I Became an Ancient All-Host Lifeform - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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040 The Last Night

A magnificent carriage departed from the Astel Diocese, racing along a perfectly maintained road.
Its destination was Bedel, the heart of the Central Church—the holy city itself.
Inside the carriage, the Bishop of the Third Tower Diocese and Elina sat facing one another.
Elina exhaled a deep sigh, her features clouded with unease.

“Sigh…”

Her mind churned with complexity at the prospect of being elevated, overnight, to the official Saint of the Lumina Church.
Throughout her life, she had never given a moment’s thought to holding such a station.
All she had ever wanted was to live quietly as an ordinary priest, putting her faith into practice with humble devotion.
Yet here she was, suddenly thrust into the position of the Church’s official Saint.
Yes, being chosen by an Angel was profoundly glorious—but that did not mean she desired to become a Saint.
Even stepping into the public eye before crowds unsettled her.

‘Oh no…’

The mere thought of being revered by thousands, tens of thousands, raised goosebumps along her arms.

“Why such a heavy sigh on such a glorious day?” the Bishop asked, his kindly smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Elina only sighed more deeply in response.

“Sigh… No, it’s nothing.”

What was the point in speaking to the Bishop? He was the one who had pushed her toward Sainthood in the first place.
Thanks to his vigorous endorsement and glowing reports, Supreme Pontiff Clemens VII had summoned her directly to Bedel.
The Supreme Pontiff himself saw this affair as a golden opportunity to expand the Church’s influence.
In his reply to the Bishop, he had emphasized that he would expedite all official procedures the moment she arrived in the holy city.
A grand Canonization Ceremony would soon follow, and she would receive formal recognition as a true Saint before all the world.

“Hehe, do not trouble yourself overmuch. Everything is proceeding like clockwork—as if the Goddess of Light herself were guiding us.”
‘That’s precisely what worries me…’

She genuinely did not wish to become a Saint, but given her nature—her inability to refuse—she lacked the courage to disappoint everyone’s expectations.
Unaware or unconcerned with Elina’s turmoil, the Bishop beamed continuously, painting a rosy future before her.

“Upon our arrival in the holy city, a magnificent Canonization Ceremony shall commence. There, the Supreme Pontiff himself will recognize you as a Saint. This is an auspicious event that comes but once every five hundred years! All believers across the world will rejoice.”

At these words, Elina clasped her hands tightly and murmured in a trembling voice.

“Oh! Bishop, I truly am unworthy of such an exalted position. Those miracles were not performed by me—they were the work of the Angel who descended upon me!”

She spoke with complete sincerity.
In Debri Village, she had merely stood paralyzed by fear and shock at the bloodshed unfolding before her eyes.
It was the Angel Paleo, who had descended upon her, whose power had saved the dying Village Chief and moved the hearts of the people.
But the Bishop interpreted her words as nothing more than humility.
Such humility—was this not the very virtue of a true Saint?

“Precisely! You are indeed a true Saint, Elina! You have embodied the very words of Scripture: ‘Give wealth to those in need, and glory to the Lord alone.'”
“No, that isn’t what I meant to—”
“Yet excessive humility is not without its perils. That the Angel of the Lord descended upon none other than you—is this not itself a manifestation of the Goddess’s grand will? For the sake of the Church, and for the Goddess, I beseech you: have confidence in yourself!”
“Sigh…”

Recognizing that words would now avail her nothing, Elina exhaled deeply and turned her gaze toward the window.
Yet as the carriage drew nearer to the holy city, the turmoil in her chest only intensified.
Within her grew a mounting weight of dread about what lay ahead, snowballing larger with each passing moment.
That an ordinary priest like herself would soon be revered as a Saint by the faithful across the world—it seemed impossible, surreal.
What if her inadequacy tarnished the Church’s holy name? What if some ridiculous blunder made her the world’s laughingstock?
A cascade of worries flooded through her.
In the end, she closed her eyes quietly and pressed her palms together.

‘Gracious Goddess of Light, Lumina, I beseech you…’

And she began to pray to the angel Paleo, who she sensed was watching over her from afar.

‘And to you, guiding Angel Paleo… I still cannot adjust to this situation. I pray you, grant wisdom and courage to one so weak and insufficient as I…’

Her fervent prayer traveled far, carried on the sway of the carriage.
And soon, the angel’s response returned.

– You dumbass! What are you going to do like that!

Flinch.

‘A… angel?’
– Ah, ahem. So it’s you. I’m busy right now, so contact me later… I mean, pray again later.
‘Oh… yes, I understand…’

She hurriedly finished her prayer, lowering her head with a dejected expression.

‘Even the angel thinks I’m woefully inadequate. Sigh…’

In the swaying carriage, Elina’s heart churned endlessly with anxiety.

* * *

After Dito finished his tirade, we left Belladonna’s bedchamber and returned to the guest room.
The little beast, thoroughly miffed at how readily she abandoned him, had decided to follow me about just to prove a point.
The process was complicated, but the end result was that he’d willingly joined our party.
As I entered the room, I took a moment to review Dito’s stats.

【Dito (Mirage Macaw) Lv. 14】
【Traits】
Mirroring, Mirage, Sky Vision
【Skills】
Ventriloquism Lv. 7, Wind Blade Lv. 3, Sonic Bombardment Lv. 2, Phantom Doppelganger Lv. 1

Dito was genuinely an overwhelmingly convenient host to possess.
Thanks to the Mirroring trait, he could speak human language and perfectly mimic anyone’s voice.
Now I’d no longer have the tedious chore of hopping between bodies just to communicate.
Excellent! A mount capable of conversation, and one that could fly to boot!
And as a bonus, he came equipped with diverse offensive skills and survival techniques.
Belladonna’s choice of favorite collection was indeed well-justified.
At that moment, Emily bowed her head respectfully and spoke.

