I Was Mistaken for a Saint in a Dark Fantasy

Eri’s surgery was completed successfully.

Right after the surgery ended, a Ghost like a Neapolitan ghost story named Yard-pound briefly appeared, but

the Ghost was immediately subject to Exorcism by the Apprentice Healing Priest Ayla.

A gaze full of contempt.

And with the addition of a slight scolding about how likely it was to use Inch-pound, Jenny immediately shrank back and retreated to the corner.

”Teacher. Please do not mind Senior’s remark. It happens occasionally. There are those who became accustomed to Yard-pound at the Seminary.”

Like that, after finishing Eri’s surgery and while waiting in the Recovery Room until she woke up,

Ayla, who had performed the Exorcism on Jenny, explained belatedly as if defending her.

”Most Healers who have become accustomed to Old Testament Style Scriptures are like that.”

”What does that mean, Ayla?””Do you perhaps not know about the Old Testament and the New Testament, Teacher?”

”No, I know about that.”

I had once studied the History of the Healing Arts to classify Demon Disease or to see what kind of Healing Magic existed in this World Setting.

Thanks to that, I naturally learned about the New Testament and the Old Testament as well.

”Using the Era when the Primordial Saintess was born as a starting point, the time before is classified as the Old Testament, and the time after is the New Testament, right?”

”Yes, that’s correct.”

The Primordial Saintess.

The darling of the gods, and the Demigod who atoned for the sins of Humanity.

Roughly a thousand years ago, the Savior of Humanity who appeared during the Era when kingdoms were cropping up everywhere before the Empire existed.

Just as my Teacher, the Great Sage, combined the disorganized Incantations to create the Academia called Magic,

the Saintess made Divine Magic, which was a Miracle meant for the minority, accessible to more people.

”I am aware that more people became able to wield Divine Magic after the New Testament.”

Originally, in the Old Testament, meaning before she was born, Divine Magic was a power that only highly devout people could awaken.

At the same time, one had to strictly follow the detailed rules corresponding to each Sect to increase their Rank,

and it was also a power where one would lose their Level of Mastery the more they committed a Crime, accumulated karma, or broke a Commandment.

The problem was that this standard applied to thoughts, not just actions.

— A Cleric dares to harbor lust? Rank Demotion.

— A Cleric dares to feel Jealousy? Sealing of Divine Power.

— A Cleric dares to harbor Greed for money? Deprivation of Divine Power.

It was roughly like this.

Thanks to that, it is said that Healers were rarer in that Era than they are now.

Even High-rank Healers were only about one per Era.

And even the few existing Low-rank Healers were said to disappear on a daily basis.

The Primordial Saintess brought a great change to that Era.

”On the day the Saintess died atoning for the sins of all people, Healers no longer lost their Qualification due to their sins.”

”You know it well, Teacher.”

The Saintess died on behalf of the sins of all Priests.

Along with the sins of the Priests of that Era, including all future sins.

After she died like this, Priests no longer had to strictly keep the Commandments, and Healers became more common in the world.

Of course, as a Side Effect, the randomness increased to the point where someone who would naturally evoke a ”Why that kind of bastard?” awakened Divine Power,

but even considering that, the Miracle she brought to Humanity was extremely valuable.

At that moment, Freya, who was listening together in the Recovery Room, carefully raised her hand.

”Lady Freya? Do you have something you’re curious about?”

”Umm... I’m asking because I don’t know much about the History of The Sun Cult, but I can’t quite connect the Symbolism of the Primordial Saintess passing away and paying for sins on others’ behalf.”

It was unexpected.

To think Freya would take an interest in such a story.

Perhaps she was curious about the Principle behind how I treated her Demon Disease.

I didn’t seem to be the only one who felt amazed by Freya’s reaction.

Ayla’s eyes also widened, albeit slightly.

”Aha. I see.”

”I apologize if that sounded offensive. As a Wizard, it’s a Principle that’s a bit hard to understand...”

”Not at all. Because it must be difficult for those who are not Priests to understand this.”

Ayla briefly checked on Eri, who had not yet recovered from the Anesthesia.

”Mumble...”

It seemed there was still Time until Eri would wake up.

Ayla explained the History to Freya in my stead.

”Umm... Just a moment.”

