Chapter 180

No matter how much I argue otherwise, in the end, I hold the highest authority within the Church.

Even if someone without a doctorate makes significant contributions to physics, they could win the Nobel Prize in Physics. In fact, there have been cases where people with just a bachelor’s degree received the Nobel Prize.

I’m in that position too.

I’m neither a priest nor do I hold any position that is typically regarded as ‘authoritative’ within the Church. I’m just a nun who wears a white habit a bit differently from the others, casually draping a veil over my slightly dyed hair—just a nun who stands out.

But the Saint Power I possess cannot be ignored.

Moreover, within the Church, those with strong Saint Power usually have higher authority. After all, the scriptures of our denomination haven’t been firmly established yet. While anything anyone says doesn’t automatically become doctrine, my words carry quite a bit of weight.

And the person who came to see me this time was someone from within the Church.

“…A heretic?”

Upon hearing what the person said, I couldn’t figure out what to respond with.

“Uh… So, it’s ‘heretic’ and not ‘different religion’?”

I asked again.

For the record, I had heard the word ‘heretic’ quite often in my previous life.

My parents in that life called every religion and denomination they didn’t believe in ‘heretical’.

Of course, that was just emotional rambling, and in reality, the term ‘heretic’ is a very sensitive word for religious people, so they don’t just throw it around carelessly.

First off, atheists would be considered heretics. From the Christian perspective, any religion that doesn’t believe in their god is heretical.

However, just because of that, they don’t seriously label all those people as heretics and reject them outright. Especially since the denomination has become a part of society, such declarations have become even more cautious. Saying the wrong thing could lead to someone losing access to universal welfare.

“Yes, definitely a heretic.”

I took a deep breath and said.

“So it’s not simply that they don’t believe in a god or maintain their previous religion?”

“No, if that were the case, there couldn’t have been any evil defenders we had collaborated with until recently.”

“…”

What on earth did they do?

Did they set fire to the Church while worshiping demons or something?

However, the story I heard was quite different from that expectation.

“It seems there’s a group that worships the Demon Race as their god.”

Ah, that might qualify as heretical.

*

Still, I have more than a few questions.

The very concept of ‘Demon Race’ is less than a year old.

Before that, the relevant concept was ‘Monsters’. And monsters were mostly not regarded as sentient beings.

In fact, I was the first to call the Demon Race that way. Since then, it slowly spread, and now it’s just a word that’s used within the Church.

It’s not yet a term that has widespread usage.

“So you’re saying they don’t worship just magic power?”

In the carriage heading to the location the Inquisition spoke of, Ria asked.

“Right. There are religions that do worship that, and those exist among dwarves too.”

That faith hasn’t been dismantled yet. It seems my existence dealt quite a blow to it, though.

“They seem to worship some absolute existence within the magic power, believing that this being will come and bless them someday.”

“From the description, it sounds like the Demon Race.”

Ria frowned.

I reached out and playfully rubbed the frown off Ria’s forehead. Ria blinked.

“You’re getting wrinkles, wrinkles.”

“…”

Ria was momentarily at a loss for words at my comment, then cleared her throat and continued speaking.

“Well, we won’t know anything until we see for ourselves.”

Moreover, the Inquisition’s Knight Order had already begun to move. Considering the government had taken no action against them, it seems they view this matter quite seriously.

The Demon Race is connected to the Gate in many ways.

So, it wouldn’t be strange at all for the government people to worry about another Gate incident.

I closed my eyes and clasped my hands together.

I could sense a faint light beyond my eyelids.

—Yes, surely, such beings must emerge.

That being above answered my question like that.

—And at least, that magic power is genuine.

Right.

This world was a place where neither magic power nor Saint Power existed until now. The reason it could be such a world is simple.

It was just because it was that way.

Because there hadn’t been a single trace of magic or saintly power, this world was the ‘reality’ we think of.

Until someone from outside intentionally invaded, it must have been the same here.

