I am back – Chapter 27

“So, how do you do that ‘thing’? Sorry, but I’m a complete novice when it comes to Divine Power.”

Divine Power was indeed a force rooted in magic, but Dana was genuinely clueless about it. In fact, the only thing humans and elves knew about Divine Power was that “it utilizes magic, albeit in a very fine manner.”

The strength varies depending on an individual’s emotional depth and faith. Just that fact alone could drive countless mages up a wall. Mages who based their studies on logical methods defined as clearly as formulas could never grasp the rules built upon the illogical nature of human emotions.

That unfathomable power sometimes indeed created real, powerful ‘miracles.’

Just bringing the hero Siyun into this world was quite an achievement. Of course, that was more a feat of the Goddess’s Power rather than Divine Power itself.

“…I felt something when people gathered for the prayer of lament.”

All eyes in the room turned towards Pia. Rarely was she someone who felt a tinge of nervousness under the gaze of her party members as she continued speaking.

“The power of Divine Power is not a force shared separately by each individual. It connects us to the Goddess, so it is, in fact, the Goddess’s power itself. We only bring a tiny part of that power into the world by believing in the Goddess.”

Dana, who heard this, had a lot to say but held back, wearing an expression of restraint. Pia continued, feeling grateful towards Dana for that.

“Thus, the Divine Power I call upon alone can fundamentally be the same as the Divine Power summoned by multiple others. Just like how there are powerful spells in magic that require multiple people to infuse their mana at the same time, Divine Power can also create miracles through the prayers of many.”

“…And are you saying that you felt that potential during the prayer?”

“Yes.”

Pia nodded at Arna’s question.

“…Okay, I get it. I do have many questions, but asking each one here wouldn’t yield satisfying answers, so let’s move on for now.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me for that… Anyway.”

Dana spoke while gently patting the back of her neck.

“However, to hold that level of prayer again, we need a just cause. I hear the power of a simple weekend prayer is insufficient. When you said ‘I felt,’ doesn’t that mean we need a lot more power than that? The mourning and congratulations are winding down. People are returning to their daily lives. Is it even possible to gather such immense power again in the midst of that?”

“Certainly, it won’t be easy.”

Pia nodded in response to Dana’s question.

“Divine Power is determined by the depth of the believer’s faith, and an ordinary worship would, of course, be nowhere near enough.”

“What about then?”

“Then….”

Pia’s gaze briefly flitted to Kalia.

Following that gaze, both Dana and Arna’s eyes moved. It seemed they both understood what Pia was hinting at.

“So, you’re saying my power is needed.”

Of course, Kalia also realized this.

Pia, being a Saintess, could persuade the King. She might be able to gather some of the Capital’s citizens. And perhaps she could draw out their sincerity as well. The King received unwavering support from the people like never before. Or one could even say their admiration. As long as he could get the aftermath of the war squared away, it was possible he could be called the ‘Great King’ in the future.

But the people of the Royal Capital alone would not suffice.

To use a level of Divine Power that could be called a ‘miracle’ would truly require an unimaginable number of people. Since such a thing had never happened before, one could not even guess how many would be necessary.

Physically moving closer to the Goddess was impossible, but the party members here had to be able to speak with the Goddess, even if just for a moment, like Pia. At least three more should have Pia’s level of Divine Power. That was just for basic calculations; there might be even more needed to allow for everyone to converse together.

The more people willing to help, the better.

If the citizens of Kalia’s home, the Duchy of LeShubia, could rally together, perhaps it might be possible.

“I can’t say for sure whether it’s possible or not.”

Kalia spoke honestly.

“My brother is a man of mysterious motives.”

That’s her brother, Louis de LeShubia, who was both the current lord and effectively ruling the Duchy.

That man, who always wore an expression devoid of emotion, was famous for being inscrutable. While he had always cooperated with the kingdom during wartime, he maintained a position of neutrality when the royal family and nobles were at odds. Nobles would criticize him for always siding with royalty, while some members of the royal family would accuse him of not showing unwavering loyalty.

But he certainly took every benefit that came from that process, to the astonishment of onlookers.

That’s why both the royals and nobles were wary whenever Louis came into view. Nobody knew which side he would support next.

At the same time, they quietly hoped he would lend them his support.

All of that power came from the Duchy of LeShubia itself—rich, expansive, and home to many people.

Though Kalia, the second daughter, was in a situation where she practically ran away from an arranged marriage, her brother Louis continued to write to her regularly. While they were usually just casual letters, she believed he was doing that to maintain their relationship since he had become the youngest commander of the knight order.

“But it’s also true that he’s the only one who can pull that off. Alright, let’s do it.”

Kalia nodded.

Though there was no guarantee that it would succeed, it was still worth trying. Louis was a man of mysteries, but he had a principle of action to move if it was to expand the family’s influence.

“Thank you.”

“No need for thanks. It’s something friends can do for each other.”

Kalia said with a bright smile before slightly retracting that smile from her face.

“However, I can’t say for sure. Even if Louis agrees to my request, it will take time to prepare. We’ll need to share our opinions and adjust the details with the royal family, and inform the people of the Duchy of the fixed date… And from what you said, this can’t be done forcibly.”

“Right.”

Of course, Kalia would never forcibly gather the citizens.

“We’ll gather as many citizens as possible and make them pray with genuine faith…”

Kalia chuckled lightly, as though amused.

“Man, this is going to be tough.”

“But that’s the only way. At least, with current magic, it’s impossible to resurrect dead souls.”

Dana asserted.

“…If such a thing were to happen, the Goddess would probably step in herself.”

“Exactly. In that situation, I’d likely end up being the hero’s target.”

Dana chuckled as she spoke.

“But, well. It’s not bad.”

And she leaned back comfortably in her chair as she spoke.

“Taking on challenges that are nearly impossible. That’s something mages do all the time.”

“And making the impossible possible is also a mage’s duty.”

Arna said to Dana.

The atmosphere lightened up, if only slightly.

Though it was still a highly unlikely possibility and they had no idea if they could even execute it, the fact alone that a possibility had ‘emerged’ was enough to warm their hearts a bit.

“We’ll need to aim for at least a month. This isn’t quite a victory ceremony, but a grand festival will be necessary. Something that can draw out the citizens cooped up indoors and those working hard, making them want to join in the fun. And something that will allow us all to express our gratitude to the kingdom and the Goddess.”

“…That seems likely.”

Even though it was her own proposal, it had grown to a ridiculously large scale.

Pia simply wanted to convey her thanks.

“But it’s definitely worth trying.”

Dana said, albeit tiredly, but with a smile.

“Yeah. I agree.”

Arna nodded.

“We should be able to see, with our own two eyes, just how much the world we’ve saved has truly been redeemed.”

Hearing Arna’s words, Pia lifted her head.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one looking at the gently lowered head of Pia.

“Why, did you think we were expecting something grand?”

Dana teased her.

“Our thoughts aren’t wildly different from yours. We’ve been together for five years now.”

Kalia added.

“So… let’s give it our all until the very end. I’ll also look for more methods.”

Arna said, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long while.