I was accidentally injured by God and I just want to be an ordinary person

Then, the Pope and the bishop opened their arms as if to welcome something, chanting incantations at a very fast and passionate rhythm. The flashing light paths seemed to burst through the roof and all converged on the dome.

"Hear our prayers and bestow blessings upon the Holy Spirit for rest—'Hymn of the Holy King'."

The Pope's voice brought the situation to an end. With the naked eye, a figure emitting a lavender glow gradually appeared in the center of the magic circle. Then, she opened her emotionless bright red eyes.

Chapter 86 Eve's Will

Apart from the fact that her body had become solid, there was no doubt that the figure emitting a lavender glow was Eve.

Eve, looking completely fine, floated a foot above the ground. She first looked around at everyone and then spotted Ella.

"host--"

"Lady Eve?"

Before Eve could speak, the Pope walked up to her excitedly.

Unlike the Church of Hikalite, the Church of Enstanit has the custom of worshipping saints. Saints like Eve, who are recorded in history, are considered by believers to be second only to the one and only God.

"Who are you?"

The Pope's interruption made Eve tilt her head - it was as if she had never fallen into a deep sleep before.

The Pope solemnly straightened his clothes and slowly lowered his head as if he was in a prayer ceremony.

"I am the 944th Pope of the Church of Enstanit, formerly known as Theresia Enstanit. Are you really Lady Eve? The church's notes only state that Lady Eve deposited her will within the holy relic..."

"Incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"Well, it's incomplete."

Eve's brief answer made the Pope look embarrassed. Seeing this, Ella couldn't help but smile. She looked the same when she first met Eve.

It seems the magic called "Ode to the Holy King" was successful. Eve seems to be the same as before. Does she just need to come forward to help explain? It seems that the conversation is difficult. Hmm - let's end it early and go back. It would be bad if Iris and the others worry.

After making a decision in her heart, Ella floated out from the corner.

"She means she's not a complete soul."

This was the conclusion drawn from Eve's words in the underground tower, that she was a "fragment."

The Pope frowned.

"An incomplete soul?"

“That’s just my personal understanding.”

Ella's words made the Pope turn his attention to Eve.

"Lady Eve, is this what you mean?"

"Yes."

"...an incomplete soul...I've never heard of that. Even a ghost can't have a missing soul. Rather, if a soul is missing a part, it can't exist as a ghost. Putting that aside, if Eve-sama's soul is incomplete, does that mean her memories are also missing?"

"Yes, I will keep your impression, Falaise."

"Please explain clearly, Lady Eve."

Just like at the beginning, the Pope could not understand Eve's overly brief expression, and his already lowered head lowered even lower.

Shrugging quietly, Ella answered the question.

"I guess he only remembers Falaise, or something like that, retaining only his impression of the Undead Lord."

"Um."

Eve nodded, agreeing with Ella, but the Pope raised his head with an expression mixed with surprise and fear.

"Could it be that you can read people's surface consciousness?"

"I?"

For a moment, Ella almost couldn't help but let her expression collapse, but as long as she thought about it, she would understand that if ordinary people were not very familiar with Eve, it would be impossible for them to understand what Eve was saying. In fact, so far, except for herself and several other ghost girls in the mansion, no one else could communicate with Eve.

After coughing twice, Ella chose a very vague answer.

"Hmph, this is just the most basic ability."

As to whether it refers to the ability to interpret people's superficial consciousness or the ability to understand language, the Pope can only speculate on this.

"Is that so... But now, all my worries are gone..."

The Pope breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he had put down a heavy burden.

"Well, now, can you explain in detail about the holy relic? Eve placed her will in the Staff of Holy Light, and everything else related to it."

"If it were you, Your Excellency—"

"Your Majesty the Pope!"

The bishops who had been silent all along cried out in surprise, apparently trying to stop the Pope from revealing the secret.

"Shut up! Do you want to see tenth-level magic appear in the Holy City?!"

"But this concerns the reputation of the church."

"That kind of thing is nothing compared to the deaths of millions of people!"

The Pope's face flushed red with rage, ready to smash his staff against the bishop. Under normal circumstances, he could have used Ella's ignorance as an excuse to fabricate a lie, but because of Ella's previous behavior—as if she could read his mind—the Pope didn't dare to act out of turn.

