108 – Virgin’s Prayer (1)

* * * *

“…What?”

It’s time for the sunset to go down.

Thanks to leaving a word in advance, the cathedral where only Grace and I are placed.

I raised my voice without realizing it at the story that was hard to believe at all.

“You haven’t heard… No, you don’t believe it.”

“No, that’s… that’s why.”

Grace, who looked at my chest again, corrected her words and closed her eyes.

ha.

A hint of fear lingered in the faint sighs.

Fingers twitching uncontrollably.

That alone was enough to tell that she was sincere, but I waited anyway.

Because the story I heard felt like a part of an outrageous story that could come out of any mythology.

“Didn’t you hear what the other day, …… said to me. Tell me… never to use the ‘Virgin’s Prayer’.”

Even though I heard a hopeful story, I can’t easily believe in the possibility, but the name still feels far away.

However, there was no problem in understanding Grace’s story, so I passed it without much concern.

“It was, Gee.”

… .

… .

Silence that lasted for a while.

Grace grabbed me by the shoulders with all her strength and said,

“If the two of us use the maiden’s prayer, we might be able to save Berry-sama.”

… Him.

that it can save the bean.

that I might be able to see him again.

Grace’s eyes pointed straight at the bar, as if she hadn’t added any lies or exaggeration.

I uttered a cry in my voice at the sudden hope given to me who had only hoped for death in despair.

“……Really?”

A word that started to face reality.

At the same time, the closed field of view opens up, tick tock.

The stopped clock started moving its hands again.

“From what I’ve found out, it’s quite possible. I’m almost done preparing for it. All that’s left is a few simple questions…”

Perhaps there was something wrong, so he couldn’t help but look at Grace with an uneasy look.

I earnestly beg you not to do the worst thing that gave me hope and took it away.

“About that…?”

My eyes filled with anxiety met Grace’s eyes, which were trembling with anxiety as well.

“If things go wrong… I might regret that dying was a better choice. Both me and Her Highness the Princess.”

Grace says.

Why did Bin ban the ‘Virgin’s Prayer’?

What is the maiden’s prayer?

And for that, what I and Grace have to endure.

amazing It was disappointing again.

It was only then that I felt like I could understand why Bin had tore down the gods of this world with all sorts of swear words and all sorts of third-rate things.

The effect of the ability was great, but the cost was too cruel.

It was like the temptation of the devil, taking away even the soul instead of accomplishing anything.

The only means to save the person you love from death, given to the existence of a saint that the devil most covets.

“…Actually, I wondered if there was a way to do this spell by myself somehow, and I prayed to the Lord…but there was no other way.”

What was even more surprising was that Grace’s troubles had already been over for a long time.

For those who don’t even love. A saintess who throws her body and life away.

There was no way I, a woman like her, would not know that fear, so I was considerate of the hypocrisy that would never happen and shook it off.

“Well, if it doesn’t work out, how can you ask Berry to take care of you too…”

“…First of all, Her Highness the Princess knows best about that matter. It’s impossible.”

At this time, Bin’s pure and upright love was difficult.

“…but then you…”

That’s right, according to Grace’s story, there was no other way for the caster to escape the cost than this way.

I couldn’t bear to raise my head because I felt like I was threatening to give her everything to the devil to save him.

“Even if I put aside Barry’s feelings, I’m telling you this because I can’t hold you in my heart either.”

“…”

“Even though I have a feeling… Berry-nim and I feel like water and oil, so I don’t think I can give up my love.”

Grace with such an awkward smile.

… Even if you give up all of yourself, you won’t be able to give as much as love… A foolishly honest saint.

“That’s why I asked Her Highness to pray at the cathedral. If we are to pray together as a virgin, we’ll need a foundation to withstand the enormous divine power, even for a short while.”

He touched my bony wrist and said,

Since my body had already become unable to use any magic properly, even the invitation to go to the cathedral was Grace’s consideration.

I wonder if I’m putting too much pressure on my body.

It was embarrassing that I was only doing this to save my affection while I was planning to throw myself into the fire.

“then….”

“Yes, with this, all qualifications are complete.”

The enormous divine power required for a virgin’s prayer and the qualifications of a saint were Grace.

I am qualified to be a virgin who loves him.

Still, the price was not split between the two of us, but applied to both of us.

“Don’t worry too much, because if things go well, I might be released without incident.”

Her hand, wrapped in mine, was trembling slightly.

Even though she said that, it must be because Grace herself knows that it is not easy.

According to Grace, as soon as the prayer is cast, Grace herself will be summoned to Hell.

The condition for being called to hell is Bean’s love, so she was moving on the premise that she would go to hell herself in the first place.

“…If we just defeat the Demon God… you mean?”

There is only one way to save Grace.

That the devil, the source of evil, must be defeated before she is captured by the devil.

“It’s a pity, but if we can’t defeat the Demon God, Her Highness the Princess… will have to shoulder the price.”

The explanation given to me that if I die, I will definitely pay the price for praying even though I am not a saint.

In other words, if we were defeated by the Demon God, it meant that I would be put in the same situation as Grace.

