The Kingmaker System
Chapter 369 - 368. The Blind Devotee

Chapter 369: 368. The Blind Devotee

Lyall gave me a cautious look, his sharp gaze scanning the scene before him as the Pope—Cesio—fell to his knees in front of me. His breaths came out uneven, his shoulders trembling, and the white fabric of his blindfold darkened where damp spots bloomed. Tears.

A choked sound left his lips. "Y-You are, aren’t you?"

I exhaled slowly, watching him. His entire form quivered as though he were in the presence of something divine. I reached out, my fingers hovering over him for a brief moment before making contact.

"Get up, Your Holiness," I murmured, wrapping my hand around his and pulling him up with ease. "If anyone saw you kneeling like this, it would become a headache for me."

A sharp intake of breath left him, but he didn’t resist. His hands trembled slightly as he probed forward and grasped mine fully, as if confirming that I was truly there. The moment he did, a familiar sensation washed over me—his divine mana. It flowed harmoniously within him, soft and pure, like the gentle currents of a tranquil stream. But the highest concentration of it...

I narrowed my eyes. His eyes.

"I-I’m blessed..." Cesio whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "I’ve been praying ever since the day you appeared four years ago, My Lord."

Four years ago? I tilted my head slightly, watching as his expression shifted into something deeply reverent. Though his eyes remained hidden behind the blindfold, I had the uncanny feeling that he was looking right at me.

"You... sensed me four years ago?" I asked.

"Yes, Lord, I did. Ah, I’m Cesio Childe." He spoke like an excited child.

"I know," I said and he beamed.

His grip on my hand tightened. "You saved my life when the evil demon’s attack broke out right outside this temple. I was the closest to the corpse of the former Pope, and the vile creature—th-the evil—was going to latch onto me. But with your blessed Holy Water, I was rescued."

His words dripped with unwavering faith, yet I furrowed my brows, searching my memory. That battle had been brutal. Demonic energy had flooded the temple grounds, and I had acted swiftly to exterminate the creatures. But try as I might, I couldn’t recall this particular man being there.

Had he simply escaped my notice? Unlikely. His mana presence was strong—had he been there, I should have sensed him.

"I’ve been waiting all this while," Cesio continued, voice thick with raw devotion. "Praying earnestly to meet you at least once in my life, Lord. Now I can rest in peace."

His hands clasped mine in both of his, warm and trembling.

So, he had been praying...

A strange feeling settled within me. It had been a whim that led me to visit the temple today, or so I had thought. But if his prayers had been this earnest, then... perhaps it wasn’t coincidence at all.

With my increased assimilation with the Dragon bloodline, was I now capable of hearing the prayers of those who truly called out to me?

It would explain how I had sensed Kai’s pleas when he was tortured here. His cries had reached me even when I hadn’t been listening. If that were the case, then...

Would Kai be considered my first devotee?

I turned my attention back to Cesio. His mana pulsed in a steady rhythm, filled with divinity. If he had been present during that battle, then I should have noticed his presence, yet I hadn’t.

Something didn’t add up.

"Open his stats."

A blue panel materialized before me, letters glowing softly in the air.

[Name: Cesio Losna Childe.

Age: 30

Specie: Human (Pope).

Magic: None.

Power: Divine Mana, Purification, Healing, Blessing, Eyes Of Perception.]

Class: Archmage.]

I narrowed my eyes. Eyes of Perception?

"What do they do?"

The system responded instantly.

[Eyes of Perception bestows the vision of energy and aura. The user can see auras, emotions, or life force of the beings around them. They can also detect hidden entities, spirits, or energy sources.]

My eyes flickered to his blindfold. So that’s why, despite being blind, he can still ’see.’

But then—if he had been splashed by my Holy Water during that battle, shouldn’t his sight have been healed? My mana wasn’t weak. If it had been capable of cleansing demonic corruption, restoring flesh should have been trivial.

So why was he still blind?

Cesio’s voice trembled with anticipation. "Please say something, Lord."

