Poll Results:
Winner: Go to Brog
—
Window appeared spontaneously in the middle of the temple library where Dan was pouring through a pile of books. Although it could download information directly into Dan's brain, the finer details of the world were left to the extra himself to puzzle out.
[DAN, THE READERS HAVE DECIDED THAT YOUR NEXT DESTINATION IS BROG,] Window announced.
"Oh, all right." The latter didn't even look up from his page.
[...ARE YOU NOT GOING TO PACK? YOU'LL BE LEAVING JOKOSKIA TOMORROW.]
"I think I've got bigger problems to deal with at the moment."
[?] Curious, Window focused its camera on the book in Dan's hands, analyzing its text before coming up with a title from its database. [FUNDAMENTALS OF LIGHT MAGIC?]
"Mhm, I'm teaching myself how to use my powers properly."
[FOR A SAINTESS, THAT SHOULD COME NATURALLY.]
"Yeah, well..."
—
The story went like this: after receiving the triple blessings of the Goddess, Jokoskia's people were eager to see Dan's ability in practice. To put it in simple terms, they wanted him to work. Blessing fields, protecting children, overseeing marriages, etc. were just some of the requests that flooded the temple in the next few days. Of course it was physically impossible for one Saintess to look after every single soul—and most of these requests were originally jobs of the temple anyways—so the head priest firmly rejected all private appeals until further notice.
Instead, he directed Dan to the wheatfields bordering the outskirts of the city, responsible for feeding its populace throughout the winter, and humbly asked him to increase its bounty for the harvest season. An unfortunate drought earlier in the year had stunted its growth, creating possible shortages. What's more, wild beasts from the western regions had moved in to pilfer the grains, driven there by predators who periodically migrated further inland whenever the sea beast tides attacked. Although Brog bore the brunt of their invasion, their effects were felt coastal-wide down the western half of Aleria.
Dan had found himself standing in front of the fields and coaxing his powers to help them grow. Unfortunately, nothing had happened beyond him glowing brighter than usual. The head priest had comforted him and suggested they try again tomorrow, but that had yielded the same lack of results. Reading up on the previous Saintesses hadn't helped, either. Of those with healing powers, some cured with touch, others with kisses or words. The Saintesses with the Bounty of the Land had simply forged a bond with the earth to encourage Nature to bear her fruits, but Dan got nothing when he tried the same thing. Whether it was touching the dirt or caressing wheat stalks or singing to the fields...all he got was silence.
It was awkward for everyone all around.
On the fourth day, Dan's attempt had been interrupted by an irate farmer who was upset that the Saintess wasn't doing anything but "sightseeing" all week. He'd gotten angry with the priests for "hoarding" Dan and even shoved one to the ground. Before he could get his hands on another victim, Dan stepped in to punch him first (accidentally).
Bam!
The fist connected with the farmer's face and sent him sprawling. Miraculously, the man remained on his knees and started prostrating himself before Dan the next second, because the pain in his joints disappeared! It turned out that he'd been suffering from a bad case of gout and the physical contact with the Saintess had done the trick in relieving his symptoms.
Of course, Dan only saw it as an accident. But when he slapped a mosquito off another priest's arm and witnessed the man standing on his broken leg a moment later, he began to have doubts.
The fifth day, Dan readied his palm and went to slap at a patch of wheat. Instantly, their yield doubled as new stalks started shooting through the surface of the dirt as if their lives depended on it.
It turned out...his Saintess powers just needed to manifest themselves with a good thrashing? Or was everything just fueled by violence...
Dan showed Window his miraculous hands, which were now thoughtfully covered in a pair of fingerless gloves to cushion his palms, and shrugged helplessly.
"According to the books, Aleria is home to magic of the five elements as well as Light and Dark magic. The Saintess is supposed to be blessed with the former, known for its healing and purifying properties..." He trailed off with a frown, then added, "But I've never heard of any Light magic users who need to beat up their patients to make it work."
[HAVE YOU TRIED A GENTLE TAP?] Window suggested after a beat.
"Believe me, I did! But after a week of trial and error, I've confirmed it doesn't work like that. It has to be something that causes actual pain. The brutaler the beatdown, the better the outcome!"
He'd ended up donning gloves and punching his way through the wheatfields to get the high priest's desired results, then suggesting a spontaneous public healing service for the sickest in the city. During the sixth, seventh, and eighth days, scores of people had lined up in front of the temple for treatment, and Dan had done the deed by slapping, punching, and kicking his way through the queue. He found that while his attacks left marks and even bruises, it cured whatever other ailment the victim had instead. Thus, after the initial shock wore off, people were quite willing to get smacked and even offered him the other cheek...
