother? Priest Marnak’s mother seems so young.

*

I had Dachia swear in the ancient language, vowing to keep the information secret until her death. Once I was certain she wouldn’t reveal the secret to anyone else, I provided her

with some basic information about Mother

and myself.

Dachia was stunned for a moment, but she

eventually managed to compose herself and asked her question.

“But I could have made a false oath. Why

did you believe so quickly?

“I understand the ancient language.

“What?! Really?! Is Priest Marnak a wizard like me?

“No. I only understand the ancient language.

“That’s impressive! Really! Even though you’re not a wizard!

Dachia was just as surprised to hear that as she was to

discover that Mother was a god with

sealed powers. Maybe it was because she was a wizard.

I put Mother, who turned back into a hand, in my pocket

and lifted Dachia up again.

“We can’t stay here forever, so let’s move on.

“Good. But in which direction are you going? We have to

find Carmen and Sajita.

“I’m feeling divinity from a little far away. For now, I’m going to go toward it.

Carmen and Sajita’s physical abilities were enough to get them out of this avalanche.

Dachia asked in a slightly excited voice.

“Are you on your way to finding the holy relics that the evil god worshipers are targeting?

I think my body is improving, so I’ll help you!

“I’ll take care of the relics. Hide nearby when you can move again.

“I said I’m going to

help you! Do you really not need the help of

the wizard who stopped an

avalanche for a second?”

Indeed, there was no

need to choose my means to

find the relics.

“...If you really need

to, please, help me.

I continued in the direction of the divinity.

*

“This... is a piece of gold.

Golden shells littered the floor, remnants of a

fierce battle. It

was evident that Aurelius

and the evil god worshipers had clashed here. The lingering sense of divinity suggested

that the fight was still ongoing.

“Aurelius seems quite capable.

“And what’s your plan?

I responded with a grin.

“What do you think? It’s time to repay them for

all the suffering

they’ve caused. Mother!”

'Kill!’

Space distorted as the Giant of Corruption emerged.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!! !”

It was a relief to be able to harness her powers without

restraint. I glanced up at the giant, instructing it.

“Go ahead and strike the evil god worshipers. If it gets

too intense, retreat without hesitation and strike again later. I intend to harass them with guerilla warfare. Do you

understand?”

The giant thumped its chest in affirmation. It was truly

dependable.

“I’m counting on you.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah! ! !”

With a thunderous roar, the Giant of Corruption charged towards the evil god worshipers. It was time to give back as much as I had received from these worshipers. As a bonus, I’d

also steal their relic.