Chapter 1: Revelation

Chapter 1: Revelation

“Ana, sweetheart, could you take two mugs to table seven?”

The evening bustle was an everyday affair. Starting at noon, workers and guards would take their temporary breaks to have lunch at the village’s main tavern.

The establishment was run by the Rodríguez family, a commoner household with many generations behind it. Within Smiling Moon, they were respected as active members of the community. Since they managed the busiest restaurant in town, they were known throughout the entire region and its surrounding areas.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

The young woman named Ana quickly picked up a wooden tray with two full mugs on top. She moved slowly through the narrow spaces between tables. With the place packed to capacity, maneuvering around was nearly impossible.

“Excuse me. Excuse me, coming through.”

Ana was an attractive young woman, her voluptuous figure well hidden beneath her loose clothing. She had fair skin, eyes as blue as the sky itself, and brown hair typical of the region.

One could say she fit the stereotype of a “medieval peasant girl” without any trouble.

Despite her looks, Ana had never had much luck with men her own age. First, because many of them aspired to become adventurers due to the economic crisis that constantly struck the more rural settlements. Veterans, laborers, and soldiers, on the other hand, were always on the move and had no desire to “settle down.” They only wanted casual nights to satisfy their carnal desires.

With that in mind, Ana simply ignored the advances of several mercenaries who wanted to take her to bed, but had no intention of proposing marriage.

“Ana, when you’re done, could you start cooking a cut of meat?” the manager’s voice called from behind the bar.

Ana’s father was a strong man, with arms hardened by constant physical labor and a poorly shaved brown beard already streaked with gray.

In the past, he had lived by his sword and his adventures. Now, however, his only concern was earning enough money to support his family.

“Of course, Dad. Just give me a second.”

After serving the drinks and putting the trays away, Ana returned to the kitchen, where she was greeted by two workers. The first was hunched over with age, dressed in a white doublet and matching hose, both stained with grease and grime. The second was a young boy barely thirteen years old, busy washing dishes so they could be used again.

“I’m preparing a cut of meat. Hand me what I need.”

“Yes, miss.”

The boy gave her two sharp knives and a piece of freshly bought meat.

Ana began chopping the food at her usual pace. However, a familiar voice called to her from the bar.

“Ana, add sausages.”

“Of course, Mom.”

Ana’s mother looked worn out for a woman of only forty-nine. She could no longer move the way she used to, and she wore a dark tunic that covered a body marked by stretch marks and nearly bursting veins.

In the past, she had been a beautiful woman, just like Ana. But now, all that remained of those days were memories and a lovely painting on the second floor.

“I’ll handle the accounts. You keep going, please.”

Although her physical condition had declined, her mind remained remarkably sharp when it came to mathematics.

A gift her daughter, unfortunately, had not inherited.

Ana and her family, like the vast majority of commoners in those lands, were illiterate.

“Sure… OW!”

She had only been distracted for a moment, half a fraction of a second, and yet it had been enough to give herself an annoying cut on her left thumb. Her skin immediately turned red, and small drops of blood soon decorated the kitchen floor.

“I hurt myself. I’ll go wash the wound and bandage it quickly. I can’t take too long with this order.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll start chopping.”

Ana took a piece of gauze from the wardrobe where the employees kept their doublets. She applied pressure to stop the bleeding and, by instinct, let out a groan of pain that could definitely be misinterpreted as a very different kind of sound.

It was not the first time she had cut herself.

Unfortunately, it would not be the last either.

When working with knives that sharp, there was always a risk of injury. Ana knew the protocol she had to follow. Her mother had repeated it to her endlessly throughout her childhood.

Just as she was about to wash the wound…

Something happened.

Ana felt lightheaded. The world spun around her, as if she had not eaten breakfast that morning. At first, she thought she had lost too much blood.

H-Huh? I feel dizzy. Maybe I should rest for a moment.

But the discomfort did not go away.

On the contrary, her legs lost all strength, and she ended up kneeling in the back of the restaurant, where they kept the supplies.

Then, without warning, the event that would change her life forever arrived.

When Ana focused her gaze on her injured finger, all she saw was a small golden glow.

Tiny.

Diminutive.

Insignificant…

And yet beautiful.

A light more precious than the sun.

A radiance that far surpassed the miracles of every temple in the world.

Impossible to describe.

