EP.291 The Direction of Faith
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I fell into a scheme? Heresy trial? Salvation? Purification? Flames of repentance?
I can’t get through to her at all.
No, she just doesn’t want to believe it.
That Rosario descended upon Silvia herself, not Adelle.
Why has Adelle, who was always pure and listened to others, become such a stubborn fool?
It must be Tairat’s trick.
Is she saying that she herself will change like that over time? I’d rather die.
Quickly getting out of bed, Silvia desperately pleaded with Adelle, who had a terrifying look in her eyes.
“Adelle… please come back to your senses…”
“That’s what I want to say. Quickly kneel before me.”
“You… are really crazy…”
“Are you refusing? I thought I said it was an order from the Saint.”
“I haven’t fallen into a scheme. You’re the one who’s mistaken and concluded that on your own.”
Tsk! Adelle clicked her tongue and shook her head vigorously.
“You’re drifting further away from being a believer. You’ve long been swayed by the devil’s deceitful tongue. But it’s okay. I love you so much, sister. So I’ll have to forcibly enlighten you.”
After finishing her words, Adelle reached for her Device.
This is ominous. Somehow, I feel like this fight will be incomparably bigger than the last.
I can’t let her transform.
Silvia shouted urgently.
“W-wait! I’ll kneel…! I don’t want to fight you…!”
At that, Adelle’s lips twitched upward.
“At least you still have some feelings for me. That’s a good sign. You made the right choice. I didn’t want to fight you either, sister.”
Adelle, who had gotten off the bed, pointed to her feet.
“Come here.”
Silvia swallowed hard and slowly, with wary eyes, moved her steps.
Then Adelle continued in a merciful voice.
“It’s to blow away the devil’s energy inside you. Don’t be too scared.”
“I… I’m really fine…”
“You might seem fine, but I can see everything. Don’t you trust me, the Saint?”
You’re the one with a narrow perspective, yet you claim to see everything… I can’t believe it.
Carefully approaching Adelle, Silvia knelt down.
Just as satisfaction was about to appear on Adelle’s face,
Pat-!
Silvia lunged at her.
“Eek!”
Without giving the startled Adelle time to be confused, Silvia knocked her onto the bed and bound her arms with her legs.
“W-what are you doing!! Let go of me right now!”
Adelle screamed.
Silvia apologized.
“Sorry… really sorry… but I had no choice. If you transform this time, the entire office apartment might be destroyed… innocent people could get hurt…”
“If only you hadn’t resisted, everything would have been fine!”
“How can I stay still when you’re trying to forcibly enlighten me…?”
Adelle struggled violently.
“Finally showing your true colors! You devil! Demon!”
Such extreme words came out of her mouth.
Devil… demon… it hits harder than being called a fool or an idiot.
The changed Adelle is so sad.
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears like chicken droppings fell from Silvia’s eyes, streaming down her cheeks.
Then, seeing those clear, transparent tears, the hostility on Adelle’s face significantly faded.
Her struggling body also calmed down.
“Sister… are you crying now…?”
“…..”
Silvia didn’t answer, just sniffled.
Adelle asked again.
“Why…? Why are you crying…? You’re possessed by a devil…”
“Sniff… no…”
“Huh…?”
“I’m not possessed by a devil… you’re just mistaken…”
Silvia’s tears increased.
Now they were falling directly onto Adelle’s face without even touching her cheeks.
“Rosario… really did that… and you said you trusted me the most in the world… so why don’t you believe me…?”
“…..”
“You said you’d always believe me. You even called me your soulmate… sob…!”
Now Silvia was fully sobbing.
Her legs, which had been binding Adelle, lost strength, completely collapsing.
Seeing Silvia like this for the first time, Adelle came to her senses and quickly freed her arms.
Then she hugged Silvia.
“Sister… don’t cry… why are you crying…”
“Because… sniff…! you don’t believe me… you stubborn fool… sob…”
As Silvia almost burst into loud sobs, Adelle patted her back.
“Our sister is good, right? Calm down…”
“I just want to have an honest conversation with you… but you’re stuck in your delusions and trying to forcibly enlighten me… it’s so sad… I really want to die…”
Want to die! How much resentment must she have felt!
Helix Inom! Just how far have you pushed Silvia…!
“Right, right. You’re good… I was wrong. So stop crying, okay? Got it?”
Silvia, with her face buried in Adelle’s shoulder, only nodded.
Adelle didn’t feel pity but found this side of Silvia quite intriguing.
Was it because their positions were reversed? She felt like she wanted to possess her.
Like a toy.
“Shall we sleep for today? Let’s hold hands and sleep.”
“You won’t… do anything…?”
Silvia had fallen to Helix.
But judging by her current reaction, there was still time.
So, while conducting believer education, she could slowly purify her.
“Yeah. I won’t.”
“Really…?”
“If I do anything strange, you’ll react so violently, so I’m too scared to do anything.”
Silvia judged that Adelle had truly come back to her senses.
Why? Because she cried? Because her sincerity was felt?
Maybe both.
Whatever it was, she cried because she was truly sad, and it worked… what a relief.
Getting off Adelle, Silvia wiped her tears and said.
“I’m sorry about that… because you closed your ears and didn’t want to listen to me…”
“I care deeply about you, sister. Everything I did was for you, so I hope you understand my feelings. Got it?”
