The war between the Calandra Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
While this monumental event shakes the entire continent, my avatar leads five disciples and a massive crowd toward the capital of Genesaret, Kinor.
After several days of travel with all these people…
Finally, we’ve arrived at Kinor.
Since ‘Johanna’, who was our original target, has already joined us, there’s no longer a need to stay in this city…
“Brother Simon, why do you think the Teacher came to Genesaret?”
“It’s what the Teacher does, Iako. Everything follows the divine plan set by Deus from the beginning.”
“Eww… boring, this uncle.”
“Uncle?! What are you saying? I’m still unmarried!”
“You’re already acting like an uncle the moment you got defensive. That’s not what I meant; I was asking for a reason. Who doubts the Teacher’s plans?”
“You. The Teacher accepted you, right? Huh? So…”
“What do you think, Ms. Mata? Why did the Teacher choose Genesaret as the next destination?”
“Uh, me? Hmm… I can’t possibly fathom the Teacher’s intentions. But… since it’s the richest area of the Nova Empire, maybe it’s a good spot to reveal Deus’s will… What do you think, Judah?”
“To announce Deus’s will here… that does seem plausible. If the Teacher is taking action, there must be a significant purpose behind it.”
They think I’m moving with some grand plan.
I really don’t want to show them my change of plans by altering the destination.
Now that I’m all the way to Genesaret…
Should I perform some miracle here and gather some divinity?
Divinity.
The resource needed to ascend to the position of deity.
Not knowing much about divinity, I can’t even check how much I’ve accumulated.
As such, I have no clue whether I’m gathering or consuming divinity every time I use my ‘Gift’.
Kinor, the capital of Genesaret.
A fertile field under the responsibility of the Nova Empire.
As the capital of that enormous territory, a gigantic metropolis unfolded before my eyes.
Although it may not be as grand as Calandra, the city I currently inhabit, its massive walls still feel imposing.
As I approached to enter, a massive gate loomed larger than life.
Here lies Kinor…
As the gateway of a major city, several knights guarded the gate, yet none stopped me; they merely watched as I walked past.
Could it be because I’ve gained some fame from my miracles in Capernaum and Debea?
They don’t even try to stop someone without any status from bringing such a large entourage.
So, is this the power of reputation?
…Or am I just meant to get famous first?
Anyway, becoming a saint really has its perks.
I entered the city with confidence, like a victorious general returning from war.
With a horde of followers behind me, my shoulders rose involuntarily.
The citizens of the city were looking at me in droves.
Compared to the crowd in Debea, this was a whole different level.
Is this… the big city?
But wait, when I met Judah in Debea, she was acting as the full proxy for the lord of Genesaret.
Does that mean the lord of Kinor here would be favorable towards me?
“It’s incredible that simply walking in has made the knights of Kinor part the way for you…”
“That’s because you’re our Teacher! Our saving Messiah!”
“What kind of miracle will you show us here?”
What kind of miracle, you ask…
My ‘Gift’ isn’t something I can control, you know.
It might just lazily activate a ‘healing’ miracle, like before.
…But it has always triggered in a good direction for me, so it should be fine…
Then, suddenly, a man stepped in front of me.
“O saint of Capernaum! I am Zebedee! I have a request for you!”
A man adorned in the robes of the Baal cult.
A priest of the Baal cult, huh?
Those were the guys who tried to attack me with monsters before.
They’ve already committed some extreme acts that go against morality, making them dangerous folks.
Who knows what kind of stunt they might pull on me.
So a priest of the Baal cult comes to block my path and makes a request?
It’s definitely a suspicious situation.
I wouldn’t entertain whatever request he had.
“Uh, Dad?”
If it weren’t for that voice coming from behind me…
*
My family has been producing priests for generations.
Including my father.
That father.
I also rose to the position of priest in Kinor, following in my father’s footsteps.
Even as a priest, I was not just an ordinary one.
I was a priest just below the bishop, and since my city was Kinor, I wielded authority comparable to that of a bishop.
Living a luxurious life without worrying about food, with dozens of servants.
Living a satisfying life, meeting a nice wife just like my father and his fathers did…
And my first daughter, Jaime, possessed incredible divine power and was even selected as a final candidate for the saint of the Baal cult.
I thought I was living a life that couldn’t get any better.
Until that fateful day when my second daughter unleashed her cursed powers…
“Arrrgh!”
“Johanna! What’s wrong?!”
“Uuuuuugh!”
“No! Stop it, Johanna!”
It was as if the lightning of Lord Jephst was flowing into her body, causing her to rampage.
A terrifying wave of cursed energy that wrecked our home and attacked the servants indiscriminately.
By the time the church knights arrived to help and subdued Johanna, it was already too late.
My greatest pride… my dear first daughter had been transformed into a pitiful state by Johanna’s lightning.
Her beautiful form destroyed beyond recognition…
Johanna’s lightning lingered within Jaime, as if it were alive, preventing her recovery.
I couldn’t even heal her properly with my divine powers and had to rely on the church for help.
However, even the church…
– “Wh-What in the world?!”
– “It’s a symptom that’s impossible to heal, even with the Archbishop’s divine power.”
– “H-How can even the Archbishop… then, what about the Pope?!”
– “Brother, as precious as your daughter is, she is still a saint. Not just anyone can heal her.”
– “But my daughter was a final candidate for saint…”
– “Only a candidate. Not yet a saint, right? As unfortunate as it is… this must also be Baal’s will. Well, we will take care of your daughter. Maybe she will wake up from her coma someday.”
How could two sisters, who had cherished each other since childhood, become unable to recognize each other due to an accident?
How could such unfortunate events happen to me?
What is Baal doing?
Why would he do this to me…?
After that, every time I looked at Johanna, I remembered that day and the horrifying image of Jaime, and I began to distance myself from Johanna.
It’s truly a laughable situation.
Even though I lost only one daughter, it felt as if I lost both.
As time passed, Johanna’s powers did not weaken but grew stronger instead.
And strangely enough, she could not control those powers at all. Instead, she sometimes rampaged and destroyed her surroundings.
Typically, a ‘Gift’ user, no matter how powerful, grows their control with usage, so outbursts are rare.
Yet Johanna struggled to control her abilities.
As if someone were playing tricks on her.
Then one day.
Someone from the church headquarters came to me with a proposal.
– “Brother, we have a problem.”
– “A problem? What do you mean?”
– “Your daughter’s life is becoming unsustainable under our care. At this rate, she’ll soon lose it.”
– “Oh no, how! Is there any way?”
– “Fortunately, it seems His Holiness can heal your daughter.”
– “His Holiness! Oh, Baal! Thank you. This is such…”
– “But there is a condition.”
– “A condition? I’ll accept anything, as long as I can save my daughter!”
– “You must send your second daughter, Johanna, to us.”
– “Johanna? Why?”
– “She is gradually becoming a very dangerous entity as she can’t control her growing powers. Our headquarters wants to find a way to help her control it. It won’t harm you.”
From his words, I sensed something secretive and dark.
As a priest, I was already aware of the church’s darkness.
I knew there could be filthy reasons behind wanting Johanna.
But… I chose to send Johanna to them.
I made the foolish decision to sacrifice one daughter to save the other!
I’m sorry, Johanna.
I know you did nothing wrong!
I know it was all because of not being familiar with your powers!
It’s my incompetence!
Because you met a father like me!
And then the news came.
– “I’m sorry, brother. Johanna has run away. I don’t think your elder daughter can be treated now. We’re sending her back.”
Accompanied with that news came…
My beloved….
My first…… daughter.
Can I even call her my daughter?
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