From that day on, Usher dedicated himself wholeheartedly to training.
The sense of helplessness from being unable to use the skills he had honed over a lifetime was a secondary issue.
What drove him madly forward was a single line—a phrase from Bersia that cut through his core.
“If you can’t use it for that reason, then I really have no use for you, Sir Knight.”
Exactly!
Usher, who inhabited Bersia’s body, was useless!
If things continued like this, he would truly be reduced to nothing more than her plaything, just as she had mocked!
The despair Usher felt in that moment was beyond words.
For someone who had spent half his life striving to stand by her side, this was a devastation akin to the world crumbling down.
‘It can’t be like this!’
With this thought, he spent the entire day researching divine powers.
Of course, it wasn’t easy.
Usher was, after all, a Holy Knight who focused on physical techniques, not divine spells.
The reason was that his divine power capacity was subpar compared to others.
Whether it was due to his natural talent, no matter how hard he tried, Usher’s divine power rarely grew.
Even Sir Whale, the Holy Knights’ Commander, had advised him, “You’re still a prodigy, after all. Instead of wasting time expecting more, focus on honing your physical skills, your forte.”
But Usher didn’t give up just because of those words.
After a long and arduous journey, he eventually found a way of his own.
However, that method only worked in his original body.
To put it in perspective, it was like this:
In his own body, Usher’s control over divine power was akin to drawing water from a well with a bucket.
But now, the scale was entirely different.
‘…An ocean.’
Bersia’s divine power was a vast ocean.
Drawing on that divine power was like trying to tilt a tank filled with seawater.
The mechanisms were different, and here, Usher realized his limits.
“Ugh…!”
This immense ocean resisted control with its overwhelming mass.
When he initiated a prayer, it undulated like waves, spreading out however it pleased.
Even the simple act of breathing in and out was arduous.
But Usher Therbion.
A top-ranked Holy Knight who prided himself on his grit alone, wouldn’t let up.
Finally, he began to see a small progress from his efforts.
A burst of light!
“I did it!”
“Wow, congratulations.”
He had succeeded in completing a healing prayer.
And he had done so without manifesting a halo.
Of course, as mentioned before, it was a ‘small’ success but the result was still overwhelmingly large.
“But it’s too bright. Can you dim it a little?”
It was already an hour past sunset.
Due to the prayer Usher completed, the sky above the temple was bathed in golden light.
Clatter, clatter!
The sound of hurried steps echoed everywhere as the academy scholars and cardinals rushed to Bersia’s garden.
Among them was Sir Whale, the Holy Knights’ Commander.
“What’s going on here?!”
His urgent expression suggested he thought it was a crisis.
Usher’s pupils shook, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
While he stammered, Bersia stepped in.
“She’s practicing controlling her divine power, which has increased since the revelation.”
“…!!!”
“Oh, ohhh!!!”
Cheers erupted loud enough to shake the space.
“???”
Usher looked up at Bersia with a bewildered expression, but she only gave him a sly smile.
Meanwhile, questions flooded in.
“Saintess, precisely what type of amplification is this?!”
“This is a monumental event! A revelation granting divine power?! Now that I think about it, the last revelation was…!”
“Total disaster… a threat…!”
“Uhm…”
Something was off.
Usher felt that things were spiraling out of control, and a sense of foreboding grew within him, making his legs start to tremble.
It was during this commotion.
“First of all, I think the Saintess needs to rest. Could everyone please clear the area?”
“Oh! How careless of me!”
Bersia managed to restore order.
Of course, the seeds she had sown were not entirely reaped yet.
“Gentlemen! Let’s head to the archives at once! We need to reanalyze the revelation by finding past cases!”
“Ah! Could this mean a great threat is coming?!”
The scholars and cardinals all bustled out.
Though Sir Whale, with a somewhat reluctant expression, stayed behind, he also gave Bersia a brief glance before bowing to Usher and leaving.
“… I apologize. I’m relieved it turned out to be nothing serious.”
How could Usher describe the feeling of receiving a bow from his teacher and superior?
Trying to mask his mixed feelings, Usher forced a smile and nodded.
“…!”
Once the area was quiet again, Usher sharply turned to Bersia, raising his eyebrows in frustration.
“Saintess! How could you say such a lie, even as a joke!”
“Pardon?”
“Using a revelation as a convenient excuse like that! The Father might punish you!”
He wasn’t joking.
Why wouldn’t he be? After all, the position of a Saintess exists precisely because they receive divine revelations.
They are individuals deemed special by the god, and there were cases where people lied about receiving revelations to covet this high position.
And what happened to them?
Without exception, they were punished by divine wrath.
They shriveled and died, cursed by divine power—a fate known as the “punishment of the gods.”
Even those who were already Saintesses weren’t spared.
One Saintess, who tried to shake the Temple 300 years ago for her own gain, was left to dangle in midair, bleeding to death under the chains of divine power.
Such things could indeed happen.
As Usher shouted, filled with fear, Bersia gave a sly smile.
“Why do you think it’s a lie?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I might’ve spoken the truth. And it’s also true that the divine power output increased when our bodies swapped.”
Usher blinked.
He carefully processed her words, and soon his face turned pale.
He remembered the content of the so-called revelation she had casually mentioned.
—”There is a mire between the paths, so lift the promised black thicket and guide the shepherd. Blessings will shine upon you.”
Mire, crisis, and lifting the thicket.
Each word was ominous.
If, by any chance, her words were indeed true…!
“D-danger…!”
“Well, it’s actually a lie.”
“?”
“I’ve tried it a few times before, and nothing happened, even with false revelations.”
“…?”
“I don’t know. They just leave it alone.”
Usher’s mouth hung open in shock.
He didn’t know what to believe anymore.
