Chapter 7
An achievement title could be considered a secondary option granted upon clearing a hidden quest or accomplishing a certain objective for the first time.
Just like the “system” itself, when he first obtained an achievement title, he had once again realized that this world fully emulated the structure of a game.
He did not know exactly what one had to do to earn each achievement.
However, judging by the fact that achievements had appeared not only for conspicuous feats like becoming a renowned archmage or slaying a Demon Dragon for the first time, but also for things as mundane as hunting a hundred monsters cumulatively, he could at least infer that the list was remarkably diverse.
‘First successful lifting… The system has never malfunctioned even once, so this must be correct.’
In an era when the method for lifting the curse had not yet been made public, he had assumed that at least one person might have survived through sheer luck.
But now that the achievement for the first successful lifting had appeared, it meant that no one before him had managed to live.
A curse empowered by a god, the highest-tier curse a human could cast upon another human.
Yet Aquila calmly reflected on his previous runs.
The reason he did not regard the Curse of Deadly Poison as terribly grave was partly because he had once suffered it and recovered in another run, but more so because he was far more accustomed to the era after the lifting method had spread widely.
Once the method became common knowledge, no one truly feared the Curse of Deadly Poison.
Who would fear an illness that could be cured?
‘…There is no doubt that Aquila Reschenhardt’s death was a major turning point.’
With Aquila Reschenhardt’s death, his elder brother, a genius alchemist, discovered the lifting method and spread it far and wide.
Of course, as this world had an original source, this coincidence was likely a setting deliberately placed by the author.
More than that, however, what caught his attention was the line stating that “the Sun God Raspalara greatly rejoiced upon receiving an offering imbued with high-purity divine power.”
When he had lifted the Curse of Deadly Poison in previous runs, such a message had never appeared.
“…Does it still taste bad?”
At Aquila’s absentminded murmur, Yujelia, who had been watching him with a puzzled look, finally could not hold back and asked.
To anyone else, it must have looked like he had drained the cup and then stared blankly into the air without a word.
“Do you feel lighter, or perhaps somewhat different from before you drank the tea?”
Yujelia glanced sidelong at the flower, now blackened and withered after its divine power had been fully spent.
Her amber eyes were filled with anxiety she could not conceal, flickering unsteadily like a candle in the wind.
‘I do not know how much divine power qualifies as “high-purity” to satisfy Raspalara, but it must be close to that of an archbishop.’
In this world, divine power belonged only to those chosen.
As with mana, the amount one was born with differed, but mana could be increased through repeated training.
Divine power, however, could only manifest its healing properties when there was sincere faith directed toward a god.
Thus, it was widely known that those who tempered themselves by offering daily prayers and maintaining their faith could wield higher-tier holy magic.
That was also why, in a previous run when he had lived as a priest, he had risen only to the position of auxiliary bishop and never been appointed as a full bishop.
He simply did not possess that much divine power, nor was he devout enough to truly believe in the gods of this world.
The fact that he was a transmigrator likely played a role as well.
In fact, during the run when he had been affiliated with the Grand Temple of Portplum, he had been closer to a scholar who pursued knowledge than to a priest.
‘Even now, it is closer to resentment than faith.’
Cutting off the thought with indifference, Aquila recalled the fresh golden light that had poured from the flower Yujelia had nurtured overnight.
The lifting method itself was the same, so the difference must have been the priest involved.
It had to be thanks to Yujelia.
Without further delay, Aquila answered.
“Yes. It seems to have ended properly, without any abnormalities.”
At those words, Shen, who had been holding his breath while waiting for Aquila’s response, finally let it out.
Yujelia, who had been clenching her hands tightly, took a deep breath and stepped closer to him.
With a solemn expression, she extended one hand.
“May I… check, just to be sure?”
Aquila did not refuse and offered his hand.
Having witnessed so many people suffer before her eyes, it was only natural that she would want to confirm it herself.
Yujelia closed her eyes, recited a prayer, and then very carefully grasped Aquila’s hand.
“Raspalara… my goodness…”
Then she opened her eyes wide in shock.
***
Yujelia still remembered that sight vividly.
The faces twisted in agony, the screams, and the end of those who eventually shriveled away.
Divine power could ease the pain to some extent, but it could not stop the curse itself.
Faced with an inevitable death, she had felt endless helplessness for the first time.
Even so, her conscience would not allow her to simply let go and watch.
So she began to pray for them.
She said nothing even when a bishop scoffed at her for wasting divine power, because she knew it was little more than self-satisfaction.
She encountered several people afflicted with the Curse of Deadly Poison that way, and each time she despaired.
She felt so ashamed of herself that her teeth clenched.
Just as she began to question the very meaning of being a priest, Yujelia met Aquila Reschenhardt.
Even someone blessed by a great being would meet the same end as any other suffering soul once afflicted with the Curse of Deadly Poison.
That was what she had believed.
