Hieronymus paused at my greeting. I could hear the sound of his mind working to grasp the situation. sfx
“Yes, Lady Rebecca. I came to see if you are well.”
Wait, shouldn’t I be asking who I’m meeting and what we’re talking about? Is he pretending not to know everything, or were both of them actually on the same side, trying to test me? I’m not sure.
So, I don’t utter lies. I only respond to the questions asked.
It has been five days now.
There is only one contract between Hieronymus and me.
So that’s all it is.
Thus, I simply stared at him blankly. Feels like five minutes. Probably only about a minute in reality? After some time, I asked Hieronymus,
“What about the warmth?”
Is there anything I could possibly be asking besides food?
My goal is to skim the surface. Plans? I have no idea. Anything else I know? Absolutely nothing. From his perspective, I truly don’t know anything.
I just came here and have been hunting for warmth. Other than that, the only thing I can provide is a blessing.
Honestly, I made one mistake.
Joanna was my first bait for warmth. But I decided to make a warmth harvester to try something different.
But now Hieronymus will know.
That consuming blessings and warmth are different.
He’ll likely realize I’m not simply what he desires. If something happens, Joanna would probably be the next most suspicious person.
Oh dear.
Thinking about it, this was my fault.
If I had quickly consumed even low-quality warmth, I wouldn’t have raised suspicion.
No. Then I wouldn’t know about the blessings.
Hmm. If I weigh the danger against the possibilities, this was better. At that time, I didn’t know whom I could bless.
If I had only eaten what provided warmth, I wouldn’t have been able to gather five warm souls.
Hehe.
“Please wait a moment longer. I will bring it to you as soon as it’s ready.”
I bowed my head. When I’m bowed, my expression isn’t visible. But when I raised my head again, I noticed a faint trace of disgust.
Of course.
Humans ought to naturally despise creatures that eat other humans. They should be locked in a zoo or eradicated completely, only then to shed a false tear and lament. That’s how it should be.
You ask if I’m one of those beasts?
Yes. I am one of those beasts. A beast that eats humans. So? Where did my humanity go?
It froze.
So I’m putting aside these dull truths and moving for warmth.
“Yes, I understand.”
I replied. I asked for what I desired, and that hasn’t changed. I feel bad for either Andrew or Hieronymus. One of them desperately wants to give blessings, but it’s unfortunate.
So how do the two of them relate? At least one side would be enjoyable to observe.
The mist of war is thickening.
Stumbling around in a place like this must be quite entertaining. Moving for warmth, wouldn’t it be nice if I could enjoy it too?
There are quite a few sparks to set it off.
For example, there’s Wide, who fervently preaches about me. Right now, he’s showing off his strength in a place filled with warriors of faith. Many people admire Wide, thinking they can obtain such blessings too.
Next, there’s Tisah, who wants to escape this cult. If he can make a proper escape, he might one day cheerfully attack the Future Hope Church. But that’s likely far in the future. He is still focused on honing his power.
Then there’s Andrew, but it’s still uncertain. He has a 50/50 chance of being on bad terms with Hieronymus. Since Hieronymus rushed over, the chances of a bad relationship are a bit more likely.
And in case he wasn’t able to hear sounds or the video froze, I’ve kept in mind the possibility of having deceived Hieronymus’s surveillance.
“Then I’ll take my leave now. If anything happens, please contact me through Joanna.”
He said that and left without waiting for my response. Bit by bit. Very slowly, his attitude towards me is shifting from treating me as a person to treating me like a beast.
If I were simply a dangerous beast, he would have dealt with me, but he has proven that I’m useful right now.
Strengthening the cult members.
Bring them in front of me and click! Three free every day! Sometimes there’s a dud, but there hasn’t been one yet, so it’s a simple enhancement method.
The only worry is they might not send people to receive blessings. Not until they prepare offerings to provide warmth.
Thinking of it as such a trade wouldn’t be wise.
Because for me, they are essentially meals.
Blessings are like farming, while obtaining warmth is immediate foraging.
So I hope for an opportunity to appeal that, but did I fail by showing such a foolish childlike demeanor?
