CHAPTER 076
"Receiving my blessing isn't easy, so you should be glad. Is there anyone who wants to be first?"
Despite being a high-ranking figure, he didn't exude any distance and was quite candid.
No one raised their hand. Bella, who would usually be eager, didn't volunteer this time.
I tilted my head in curiosity, and Charlotte gestured to me with both hands.
"I recommend Lady Elsner. I think Lady Elsner should receive the High Priest's blessing first."
"Shall we?"
"Oh, then shall I go first?"
Raven, who was sitting at the center of the square table, stood up.
He stopped in front of me as I remained seated.
"Should I stand up too?"
"No, you can stay seated."
With a relaxed response, he reached out to my forehead.
He whispered something softly, and soon I felt a cool sensation.
The refreshing feeling spread from his fingertips through my head and gradually permeated my entire body.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand. The blessing was a simple procedure.
But I felt different somehow. My body felt much lighter?
After finishing the blessing, Raven smiled faintly.
"May the blessing be with you, Lady."
Next was Charlotte.
Raven placed his hand on Charlotte's forehead just as he did with mine.
But something strange happened.
The High Priest, who seemed adept at giving blessings, suddenly froze. As if he was unsure about something.
"Is something wrong, High Priest?"
One of his attendants, who had been watching quietly, asked.
The High Priest spoke in a slightly bewildered voice.
"I sense a familiar aura from the Lady."
"A familiar aura?"
Charlotte looked up at Raven with a puzzled expression.
A familiar aura?
I couldn't help but look at the High Priest.
Ah... no way!
Then I realized what I had forgotten.
This was our chance to confirm Charlotte's divine power through the High Priest of Marvell!
Could it be now?
It might be fully manifested, or Raven might have detected a still imperfect level of it.
After all, Raven wasn't an ordinary person.
In the original story, Charlotte didn't manifest her divine power this way, but it was still a good sign.
Charlotte had found her talent!
"What do you mean by familiar aura?"
I couldn't hold back and asked.
Please say it's divine power. Say that Charlotte's divine power has awakened!
"It's a very pure aura. Impeccably clean. This is..."
"This is?"
"It's divine power."
Yes!
I cheered inwardly.
This was the moment Charlotte's long-awaited divine power had manifested.
Charlotte couldn't believe what she heard.
"Me? That can't be..."
"It's faint, but I can definitely sense it. Haven't the priests of Ravens said anything to you?"
"I recently had a check-up, but they said there was nothing at all."
"If you were examined, it means they had some interest."
"Oh, that was not for me but for Lady Elsner. She suggested we get checked together."
Raven then turned to me.
"It seems Lady Elsner has an interest in these matters?"
"A bit. I like mysterious things..."
I smiled and dodged the question.
I couldn't exactly say it was because I wanted to confirm Charlotte's divine power, as mentioned in the original story.
"Unfortunately, Lady Elsner doesn't have any divine power."
"Haha, it can't be helped."
I'm better off without it. I prefer to live a long and quiet life without drawing attention.
"Are you saying I really have divine power?"
Charlotte asked again in surprise, blinking several times.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Bella, your voice is too loud for a whisper!
It seemed I was the only one not surprised. After all, I knew Charlotte would eventually manifest her divine power.
But wouldn't it be suspicious if I didn't show some reaction?
"Wow, how can this be? I've never seen someone with divine power before!"
I belatedly feigned surprise, but Raven looked at me with an odd smile.
I must play dumb. I quickly averted my gaze.
Fortunately, Raven soon turned his attention back to Charlotte.
"You do have divine power, but it's so faint that the priests of Ravens couldn't detect it."
"Oh..."
"It's because I could sense it easily. You're quite lucky!"
As expected, humility was not in the High Priest's nature.
"Although it's only noticeable to me now, with time, even the high priests of Ravens will notice it."
"I see..."
Charlotte listened intently to his explanation. It was an unexpected gain from entering Raven's room.
