Chapter 575
In the cold seal where the warmth of the sun bestowed by Enen could not reach…
Evil gods, sealed for hundreds of years, tasted the bone-chilling cold the moment they broke free.
“Ooh, it’s warm.”
“This… is home, right? Being warm… is the best…”
Though it was merely a brief moment of suffering, it seemed to have left a significant trauma for those mighty evil gods who once flaunted their power. Even now, there were eleven of these evil deities huddled together under a massive blanket.
The God of Death, a Yorkshire Terrier; the Plague, represented by an eagle; the God of War, symbolized by a tiger; and the God of Famine, depicted as a sheep.
The God of Pride, shown as a chick; the God of Avarice, in deer form; the God of Jealousy, symbolized by a foal; the God of Wrath, depicted as a bear; the God of Lust, represented by a fox; the God of Greed, resembling a snake; and even the God of Sloth, shaped like a turtle.
“Is it a wildlife kingdom or what?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. I did have ambitions of setting up a zoo for Pedi, but that was all about a zoo made of plush toys. I had zero desire to create a zoo with real animals—or rather, former evil gods pretending to be animals.
“Karl. Can you explain now?”
I snapped back to reality at Trixie’s voice after staring vacantly at the evil gods.
“Ah, yeah, right. I should explain.”
I barely managed to keep my wits about me as I nodded eagerly. This had to be a proper explanation. Mar had granted me the opportunity for clarification, and the ladies, including Trixie, were waiting patiently for me to gather my thoughts. Given such consideration, it was only fair to reciprocate with a coherent and logical explanation.
“I went to check an ancient ruin and found those things dying. They begged me not to cause trouble, so I brought them back.”
Yet, no matter how hard I tried to think, the right excuses just wouldn’t come. To explain this crazy situation, I’d have to mention that the seal contained the evil gods and that those little guys were indeed evil gods. But before heading north, didn’t I say it was an issue concerning evil spirits and an ancient ruin instead of evil gods?
Yeah, I messed that up from the start. If I tried to correct it now, I’d be the one getting kicked out of my own house.
“…Evil spirits?”
“Those things?”
The ladies’ gazes fell upon the evil gods, all bundled up like dumplings under the blanket.
I could understand their feelings. It was a mix of 20% scolding for bringing evil spirits home and 80% doubt about whether those really were evil spirits.
“Evil spirits! I am Death, the endpoint of all life, reigning over despair on the continent!”
“Yeah, that’s just your clever way of misleading people with your evil spirit gimmick.”
“Gyaaaaaah!”
Ignoring the so-called introduction of Death, I continued.
“Wake up already, you moronic thing. If this goes sideways, we’ll all be six feet under.”
“Evil spirits…”
Rizie, rubbing her belly with a dazed look, muttered the word “evil spirits” and fell deep in thought.
“I understand your worries. You must be concerned about the harm these evil spirits could cause if they stay in our home.”
Quickly, I interjected while watching Rizie fret.
Those little guys were mere remnants of former evil deities, but they had once been troublesome enough to be sealed away. So, naturally, I worried about what might happen if I brought them into our home. I even contemplated just tossing them into a pit to freeze to death.
But thanks to the words of the eternal blue sky, my thoughts shifted.
– You don’t need to worry about them anymore. They’ve lost their divinity, meaning they can no longer cultivate faith, and they’re not gods, so they can be physically killed.
‘Then why not just off them for a clean solution?’
– Isn’t it a waste to just kill them? You could use them if you keep them alive!
‘Huh?’
The idea of using these former evil gods as tools, while intriguing, threw me for a loop.
– If you forcibly absorb strong divinity, it taints the divine essence. The opposite allows for binding the target. Normally, gods wouldn’t go this far with each other, but these are evil gods, after all.
‘…Binding, you say?’
– I’ve implanted a part of my divinity in them. They can’t go against my will now.
I felt somewhat relieved thinking they’d now be manageable beings.
If they were controllable, no need to kill them. The drawback of their past as evil gods flipped to an advantage; they once were evil gods, so they could be used effectively.
– And given time, they could eat even a decent knight for breakfast. They’d make perfect guards or escorts.
‘Let’s take them right away then.’
And there it was—the final blow. With their small size, I could carry them anywhere, and if they were also formidable, I could send them to protect my family when they went out or infiltrate during secret missions.
“I’ve got divine ties here, and I have plenty of means to control these evil spirits. We agreed they’d keep things quiet without any ruckus.”
“Uh… what if they break the promise?”
“Then we’ll deal with it immediately.”
I answered Lin decisively and turned my gaze toward the evil gods, who eagerly nodded in response.
“We have repented. From now on, we’ll live as benign souls, not evil spirits.”
“Actually, I’m a spirit. My parents were spirits too.”
“That’s what they say.”
