Callius remembered what he had found strange when he had first received the black sheep as a gift.
'I thought it was odd that when giving guide sheep, they usually give older, more experienced sheep, but this time they gave a young lamb.'
Lamb. Unlike the settled people of Ronheim, who sacrificed to the sky cow, the nomads had the custom of performing sacrifices only with their own livestock.
The first chick born in the spring of that year was always their sacrifice.
'Surely not that sheep...'
Callius looked at the lamb, calling them suspiciously.
Now that he looks at it, if the sheep had been born in the spring, it would have grown to about that size.
Did the prophet Lhasa know something when she gave that lamb as a gift in the first place?
“It would be good to follow the sheep.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Hawick was also curious about the sheep's behavior and did not oppose Callius' decision.
The two crossed the square, led by the sheep.
The people of Ronheim, who saw the King and the knight commander following the sheep, followed the two, curious about what they were doing at the sight of such a rare sight.
“What? What is it?”
“The King is following the sheep?”
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s follow along.”
As the black sheep led the way step by step, more and more people gathered behind Callius and Hawick, forming a long procession.
Suddenly, the words Lhasa had said came back to Callius' mind as clearly as if they had just been whispered in his ear.
“Life is full of surprising things that surpass expectations and plans.”
“You must be able to distinguish between enemy and noble.”
“There is no need to be anxious. As long as you do not abandon God, everything will become clear in due time.”
The black sheep finally stopped walking.
Callius and Hawick didn't dare utter a single word.
The numerous people who followed the two people also held their breath in surprise.
Because the place where the black sheep led them was really the altar.
An altar built to offer sacrifices to Chloe.
Callius and all the people of Ronheim clearly witnessed the black lamb rise up and prostrate itself on the altar as if to sacrifice itself.
Now that the offering was ready, preparations for the sacrifice proceeded at a rapid pace.
Callius washed himself with a devout heart and performed the sacrifice in a solemn atmosphere.
Under his hand, the sacrifice did not resist even in the face of death, as if it were its own destiny.
It seemed like he was willing to share his life force with Chloe.
It was a very mysterious sight.
Callius cut off the sacrifice's head with a single stroke of his sword to collect its blood so as not to cause it any pain.
The moment the blood touched his hand, Callius was startled.
'It has divine power.'
Surprisingly, the blood of the sacrifice was filled with divine power.
It was impossible for such power to be felt from the blood of a mere sheep, let alone a cow.
'Well, it's not like the sacrifice could ever go up to the altar on its own.'
This situation itself could not be rationally accepted.
Callius cut his palm and mixed the blood with the blood of the sacrifice.
Then, as if Callius' divine power had become an amplifier, the divine power contained in the blood of the sacrifice began to grow stronger.
This was because the blood of purification flowing through Callius purified the blood of the sacrifice.
“My lord, the Marchioness has arrived.”
Hawick informed me that Granada had brought Chloe in just in time.
Chloe, who couldn't even walk on her own just a few days ago, was walking on her own after realizing the curse.
Although her gait still looked precarious, it was clear that she was fighting the curse well.
“Bring my wife up to the altar.”
As Callius spoke, the crowd gathered around the altar parted, and Chloe walked slowly through the crowd.
Although she had probably heard an explanation from Granada before coming, Chloe's expression was stiff, as if the situation was very unfamiliar and awkward.
Then, when her gaze fell on Callius, he saw her flinch.
She seemed surprised to see him covered in blood.
'How will this behavior be perceived by foreigners?'
Callius glanced down at the bowl of sacrificial blood in his hand, feeling inwardly worried.
The rumors that spread throughout Arrental that the Ronheim people were barbarians and cannibals were not just baseless.
That was a rumor spread by travelers who saw the Saint feeding blood to a patient during a ritual.
“Do you think the cannibalism rumor is just a rumor?”
It wasn't just a prank that Callius had scared Chloe so much in the past.
'It must feel scary and awkward to a stranger.'
Callius watched Chloe getting closer and closer to him, wondering what he would do if she couldn't accept this.
Suddenly, he looked around, and everyone's expressions were not much different from his.
Everyone was worried about the same thing.
Those gathered here knew firsthand how Callius obtained the blood of the sacrifice he was holding.
The people of Ronheim, who had witnessed this mysterious and wondrous sight, hoped as much as Callius that Chloe would not refuse this sacrifice.
May she be a noblewoman of Ronheim sent by God.
The gazes they gave to Chloe were like those they gave to Saint Ilya.
Ilya was not a Saint of Ronheim from the beginning.
She, like Chloe, was a stranger, and when she first arrived in Ronheim, such wondrous things had happened. The people remembered it.
Will history repeat itself?
The eyes of those who hoped that God had not yet abandoned Ronheim turned to Chloe.
Callius carefully handed the bowl of blood to Chloe, who had a hardened face.
“Drink.”
Chloe looked up at Callius.
What are you thinking?
