Episode 181 – Quiet Morning
[Hey, Fate.]
[Raine!?]
[What’s with that surprised look?]
[I mean, it’s rare to see you up this early in the morning.]
[I do get up early sometimes. I just want to see the rumoured scenery this time.]
[I already heard. You lost Greed. And yet here you are, looking fine and all. I thought you’d take it really hard.]
[I guess it’s all thanks to Myne. She told me to not give up just yet.]
[I see. Then, this is for you.]
Raine handed me an envelope.
[From who?]
[Your father…it’s from Dean.]
[From Dad!?]
I unconsciously put more strength than needed to my grip, causing the enveloped to be crumpled.
[He also told me that he’ll be waiting for you at the depths of Gallia. What’ll you do next?]
[Isn’t it obvious?]
[Already itching for a fight? You two are really similar.]
[Similar?]
Being told that I’m similar to the person that caused all that, I was left speechless.
[Your father, he was born with Divine stigmata.]
[Just like Snow…..]
[The Divine mark. It’s like the will of God, it can’t be resisted.]
[Are you telling me that the order Dad was given is to open the Door to His Land?]
[Judging from the situation, that should be the case. Whenever he was committing himself to the effort of opening the Door to His Land, the mark on his cheek would glow.]
[What Libra and Dad were doing was a total opposite.]
[Perhaps, despite being similarly sacred beastkin, they received different orders.]
[You mean!?]
[There may be more than one God’s will. I’m pretty sure of this. Each of them might just be trying to fulfill their given mission, but your father hates Libra on a personal level. Perhaps they had a connection in the past.]
[I simply don’t get God’s intention in all these.]
[Indeed. Our life would probably be a lot easier if we could understand the God’s intention. On the other hand, there are more than one way to achieve something, and we are left with the ability to choose how.]
[More than one way…]
[That’s what makes being a researcher fun.]
[In the end it’s just for your amusement after all.]
[Fufufu… lots of research materials awaits.]
[Good grief… Raine, you really]
Before I could react, she placed her hand over my chest.
[Wa…..]
I was taken aback by the suddenness, but I realized that Raine had a serious look on her face this time.
[How are you feeling recently?]
[I’m fine.]
[Lies.]
[But I’m not…]
[Fate is not good at lying.]
[What?]
[Arghh, alright, alright, you’re right!]
[I thought so. When did this begin? What caused it?]
[Perhaps from a week ago?]
[Aaaah. Then why didn’t you tell me earlier.]
[I was busy.]
[Geez, this will give me a lot to do now.]
Raine pulled my at shirt, trying to strip it off from the front.
[Come on, take it off.]
[Right here!?]
[There’s no other person here. Rest assured.]
[As if!]
But she stopped as soon as she saw my back.
[I see. Like parent, like child after all. It’s the same as what your father has.]
[Dad has one as well?]
[His was bigger, and more powerful than yours.]
[Which means?]
[This isn’t the effect of Gluttony skill. Your sacred beastkin lineage is also taking form.]
[Why now of all times though.]
In response to my question, Raine turned to the floating Gallia continent and replied.
[Back then your father told me. You’d awaken your sacred beastkin lineage soon. And that it was the Gluttony skill which made it possible.]
[The skill does?]
[Right. Normally a human’s body is too weak to support the sacred beastkin’s power. However, you achieved Area E thanks to Gluttony skill. This finally awakened the dormant power within you.]
I was mostly human since I was born. But now the sacred beastkin blood in me started to awaken.
[It probably acts as a counterbalance to Gluttony skill. You’ve been feeling really well lately, haven’t you?]
[Yeah, you’re right. I thought that it’ll be more difficult now that Luna, who had been keeping it at bay, is gone.]
[In any case, Fate’s body is a good source of information. Please give me a moment.]
[Source?]
[Your father entrusted me with an Ether blood crystal. He said that it was a stone capable of miracles since it was a crystallized blood of God. Using that power, I was able to purify the Philosopher’s stone he stole from the Capital.]
[Philosopher’s stone!? The fragment of the collective lifeform Shinn?]
[Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The blood crystal purified the will inhabiting that stone. Perhaps we can use it to purify the Gluttony skill in your body. That way it should be even more manageable for you.]
[That’s like something coming out of a dream.]
[But it’s not. He entrusted the Ether blood crystal to me because he knew that I will use it for you. He’s a man who won’t lie when it comes to you.]
Dad actually did something like that…?
[But it’s too early to feel happy. It’ll take some time to truly understand how the blood crystal works. And the required equipment is located in Grandeur, just under Hauzen. So I’ll be staying underground doing research for a while.]
[You look happy though.]
[It’s what I do. When you feel like it, come visit to clean the place up.]
[Can’t you just do that yourself?]
[But, I don’t want to take over Fate’s job.]
[Oi, I’m still the lord of Hauzen, you know?]
As soon as I replied to her, Raine got up from the bench.
[Alright then, I have research waiting for me.]
Before she went far I called her out.
[Oi, have you told Mugan that you’re alright?]
[Ahh! I forgot!!]
[What the hell are you thinking! Mugan is crying back in the capital. Get in touch with him soon!]