"I can't believe it. To think I have divine power..."
Even after leaving Raven's room, Charlotte had a dazed expression as if she were dreaming.
"I've heard that sometimes even ordinary people can exhibit divine power, but I never thought it would be me."
As the protagonist of this world, you should have some special traits.
"But what happens now that Lady Yaniels has divine power?"
Bella asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Will she work in the temple? Become a saint?"
"No. Even though the High Priest said it would grow, with this level of divine power, she can't become a saint. It's just a newly discovered ability."
Charlotte shook her head.
Then she smiled at me.
"Thanks to Lady Elsner, I discovered my ability. Even a small power will make my parents happy."
Charlotte was elated at the thought of telling her family.
I'm glad she's happy.
Seeing Charlotte so pleased reminded me of someone.
Lewis would have hope now, wouldn't he?
The surest way to suppress the noise in Lewis's head is to seal his magic through Charlotte.
* * *
That evening.
When I contacted Lewis, it didn't take long for him to respond.
"Marquis, are you busy?"
-Not really. Why?
"I just thought of you, so I contacted you!"
I heard Lewis chuckle over the communicator.
-Then should we meet and talk? I can come to you.
I invited him to the mansion to talk in person.
"What's the matter?"
Lewis asked as he appeared before me.
"Your condition. It just crossed my mind suddenly."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes."
Lewis still didn't know that Charlotte had divine power.
So, I planned to bring up a slightly different topic.
"If you could stop the noise by sealing your magic, what would you do, Marquis?"
In the original story, Lewis gave up his magic. He wanted to escape the persistent noise.
Unlike my initial concerns, Lewis and Charlotte had developed a certain rapport by now.
Though it wouldn't be immediate, it might be possible in the future.
But Lewis's response was completely unexpected.
"Why would I?"
"What?"
"What would be left of the Tower Master without magic?"
He tilted his head in confusion as if he had heard something absurd.
There wasn't a hint of hesitation, and all I sensed from Lewis was pure bewilderment.
Strictly speaking, he was right.
If Lewis lost his magic, he would still have his face and money, but a tower master without magic was unthinkable.
But for Lewis to say this?
It was so different from his attitude in the original story that I was puzzled.
Lewis spoke confidently to me.
"All my vast wealth is because of my magic. I have no intention of giving up my weapon. Neither my power nor the wealth I will continue to accumulate."
Though I didn't know much, I could tell that Lewis was brimming with ambition.
And something else.
The Lewis I knew didn't want to get rid of the noise so badly that he would give up his magic.
"Is it necessary to eliminate it?"
"But it's tough for you, isn't it?"
"So what."
Lewis responded nonchalantly.
"I have you."
"Oh..."
So that's why it was okay?
He was saying he didn't worry about the noise because he had me. I had heard this before.
When was it?
Ah, right. When Lewis had tried to create a potion to eliminate the noise but failed.
Back then, Lewis had said if he couldn't get rid of the symptoms, he would have to stay with me forever.
Of course, the Lewis before me now didn't seem as obsessive as he did then.
Our relationship had become much more comfortable compared to that time.
But hearing Lewis say something similar now made me wonder.
Our relationship had indeed become more comfortable... less obsessive...
So why did it feel like Lewis still had that Croft family's trademark obsession?
* * *
According to Michael, Lewis's obsessiveness should have waned after we got closer.
Had his obsessiveness really disappeared?
Thinking about it, it certainly hadn't.
Lewis decided whether to attend an event based on whether I would be there, and he still preferred to spend time alone with me.
Ah, maybe "preferred" isn't the right word?
Anyway, he favored it.
And just look at the silver ring on his finger.
Why does he keep wearing that ring?
It's just a token of friendship, but he treats it like a couple's ring. Anyone seeing it might think he liked me romantically.
"..."
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
Could it be... really?
Does he keep wearing that ring because he sees me as more than just a friend?
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