Chapter 522
Eating a Date Pill
After the other elves left, Sherlock and Lily came over with the Grey Saintess.
Seeing the handful of fruits in Eivass’s hands, Sherlock raised his eyebrows. “Interesting.”
Although he didn’t know the specifics of what had happened, he could more or less guess what had just occurred.
Cardinal Matilda carefully picked up a fruit and put it into her mouth. She chewed slowly and deliberately, subconsciously frowning.
“Is it very sour?” Eivass asked, watching her expression. He was subtly concerned about the taste of the fruit that had grown from him. He never expected to have the self-awareness of a hen laying eggs… this was something Eivass had never anticipated before.
“…It’s alright.” Matilda opened her eyes in surprise. “The taste is not bad… no, it’s quite good. It’s a bit sour when you first taste it, followed by a somewhat astringent sweetness. There’s also a peculiar aroma… it leaves a lingering scent after eating.”
She usually kept her eyes narrowed, appearing gentle and as if she were always smiling. But Eivass had never been able to see the color of her eyes before. Now, he could see that she had a deep blue iris, similar to the color of her hair.
“I don’t think it’ll taste bad either.” Eivass breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a light laugh.
This also confirmed for Eivass that this item could be used to trigger the Art of Pasturing. Since it already had the “Flesh and Blood Devotion” trait, it could be considered a sacrifice.
[Flesh and Blood Devotion (Purple): You have mastered the art of self-sacrifice. And now you will master it even more.]
It was reasonable to call it a sacrifice. After all, when Eivass tore this thing from his eye socket, he felt a moment of excruciating pain, as if his soul were being torn apart. It felt like flesh buds growing deep into his bones and then being ripped out… it grew by absorbing souls as nourishment.
Fortunately, Eivass had the “Dissolving Soul” trait, which allowed his soul to regenerate. Because his soul was already amorphous, the damage to himself when tearing it off was reduced.
“I’ll have a taste too.” Sherlock unceremoniously took a fruit and put it in his mouth, feeling somewhat surprised by its pleasant taste.
“You said it was a date? It faintly resembles one, but the texture isn’t the same. Too soft, a bit like a cherry.” Sherlock pondered. “As for the taste, it’s only slightly sour at first. It’s probably due to the skin. The pulp inside is sickeningly sweet, and the texture…” He said this as he picked up another one and ate it.
“…A bit like blood?” He added uncertainly. “It seems to numb the mouth a little too.”
“No pit?” Eivass looked at Sherlock, who didn’t even spit it out, with some surprise. He pressed further, “Any other reactions? For example, are your life force replenished, or does your desire grow stronger…?” The black aura wrapped around this fruit made him a little concerned.
But Sherlock shook his head. “It’s just an ordinary fruit. I don’t feel anything.”
—That’s not right. How could this be an ordinary fruit? A Sin Thorns fruit that grows by drawing nourishment from souls, birthed in dreams…
“I don’t either.” Cardinal Matilda replied. However, she seemed somewhat interested. “For the first time in a thousand years, a Bishop hasn’t burned up during the Ascension Ritual but has instead obtained a handful of strange dates. I’ve managed the Holy Orders Department for a long time, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a phenomenon.”
“…May I take some to keep?”
“Please do.” Eivass said, dividing more than a dozen red fruits, like elixirs, among Cardinal Matilda. He reminded her, “Although I don’t know if this thing has any special effects, you probably shouldn’t eat too much. After all, it’s a fruit that grows from Sin Thorns.”
“…Sin Thorns?” The most surprised was Saintess Pure White. After all, she had more contact with the Eternal Pope, who was covered in Sin Thorns. She looked at Eivass. “Sin Thorns… actually grow fruit?”
“I don’t know.” Eivass shook his head innocently. He truly didn’t know—he didn’t even know what Sin Thorns were.
He could only confirm one thing: what Candlemaster had told him about the “Paradox of Illumination” was actually asking if he wanted to switch back to being a Torchbearer. Since Eivass met the transfer conditions for both Torchbearer and Illuminator, he chose Illuminator. If he reached the Fifth Tier, there would be no turning back… so Candlemaster had specifically confirmed here whether Eivass had chosen this path or had made the wrong choice due to lack of understanding.
—Candlemaster even gave me a chance to regret my choice. I’m truly touched.
Eivass was somewhat moved. According to this logic, all future Illuminators would probably grow fruits during their Ascension Ritual… but not necessarily. Eivass had been a bit too impulsive at the time, and when his eye itched, he had directly pulled off the Sin Thorns. His seemingly casual and risky action was actually well-thought-out. After all, Candlemaster was right there. If there had been any danger, Candlemaster would surely not have let him get hurt.
