Hero…
No, is it God?
What kind of beauty is this?
If a god of beauty exists, I’m convinced this is what they’d look like.
Oh, wait.
This isn’t the time to be marveling.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Son of Deus.”
I asked the tailor for the most beautiful clothes, but I hope I don’t look too ridiculous?
Of course, I never thought I could be someone’s lover… but there’s always a faint possibility.
“Great one, I’m sorry to ask, but I have a request.”
“A request, you say? What kind of request?”
It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Will I be able to embark on an adventure with the one I admire?
I have to phrase this well.
“Yes, it is…”
Boom!
Just as I was about to ask to be taken away, the door slammed open behind me.
“I’m so sorry! I couldn’t bear to listen any longer, so I came in!”
I turned around to see some men glaring at me from outside the inn.
“This woman is a filthy tax collector! How dare a dirty tax collector meet our great one!”
“That’s right, great one! This woman doesn’t even deserve the grace of Deus. We’ll take her out!”
And they grabbed my arms and dragged me away.
“Hey, wait a moment! Let go!”
“Shut it, you filthy girl! How dare a tax collector try to meet our great one!”
“Even if she begs, all she’s going to do is ask for money or for taxes to be easier to collect!”
“No! That’s not why I’m here!”
I wasn’t here to ask for money… Just to get me out of this hell…
I see.
What kind of detective would I be to think I could accompany someone like him?
I wanted to follow him… but someone like me could never.
Oh, beautiful Hero.
Someone completely out of my league…
It’s time to wake up from this delusion.
I need to know my place and return to my original life…
“Stop.”
It was then.
“…What?”
“Cease persecuting her. I wish to speak with her.”
The Hero wants to talk to me…?
“Uh, but great one! This is the most filthy tax collector of them all!”
“That’s right, great one! If you converse with such a filthy woman…”
“I’ve told you before. I came to this land to reclaim the unbeliever. All sinners will be cleansed by a mother’s love. The righteous need not me, but the sinners are those who need me.”
I don’t know what that means, but yes, Hero, I need you. Please, take me out of this hell…
“That, uh….”
“So Levi.”
“…Yes? Yes, great one!”
“Follow me.”
Huh? Follow…?
Really?
“…How could I? How can a filthy girl like me dare to follow you?”
I haven’t even voiced my desire, yet you know it. Truly, you must be the Son of God.
But more than that… You want to take me with you, even knowing that I’m the daughter of a filthy tax collector?
“The love of the mother will cleanse you, and you shall be reborn pure.”
Thud!
I knelt and bowed before the Hero.
They say knights swear fealty.
I have no idea how, but I will dedicate myself to you.
“I will give up everything and follow you. My wealth, my family, my status, I will dedicate everything to you. I forsake my false name, Levi, so grant me a new one.”
“A new name? From now on, you shall be ‘Mata.’ It means ‘the gift of Deus’ in the ancient tongue that is now lost.”
“Oh… my lord. How could I, the gift of Deus…”
I will follow you, dedicating my life, my body, and… my soul.
My Hero.
*
Something feels… impulsive.
I was angry at the extras trying to drag Levi away, and I just spoke without thinking.
The reaction is bigger than I expected?
Levi, or rather Mata, is a character who joins the main party in the second part, so not much background is revealed at this point.
Her real name is Levi, a tax collector, but after the fall of the Nova Empire, she escaped Capernaum and changed her name to Mata, and that is about all that’s known.
Actually, the name Mata doesn’t mean ‘the gift of Deus.’
It’s just that in [Deus Ex Machina], Levi changed her name to Mata, so I’m more used to calling her that, and I just attached a meaning to it.
I’m glad she likes it.
By the way, Mata… It seems her feelings of inadequacy in [Deus Ex Machina] were due to such a past.
The fact she worked as a tax collector was noted in the background setting, but I had no idea a tax collector would be treated like this.
Thanks to that, maybe I could easily recruit her.
Now that I’ve got Mata, there’s no longer a reason to stay in this city.
The ‘miracle’ must have drawn more attention than I thought.
Even news could reach the Academy where my real body is.
Surely the Baal cult gripping Nova Empire will hear about it too.
If so, knowing the character of the pope, they might send someone to remove me.
It seems best to leave this city quickly.
Honestly, it would have been best to leave the moment I felt this ripple at the Academy, but I couldn’t leave without Mata.
But that’s not the case anymore.
The next destination is…
The granary of the Nova Empire, Genesaret.
*
The next day, Capernaum
A holy knight, who had been asking something eagerly of the passersby, rushed into the group of priests.
“Cardinal Pharisee!”
“Yes, Sir James, Paladin Commander. What about?”
“He, um… reportedly left the city yesterday.”
“…What? Left the city?”
“Yes… According to residents, he said he was ‘moving according to the will of Deus’ and left the city for elsewhere.”
“The report stated there would be a crowd of people wanting to see him, it shouldn’t be a problem for at least three days? Did he meet everyone faster than expected?”
“It seems the report is accurate. Even though many people stayed yesterday, he suddenly decided he had to leave.”
“If that’s the case, did that crowd ignore all those wanting to see him?”
“It… seems that way.”
“…What?”
“They say he left in a massive procession. Only those wishing to follow him left the city, while those unable to follow remained behind.”
“…That means a large number of followers have indeed left the city!”
“Yes… It seems so.”
“This is… very troublesome. It will be hard for the pope’s planned ‘purging’ to be carried out properly.”
“First… it would be good to report to His Holiness.”
“Huh… it’s better to do so. I hope the Holy One doesn’t vent his frustrations on us.”
*
In the capital of the Nova Empire, Orias
Imperial Palace, the Emperor’s grand hall
“So, it happened in the small city of Capernaum?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Hahahahaha!”
The Emperor burst into laughter as if he couldn’t hold it back.
“The Baal cult has certainly taken a big hit, hahaha!”
“What shall we do about it?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Excuse me? But…”
“If things go awry, the strength of the Baal cult will diminish. They’ve been getting bold lately, riding on my coattails, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Let’s see how the old man of the Baal cult responds to this.”
I wanted to point out that if things go wrong, a civil war might break out, significantly weakening the Empire… but the image of a minister who lost his head for offering advice came to mind, and I clamped my mouth shut.
“I’m more excited for the cleaning day in Orias. Hehe.”
*
In the capital of the Nova Empire, Orias
Paulah leads the Christos congregation.
“Capernaum? Son of Deus?”
Paulah asked as she received a newspaper from Barnabas.
“Yes… The entire Empire is abuzz with this news. I’d guess the entire continent is in chaos about it.”
“Hmm…”
“Is it true? Is he the one the Apostle mentioned?”
As she continued reading the paper, Paulah opened her mouth.
“I’ll need to confirm a little more… but it seems likely.”
“If so, we must meet him!”
“No. Our focus must remain on spreading the gospel here.”
“…What?”
“The Lord has His reasons. When He needs us, He will call. We will spread His word to the ends of the earth as we wait for His timing.”
“I understand, Apostle!”
*
In the capital of the Calandra Empire, Calandra
Deus Cult
At the deepest part of the first branch of Calandra.
The cult’s top leader, the priest Scala, sat in a chair reading a report.
“Capernaum…”
She looked back at Luke’s letter she had just read a moment ago.
“While staying at the Academy, miracles like this happening in the Nova Empire… Lord… is it the time you’ve spoken of?”
She raised her arm and rang the bell on her desk.
Creeeak!
“Did you call, priest?”
“Gather all the elders.”
“All the elders, you say?”
“Yes. Finally. Finally, the time has come.”
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