Chapter: 538
Joy took a deep breath in front of the Duke Partlan’s office. Since she was very young, she had been afraid to cross this threshold.
Despite the outside world’s evaluation, she knew that Duke Partlan was a rather ordinary person.
On the other hand, she was aware that he was competent enough to be the head of one of the five ducal families in the kingdom. Therefore, Joy was reluctant to enter the place where her father worked.
However, today was not the day for that. This was a choice she had made herself.
She was here because Lucy, someone she considered her lifelong benefactor and precious friend, had insisted she would take action.
If I can’t even do this, how can I stand by Lucy’s side in the future?
To be on equal footing with her, I shouldn’t just circle around in the same place.
“Father.”
Just as Joy knocked on the door, she heard a voice from inside inviting her in.
For those who didn’t know Duke Partlan well, it was a voice that tightened the heart; even those who did know him would flinch at its sharpness.
Hearing that, Joy forced a calm expression and opened the door.
“Welcome, Joy. I’ve heard a lot from Jeff. You’ve achieved a lot at the academy, huh?”
“I haven’t done much at all.”
“Not much? I’m also a wizard. I know what it means to interpret the magic of Great Wizard Erginius.”
Seeing Duke Partlan’s pleased, yet seemingly very uncomfortable smile, Joy returned the smile and closed the door.
“So, what brings you here? Judging by your expression, it doesn’t seem like just a visit.”
With his elbows resting on the desk and fingers interlocked, Duke Partlan looked at Joy with his fierce and indifferent eyes.
“I have a proposal for you, Father.”
For most people, it would be a situation where cold sweat would trickle down in fear, but Joy faced Duke Partlan confidently without the slightest hint of hesitation.
“A proposal? Not a request?”
“Yes, a proposal. It must be a proposal because it’s something that can’t be handled with just a simple request.”
“Interesting. What kind of proposal?”
“The Fairy Forest. How much do you know about it?”
*
“Long time no see, Count Arteia.”
“Has it been about half a year since the last time?”
Phoebe, having come to visit the Arteia family at Lucy’s request, was warmly welcomed by Count Arteia.
Although he had previously respected Phoebe without being overly enthusiastic like the other believers, his attitude changed after the encounter with the Evil God of Darkness.
After watching the recorded footage inside the crystal, Count Arteia completely acknowledged that Phoebe deserved the title of Saintess, believing that she too radiated light, thanks to being next to such a bright sun.
And in this moment, more than half a year later, Phoebe, who shone with a bright light, had left Count Arteia momentarily speechless.
This was not the boundless light from her utterly good character, but the light that could only be emitted by someone who received the love of the Lord.
“Surely the Lord does not love just one person.”
The moment Count Arteia witnessed the miracle that was Lucy Allen, he firmly believed in the existence of the Lord.
However, unequivocally, he also had to acknowledge that the contents of the scripture didn’t completely align.
In a world tinged with murky light, only one person shone brightly with the Lord’s light. Thus, it could only be a lie that the Lord loved everyone in the world equally.
And now, Phoebe appeared before Count Arteia, proving that the Lord’s love was not solely for one person.
It showed that the Lord would bestow love upon anyone deemed worthy.
To Count Arteia, this was hope and ecstasy. It conveyed that if he diligently honed his own piety, one day he too could bear such warm light.
“Of course. He still loves everyone fairly under the world.”
“Wooow.”
“Only he might be lacking in capacity.”
As Phoebe replied in a casual tone, Count Arteia raised an eyebrow slightly.
“…Lacking in capacity, you say?”
“Surely, the Lord is kind, but that doesn’t mean he is omniscient and omnipotent.”
“If someone heard that, they’d be shocked and cry blasphemy.”
Anyone from the Jushin Church believes that the Lord is both omniscient and omnipotent. The scriptures teach this, and everyone takes it for granted.
However, Phoebe said otherwise. No matter how great the Lord, there are limits.
“I think so too.”