So from that moment, this world became a world of that ‘fantasy’. A world where monsters and magic exist, and dragons fly in the sky.

Now, we are just doing our utmost to suppress it. The world is slowly blending into the new reality, like paper soaking in water from the edge.

Can I protect it?

This time, there was no answer. Only a deep sense of guilt remained.

It’s not that I’m hiding it; it’s that I simply can’t bring myself to say it.

If it’s me— no, precisely because it’s me, I can stop it. That’s why I’m in this world. Because the being who is revered as a god in this world brought me here.

Even now, I don’t fully remember the conversation we had back then. What exactly was discussed right after I asked to have my memory erased? I’m not sure what exactly my memories are locked away.

I think someday I will come to know everything.

“…Alright.”

Although no answer returned, I spoke as if responding.

“It seems you want me to move of my own volition, so I’ll do that.”

No matter how that ending turns out.

When I opened my eyes, I found Ria quietly watching me.

*

Far from Seoul, that place looked like an abandoned village at first glance. The village, which wasn’t very big and seemed to be populated by the elderly who lived off farming, was now excessively quiet as if everyone had moved away.

And it smelled.

A bit sour, like something was rotting.

“There aren’t many survivors.”

A knight guarding the entrance said before we entered the village.

The knight, clad in full plate armor from head to toe, looked just like something out of ‘fantasy’.

Right. Perhaps unknowingly, we have been adapting. I suppose I’m one of those humans who have slowly changed over the last decade.

With a softly glowing sword in hand, the knight led the way.

The place that seemed like an abandoned village turned out to be anything but ordinary as we ventured deeper inside.

Black substances smeared across the walls. Animal carcasses that remained as mere bones.

“I just said there aren’t many ‘survivors’.” That sounded ominous. So the people of this village must be mostly—

“Here it is.”

Thinking it over, we hadn’t found any ‘witnesses’ thus far.

After all, if there were only corpses, we wouldn’t know if this place was simply attacked and the residents slaughtered or if it was a place that worshiped something.

“This is…”

“There’s a person inside.”

The knight said as if unsure of how to explain.

“But, um, it’s a bit… gruesome inside. If you think it might be hard to look at, we can shield your eyes.”

Speaking of which, the knight was holding some kind of white cloth.

“No.”

I shook my head.

“For now, let’s see and judge.”

At my words, the knight nodded and climbed up onto the high platform typical of old houses.

Then, he opened a sliding door.

From inside came a scent stronger than what we had sensed outside. While the outside smell was faintly carried by the wind, this scent was literally the odor of something ‘rotting’.

And inside was—

“…”

Just as the knight said, there was a person.

However, their form was not very clearly defined.

I would describe it as being half-consumed by the wall.

The black veins seemed to be growing into the wall. There on the wall was a person clinging to it. Perhaps those black veins themselves were the person’s original body.

The knight drew his sword first and went inside, and I followed after him. Ria stood beside me.

“…Who are you?”

As I spoke, the elderly man, who was stuck to the wall, struggled to open his eyes.

But upon seeing my face, his eyes widened in shock.

“H, ha ha.”

A sound cracked from the old man’s throat.

“It’s too late.”

“…I know that.”

I nodded in response.

Yes, it’s too late.

If we had come a little sooner, these people might have survived.

“But at the same time, your goals weren’t fully accomplished either.”

It must have been delayed even longer.

It can’t be something I should have known.

“Is that so? Well, it doesn’t matter.”

But he said that as if he didn’t mind much at all.

“One thing, a piece of advice.”

The one stuck to the wall spoke.

“If you intended to create a religion, you should have made it a bit clearer.”

He mocked me.

“Not simply believing, but with certain rewards attached.”

“…”

“You weren’t able to do that. Hence, it’s too late.”

Because followers have finally emerged.

Was that the meaning?

I raised my hand.

And I purified that person, who could no longer speak.