Ayla, taking a brief pause before starting her explanation.

I thought I knew the reason she was doing that.

To explain the Principle of how the Primordial Saintess came to possess such a Symbol, she had to teach the History,

but that History was a little...

No, because it was quite a bit disgusting.

Soon, Ayla, having chosen her words, opened her mouth.

”During the Era when the Primordial Saintess was active, the concept of a Saintess did not exist.”

*

As one could guess from the term Primordial Saintess, the concept of a Saintess did not exist before she appeared.

Therefore, strictly speaking, the Primordial Saintess at that time held a position equivalent to a Highest grade Healer.

The problem was the process until she was accepted as a Saintess.

”The Order at that time was severely corrupt.”

Unlike this Era, it was an Era where not everyone could awaken Divine Power equally.

In such an Era, the ranks of Clerics were strictly determined by Political Power and Personal Connections.

Freya, having heard the explanation, tilted her head.

”Pardon? Didn’t you say the more devout someone was, the higher their Rank?”

”No. Because devout people were so rare, it rather ended up not being a Qualification.”

Originally, an Organization operates by majority rule.

In a one-eyed village, a two-eyed person cannot be considered qualified for the village chief position.

Because if they did that, it would feel as if the Opportunity for the one-eyed people to become chief would never come.

This was also why Clerics with low Ranks occupied the upper echelons of The Order.

If devoutness proven by Rank became the standard, Opportunities could not come to them.

So The Order determined Ordination based on outward devoutness rather than the Rank of Divine Magic.

”If you’re a Sinner alone, it’s shameful, but if everyone is a Sinner, you can be confident. It was said to be a world where even a normal Priest without Divine Power could climb high if they appeared devout on the outside.”

Naturally, even in that Era, humans were a Living organism capable of acting.

As the Rank of Divine Power was no longer the standard, those who were devout only on the outside became able to climb up.

”The Order at that time was displeased with the Great Performance of the Primordial Saintess. As the Saintess performed Miracles all over the Continent, The Order’s Authority was being stripped away.”

The Order was displeased with her, who was revered like a god despite not being one.

Perhaps they felt Jealousy towards her, comparing her to their own pathetic selves who couldn’t produce Miracles.

Coincidentally, The Crown, whose royal authority was shaken due to her Popularity, also began to disapprove of her,

and with The Crown and The Order acting in concert, an Inquisition was held against her.

”The Saintess was sentenced to death by those corrupted Priests.”

The Inquisition proceeded in a manner akin to a Witch Hunt, and according to the highly Rational and logical medieval trial methods, she was declared a Witch deceiving the eyes of the public.

Naturally, if she was a Witch, shouldn’t they chop off her head or burn her?

However, the despicable Crown and Order lacked the courage to subject her to Execution by burning.

Because they thought if she, who had the support of the public, suffered Execution by burning, she would instead become a Martyr and the public would revere her.

”Perhaps they also thought the Saintess wouldn’t burn in the fire.”

So they chose to defile the Saintess’s Divinity.

They hung her outside the city gates to become Beast Fodder.

And at the frontlines where Demonic Beasts ran rampant the most, at that.

The logic of The Order and The Crown was as follows.

If she truly received the favor of the gods, they would grant her Divine Protection, and the Demonic Beasts that denied Humanity wouldn’t dare harm her.

But what do you know.

”But they say a Gem shines even in a Mud Puddle. The Saintess was not defiled by those corrupted ones.”

She did not become food for the Demonic Beasts.

Even after a day passed, two days, and Four days passed, the Demonic Beasts did not touch her.

It was said that even the Demonic Beasts that would normally scratch at the walls trying to bring down the castle somehow, remained quiet while she was hanging from the gates.

After Fifteen Days passed like that,

”The Saintess eventually passed away by the hands of humans, not the Demonic Beasts.”

The Saintess died.

By the hands of humans.

Afterwards, another Fifteen Days passed.

The Order and The Crown did not hold a Funeral for the Corpse.

Hoping that at least her Corpse would be mutilated.

However, at One month.

The Demonic Beasts still did not touch her Corpse.

It was the moment her Divinity was proven.

”According to the Testimony of a Soldier who heard her Words beneath the city gates at the time, the Saintess’s last will was asking to forgive people’s sins with her death.”

