Chapter: 578
In most cases, mounts easily overwhelm the human foot, but that’s just the norm.
However, those who are exceptions are overflowing on this continent, and most of those exceptions are high-ranking individuals who use mounts. Despite this, the reason why mounts can still be found intact in this world is that using them itself becomes a symbol of authority, and sometimes, a shabby appearance can hide what’s inside.
For example, it’s hard to imagine that the Pope of the Jushin Church and one of the continent’s strongest warriors would be riding in a shabby carriage pulled by a low-quality horse that’s indistinguishable from a pony.
Normally, Lasha would never ride such a slow thing, but this time was an exception.
No matter who the opponent was, even though she maintained her rude attitude, the monster next to her, who was smiling pleasantly while gazing at the greenery outside, was an uncomfortable presence.
“Hey, old man. Haven’t you been bouncing around too much lately?”
Lasha growled, filled with complaints about how this old man was being used as he pleased, but the Pope just shrugged with a relaxed smile.
“That just means many things are happening in this land. It’s a joyful thing. If this old body were to die in silence until the end, I would have been left to settle in silence.”
What a load of crap. If nothing happened, you’d be the one to create the worst kinds of trouble. Lasha, who had been tangled up with him long before he became Pope and faced his true nature, couldn’t help but click her tongue.
“Haha. Don’t act like that. Thanks to me working alongside you, you’ve had the leisure of handling various strong opponents.”
“Stop talking nonsense. I’m hoping for a struggle that will make my soul tremble, not to collect the heads of those who refuse to admit they’re exhausted and crumbling.”
If you asked Lasha whether the people she handled under the Pope were strong or weak, she would gladly say they were strong.
Those individuals were certainly capable of making a name for themselves on the continent. Provided they were in peak condition.
“So, we finally meet some strong individuals, and after all the battles, they’re crumbling! What’s this! Only you had fun, old man!”
“Well. I did enjoy it, for sure. Seeing the scene of a god blooming on earth… In my long life, I’ve seen many things, but not much was as entertaining as that. Especially since the new god is a vessel created by the genius Erginius.”
“…I’ve been thinking since before entering that damn forest. What on earth does ‘vessel’ mean?”
Lasha was nearly a jack of all trades when it came to body movements, but when it came to magic, she knew only what she knew and didn’t want to know what she didn’t understand. Especially if it was something that the demons from various schools babbled about.
Normally, she wouldn’t have asked such a question, but the sight she saw in the forest was too wondrous. It felt like she was turning back into a girl at her age.
“You’ve heard of the Great Wizard Erginius, who is said to be a genius that will remain in history, right?”
“Of course. The tales of the heroes who saved the Age of Myth are endlessly recounted by bards. You pick it up even if you don’t want to while wandering.”
“To put it precisely, calling him a genius is merely a constraint in conveying his greatness. Even after hundreds of years, no one has surpassed his wisdom, and how can we merely call someone who overwhelmed a god of magic with a human body just a genius?”
Hearing the Pope’s words, Lasha’s jaw dropped. A human overpowered a god in the realm of gods?
Is that even possible?
While they didn’t exactly have a good relationship, she knew all too well about the Apostle of the Evil God.
Gods are concepts that exist in this world, taking on tangible forms. If what the Pope said was true, then Erginius understood magic itself better than magic itself.
“When a new god of magic bloomed on the ground and delved into one field until his lifespan expired, is there truly anything he wouldn’t be able to accomplish?”
“Don’t ask complicated stuff; just tell me already.”
“The answer is ‘nothing.’ The Great Wizard Erginius, after long research, found a way to save his love and also discovered a way to sever the legacy that would pass on to future generations.”
The only way to erase a god from this world is to replace the place where the divinity dwells with another.
“Theoretically, that’s always a correct statement, but realizing it is difficult. After all, the evil gods became twisted because the authority that defines them desired that.”
Darkness wishes for the world to grow darker. Emptiness desires endless silence. The world wants to ignite an eternal fire upon the land. Destruction wishes to be annihilated, even their own existence.
“A person with an ordinary mind gaining divinity would only lead to the birth of another evil god.”
The hierarchy that has persisted since ancient days simply crushes the opponent and imposes its will.
To resist this, someone with an extraordinary mind is necessary.
Someone who can stand proud even before divinity and surpass the life of the earth.
For instance, a hero like Erginius himself.
By this point, even someone like Lasha, who disliked using her head, had no choice but to understand.
“So, Erginius, who was inside that cocoon…”
“A vessel capable of containing divinity. He possesses the spirit, wisdom, and stubbornness of a hero and was unconsciously preparing to become divine.”
The heroes of the past achieved what they needed to over hundreds of years? Wow. If such a monster exists, I definitely want to fight with it at least once.
