-Luke ascended with his father to Calandra and used the herbs he gathered to create a medicine that cured the Crimson Disease, freeing the people from their fear of it. With the medicine in hand, Luke visited Arakne, where everyone he met was awed by his wisdom and answers. Among them was the guild leader Hubris’s daughter, Lydia (referred to as Scala in older texts), who instantly recognized him as a great being.
The Gospel of Lydia (formerly Scala’s Gospel) Chapter 2: Verses 1-4
“Guildmaster, a guest has arrived.”
A guest? We weren’t expecting anyone today.
Calandra is in chaos from the Empire’s harvest problems.
Who would come to see me in such a time?
Especially using a ‘direct line’ to meet the guildmaster?
“A guest, you say? Who is it?”
The direct line is a special route known only to high-ranking individuals who can meet me alone.
Only high nobles are permitted to use it.
Among the high nobles, who would come to see me at a time like this?
If they valued their face, they would have sent me a message first. Is it such an urgent matter that they came without notice?
Surprisingly, the guest that the guild member brought was… a little boy.
Wait, he used the direct line to reach me… this kid?
With clothes that seem noble and a pristine skin that seems well cared for, he certainly looks like a noble child, but there wouldn’t be a noble who would share secrets like this with a kid.
The boy entered my room and began to look around, appearing to be just an ordinary curious child.
“Welcome to Arakne. I am Scala Arakne, the guildmaster here. What brings you?”
After the guild member left and we were alone, the boy spoke.
“Hello, Scala. Or should I call you Lydia, Lydia Hubris.”
!!!!
How does this kid know my original name? And even the name of my lost family!?
The only person in the Empire who knows my original name is Io, and no one else!
“You don’t have to be too surprised, Lydia. I don’t plan on telling anyone about your identity. In fact, I came here because I want to be friends with you.”
“Friends… you say?”
He wants to be friends with me? A little kid who doesn’t even look ten years old?
“So I brought you a gift that you will really be happy about.”
Then he wiggled his little fingers and pulled out a glass vial from his pocket.
“A magical medicine that can cure the Crimson Disease.”
“Crimson Disease?”
The Crimson Disease.
It’s an incurable illness that has affected my only remaining family, my precious little sister Io.
It’s an atrocious disease that rots the extremities and ultimately leads to death.
Not even the blessed priests or saints could find a way to cure it, and now there’s a cure?
There’s no way a cure for the Crimson Disease could exist…
Wait, how does he know I need a cure for the Crimson Disease? Not even my closest aides know about Io!
“I’m sure it’s hard to believe. No one has ever succeeded in making a cure for the Crimson Disease. But this medicine can truly heal someone afflicted by it. I’ll give it to you. By the way, the dosage is two spoonfuls. And this book too.”
He took out a book from his pocket and placed it on the table.
“I’ll come back a week later. If you like my gift, can we be friends? Oh, by the way, I’m Luke Pulsreino.”
After finishing his words, he left the room.
What a whirlwind of a visit.
Pulsreino?
The Empire’s sword that protects the North?
He knows not just my original name but also about Io.
And still, he wants to be my friend.
What is this kid doing?
I need to investigate about him…
Then my eyes fell on the vial he left on my desk.
And this medicine…
…can I really trust it?
How can I give an unknown medicine to Io?
He said the exact dosage is two spoonfuls?
For now, I’ll find someone else with the Crimson Disease and try it on them.
It sounds impossible, but what if…
What if the medicine has an effect? Then I could give it to Io.
The book he left behind.
I wanted to learn more about him, so I opened it.
[What Those Living on the Continent Must Read] – Old Testament Volume 1.
As I read the first page, I noticed it was about some divine existence.
Why did he leave the scripture here?
He had eyes that seemed to know everything, and there was an affectionate glimmer in them.
Though it was our first meeting, he showed me an unusual fondness.
As if he knew me.
A word flashed in my mind.
Yes, the Avatar of God.
