Chapter 5

When I first faced our house wolf, it bowed its head and trembled.

I prepared a room for that child. I laid a new beam on the bed and placed a sheet over it. I even bought new wallpaper and replaced it. Knowing that the child wouldn’t say anything as long as they stayed in that room, they tightly closed the door and never came out.

‘I guess I’m still scary to them.’

Even as I built walls and raised more walls, I didn’t try to forcefully break down the child’s walls.

People can’t change people. Only the Lord and oneself can bring change.

But there are things even the Lord doesn’t do.

If one doesn’t try to change themselves, even the Lord won’t change them.

It’s like how you can lead a donkey to water, but you can’t make it drink. I don’t know what the child has been through, but it must have been something difficult. Even for an adult, it would have been hard. For a child, it would have been even harder. It’s no surprise if it leaves a deep scar on their life.

So, child, I will give you sunlight.

Just as the Lord did for me.

I will gather things that can serve as fertilizer and bury them near you. I will draw water from the spring to quench your thirst.

Just as the Lord did for me when I was a withered sprout.

But whether you grow as big and strong as this tree, that’s something I can’t guarantee.

All I can do is my best.

I stroked the tree in the vegetable garden, the largest and strongest one, even though it had no leaves in winter. I prayed to the Lord and made a promise to myself.

‘This tree. Its branches are quite thick and sturdy.’

I grabbed a sturdy branch and pulled it down. It didn’t break, just bent, and when I let go, it returned to its original position. It was hard to bend it much with the strength I had. I thought it could even support my weight.

“There’s nothing to play with inside, so you must be bored.”

I bought a few dolls from the market, but the child didn’t seem interested.

I don’t know if they’re interested but can’t reach out, or if they’re truly not interested, but either way, the dolls remained untouched for days. Still, I left them there.

If I leave them, maybe someday they’ll show interest.

“Maybe I’ll make a swing…”

I have plywood and rope left by the previous owner.

I’m confident in my craftsmanship. I first met the Lord when I was very young, just like Yurinel, right after we lost our parents.

Pumpkin Vine Village. Yurinel always called it rustic, a place she didn’t even like to mention, our hometown.

Like the pumpkins that thrived despite the weeds, it was a village that no one thought much of but grew well. The people weren’t rich, but they were comfortable and full of life.

They sometimes fought but quickly made up, cherished their neighbors, and wise elders shared old knowledge.

But that small peace was destroyed by an unstoppable force.

One of the monster armies created by the Primal Demon King Grimudo.

The man-eating monster, the Manticore, trampled our hometown. The adults couldn’t even fight back.

It looked like a lion but was several times larger, with a scorpion-like tail. Its mouth was full of saw-like teeth. Its wings were so large they could cover a house.

It didn’t kill people for survival.

It killed for fun, cruelly, without reason, like how humans play with ants.

It toyed with people using its lion-like front paws, and when it got bored, it bit and ate them.

Our neighbors died like that. Yurinel’s and my parents told us to run and stayed behind to hold off the Manticore. I didn’t see their end, but they probably died.

‘Back then, I clearly held Yurinel’s hand and ran… and then…’

It’s a memory from when I was very young. And it’s a memory I don’t want to recall.

I don’t remember exactly what happened. But one thing I’m sure of.

I saw the Lord that day, and I saw His miracle.

‘I don’t know what I saw, but it was definitely the Lord.’

No words I know can describe it, and before that, even if I saw Him with my eyes, I couldn’t truly see Him.

My small mind went blank when I faced Him. Only one word came to mind.

God. There was no need to think further. He could only be described by that one word.

When I came to my senses, the Manticore was dead, its belly full, and there wasn’t a single wound on its body. The cause of death was natural.

And from that moment, the Lord’s sacredness lingered around me. The hunter Helmut, who had his arm torn off and was unconscious, bleeding. The carpenter Yoham, who tried to stop the Manticore with tools but was thrown back and broke his spine. And others who were still alive. That’s why I could barely save them from death. The village was deeply wounded, but it didn’t die.

– Apostle. Do not resent why the Lord did not come to you sooner.

The being I call the Tree Angel later added.

Even though a long time has passed, I still remember all the angels’ words.

– The Lord is not originally one who should exert His power here. You may think His power is infinite, but He has His own laws and rules. If He had come to you a little sooner, you would have perished before He could slay the beast.

Anyway, I became a priest that day, in fact, the only priest in the village.

The Three God Faith or the Order of the Heavenly God Aldehir wouldn’t come to a small place like ours. Our village was so remote that even the priests of the Evil God Oberta didn’t pay attention.

Until later, when the Holy Knights and priests of the Three God Faith came and took Yurinel away.

Until she proved her qualification as a hero by drawing the Sacred Sword. Well, they left the village soon after, so I remained the only priest in the village.

And that’s how it was.

“While I was with the Three God Faith, I heard stories. The man-eating monster, the Manticore, is one of the monsters led by the Primal Demon King Grimudo.”

Yurinel Larkponsia.

My childhood friend who had become a hero and a noble, returning home.

“I’ll avenge our parents someday. Do you want to come with me?”

She asked me to join her in avenging our parents,

and I willingly left the village, leaving behind the Beacon of the Sanctuary and the reviving spring.

Well, in the end, I realized I couldn’t do anything against Grimudo with my own power, so I had to return, but Yurinel will surely finish the revenge. Especially if she gets help from the Saint.

‘I learned various things from Yoham.’

While Yurinel left the village and went on many adventures,

I wasn’t idle either.

I learned hunting skills from the hunter Helmut, and about herbs from the gatherer Rumil. I also listened to forgotten old stories from the village elders.

Compared to Yurinel, it’s small and trivial. One of those small bits of knowledge is the carpentry and craftsmanship I learned from Yoham.

“I really miss you, Uncle.”

I cut the plywood to make a swing seat and padded it with leather to make it comfortable.

Whether standing or sitting, it’s fun. I tied the swing to the branch with rope and made sure the knot was secure. I even tested it by sitting on it to make sure the branch wouldn’t break or the rope come loose.

‘But now, the village won’t need me.’

What I learned while adventuring with Yurinel is that the world is vast, and there are many places that need sacredness.

I saw people with broken bones groaning without treatment. I saw people whose small wounds began to rot, forcing them to cut off their fingers.

The place I need to be is not where the beacon shines and the spring quietly flows.

It’s wherever there are people who need sacredness.

‘Will they show interest?’

Peek.

I saw a pair of indigo eyes peeking through the slightly opened door, but I pretended not to notice and slowly swung on the swing. That child gets startled and scared if our eyes meet.

Before, they would freeze in fear, and now they just run back to their room. Either way, there’s no need to let them know I saw them.

‘I made this with so much effort, I hope they’ll try it.’

Even if they don’t see me swinging, even if they show interest when I’m not around,

I hope they’ll enjoy the swing like a child should. After swinging for a while and enjoying the breeze, I got off. I didn’t plan to swing for too long.

‘Time has flown.’

There’s something that gives even the most fearful person courage.

Hunger. When you’re hungry, you don’t care about anything else.

The only time that child gathers the courage to look for me is

when it’s time to eat. If the child is looking at me, it means it’s time to feed them.