-Clang
With a refreshing crash sound as the backdrop, I stared at it with half-open eyes.
Suddenly sensing something off, I hurriedly looked around.
“…This is weird.”
Isn’t it too quiet here?
…Not just quiet, the sound has vanished.
No matter how much the Saint, Hero, or Camilla might be considerate of me, they’re deities after all, right?
The lack of response is certainly strange…
As I was caught in such thoughts for a moment…
I stopped scouting my surroundings, narrowing my eyes at ‘it,’ which slowly revealed itself like it wore a golden sphere as a mantle.
“…What.”
As I locked eyes with it, I couldn’t help but swallow my breath in surprise.
“So, it has come to this….”
Not quite male nor female…
If I had to express it, the voice was closer to a sweet, melodious tone that settled in my ear.
It looked at me with a self-deprecating smile.
It had the form of a human, with an appearance so familiar to me.
“What in the….”
Its long hair and eyelashes evoked a beautiful woman, yet looked pitiful.
The sharp nose and lightly moist lips complemented each other harmoniously.
It seemed to be what Lucius would have looked like if he had been female.
But the surprise doesn’t end there.
At first glance, the body appeared slender, but a closer look revealed that I was mistaken.
The broad shoulders and low body fat percentage showcased a well-built male physique.
“…Here we go again?”
However, if it were just that, I wouldn’t be outright shocked.
As I said, its appearance is far too familiar to me.
“You’ve definitely pierced me before.”
It had, once upon a time.
No, did it?
Thinking back, I hadn’t properly checked because there had been urgent matters at that time.
…Should I have looked closer if I had known it’d come to this?
No, even if it had survived back then, it would have surely lost its merits, right?
Or could it be merely a different existence that looks similar?
After all, the massive horn it once had doesn’t exist on this one.
…My mind is a jumble.
Was that thought reflected on my face?
“Well, nothing to be shocked about. My merits were indeed taken by you.”
It shrugged as it said that.
“Huh….”
Seeing that, I let out a snicker at the absurdity of the situation and tried to close my agape mouth that had opened in shock as I asked it.
“…Are you a deity?”
The question I was most curious about.
“…A deity.”
It paused for a moment as if contemplating before adding with an awkward smile.
“I do seem to be referred to as such, but… technically speaking, it’s a bit different.”
“…Different?”
What does that even mean?
Frowning at its incomprehensible words, I soon got a response.
Of course, it was not the answer I was hoping for.
“If we’re going to get picky, I’m an existence similar to you? No, I’ll say I’m a being of similar rank.”
“…Huh.”
So, it’s simply one who has achieved transcendence, then.
Furthermore, if it’s not just strength but classified as ‘rank,’ it must be considerably higher than me.
As I recalled this fact, I felt the hatred that had begun to bloom within me fade away.
If it really were a deity, an omnipotent being as it’s often described—if what the Nameless One said was a lie, and there really existed a deity…
Then my hatred would also direct towards it.
However, realizing now that it’s not a deity but merely a transcendent being, I found no reason for my hatred to be aimed at it.
And, while this might be slightly off-topic…
“…But.”
Something still weighs on my mind.
“Surely, you did take my merit, didn’t you?”
As I said earlier, there’s no denying that it took my merit from me.
Looking at how I achieved transcendence, it’s clear that I took its… or rather, its merit.
If that were not the case, I wouldn’t have achieved transcendence now, nor would the Nameless One have said such a thing.
So if what it said is true, as a transcendent being, shouldn’t it not be here?
Considering it should’ve taken my merit.
Upon pondering my doubts, it nodded.
“Yeah, I did take it.”
“Then why—”
“But the merit you took is the one I accumulated when I was commonly referred to as the Demon King, right?”
What in the world does that even mean…?
Merit that was built as a Demon King?
Wait, are you saying that the merit has been separated?
With my limited understanding, it was hard to grapple with this scenario, but upon reflection, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.
After all, merit is just a way to express the path taken since birth.
So, if that being could create its own clone…
That would make sense.
I mean, it would just be the shell without the inherited merits, essentially starting from scratch.
It shrugged slightly, and I frowned, waiting for it to continue.
“You’re right. The one who was called the Demon King was another version of me.”
It’s as I thought.
Nodding to myself in understanding, it continued speaking.
“Oh, and to add, that Lucius is also me.”
“What.”
That’s a bit hard to comprehend.
Seeing it grinning casually, as if stating the obvious, I widened my eyes in shock.
…Lucius is it?
No, above that…
Could Elia and Camilla accept this?
That the Demon King was a deity, and the Hero was also a deity…
This information is shocking enough to warp the very foundations of the religion here, isn’t it?
“Umm….”
While I was still stunned, I noticed that everyone else had frozen in their movements.
…Was this the true nature of the discomfort I felt earlier?
No wonder I found it odd that there was no reaction from my surroundings after such shocking news was revealed.
“Ah.”
No, this isn’t the important part!
The important part is that Lucius is that being!?
While the appearance might be similar… the way he speaks and acts doesn’t match at all!
Furthermore, wasn’t Lucius on an adventure to defeat the Demon King?
Then… does that mean he went on an adventure to kill himself…?
As those thoughts crossed my mind, it let out a hearty laugh and wiped its eyes as if chuckling.
“Ahaha, I can see what you’re thinking, but that’s not it.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking… No, never mind.”
With a comprehension level so high that it could create even clones I can’t guarantee, I guess…
Well, it’d probably be able to read my thoughts.
While waving my hand dismissively and letting out a sigh, it added with a smile still on its face.
“To be precise, it’s just my body. A sort of offspring, really.”
I pondered for a bit, furrowing my brows to grasp its words.
Saying it’s just the body, it’s better to think of it as a separate person.
Like the Nameless One and my disciple, Nameless.
Wait a minute… if that’s the case?
“…Then the Demon King is just your body…?”
“Oh. That body is mine even in spirit.”
Well, that wasn’t it.
“…Well, things didn’t exactly go according to my plan.”
“Hmm….”
Hearing its sigh made me emit a sound of contemplation as well.
So… the being I’ve been searching for is simply a transcendent being called a deity, huh?
How am I supposed to accept this?
It can’t be said that the original purpose has vanished, since that being now stands before me claiming to be a deity, yet it’s not a true deity but a kind of separate class like myself…
How am I to accept this being?
“…”
My head feels a bit complicated.
Staring aimlessly for a bit, it seemed to shake its head lightly as if it knew what I was thinking.
“I can’t say I’m completely blameless, but it wasn’t me who brought you here.”
“…Is that so.”
Of course.
“Still, I’m grateful to you…”
As it continued, I closed my ears to its words, wearing a self-deprecating smile while gazing towards the distant mountains.
‘…What should I do now?’
I have a goal for the immediate future, but after fulfilling the dreams of the Cheonma Church and the demon tribe?
No, is this really my goal?
If I grant them their wishes, it’s clear that Camilla or Lucius or Elia will get hurt. Can I truly do that?
I don’t know.
So, I continued blankly gazing at the distant mountains.
“…As expected.”
I suddenly spoke the thought that crossed my mind.
“Should I go back?”
Not back to the hut, nor to the space of Nameless and me.
But back to my original hometown.
Although I feel uneasy about going back in this body… it might be better than having no goal at all, right?
As I pondered these thoughts, I found myself just staring blankly ahead.
“-Master…!”
A voice, truly pleasant. However, one I didn’t wish to hear right now.
“Master!”
I heard a deep voice so charming it could capture a woman’s heart with just the tone.
“…Nameless?”
“What’s going on? How are you moving?”
