If your mother’s son, whether your brother or your child or your wife in your arms or a friend who shares life with you, subtly tempts you to deny the words of Lord Deus, you shall not follow him or listen to him. Have compassion for him and teach the words of Lord Deus. However, if he knows the words of Lord Deus and denies them, do not have compassion for him, do not regret him, and do not cover him. Without forgiveness, you shall punish him, for he is a devil who seeks to lead you away from the love of Lord Deus. Even if it is family, strike him dead without mercy.
From the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 13:6-10
“Luke, my student. Tell me straight. Have you received the Holy Spirit from Lord Deus?”
“……Huh?”
What? The Holy Spirit?
Suddenly, what’s with the Holy Spirit?
What is this woman talking about right now?
“……I’m not sure what you mean by Holy Spirit.”
“No need to hide it. Look at this. I, too, follow the words of Lord Deus.”
The distinct smell of milk from a child poked my nostrils.
She put her hand on my shoulder, leaned in so close it was uncomfortable, and then pulled back to show me a necklace.
“Look at this. It’s the ‘Rictudus,’ a sign of being in service to the Lord Christos.”
‘Rictudus.’ A symbol of faith that only those in the highest ranks of the Deus church, above elders, are allowed to possess.
Showing this to me and mentioning ‘Rictudus’ means she’s convinced that I am Christos.
But why?
Where did she get such conviction?
There shouldn’t be any reason for that.
Revealing that I know about ‘Rictudus’ would mean revealing my connection to the church’s major figures.
That would be troublesome.
For now, I’ll play dumb.
“‘Rictudus’? I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t be like that. I felt the Holy Spirit beside you. The reason I stopped communicating with the Emperor and rushed out was because I felt the divinity of Lord Deus. And at the entrance ceremony, I sensed the energy of Lord Deus coming from you.”
What?
The Holy Spirit was beside me?
There’s no way the Holy Spirit exists. The only spirit I have beside me is the Salamander I summoned to deal with Cronia’s golem…
Huh? Spirit?
Wait a minute.
Could it be that she mistook the presence of my Salamander for the Holy Spirit?
Even if she is a powerful archmage, she would have never seen or felt a spirit before.
If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be strange for her to confuse the Salamander, which she’s never encountered, with a divine being…
But what does it mean that she felt the energy of Lord Deus?
“Lord Deus?”
“Right. Lord Deus! I recognize His energy. When I was in danger, He saved me. And I felt that energy from you then.”
What are you talking about?
The Chancellor was in danger and was saved by Deus? Deus perished long ago and wouldn’t be resurrected until Dia encounters him through the ancient seal.
What on earth…
“However, at the entrance ceremony, you showed no reaction when you saw my ‘Rictudus.’ I thought maybe I was mistaken. But! What I felt beside you just now was undeniably the divinity of Lord Deus! You must be one of the chosen apostles of His Holy Spirit!”
Uh…
I think she’s misunderstanding something.
But why is she so confident about it?
What exactly is the divinity of Lord Deus? I’d like to know more too. If I don’t, how can she know?
“Um… ah. Could it be that revealing this to others would be problematic!”
I’m not sure what she’s saying, but yes. It’s problematic. I just want to go back to the dorm and sleep.
I’ve always wanted to visit this chancellor’s office, but not like this.
“Ah, I see! I’ve been rude. I got so excited that I felt His energy again. I apologize.”
What’s with her making such a fuss? Wait, did I nod without realizing it?
“I forgot that you might have your own circumstances. Just having a spirit beside you while hiding your identity makes you a different kind of apostle than Scala. This is all part of Lord Deus’s will, but here I am, just a mere servant…”
This woman. She definitely knows Lydia.
I’ve been too careless in keeping an eye on the Deus church.
I’ll need to send a letter to Lydia later and find out who the key figures in the Deus church are, without raising suspicion.
“I absolutely won’t reveal this matter to anyone else. I’ve inconveniently troubled you. I’ll make sure to resolve matters regarding Professor Cronia properly. Who would have thought she’d meddle with Lord Deus’s apostle over Seiren! You may leave first. I’m truly sorry.”
“Uh… okay. Then I’ll take my leave. Thank you.”
Bowing my head, I awkwardly greeted Wackfa, eager to leave, and exited the chancellor’s office.
Sigh.
As soon as I stepped outside, a sigh escaped me.
It was a relief that it ended without further questioning… but it feels like I’ve gotten into some absurd misunderstanding. …Ah, whatever. I guess as long as she thinks the secret of my identity must not be revealed, it’s alright.
The first class was thrown into chaos… what time is it? I have another class to attend.
*
Creeeaaaak.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back, my master. Would you like to take a bath first, have a meal, or… or…”
As I opened the dorm door, Io, wearing a maid outfit, greeted me at the entrance. What’s with her?
Or what? What do you mean?
“…What are you doing? Or what?”
“…”
Silence from Io. She froze mid-sentence. Is she embarrassed by what she was about to say?
“Ah, or… I don’t care!”
Io suddenly changed back to her usual tone after acting all proper like a polite maid.
“Tsk. Didn’t you feel anything after hearing thrilling words from such a pretty maid?”
