Chapter: 331
Sometimes, instinct takes precedence over rational thought. And when instinct trumps reason, it usually boils down to survival instinct.
So, I acted without thinking.
“Sorry.”
Before the woman with a full smile could say anything, I jumped the gun.
In situations like this, it’s better to bow down first than to waste time sizing things up. Lingering might turn a tangled situation into an even bigger mess. Even if I didn’t know who this woman was, it was pretty obvious. If I didn’t get it by now, that would just be plain foolishness.
Of course, a verbal apology often lacks sincerity, so I quickly prostrated myself. In the local style, that’s like a full-on faceplant—over on the other side, they call it a dogeza. If I want my sincerity to show, I better put some effort into it, right?
“Aha! Refreshing!”
With my head down, my face obscured, I heard her giggling, which seemed to satisfy her somewhat. I couldn’t tell whether she was pleased about my apology or my goofy faceplant.
“Still, lift your head. Since we finally met, let’s talk face to face.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Just lift it already.”
At her near-command, I quickly lifted my head. Thankfully, judging from her reaction so far, she didn’t seem like the type to shout, “You infidel!” and try to kill me on sight. At least she was giving me some time to talk.
And the moment I looked up, I saw her bringing a leather pouch to her mouth.
‘Wait, what?’
Suddenly, I felt uneasy. Watching her gulp down what looked like alcohol, my mind flashed back to a historical drama I’d caught a glimpse of before my big adventure. She wasn’t really telling me to lift my head so she could chop it off, was she?
I was sweating. The thought of her spitting that drink in my face was terrifying. Dying is one thing, but dying while getting a face full of booze? No thanks.
“Ah! Want some to drink?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Really? I guess southern folk might not take to it.”
Whether she understood my fear or not, she took a swig of her drink and finished it off in one go. Impressive, for such a large pouch!
Anyway, from the very start of our meeting, she was flaunting her drinking skills. Looking at my frozen self, she chuckled.
“I know you probably already guessed, but we’re meeting for the first time, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m the being you call the Eternal Blue Sky. Kind of like a sky deity in my own right.”
As the truth, which I semi-expected and desperately hoped wasn’t the case, came to light, I bit my lip. After all, I’d encountered her while tussling with fairies; I had hoped it wouldn’t be her—turns out, wishful thinking is futile.
“It’s an honor to meet you, honored deity.”
“Honor, shmonor! I’m no longer the grand deity I used to be.”
Though her answer was lighthearted, it felt like a punch to the gut. I had a hand in her decline, after all.
This was frustrating. If she was mad, at least I’d know what to expect, but with this unexpected atmosphere, I was at a loss. Honestly, I never even thought I’d meet a deity.
“Are you apologizing?”
As I struggled to find the right words, she chuckled softly.
“I am grateful, but you really overestimate yourself! Once settled nomads appeared, it was only a matter of time before the god of the nomads became just another has-been. You just accelerated the timing a bit; it’s not exactly your fault!”
With that, she patted my back like a boisterous mother comforting her shy child.
Now I was more confused. Why was she reacting this way?
‘Didn’t I get her really angry?’
Beddler did say the deity was furious over my wounds. After all, I’d killed apostles, desecrated temples, and insulted her divine matters. From her perspective, being angry at me is completely justified, and I never doubted she’d be in a bad mood.
But now I was left contemplating, ‘Was I completely wrong?’
For a moment, I even thought maybe the Eternal Blue Sky didn’t feel anything towards me at all.
Yeah, how could a mere human ever understand a god’s heart? It was just a coincidence that the divine energy was strong in my wounds, and maybe Kagan’s actions were entirely independent. The sudden appearance might just be a pity visit for this pathetic soul praying and floundering alone.
It was time for some self-reflection. I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Do you want to know why I’m in your body?”
“Uh, sure.”
I instinctively nodded at that question. Of course, I was curious.
Even those called the Sons of Deities, and the most devoted priests receive divine power, but no one shares their body with a god. If the deity were truly inhabiting my body, did that mean I was somehow part of the divine?
But I wasn’t associated with faith, and for it to be this extreme to simply punish me? That seemed like obsessive behavior.
“I’m trapped.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I said I’m trapped.”
The Eternal Blue Sky’s gaze dropped, and I froze.
An eerie silence hung in the air.
From her flushed face, I learned the whole story.
When Kagan landed a blow on me, the divine power embedded in the divine artifact transferred entirely into my wounds. Typically, such an attack would only leave traces behind, but Kagan’s strike was a full-power last resort, which caused a major problem. Because of that, the divine energy within the artifact shifted into high gear, trying to annihilate me.
