Episode 1197 Reorganization (3)
Lord… … .
One of the honorifics the Church of Light uses to address the goddess Luas was directed at Verden, but he showed no dignity and merely shrugged his shoulders lightly.
“To be precise, I haven’t been elevated to godhood; I have merely had divinity added to me. The essence remains the same. So, do not treat me differently.”“Then, as always, I will call you ‘Senior,’ Verden-senpai. It’s a bit difficult to call you ‘father’ like Nerga.”
Cain withdrew his prayer and rested his arm on the scabbard. He wore [Starlight of Dawn] around his neck, and the demon swords [Cretima] and [Sword of Dawn] at his waist.
“Twin swords?”“Now that divine power has been added to me, I intend to diversify my tactics. Also, since Miracles suit [Sword of Dawn] and Magic suits [Cretima], I thought it would be a shame to possess only one.”“You mean being as flexible as the Master.”“I cannot compare myself to him at all based on a mere difference between one and two swords, but I am similar in that I approach situations fluidly. Of course, against enemies of equal or higher rank, I would revert to my most familiar methods.”
Verden saw Cain, whose level had changed after becoming an Apostle.He was a man who had undergone countless experiences.The inexperienced young high-ranking mage from when they first met on Society Island and sparred was no longer visible.
“Cain.”“Yes, Senior.”“I’m glad you’re alive.”
Verden had no idea that Cain would be resurrected as an Apostle.Eloris must have sensed this through the intuition of an ancient Apostle and given the Divine Artifact of the Morning Star to Cain before the war, but…
I remember the shock I felt when I heard the tragic news about Cain.
Perhaps the most painful thing for Verden is the sense of irreversible loss. For he does not know how to fill the void again.After all, there was likely no solution to fill the void that had formed in his heart in the first place.
“Thank you. Honestly, I am still afraid of death, but it was a good opportunity. Because I realized how far I can go for the people around me.”
Cain would throw himself for Junia even if the same situation came again.
“Sacrifice is something you volunteer for. Isn’t that right, Senior?”“……You’ve grown up a lot.”“We were actually about the same age.”
Verden burst into laughter and roughly stroked Cain’s head. An apostle is a part of God. Cain was granted the concept of sacrifice by Verden.
Then Cain said.
“I heard that you have reaped the glory of death. I thought that, Senior, you would have dealt with the wicked according to the principles of the commandments. Is there a reason why you treated them differently?”“Violators of the commandments are brought to an end by losing all power or dying. The outcome is no different now than it was in the past. It has merely been postponed.”“Postponed…?”
Verden shared the taboo just as he had with Nerga. Cain’s expression hardened at the truth that souls are the material, but after gathering his thoughts, he nodded briefly several times.
“So… instead of executing them on the spot, you have made them a new force to deal with the Followers of Fate? And a deferral to receive the postponed punishment in the future… But if judgment is ultimately destined, wouldn’t the Glory of the Dead lack the motivation to do its utmost?”“The Glory of the Dead is a special organization seeking to complete the world of immortality.”
Verden crossed his arms.
“The servants, in particular, do not hesitate to die for the ideals of Draven and Lunesika. Of course, among the individual black mages under them, there were undoubtedly quite a few who placed more weight on private motives such as power, wealth, and greed, but this war has effectively weeded them all out.”
Long before the World Alliance’s victory was solidified… … .
The glory of the corpse was split in two.
The Servant Faction, seeking to establish a true immortal world by following Luneska, and the Imperial Faction, rejecting servants and pledging loyalty to the former king for victory and the fruits of victory, regardless of the form the immortal world takes.
The Imperial Faction was completely purged while devastating the interior of the international community under the orders of the former king, leaving only the Servant Faction, who dreamed of the old ideals.
“The current glory of the corpses hopes that their deaths will not be in vain. Even if they fall helplessly, they wish to become the cornerstone of an immortal world. That is why I have given them the opportunity to do so.”“If there is anyone who wishes to live…”“Then simply give up magic. As per the existing commandments.”
If you simply want to live, abandon the magical hierarchy and live as an ordinary person.If you cannot give up your power, then die.
and.
If you desire a worthy death as a member of the glory of the dead, you just need to defy fate.
Cain opened his eyes wide.
“A death desired by oneself… a sacrifice taken by oneself.”“Through that sacrifice, the execution of the commandment cannot be avoided, but in return, the glory of the corpse will witness the new world it has so long dreamed of.”
Verden asserted.
I shall do so.
