novelVol. 3 - Ep. 8
| ← Ch.064 | Ch.066 → |
Rachel ran from the next room.
"Oppa. Really... I... You really aren't going to send me away?" She asked in tears while clinging on to Sungjin's legs.
"I promised a while ago."
Sungjin patted her with a smile that seemed to ask why she was so worried. Currently, he was not a ferocious predator but simply a protective older brother.
"But... those men... they said they would give you a lot of money and..."
"There will be no such thing as handing over someone I'm looking after in exchange for money."
"But... but... those men... he said they won't rest..."
"Of course they will attack. But don't worry." Sungjin stroked Rachel's head.
"I will ste... no, scold them." He was going to say that he would step on them, but he changed his words into simpler terms.
"Thank you, Oppa."
"You can relax. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Thank you. Ehehe." Rachel sniffed while smiling.
It was a first for her to be accepted so warmly by someone. Everyone else had asked her to become the sacrifice so quickly, as she was a cursed child.
It was as Kuga had said. This Oppa was the one who the goddess had sent to protect her, to save her. It was because of those words that she could trust and rely on him. He was more amazing then she had imagined.
"Oppa must really be someone the goddess had sent." Rachel looked at Sungjin with a sparkle in her eyes.
Sungjin rubbed his nose in pride at the unwavering trust the girl had thrust at him.
It feels like I've found my younger sister.
Ereka sent a warm gaze while Eustasia sent a hopeless look.
"The goddess. Hmmm." Sungjin scratched his chin.
"Why don't you introduce yourself first, including an explanation about being a cursed child? I need to know the specifics to plan a solution."
"I'm not a cursed child! I mean, I am cursed, but I'm not!" She was trying to explain but her words made no sense.
"I'll explain for her, " Kuga interrupted.
"This child is god's child. She is the child of the goddess of healing and benevolence, not Rupellion's god, Angramainyu. I serve the goddess and am the child's spiritual guide." Kuga let out a cough as if to remind them not to ignore him.
"Fine. But to be a god's child..."
"You've heard of one?"
"I've read it in historical records. If normal heroes received heroic powers from other worlds created by the gods then there will be one god who designates a special child to be born with the god's protection."
"Yes, and Rachel is that child."
Ereka clapped her hands in a sign of understanding.
"Ah, that's why you say that you have been cursed but not. To Rupellion, you would be a cursed child, but to others you would be a child bestowed with god's blessings and protections."
"Exactly. Originally, Rachel was supposed to be using her powers to heal the sick. But Rupellion knew of her birth a few continents away and kidnapped her, confining her to be used as their god's sacrifice. They did not kill her immediately because they wanted to provide a grown child as the sacrifice."
"So Rachel has grown up confined until today?"
"Yes. She had not seen the outside world until I was given a mission to save her. I rescued her at the first opportunity."
"To think she had never seen the outside."
"That... was her life."
***
The girl did not know how the sun worked. She had never seen it. The world she knew consisted of the small rectangular space she could barely lay down and rest in, the cold walls and floor, the metal chains binding her legs. That was all.
She did not know what kindness was; she had never received it before. The only words she had ever heard beyond the closed door were words full of ill intentions.
Ahh. When will that sacrifice wretch die?
I know. That thing will have to die quickly, so we can leave this annoying post.
Although she never received any education, she could understand their words. As 'God's child', she was blessed with the gift of innate intelligence, which allowed her to learn languages she had never heard before; she was ultimately hurt by the words she perceived.
But the words were not the only thing that hurt her. Everyday, they engraved new tattoos into her, again and again. The knife buried itself deeply into her back and split open her young skin; the medicine they poured over the wounds always stung.
Every time the wounds began to close up they reopened it, the repeating days. They said she was a cursed child. That was why she had to receive this punishment every day. When she was old enough, they said she would be sacrificed for their god to wash away her cursed sins.
She believed them because it was all she ever heard. She never knew anything else until the appearance of the lion who opened the door one day and saved her.
***
"That's unjust... how could they to a child..." Ereka had unshed tears in her eyes.
"Ahhh."
Eustasia let out a heavy sigh relieving her emotions.
Even Jenna's fishtail had risen in disbelief.
Ugh. Even if she may be my future rival, this is too harsh.
Sungjin did not say a word, but his fists were balled tightly enough to pulverize the air. He silently raged. His anger promised this type of violence would not go unpunished.
The one who changed the oppressive atmosphere was Rachel.
"Ah, but I'm okay now!" She shook both of her hands in the air and smiled brightly as if to tell them not to worry about her.
"Ever since I met Sir Kuga, I've been better."