Of course, Kagan died, but would the divine energy just disappear if it no longer resided in the artifact—
“I fixed the divine energy right then. Since the apostle inflicted the damage, I didn’t need to cause any more harm. I figured if that wound lasted long enough, it would be punishment enough.”
Because of divine intervention, what should have dissipated morphed into an immortal force. And as the divine directly intervened, nobody could cleanse that energy, leaving my wounds in a perpetual state of injury. That incredible situation had persisted for three years.
“I had planned to let it settle after about a year…”
The Eternal Blue Sky spoke while her mouth closed again. But before long, she started talking once more.
“During that time, the place where I could hang out has vanished.”
“Excuse me?”
That was strange. She was explaining something, but I wasn’t following. Does a deity even have a concept of a dwelling? I thought she’d chill up in the sky or something.
“Do gods have homes?”
When I asked, not really understanding, the Eternal Blue Sky sighed softly.
“Sure. There’s a place to hold divine power; that’s the temple and home for the gods.”
With that, I couldn’t react at all.
The temple is the god’s home, so if she said that, I could understand she was referring to a dwelling.
“But you destroyed it all. Now there’s only your body left to hold any divine essence.”
She shot me a glance that looked just a tiny bit resentful. I felt like laughing. I had kind of bulldozed through the nomads’ core and wiped out the Eternal Blue Sky’s temple. It was clear the nomads hadn’t reconstructed it yet either.
As a result, the Eternal Blue Sky’s divine essence now had no place in this world. Only I carried that divine essence within me, making me the sole vessel of the Eternal Blue Sky’s power.
‘What a mess.’
This situation couldn’t get any worse, right? I was stuck like this, and Eternal Blue Sky was trapped too—it was all just ridiculous.
“So, the reason you suddenly popped up now is—”
“If those fairies take away my strength, I’ll be dead…”
That heartfelt confession left me speechless. The Eternal Blue Sky had silently been sitting on the edge of life and death, waiting for the opportune moment to emerge.
That’s tragic. The death of a god seems to differ from that of a human; however, it doesn’t sound favorable.
‘Maybe I went a bit overboard.’
After understanding the situation, I felt regret. If only I had managed to leave one temple intact, the Eternal Blue Sky wouldn’t be stuck inside me, and the energy from my wounds would’ve gone away after a year.
Of course, from the perspective of someone beleaguered by nomads, I could argue self-defense.
“If there hadn’t been a war, this wouldn’t have happened…”
“You didn’t give that order? Since the apostles took the lead, I just assumed that’s how it was.”
“That was the apostle’s devout decision! I don’t issue war commands! It’s a dilemma when you already have so few followers, and they keep dropping like flies!”
“If you win, don’t the number of followers increase?”
“Yeah, right! I’ll bet they’ll be real eager to worship a god who forced them into it!”
Listening to that, it seemed unfair to blame the god. From her perspective, the followers’ blunders had led to collateral damage as well.
Additionally, it’s likely that throughout history, when nomads hunted sedentary folk, the reverse was often true, so if we consider self-defense, we might be at a disadvantage.
“Uh, so I actually wanted to ask you something, which is why I summoned you.”
Anyhow, the Eternal Blue Sky cleared her throat, as if ashamed by her earlier outbursts, and cautiously began to speak.
However, it seemed like she was barking up the wrong tree. If it were someone like the Saint Tannian, that would be one thing, but what could a mere sword-wielder do regarding divine issues?
“Would I be of any help at all? I’m no priest.”
“That’s alright. I just need you to relay my words to the fairies.”
Well, I could handle that much.
I closed my eyes and opened them, and suddenly I was back in the elder’s house, not in that pure white space anymore.
“Auntie Sky, you were here.”
“Really? Really?”
“Heavy energy. Can’t take it away…”
From the fairies’ conversation, I realized that while I was trapped in that white space, time seemed to have stood still.
Even as I expressed sympathy for not having a home, gods will always be gods—they can transcend time and space.
“Hey, kids.”
Anyway, now that I was back, I should get this request done. It would be a disaster if the Eternal Blue Sky, having nowhere else to go, decided to make a mess out of spite.
“Let’s go outside for a minute.”
“Go out? Go out?”
“Outside? Why?”
“Nothing is out there. The elf lady lives a boring life.”
I saw the elder flinch at that rather pointed remark, but the fairies continued to cheer. I realized this would benefit both the fairies and myself.
“You might get to see your mom again.”
The moment I said that, I realized if kids that small banded together, they could pack a punch.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“Mom, Mom, Mom!”
“Really? Really Mom? You’re not lying, right? No way!”
“Lying is bad! If you’re lying, I’ll cry!”
I didn’t want to know how they tethered themselves to my hair.
Kids, come on—grabbing my hair is a bit much when you could just tug at my clothing…
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