“Yes.”
The next day.
A man I had only seen once opened the door to my room and came in.
“Are you the apostle the lord mentioned?”
His hair was neatly arranged, and he was dressed cleanly. He didn’t have a monk-style haircut with the top shaved, but he did have a bowl cut. He looked healthy, probably because he was one of the four people summoned with me.
Is there only one left now?
Anyway, I greeted him.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello. My name is Andrew. You’re a bit different from what I expected.”
Well, if you’re an apostle of God, that title is usually meant for someone remarkable, so it doesn’t really suit me.
I’m actually quite distant from the divine. If we think of it as a spectrum from beast to human, and then to god, I’d be on the opposite side with humans in the middle.
I could see a faint disappointment on Andrew’s face.
Was I not the person he was expecting?
I don’t know what his intention is, but Joanna happens to be out, and he seems to have taken advantage of the opportunity when no one else was around.
I don’t ask questions. I let him think for himself. If he has something to ask, he can do so. Because asking questions can quickly reveal one’s level of knowledge.
Though honestly, it’ll probably be discovered eventually!
A person in a high position within a cult likely has a good perception of others. At least when considering the faces in between, he’s not a typical person.
So.
As I simply stared, Andrew looked back at me half-heartedly.
But I thought Hieronymus had some sort of mechanism to keep an eye on me—how does he get in here so confidently?
Is he unaware?
Hyungkesuni at least had Joanna present when she came in. With that staff and her calling herself a witch, it’s quite likely this cult has a side gig.
Among the four of us observing Future Hope Church, there wasn’t a single person carrying a staff, let alone one like hers.
The place where Witga resides is presumed to be a training ground for the martial force of Future Hope Church, and while there are people who use magic, there aren’t any long staffs to be seen.
It’s highly probable that Hyungkesuni’s witchcraft is in a completely different field than this Future Hope Church. Perhaps she’s just using them or something.
Maybe she’s confident in her power, or maybe she simply came to find me as a whim.
But this man is different.
He is making an effort to understand me. The fact that he chose a time when no one was around implies he has other thoughts in mind.
Could it be questions that a member of Future Hope Church shouldn’t ask?
“Do you like this place, Lady Rebecca?”
See? He’s asking that sort of question. He’s assessing whether the current location is good or not. Most would respond unfavorably, so I’ll go along with it.
“No.”
To be honest, I really don’t like it. The room is spacious, but it’s a closed-off place with no windows.
It’s not suffocating, though.
In fact, I’m wide open.
Everywhere is vast, expansive, yet empty, making it feel extremely cold.
I’d love to shoot a Rebecca Beam or something and extract some warmth, but it seems I don’t have any offensive capabilities. While pacing back and forth with these thoughts, I look at Andrew.
“Oh, so you’re saying you have a grievance against Hieronymus for imprisoning you here?”
Let’s see.
How should I take this? Typically, when someone states they dislike the place, the next question should be about where else they would like to go, shouldn’t it? Or perhaps they should inquire about a location they do like?
Is he trying to gauge whether or not I have complaints?
There are words one can say and can’t say in front of others.
Especially if life and death are at stake, you wouldn’t express any grievances, right?
However, responding here with a simple yes or no is not a good answer.
“Why would you have complaints?”
Honestly, I’m not looking for a reason. I’m just saying it like this.
I’m doing what he asked. I don’t like this location, but I have no feelings towards it.
“You mean Lady Rebecca is simply following Hieronymus’s orders. Quite so. Still, if you truly disliked this room, you could’ve requested to be moved to a different one. He is the leader of this Future Hope Church. He can do anything.”
Well, I know he’s the lord.
And I’m well aware that I view Future Hope Church rather coldly. So, he probably would grant a request, but this place hasn’t bothered me enough to feel inclined to say anything.
There are four ominous looking objects postured at the ceiling corners.
If anything were to happen, it’d be for a potential attack, and if I were to switch rooms, there would be a lot to prepare.
It’s not time for that yet.
This is a very deep place. When Hieronymus took the children out, it took quite a while to walk up before we started to see other people.
If he loosens up or thinks he can use me better, he’ll move me.
I know well that saying something unpleasant here is futile. After all, I can’t quite gauge if he’s listening to me or if he’s simply brushing everything off.
Instead, I’ll ask something else.
“Does Hieronymus want what is called a blessing?”