The Pope's behavior made the bishop look anxious, but as the Pope said, if Ella was angered, the legendary forbidden spell might befall the Holy City, and the consequences would be something he could not imagine at all, so in the end he could only shut up.

Taking a deep breath, the Pope slowly explained in a heavy tone.

"Although this may seem like an unreasonable request to you, Excellency, I personally ask that you keep this matter confidential for the time being. Once I have discussed a thorough solution with the other bishops, you can then inform others."

"Yes, sure."

After confirming Ella's nod, the bishop felt relieved.

"Although I also learned about the situation from the notes left by successive popes, the authenticity can be absolutely guaranteed. When Lady Eve sacrificed herself to seal the Undead Lord, she considered that the Undead Lord might break the seal in the future. To prevent disaster from happening again, Lady Eve placed her will in the holy artifact, the 'Staff of Holy Light'. The function of this will is..."

The Pope paused, a look of bitterness and guilt on his face.

"It is to mentally force those who can pull out the Staff of Holy Light to destroy the Undead Lord."

"force?"

Ella couldn't help but think of the unusable gray skill "Curse·Forced Awakening" on the Holy Light Staff.

"Just like when a person is hungry they want to eat, and when they are sleepy they want to sleep, this will gives the one who extracts it an infinite desire to improve their strength. The source of this desire lies in their intense vigilance against the Undead Lord. In other words, it is the constant desire to purify the Undead Lord."

"Did Eve already have a plan for this back then? Something like an insurance policy?"

"While I'm not sure what you mean by insurance, Lady Eve did foresee the return of the Undead Lord. The requirement of 'whoever pulls out the Staff of Holy Light will possess it and attain a high position in the Church' was set to screen for those with talent and who can be controlled. Although many in previous generations met the requirements in terms of talent, they were already very powerful by then and likely wouldn't be swayed by the will of those left behind, so the Staff of Holy Light didn't choose them."

"Is that so..."

[I remember the dwarven village chief saying that an elven queen had tried to pull it out before, but failed after a slight anomaly. This must be the type of person who has good talent but is difficult to control. But I don't show any signs of being controlled at all now... Is it because "Curse: Forced Awakening" is in a gray state and cannot be used?]

As for why it was in a gray and unavailable state, it was a long time before Ella knew the reason.

The Pope nodded heavily.

"Yes, it's hard to say, but it's true."

"What happens after the Chosen One purifies Falaise? Will the desire still exist?"

Ella's question made the Pope's expression look a little better.

"According to records, as long as the Undead Lord dies, the chosen one will be freed from the shackles of desire, and our church will grant him the wealth and status he desires."

"That being said, if the crusade fails, you'll die... Status and money are completely unequal to this kind of mental coercion."

Until this point, Ella more or less understood why the Pope had asked her not to tell anyone. If this matter was not properly resolved, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the credibility of the church.

Not only that, with the previous explanation, it was very clear why Eve said that she was a "fragment". She was just a manifestation of will, neither a ghost nor a soul. As for why the will became an individual with consciousness, just like the previous "Curse·Forced Awakening" turned gray, Ella didn't know the reason until much later.

——Due to the participation of an unknown character, the Holy Light Staff that could interfere with Ella's spirit in the healer state was broken, and the will within it was forced to become an independent individual, becoming the current Eve.

The reason why Eve was shown as a "ghost" when Ella used the identification skill was entirely because Eve herself considered herself a "ghost". When no one named Eve, this unique existence, the race name that was recognized by more people would be displayed. The result of which one was more, 0 or 1, could be known without comparison.

After sorting out all the connections, Ella put down her right hand that was resting on her lips.

"Hmm... I think I understand. What are you going to do next? Help Eve turn back into a human? Use resurrection magic?"

"Yes, Lady Eve's remains are preserved in an ice coffin by our church. Although they are in a state of decay, with the aid of tools and magic, restoring them is only a matter of time. The only uncertainty is the success rate of the resurrection magic... The closer the time since death, the higher the success rate. Even with the aid of magic tools, the success rate of resurrecting Lady Eve will not exceed 10%."

"What happens if I fail?"

