"Our God has declared: help those in need, and the gates of heaven shall open to you."
As the public face of the clergy, Banaji once again stood before the Grand Temple today, delivering a heartfelt sermon to a vast congregation of devout believers.
"Now, let us pray to our God—guh, guh, gaaahhhhhhh!!"
Standing at the pulpit, Banaji suddenly began to convulse in agony.
In the blink of an eye, his cheeks caved in, his hair whitened and fell out in clumps.
Beneath his vestments, his flesh was pared away until nothing remained but skin and bone, his consciousness growing murky as he collapsed on the spot.
"Aaahh! B-Banaji, my lord!!"
The sister standing beside him screamed at the sudden turn of events.
The assembled believers were likewise thrown into confusion.
But there was no room in his fading awareness to concern himself with the commotion around him. In the depths of his dimming consciousness, Banaji felt his soul being steadily scraped away.
If he had to put it in terms of the body, it was as though a peeler were painstakingly stripping his skin, layer by layer, across his entire form.
Once the outer layer was gone, it would move to the flesh beneath — and eventually, to the bone itself.
A torture of the soul that seemed as though it would never end.
Im-impossible. This is a curse reflected back at me!
How can this be!? Why!?
When — when will it end?
Hurry, hurry and let it end.
Someone, please — just kill me in one blow!!
"Gyaaaaaaaah…"
From Banaji, who had crumpled to the ground, a sinister black light surged upward, and screams echoed throughout the Grand Temple.
Once the black light subsided, Banaji's body had turned to nothing but black ash.
In stark contrast to what Banaji had experienced, to the believers present, it had all happened in mere seconds.
There wasn't even enough time for the Sister standing beside him to begin casting a recovery spell.
The Bishop had let out a groan, and the next moment he collapsed—black light erupted from his body, and all that remained was ash.
The believers descended into utter chaos. Some even fainted on the spot upon hearing the curse-like shrieks.
◇◇◇
"Guh… this is… my body is slowly dissolving! Help… why— guwaaaaa…"
"N-no…! It's slicing me apart from the tips of my toes, one ring at a time…! Gyaaaaaah!!"
At the same time, the remaining two of the Four Heavenly Kings, in a different location, also collapsed without warning. As black light erupted from their bodies, they melted into pools of viscous fluid and lumps of flesh.
◇◇◇
"Big Brother, let's play together!!"
"Sure thing, Lord Grow."
"Don't call me Lord Grow—just Grow is fine! You're the one who saved my life!"
"Got it, Grow. Now then, what should we play?"
Grow had made a full recovery, and I was spending my time playing together with him.
Well, when I say "playing," I mostly meant chasing each other around the expansive estate gardens, or having him sit on my lap while I read books on the terrace.
I wondered—was this what it would feel like to have a little brother?
Since I'd been an only child in my previous life (or so Sofia told me), I wasn't entirely sure how I was supposed to play with a kid, but I figured I'd just go along with whatever Grow wanted to do.
It was a relief that he wasn't making any unreasonable demands like an adult would.
But when he told me he wanted to sleep in the same futon, I have to admit I hesitated.
The Marquis of Mule couldn't bring himself to refuse his adorable grandson's wish, so they compromised by placing a simple bed in Grow's room for me.
That way, if his condition took a sudden turn for the worse, I'd notice right away.
◇◇◇
Grow was the precious, precious heir.
He was the only son of the late former head of the Marquis household.
The former head—one of the Three Grand Electors—had reportedly fallen suddenly ill while touring his domain and passed away without ever returning home.
Needless to say, a child still in single digits couldn't very well inherit the title, so the former head's own father stepped back in as the acting lord, serving as Grow's guardian until the boy came of age.
But old Marquis Mule was already showing his age and could hardly serve as an Elector again, which was when the Pope stepped forward.
He would serve as Elector until Grow reached adulthood.
And then Grow, too, was struck down by a curse of unknown origin.
Incidentally, Grow's father—the former head—had apparently been vocal in his criticism of the Church, loudly proclaiming things like "Their demanded tithes are highway robbery."
Oh, I think I've figured out who the culprit is.
Though the perpetrator is probably dead by now.
After several days spent acting as Grow's playmate, a visitor arrived at the Marquis estate.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Electors are hereditary, basically.
Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Fist God] [Spear God] [Blazing Magic] [Frozen Ice Magic] [Clear Storm Magic] [Rock Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Dark Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Thunder God Sword] [Phantom Thief Gentleman] [Ninja Master] [Seeker of Truth] [Monstrous Strength and Dark Divinity] [Pain Dulling] [Complete Status Ailment Resistance] [Dark Spirit's Protection] [Super Intuition] [Heaven's Gate] [Abyssal Contractor] [Magic Hand] [Treasure Search] [Seduction] [Eloquence] [Strong Luck] [Tenfold Growth Speed]
Rank: Orichalcum
Thank you for reading!