I met his expectant gaze—or rather, the place where his eyes were hidden beneath the blindfold. The white cloth was still damp from his earlier tears, yet despite his blindness, he faced me with a certainty that most sighted men lacked.

"Have your eyes always been like this?" I asked.

He nodded without hesitation. "I was born blind, Lord."

I had expected as much, but before I could say anything else, his expression brightened, and an almost involuntary squeeze of my hand followed. His excitement was palpable, radiating through the very air between us.

"But while I was praying to you..." His voice was light, filled with a joy so sincere that it made me pause.

He smiled, his happiness almost childlike, and then continued, "While I was praying to you, I met another Dragon."

I stiffened. "You what?"

Cesio nodded, completely oblivious to the sudden shift in my expression. "He was happy with my devotion, so he blessed me with a sight that allows me to see the life force of people."

A Dragon...? My fingers curled slightly as I processed his words. Dragons were not beings that interfered lightly in the affairs of mortals. If one had granted him such a gift, there had to be a reason.

"Which Dragon?" I asked, my voice measured.

"I... I don’t know," Cesio admitted, shaking his head slightly. "But the first thing I saw when I received his blessing was a presence of pure gold. It was overwhelming—so bright and warm, like the sun itself."

Gold.

A flicker of recognition sparked in my mind. The description felt strangely familiar, tugging at a memory from years ago. Four years ago... when I had been possessed by the demon, when I had been saved. Could it be the same presence?

"So, that Dragon blessed you with these Eyes of Perception?" I asked for confirmation.

"Yes, Lord," he said, his voice full of unwavering faith.

I sighed softly. The devotion in his expression was unmistakable, and despite my initial skepticism, I could feel the sincerity behind his every word. His cheeks were flushed with happiness, his body trembling as if he could barely contain his emotions.

And then—

[Giver of Gifts tells you that you should bless him.]

I blinked. "Wait-"

[Goddess of Wisdom agrees.]

I barely had time to react before a third message appeared.

[Defender of Divine Glory says that the man has been praying to you for four years earnestly, so it is your duty to bless him.]

I exhaled, shaking my head. They were watching me, waiting for me to act. But then again, I was thinking of giving him something in return for being so devoted to me.

Cesio was leaning towards me, his hands still wrapped around mine, completely unaware of the divine intervention happening in my mind.

I reached out and gently placed my hand on his head. At the touch, he leaned in slightly more, as if instinctively drawn to the presence of my power.

"Cesio Childe," I spoke, my voice steady.

[The host is required to use their entitled name to bestow a blessing.]

I rolled my eyes slightly. "I know."

Taking a deep breath, I let my power flow into my words.

"I, Reina Aurelius, scion of the Supreme Aqua Dragon, bless you with the power in me. That whenever you gaze upon a soul, you shall see not just their life force, but the truth hidden within them—their intentions, their burdens, and their fate. No deception shall cloud your vision, and no malice shall escape your sight."

A surge of power rushed through me, flowing into Cesio as the blue light wrapped around him. His breath hitched, and for a moment, there was a golden glow with blue spangles in the spot of his eyes. I could see the glow despite the blindfold.

Then, he gasped.

I could feel the change immediately. His mana resonated with mine, and his entire body trembled under the weight of the blessing.

"Th-This...!" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I—I can feel it. Lord, this gift...!"

I withdrew my hand, watching as his fingers shakily rose to touch his blindfold. He didn’t remove it and he didn’t need to.

His new sight had already awakened.

"My Lord!" He almost fell to his knees again but I gripped his shoulders.

"Now, now, like I said don’t get on your knees, of someone saw you kneeling in front of me it’ll be a headache for me." I said and he sniffled.

"All right, I understand, My Lord." He said and I sighed.

"I should leave now," I said and his smile faltered.

"A-Are you leaving already?" He asked and I smiled.

"You called for me so, I came but I do have some work so, I will need to leave now." I said and his face fell.

"But don’t worry, I’ll be listening to your prayers and whenever you feel like you need me, call for me. I will come." I said and his face brightened up again.

I patted his shoulder twice before I gestured for Lyall to move and we walked out of the Temple.