My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 97

§ 97 – The Holy Son of the South (3)

Priests and healers.

Though their titles differed, they shared a common purpose.

Both were considered noble, dedicated to saving lives.

Priests wielded divine power.

Healers relied on the power of medicine.

Their methods varied, but their focus remained the same: human lives.

However, despite their shared nobility, they weren’t treated equally.

Divine power, literally the power of God, offered swift and simple healing.

Healers, in contrast, faced a slower process.

Even the most skilled doctor required surgery, cutting into flesh, a painful ordeal in itself.

Thus, a clear distinction and hierarchy existed between the two professions, even though both performed the noble work of saving people.

Consequently, the wealthy sought out priests, while the poor turned to healers.

This reality prevailed across the continent.

And here, within the Holy Empire, a nation founded by followers of God,

life remained complex.

Equality was a concept, not a universal truth.

God’s love encompassed all, but human love was selective.

The Holy Empire, therefore, was no exception to this reality.

And now, in Suderin Village,

within a clinic,

“The plague’s momentum isn’t slowing.”

“No matter the medicine, nothing works…”

“What on earth should we do?”

Healers in crow masks huddled, their beaks almost touching.

“Hoo…”

“Haa…”

Only sighs filled the air.

Conversation stalled.

Silence descended.

“…Perhaps… we should burn them.”

A voice, barely a whisper, broke the quiet.

The crow beaks perked up, turning towards the sound.

“Burn them? What do you mean?”

“Are you suggesting we burn people alive?”

A flurry of questions erupted, met by a single, hesitant nod.

“What kind of nonsense is that…!”

“How can we burn living people!”

“We should be finding ways to save them, not this…!”

“Can you even call yourself a healer if you say that!”

Harsh criticism poured forth, voices rising, the atmosphere charged.

But.

“There’s… there’s no other way…”

Silence fell again.

The plague ravaging Suderin Village, and indeed the entire southern region,

was unprecedented and incurable.

It spread rapidly,

infecting at an alarming rate,

and defying all known treatments.

Research for a cure yielded no progress.

They were utterly helpless.

“We must save those who remain.”

Cruel, but true.

Burning the infected to burn the plague itself,

preventing further spread.

The best, perhaps only, way to save lives.

“The priests… what about the priests…”

“Do you think priests will come here?”

The villagers of Suderin were not citizens.

They couldn’t afford the donations required for citizenship.

Thus, they were denied the clergy’s protection.

They clung to the empire, dependent on the clergy’s mercy.

In essence, their village was like a community of wandering cultivators [referring to itinerant spiritual practitioners], without fixed allegiance.

Priests wouldn’t waste their time on such a place.

And they knew it.

“Even if priests came… it wouldn’t matter.”

The crow beaks drooped.

No one spoke.

This… was reality.

The reality faced by those without money or power.

A reality more bitter than the plague itself.

Miracles were absent.

They didn’t exist for them, for us.

Only the lesser of two evils.

That was the choice they had.

Surely…

Surely…

Bang!

“Now…! Now…!!”

That’s what they thought.

The clinic door burst open, and the shout startled the crow beaks within.

As if on cue,

they turned towards the commotion.

Another crow mask stood there, panting, its beak trembling.

Then, a voice:

“Th-the Holy Son is visiting the village…!”

The gathered crow beaks tilted their heads.

The Holy Son was visiting?

“Holy Son…?”

“A Holy Son?”

They knew of a Holy Maiden, but never a Holy Son.

“Seeing it…! Seeing it in person would be faster!”

The crow beaks exchanged glances.

Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they rushed out of the clinic.

Emerging, they quickly spotted the one called the Holy Son.

Impossible to miss, given the exposed face amidst a sea of crow masks.

One, with beauty so striking she could only be the Holy Maiden.

And another.

A blonde man with a somewhat unremarkable presence.

Honestly.

How could *that* be the Holy Son…? The thought crossed their minds.

If he were the Holy Son, shouldn’t his beauty be…holier?

He wasn’t ugly, of course.

Handsome, even.

But not at the level of a Holy Son.

Compared to the Holy Maiden beside him, he paled in comparison.

As they pondered,

“Next!”

The Holy Son shouted.

Next? What next?

The crow beaks tilted in confusion.

Priests, it seemed, brought forward a plague-stricken patient on a stretcher.