Cain silently swallowed his breath at the indescribable sense of intimidation.
widely.
Verden placed his hand on Cain’s shoulder.
“Cain, I grant you the full authority of an ‘Executor.’”“Judging by the title… is it like a higher-level organization than the existing Commandment Execution Units?”“Indeed, from now on, the Execution Agency will truly become one of Eon’s main forces.”
He added.
“There are no exceptions to the commandments.”“……Of course, Senior.”
Cain answered seriously.
I will fulfill my destiny.
* * *
Following Nerga, I finished my private interview with Cain as well. The next order was already set. As of now, he had only three apostles.
Apostle of the Dawn – Eloris.
She met Verden at the temple in the Blue Mountains, accompanied by Magnus Bank’s red wine and finest cheese.
“The future really is good. The quality of the food is on a completely different level compared to the past.”“Is the difference that significant?”“My palate is certainly far from sophisticated. After the fall of the Morning Star religion and living the life of a fugitive, I had to learn to enjoy even insects.”
Eloris was worthy of being praised for her beauty wherever she went, but inwardly, she was a woman so strong that the word “tenacious” was an understatement.In actual history, she led the remnants of the Morning Star and destroyed the capital of a nation that practiced the religion of the Moon… She was not the wife of the Demon Legion Commander Hadras for nothing.
“I unintentionally apologized late.”“I merely followed my faith regarding Cain’s resurrection. For I am also your apostle.”“And I am also an apostle of the Morning Star.”“To other believers, it may appear as if I am straddling two feet, but since the Morning Star and the Ash Divine Power do not oppose each other, I have nothing to hide.”
Eloris spread her hand and emanated a light in which two divine forces harmonized. It was a radiance that, though not identical, harmonized around the intersection.She withdrew the divine power as she washed away the flavor of the cheese with wine.
“Seeing that you have arranged this private gathering, it seems you have something important to discuss. Very well. I, too, happened to have a question for you.”“I shall hear first.”“The gray divine power that stained the Citadel was in a purer caliber than any divine power I know. If… if there is a god among gods in this world, it must be exactly that.”
Then Eloris saw the divine path on which Verden was walking. That must indeed be the dream of God, in which divine madness took form.
Verden asked.
“Are you curious about that rank?”“No. There is no point in hearing any more about what a god is who voluntarily abandons freedom to pursue ideals. I would never understand it. What I want to know is Lord Verden’s current divine rank.”
Eloris stared at him.
“Lord Verden, you are no longer an immature god. The moment you unleash your divinity, you will be able to know the position of every believer. Isn’t that so?”“……Yes.”“However, Lord Verden, you do not seem to be seeking out the first believer who enabled you to awaken your divinity. I would like to know the reason for this.”
Sculptor Jose
A father whose wife was executed as a devil worshipper and whose child was lost to illness, a man who hates himself alone in the blue mountains because he does not want to hate anyone.The first believer who worships Verden, who awakened as a transcendent being, as a god, and ultimately truly made Verden a god to sculpt this temple.
Verden slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“Once I revealed my divine body in the Citadel, I could see where all the believers were. However, regarding Jose, I could only detect his life signs; I couldn’t pinpoint his location at all.”“I just can’t figure out where he is…”“Do you happen to know the reason?”“Hmm…”
Eloris rubbed his forehead, lost in deep thought, and answered in a low voice.
“Perhaps, he doesn’t want it.”“Does that mean… that Jose is deliberately disappearing from me?”“I cannot tell if it is intentional or unconscious, but looking at the results alone, that is the case. I cannot think of any other interpretation. In other words—”
Eloris cast her gaze toward the temple.
“It is better for you, Mr. Verden, not to know. That is likely the situation Jose is in.”
* * *
The Book of Gluttony
Gluttony’s stronghold was vast, but there were virtually no actual personnel there. Silence was the norm here, aside from the sound of lonely footsteps.
However, recently, the deepest part of the Gluttony Control Center has been somewhat crowded.
Giggles… …
Laughter like the waves of a ‘fetus’ echoed throughout the room.I got goosebumps.It was a sound I could never get used to, no matter when I heard it.
Phew.
However, Jose composed himself and continued his teaching, infusing his voice with divine power. A missionary of the new humanity! That was his role now.
“Fundamentally, the concept of faith is a form of belief that complements deficiencies. Therefore, the believer comes first, and the birth of God follows, but… that is likely not the whole of God. There must be a being who is divine from birth. I have no evidence, but that is what I believe.”
… … .
