To receive Baal’s blessing, of course, having just myself would be enough, but as one of only two apostles in the world, I felt it would be somewhat impolite to not share my plan, so I intended to summon Jian to the cathedral as well.
…Well, it’s sort of like having a witness. The people at the cathedral would likely just think, “Ooh, is that the goddess’s miracle?” even if I said I was writing with red bean paste, but there were many outside the church who wouldn’t be so easily convinced. Especially other races like beastfolk or elves were worse.
If anyone was to question Jian’s credibility, I could easily mention that he had helped me catch three witches twice, and that without him, we wouldn’t have succeeded either time.
It wasn’t a lie; it was the truth, so I had nothing to hide. After all, everything was already public knowledge, so what more could be concealed? The action I was about to take was already a headline-worthy move in itself.
Pulling Rina’s arm with one hand, I headed toward Jian, who was walking alone, deep in thought. It seemed Jian, being taller than us, had longer strides, and while walking side by side, he would often pull ahead slightly. Especially when lost in his thoughts, that was more noticeable.
Looking at the back of Jian’s head as he led the way, an odd emotion bubbled up from within me.
My breath quickened slightly, and heat flushed my face. My heart raced heavily, and just as I thought I needed to say something, when the moment came, I couldn’t grasp what to say…
Ah, right. This feeling—
This feeling was pure, bubbling anger!
I clenched my empty left hand and punched Jian in the side!
“Huh?”
Yet it seemed like Jian didn’t take any damage from that. Well, of course.
After all, he was under Baal’s blessing and had perfectly honed his abilities to rank among the strongest in this world. A little hit from me wouldn’t hurt him.
“What on earth were you thinking doing that?”
I furrowed my brow and asked, and Jian looked genuinely confused.
“…Are you pretending not to understand, or do you really not know?”
Seeing my disbelief, Jian responded still with a bewildered look.
“…I really don’t know. Maybe.”
“…Huh?”
I recalled the question I had just asked. Was I being too vague?
Hmm, this oblivious guy might not fully grasp what was meant by ‘doing that.’
I sighed deeply and stated, “It’s about Rina’s identity.”
I glanced toward Selena. She was having some conversation with Aurora and Linea at a bit of a distance. I couldn’t tell exactly what they were talking about, but at least the heavy atmosphere from before wasn’t there, so they were likely engaged in everyday chatter. Thank goodness for that.
I lowered my voice significantly and continued, “Back then, when we were with the Witch of Jealousy, Rina revealed it herself. The Witch of Jealousy was making a fuss about it too.”
“…Ah.”
Only then did Jian seem to remember.
…Please don’t say you forgot that.
If this guy genuinely forgot what he heard that day, then he wasn’t merely oblivious as a light novel protagonist but outright showing blatant disregard for others. Especially since it was about Rina, a friend. It would be sad if he just brushed aside such an important discussion.
“…Did we talk about that?”
“Yup.”
I delivered a solid kick to Jian’s shin. There was a thud sound, but it seemed he wasn’t much pained by it, just like I wasn’t notably hurt either. It looked like I had kicked rather hard considering Baal’s blessing was active. Well, I was a bit emotionally charged.
“Yes, we certainly did. That day, the Witch of Jealousy was raging at Rina, and Rina was going back and forth, revealing her identity.”
Turning my head, I noted Rina nodding in acknowledgment. Her expression was a mix of irritation and disbelief. After all, from her perspective, if Jian hadn’t asked such a question, she wouldn’t have needed to reveal her identity.
“…”
Jian frowned and fell into thought for a moment before saying, “…Sorry, I really don’t recall anything like that from that day.”
He said that.
“…”
“…”
As Rina and I stared at Jian, a bead of sweat formed on Jian’s forehead.
“W-Well, I guess I have an idea.”
Feeling the tense energy radiating from both of us, Jian uncharacteristically fumbled over his words.
“…Can I ask what it is that you suspect?”
Suppressing my impatience, I asked in a controlled tone, and Jian glanced at Selena, Aurora, and Linea, who were still engaged in their conversation, before leaning slightly to lower his voice.
“I remember the moment, but I don’t recall what we did at that time. I’d thought we hadn’t really talked much then…”
“…”
Wait, hold on. What did Jian do back then? He had approached without saying much and drawn his sword—
I slapped my forehead.
“Hold on, did that creature show up?”
“Yeah, I think that’s what happened.”
…That’s right. Somewhere far, among the two gods in the realm of the divine, there was one who always showed up just to steal the finishing blow whenever a witch was defeated.