“Should you need anything, please call for me at any time. I’ll take my leave now.”

Just as she turned to exit the room, Dito shrieked.

“Stupid maid! Stupid spider!”

…Well, his personality was rather obnoxious.

“…….”

Emily didn’t bother responding to Dito’s insults and quietly left the room.
She seemed accustomed to his invective.

‘Well. I suppose we should rest a bit before preparing to leave.’

Just as everyone was settling in to catch their breath, Dito, who had been poking around the room, wandered over to Gyusik and perched quietly beside him.
Then, with a sudden flutter, he took flight and landed squarely on Gyusik’s head.

Chirp?

Dito peered down at the startled Gyusik with keen interest.
More precisely, at the Violet Gem lodged conspicuously in the center of his forehead.
Hmm, but looking at those eyes, something seemed off…?
Just as I was wondering what Dito was about to do, I heard Elina’s voice rise in prayer.

– O guiding Angel Paleo…

She began reciting her prayer with solemn devotion.

– I still cannot find peace with this situation. Please…
‘Hmm?’

At that moment, I found myself utterly unable to focus on her prayer—the scene unfolding before me was simply too absurd.

“Shiny! Shiny!”

That cursed bird had started pecking at the gem embedded in Gyusik’s forehead.

Tap!
– Ahhhhh! What in the hells are you doing?!
Chirp!

The moment Dito’s beak made contact, Morgul’s screams echoed through the room.
Dopamine surges from unexpected reactions—that’s just how it works.
Having gotten his rush from Morgul’s delightful shrieks, Dito grew even more excited.

“Kek-kek-kek! The talking shiny! The stupid shiny!”

Tap-tap-tap! Tap-tap-tap!
Dito launched into a frenzied assault on the gem.

‘You blasted feathered idiot! What are you doing?!’
“Cackle-cackle-cackle! Cackle-cackle!”

At my panicked cry, Dito only grew more delighted, flapping his wings and cackling mockingly.
This little beast was truly impossible!

Tap! Peck!
– Owwww! My head’s splitting open, you absolute moron of a bird!
Bzzt-bzzt!

Before my eyes: Gyusik darting frantically around the room trying to escape Dito; Dito fluttering madly in pursuit; and Morgul cursing a steady blue streak—a complete circus of chaos.
Then, Elina’s voice cut through it all.

– A-Angel?

Why did she keep calling at the worst times?
An old man’s skull was practically cracking open right before my eyes—I had half a mind to scream.
Fighting the urge with superhuman restraint, I answered in my most solemn tone.

‘Ah, ahem. It is you. I am occupied at the moment. You may offer your prayers another time.’
– Y-yes, of course….

I brushed off Elina’s prayer curtly and stepped in myself to clean up the mess.
I had to teach that smug little parrot a proper lesson right now!

[Using Skill “Web lvl 1”.]
Whoosh!

I spewed out web as I flew toward Dito.

‘Get over here!’

But the sharp-witted creature darted into the air and nimbly dodged the web.

“Awk-awk-awk! Stupid bug! Stupid bug!”

Sigh. No matter how agile the Web skill was, I fell woefully short of chasing down a bird determined to flee.
Dito flew about the room in chaotic patterns, drawing my aggro, while I fired web after web in stubborn pursuit. And there was Gyusik whimpering with his head still pecked, and Morgul the elder still spewing curses….
Woof!

And Bokgu the Third, finding all of this absolutely hilarious.
Our final night in the Spider Garden was unfolding in considerable disarray.

* * *

The next morning.
We finished preparing to leave the Spider Garden and its honeyed comforts behind, setting our course for the Black Forest, our next destination.
The moment we stepped outside the manor, Belladonna personally manipulated the Spider Garden’s structure to aid us.

Rumble-rumble—!

The intricate web fortifications shifted of their own accord, carving out a straight, unobstructed path.
As the path opened and I caught glimpses of the garden’s internal architecture, my head spun.

‘Wow, crazy. What would we have done without Belladonna?’

Belladonna’s collection served as both a treasure and a garrison for this place.
Without her assistance, we would have wandered through this vast, labyrinthine maze and encountered all manner of monsters.
When we finally reached the garden’s northern exit, Belladonna spoke first.

“Well then, it’s time to part ways. Safe travels.”

This time, I answered through Dito’s voice.

“We’ve troubled you greatly these past few days. Thank you so much.”
“Mm, yes. But couldn’t you reconsider? I’ll make you happy right here!”

It was a proposal made in jest, but thinking of the luxury we’d enjoyed these past few days, I’ll admit I was tempted.
Yet I could picture exactly what would happen: Morgul’s complaints and nagging would never cease from Gyusik’s forehead.
He’d definitely spend all day singing “Resurrection! Resurrection!”

“Hehe… after these few days, I do feel a pull to stay. But we still have things we must do.”
“Ah well, I suppose it can’t be helped then. But if you change your mind, come find me anytime!”
“Yes, I will. Then we’ll be on our way now.”

I bowed to Belladonna and hopped onto Bokgu’s back with a rustle.
Gyusik was already sitting atop Bokgu’s head.

“Go carefully, all of you!”
“Goodbye! Take care!”

Belladonna and the maids waved to us as we passed.

‘Come on, let’s go! To the Black Forest!’

Blessed by the arachnids’ farewells, we set out toward the Black Forest.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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