—If I don’t take risks in front of powerful figures, should I wait until I’m alone to take them?
But if he hadn’t pulled them off at the time, perhaps Sin Thorns would have grown from his eye, or maybe even flowers would have bloomed.
“Flowers blooming…” Eivass froze for a moment at this thought. He suddenly realized it. He remembered. In the game, the character art for the Illuminator profession depicted a white-haired girl with a side fringe covering one eye. Two white flowers were held between her clenched fingers, like a tiger’s claw. Originally, Eivass thought it was just artistic composition, as the Illuminator’s skills had nothing to do with flowers.
There was also a possibility that because Eivass had given Isabella one-third of his soul, it hadn’t received enough nourishment to bloom into white flowers… Thus, Eivass made up his mind—next time, he wouldn’t pull it off. He would let the Sin Thorns grow and see what would happen if they continued to develop.
“I want to try it.” The Grey Saintess made up her mind and came over, picking up a fruit and putting it in her mouth. But after only chewing twice, she suddenly froze. As if she felt some kind of pain, she suddenly covered her eyes, which were wrapped in white ribbons. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Eivass’s heart tightened. “Her Highness the Saintess?”
—Could it be that the Sin Thorns fruit reacted with Amber Compaction Syndrome? Others might not know, but he did. Grey’s eyes had already developed Amber Compaction Syndrome, and she had lost her normal eyesight.
“…No, I’m fine.” Grey immediately raised her hand, enduring the pain and comforting herself. But Eivass could hear the tremor in her voice. However, before she could calm herself, she spoke to Eivass, “Archbishop Moriarty… no, Eivass. If you have similar fruits in the future, could you give them to me first? I will do my best to help you with any requests you have.” In her usually level voice, Eivass heard a hint of urgency for the first time.
Hearing this, Eivass paused and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
…It seems there was a reaction. But judging by her words, it should be a good thing. This thing seems to have a special curative effect on Amber Compaction Syndrome. I knew it. This thing couldn’t possibly be without a use…
“Of course,” Eivass smiled, “These are all for you.” Anyway, others wouldn’t need them. Rather, the effects of these items were not suitable for other elves to discover. To produce these “Sin Thorns Fruits,” one must first be a Fourth Tier Illuminator. Secondly, they must have the “Dissolving Soul” trait, otherwise, they would likely suffer soul damage the first time they were torn off… and Eivass didn’t know if “Flesh and Blood Devotion” was also needed to concentrate and enhance the medicinal effects. As it stood, Eivass was the only one who could continuously produce them.
In the Church, there were too many elves developing Amber Compaction Syndrome. And judging by Pure White’s reaction, it wasn’t an instant cure. Even if Eivass were put into a juicer, he couldn’t save that many people. If this secret were exposed, it would inevitably be dangerous. Although elves generally had a desire for devotion, not all of them did; and even if they had a desire for devotion, it didn’t mean they were 100% good people—sacrificing others for the sake of others was also an expression of devotion. For safety’s sake, it was better to give them all to Pure White.
If Pure White could get rid of her Amber Compaction Syndrome symptoms before the Pope’s succession ceremony in March, perhaps the Church’s disaster could be averted? Even if it were only a temporary solution… but a temporary solution was still good.
Matilda was also thoughtful. She obviously knew about Grey’s Amber Compaction Syndrome, so she immediately realized something from the Saintess’s reaction.
“Then I’ll give these to you first, Pure White.” She said, carefully handing the bunch of fruits in her hand to the Saintess.
Grey expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Cardinal Matilda.” She then looked at Eivass and bowed slightly. “Thank you very much, Eivass… If you encounter any trouble in the Church in the future, please don’t hesitate to find me.” The Grey Saintess’s attitude towards Eivass had clearly changed.
Cardinal Matilda’s expression also became solemn. She narrowed her eyes and said to Eivass earnestly, “Eivass, it’s best to keep this matter confidential. I will contact the Cardinal Hall immediately. Until then, please don’t tell anyone else about this… If I am not mistaken, you might become a benefactor to the entire Church, or even all elves.”
However, seeing the Cardinal Archbishop’s reaction, Sherlock frowned deeply. He looked at Eivass with concern, feeling that his friend, who had become a newly appointed Archbishop, seemed to be getting entangled in some troublesome situation. He had clearly only come to study divine arts…
…Or rather, the trouble had always been here, just waiting for him to arrive.
(End of Chapter)