It’s a story I’ve only heard in myths, but they say gods create an ‘avatar’ to descend into the mortal realm. They come for various reasons: amusement, divine enhancement, or sacrifices for their creations, and usually take the form of a young child, allowing them to appear mature despite their age.
If…
If he is indeed a god descended upon the earth like those from the myths…
And if he has come here to save Io…
Then this medicine might really save her.
…Ha.
What am I thinking?
An Avatar? A god descended upon the earth?
There’s no way such a being exists.
…Am I losing my judgment because of the hope that this medicine might save Io?
It can’t be.
But if, just if this medicine saves Io, I would give everything to you.
So please…
I didn’t plan to say this.
I wanted to use information I already knew to spark a sense of mystery and establish a friendly relationship, but I accidentally blurted out that I wanted to be friends.
The moment I met her, I recalled her from [Deus Ex Machina] and unintentionally deviated from my original plan.
And I ended up leaving the book behind.
Ah, what an idiot I am.
Am I going to continue behaving like this when I meet more characters from [Deus Ex Machina]?
Scala Arakne.
Everyone knows her as that, but her real name is Lydia Hubris.
At this point, I might be the only one in this world who knows her name.
She wasn’t a protagonist or even a playable character, but she was someone I truly admired.
Despite losing everything in her childhood, she climbed from rock bottom fueled by her love for her sister and her natural gift.
A woman who tragically lost her only family to the Crimson Disease only to invent the cure later.
She opposed the chaotic forces that spread the disease out of spite and aided the protagonists.
…And bravely fell in battle confronting the chaotic forces while saving the protagonists.
Lydia’s life was a sorrowful story that cannot be witnessed without tears.
If a god manipulated her life, I can’t help but feel it was a cruel trick.
That’s why she was a character I fell deeply in love with, especially in [Deus Ex Machina], and facing her now made it hard to contain those emotions.
As soon as I met her, I forgot the lines I wanted to say and ended up rambling without control.
…What am I doing?
Wanting to be friends.
How weird must that sound?
…My father asked me to take on a job, and here I go making it seem like I’m a strange little kid wanting to befriend her.
…That medicine. Should I use it on Io? Is it too suspicious to just throw it away?
If I just use it, Io could be healed and be firmly on my side, but then I’ll only be left with suspicious thoughts…
A week later, with a nervously beating heart, I went to see Lydia.
And then…
“I was waiting for you, Lord Luke. Please come inside.”
The famously secretive Lydia was waiting for me outside the building.
She personally guided me to the reception room.
“Did you use the medicine?”
“Yes… It was astonishingly effective, something I could hardly believe. I can’t believe it can truly cure the Crimson Disease.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Now, can I hear your answer from last time?”
I may have foolishly blurted out that I wanted to be friends, but it should be fine. Being friends shouldn’t affect my plans to publish the book.
Then…
Lydia suddenly knelt in front of me.
…Huh?
“I, Lydia Hubris, swear to serve you, Lord Luke, no, Lord Deus.”
What?
“I always thought that all gods had abandoned us. That they ensure our failure in everything we do… But you are different, Lord Deus. You saved us. You alone saved my sister. From now on, I will follow you, Lord Deus.”
Lord Deus? Me?
What in the world is happening?
How does Lydia know about Deus… Ah, the book mentioned Deus, didn’t it?
So she mistook me for Deus.
“…Is it not so? I thought you were the Avatar of Lord Deus.”
Uh… I’ve never even met Deus.
I’ve seen him a few times in the game, but…
He hardly ever appears in [Deus Ex Machina], so how would I know him?
And I am 100% pure human.
Ah… where should I even start explaining this?
I really messed up the first meeting with this whole confusion.
I stayed silent, and Lydia began to look increasingly disheartened.
Though it’s not true, I don’t want to make Lydia sad.
“…Well, actually, that’s right. I can’t believe you found that out.”
“Oh! I see! You really are Lord Luke!”
She jumped up in joy.
Ah, I messed up again.
If I keep building lies upon lies, it’ll be hard to resolve it later.
…Ah, whatever, I don’t care anymore.
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