Yes. I inform him that I didn’t say anything about a blessing.
That was determined by Hieronymus. I don’t know anything. I’m just doing as I’m told. That’s the appeal.
Speaking has a certain subtlety to it.
Leader. Wouldn’t that properly refer to Hieronymus for someone who is truly devoutly serving?
No matter how I think about it, I’m surely not above Hieronymus, so it’s not like I’m using a respectful form of address.
Andrew fell silent at my words.
“Ahaha, well, that is for Hieronymus to figure out. If it feels awkward for you to speak directly to him, I could personally convey your request to change rooms. It wouldn’t do for an apostle of God to be uncomfortable, would it?”
Andrew skillfully dodged and rejected.
Perhaps it scares him since it’s still an unknown technique?
Even I don’t quite understand it. I’m contained within it, but the light is tinged black, and I’ve acquired a unique capability. Isla simply enhances overall physical performance, while Wide can wield purple flames alongside physical prowess. Tisah gained regenerative abilities, but Tisah doesn’t seem to have enhanced bodily capabilities significantly.
There are differences for each person.
Since Wide has been advertising so much, Hieronymus will probably send me another person who can be harvested.
And one more thing.
I’ve gained a sense of approximately how much I can take in. If I keep practicing like this, maybe later, even if I return to the bottom, I’ll be able to give without bursting.
So here’s what I need to say.
“Yes. Do what you want.”
I know nothing. I’m merely an animal trapped within us. Whether they raise me inside or put me behind glass to show me off, I’ll be satisfied as long as they provide warmth.
Yes.
So, I glance away from Andrew’s face, where a shadow of evil briefly surfaced before vanishing, and close my eyes to the likelihood of conflict with Hieronymus.
I hope something ignites.
That’s the way to acquire warmth.
For harvesting to truly operate, chaos is necessary. Just like in the story of the Three Kingdoms, right? In a peaceful world, people who would be forgotten become heroes and step into the forefront of history in times of turmoil.
With that, rivers of blood flow by the dozens, hundreds, and thousands.
That’s how the harvesting can extract warmth from others.
No warmth came from those Isla subdued. So killing is necessary.
Wide has shown me that simply killing brings warmth flowing into me.
“Yes. Understood, Lady Rebecca. Please look forward to good news.”
Having gained what he thought was sufficient information, Andrew bid me farewell and exited the room.
Ah, what a waste.
I’d like to keep him contained with me.
But there’s another seed remaining.
The one who placed me here. Tisah.
Currently, he’s a boy realizing his abilities, working hard to learn how to fight under a trainer and rolling around. With his enhanced regeneration, he’s focusing on learning without worrying about his body.
He’s the type of revolutionary boy who discovers the oddities of the logic that dominates the present and seeks the right answers.
He’ll definitely provide some entertainment.
In fact, it’s already amusing. Because surprisingly, Wide is supporting Tisah. In his eyes, he seems to perceive Tisah as someone desperately training because he hasn’t been chosen.
The differences between Wide and Tisah become more apparent. No matter how hard Tisah tries, the gap only seems to widen.
And that’s filling Wide’s self-esteem to the brim.
It even amplifies it. Because the peers around him and the trainer who taught him look at him with eyes filled with admiration.
Such words circulate among those people.
I wish I could receive blessings too.
How commendable.
Certainly, Wide is quite something.
More and more people are expressing a desire to become harvesters.
No, let’s not say “provide” from now on. Let’s keep it simple. Blessing.
That sounds nice. It feels as though one receives something good when they say it. In reality, it just means they’ve placed me in that vessel.
Yet even though I’m contained, I do not become separate.
To put it simply, imagine a large basin filled with water. That water is me.
Placing me into anyone isn’t about scooping water into a cup.
It’s like flipping the cup upside down and putting it in the water.
Then an air pocket forms, but lo and behold.
If you agree to the contract, the air escapes.
It’s a bit different in reality, but roughly that’s how it works. The water that is me remains completely connected. How much can I fit into a cup will be saved for later as a topic.
Because I heard thumping footsteps approaching from a distance.
The sound abruptly stopped at the door. Then, Hieronymus, trying to maintain a neutral expression, opened the door and stepped in.
He looked extremely tense as he observed me, then glanced around before shifting his gaze back to me.
Something special had occurred. But he’s as if he has no clue about what happened? So, I decided to do what I always do.
“Hello, Hieronymus.”