*
Hieronymus. His real name is Yasle. The leader of the Future Church closed the door where Rebecca Rolfe resides.
For a brief moment, the place watching Rebecca Rolfe was entirely shrouded in darkness.
The surveillance magic connected to Yasle flew away from the ceiling. So I thought this monster couldn’t hold back any longer and did something, but when I rushed over, I found Rebecca Rolfe sitting in nearly the exact position as before, greeting me as she always does.
Her dimly glowing purple eyes stared directly at Yasle.
Honestly, Yasle felt uncomfortable. Like a tamed beast.
A monster seeking something speculated to be related to warmth, which in essence is the soul. But bizarrely, that beast obeys orders.
Indeed. That’s the most peculiar part.
No one has ever tamed it, though it yearns for warmth, it knows patience. And Yasle knows.
Animals that can exhibit patience are intelligent.
Let alone a beast like this. If it could destroy the small prison it’s trapped in at any moment, it would be even more so.
But conversely, that which possesses Rebecca Rolfe maintains a diligent adherence to the contract.
The one who summoned first and formed the contract is Yasle.
If that side is sincerely upholding its end of the bargain, Yasle has obligations to fulfill. He knows too well through endless experience that the first one to break a promise becomes unfortunate.
He must exercise caution, but she can be managed.
Rather, what’s difficult is those who are gradually straying from management.
To put it more accurately, they aren’t departing from the framework of management; they were originally those kinds of beings.
Although Yasle fashioned them into a sophisticated cult form, the Future Hope Church existed before that. He gathered the riffraff and assimilated other small groups to create what it is today.
Only ten years have passed, making Yasle’s reign precarious.
Especially those showing signs of wandering away with power; what to do about them? And why did the surveillance magic just abruptly cut off? These thoughts occupied his mind as he progressed.
Then, a small figure obstructed his path.
With a small stature, and not wearing a mask, the girl’s face was clearly visible. Most of all, her staff made of skulls and spinal columns made it unmistakably identifiable.
Hyungkesuni.
Two days ago, without even reporting to Yasle, she independently met Rebecca. After leaving that room, she had not been seen by anyone since then.
At least that’s what Yasle thought.
“It’s only been two days, Hyungkesuni. You have something to tell me, right?”
Since there wasn’t a place where just the two of them could meet, Yasle rephrased. But when Hyungkesuni tapped her staff on the ground, the surroundings instantly turned black.
[Scream Wailing Shadow]
A faint purple luminescence swirls around. However, in terms of color and energy, it’s more pallid compared to the violet mist Rebecca uses.
Yasle felt tense. This is a realm he usually only sees when Hyungkesuni is about to attack. Known as the Witch of Joy, she is a high-ranking necromancer.
Due to her job’s nature, she can create realms similar to the world of the dead.
In the days when she led the old religion, Yasle had once lost many subordinates here, yet, he calmly asked Hyungkesuni,
“Finally planning to betray me?”
At that question, Hyungkesuni chuckled softly. Then, shaking her head vigorously as if to say she harbored no such thoughts.
“No, no. Yasle. I’ve come to inform you of something I must tell you according to our contract.”
Hyungkesuni spoke in a tone that was very subdued, unlike the strangely excited voice Yasle was used to.
“Preparing such a veil too? Quite thorough of you.”
“Haha, even still, I feel anxious doing this. I don’t want to believe, but there’s something you must know.”
And Hyungkesuni raised her head to gaze straight at Yasle and opened her mouth.
“I mentioned before, didn’t I? That thing we call Cruxshibal.”
“Right. Why? Did you find out its identity?”
At Yasle’s question, Hyungkesuni shook her head while recalling her thoughts. Yes. She definitely assumed initially that it was a creature from another dimension or a monster from the realm of void.
But that was merely a simple creature.
A creature like a villainous wolf that consumes naughty children in stories.
But the creature present wasn’t just any small beast. The villainous wolf symbolizing a certain death in tales seemed like a mere puppy.
“It was not a monster, Yasle.”
“But isn’t Cruxshibal a god?”