Callius tensed, unable to read the emotion in her clear eyes.
He gently urged her again, as if to soothe her.
“Before it gets cold, hurry up.”
Chloe couldn't hide her reluctance, but she took off her gloves and took the bowl anyway.
"Ah..."
Her shoulders shook slightly as blood got on her hands.
She couldn't bring herself to put the bowl to her lips.
“Drink it before it cools down. It’s only effective then.”
Granada urged. What she said was true.
At that moment, sharp voices began to flow out from around them.
“She can’t drink it.”
“The Princess of the south who grew up so beautifully.”
There was a sense of frustration mixed in with the grumbling.
Those who thought Chloe couldn't possibly be a noblewoman of Ronheim added their voices.
“She might cry and beg to be allowed to return to the palace.”
“What is a weak southerner who can’t even do something like that going to do here?”
That was when.
Chloe's expression changed as if their words had provoked her.
She stared at the bowl with wide eyes.
Callius felt that, though she didn't say it out loud, her whole being was screaming that she would not leave Ronheim.
The next moment, Chloe put her lips to the bowl with a determined expression on her face.
Then she started emptying the bowl without hesitation.
Although her stomach felt like it was going to vomit along the way, Chloe endured it until the end and emptied the bowl.
"Ha."
She held out the bowl she'd emptied cleanly to Callius, wiping the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked wild.
As he accepted the bowl, Callius thought blankly.
'How sturdy.'
What is this pounding heart?
It was truly incomprehensible how that skinny, small woman, who was struggling to move her body properly, could feel so strong.
Callius couldn't hide the smile that was spreading across his face in relief and excitement, and he laughed without resistance.
“Well done.”
He held up the empty bowl.
Then the people, who had never imagined that Chloe would actually do it, cheered in unison.
"Waa...!"
“Wow!”
Someone shouted.
“Long live the Marchioness!”
To them, Chloe was no longer a Princess of a foreign country.
To the people, Chloe was now the new leader of Ronheim, ruling alongside Callius.
A person who has accepted the culture of Ronheim.
And maybe the one God sent to Ronheim.
It was the moment when the hope of Ronheim, which had been crushed by Arrental's army with the death of the Saint, was restored.
“Long live the Marchioness!”
“Long live our Queen!”
Endless screams surrounded the entire village.
The beginning of this ritual was simply to suppress the power of the curse.
However, as a result, not only did the power of the curse get suppressed, but it also became the opportunity for Chloe to be fully accepted into Ronheim.
Chloe's new life has finally begun.
'I thought it was odd that when giving guide sheep, they usually give older, more experienced sheep, but this time they gave a young lamb.'
Lamb. Unlike the settled people of Ronheim, who sacrificed to the sky cow, the nomads had the custom of performing sacrifices only with their own livestock.
The first chick born in the spring of that year was always their sacrifice.
'Surely not that sheep...'
Callius looked at the lamb, calling them suspiciously.
Now that he looks at it, if the sheep had been born in the spring, it would have grown to about that size.
Did the prophet Lhasa know something when she gave that lamb as a gift in the first place?
“It would be good to follow the sheep.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Hawick was also curious about the sheep's behavior and did not oppose Callius' decision.
The two crossed the square, led by the sheep.
The people of Ronheim, who saw the King and the knight commander following the sheep, followed the two, curious about what they were doing at the sight of such a rare sight.
“What? What is it?”
“The King is following the sheep?”
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s follow along.”
As the black sheep led the way step by step, more and more people gathered behind Callius and Hawick, forming a long procession.
Suddenly, the words Lhasa had said came back to Callius' mind as clearly as if they had just been whispered in his ear.
“Life is full of surprising things that surpass expectations and plans.”
“You must be able to distinguish between enemy and noble.”
“There is no need to be anxious. As long as you do not abandon God, everything will become clear in due time.”
The black sheep finally stopped walking.
Callius and Hawick didn't dare utter a single word.
The numerous people who followed the two people also held their breath in surprise.
Because the place where the black sheep led them was really the altar.
An altar built to offer sacrifices to Chloe.
Callius and all the people of Ronheim clearly witnessed the black lamb rise up and prostrate itself on the altar as if to sacrifice itself.
***
Now that the offering was ready, preparations for the sacrifice proceeded at a rapid pace.
Callius washed himself with a devout heart and performed the sacrifice in a solemn atmosphere.
Under his hand, the sacrifice did not resist even in the face of death, as if it were its own destiny.
It seemed like he was willing to share his life force with Chloe.
It was a very mysterious sight.
Callius cut off the sacrifice's head with a single stroke of his sword to collect its blood so as not to cause it any pain.
The moment the blood touched his hand, Callius was startled.
'It has divine power.'
Surprisingly, the blood of the sacrifice was filled with divine power.
It was impossible for such power to be felt from the blood of a mere sheep, let alone a cow.
'Well, it's not like the sacrifice could ever go up to the altar on its own.'