I had no memory of it, but recollecting what Jian said during summer vacation made me realize that the one who took the life of the Witch of Jealousy wasn’t Goddess Ariel but the Demon God Baal, who had borrowed my body.
And when I was about to offer the Witch of Hate a choice, he suddenly took control of my hand, attempting to take the witch himself.
“…”
Thinking about it, he truly had a penchant for stealing the finishing blow. That guy must really hate witches, or rather, he hated demons in general. Would it be the same?
I didn’t mind Jian drawing his sword, so Andrea stopped him, and he did hesitate, but considering Andrea’s subsequent actions, it seemed more likely he just thought that as long as the witch died, it didn’t matter to him how that happened.
…But if that were true, then Jian had really done nothing wrong.
“Did it hurt where I hit you?”
I asked cautiously, and Jian replied, “Not really.”
He nodded nonchalantly. A true big shot. He genuinely seemed to mean it, but having been hit without knowing the reason could have made him upset, yet he didn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings toward me, so he really didn’t mind much.
“Sorry for misjudging you.”
“I think that was unavoidable. After hearing your story, it does seem like a situation that could lead to misunderstandings.”
Hearing Jian say that, I nodded back.
“Yeah, so here’s the thing, I’m planning to carry out something related to that being from now on. Would you come with me?”
“…Huh?”
Seeing Jian genuinely wear an expression of confusion about what I was saying for once, I grinned.
After working him hard like this and stealing his finishing blow, surely he could grant me at least one reasonable request, right?
*
“…So, let’s clarify if I understood everything correctly.”
Once we arrived at the cathedral and dragged Rina into the prayer room, she rubbed her temples gently and spoke. But the frown on her forehead wasn’t easing at all.
Rina finally gave up rubbing it and pointed to herself with her finger. “First, I’m a demon, living in a convent.”
“Exactly.”
As I nodded, Rina also nodded in agreement.
“Some in the church know my true identity, but if most realize who I am, they won’t just take it lying down.”
“Of course.”
Not so long ago, they had purged the demons hiding within human society. Naturally, Rina would be perceived as such. If I openly declared I was protecting her, they wouldn’t dare say anything, but still, it couldn’t wipe the unfavorable image or suspicions completely from existence.
And if that accumulated, it would eventually rot and fester.
Of course, I personally wouldn’t care too much even if my image took a hit, but how it impacted my image would be through associating with a demon, and I had no clue what kind of annoying repercussions that could lead to later.
“…So, you want me to prove I have holy power to reassure the people?”
“That’s exactly it.”
Seeing me eagerly nod, Rina sighed deeply. It seemed like she let out a breath like the ground was collapsing beneath her.
Just to clarify, this prayer room wasn’t the one used by nuns. Since the process for a man to enter a convent was incredibly strict, our group, which included Jian, gathered in the prayer room used by regular churchgoers. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any congregants using the prayer room right now.
Oh, and just so you know, Father Nguyen and the Mother Superior had already been summoned in advance. However, they exuded a vibe of not quite keeping up with our conversation. Well, who would believe that the church was hiding a demon?
“You, now…”
Rina, once again rubbing her temples, spoke.
“Do you really think this is going to work?”
Her voice sounded like she was on the brink of losing her composure, barely holding onto the edge.
“Holy power is a fair force. As long as devoted believers believe in the gods, it can be accessed by anyone—”
“How many times do I have to say this?”
Rina said with gritted teeth.
“I’m a demon. Didn’t I say I’m a succubus? Am I meant to kill myself? Or should I stab myself like you?”
Wow, what harsh words.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Surely you don’t think that demons will burn if they come into contact with holy power?” She continued, her voice oddly calm now, as if she’d pushed through the point of being angry. It was perhaps the most serene, church-like voice I had ever witnessed from Rina. Good, maintain that posture.
“Of course I know that. Ah, wait a second.”
As Rina began to respond, I raised a hand to stop her.
“Let me finish.”
“…”
Not sure what she intended to say, Rina slowly closed her mouth again.
“Did you know? In the church, we mostly pray to Goddess Ariel, but that doesn’t mean the church only believes in one god, you know?”
I pointed at the two statues carved at the prayer room’s entrance.
One of the large statues centered around the depicted cross was that of Goddess Ariel, widely recognized as the goddess in question. Of course, as noted before, the statue didn’t resemble the actual Goddess Ariel, but the way it was crafted conveyed a sense of divinity.
The other statue on the left side had an indistinct figure.
