Chapter 168 - Talisman
'Meet me tonight around eight o'clock, hmm... It's around nine at night here...' Elysia jotted down in her mind the last message Sylvia had hurriedly sent, just before the helpless Swype shut down.
"Ely, Eve, good job, thanks for helping me." Ella took a step closer, causing Elysia and Evelyn to turn to her.
"Uhh, so this feels like being a Priest at a social service... It's pretty great to be of help to grateful people. Um, although some of them are annoying." Evelyn got up from her chair, it was so busy today, but strangely she didn't feel tired.
"That's okay. We're just helping. Oh yes, Ella, are we also going to the Charity event?" Elysia wagged her hand lightly, wondering what they would do after this.
"Umm, I think we can come or not, depending on you. Do you want to be there?" Ella tilted her head slightly. She was quite rarely present at the last event.
"May I know about how the last agenda will take place?" Before Evelyn could open her mouth to say whatever she wanted to say, Elysia immediately spoke up to make sure.
"Thank you for helping out, Priest Gabriella, Priest Elysia, and Priest Evelyn, hmm-hmm... This is your first assignment, and you are already very good at Healing Magic." All of a sudden, one of the Priests joined in the conversation with a friendly smile.
"En, thank you, Priest Nadia." Ella nodded in return for greetings and pleasantries.
"Ah, as for the question earlier... For charity events after this, it will be held on the south side of the cathedral. It's an event for charity distribution, free meals, etc. For priests who weren't specifically assigned to it, they could come. or not, it's up to you." Nadia helps to explain.
Because she felt that the Pope's granddaughter had never been to the charity event, and she thought Gabriella didn't know enough to explain.
Listening to an explanation from an older Priest girl, Elysia and Evelyn turned to look at Ella, asking for confirmation.
"Um, yes, we are not assigned to that. Therefore, I was asking, do you want to go there or not..." Ella smiled lightly.
In fact, she, as a special Priest, had too much freedom of duty. She was here and invited her two friends, not because of the task assigned to her... But because of her own accord. Her first experience when she got Priest's title legally and officially.
"If so, you are free to attend or not. I'll be there, well then, see you next time." Nadia bid her farewell with a light wave, then walked away.
After that, Elysia announced she wasn't going to the charity event. Evelyn decided not to attend the event, and Ella just went with the flow.
Helping in the last event was somewhat akin to physical labor. Bring this and that, distribute this and that. Also, cooking large quantities of food, then distributing it, and so on...
Because of that, the three of them immediately bid their farewells to the Priests and Holy Knights that were still present in that temporary tent. Then, they left there with peace of mind.
The area around the Holy Cathedral that had been busy earlier, now there was somewhat calm. People gradually left to return to their daily lives. Still, some of them also came to the final events at the cathedral's southern building.
"Ely, what are you going to do after this?" Evelyn asked as they walked somewhere through the hallway beside the cathedral. She just followed the others.
"Hm, it is already noon, and it's a day off, no work or anything after this. Um, I want to go around the city, there are still too many places I haven't visited in this city... Ah, want to come with me?" Elysia conveyed her aims and objectives.
She was just about to switch roles with Elena, but it was delayed due to this curious girl who seemed to want to come along.
"En! I also want to tour this city. I also don't know much about the many places in this great holy city. How about you, Ella? You are a native here. We will be helped by your guidance." Since she was invited, Evelyn certainly wouldn't refuse. She also wanted to hang out.
"Sure, although I only know a few places in the central part of the city, in the inner circle of my hometown, I'm good enough to know some good places." Ella surely wouldn't refuse either.
It was rare for her to go outside to visit various places. Going out with a few Holy Knights as protection wouldn't feel as great as going out with her friends. Since she finally found the right friends, she happily enjoyed spending their time together.
Yesterday Ella went out with Evelyn. It was enjoyable, even just to buy kitchen supplies. And now, she was going out with Elysia and Evelyn to visit various places.
"Yay! Then it's decided. Let's go." Evelyn jumped a little with glee.
"Ah, wait a minute. I still have to get permission from my grandfather. I hope he will allow it and not send some Holy Knights for this..." Ella stopped herself after a few paces they walked, she remembered something urgent.
She immediately took out her Space Bag, which was hidden behind her accessory belt. She took a white talisman and wrote something there.
Elysia and Evelyn just waited while watching Ella write something. Vanessa didn't even know what they were just standing at that time. She just yawned and blinked her eyes innocently.
At the same time, Elysia took advantage of that time to swap roles with Elena. 'Sister Elena, like the things we agreed on the last night. Now swap roles with me, and enjoy your time. It's time for me to be your support and spectator~.'
'Okay, that's easy, I can do it, I won't forget to keep breathing.' Elena convinced herself, she once again only needed to use the mortal body in this world.
She could have handled that easily if it was only for a moment, but she needed to struggle for several hours until night fell! Then there was episode two for the day after tomorrow! There were a lot of things Elena could complain about, but she relented for Elysia, only this time.
Living with a mortal body was such a hassle. Not as easy as spirit form that justified freedom, it had made her accustomed and comfortable with it, for quite a long time.
'You'll be fine, Sister Elena. I'm with you, hehe... All right, now swap roles with me!' Elysia chuckled softly. Then, she returned to the Soul Realm after reminding Elena one more time.
The two of them acted and switched swiftly. Elena immediately took over Elysia's body as soon as Elysia's spirit opened her eyes. This time, she didn't need to change anything with the body, like when she talked to the puny Goddess a moment ago. Whether it was a conscious change or not, she only needed to act like Elysia, and everything else would be fine.
Elena opened her eyes. Their role swap took place in the blink of an eye. No one noticed, and not even Vanessa, the white cat in her arms.
Meanwhile, Ella finished writing something on the talisman. Then she put the pen back in her Space Bag.
"Ella, what are you..." Evelyn wanted to ask, but her words were interrupted.
Ella approached to hide between Elysia and Evelyn, the talisman, just burned by her, with a slightly yellowish white flame. However, the talisman was still there, only the writing was gone from it.
"Hehe... You must be wondering what I did earlier. It was the talisman that my grandfather made just for me, my father, and my mother. By writing something on the talisman and burning it with Holy Magic, um, Holy Flame, he can tell what's written on it." Ella whispered softly after making sure no one was eavesdropping or spying on them.
"Oh my... Are you also an Onmyouji, Ella? Holy Magic can be used like that, hmm..." Elena blurted out, somewhat surprised by this.
"Hm? Onmyouji? Please forgive me for my ignorance, but what is it?" Ella was utterly clueless about this new term she just heard for the first time.
"Uhh... Did you use a talisman for that unique magic? Um, to ask Grandpa's permission?" Elena was also confused about how to explain. She didn't know the explanation for that. She just switched the topic immediately.
"Um, yes, I asked permission from my grandfather to explore the city. It's unique magic to send messages with talismans as the intermediary. But, there is a limit to the distance. I don't know the details. Only my grandfather knows a lot about how this talisman, he was the one who made it." Ella only knew how to use it, not how it worked, she whispered once again to her friends.
It only took a moment, the talisman in Ella's hands, soon appeared her grandfather's reply.