But this time was different.
He said he knew how to lift the curse.
Of course, she did not believe him at first.
She even doubted whether the Red Dragon’s prophecy was real.
Yet she followed Aquila’s words not because she believed he could be cured, but because he kept wearing an expression that said, “This kind of curse is nothing.”
If he was of Reschenhardt blood, then perhaps…
That faint expectation became a fragile hope.
Thus, even through what felt like child’s play, Yujelia stayed by his side for a full day without leaving, praying again and again that Aquila would be freed from the curse.
And now, she was witnessing the result of that earnest prayer.
Yujelia tightened her grip and focused even harder.
Just a day ago, a sinister aura from the Curse of Deadly Poison had been seeping out, but now she could not feel it at all.
The murky, oppressive flow was gone without a trace, replaced instead by a gentle presence that overflowed.
The Curse of Deadly Poison had truly vanished.
That ominous energy had always lingered for some time even after the victim met their end, but from Aquila, she felt nothing but warmth.
As though the mercy of the Sun God Raspalara had finally descended.
The Red Dragon’s prophecy Aquila had conveyed was true.
***
Yujelia lowered her head.
Soon, moisture gathered in her amber eyes, and tears spilled over.
“The shadow of death that hung over you—”
She tried to continue calmly, but the end of her voice trembled uncontrollably.
Her lips moved several times, yet she could not finish her sentence, overwhelmed by the sob rising in her chest.
“Yujelia.”
Aquila immediately shook his head as if to reassure her and firmly grasped her hand.
Perhaps because they had lingered there for some time, more servants were beginning to cast glances in their direction.
Though they whispered among themselves, ever since Yujelia had broken into tears, even more attention had gathered.
Aquila swept his gaze around, then rose from his seat and whispered in a low voice meant only for Shen and Yujelia.
“It is all thanks to you, Yujelia.”
“No, it is all exactly as you said. I did nothing—”
But Aquila shook his head.
Even if he had known the lifting method, it was entirely Yujelia’s merit that she trusted him and brought the flower to bloom in an era when the method had not yet been public.
If the only one left here had been that potbellied bishop, things would never have gone so smoothly.
‘We might have wasted several more days trying to bring in a discreet priest, and I could have died at any moment.’
That Yujelia had been the one to treat him was fortunate for Aquila as well.
On top of that, his status had even increased thanks to her.
By all accounts, he could only say that he had been lucky.
‘For a god who received such pure divine power, the reward is rather stingy.’
Cursing Raspalara silently where she could not hear, Aquila smiled faintly.
“Thank you, Yujelia.”
This, at least, was sincere.
When Yujelia lifted her head briefly, her face was drenched in tears.
Shen looked relieved at first, then reddened at the eyes when she began to sob.
Though he clearly wanted to cry as well, he stubbornly held back, instead pulling a handkerchief from his chest and offering it to Yujelia.
“…Thank you, Aquila. Shen.”
She struggled to speak, then bowed her head deeply and murmured her thanks.
Shen gently patted her shoulder.
Aquila wanted to leave the two of them like this for a while, but not here.
Even if it was not yet certain, there was a high chance that a confidant of Celsia Reschenhardt, the prime suspect, was present.
‘I stopped Yujelia at a good point. It should look as though she despaired under the threat of death.’
“More importantly, there is something urgent I need to discuss…”
As he spoke, Aquila glanced around once more.
“For now, let us return to the room. Shen.”
Shen, biting his lips hard to hold back tears, immediately began cleaning up the space when his name was called.
“…What should we do with the flower? Is it all right to discard it?”
“It does not matter if we throw it away, but for now, it would be better to take it with us.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After thoroughly wiping the kettle and cup, Shen wrapped the blackened, withered flower in a dry cloth.
As expected, he was quick-witted and efficient.
Yujelia, who had merely clutched the handkerchief she was given while wiping her tears with the hem of her robe, also stood up without a word.
She did not seem to know what was going on, but it was clear that she intended to follow Aquila without questioning him.
That alone was enough for him.
‘It is too early to fully let my guard down, but even now, it does not feel like a lie.’
Even as he thought that, Aquila felt a faint revulsion at himself for constantly doubting and weighing the sincerity of others.
Yet he concluded once again that it was necessary.
He had to survive in this world, and to do so, he needed to judge accurately whom to keep by his side.
Aquila’s black eyes cooled.
‘That potbellied bishop clearly has it out for me, but he is too useful to simply discard.’
In any case, for what lay ahead, he needed to establish allies.
‘Even if they betray me, it will not be now. For the time being.’
After Aquila glanced at Yujelia and nodded once, Shen took the lead.
As they returned to the room, deliberately taking a longer route to get a rough grasp of the surroundings, not one of them spoke, as if by mutual agreement.
***
And so, before Aquila could even sit down after returning to the room, he said this:
“Let us go to the temple.”
“What?”