In the midst of this bewilderment, a thought crossed his mind.
It was something he’d once heard used to describe Bersia.
‘…The one favored by the world.’
The thought came unbidden.
If she could cause such chaos with her lies and still be forgiven, even forging divine power without consequence, then…
‘Father…’
Usher closed his eyes tightly.
He silently conveyed a message to the god.
‘Aren’t you spoiling her too much…?’
No matter how much you love your daughter, wouldn’t raising her like this will lead to bad habits?
Even in this moment, Usher felt a sense of responsibility.
If the Father wasn’t going to do it, then he himself would have to properly discipline her!
Ah! Perhaps the Father, feeling too heartbroken to reprimand her directly, threw Usher into this trial instead!
Usher strengthened his resolve.
‘Yes, if that is the Father’s will!’
The ever-devout, model Holy Knight Usher Therbion.
Once again, he made a firm resolution.
“Oh, even so, false revelations are not allowed!”
“Fine. Then let’s just say it’s a real revelation. Happy now?”
“You can’t just decide that on a whim…!”
“Alright, alright, let’s disperse. And make sure you wash up before bed.”
“Changing the subject won’t make it right!”
“Oh, but it will.”
“?”
“Sir Knight, you’re drenched in sweat. Do you know how much cold sweat you’ve been breaking out in…?”
Bersia looked him over from head to toe, then flashed a lazy smile.
“Your whole body is soaked. I wonder if there are… other places as well.”
“Ah!”
Usher jumped back, wrapping his arms around himself in embarrassment.
- Correcting her was not going to be easy.
Despite a few small mishaps, Usher managed to make progress, overcoming one major obstacle: the healing service he had already signed up for.
After all, with the schedule set, he couldn’t suddenly say, “I changed my mind, so I won’t go,” without damaging Bersia’s reputation.
And now, by succeeding in reducing the healing prayer to cover only one village, he managed a small victory.
It was still visually overwhelming, but at least the chaos caused by the halo was gone, allowing Usher to continue his inspection tour.
Out of the seven designated cities, six were now complete.
Only the last city remained, and by then, Usher felt he’d reached his limit.
Not with the tour itself, but…
‘Ah, I can’t shrink this any further.’
He clicked his tongue.
He couldn’t reduce the healing prayer any more, which led to another problem.
‘This makes combat prayers impossible.’
Uncontrollable power was like a weapon without a handle.
Using combat prayers recklessly might harm his body or, worse, Bersia, whom he was supposed to protect.
Usher wasn’t foolish enough to desire something he couldn’t control.
Thus, he reluctantly sealed his combat prayers.
A significant frustration settled within him, along with a sense of danger.
‘Even if she mostly stays in safe places…’
There was still a reason for assigning a guardian knight to the Saintess.
Her position naturally attracted many enemies, so at least a minimal safety measure was necessary.
After some thought, Usher finally found a solution, a compromise.
“Saintess, please learn self-defense from me!”
If he couldn’t protect her, he would teach her to protect herself.
It was the best plan Usher could come up with.
Bersia narrowed her eyes as she listened to Usher’s proposal.
If she loosely considered his reasoning, it made sense.
Usher’s body had endured rigorous training.
Even if Bersia didn’t want to, her body would instinctively react to the physical stimuli, allowing her to learn quickly.
He’d teach her only the basics.
This was something they both needed, so it was essential.
This time, Usher conveyed his determination with his entire body, unwilling to back down.
His eyes were wide, his arms crossed, and his shoulders straightened confidently.
Though it might have looked comical, there wasn’t much he could do since her body wasn’t exactly bulky.
She agreed purely out of mischief.
His face lighting up as soon as she agreed was rather amusing, after all.
He then requested a sparring session.
“There is a technique I learned that allows you to subdue an opponent regardless of strength! Its name is…”
“A beauty trap?”
“Oh no!”
“Are you asking me to hurt myself by hitting my own body? Do you enjoy seeing blood…?”
“Focus, please!”
Usher’s pouting expression was amusing.
The faint trace of resentment in his look stirred something inside her.
Bersia didn’t bother to suppress that feeling.
“Touching each other all over under the guise of training… You say you’re against it, but your desires are all over you.”
“…!”
Usher’s hair stood on end.
A crooked smile played on Bersia’s lips.
That was enough.
If she went further, Usher might really get angry. Though, in his case, it would probably just look like a sulk.
Seeing him so determined, she figured she might as well humor him by pretending to spar.
With that thought, Bersia slowly extended her fist.
“Alright, let’s spar. Like this?”
At that moment—
“No, like this.”
With a slight smile, Usher grabbed her arm and performed a technique.
And then, something unexpected happened to Bersia.
Whoosh!
The world spun.
To be precise, Bersia’s body did a complete turn.
Immediately after, there was a loud thud!
Her body had hit the ground.
A sharp sensation spread across her back, but she couldn’t focus on the pain.
She was engulfed in sheer confusion.
‘…How?’
Her gaze was filled with questions.
With this body, devoid of muscle, how had he managed to flip her heavy, solid frame?
Without even using divine power.
Just then—
“Do not underestimate me! I was top of my class and selected as the Saintess’s personal guard!”
Usher let out a confident huff, speaking in a lively tone.
Bersia looked up at him, still frozen in a daze.
How much time had passed in silence?
“…Saintess?”
Noticing her blank stare, Usher started fidgeting, his expression turning anxious.
Slowly, he approached her and asked, “Are… are you hurt? That shouldn’t have been the case…”
Then, crouching down, he began inspecting her body for any injuries.
His eyes spun in circles, clearly flustered.
It was the usual, awkward expression he wore.
But somehow, it created an unexplainable sense of dissonance, and before she knew it—
“…Ha.”
Bersia let out a faint laugh.