“Pretty maid? Who?”
“Ugh! So annoying!”
Thud.
Io deliberately made loud footsteps as she walked into the room.
Of course, I’m just joking. Io is certainly a pretty girl, and that earlier appearance was subtly destructive.
I was caught off guard by how unexpected that scene was.
“Hey. Where are you going? You need to take my bag inside.”
“…Hmph.”
She turned back at my words and came back to my side. Then she took my bag from me.
“Did you prepare the meal?”
“Yes! I’ve made everything. Please hand over your outerwear first.”
“Ha-ha. So what was that earlier? Were you trying to flirt with me?”
“Right! I was trying to tease my master and find out some vulnerabilities. Why? Is my master a eunuch? Thinking about it, my sister is quite pretty and popular, but she hardly visits. …Could it be that you really have a problem with your masculinity? Or do you prefer men?”
Smack!
I flicked her forehead.
“I don’t! I like pretty women too. Lydia is my type!”
“Well, then why?”
“Um… there are reasons. But it’s not time to tell you yet, so I’ll let you know later.”
How do I explain that I’m scared I’ll get caught in a lie about visiting Lydia?
These days, I feel like I’m walking on thin ice. I never intended to lie in the first place, so why does it keep happening?
The Chancellor earlier… sigh.
*
Splash.
After finishing my meal, I sank into the bathtub prepared by Io.
Ugh. My head hurts.
It’s just the first day, and everything is already spiraling out of control, not going as I planned.
This is problematic.
It’s fine if I don’t get the attention of the people I like among the academy members. I can always have more opportunities later.
But if my plan to stop ‘Chaos’ goes awry… that could be genuinely dangerous.
This world could end up in ruin.
Grrrrrr.
I submerged myself deeply in the tub until my eyes nearly touched the surface of the water.
Alright. Tomorrow night, I’ll quickly obtain the ‘Avatar.’
It might be sooner than planned, but I need to be prepared for the unexpected.
With Saula having transformed, I have no idea how ‘Chaos’ might act.
*
In the lounge assigned to the academy sorority ‘Garlot,’
Around a dozen female students from ‘Garlot’ were seated, engaged in conversation.
“I think Sister Sophie has a point. The scripture mentions that Lord Deus has promised not to judge mankind through water again.”
“Then, the recent flood in the Galilee territory couldn’t possibly be the judgment of Lord Deus?”
“However, I don’t think so. Lord Deus is a truly omniscient and omnipotent ‘God.’ He isn’t just some mere deity worshipped by the likes of other priests. This recent flood must be due to His arrangement. It definitely carries some meaning.”
“But Lord Deus promised He wouldn’t judge mankind through floods again… you cannot mean!”
“Looks like you’ve caught on. Lord Deus only promised not to judge mankind, not other races. And the Galilee territory is adjacent to the territory of beastfolk. Therefore…”
Bang!
Just as the debate heated up, someone with sky-blue hair burst into the room.
“Hey! Judah! Is it true? Did that guy really break Cronia’s golem!”
“Ha ha. It seems you haven’t changed at all, Lady Meiru.”
“Quit dodging! Just tell me, Judah. Did that ‘guy’ actually beat Cronia?”
“Well, yes. That’s what I heard. I’ll get confirmation from the several first-year newcomers present in that class.”
“No way…”
“Just like a Pulsreino. I can’t believe that the youngest, following the older sister, shattered the golem of Professor Cronia.”
“…How on earth did he do what I couldn’t?”
“Are you feeling bad that your younger sibling succeeded at what you couldn’t? You’re siblings after all. Speaking of which, sister, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about your younger brother. You always mention him as someone you need to surpass every time.”
“Ha. Who says that guy is my brother? …I thought of him as my little brother once. Since he was weak as a child, I thought I’d protect him.”
“…What happened?”
“That guy… he denied Deus.”
“…What? No way, someone as devout as you has a brother who would deny Lord Deus?”
“Right… I don’t want to feel this way either. But he went around saying that everything about Lord Deus is a lie. He said we should dispose of the scriptures that hold the words of Lord Deus!”
“That’s… but he’s your brother; he could just be on the wrong path. Can’t you teach him the words of Lord Deus step by step?”
“Judah, what are you talking about? Have you forgotten the scripture’s words? If someone who didn’t know the words of Lord Deus denies them…”
“… he is possessed by a demon.”
“Exactly. …He was my beloved sibling, but once he’s possessed by a demon, I cannot be close to him anymore.”
“That’s quite a story…”
“By the way, how did that guy gain such power…? Did his talent awaken late? That doesn’t make sense, no matter how you look at it…”
Heh, Meiru. You’re really not being honest.
The words in the scriptures are not all there is.
Do not follow the words of the demon or listen to them. Even if it’s family, strike him dead without mercy.
That is the word of Deus.
But you’ve not followed the words of Deus.
No, you’re just pretending to avoid acknowledging that fact by distancing yourself from your brother and feigning hatred.
This is amusing.
Luke Pulsreino.
I thought you were just a weakling with no rumors, unworthy of being a Pulsreino.
But with Meiru protecting you, you dominate over Cronia.
Now, that sparks my curiosity.
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