“The deities you’re referring to are the sort we could hunt down. Large, powerful, and wise, but only monstrous.”
That’s right. Gods can be hunted. The 영랑교단 attacked such primitive tribes, slaying their gods and civilizing them.
They brought people into the embrace of rightful gods. Instead of garbage-like monsters demanding offerings, they were those who only acted for the salvation of humanity.
The arrow that obliterated Rebecca’s face and the knife that severed the neck of the sacrificial beast was crafted from techniques to kill gods.
“That’s different. A god. Yes, a god, indeed. But in terms of scale, it’s vastly different. Comparing a grain of sand to a mountain.”
To make it clearer, she pondered, even leaning her staff against the wall.
“It isn’t an evil god. It doesn’t concern itself with good or evil. Neither is it a god of death. As a necromancer, I can assure you it has nothing to do with death.”
At those words, Yasle involuntarily echoed back.
“A creature asking for warmth and demanding sacrifices isn’t a god of death?”
“Think back. Did it create any dead beings? It consumed the warmth of the offerings, and those offerings turned into monsters.”
Hyungkesuni’s words led Yasle to recollect that scene from that day. Bringing along two strong warriors of faith as escorts and kidnapping a useful human.
Although it transformed into a monster after losing warmth, it was undoubtedly still alive. Had they not killed it beforehand, it would’ve just become a monster.
“When important things are taken away, it transforms into a similar state. That’s that kind of creature. But within the gods I know, nothing fits.”
As Hyungkesuni stated, there were no words in this world to describe Rebecca. So they are coining new words now.
“Then let’s label it as an otherworldly entity. A void-born god that came from nothingness, which one would only think had certain laws.”
“Should we refer to her as a monster then?”
At that, Hyungkesuni slowly nodded.
“That’s about as simplified as we can understand. We’ve barely managed to whittle it down to a level we can understand within the framework of godhood. Even then, all the vital information has been stripped away, leaving only the shell.”
Hyungkesuni continued talking, seemingly unable to suppress her laughter. Only Rebecca stands here, knowing that this laughter stems from fear.
“Be careful, Yasle. It is a sincere warning.”
But Yasle realized that Hyungkesuni genuinely intended to give this warning. So, he found it rather strange. While she enjoys the arrival of a new monster and might feel glad for expanding her knowledge, why would she admonish so earnestly, unlike the Witch of Joy?
“An outsider, huh? That’s good. If a powerful god were to attach themselves for revenge, that’s preferable. I’ve become quite the heretic.”
Hyungkesuni looked at Yasle with dark, despair-filled eyes. Of course, default settings already placed her in despair, but even so, it was unavoidable.
Then Hyungkesuni recalled what Rebecca had said, suppressing her fear while recalling it again. The more she contemplated, the more its identity dimly loomed.
It is not a powerful god. Logically, it shouldn’t be viewed that way. She swallowed that statement. Because there was no further explanation to provide.
Thus, once more, she pleaded.
“Be careful, Yasle.”
It was unfortunate that there was someone in front of her who was unaware of this.
“By the way, Hyungkesuni. You’ve disregarded my orders and made contact with the outsider, haven’t you? Then it’s punishment. Go and find out what kind of entity the outsider is.”
For Yasle, this was almost an act of kindness. Meeting a terrifying entity, enjoying themselves thus, it’s a punishment and a reward to let them experience both fear and exhilaration.
Unbeknownst to him, that devolved into the most dreadful punishment, forcing Hyungkesuni, who finds it loathsome, into her penalty.
“You really are a damn bastard.”
“Thank you.”
And with that, the black veil surrounding them vanished. Hyungkesuni trudged away like a cow being led to slaughter, watching Yasle head towards wherever he was going without a glance.
“Hieronymus.”
“What is it?”
“Andrew’s the one who interfered with your magic, you fool.”
Gazing at Yasle as he looked back in shock, Hyungkesuni smiled in satisfaction and then headed back to where Rebecca was.
It was a dreadful command, but she surely had to assess the existence known as the outsider.
This day—many hearts were tugged in different directions.