Knowing how blasphemous that might be, Phoebe forced a bittersweet smile.
“However, just because it’s blasphemous doesn’t mean the truth becomes a lie.”
“If we assume what the Saintess says is true, may I ask you one question?”
“Please go ahead.”
“If the Lord is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, then why do you believe in him?”
Most people believe in the Lord because they trust in his omnipotence.
Yet, if the Lord is not omniscient nor omnipotent but rather has limits, what reason is there to fervently believe in him?
“Because I know that the great Lord is good.”
“Good, you say.”
“The Lord may be lacking, but he strives to make this world a better place. He’s someone who looks for righteousness without turning a blind eye to his mistakes. That’s why I believe in him.”
Her answer, which came without a hint of doubt, revealed Phoebe’s sincerity and why she lived as the Saintess serving the Lord.
“Does that suffice as an answer?”
“…Yes. It also explains why the Lord cherishes you.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“And if it’s not too rude to ask, may I hear this from you directly?”
Despite Count Arteia being impressed by Phoebe’s values, there was no need to discuss the Lord.
Such words, if wrongly expressed, could endanger her position as the Saintess by labeling her a heretic.
However, Phoebe bestowed unnecessary words upon Count Arteia.
“One reason is that the one receiving the Lord’s affection trusts Count Arteia.”
Lucy believes that Count Arteia will help her. Therefore, Phoebe too must believe in her. Her faith, being the most pious of anyone in the world, cannot be wrong.
“And the other is that I thought I needed to show my sincerity to earn Count Arteia’s true heart.”
“Can you explain that in more detail?”
“Count Arteia. We are attempting to challenge something that heroes of the Age of Myth could not achieve. The Lord wishes for us to create a miracle.”
Please, would you join this great endeavor to make the world a better place?
As Phoebe finished speaking and waited for a response with a gentle smile, Count Arteia, whose eyes had reddened, got off his chair and knelt on the floor.
*
Before heading to the Fairy Forest, there was a major premise that had to be fulfilled.
That was to bring the sealed Evil God of Darkness from the large dungeon.
Only by casting him into the Fairy Forest could all the energies existing there converge on their master, thus preventing an unexpected disaster.
Though, one could think it’s like causing an avalanche just to clear out falling rocks, having an avalanche we can control is better than those rocks dropping unexpectedly at an unfortunate moment.
For that, what welcomed me upon entering the large dungeon in Soladin Kingdom was the courteous greetings from the lord and the local power brokers.
“We are so honored that esteemed guests visited this humble place!”
The lord bowed deeply to the point it felt almost servile, and an aura of fear towards us radiated from him.
Why is he acting like this? A lord in a place with a large dungeon should have some power, right?
There’s no need to be this polite, is there?
Tilting my head, I looked at our group once again.
The continent’s strongest knight, Benedict. The Sword Saint who had reached the pinnacle of the sword. The Apostle of the Art League. The Third Prince of Soladin. The Sympathy Loser Skeleton. And me.
Hmm. Our lineup does seem dangerous. One wrong move, and it feels like someone could lose their head physically.
‘This is troublesome. Standing out too much is a bit of an issue.’
Thinking about what we’re about to do, it’s not good to be too noticeable in front of people.
If they catch wind of our plan, then the followers of the Evil God might swarm the Fairy Forest, causing all sorts of trouble.
Ugh. What should I do? Should I retreat for a moment and opt for a stealthy approach at night?
[Well, I think there’s something even more troublesome.]
‘What do you mean by that?’
[Think about it. How could they have known you would come and been waiting for you here?]
‘Huh?’
Now that I think about it, that is strange. How could they have known we were coming? They couldn’t have had the time to prepare for us as soon as we arrived?!
“While I would love to enjoy this occasion to the fullest, I regret to inform you that I must escort you and take my leave.”
He said he’d guide us? Guide us to whom?
“The First Prince of Soladin is waiting for you.”
…
Why is he here!?
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