In the aftermath, an over enthusiastic high priest signed him up for combat lessons with the Klovs army corps once he got back from his trip, to "increase his healing efficacy!" Dan had no words for him.
[I SEE...] Window mused after hearing the story. [THAT MAY BE A HELPFUL SKILL TO HAVE ONCE YOU GO TO BROG. PERHAPS YOU COULD SLAP THE SEA BEASTS BACK TO THEIR SENSES.]
"Do I have to slap some sense into you too?!"
[PLEASE REFRAIN FROM UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE.] Window's screen seemed to turn even more translucent at the threat. [I AM NEITHER BROKEN NOR AN ENEMY, WHILE YOU ARE STILL THE SAINTESS, A PARAGON OF GOODNESS AND VIRTUE.]
"You know, violence and virtue both start with 'V'..."
[THAT'S TRUE, BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE TRYING TO CURE YOUR CURRENT STATE?]
"Yeah, the image is completely wrong," Dan deflated a second later. "Saintesses are supposed to be kind and gentle, but I've been abusing everyone from the age of 0 to 99. One day I had to even punch a baby! A helpless child! This way of healing is way too barbaric...!"
[IT DOES FIT YOUR FACE, THOUGH..] Window observed. [HUMANS SAY NOT TO JUDGE BY APPEARANCES, BUT YOUR ACTIONS AND LOOKS ARE BOTH UNDENIABLY VICIOUS.]
"You don't think the Author made a mistake somewhere, do you?" Dan wondered. "Maybe I'm supposed to be a main character who's a villain?"
[NONSENSE. HAVE YOU INTENTIONALLY HURT OTHERS OR THE WORLD? DO YOU WANT TO, IF GIVEN THE CHANCE?]
"No to both..."
[THEN MY LOGIC CIRCUITS DICTATE YOU'RE NOT A VILLAIN.] Window reasoned. [FORGET ABOUT THIS BOOK. WHY ARE YOU TRYING SO HARD TO FIT IN AGAIN AFTER GAINING SUCH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY? YOU'RE THE SAINTESS, THE ONLY ONE OF YOUR KIND. YOU MAKE YOUR OWN RULES.]
"That's why I want to make sure I'm not breaking any rules of the world in the meantime!"
[WHAT RULES? IT'S THE AUTHOR'S WORLD, SHE CAN BEND THEM FOR YOU AS YOU NEED. SO LOSE THAT BACKBONE AND FALL IN LOVE ALREADY!]
"Window, you should try a female voice the next time you do text-to-speech."
Stalling at the non sequitur, Window typed back, [WHY?]
"You're as naggy as an old aunt..."
The blue screen made a series of fast-paced blips before Window left in a huff. Dan welcomed the silence as he returned to his studies. Sure, standing out was nice, but he liked the idea of fitting in, too! Being part of a group felt like he had a place to belong.
Manifestation and General Applications of Light Magic and Mana, he began to read...
—
Unlike elemental magic, Light magic was primarily drawn from the self—or in rare cases, holy relics imbibed with the Goddess's blessing. It was a power similar to one's life force but infinitely mightier, though it was rare for humans in Aleria to possess it in any great capacity. Thus, besides the Saintess, the tiny minority of Light magic mages on the continent were either priests and priestesses who bathed in Goddess blessings all their lives, owners of powerful Light artifacts, or strange outliers exposed to the mana in its purest form to increase its concentration in their bodies permanently. The Sun Emperor Alaric of Elweruan was one such man, having been born on an auspicious date beneath the noon sun on Aleria's Creation Day. However, even he was more skilled in his second discipline, which was Fire magic.
Light magic was also present in various elements of nature, such as sunlight or seasons like summer and spring. And yet it was impossible to harness externally. While a water mage could boost their powers by a pond or river, and a wood mage drew strength from plants and seeds, Light mages couldn't just stand beneath the sun and directly absorb its powers. At most, they could use a Goddess-blessed relic imbibed with powers similar to the sun, making every Light mage a non-rechargeable battery. Even the Dark magic users who were their counterparts had more leeway in this regard, being able to freely absorb the energy of dead things to fuel themselves. Generations of archmages had studied this phenomena without finding clear answers, other than the theory that Light magic had to be holy and thus was the exclusive domain of the Goddess. It would explain why She was so bountiful in its ability, and why only Her chosen Saintess could enjoy a greater portion and continuous supply of it than anyone else.
