Chapter 14 - [The Third Prayer]

It took me two days to learn how to use healing magic. I decided to start off with the [Second Prayer], which was used to heal physical injuries. I intentionally burned myself on my own Hellfire, creating a small black circle on the center of my palm. If a normal person had grabbed a Hellfire spark, their whole hand would be destroyed.

I focused on the burn in the center of my palm and recited the second line on my folded-up piece of paper. “Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.”

The incantation was a mouthful, and nothing happened to my burn. I must have recited the Prayer a hundred times. Each time, I said the Prayer in a different way, and I tried to exert my will just like I did when I lit or extinguished a Hellfire spark.

After hours of effort, frustration started to take over. It was so easy when the priests in [Ferrum Online] used healing magic. They just recited the words, and their target would be healed. This was supposed to be the easiest kind of magic to learn. I had never heard of a priest having difficulty learning how to use healing magic. It always just came naturally to them.

Perhaps, Nyx could tell that I was not a believer, I thought. I didn’t believe that Nyx was a god; I knew too much about her true nature. Sure, she was certainly different from anything else in this universe, but a group of ten max level players could kill her without much difficulty.

On the second day, I leaned against the wall of my room and decided to take a break. My crib had been replaced with a simple wooden bed, and a desk and chair had been set up against one of the walls.

I thought about the words used in the [Second Prayer]. The sentiment was incredibly similar to the one in the Christian Bible. I thought about the nature of the afterlife as I said the words out loud contemplatively, “Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.”

Would I be welcomed into Elysium when I died? Unlikely. Nyx frowned highly upon any form of killing, and it seemed highly unlikely that I would be able to escape the mortal coil without getting my hands dirty.

I remembered the facts of magic that I had learned all those years ago as Vinzadir the Necromancer in the Academy of Hinnom. What did the Rector say? “Magic is the composed of two phases: Initiation and Expression.” That was it. Magic was Initiated in the core and Expressed in the lungs or hands.

When I used [Hellfire], there was no Expression of any spell formula or incantation. It was all Initiation. When I sent mana out through my hands without Expression, it came out as fire. If a normal person were to Initiate but not Express, they would create a minor magical effect such as a weak light or force.

That must have been my problem. I was so used to using [Hellfire] that I automatically sent my mana into my hands after Initiating the [Prayer]. I had to send the mana upward into my lungs and treat the words of the [Second Prayer] as the Expression of the mana.

I took a deep breath, Initiating the [Prayer] and sending mana outward to my body’s extremities and said, “Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.”

A warm feeling could be felt on the palm of my hand, and the burn mark there disappeared completely. It was like I blinked, and the burn was gone.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I smiled at the evidence of my advancement. Just like that, I became a priest.

The next day, I was able to convince Sir Josiah to take me to see Sir Eadric once again. As we walked to the church, Josiah’s expression was dour. He didn’t need to say anything for me to know that something had gone wrong with Eadric.

When we got to the sick room, Eadric’s skin had become unnaturally pale, and unhealthy bags had formed under his eyes. Once we had reached the side of his bed, I could tell based on the smell that infection had set in. I didn’t have to look beneath his bandages to know that his wound was gangrenous. The smell of dead flesh made it clear to me.

I had to stop my anger from showing up on my face. Since the infection showed up so long after the initial injury, it must have been caused by the unsanitary conditions of his treatment. This never would have happened if whoever treated him had washed their hands and sterilized their bandages. It made me wonder how many people died each year because the physicians of this world didn’t understand germ theory.

“Josiah,” Sir Eadric said with an angry look in his tired eyes. “You shouldn’t have brought him here.”

“At least let him say goodbye,” Josiah said with a sad look in his eyes. “You owe him that much.”

“A dying man is not a suitable sight for a child!” Eadric enunciated weakly.

Josiah opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “Sir Josiah,” I said with a calm authority that was completely incongruous with my physical age. “Could you please step outside for a moment? I wish to [Pray] for Sir Eadric.”

A shocked expression appeared on Josiah’s face, but years of mental conditioning caused him to follow the order given to him by a noble of higher social standing. “Yes… my Lord. I will give you some time to pray.”

As Josiah left the sick room, I could tell that my statement had surprised the two knights. No normal six-year-old would speak with that tone of voice; even they knew that. I was willing to raise suspicion on myself at that moment, however. If it meant saving a life, I would reveal my true nature to those two knights.

Allowing my natural scowl to replace the blank childlike stare that I had adopted for the past several years, I looked at the injured man in front of me.

“I understand if you’re angry with me, Thale,” Eadric chuckled weakly. He seemed to interpret my expression as a child’s anger. “I couldn’t protect your family. Your father was forced to fight the outlanders all by himself. I-I’m a failure, and I’m going to die a failure.” Tears started to stream down his face as he spoke.

“I’m not angry,” I said evenly. “Give me your hand.”

Weakly but without hesitation, Eadric moved arm toward me, and I grabbed him by the wrist.

“Please tell no one of what’s about to happen,” I said.

“What do you mean?” Eadric asked.

I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I started to speak the [Third Prayer], which was used to remove infection. “Do not seek revenge against your own people, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The [Third Prayer] was the Expression through which my mana took form in the real world. It felt as if I was pouring my willpower into a hole, and I stopped once that hole was filled.

“Did you just…?” Eadric asked once more. His eyes lit up, and a smile creased his face.

“I’m not done yet,” I said, clearing my throat. I recited the words to the [Second Prayer]. “Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.”

Once I was done, a twinge of pain appeared just behind my eyes. The two Prayers must have used up most of my mana. I stumbled backward a step and pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers.

Sir Eadric suddenly sat up in his bed. A moment ago, he had one foot in the grave. At that moment, however, he looked like he could immediately get out of bed and run a marathon.

He jumped out of bed wearing only his underwear and bandages, saying, “It’s a miracle! I’m cured!”

I silently looked him directly in the eyes and put a finger over my own lips.

Without hesitation, Sir Eadric dropped to one knee and said, “You have saved my life and thus have my eternal loyalty. Upon my honor as a knight, I will keep your secret until the day I die.”

I let out a sigh of relief. At least I could trust him to keep his mouth shut.