Now, while that statue also represented a revered god, it stood with a commanding posture. Its proportions were majestic and impressive. However, the entire figure was draped in a robe from head to toe. The hood covered most of its features, only leaving the nose and mouth partially visible, obscuring its true appearance.
“…But the other god is the forgotten one, right? No followers or records exist about him.”
Since Rina was practically a created creature of a created creature of the Demon God, it seemed she was somewhat informed.
“It’s the Demon God Baal.”
I stated quietly.
But my subdued voice was more than enough to echo in the silent prayer room.
“What?”
“Baal, the forgotten sacred being. Long ago created the demons, but was betrayed by them. One of the two sacred presences supporting this world.”
“…”
The prayer room filled with tense silence.
I glanced at the Father and the Mother Superior, noticing they stood frozen with stiff expressions. It seemed they were grasping what I was saying, though I could tell it was all brand new information to them.
“And it’s not like he has no followers. Baal’s believers certainly do exist.”
By the time I reached that point, Rina must have realized she couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Her eyes widened, and seeing Rina surprised was a rare treat.
“And the witches are races empowered by those demons, while the demons and beasts are birthed from the witches’ fingertips. Or born, rather.”
Of course, the term ‘born from fingertips’ wasn’t literally true, but I wasn’t such a dense person to throw a dirty joke in the middle of a serious discussion. So I skipped that comment.
“And the powers of the Demon God and the Goddess are different. While they respect each other, the powers they wield are opposites. And while the holy power of the Demon God is surely quite different from that of the Goddess, it is undoubtedly a type of power you could potentially use.”
Is that not right?
[…That is true, but…]
After a long time of speaking to a god, I found the voice responding to be rather reluctant. Well, I supposed that made sense. If someone were to pass a bothersome task to me, I would react similarly.
But what’s a guy to do?
You were the ones who landed me here.
So how about cooperating positively?
“…I suppose if I refuse, you wouldn’t send me back?”
“Correct.”
Why would you even ask such a simple question?
I had brought along two external witnesses: Jian and Selena. Truth be told, it was mainly by accident that Selena tagged along. But whatever.
By the way, Aurora and Linea looked just as shocked as the Father and Mother Superior.
Then again, I hadn’t mentioned Baal to them.
I had only learned during summer vacation that Baal had contributed to forming my body. Since then, I had never provided any additional explanation, so it was entirely unsurprising that they would be shocked.
…Maybe tonight, I should properly explain it to them.
“Now, please have a seat.”
I gestured toward the rigid, uncomfortable-looking long pews that seemed to characterize the cathedral. Though Rina clearly wore an expression of discontent, she sighed dramatically before sitting down.
“Then, let’s hold hands—”
“I know how to pray,” Rina snapped back.
As we clasped hands and closed our eyes, I also sat next to her, placing my hands together.
“So….”
Please, I beg you!
I silently prayed to Baal like that.
*
“What am I currently witnessing?”
Father Nguyen’s trembling voice echoed as the Mother Superior opened her mouth but then closed it without answering.
Could this be called a miracle unfolding right before their eyes?
She probably saw what was happening as a miracle indeed.
According to the Saintess, the girl sitting next to her was a demon—A demon who had self-identified, now praying at the front of the prayer room right next to the holy statues. Just that in itself was a feat worthy of praise. Because a demon, the being furthest from the divine, had been made to repent and pray.
However,
If one were to call it a miracle, the Saintess might just get angry.
Because it appeared that, to an outside observer, it was just two ordinary girls praying together.
A white light surrounded the Saintess’s hand. That was proof of faith, the power of belief that only those firmly assured of the goddess could display—a certainty indisputable by anyone.
So then, what was the power swirling around the demon girl’s hand?
Holy power was said to have the strength to purge demons. In reality, sufficiently potent holy power could incinerate demons and beasts without a trace.
But the holy power enveloping that girl’s hand wasn’t quite like that.
The girl, seemingly startled, opened her eyes wide and gazed down at her joined hands.
Dazzlingly bright white light interspersed with dark hues.
Though it appeared hazardous at first glance, that fantastical mixture of light conveyed the essence of some power that originated from beyond the realm of nature itself.
“…It’s just two devoted believers praying together, in a sacred manner.”
That was the only way she could describe the experience of witnessing that, just as it was.
“I will—”
The priest tried to speak but became choked up, clearing his throat once again. Then he said,
“I’ll go fetch some paper and a pen. This moment is undeniably a key scene in the history of the church. Yes, I should write this up in a thesis, a theological thesis…”
Saying this, he hurriedly dashed out, leaving behind a rather dazed Mother Superior, Eliza, who felt honestly a bit unsettled.
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