In Magic, the more precious the item used as a Catalyst, the stronger the Effect you can expect.

It’s the same Principle as Black magic, where the Effect becomes stronger the closer the person offered as a Sacrifice is.

And the Saintess’s death also produced this kind of Effect.

She used her clean and holy self as a Sacrifice, offsetting the penalties for the sins that future Priests would commit.

”Do you understand now?”

”Is something like that... possible?”

”It’s because it’s possible that this kind of world opened up.”

Freya was astonished by Ayla’s explanation.

However, Freya did not dismiss this story as a lie.

It was likely because the Wizard-like thought occurred to her that if the Saintess’s Rank was higher than even the Emperor, it might be possible.

Because I understood it that way too.

”Did you understand?”

”She is amazing, Lady Primordial Saintess.”

”Right. To the point where it feels like Impiety for someone like me to dare be called by the same Form of Address as her. That’s why we try our best to call her Lady Apostle.”

For reference, the Primordial Saintess is also called an ’Apostle’.

After her death, The Order conducted Canonization for Saintesses and Saints who displayed Great Performances beyond that of a High-rank Healer.

To distinguish her from those Saintesses and Saints, she is separately addressed as an Apostle.

Having understood the explanation, Freya’s gaze fixed on Ayla’s necklace.

On the Y-shaped Holy Symbol depicting a hanging woman.

”Then that Holy Symbol is...”

”Yes. It represents how the Saintess looked when she passed away.”

This is the reason it is specifically a Y-shaped Holy Symbol.

She was hung from the city gates, but they couldn’t exactly make a Symbolic object in the shape of city gates, could they?

So it was decided as a ’Y’ shape, representing the figure of her hanging from the city gates.

Like that, after Ayla’s Religion Class ended.

I mentioned what I had been thinking all along to Ayla.

”The story has strayed quite a bit, Ayla.”

”Yes?”

”So what does Student Jenny using Yard-pound have to do with the New Testament and the Old Testament?”

”Ah, since you said you knew the New Testament and the Old Testament, Teacher, I thought you had guessed the reason.”

I shook my head.

”That is as far as my knowledge goes.”

I only conducted an Investigation to see exactly how much Healing Magic could do.

I only possess surface-level knowledge about the detailed Symbols or Catalysts of the Healing Arts.

As for what the New and Old Testament have to do with Jenny’s Inch-pound, even someone like me couldn’t possibly know.

Ayla looked at me as if finding it fascinating.

”So there are things that you don’t know, Teacher.”

”I am not omniscient.”

When even the great Great Sage does not claim to know the world,

how could I dare.

Fortunately, Ayla didn’t seem disappointed by that side of me.

”True, since you strictly conduct Research through the New Testament Style, Teacher, it makes sense you might not know the difference from the Old Testament Style.”

New Testament Style? Old Testament Style?

I didn’t ask what those were.

Because I knew Ayla would explain it on her own.

”The way Healers wield Divine Magic is broadly divided into two. The ’Old Testament’ Style from before the Primordial Saintess was martyred, and the ’New Testament’ Style from after her martyrdom.”

In the past, to use Divine Magic, one had to go around collecting all sorts of holy items and Symbols just like other forms of Magic.

Such as a Dodecagonal Pyramid signifying Divinity.

Or the 6th Cotyledon of an Apple Tree.

The reasons were unknown; it was simply a matter of using such a holy Symbol for Divine Magic if it produced an Effect.

However, after the Saintess’s martyrdom, the preparation of these Symbols was vastly simplified.

”You’ve noticed that Healing priests don’t carry those kinds of items around themselves, right?”

”Most seem to use a necklace as a Symbol.”

”Yes. With this one necklace, you can substitute most holy Symbols.”

The Symbol the Primordial Saintess harbored was just that powerful.

Not only did it prevent a drop in the Level of Mastery due to a Crime, but it was powerful enough to substitute for the Symbols of most Divine Magic.

”The method of casting Divine Magic using this kind of necklace is called the ’New Testament Style’.”

”Then the Old Testament Style is...”

”It’s the treatment method used by those who don’t happen to carry this Symbol, or who don’t utilize it often.”

The Old Testament Style, conversely, is a method of using Divine Magic like orthodox Wizards.

