VII ◆ The Inner Self of the Holy Maiden
I am Maria, a candidate for sainthood who will one day become the first female commoner pope.
My family home was next to a church, and from a young age, I mimicked the priests’ healing acts that I observed.
One day, I was playing knights with a friend using a sword I found at home. I accidentally struck my friend’s arm, causing a severe bleeding injury.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay! I can heal like the priests!”
I said casually and earnestly prayed to God. Amazingly, I succeeded in healing the injury.
Since then, I have been praised by those around me as the reincarnation of a holy maiden.
I became convinced that injuring my friend and healing them was God’s trial –
I had done nothing wrong. This was God’s calling; I am a chosen human.
From then on, I acted as a holy maiden, using my healing powers frequently.
Everyone praised me, which felt wonderful.
However, around age 12, my healing powers stopped growing. I had thought my powers would strengthen as I grew, but they stagnated
no matter how much I prayed, trained my body, or studied magic. I worried that without improving, people would stop praising me as a holy maiden destined for greatness.
Then I heard a rumor that eating monster meat not only increases one’s strength but also their magic powers. In the country of Faloon, known for its formidably strong warriors and powerful mages, it was said “Isn’t it because they eat monster meat?”
Though it was common knowledge that monster meat was poisonous, no sane person would try it.
Except for me,
the holy maiden chosen by God. It was a divine revelation.
I immediately decided to eat monster meat.
The issue was obtaining the meat, but fortunately, my parents were adventurers who hunted monsters for a living. They easily acquired meat, as monsters were seen as material stockpiles, with the meat being inedible waste, normally discarded. However, my parents tried to stop me.
“Stop, that stuff is just poison.”
“Do you really want to become a holy maiden that badly?”
Of course I do! I will become a holy maiden, rise to be the Pope, and obtain wealth, status, and fame.
“If you won’t give it to me, I’ll go hunting myself!”
I grabbed a sword to go outside, and my parents relented, promising to bring monster meat.
A few days later, they brought small monster meat, saying, “This amount shouldn’t kill you.”
I’ll never forget the taste of the first monster meat I ate.
My entire body went numb, I lost consciousness, but I truly felt God’s existence.
…In other words, I almost died.
Thanks to my mother using a potion and my father desperately slapping my cheeks, I regained consciousness. I cast detoxification and healing spells on myself, barely clinging to life.
My mother cried, “Please, stop this.”
But this was God’s trial. Stopping now would make my near-death meaningless.
Once my strength returned, I learned poison resistance spells, cut the meat into smaller pieces, and challenged the monster meat again.
The second attempt went better, with just vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pains. Since I improved at using healing spells for these symptoms, it was a great success overall.
Though my parents were troubled by this.
After about a month of this monster meat diet, I saw the effects – I could fully heal injuries that I previously could not.
Emboldened, I gradually increased the amount of meat to steadily enhance my healing powers.
To increase my reputation, I constantly healed people for free.
People flocked from all around, thinking I would heal them for free.
Sometimes someone would try to give a pittance, saying “This isn’t much, but please accept it.”
I would respond, “It’s alright, use that money for your recovery,” and they would easily back down, praising “How kind, you are the true holy maiden!”
How shallow people are. As the future Pope, I must guide these foolish masses.
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However, since it was free, I shamelessly used them as practice for experimental spells, gaining good experience.
After two years of this, I became the undisputed top holy maiden candidate. Of course, no other healer could match my profound compassion and powerful abilities.
Incidentally, the surrounding churches neared bankruptcy, as they collected donations for healing, but I healed for free, sharply reducing their income.
The Marve Church finally could no longer ignore me and officially welcomed me as a holy maiden candidate to the holy country of Marve when I was 16.
The Marve Church leadership headed by the Pope consisted of arrogant nobles with solely their nobility as their claim. The other holy maiden candidates lacked true healing power, just spoiled noble daughters doing no real work.
But this only made me shine brighter. I diligently worked as a candidate, actively assisting the Holy Knights, rapidly boosting my popularity.
Really, the other maiden candidates were perfect foils to showcase me.