This situation itself could not be rationally accepted.
Callius cut his palm and mixed the blood with the blood of the sacrifice.
Then, as if Callius' divine power had become an amplifier, the divine power contained in the blood of the sacrifice began to grow stronger.
This was because the blood of purification flowing through Callius purified the blood of the sacrifice.
“My lord, the Marchioness has arrived.”
Hawick informed me that Granada had brought Chloe in just in time.
Chloe, who couldn't even walk on her own just a few days ago, was walking on her own after realizing the curse.
Although her gait still looked precarious, it was clear that she was fighting the curse well.
“Bring my wife up to the altar.”
As Callius spoke, the crowd gathered around the altar parted, and Chloe walked slowly through the crowd.
Although she had probably heard an explanation from Granada before coming, Chloe's expression was stiff, as if the situation was very unfamiliar and awkward.
Then, when her gaze fell on Callius, he saw her flinch.
She seemed surprised to see him covered in blood.
'How will this behavior be perceived by foreigners?'
Callius glanced down at the bowl of sacrificial blood in his hand, feeling inwardly worried.
The rumors that spread throughout Arrental that the Ronheim people were barbarians and cannibals were not just baseless.
That was a rumor spread by travelers who saw the Saint feeding blood to a patient during a ritual.
“Do you think the cannibalism rumor is just a rumor?”
It wasn't just a prank that Callius had scared Chloe so much in the past.
'It must feel scary and awkward to a stranger.'
Callius watched Chloe getting closer and closer to him, wondering what he would do if she couldn't accept this.
Suddenly, he looked around, and everyone's expressions were not much different from his.
Everyone was worried about the same thing.
Those gathered here knew firsthand how Callius obtained the blood of the sacrifice he was holding.
The people of Ronheim, who had witnessed this mysterious and wondrous sight, hoped as much as Callius that Chloe would not refuse this sacrifice.
May she be a noblewoman of Ronheim sent by God.
The gazes they gave to Chloe were like those they gave to Saint Ilya.
Ilya was not a Saint of Ronheim from the beginning.
She, like Chloe, was a stranger, and when she first arrived in Ronheim, such wondrous things had happened. The people remembered it.
Will history repeat itself?
The eyes of those who hoped that God had not yet abandoned Ronheim turned to Chloe.
Callius carefully handed the bowl of blood to Chloe, who had a hardened face.
“Drink.”
Chloe looked up at Callius.
What are you thinking?
Callius tensed, unable to read the emotion in her clear eyes.
He gently urged her again, as if to soothe her.
“Before it gets cold, hurry up.”
Chloe couldn't hide her reluctance, but she took off her gloves and took the bowl anyway.
"Ah..."
Her shoulders shook slightly as blood got on her hands.
She couldn't bring herself to put the bowl to her lips.
“Drink it before it cools down. It’s only effective then.”
Granada urged. What she said was true.
At that moment, sharp voices began to flow out from around them.
“She can’t drink it.”
“The Princess of the south who grew up so beautifully.”
There was a sense of frustration mixed in with the grumbling.
Those who thought Chloe couldn't possibly be a noblewoman of Ronheim added their voices.
“She might cry and beg to be allowed to return to the palace.”
“What is a weak southerner who can’t even do something like that going to do here?”
That was when.
Chloe's expression changed as if their words had provoked her.
She stared at the bowl with wide eyes.
Callius felt that, though she didn't say it out loud, her whole being was screaming that she would not leave Ronheim.
The next moment, Chloe put her lips to the bowl with a determined expression on her face.
Then she started emptying the bowl without hesitation.
Although her stomach felt like it was going to vomit along the way, Chloe endured it until the end and emptied the bowl.
"Ha."
She held out the bowl she'd emptied cleanly to Callius, wiping the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked wild.
As he accepted the bowl, Callius thought blankly.
'How sturdy.'
What is this pounding heart?
It was truly incomprehensible how that skinny, small woman, who was struggling to move her body properly, could feel so strong.
Callius couldn't hide the smile that was spreading across his face in relief and excitement, and he laughed without resistance.
“Well done.”
He held up the empty bowl.
Then the people, who had never imagined that Chloe would actually do it, cheered in unison.
"Waa...!"
“Wow!”
Someone shouted.
“Long live the Marchioness!”
To them, Chloe was no longer a Princess of a foreign country.
To the people, Chloe was now the new leader of Ronheim, ruling alongside Callius.
A person who has accepted the culture of Ronheim.
And maybe the one God sent to Ronheim.
It was the moment when the hope of Ronheim, which had been crushed by Arrental's army with the death of the Saint, was restored.
“Long live the Marchioness!”
“Long live our Queen!”
Endless screams surrounded the entire village.
The beginning of this ritual was simply to suppress the power of the curse.
However, as a result, not only did the power of the curse get suppressed, but it also became the opportunity for Chloe to be fully accepted into Ronheim.
Chloe's new life has finally begun.
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