Impossible to narrate.

It was a sublime act.

“Daddy, help me!” Ana cried out as her breath escaped her from sheer exhaustion.

“Ana? Are you all right?”

Even through the noise and the constant stream of customers, the former mercenary managed to hear his daughter’s cry. Immediately, he left the bar and ran into the restaurant.

“A-Ah…”

The world finally went dark for Ana. She closed both eyes, and the rest of her body fell backward.

But before losing consciousness, she managed to take one last look at her wounded finger.

And indeed, there was no blood there anymore…

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“A-Ah…”

When Ana opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her bed. She tried to sit up to get a better look at the room, but it was useless. Her strength was nearly nonexistent, and even turning her neck required an almost superhuman effort from her.

“Take it easy.”

She was so dazed she had not even noticed the old man sitting on a wooden chair, just to the right of her bed.

“Your father came to me so I could treat you. Do not try to move.”

“Ah, M-Mister Abel, thank you.”

Abel served as the healer in Smiling Moon.

He had gray, brittle hair, and his wrinkled skin did not match at all with the pristine white clothes he always wore. Due to his honorable profession, Abel was a distinguished citizen, someone loved by the peasantry thanks to his abilities.

“You will be fine in a few days. I recommend you rest.”

“M-Mister Abel, what happened to me? I don’t remember very well.”

That last part was a lie. In truth, Ana knew perfectly well what had happened. However, she wanted to know what her parents had told him and, above all, how everyone else had seen the incident.

“You collapsed from overwork. You have always been a very responsible girl, Ana, but you must take care of your health, or you will not live very long.”

“From overwork?”

“Yes. That is what your father told me. You have no wounds on your body or anything of the sort.”

“I see.”

The young lady with brown hair and blue eyes smiled politely so as not to arouse any suspicion.

“Thank you for treating me. Could you call my parents, please? I want to see them.”

“Yes. I will tell them at once that you have awakened. Once I do, I will return to the temple. If you would like another examination, you may come whenever you wish.”

Abel gave a polite bow. Afterward, he prepared to leave the room and give the young woman some privacy.

“Wait, Mister Abel. I-I have one more question.”

“Yes?”

“With your healing miracle, how long would it take you to close a knife cut? It’s just that we’ve had some incidents lately.”

Only her coworkers in the kitchen knew she had cut herself. They had not seen how deep the bleeding was and, for that same reason, had made no comment about it.

Perhaps that had been for the best.

After all, the answer Ana received was not encouraging at all.

“A simple cut can take me up to twelve hours of constant treatment. Ideally, miracles should be used for life-or-death wounds. Traditional medicine is enough to deal with minor ailments.”

“I see. Thank you for answering.”

No more words left her mouth.

Abel considered the conversation finished and, this time, truly left the bedroom, leaving a thoughtful Ana behind with thousands of fears running through her mind.

Oh God, oh God, what was that? I’m absolutely sure my wound healed in the blink of an eye. What if I have some strange gift and they take me to the temple? Or worse, what if they use me for some experiment? I-I’d better say nothing and pretend it never happened.

Our adorable heroine dismissed every hint of greatness.

First of all, she did not know the origin of that beautiful light that had healed her wound. If common sense told her anything, it was to keep her mouth shut so she would not get herself into even more trouble.

“M-Maybe I’m just imagining things. That must be it. Work has been rough lately.”

A short while later, her parents entered the room.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

The sweet woman checked Ana’s temperature, placing her right hand first on her forearms and then on her forehead, but she found no sign of fever.

“Your temperature feels normal. What a relief.”

“Yes, Mommy. I’m perfectly fine.”

Despite her age, Ana still referred to her parents as “Mommy” and “Daddy,” something rather strange for a nineteen-year-old young woman. Even so, she cared little to nothing if people made fun of her for it.

She loved her parents very much, and no amount of mockery could weaken that love.

“What a relief. Still, you should rest for the next few days. You do not want to collapse again.”

Her father, calmer now, dropped onto the wooden chair in front of the vanity.

“Do you want something to eat?”

“Yes. A little stew would be nice…”

The mature couple smiled. Then, they gently stroked the head of their beloved daughter.

Ana decided not to say anything.

Telling them what had happened could bring unnecessary problems into her peaceful life.

And the last thing she wanted in such a warm moment was to bring harm to her family.

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