Chapter 59

The new religion officially took my title as its name.

Outsider Church.

It was originally used secretly, but this time we even made a sign. And under Rebecca’s leadership, the Outsider Church began writing a new scripture.

First, she gathered all the people who had conversed with me.

And in a massive meeting hall, with even the royalty of Ansellus Kingdom participating, we spent seven days compiling my story. Yeah, that’s right.

We compiled the scripture of the Outsider Church.

But here’s the strange part.

Despite Rebecca’s perpetually grim expression, the teachings of the Outsider Church were about forgiveness and freedom. And it was also stated that when a person dies, I would come to take them away. Too soft, if you ask me.

For a religion to grow, strong evangelism is needed.

But the Outsider Church actually gives religious freedom. It just stuck to what I had said.

“Whomever you believe in, if the Outsider blesses you, they will come for you in the end.”

Looking at Rebecca’s or Dakota’s emotions, forgiveness seemed like something that shouldn’t exist. But the Outsider Church encouraged forgiving others, just like how the Outsider did.

Since the Outsider blessed people and took away their sins, you too should forgive others and free them from sin.

That’s how the logic went.

In my opinion, doing this would easily get overshadowed by other religions.

Moreover, why did they make such a big deal about me coming for people when they die?

They mainly focused on the idea that if someone received the Outsider’s blessing, regardless of age or gender, I would come to take the last remaining warmth. Just that much.

Full of loopholes.

Weak doctrines.

A fragile method of evangelism.

It was a religion filled with nothing but problems.

But the religion grew differently than I expected.

In no time, it spread beyond Ansellus Kingdom to other countries.

As a result, the capital of Ansellus Kingdom became like the main temple of a single religion.

Gradually, people started coming to pray in the square where the Outsider died. With the movement of people came an increase in commerce.

Of course, the Seongsin Church strongly opposed this. They were so passionate about suppressing other religions during the famine that they even sent out orders to do so.

To eliminate the new religion, they incited the kingdoms surrounding Ansellus. As I mentioned before, most of the countries east of the Skad Stone Desert believe in the Seongsin Church.

In other words, they are under the Seongsin Church.

Upon hearing this news, Ansellus Kingdom immediately informed the people and prepared for war.

But none of the countries responded to the Seongsin Church. About a year and a half after the famine ended,

the king, who had collapsed from overwork, barely managed to get up.

He looked at the completely changed nation and his own graying hair, then simply abandoned the Seongsin Church.

We don’t know what he was thinking since he neither spoke to anyone nor muttered to himself.

The king immediately made contact with the Outsider Church.

Rebecca and Dakota. And 17 former Seongsin Church priests.

Or one person resembling the Outsider and 18 Blessed Ones.

At first, the king mistook Rebecca for me, but after learning the truth, he understood. Then he told a story he had heard from his grandfather, Tisah.

The second convention was held, and the scripture was updated again.

Honestly, I found it hilarious, but it seemed important to those people.

The members of the Outsider Church listened solemnly to the king’s story and spent over a week rewriting the scripture.

While the Outsider Church was growing, the Seongsin Church suddenly gathered its army and attacked.

But even though it was called a war, their numbers weren’t that large.

All the holy knights and priests combined only amounted to 200 people. Though it might seem small, considering that Ansellus Kingdom’s knights were roughly the same number, it wasn’t insignificant.

On the contrary, Ansellus Kingdom had fewer knights. These knights fought without divine miracles, just wearing armor.

There were around 10 wizards.

When I saw them fighting, I thought we were doomed.

I mean, how do you beat someone wielding divine power?

But we won.

Yeah.

Even though I didn’t send down any miracles, a miracle happened.

Originally, there was only Ansellus Kingdom’s army. But then believers of the Outsider Church stood alongside them.

However, even then, while the Seongsin Church people attacked outside the city walls, the citizens inside arming themselves didn’t make much difference.

But as each day passed, the number of believers increased. They came from outside the capital.

By the time a week had passed, believers from other countries arrived, armed and ready to join. So many people gathered that they surrounded the Seongsin Church instead.

I’ve heard through the Harvesting System that holy knights can fight 100-to-1, but they’re still human, it seems.

With more than 100 times the number gathered, they lost their fighting spirit.

The war wasn’t a victory for Ansellus Kingdom but for the Outsider Church. After the victory, a festival was held. But this wasn’t a festival where prisoners were bound and executed.

