‘Relatively,’ huh…? Air really does hate humans.
The men nodded and said they’d return home to De Marl. Probably for the best!
I looked down at my hands. I wasn’t as aware of the full extent of the Stella’s power as I thought I was. I felt I should learn more. But this is a power only I can wield. Who can possibly teach me about it?
“Ummm…Renge?” I asked.
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you a bit more about the Stella? If it’s used too often, can it…hurt people?” I couldn’t keep the fear out of my voice.
“Oh, this… Well, if it’s just this much, he’ll recover given time.”
He said that. But the man squatting in pain looked positively stricken. He kept repeating “Who am I? What am I doing here?” That doesn’t seem right!!!
“How long will it take him to go back to normal?” I asked.
“Likely a week. If someone’s exposed to the Stella more than three times, it’ll probably leave long-lasting effects. It’s a truly powerful purification, and there shouldn’t be a situation where one needs cleansing multiple times. The power just isn’t made for that.”
“Aaah…”
I saw what he meant.
“It makes no sense that they’d turn into monsters right in front of you to begin with,” Renge said, his expression bothered. “Their faith probably went haywire, turning into Kathra inside them all at once. It must’ve been painful.”
“Oh yes! It was terrible!” one of the men interjected.
“Then learn your lesson, foolish mortal,” Renge glowered at him, clearly mad. “We’ve told you countless times already. The only god you can worship is Air. Next time this happens, you could end up dying.”
At that, the men looked deflated and scared. I didn’t know what turning into a monster felt like. But given the three men looked frightened to tears, it must’ve been painful!
“Your foolishness must’ve inspired Air to add a new rule to the world,” Renge went on coldly. “Unless you worship anyone but the creator deity or the Holy Woman, that faith will turn to Kathra. And if that Kathra grows to a certain amount, the speed with which the Kathra will turn to Camilla will increase. It seems you’ve crossed that line.”
“What will happen if we worship our gods still?” one of the men asked.
“You just saw! You’ll become monsters. And if that happens, we’ll drive you outside the walls, where you will spend a few days being purified back into your human forms with the Stella’s aid. After all, directly exposing you to the Stella again could end up destroying your minds.”
“No…” the man shuddered.
I realized what Renge was trying to say. Directly using the power of the Stella on someone in quick succession could end up harming them. It was too powerful and could damage their psyches. The purification would be so strong it would literally bleach their minds clean.
I never knew it was such a fierce power! And the fact that I didn’t know that is dangerous!
“Is there anything else I should know about the Stella, Renge?” I asked.
“No…? Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” he said brightly. “Stay inside the monster-attracting barrier to purify the monsters.”
“Well, I will. But…”
“Don’t let it weigh on you, Tina,” he said softly. “This was an isolated incident. If it bothers you that much, we can make it so no one but worshippers of Air and the Holy Woman are allowed in Deshmel.”
“I… I don’t think that’s…”
“You’re a little too kind, if you ask me,” Renge said, his tone a little different from before.
“R-Renge…?”
He was looking down at me with an anxious expression.
Whoa…
I can only see half his face because of his fluffy scarf. But…he really is handsome!
“Do you want us to drive them out, Holy Woman?” Lord Revireus asked, pointing at the believers.
“At least let them prepare for their trip back home!” I said, aghast by his shocking statement.
“I can just teleport them back,” he said indifferently, instantly snapping them back to De Marl with his magic.
Talk about forced deportation!
“H-Hey! Isn’t that taking things a bit far?” I asked.
“What’s wrong? I sent them back home safely,” he said flatly.
“Huh, I guess that works too?” I said, unsure.