RAMBYM - Chapter 19

19. Divine power

“Ahhh!”

“Ugh, ahh, ahhh!”

Not long after Ceres jumped into the bushes, a terrible scream erupted.

It was the most desperate scream a person could make.

It wasn't even a single scream.

But whether there were one or two, the result was the same.

The screams didn't last long.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Following the screams came the sounds of something breaking and tearing.

“...Huh.”

The escort knights who were about to rush in were frozen in place in a situation that could easily be predicted by the sound alone.

Diarin also waited outside the bushes, breathing tensely.

The assassins in the bushes were no longer of this world. But Ceres's harsh voice continued unabated.

Diarin's mouth was parched.

“Hey, are you okay now?”

“Are you okay?”

“If there’s anything we can do to help you...!”

The escort knights, now feeling somewhat safe, began to make unnecessary noise.

Diarin suddenly felt a surge of heat rise to the tips of her hair and turned around.

Those rookies with no battlefield experience, just talking!

“Quiet, quiet!”

Diarin shouted, but no one was listening.

The tension that had been building up, as if the situation was over, was suddenly released.

The one who calls Ceres, the one who bows while taking care of Charlotte and Sevian, the one who pretends to know while looking at the arrows of the carriage...

The bustling activity continued.

Diarin's tension became even more acute.

If Ceres' attention turns this way...

“Ugh, ahhh!”

...was drawn.

A bloodied Ceres burst out from the bushes, screaming.

From head to toe, no part of him was not soaked in blood.

But Diarin had no time to think about what was right or wrong.

The unfortunate incident of adding Sevian and Charlotte's blood to it had to be prevented.

"Ceres!"

Diarin ran out and hugged Ceres with her whole body.

Although she was covered in other people's blood and flesh, she didn't have time to care about that.

It wasn't possible to stop it by just blocking the way.

Like a sloth, she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around Ceres' neck and waist.

However, Ceres's speed as he charged towards the carriage, with Diarin wrapped around him like a giant, did not slow down.

“Ugh, ugh!”

The knights who had been escorted screamed in fear when they discovered Ceres' appearance.

These idiots!

Then it becomes more stimulating.

As expected, Ceres's cries grew louder.

It wasn't a deliberate rush; it was a seizure.

"No!"

Diarin hugged Ceres's head and covered his eyes.

Even Ceres, who had not cared when she hugged his neck, hesitated when his front was blocked.

“Easy, easy. Easy... There are no enemies anymore. They’re not enemies.”

“Whew, Whew!”

“Breathe. Slowly. Breathe.”

“Ugh!”

But as usual, Ceres was not calm.

The situation was different.

Unlike the small, everyday sounds that had stimulated Ceres, it was now as if he had been thrust into a battlefield again.

There was an attack, and he saw blood.

And the gazes of the escort knights were also hostile.

Ceres's five senses were on edge, just like on the battlefield.

Even if she covers his eyes, it is not difficult to run to the location he has seen.

Ceres ran without being able to see ahead.

In the meantime, he vaguely felt Diarin pulling out his hair and kicking his back.

“Hey! Hey! Yaaaaah! Seriously, no, calm down!”

A faint voice mixed with tears was also heard.

It was the only sound mixed in with the blood-red, humming world.

“Whistle! Use the whistle!”

Robben shouted at Diarin.

But Diarin shook her head. And she clung even closer to Ceres.

Now even Diarin is starting to get annoyed.

Ceres tried to take Diarin away.

However, Diarin's tenacity was not easy.

Diarin hugged Ceres's head and breathed divine power into it.

“Calm down. Please. We’re all going to die!”

"Ugh...."

“Please! You’re going to live like a human being now!”

She's not afraid of dying. But Diarin's voice was so heartbreaking.

“Mr. Ceres!”

The voice seemed to tear at his heart.

Ceres stopped moving for a moment in pain.

“...Mr. Ceres?”

Diarin, who was hanging on, sensed the movement keenly and stopped.

"Ha..."

Once he stopped, his body stiffened, and his breathing gradually began to slow down.

The blood before his eyes cleared a little more.

Instead, the sound of Diarin's heart beating loudly filled the room.

“Have you calmed down a bit...?”

Diarin also regained her composure as Ceres became quiet.

As she carefully released the arm that had been holding his head and tried to look at his face, Ceres hugged Diarin's waist tightly and held her close to his body.