I only assisted the Holy Knights to procure monster meat, as leaving home made obtaining it difficult. By joining their monster hunts, I could secretly acquire the meat
while pretending to “bestow God’s mercy upon the monsters” over their corpses. The knights were touched by my “profound compassion.”
Despite such dedicated efforts, my status did not rise much.
While supported by the knights and commoners, the leadership saw me as an “insolent commoner.”
Worse, a new doctrine was announced
that clearly aimed to counter the rapid rise of Faloon – it prohibited eating monster meat.
I had kept my monster meat diet secret to avoid disgrace, but if revealed, it could fatally undermine my candidacy as a holy maiden.
It also concerned the protection of nobility status, which I intended to overturn on my path to the top.
Thinking “I must do something!” the Faloon King Mars suddenly confronted the Marve Church.
A man who starts eating monster meat really is different – brazenly descending to the holy land riding a dragon, showing no fear of God.
To counter Mars, the Church gathered powerful clergy including me in the cathedral, likely intending for us to collectively use a divine miracle.
I had no intention of praying, however.
But the brilliant Mars clearly anticipated the Church’s plan.
The Thunder Emperor Frau and knights from Faloon subdued the cathedral’s Holy Knight guards before they could deploy the miracle, swiftly taking control.
Despite outnumbered hundreds to just five, the numerous Holy Knights were powerless against them. Frau’s magic was especially formidable.
Upon entering, she unleashed a lightning strike as a greeting, paralyzing everyone in the cathedral including me. That instantly halved our forces.
Frau continued casting spells without hesitation amid the cathedral’s priceless cultural artifacts as the Faloon knights rampaged.
The assembled priests trembled in fear.
What magnificent power! This is the strength of eating monster meat!
Yet I could not openly say such things and had to maintain my holy maiden demeanor.
“Please stop! This is a sacred place venerating the Marve God. I beg you, cease these vile acts!”
The Faloon knights seemed disinclined to not harm clergy, so I felt saying that much was safe.
“Hmph, sacred this or that, I don’t care. If your god is so great, why won’t he help you?”
A short Faloon knight threatened me – an absolutely valid point.
The God likely does not lend aid because the clergy besides me lack purity and righteousness, though I cannot say that.
“God cannot intervene in trivial matters. However, that does not permit rampaging here. Please allow me to heal the injured Holy Knights. I implore you.”
The Holy Knights are my supporters, so it would be troublesome if they were too badly injured.
Here I was, locked in a staring contest with a small Faloon knight, when Lord Mars arrived, bringing the Pope and others with him.
Speaking of Lord Mars, while he’s feared as the Mad King, he’s also known for valuing ability above all else.
I decided this was my chance to get closer to him by showing off a bit.
I demonstrated my highest-level healing magic – Healing Field.
It worked perfectly, successfully healing all the injured Holy Knights lying in the cathedral.
As planned – or rather, while Lady Frau was the one who specifically said “she’s the one” and chose me – Lord Mars seemed to take a liking to me as well.
“Your Holiness, I would like Maria to be Faloon’s bishop.”
That’s what he requested of the Pope. Bishop… that position would be the first step toward becoming Pope.
However, the Pope showed reluctance. I also chimed in like a proper Holy Maiden:
“Your Holiness is correct. I don’t have the qualifications to become a bishop. Being selected as a Holy Maiden candidate is more than enough.”
Though internally, I thought even a bishop’s position wasn’t enough.
Afterward, thanks to Lord Mars throwing around money and force, I was appointed as acting bishop and given the position of Faloon’s bishop.
Everything was going according to plan. In Faloon, I would eat even more powerful monster meat, gain more power and Faloon’s backing, and build an unshakeable position within the church!
…Huh? We’re going to Faloon right now? On that dragon?
No, I’m not good with heights… wait, NOOOOO!?
TLNOTE: While waiting for the next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Volume 2 English translation has been removed from this website, buy the official version when it’s out in April !
Please check the Internet Archive if what you’re looking for is no longer on this website. *wink *wink
Volume 4 English translation is already starting btw…
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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