My Nerdy Neighbor Is the Master of the Magic Tower
Chapter 27
“Pardon? That, that’s…”
“It hasn’t been long. Mari is from the same village as me!”
Sena answered on her behalf, explaining that Mari had also manifested divine power and come to the temple together.
‘So she’s a child they’ve known from the start.’
If that were the case, the possibility of Liri being Lien in disguise was almost zero.
‘Then again, I went way too far just because of eye color.’
Cecilia, readily shaking off her delusions, let go of Liri. The child, hurriedly pulling down her mass veil, stood hesitantly at an awkward distance.
Turning her gaze back to the bowl full of greens, Cecilia suppressed a rising sigh.
Her missing appetite still showed no signs of returning. Cecilia poked a piece of fruit from her portion with a heavy silver fork. Then, she abruptly held it out to the children’s mouths.
“Here, say ‘ah.’”
“I-I’m f-fine, but…”
“That’s right! We already ate breakfast before coming! You should eat, Saintess-nim!”
“Sena. You saw the Saintess-nim defeating the bad guys recently, right? How she snapped their swords and axes like twigs?”
“Yes! It was really cool!”
“If you want to become cool like that, you have to eat better. When I was your age, I was constantly putting something in my mouth.”
“Ah! Yes!”
“Liri, you too!”
“…Yes.”
Sena, clenching her tiny fists with determination, and Liri, her head bowed low, both diligently accepted and chewed the fruit.
‘Once I escape from here, I should send them a ton of snacks.’
Though her stomach was empty, it was a breakfast that left her heart feeling somewhat full.
* * *
‘Should I just escape now?’
After breakfast, following the Archbishop with Miguel as usual, Cecilia repeated the same internal debate for the forty-third time.
Even if she could do nothing about the garbage food they served, making her pray and study all day long was a bit much. What was even more shocking was the fact that the damnably thick book the Archbishop had given her previously was truly only a ‘portion.’
She wondered what kind of terrible work awaited her today. Her heart throbbed with something that could be either fear or stress.
However, the place where Kiar stopped was not the records room that smelled of old paper. After passing several familiar rooms, they soon stepped outside.
Passing through a garden filled with rugged wildflowers and moving toward the eastern side of the building, a small lake soon appeared.
The lake was an emerald color she had only ever seen on computer wallpapers, and several large willow trees that looked like they had lived for hundreds of years were planted around it.
“This is the place where the ritual will be held.”
A finger, pale from lack of sunlight, pointed to an altar beside the lake.
Beneath a long, draped awning stood a large stone statue about five meters tall and an altar made of white marble. The top of the altar was simpler than she had expected: a rugged silver candlestick, a white beeswax candle carved in the image of God, and a still-empty cylindrical vase were all there was.
“You have likely read about it in print several times already, but today, I will personally walk you through the ritual sequence.”
Cecilia let the explanation of a purpose she wasn’t particularly curious about go in one ear and out the other as she gently closed her eyes. As she did, the sensation of the warm sunlight and the humid breeze against her skin became more vivid.
She had expected to spend today endlessly reading dense text or memorizing prayers she couldn’t understand while receiving disillusioned glares from Kiar. If it was just listening to explanations in a place with such beautiful scenery, she could focus for hours.
However, contrary to her confidence, Cecilia’s attention was soon snatched away by ‘something’ she discovered near the lake.
It was because a flower with a unique appearance—white petals forming an inverted triangle in a circle with distinct red stamens—was blooming around the lake.
‘No way.’
“Is that… the ‘Flower of God’?”
Cecilia struggled to recall the existence that had once brought her such frustration. Why were flowers so rare they were given out as prizes blooming in profusion here at the Temple?
If they could be seen on the roadside like this, then what on earth was the point of her humiliation back then? When she asked with a sour expression, Kiar’s brow furrowed instantly.
“How could such a thing be the ‘Flower of God’?”
“Is it not? I heard it was a rare flower that grants eternal love.”
“Is that how it is known outside?”
How dreadful, Kiar muttered as he corrected the misunderstanding.
“To begin with, this is a different species that merely resembles the Flower of God. It is true that it is rare since it only blooms near this lake, but it possesses no such preposterous power.”
‘Of course it wouldn’t.’
She didn’t believe it actually had such an ability either. She had merely thought of it as a symbolic flower.