Instead, they forgave the captured individuals, gave them food, treated their wounds, and provided them with a place to rest.

It seemed foolish, but because of this, people who wanted to leave the Seongsin Church started appearing. They continued believing in the deity but refused to follow the church.

During the festival, I finally learned through the ears of the Harvesting System why no other kingdoms attacked and why people sided with us.

During the famine,

the Seongsin Church stole food from every kingdom within their reach, not just Ansellus.

At that time, the number of people hating the Seongsin Church increased throughout the region, creating an opening for the Outsider Church to step in.

Moreover, the Outsider Church embraced the Seongsin Church. Strictly speaking, they didn’t show hostility toward believers of the Seongsin Church. Just like now.

You can believe in both.

People have the right to freely choose their religion.

Some even have the right to not believe in any religion.

This seemed incredibly powerful. I thought heretics would increase, but instead, the Outsider Church grew.

Combined with forgiveness, this demonstrated which side was far more open-hearted.

What surprised me most was the passage stating that I would come for people when they die.

If blessed, I would definitely come for them.

I never imagined this would guarantee human universality. Unexpectedly, the awareness that all people are equal sprouted.

Thinking it would enlighten, I sowed seeds, but religiously, it spread widely. Is this the limitation of a world with a society similar to modern times?

And in just 10 years,

the positions of the Outsider Church and the Seongsin Church flipped.

The place where the deity sacrificed for humanity became a new holy site.

And during that time,

a prayer based on some religious prayers spread across the world. It was a prayer from a religion that didn’t exist in this world.

There, there was just one person. The notorious villain, the Witch of Ecstasy, Thungkeschuni.

Dakota’s nemesis. And perhaps Rebecca’s nemesis too.

Dakota thoroughly hunted the witch.

Oddly enough, even though the religion centered on forgiveness, the Witch of Ecstasy was an exception, and no one questioned it.

After nearly 10 years, I realized Rebecca knew far more about me than I thought. She wasn’t merely watching from behind like how I observe the Harvesting System.

She likely saw my core memories.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to understand my intentions so perfectly and utilize them like this.

Exactly eight years after the famine ended, the Outsider Church located the Witch of Ecstasy but left her alone on Rebecca’s orders.

It was the day Dakota and Rebecca first fought.

But Rebecca persuaded her.

Saying that killing her wouldn’t solve anything.

And on that day,

Dakota saw the emotions beneath Rebecca’s calm exterior.

Because Rebecca explained that she too harbored hatred for Thungkeschuni. She recounted how her family was killed and her heart ripped out—all because of Thungkeschuni.

Dakota empathized with her words.

But I know.

That’s not everything she said. There was a time I mentioned it once, but revealing only part of the truth is my specialty.

Rebecca didn’t say everything either.

What she truly hates isn’t the remnants of the Future Hope Church.

Even though the survival of Thungkeschuni irritates her, there’s something else she really hates. I’m not sure what it is yet. I suspect it might be worldly matters, but I can’t confirm it.

Anyway, through this incident, Dakota opened her heart to Rebecca. Then Rebecca began leading the Outsider Church more fervently.

One day,

while studying materials written about me, someone discovered a contract clause.

“Will you give yourself to me? In return, after you complete everything, I’ll give you everything I possess. How does that sound?”

After reading this clause, he agreed.

Then he connected with me.

I stained his light black and gave him a part of myself.

Yeah.

Just by reading, I could bestow blessings. Until now, those who had read the material were the royalty and nobility of Ansellus Kingdom, along with all the former holy knights and priests, including Martin.

In other words, they were Harvesters.

So reading that clause did nothing for them.

This man, who could be called a theologian of the Outsider Church, wasn’t a Harvester. He was among the first outsiders to encounter this after ten years.

Within just ten years, I discovered a way to spread blessings.

And this quickly rose to become the core of the Outsider Church.

And now,

the hair color of Outsider Church followers turns purple.

Currently, only a select few living in the capital of Ansellus Kingdom or the headquarters of the Outsider Church are receiving blessings.

But soon, we plan to spread it widely.

I thought humans would monopolize such power and manipulate it.

And as I expected, Dakota said only special people should receive blessings.

But Rebecca rejected that. Instead, she gathered the leaders of the Outsider Church and planned to spread it widely.

Below the surface, I laughed.

If I had hands, I would’ve clapped.

Soon, the number of Harvesters will skyrocket.

Rebecca is truly amazing.

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