Praying fervently without a Holy Symbol, collecting and drawing all kinds of Symbolic objects—that is the Old Testament Style.

”Not only that, the difference between the Old and New Testament Styles lies in the direction they have recently been pursuing.”

The New Testament Style takes a scientific approach, meaning it pursues Development through Phenomenon and Catalyst.

In contrast, the Old Testament Style takes a religious approach, meaning it pursues Development through Faith and Symbol.

”Most Priests Train in the more accessible New Testament Style, but that doesn’t mean the Authority of the Old Testament Style has faded.”

Compared to the New Testament Style, the Old Testament Style is difficult to access, and its lowest point is disastrously low.

As a Result of compiling the Big Data accumulated since before the Saintess was born—which is difficult to prove with scientific facts—the sheer volume is massive.

But as a tradeoff, its High point is extremely, extremely high.

”As a prime example, Attacks by Demonic Beasts in the Capital are rare, aren’t they? That is the Fault of the Symbols made in the Old Testament Style being engraved on the city walls.”

From the sound of it, the Old Testament Style seemed like a literal, truly Fantasy-esque Divine Magic.

The kind of Magic that protects people from Demonic Beasts and allows them to know the unknowable.

It is said that an Oracle also cannot be received through the New Testament Style, and only Old Testament Style Priests can receive one.

”Senior Jenny asking you in Inch-pound also seems to be for this reason.”

Ayla said.

She claimed that Yard-pound was still a Measurement System that the Old Testament Style put some Effort into developing.

When translating and applying the Records of the Old Testament—which were based on things like a king’s crotch or a person’s forearm—into a modern format, they inevitably ended up using Yard-pound, as it was at least a Celestial Maiden in comparison...

Because there were too many things that didn’t work when translating into the Metric System, they had no choice but to get used to that system instead.

In other words, Ayla’s point was that Jenny asking about Yard-pound was a reaction to this.

”Is my deduction correct, Senior Jenny?”

Ayla, having thoroughly defended Jenny’s innocence, puffed out her chest with a Hmph.

It was an appeal as if to say she was capable of this level of Deduction as well.

That sight was so cute that I barely managed to stop my hand from unconsciously petting her.

However, Jenny’s reaction was different from my Prediction.

”...Ta-da.”

Jenny, pulling out a Holy Symbol from her pocket.

It was as if she was arguing that she wasn’t of the Old Testament Style, but the New Testament Style.

Ayla’s Facial expression crumbled.

”...Weren’t you of the Old Testament Style, Senior?”

”Haven’t you seen me cast a Heal using the New Testament Style?”

”(Whimper).”

Having failed her Deduction, Ayla’s Shoulders slumped.

Her dejected Voice asking to forget her Deduction was a bonus.

Pat, pat.

Among Ayla’s friends, Gwen, who played the role of the Loner, comforted Ayla.

”I guess I still have a long way to go, Gwen. I wanted to make cool Deductions like Teacher.”

”N-No, Saintess. You will also be able to make cool Deductions like the Lord Saint someday, Saintess.”

Freya, smiling warmly as she watched the two of them.

However, I was focusing on Jenny, not those two.

For one reason.

’She didn’t exactly deny it.’

Because Jenny did not answer that she ’does not’ Train in the Old Testament Style.

She simply answered that she could use Divine Magic with the New Testament Style.

In other words, she never explicitly said that she couldn’t use the Old Testament Style.

It was a familiar way of speaking.

Jenny never lied.

She only cleverly spoke a part of the truth.

As Yulian rather than Director Schun, this was her way of lying that I learned while hanging out with Jenny alongside Charlotte.

Perhaps this might be the Training method of the Old Testament Style.

Perhaps she was seeking a certain Effect by not telling lies.

”Heheheh... Even if I get hurt, we just have to fix it... Hehe...”

I let the Nonsense Eri was rambling about from the Recovery Room bed go in one ear and out the other,

and looked at Jenny, who had been flashing a Bitter smile for a while.

...Wait.

I make a Correction.

I simply couldn’t gloss over Eri’s last bit of Nonsense.

’I will need to do some Nagging when she wakes up.’

After pushing that thought into a corner of my mind, I turned my gaze back to Jenny.