“Of course, this wasn’t accomplished solely through his effort. If the great Lord Jushin hadn’t blessed his fervor, Erginius wouldn’t have reached that miracle.”
“Are you talking about your help?”
From Lasha’s perspective as an Apostle of the Evil God, the innards of that cocoon were in a dangerously unstable state. Under various circumstances, she was transforming into the Evil God, to whom she offered her prayers.
If the Pope hadn’t helped at all, what would have emerged from that cocoon wouldn’t have been a reincarnated fairy, but a new evil instead.
“Hm? No. That can’t be. What I did was merely a finishing touch.”
He might have said that thinking of giving praise, but the actual return was pure horror. The Pope was genuinely downplaying his contribution.
“Then what is Lord Jushin’s blessing?”
“It’s concerning the more essential aspect, the reason why divinity had to collapse beneath humanity.”
The Pope mentioned the light of purification and then trembled. There was nothing more unpleasant than the joy written across the face of this old man, so Lasha clicked her tongue and turned her head.
…I wouldn’t completely avoid understanding it. That light, which was definitely in the heart of the forest, was magnificent. If that wasn’t the light of a god, what would a miracle even be?
“To avoid any misunderstanding, let me clarify: that is not a miracle performed by the Saintess.”
“Oh. Really…? What?”
“The Saintess receives the love of Lord Jushin through her purity, but she cannot create miracles with wavering footsteps.”
“No, wait a minute. You’re saying it’s not the Saintess.”
“You already know. You’ve fought her, so there’s no way you wouldn’t know.”
“…You knew?”
“Of course. How could I fail to recognize the Apostle of God?”
The Pope’s tone, who spoke about looking forward to the day he would meet that person, was filled with a childlike excitement that wasn’t found in his usual solemnity.
*
After hearing the rough situation from Erginius, who had become the God of Darkness, I finally understood why the people lingering here looked so dejected.
No matter how tough the battles they fought, the lineup here was top-tier. If they couldn’t even stop the Pope from carrying out his tasks and let them leave, it was only natural for feelings of self-loathing to arise.
Personally, I think it’s right to just move on, thinking it was unavoidable. Lasha is one thing, but the Pope himself is a formidable monster.
If a priest who can recover anyone as long as they don’t die is attached to an opponent who can face Benedict head-on, there’s no way out.
And well, overall, the outcome isn’t so bad, right? So let’s leave the past in the past.
[You're not surprised that the Pope helped these people at all, huh?]
‘Well, he’s the Pope, right? He’d welcome the disappearance of evil gods with open arms.’
[You seem to hate the Pope extremely, so I thought he might be associated with evil gods too.]
‘No. Personally, regardless of my likes or dislikes, the Pope’s faith is genuine.’
You probably wouldn’t believe it even if I said this, considering how paranoid I was about the Pope, but this is the truth.
His faith is real.
Even if reality had changed significantly since this world became real and the church became a place full of changes, this fact wouldn’t change.
‘But even if his faith is real, that doesn’t mean he’s a decent human being, right?’
[Aah. That’s true. I saw plenty of that before I died.]
That makes sense. Back then, it was the Age of Myth. Since gods existed close to humans, there must have been plenty of lunatics too.
While I understood the anger in Grandpa’s voice, I also thought about the Pope who had come here.
It wouldn’t be strange that he dragged his heavy body to come here.
After all, we were collaborating with the church. If information had flowed to them, it was natural for the Pope to pay attention to this place.
Of course.
If that lunatic saw the miracle and left without even meeting Phoebe, then he must know about me.
Damn.
“Regardless of the situation, it’s true that my divinity has stabilized thanks to his help. I’m still clumsy in handling my authority, but I’ll adapt soon enough. Compared to the research on magic, this is nothing.”
If I told the perverted crow this, he’d surely roll his eyes, but it would be the truth. Just look at the message he sent me earlier; it makes this clear.
He was a genius who approached the gods through magic even when he was human. Now that he’s a god and can wield authority, there’s no need to say more.
“But what about the sympathy loser? What about the chicken coop queen?”
“The queen went to meet the kingdom’s leader. After all, they cooperated in hopes of various benefits regarding this matter. It’s better for her to go directly to discuss the issues of the forest.”
Eek!? The air-headed auntie went to meet the First Queen?!
Are you nuts!? What if the Fairy Queen gets ripped off by the First Queen!?
“I understand why you’re worried, but it’s fine. As she said to me earlier, the queen is no longer pure.”
Even if he said that after considering everything, Erginius couldn’t shake off my unease.
Would it… be alright? It has to be okay, right?
*
Forced to take on the role of guide for the Fairy Queen due to the odd combination of scents that I didn’t want to endure again and scents that had vastly improved over the past day, Karia watched the two women laughing as they faced each other and broke out in a cold sweat.
The First Queen had always been like that, so what can you do about it.
But why does the Fairy Queen look so shady!?
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