Eve's safety is obviously more important than whether the resurrection magic can succeed.

Without hesitation, the Pope quickly gave his answer.

"After your failure, Lady Eve will have to live as she is now."

"So you're going to live as a ghost forever?"

"Yes, but your Excellency can rest assured that your friend will be treated equally by the Enstanit Church, even if she is a ghost. Even if the current Lady Eve is merely a manifestation of her will, that is also a part of the Lady Eve of the past. We will treat Lady Eve as the true Saint Lady Eve."

A hint of piety flashed in the Pope's eyes. Compared to the only god who only appeared in legends, Eve, who was once the pinnacle of humanity and who actually appeared before him, was obviously more credible. Moreover, Eve did not care that her name would be tarnished and was determined to leave her will to deal with the Undead Lord. This was something that Theria believed she could not do. With all these factors combined, it was natural for her to worship him.

After hesitating for a moment, Ella looked at Eve, who had been standing beside her earlier - fortunately, she did not make any intimate gestures.

"Hmm... What does Eve think? Should she stay as she is now or try resurrection magic—"

In order to remind Eve not to call herself master here, Ella deliberately emphasized it.

"I'm just asking on behalf of that little one named Ella."

"...Resurrection magic, rejected."

Eve's answer made Ella blink, and also caused the other bishops around to whisper. With just a little thought, they could see how great an impact the resurrection of Saint Eve would have. If Eve became human, it would be more convenient for her to spread the doctrine on the continent, instead of staying in the Papal States as an undead being resisted by most people.

Frowning slightly, Eve emphasized it again.

"I have to stay with Ella. Otherwise, Ella will be lonely."

「Eh? Eh? You actually said that to my face... I feel really embarrassed... And being lonely and all that makes me look like a nobody.」

If she had not been in the state of Entarosphiel and had not had to appear serious, Ella was sure that she would have already rolled over in her pillow.

As for the Pope on the other side, he frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Lady Eve has her own wishes, and we are only obliged to obey. Or are you confident you can purify another Undead Lord?"

The surrounding bishops suddenly fell silent.

After confirming this scene, the Pope turned around and looked at Eve.

"I understand what Lady Eve is thinking, but regarding the ghost form...it can't move in sunlight. Is that okay with you, Lady Eve? And that person named 'Ella', can you trust her?"

Because of the Pope's words, Ella suddenly remembered that Eve would continuously lose her magic power, so she opened the "Advanced Appraisal" and kept a close eye on Eve's magic power value.

The result surprised Ella a little - perhaps due to the bonus of reaching level 31 or the influence of "Ode to the Holy King", Eve no longer passively radiated magic power in the surroundings. In other words, Eve can now move freely even without replenishing magic power, and is now an independent individual.

[From now on, as long as I place the Holy Light Staff next to Eve, Eve will be truly free, right? This feeling of growing up... always feels very subtle.]

While Ella was still sighing inwardly, Eve on the other side answered the Pope in a tone without any emotion.

"Sunshine, sure, Ella...she's more trustworthy than you."

"Well……"

An embarrassed look appeared on the Pope's face, and Ella beside him also felt embarrassed unconsciously.

To ease the atmosphere, Ella coughed twice.

"So the matter is settled, right? Now I'm going to take Eve back to that little one. If nothing goes wrong, you'll be able to see her in a while. She'll go to the Holy City to receive the canonization ceremony of a high-ranking priest."

The floating Ella put her hand on the shoulder of the also floating Eve, ready to take Eve away.

"Wait! Your Excellency, I have something else to say!"

"Um?"

"Sir, could you please allow Lady Eve to remain in the Sanctuary for a while? Uh—I don't mean to embarrass you or Lady Eve, but using just one 'Ode to the Holy King' isn't enough to completely cure the upgrade discomfort. If she doesn't undergo baptism every two months for two years, unexpected side effects will occur. Furthermore, during this time, we will also help Lady Eve regain her strength and prepare to announce her existence to the entire continent. If your friend truly cares about Lady Eve, he wouldn't object, right?"

The Pope's face was filled with anxiety, and judging from the trembling staff in his hand, if he didn't have strong self-control, he would probably be pacing the room right now.

Ella fell into thought.