They gently placed the patient before the Holy Son.

The Holy Son placed his hand on the patient.

“Next!”

With another shout, the patient was moved aside.

The Holy Maiden then unleashed her divine power.

And then.

“H-how am I…?”

“Honey!!!”

“Dad!!”

The patient rose, healed!!!!

“Wh-wh-what…!!”

“No… no way…!!”

“Wh-wh-what is that…!”

The crow beaks gaped.

What… what was happening!

A plague that defied all cures.

The only solution, burning the infected alive.

But…

But now…!

“Next! Next! Next! Next!”

Patients were being healed instantly!

A miracle, literally raising the dying.

“Ho-Holy Son…?”

Was he truly the Holy Son (聖子) [a term for a holy or saintly son]?

The healers stared, dumbfounded.

They simply watched the scene unfold.

And the Holy Son, Xian, continued to heal.

“Next! Next! Next! Next!”

Xian healed patients at an unbelievable pace.

The more he suppressed the plague’s seeds, the faster the Demon Soul Control Method progressed.

And the faster the Demon Soul Control Method progressed, the faster he became.

“Next! Next! Next! Next! Neext!”

He could barely keep up with the words!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The Demon Soul Control Method’s progress soared!

Xian continued his work.

Then, suddenly.

“Hmm?”

Xian paused.

A new patient caught his eye.

“They’re severely bruised…?”

From thigh to side, the flesh was blackened.

It resembled necrosis [tissue death], but it wasn’t.

“Hmm…”

Xian pondered.

A bruise was essentially pooled blood.

More precisely, blood trapped beneath the skin due to ruptured blood vessels.

Left alone, the body would reabsorb it.

A beneficial nutrient, in a way.

Divine power struggled to heal bruises.

It was something the body could heal on its own.

Divine power didn’t react well to it.

A limitation of divine power.

‘…That’s what Ellie said.’

Ellie’s explanation was speculative, but her words held weight.

“Is there a problem?”

Aria’s voice broke his thoughts.

She seemed confused by his stillness.

Xian looked at her.

It meant nothing to Aria, of course.

Her divine power could simply reset the body.

But Aria was exceptional.

Not the norm.

Even she would expend considerable energy.

Better to entrust this patient to the healers.

Priests and healers.

Society created a hierarchy, but reality was different.

In some ways, healers surpassed priests.

They simply had different roles.

Ellie in the territory was proof enough.

Of course, Ellie, with her Miracle Treatment Source Lv.4, was a master, practically a priest herself.

Regardless.

“I’ll leave this person to the healers over there.”

Xian called out to the crow-masked figures.

Thus, priests and healers,

taking charge of different areas,

banished the plague from Suderin Village in an instant.

And this wasn’t isolated to Suderin Village.

Xian traveled throughout the plague-stricken south.

Driving out the disease.

The plague’s unstoppable momentum faltered.

And as the situation improved,

“I heard the Holy Son has wiped out the plague in the South?”

“Oh, don’t even mention it! The plague runs away as soon as the Holy Son touches it!”

“Oh my, oh my!”

Xian’s name echoed throughout the South.

“That’s right, that’s right! The Holy Son saved all my daughters!”

“Truly… truly a grateful person…”

“He even searches for plague patients, asking if there are any more sick people… It must be hard for him, but he still does that…”

And rumors,

once unleashed, took on a life of their own.

“I even heard that he stays up for several nights, taking care of sick patients!”

“Is that all? He doesn’t even frown when he touches the bodies of patients full of pus!”

“He even shares his grace with us lowly people…”

“He’s truly the Holy Son (聖子)!!”

People believed, without a doubt, that Xian was the Holy Son (聖子).

Was it because of that?

Ding!

《Your name is constantly being heard in the southern region!!》

《Fame Point + 3,000 P》

《Fame Point + 4,000 P》

《Fame Point + 5,000 P》

《Fame Point + 2,000 P》

《Fame Point + 3,000 P》

《Fame Point + 6,000 P》

.

.

.

Fame Points climbed steadily.

Was it because of that?

《Chaos! Destruction! Oblivion…! Holy Son?!!》

The Mobile Lord briefly glitched, but…

Well, anyway.

Along with the Demon Soul Control Method’s progress, even Fame Points.

This was truly.

“Honey, isn’t it?”

There was no better way to describe it.

#

“The plague in Sedjin Village has been contained.”

“The same is said to be true for Gesdur Village.”

“The plague has disappeared in all villages belonging to the Rowe Diocese.”

“Hoo…”

Rahir exclaimed at the reports.

Archbishop Rahir, who had come south to support Aria,

calmly assessed the situation.

The plague’s momentum was broken.

Few areas remained affected.

At this rate, it would soon be eradicated.

The plague that had ravaged the South was essentially over.

“How could this be…”

Rahir sighed, surprised.

He hadn’t anticipated this outcome.

A plague almost without precedent,

incurable,

and perhaps *meant* to be incurable,

solved in an instant by some useless punk.

Literally, in an instant, with unstoppable force.

In vulgar terms, a snap of the fingers.

This development made things difficult for Rahir and the Twilight Sect.

They had accomplished nothing.

They had boldly offered to help Aria, yet remained idle.

Even the lowly healers were active, he heard.

But Rahir and his priests had done nothing.

Acting independently was also awkward.

Without the Holy Son, Xian, the plague remained unconquered.

They were stuck.

“Hoo…”

The situation was not only difficult but troublesome.

What should he do?

As Rahir pondered,

“Archbishop! Archbishop Rahir!”

A priest’s urgent voice broke through.

And then:

“Cardinal Rachel is now…!”

Rahir shot to his feet.

#

“Holy Son, this!”

A girl offered Xian a potato.

She had been on the brink of death from the plague just yesterday.

“My mom boiled these potatoes! I brought them for the Holy Son!”

Now, she was bursting with energy.

Aria’s divine power had erased the marks of her illness.

Xian accepted the potato.

A large, well-cooked potato.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Hehet!”

The girl smiled and skipped away.

Xian smiled back.

He took a bite of the potato.

“Hmm, it’s good.”

It was pretty good.

Not Dana’s cooking, of course.

But the savory, salty taste was satisfying.

Xian took another bite and pulled out his smartphone.

“Let’s see…”

[Demon Soul Control Method Progress Rate 47.86% (+21.08%)]

Nearly 48%.

From an initial 14%, a massive leap of over 30%.

But.

“I didn’t raise it as much as I expected.”

Considering the scale of his efforts, the progress felt underwhelming.

He had hoped to be closer to completion.

The reason for the 47% plateau was simple.

“The progress rate slowed.”

Initially, each patient increased the progress by 0.01%.

But that dropped to 0.007%.

0. 005%, 0.003%.

Eventually, only 0.001% per patient.

Still, well.

“Where else would I get this?”

Compared to being stuck at 14%, it was a huge improvement.

He had also gained legendary achievements and countless Fame Points.

And the potato in his hand.

“It has a different taste than Ruben’s food.”

He wouldn’t have gotten this potato otherwise.

Xian took a large bite.

He finished the potato quickly.

Then, he closed his eyes.

The Demon Soul Control Method had progressed significantly.

The demonic energy felt stronger.

Xian could sense it without conscious effort.

And more.

Subduing the plague had dramatically improved his ability to handle demons (魔) [referring to demonic or dark energy].

His senses had sharpened.

Xian extended his hand and concentrated.

Thick, dark demonic energy rippled over his palm.

The realm of a knight was divided into five stages:

Beginner, User, Expert, Master, Grand Master.

Xian had entered the Beginner realm upon acquiring the Demon Soul Control Method.

And now.

Saaaak─!

Jet-black demonic energy, darker than night, surged.

It moved according to Xian’s will.

Beyond simply feeling and handling Aura.

The realm of User, where one could shape Aura with willpower.

Xian had entered the realm of User.

Xian dispersed the energy.

He felt a clear sense.

He seemed to be at the intermediate level…

Knocking on the door of advanced.

He had skipped the beginner level and immediately entered the intermediate, then advanced.

“Alright!”

Xian felt elated.

“I have to heal the remaining villages quickly.”

Even if the Demon Soul Control Method’s progress had slowed.

He wasn’t just doing it for that.

Xian moved forward.

Then.

Stop.

His senses detected something strange.

He looked.

Someone was approaching.

A woman with hair the color of a pure white lily.

He sensed a bright aura.

But also a calm, almost cold, atmosphere.

Was it because of that?

“Are you the one called the Holy Son of the South?”

Her voice held a chilling coldness.