“Yes.”

Diarin was once again holding Ceres' head.

Only then did Ceres take a deep breath again.

As the sound of Diarin's heartbeat faded, a blood-red haze rose in his head. Right now, he needed that heartbeat.

Ceres clung to Diarin's waist for a long time until the blood in his head completely disappeared.

***

An unexpected accident occurred. But the result was also unexpected.

Charlotte was not particularly surprised by the assassination attempt unfolding before her eyes, nor by the sight of Ceres's seizure.

“Assassination attempts happen all the time.”

Charlotte rather gently comforted the worried Dialin.

“By the way, it’s really tough. It was harder than I thought.”

“I just follow God’s will.”

She answered with a sacred tone, with a piece of flesh hanging from her hair, giving off quite the martyrdom vibe.

Although it wasn't Diarin's intention, Charlotte bowed her head with a deeply impressed expression.

“I am amazed by God’s vast mercy and love, and I am also twice as amazed by the courage of the Priestess who puts it into practice.”

“Because that’s the mission.”

Even in this harsh situation, Diarin never forgot her mission until the very end.

To project the image of a holy priest and cultivate the image of "hard work." That was Diarin's mission.

“I dare not interfere with God’s sacred work, but if there is anything I can do as a human being to help, I would like to do my best.”

In the end, Diarin got the result she wanted.

The process wasn't at all what she wanted.

In the process, Diarin, who was exhausted, was able to show an honest response like a martyr.

She appreciates her help, but... She feels like she's going to die right now...

Her body and mind were so worn out that she didn't even have the will to tear anything apart.

“Is Your Highness alright?”

Charlotte, who had been through all the hardships of life and survived, might not be surprised by anything, but young Sevian could be different.

Because a person was slaughtered right at his feet by an arrow aimed at him, and the person who did the slaughter ran towards him, covered in blood.

But instead of being surprised, Sevian looked excited.

“Yes! What about Ceres?”

“He is resting now. I apologize for surprising Your Highness so much.”

“Don’t be surprised! It’s cool!”

"... Yes?"

What is this again?

Diarin looked at Sevian in bewilderment.

Sevian clenched his fists, his eyes sparkling.

"Ceres is strong! Tell him I'll see him again at the party later!"

It was cool that it was strong, not creepy, and surprising.

Although liking something strong is a childish trait, Sevian seemed to be particularly like that.

...You are extraordinary.

...Maybe my eyesight is bad?

Still, it was better than turning over in tears.

On the one hand, Diarin was worried that he might be surprised, but she calmed down.

“I will make sure to pass it on.”

"Your Highness, you must be having a hard time. Debuting in high society is no easy feat."

“I will do my best.”

“Actually, everyone around me was skeptical, but seeing it today has raised my expectations.”

Diarin tilted her head at Charlotte's words.

Are you saying that your expectations are high even after seeing this?

Just like Sevian, who said that Ceres, who was wearing bloody armor, was cool, she had an exceptional standard for worldly affairs.

There was one more thing that Diarin was curious about.

Charlotte was speaking as if she had ordered this project.

'No, no! You shouldn't be wondering about such things!'

The more you know about the secrets of those in power, the more likely you are to get involved.

Diarin's goal was clearly defined.

To do her best in her duties and make Ceres a nobleman and debut him in high society.

And it would be a happy ending if she were promoted to chief priest and placed in charge of a temple.

It is against the law to get involved in the affairs of those of higher rank.

Even if she finds out, there's nothing she can do about it. It just makes her feel uneasy.

“I wonder if there will ever be a day when I can talk to Ceres?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll wait for that time.”

Charlotte smiled faintly like a flower and extended her hand to Diarin.

“Oh, my hand is like this right now...”

Diarin's hands were incredibly dirty with blood and flesh from clinging to Ceres.

But Charlotte smiled as if nothing had happened and did not take her outstretched hand away.

“It is an honor to be able to hold your honorable hand.”

It was truly an incredible act of courage.

After saying this, she couldn't just leave it at that and go to sleep.

Diarin hastily wiped her hands on her priest's uniform and quickly grabbed Charlotte's hand.

It was a surprisingly smooth hand feel.

But what surprised Diarin even more was the energy she felt through her hand.

'Uh...?'

It was divine power.

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