For Dan, that meant his most effective conduit for Light magic would still be his body—specifically, his fists or any other part of him that touched his targets. Unless he got his hands on an artifact of Light magic, he'd be stuck punching people to use his powers
"..." said Dan.
Window was right, reading this book was a waste of time!
—
Before he could go back to pack as the system suggested, Jonathon found him first and brought him to see the high priest in his tower. Unexpectedly, Dan saw another familiar face when entering the room: General Orsic sitting on a chair while holding a box in his hands.
There were the usual greetings, the high priest's explanation that the temple suggested he accept Brog's invitation first, and then a sudden spotlight on General Orsic as he was urged into the center of the room with the strange package.
Dan looked up curiously, meeting a pair of stoic red eyes who narrowed at him before their owner coughed.
"As a sign of goodwill, the nation of Klovs is here to offer a gift for the Saintess's travels."
"Thank you," Dan replied solemnly, his perfect ice mask in place. Seeing as Orsic remained standing there after he accepted the box, he resigned himself to opening it up right in the room.
Nestled in the silk lining of the box was a pair of...brass knuckles.
Dan couldn't help it: his face twitched, and a rueful smile that was automatically converted into a smirk appeared on his features. "This is...?"
Unseen by Dan, the high priest suppressed a tremor as fresh tears threatened to spill over his eyes again. By the Goddess, that smile! Should we treat it as a blessing or a curse?
Orsic didn't move as he carefully studied Dan's expression. There was no sign of malice, but the smugness in his grin couldn't be denied. "Having heard of the Saintess's unique ability, we thought it prudent to give you a weapon for self defense."
"Ah?" Dan blinked. What are you saying, don't I punch people enough nowadays?
"Since the Saintess's attacks always end up healing your targets, you would be in a tough spot if someone actually came at you with ill-intent," Orsic went on. "I believe the first time you unleashed your powers was against a rogue farmer? And yet, all you did was heal him for his impertinence."
Dan's eyes widened. The general had a point! If he tried to injure his attackers but healed them with every hit, wouldn't he just be enabling any would-be kidnappers instead? "Wait, is getting kidnapped a genuine threat for me?"
"Generally speaking, you're safe in Jokoskia," Orsic went on, "But Brog is considered a rougher country than the rest of the nations. As the Saintess has some experience in boxing already, this is our best solution for now. The high priest has arranged for you to take in-depth lessons with myself when you return."
"Although I would like you to stay here a bit longer, the chancellor was quite sincere in needing your help," the high priest spoke up next, stepping forward with suspiciously bright eyes. "The Goddess would not want us to be selfish with her blessings, or her envoy."
"I will escort you as far as the teleportation circle," Orsic finished. "Then as tradition dictates, you will be accompanied by your attendant and a few Klovian soldiers as guards. Please do your best until you return."
"M-my child, take pity on the poor people of Brog," the high priest stammered. "They are as much the Goddess's children as the people here. Do be merciful...!"
"Of course, high priest..." Dan was a little flustered by the old man's earnest pleas. Hadn't the high priest personally witnessed him curing the sick and helping the poor? He was right next to Dan while his fists were flying down the queues!
In the end, Dan decided to leave quickly with Jonathon, saying he had to pack, while Orsic and the high priest lingered behind in the office. The two of them exchanged looks before the general shook his head.
"If it's killing intent you're looking for, I didn't sense a thing."
"Yes yes, neither have I—but look at all the people he's hit! Although they're healing fine now, how am I supposed to explain away their bruises and black eyes?!"
"Does he...not realize he could punch them in other places?"
"The Saintess says the face is the most effective spot for healing. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Perhaps he simply enjoys violence as sport. His smile at seeing the knuckles says as much!"
Orsic fell silent. "It was...quite a devious expression."
"And yet his actions prove that he has the Goddess's blessings without a doubt! Could you imagine if he ended up curing royalty by punching their faces one day? The masses would revolt!"
"But high priest, you still want me to give him close combat training?"
"Yes. If he's going to beat people up, at least make sure he doesn't get beat up in turn. That would be even worse!" Finally, tears flowed from the high priest's eyes. He dabbed at them with a handkerchief and declared, "If our Saintess is destined to act like a rascal, then we'll make him the greatest one the continent has ever seen!"
—
A/N: Please note that the Author does not condone physical violence in any form in the real world. Dan's powers are an unfortunate side effect of his Villainous Character Template and will need to be resolved with Plot.
It's time for some visuals. Of course, all character appearances are up to your personal interpretation, but here's one possible visual headcanon of smirking Dan: