NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 4: No Blessings.
The template appeared.
[Name: Rashin Montero.]
[Class: Unknown.]
[Blessings: None!]
[Authorities: None!]
The once-excitement that filled the room was now replaced by disappointment. Every member of the seat was shocked to see what appeared before them.
"What is this?"
"A hero with no blessing?"
"But those are blessings surrounding his body."
The audience whispered.
"Impossible. A hero with no blessing is unheard of," said the head priest as he stared intensely at the template.
Their expressions vividly showed how absurd it was.
Eri was no exception.
She didn't expect him to have no blessing. Like finding a pin in a stack of needles, that was how rare it was to find a being with no blessing.
'No no no no, this can't be happening. How does he not have a single blessing? Are they all looking at me? If this keeps on, my reputation...'
She panicked.
Truly, all eyes were on her.
"Eri, why does your summon have no blessing?" one of the priestesses asked.
"Did you mess up the summoning ritual?"
More and more questions came flooding in.
It became overwhelming.
Rashin, the one at the center of the whole thing, could only stare at the template in complete astonishment.
'I'm guessing these numbers are supposed to be some kind of stats relating to me. And from the looks of things... I think it's a bad one.'
He thought to himself.
'I don't think Eri discussed this with me.'
Rashin took a second to look at Eri; that was when he realized she wasn't in a position to answer any of his questions.
Eri found herself in a predicament she couldn't get out of easily.
And to make matters worse, it would seem that during the whole questioning from all sides, Eri got so overwhelmed that she could barely control her mana flow.
As a result of this, the false illusion she had placed on Rashin dispersed.
Like glass, her resolve shattered, and she dropped to her knees.
"Unbelievable, he truly has no blessing," someone from the crowd spoke, anger spewing from underneath.
"A fraud!"
"He is not a hero! This is a fake!"
Another one shouted.
It didn't take long for the whole thing to escalate as people began chanting and throwing stuff at Eri.
Rashin wanted to speak, but the head priest was a few steps ahead of him.
"Eri." He called out, and with his voice came total silence in the church.
No one dared to say a word.
"Tell me, just who is this man you've presented to us as your summoned hero?" the head priest asked.
Eri kept her gaze on the ground, wine drooling from the side of her face, something that had been thrown at her from the audience.
"Speak!!!"
Eri flinched, now gripping her staff tightly.
There was nothing she could say to the head priest that would possibly get her out of the trouble she had placed herself in.
Somewhere at the back of her mind, she wanted to lie and blame it all on Rashin.
'He forced me to.'
'I don't know this man either.'
There was no doubt if she had said something like that, the people would believe her words over the words of a man who held zero blessings.
Yet, beside that very thought was that which she knew.
The man she wanted to lie about was a man who was forcefully pulled to another world. A man who had once fought against the fallen ones, the last man on earth.
She didn't want to implicate him.
Tears began to run down her cheeks. "Sorry," she whispered.
A disgusted expression played on the face of the head priest. The people around him mirrored the same reaction.
"Have you no words for your actions?"
"I-I... I failed the summoning... a-and wanted to find my way around it by lying."
Eri confessed.
This angered the head priest even more.
Whack!
From nowhere, he booted Eri in the face, sending her falling flat on the ground with blood dripping from her nose.
Despite the fact he was in a long robe, he could still move fairly easily.
"You are a disgusting thing!" he yelled angrily. "A priestess failing her summoning?! You bring embarrassment to the church and the Angel! Cleanse yourself of this world this very instant!"
As he raged, he clenched his fist, ready to send another attack.
The people who watched didn't seem to have a problem with it. The head priest was perfect, he could never do anything wrong.
But just when he was about to deliver a blow, Rashin showed up, holding his hand to halt the attack.
"Calm down, uncle. Don't you think it's a bit excessive to beat a girl just because she failed a summoning or whatever?"
The priest's eyes widened.
"You dare touch me with your filthy hands?! You, pig!" He yanked his hand off.
"Pig? You must have me confused. My name is Montero, Rashin Montero." Rashin placed his hand on his chest.
The people who watched could barely make a straight face.
Just the mere sight of Rashin turned their stomachs.
In the midst of heroes, a failure stood to find his place. It was simply upsetting.
"I understand she failed and the other thing you don't like, but give her a break. Another can be done, no? I don't think you'd gain anything from beating her up. Besides, aren't you too old to be beating up young girls?" Rashin uttered.
The priest got annoyed, his face already hinting at it.
Eri, who was being defended, knew in her heart that it was already over.
There was nothing she or Rashin could say to make the head priest change his mind. It was futile.
She knew this, and yet, the fact that Rashin was willing to defend her made her heart spark up some kind of way.
Rashin continued,
"I'm not in any position to talk as I'm not accustomed to all this. But surely there's a better way than beating up young girls."
The audience began to murmur...
"He is really talking boldly to the head priest."
"A lowly human!"
"Despicable."
The murmurs didn't go unheard.
All of a sudden, the priest pointed at Rashin and yelled—
"Demon!!! Stay away from me!"
....
[A/N: Please don't forget to tell me what you think of the story so far. I hope you enjoy this book.]