“And because it is called a flower, it seems people have twisted its meaning into something romantic, but in fact, the ‘Flower of God’ is a flower that discerns truth. According to records, it is said that the petals fall if one speaks a lie.”
“It’s not just a myth, but such a plant actually exists?”
“It depends on what you believe. Even so, it is one of the ‘Gifts of God.’”
“The Gifts of God?”
“It seems you need to retake your lessons.”
Clicking his tongue softly, Kiar continued the explanation with a face full of extreme annoyance.
“When God stayed by the side of His creations and then departed, He left behind four gifts. The ‘Flower of God’ which discerns truth, the ‘Record of God’ which contains all the wisdom of the world, the ‘Tears of God’ which grant miracles, and the ‘Breath of God’ which contains great power.”
“Then, where is the real Flower of God?”
“Who knows. Most of God’s holy relics were lost long ago.”
Just as she was losing interest, thinking it was an absurd myth after all, Kiar calmly presented evidence.
“Currently, the Temple possesses only one: the ‘Record of God.’ It is also known by another name, ‘God’s Diary.’”
‘God’s Diary?’
Cecilia’s eyes flashed.
“It is such a precious holy relic that even someone of my status as an Archbishop cannot view it, but I heard from the Pope-nim that it contains the wisdom of God, allowing one to find answers to any worry or problem. Though I doubt it holds the answer to my own life…”
She completely ignored the last sentence he added gloomily.
The important part was ‘allowing one to find answers to any problem.’ If that were the case, couldn’t she find a way to return to her original world?
That is, if an entity called God truly existed in this world and if it were an object he had actually written.
Considering the place she first opened her eyes was the Temple, it was well worth checking out.
“Th-then, would it be possible to view it with the status of a Saintess?”
“Yes, the Saintess-nim and His Holiness the Pope are able to view it.”
“Then—!”
“Provided you are a formally approved Saintess.”
Ah.
Her excited heart sank back down into a calm state like a lie.
‘Right, there’s no way it would be solved so easily.’
When had life ever been easy for her? She nodded roughly without much disappointment. And at the same time, she decided on Plan F.
The plan to view the ‘Record of God.’
To do that, she would have to go to the Capital, which was bound to be full of hardships and adversity.
While Cecilia was hardening her resolve, Kiar roughly explained the ritual process in a voice thick with annoyance.
“His Holiness the Pope will read the prayers, so the Saintess-nim only needs to participate in the conclusion of the ritual. You will share the red wine and fruit, and then simply receive the torch infused with divine power.”
She had thought she would have to create the fire herself. It was a simpler task than she had expected.
“Do you see the structure in the middle of the lake? You will take this rowboat to travel there and place the torch inside, and that is all.”
And Cecilia immediately retracted her previous thought. Traveling to the middle of the lake?!
“Wait, I have to get on a boat?”
“Yes.”
The rowboat Kiar pointed to with his fingertip was barely large enough for two people to fit.
‘One wrong move and it’ll capsize.’
Cecilia glanced beneath the water’s surface. Even though the water was as clear as distilled water, the bottom could not be seen.
“I can’t see the bottom. Is the water deep here?”
“Outsiders sometimes call it the Bottomless Lake.”
Kiar answered dismissively, as if it weren’t his problem. Useless explanations followed, about how it was the Holy Spring where God used to bathe, and how this place never dried up even during the worst droughts.
“So be careful not to fall in.”
Hardening his face suddenly, he gave a stern warning. Cecilia, who was a little—no, actually quite—frightened, froze. Then, Miguel hastily stepped in.
“Your Excellency, please do not scare her for no reason. This is a lake where those filled with divine power can reach the bottom, so there is no need to be afraid.”
“Ah, really?”
“Though an ordinary person would fall in and drown.”
“…Pardon?”
At the chilling words Kiar added, the relief that had knocked and entered the room walked right back out.
‘No way, I won’t fall in just because I’m not the real Cecilia, right?’
“If you are that anxious, you could just try going in yourself.”
Kiar, slowly blinking his black eyes which were tinged with boredom, gestured toward the lake with his chin.
‘Where? Are you telling me to go in there right now?’
She was speechless at a suggestion that was beyond absurd and bordering on bewildering. It was a truly ridiculous thing to say, but…
Certainly, checking now would be less embarrassing and safer than having an accident occur during the ritual.
Even while thinking that, she couldn’t bring herself to actually step in and was hesitating, when suddenly, with a loud ‘splash!’, someone fell into the water.