… Grace was treated differently depending on how quickly we killed the demon.

But the most important problem was different.

“But you don’t know where the demon is.”

It’s just that you don’t know the location of the demon.

smile. Grace gave me a benevolent smile.

“So, I’d appreciate it if you could find the drinker as soon as possible.”

The eyelids that closed with a smile looked like a curtain trying to prevent the feeling of fear from being read in her eyes.

… … this is it, right?

With one desire to meet Bin, an innocent girl is sent to hell… Pushing it into the devil’s lair… Is it really acceptable?

If so, can I really smile at the thought of meeting him again?

Can we think of Grace’s sacrifice casually?

no, in the first place… Could this be something a princess could do?

I called her with the intention of thinking about it once more because I thought it was too selfish.

“…Grace, as expected.”

“Your Highness the Princess.”

However, Grace silently shook her head at me.

As if she had already made up her mind, she expressed her will not to listen to my persuasion.

“If you refuse, I will do it alone.”

“…Grace, there is no reason for you to do that.”

To be honest, in many ways it didn’t make sense.

To know how a person who can sacrifice this much for others feels… Because I was such a selfish person. so.

“A person is dying right in front of my eyes, and I know how to save that person. But if I don’t do it and look for my own comfort… Who can call me a saint?”

“…”

“I do not want to betray the expectations of the Lord who chose me as a saint. I am only acting for the convictions I believe in.”

… The country is a belief that makes humans really shabby.

I had no doubt that the reason people believed in religion was right in front of me.

Perhaps, it was judged that no other character would sacrifice himself for his religious beliefs as much as she does now.

“Your Highness might not know, but if you continue like this, you will soon die, unable to withstand your weakened body. It will become.”

My lips were dry.

What should I say?

What am I supposed to answer here?

As if there was no need to worry, Grace carefully grabbed my hand and pulled me straight into her arms.

With a soft texture, there was a faint herbal scent.

“It’s okay. I’m sure…Wouldn’t Barry-sama do something about it? He’s the one who’s carrying the fate of the two maidens.”

“…Is that also the fate of the princess and the saint?”

softly.

He continued to hold me in his arms, this time starting to stroke my hair like a child.

“Indeed, don’t you think this is the most fitting responsibility for a hero to shoulder?”

Grace urged me to leave all my expectations to Berry, trying to alleviate my guilt somehow.

I couldn’t hold back my tears and burst out.

“…Huh, black. I’m sorry…”

Because I’m weak.

I’m a woman who can’t even live without Bean, so I’m worried about you.

“I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay… I’m okay. That’s right, I was able to watch such pure love right next to me…”

“So, cheer up. I can’t show Berry a worse face than now.”

Grace patted my back and buried her face in my shoulder.

A faint sense of moisture began to be felt through the silk.

“The Lord will surely protect us…”

So, for a while, the cathedral, dyed in the light of the sunset, was filled with sadness that hoped for our hope.

* * * *

“From their point of view, we must be very guileless.”

He said to the demons who were still glaring at us from across the river.

“…Gyereuk?”

“I want to eat it, but to do that, I have to sacrifice more than that.”

“Ah. In that sense.”

Seeing how they lick their lips like that, it seems that our souls are very appetizing… .

“Well, seeing things like this, it seems like it was a good idea to warn Grace in advance.”

“Did you say a virgin’s prayer…? I thought there would be such a blessing in the world.”

risk everything for the one you love

It must have sounded so sweet, he continued to mutter and nod his head.

He clicked his tongue because he didn’t want to see even a pin admiring the maiden’s prayers.

“To me, it’s not a blessing, it’s a curse. So what if everything goes well? That woman has to live like a man’s property for the rest of her life.”

“Umm… if men also love and care, isn’t there a problem?”

… As expected, Finn seems to support the theory of sexual intercourse just like Grace.

said with a sigh.

“Ha, there is no law saying that people should not have unreasonable desires 24 hours a day. Then, just by chance, if a man harbors a different mind even once in his life, he is going to hell? It will be worth watching if the most delicious prey for you falls into hell defenselessly.

“……Hmm, it’s not wrong, but…”

Finn begins to struggle.

Oh, this is a fucking annoying pattern.

To change the subject, I asked, pointing to the demons that were infested in the distance.

“Rather than that, how long do you think you could survive if you fell right in the middle?

“Well, 15 minutes seems possible.”

… Undoubtedly.

This bastard is also a monster.

in the middle of enemy territory.

And assuring that I could survive 15 minutes in the hordes of demons in hell meant that I could slaughter those demons endlessly for 15 minutes.

I looked at Finn with a terrified face, and Finn looked down at me with a stunned face.

“My sword is suitable for dealing with many, so you may think so, but in a 1:1 situation, you will be overwhelmingly strong.”

“…”

Finn’s sword forged on the battlefield where many enemies must be killed.

And my sword, which was conceived to suffocate the target at once.

It was a reasonable logic, so I licked my lips and stared blankly at the sky full of darkness.

It was about three years after I fell into hell.