In any case, for that reason, a perfect being does not need God. Since there is nothing to be supplemented, there is no room for faith to take root. Theoretically, internal and external perfection is like an ideal that cannot be realized, but even if that were not the case, there are quite a few atheists. This is because one can fill in the gaps without necessarily supplementing them with faith. That is what society and relationships are.
… … .
“As I… as I mentioned, I lost everything and left society helplessly. Then one day, I entertained a god who had visited the blue mountain range, and I witnessed the spectacle of a sky filled with snowstorms being transformed. Haha, I would like to show that sight to you as well.”
Giggles… …
As Jose shared the knowledge he had personally contemplated once a day, he was able to see what kind of conversation the ‘fetus’ responded to most strongly.It was stories about people.The ‘fetus’ of the new humanity seemed to find enjoyment in someone’s life rather than in knowledge. Whether that life was misfortune or happiness, tragedy or comedy.
That’s all for today.
‘Taea’ showed signs of disappointment, but Jose left without a second thought.It couldn’t be helped.He had to manage the screen time.
If there is nothing more to teach, the deal ends, and the reason for them to accommodate me disappears.
What the rulers of Gluttony demanded of him was to teach all knowledge about what a god is to the ‘fetus’ of the new humanity.In return, the safety of Haenel, Renard, and Faye was further solidified, and Jose was able to access news from the outside world through international newspapers.
If Jose had been a theologian in the past, he would have spared no effort in missionary work, but until recently, he was an ordinary sculptor. Although he is now a believer in a heresy, it is only natural that his total amount of religious knowledge would be lacking.
About 20 to 30 percent of today’s training consisted of repeating what had been said last time, only in a different form. The day would soon come when I would run out of material.
Kirie is in a bad mood, perhaps because Balion has been away longer than expected… … Lately, he hasn’t even given us the International Newspaper. We need to find a way to escape quickly before the teaching ends… … .
Jose let out a sigh.
We have to escape… why are you hesitating?
He had to take everyone out, but lingering attachment held Jose back.Indeed.He wanted to witness the birth of the ‘fetus’. Whether it was because of his missionary work or not, it was Jose’s undeniable sincerity.
Of course, there is still no way to escape, though.
Jose opened the door with a troubled expression.
Kire was in front.
“Gasp!”
Kire glanced at Jose, who had slumped down in surprise, and moved on.
“The Second War of the Transcendents, led by the Old King, ended in a victory for the World Alliance.”“Ah… I see. As expected, as expected, the World Alliance…!”
Jose rejoiced at the news that the alliance led by his god had defeated the King of Death. However, before he could fully savor the joy, Kirie continued speaking.
“Thanks to you, Valion was able to achieve his goal.”“What…….”
───Kuaaaa
A strange sound was heard from somewhere.Was it a scream?Listening closely, it seemed to be Balion’s voice.
Jose stood up.
“What on earth is going on?”“……I will now complete the ‘fetus’.”
Even Kire herself did not know why Balion was acting that way. However, what had to be done was clear. To inject the ‘three bloods’ Balion had given her into the new future.The blood of the old king, the blood of Verden… … She did not know what the third blood was, but Balion, despite his pain, desperately insisted that all of it be transplanted.
“Let’s postpone the instruction for the time being. Please take your leave.”“…….”
Jose stood still in front of the door, pondering, then spoke cautiously.
“May I watch, too?”“…….”“The birth of that child…….”
Kir turned her gaze toward Jose as if glaring.Then she looked at the ‘fetus’ again.
“If you interfere, I will kill you.”“……Thank you.”
As Jose watched, Kirue stopped walking. It seemed as though Kirue’s heart was resonating with the sound of the ‘fetus’s’ heartbeat.
Giggles…
‘The Fetus’ burst into the loudest laughter, as if knowing what she was about to do. Jose’s Adam’s apple rippled. Kirue calmed her breathing.
The ‘fetus’ of the new humanity was complete enough that it would not matter when it tore through the amniotic sac and emerged. Nevertheless, the birth was delayed for the sake of perfection… … .
Even if nothing else, the blood of Verden, presumed to be a new breed of humanity, had fallen into my hands.There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
“I told you that the blood of Verden would be the last.”
Recalling the order in which Valion had whispered as if screaming, Kirie opened the first stopper.A strong, unfamiliar scent of blood brushed against the tip of her nose.
“Let’s begin the final transplant…”
First, blood of unknown origin fell on the ‘fetus’.
Srrk… … .
The blood of light began to seep in.