“Oh… okay…”
Unlike the clueless God of Death, the other evil gods responded satisfactorily, causing Lin to nod awkwardly.
The innocence of these former evil gods became more evident with time.
“Woof!”
“Aah! Don’t lick me!”
“Oof! You’re such a hulking brute!”
Titi, having suddenly gained new animal friends, couldn’t help but lick or nuzzle the evil gods every time she saw them. The overwhelming size difference made them merely squeal and run away amidst their misfortune.
These former evil gods, reduced to mere pet level. If anyone were to remain cautious upon seeing this, they would be overthinking things way too much. Fortunately, no one in our mansion fit that description.
“How does it feel, Young Master?”
“Arf!”
“Glad to see you’re pleased!”
In fact, Avarice, taking the form of a deer, and Jealousy, resembling a foal, had tied a cloth to their tails and used it to carry Pedi around the mansion.
Amazing. Is this what a former god’s life looks like?
“I thought the depths of a god’s fall were fully revealed by the eternal blue sky.”
I had come to realize there was a basement beneath the floor.
“…I’m not sure if this is right.”
Mar, watching the scene with a rare expression, muttered.
Here were the former evil gods (essentially now just former evil gods pretending to be harmless) playing with my one and only son. Emotionally, I should separate them; logically, it was proving there were no issues.
Plus, Pedi loved animals, especially after seeing how these former evil gods took on animal forms. If I just separated them out of worry, he’d cling to their tails and refuse to let go.
“Really, is it safe…?”
“The gods are confident, so there’s no need to worry.”
I wrapped my arms around Mar’s waist and kissed her forehead.
Since my family and the staff’s safety were at stake, I confirmed again and again. The eternal blue sky, previously displaying only care, had shown rare confidence here, and Constantina confirmed that with my divinity implanted, there was nothing to fear.
With two divine beings saying so, I should lean towards faith. After all, gods would understand their ecosystem better than humans.
“And it’s not like Trixie and I are around. If the evil spirits go berserk, we can subdue them easily.”
At that, Mar nodded in agreement.
If we could physically kill them, there was no need to fret as long as Kagan wasn’t around to be resurrected.
—
The first pilgrimage site was located in the far northeastern tip of the continent, in the Lucen Kingdom.
Once a place deeply rooted in the culture of heathens, it now lay the resting place of a saint who dedicated himself to the impoverished people suffering under the harsh weather. It was home to the tomb of a saint who accepted the Dawn Sect to civilize the Lucen tribal alliance and became a martyr.
The tomb of a great saint who, despite cold trials, refused to falter and led the grim homeland toward a bright future. It was truly worthy of being chosen as a pilgrimage site.
‘May we also overcome trials and move toward a bright future.’
I prayed in front of the tomb of Saint Rudolf, the representative saint of Lucen.
Even though Saint Rudolf was reviled and died, his spirit did not waver. It burned bright, transforming this land of barbarism into one of civilization. What once was a place of misery and danger turned into a bearable place, “though disgustingly cold, livable enough.”
We shall carry on your will and change the sect. Even if we face scorn for now, we will burn brightly.
“…Huff.”
After a lengthy prayer, I quietly rose.
“Just a moment of prayer, and I find it hard to imagine the pain Saint Rudolf endured, hanging there on a pole in the cold.”
“That is precisely why he became a miracle-working saint.”
Sister Alexandria responded as she draped her coat around me.
As she said, Saint Rudolf was indeed a miracle-working saint. More than a sacrifice for martyrdom, he was a beacon, guiding the land from barbarism through the harsh cold, and a miracle who, even after hanging for ten days, forgave the residents.
‘Ten days, huh.’
It was astonishing. Even I could not endure enduring exposure without food for ten days in this weather. Surely, the Son of God would struggle in such extremities too. A week, maybe?
Of course, he became a saint precisely because he achieved the impossible.
“Tannian brother, Alexandria sister.”
As I gazed blankly at Saint Rudolf’s tomb, the cardinal of the Lucen Archdiocese approached.
“It’s time to return. We’ve prepared a place to warm up.”
“I’m fine. I want to feel the saint’s presence a bit longer.”
“You both are making it hard for the other faithful to come and pray.”
“Oh, right, we should be going!”
I smiled at the cardinal’s jest. It’d be no good if my presence prevented others from praying.
Just as I was about to follow the cardinal’s lead…
“…Huh?”
“Wait, what’s this?”
A brilliant light burst from the tomb of Saint Rudolf.
– Rejoice, oh children of the continent. The oldest worries and sins of this world have vanished at the hands of a hero. That hero is a person blessed by the radiant sun, embraced by the love of the vast sky and the grace of nature.
With a holy voice that brought me to my knees.
And moments later, I realized the light and sound of the Lord were resonating not just in this spot but throughout all the holy sites and churches across the continent.
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