***
During their journey to escape, the lion told her many things: that she was not a cursed child but a child of the goddess of healing, an enemy of the god Angramainyu. He taught her that she had a mission to use her power to save those who were sick.
Learning she was not a cursed child but a blessed child, Rachel grew excited. The lion taught her more things: that the people who had locked her up were evil people from the country of Rupellion; that there was a leader called Sungjin in the lands to the South who went against the evil country.
The lion said it was the goddess' will to have her led to him, so he would protect you. But she was to save the sick under his protection. While she was on the run, the girl imagined how the man called Sungjin would save her.
The world she had seen outside was so beautiful that returning to Rupellion was unthinkable.
***
"It will be better from now on, " Sungjin promised.
That was the promise Rachel wanted the most, and it was a promise that came from his heart.
"Yes, Oppa! Thank you!"
Her bright smile made it hard to believe she was raised under such violent conditions. Sungjin finally understood why Rachel had followed him around so much since arriving. To him, she was a new face; but to her, he was someone she had pictured throughout the duration of their escape. The man who would save her, directed by the goddess.
Although that goddess never asked me for permission and sent Rachel over as she willed.
Regardless, he was not going to argue with the details of saving an abandoned child. He was thankful to be given the chance of protecting this child, whom he considered a sister.
"You can go wherever you want here. But the Holy Nation may attempt to kidnap you, so you must always have someone by your side." Sungjin patted Rachel's head lightly. He was about to grant her the normal happiness any person should have access to.
"Yes."
Rachel thought her Oppa's hand was quite warm. She finally understood what kindness and gentleness meant.
It's great to meet someone with such gentleness. When Oppa pets me, it feels so warm.
"Ah. Right. Oppa, I have a gift for you."
"A gift?"
"Yes. Since Oppa's lands are riddled with the epidemic and the people are hurting, the goddess wanted me to give you the medicine." Rachel pulled out a branch with fluttering leaves.
It was similar to a Salix Koreensis, but the branch had an effervescent shade of gold with a fragrant scent.
"This is the medicine to the epidemic?" Sungjin was surprised at the unexpected gift.
"Yes! If people drink the water brewed with the leaves of this branch they will be healed!" Rachel shouted out without hesitation.
"You know that because you heard the goddess speak to you?"
"Yes, I can hear the words of the trees; apparently, that's how the goddess communicates with me!"
Sungjin stood from his seat.
If anyone else had heard the child saying that she had found the cure to the epidemic that no other healers had found nor heard of, they would have snorted in laughter. But if it was the child Rupellion had tried to take back with the offer of a large sum of money, it was sufficient to try the solution God's child had brought.
"I understand. Let's try it immediately. We will all head to Padral."
"Yes."
If this was the truth, it was a matter of great importance. Sungjin's camp moved quickly.
***
Sungjin's group arrived at the separation center where the most critical patients were housed. Although it was called a separation center, it was really just a place where hopeless patients were taken to die, perhaps the medications easing their slow deaths.
The patients strewn across the hospital beds were not in much better shape. The heroes, forced by Sungjin to attend to them, could only do the most minimum of care.
"Uuuu...."
"Uhuuuuuuu...."
One of the epidemic's worst hallmarks was that a person's throat would constrict, making it impossible to breath properly. Even if imagining the harshest sore throat, these patients' torment was several times greater.
At the cruel scene before her, Rachel clasped her hands together.
"To think everyone was in such pain..."
She almost became tearful but shook her head and shouted with vigor:
"I will heal everyone as the goddess wished!"
She started boiling the branch in a bowl with hot water. Next, she scooped the water into plates and approached the patients.
"Drink this and get better."
Cough, cough.
The patient had no strength to even get up. Rachel's face was splattered with blood and phlegm that spewed out of his mouth.
"You can entrust that to the adults."
Sungjin tried to stop her, but Rachel scrubbed her face with her white sleeves and smiled confidently.
"It's okay! I'll do it! I'm the child of the goddess of healing after all! I can do things like this!"
At her stubbornness, which contrasted her pleading tears, Sungjin did not try to stop her.
Although she is young and weak...
Although she may be a pitiful, abused child, although she is a child in need of protection, his instincts told him there was something more to her. He decided to watch over whatever the child did for the ill.
Rachel supported the adult's neck, which was bigger than hers, and fed the boiled water to him. With one hand on his body and the other on his head, she prayed while stroking the patient's hair.
"Goddess, please allow my powers to relieve this person of pain."
It was a rough prayer without any formalities, but everyone watched with attentive eyes. Will the child known as God's child have special powers? Were the powers of the goddess she served real? A moment later there was a light. It was a pure, noble, and innocent white light that covered Rachel and all the patients.
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