“Yeah… I understand… and Rosario said something else…”
Adelle’s eyebrows twitched.
Being nice to her, and now this. It’s getting annoying.
But hold on. Let’s hear everything Helix said.
“What is it?”
“Helix said that someone resembling him is close to qualifying as an evil god… and that pure Aether will guide me to the right path. He said Aether is the same as all things created from nothing, do you know what that means?”
Tsk tsk… it’s all a lie, yet she believes it so literally.
What should I do with this poor soul who has become a heretic?
The answer, of course, is salvation.
I should consult with Jihyuk.
“Hmm… what do you think, sister?”
“I think… we should use up all the Aether energy. ‘Nothing’ means there’s nothing, right? And isn’t it strange that someone like Rosario set limits on Aether? If we use up the energy, wouldn’t we get an answer?”
Her babbling is noisy.
But I have to listen well.
Otherwise, she might do something unexpected again.
“Hmm… that’s a plausible oracle.”
“R-right…? You think so too?”
“Yes. But we need to think carefully. We’ve never used up energy to its limit before. Something big could happen.”
“… You sound just like Jihyuk?”
Adelle’s ears perked up.
She turned her head sharply and asked.
“Did you tell Jihyuk about this?”
“Y-yeah… but don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t tell him about receiving an oracle. I just asked for advice. I didn’t do anything else.”
“Is that so? What did Jihyuk say?”
“Just what I said earlier. He told me not to act recklessly…”
As expected of Jihyuk. He knows everything.
He must have noticed Silvia’s change and stopped her from acting rashly!
I feel a surge of respect for him.
With a satisfied expression, Adelle wiped Silvia’s still damp eyes.
“That’s right. We should trust Jihyuk’s advice. We need to be cautious.”
“But Jihyuk also said there might be more to it…”
That was obviously to buy time!
How could she have become so foolish… tsk.
It’s pitiful. But let’s understand.
The first Saint also fell to Helix and stopped listening to those around her, becoming like a harlot.
Sister is going through that process now.
If only we could return her to normal before she becomes even more tainted…
“Now, sister. Let’s tell Jihyuk everything tomorrow.”
“Should we…? If we tell him about the oracle… will Jihyuk change his mind?”
“I don’t know. I can’t guarantee it. But Jihyuk is smarter than us. He’ll give a wise answer.”
Silvia felt something was off.
Why does it sound like we’re relying on Jihyuk?
No, not relying, but blindly trusting.
But I understand.
Adelle loves Jihyuk very much, and Jihyuk has deep affection for the Rosario Church.
‘Right… let’s do as we thought.’
It’s right to tell everything and discuss it.
So let’s spill it all tomorrow.
**
Laboratory, Dr.’s room.
“So that’s why Silvia asked such a question.”
After hearing everything, Silvia hung her head as if ashamed.
“Yeah… that’s right. I’m really sorry for lying…”
It was something worth lying about. I understand your feelings.
But Silvia made a mistake. If you were going to lie, you should have gone all the way.
Well, there’s no answer for her since she’s already fallen for me and everyone around her is my retainer.
Anyway, Rosario’s intervention was a real pain, but it seems like it will be handled well, so that’s a relief.
As I thought.
Because of Silvia’s strong will, the Demon Realm didn’t bloom.
I saw it again, and it’s moving.
“No, it’s not something you can tell anyone. You must have been really distressed.”
“No… but I’m grateful that Adelle understood.”
“I see. Good. Now, could you go to the lounge and call Adelle? I need to see what Adelle is thinking.”
“Can’t I stay?”
“If you’re here, Adelle will be considerate of you and won’t express her opinions honestly.”
Silvia nodded slowly, agreeing.
She then got up and went out to bring Adelle.
After closing the door and stepping outside, I confirmed Silvia’s presence heading to the lounge and asked Adelle, who had a worried expression.
“I heard everything. What’s your opinion, Adelle?”
“I… think sister has fallen into a cult. She’s saying nonsense. She’s definitely fallen to Helix.”
Very good. As expected of my Adelle.
“I think the same.”
“Right? We need to enlighten her, don’t we?”
Of course we do. Let’s save Silvia from her suffering.
“Of course.”
“But I’m worried. I told her I would enlighten her, but I’ve never done it before. My planet was so peaceful… the heresy inquisitors just lounged around the temple all day, that says it all.”
“Don’t worry about that. I plan to arrest a few heretics.”
“Huh…? What do you mean?”
I stared intently at Adelle’s wide eyes and asked.
“Remember when we talked about the temple last time?”
“Yes.”
“We’re currently building on a good plot of land.”
“R-really?”
Adelle was overjoyed.
Calming her down, I spoke quietly.
“Yes. But there are people trying to embezzle materials and money.”
“Such shameless people…! Earth is truly filthy…!”
“Indeed. Purification is needed. Anyway, we’re building the Rosario Church’s temple, and instead of serving with a holy heart, they do such things… they’re clearly heretics. Right?”
Gulp!
Adelle’s irises turned purple and then back.
A faint black malice rose from her body and then disappeared.
“Right…! How dare they…”
“So let’s use them to practice enlightenment. After gaining enough experience from those heretics, we’ll carefully enlighten Silvia.”