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Chapter 55 Part 3 – The secret of the Blue Diamond. The story of how the Witch of Doom was born. In order to get those children back one day ……

Seeing the children looking at each other and shouting with delight, Dwayne smiled.

「Well then, it’s so dry and hot outside. The sun is also an important god for the people of the forest, but this is just unbearable. Let’s quickly go back home.」

Kele tilted her head in puzzlement.

「Umm, Mr. Rain, isn’t he supposed to make it pitter-patter by now? Why is it still sunny?」

Dwayne gave her a broad smile. He understood that Kele felt the same way he did. This child may have the talent to become a priest. The occasional sparks of talent that were shown not only from Kele, but from each of the children, made Dwayne’s heart throb. At the same time, he strongly felt it. He wants to put an end to the barbaric custom of offering sacrifices that robs children of their future at all costs in his generation.

All of them walked under the shades of the trees and Dwayne took turns carrying each of the children on his shoulders as he walked. The children cheered and were delighted to see a different sight from what they usually see from atop the shoulders of the tall Dwayne.

Dwayne smiled as he watched over the children who were so moved by this. The world is a much bigger place and there are many things that can move their hearts. He wants to show them that. He once wished for the same thing for those young children, but they lost their lives in order to protect him. Recalling those memories, Dwayne can’t help but tear up.

「…… Teacher, what’s wrong?」

「I – It’s nothing.」

Dwayne smiled at the children who looked up at him curiously when he stood still and told them not to worry, then he started to walk again.

「Do you know what the ocean is? It is an endless lake, much bigger than this forest. The water of the ocean is surprisingly salty and the big waves come ashore uninterruptedly. There are all kinds of creatures in the sea. There is even a creature called a whale that is as big as a hill and swims in the water. It is breathtaking to see them up close. It makes you realize how tiny human beings are.」

The children’s faces lit up at Dwayne’s story and they were all clamoring that they want to see it.

How dazzling is the curiosity and willingness to learn of these young children.

Dwayne affectionately looked at them and promised.

「…… Someday, when you’re all a little older, let’s all go on a trip together. Along with the dolls that you guys made …… It’s not just the whales that are amazing. Large rivers made of ice, vast grasslands, and red rocky terrain. There’s so much to see in the world. But in order to see them, you have to walk a lot. So hurry up and grow up all healthy and big.」

That was also something he wanted the deceased children to experience.
Dwayne’s hands were full of strength as he stopped and hugged all the children together.

…… These children are war orphans.

With the power of the Blue Diamond, the borders of the forest are overgrown with intricate and bizarre shapes that do not easily allow the invasion of large enemy forces. However, this does not mean that the battles with small units from neighboring enemy kingdoms have ceased. The number of casualties is not small. The strongest of the people of the forest, even the women, would join in the battles, and sometimes the parents of a family would die at the same time. These children are orphans who lost their families in such a way. Dwayne took them in and raised them as his family to atone for the children that had been sacrificed.

‘…… I don’t want such a sorrowful thing to ever happen again. Call me a hypocrite if you want. I will protect these children even if it costs me my life. That’s the only thing I can do to make up for what I have done to you.’

Surrounded by the children’s frolicking voices, Dwayne silently vowed to the souls of his deceased students.

…… However, fate was extremely cruel to them and trampled on the modest happiness of the teacher and his students.

Unable to endure the long period of drought, the priests of the people of the forest decided to offer new sacrifices to the Blue Diamond. The sacrifices they selected were the orphans that Dwayne is raising.

「…… You’ve got to be kidding me!! I did not raise those children to be sacrificed!! Aren’t all of you aware of it!? That their parents and siblings died while fighting for the people of the forest!! You’re not satisfied with that and now you want the lives of these children!? Without ever compensating those children!! Ask yourselves ……!! How shameless are you going to be!!」

Dwayne was enraged by the voting they held while excluding him, the second-in-command priest.

Among the priests of the people of the forest, he was the most powerful. No one could stop Dwayne as he stormed into the temple. The vines that were shot at Dwayne were all manipulated by him to go in the opposite direction and bound the priests themselves. Dwayne’s vines covered the entire arch-shaped corridor that was lined with stone pillars, demonstrating his intense fury.

「…… This drought will soon be over. Don’t you hear the plants telling you so? The rain could fall at any time soon. All we have to do is wait a little longer and no one will be unhappy. So please, don’t offer any more sacrifices. Don’t take the lives of those children meaninglessly.」

Some of the priests who were close friends of Dwayne turned their eyes away from him in pain at his tearful plea. Dwayne was taken aback. He had been too angry to notice when he had intercepted them, but their attack had lacked any real power. They even seemed unwilling to do so. Dwayne’s eyes sharpened.

「…… It’s not the intention of the whole temple to sacrifice those children, is it? Then ……!!」

「Hihihi, that’s right, the decision to sacrifice those kids was made by me, as you can guess. I, the supreme priest of Wiskum, the people of the forest, have ordered to sacrifice those kids. According to the oracle that was given by the great god who dwells in the Blue Diamond.」

The vines that Dwayne had extended out split in two.
The Blue Diamond on the altar shone ominously.
The sound of footsteps came from behind him.

「Don’t get carried away just because you are the second-in-command priest. You fool. I’ll restrain you in return.」

The oak staff made a buzzing sound.
The vines whizzed as they left the priests’ limbs and bound Dwayne’s limbs.

「You see? Even though you’ve been praised as a genius, all I had to do is borrow a little power from the great god that dwells in the Blue Diamond and now you’re in this mess. How pathetic.」

With a flick of her staff, a bewitching beauty stepped forward.

She is the high priest, the leader of the people of the forest Wiskum. She has distinct features, strong makeup, and priestly patterns painted with blue dye, giving her a strong impression of prominence. Her long white priestly garb is similar to that of other priests, but she is adorned with a bunch of ornate accessories. She looked terribly ostentatious compared to Dwayne and the other priests, who only have a pendant with a pattern of a single vine being intertwined. Wearing a white coat, she had a glamorous appearance, white waist-length hair, combined with her antiquated tone of voice, her age was obscured. She thrusted her staff at Dwayne and sneered at him.

「We, the people of the forest, have been and will continue to be kept alive by the power of the great Blue Diamond. The greatest testimony of this power is I, the High Priest. Even though I am over a hundred years old, I am protected from the ugliness of time. Behold my radiant appearance.」

Dwayne looked contemptuously at the head priest, who proudly puffed out her chest as she lifted up her clothes. It is rumored that whenever the Blue Diamond absorbs the life of a sacrifice, there is some residue left that will cause the head priest to be rejuvenated.