Of course, I didn’t lie.
Do people call me an outsider?
The Hyungkesuni in front called me an outsider.
Did you make a contract?
I said if I die, then I’ll take everything.
Were you the first to contract?
It’s not a person, so it’s invalid!
This side seems a bit dangerous. Anyway, I don’t think of myself as a god, but I don’t think of myself as a person either.
If I were a god, I’d have some amazing powers. If I said, “Let there be light,” there would be light, and I could do whatever I thought and enjoy it. At the very least, I’d have such powerful abilities that I could put someone like that below the surface.
But I’m not like that.
I’m just a foolish monster who can’t come out into the world without a contract.
I’m already cold and suffering, and what kind of god is that? Can’t even get a bit of warmth?
But if needed, I’ll play the role of a god.
They call it a capitalist smile, right?
If I could get that warmth, I could lick the ground like a dog.
This time, I have to protect the Hyungkesuni, so I have no choice but to go on an adventure. Otherwise, would I dare to claim to be a god?
I’d rather choose to flow along like a powerless person.
It’s easy to hunt when the prey mistakes itself for the hunter.
Most of the blessed ones present are looking at me. Only a few are looking at the soldiers, or even more, are staring gloomily at the Hyungkesuni sitting on the ground.
“I once heard that my grandfather received his special power from a certain god in the past. Are you the god who granted your grandfather that power?”
A middle-aged man is questioning me.
Oh? Didn’t he know me as a disciple? Back when Tisah received his blessing, I was a disciple of the Future Hope Church. But a god?
When I briefly skim through Tisah’s memories, yeah, that’s right. Later, all the people I blessed called me outsiders, so they thought I was a god.
“I gave you blessings.”
I should say I was a god, but it comes out like I’m choking on it. It seems I don’t really like the idea of being a god.
“But that person converted to our Lord. Why are you appearing now? Didn’t you leave believers of another god alone?”
Conversion, huh.
Come to think of it, that’s true.
“So did I regain my power? I made a contract with Tisah saying that in exchange for giving him a part of me, once everything was sorted out, I could take everything back. And since I died, I’m just here to collect what I have.”
I stretched out my arm and pointed to the sky.
“But something interfered from above. So I’m asking you about it. Is that right?”
I subtly changed the reason I appeared in this world.
I appeared in this place to question right from wrong.
But the truth is different. I was trying to take warmth, got annoyed, and drained the warmth from everyone here. Then, by chance, I got an opportunity to come this way, so I came.
From start to finish, I didn’t plan anything. Everything happened by chance and accident.
So I’m just here, racking my brain like this.
The middle-aged man in front of me is Tisah’s grandson, and currently, the king of this country.
Thinking back to what I just did, blessing them and then making them close their eyes, it seems like I could manipulate them, but that’s a last resort.
That might lead to a situation where the blessed ones oppose the Ansellus Kingdom. So if the rumor spreads that those I blessed are dangerous, the chances of them calling me would decrease.
So I need to keep the royalty here on the side of the Ansellus Kingdom.
What was it again? The moment a concrete human became a person?
It’s fine.
The fact that a god appeared before them is important, right? They probably think something happened because a god showed up.
Honestly, I’m silently praying that they forget about it. That’s why I’m speaking in opposition.
Can we just pretend that scene didn’t happen?
Thinking like that while looking at the king, he seems quite troubled. Is it that difficult?
Ah.
No, wait.
If I mess this up, the heretical inquisitors might come flying in asking, “Did you dare to deny the holy god?” Excommunication! It’s a serious matter.
The harder it is for the others, the better it is for me! If they think too much, I can buy time. There’s a problem of having to somehow hand over books and materials to the Hyungkesuni, but what should I do?
What to do…?
“You can’t view the work of gods as human business, can you?”
That’s just ridiculous; if it’s the work of the gods, take it up with the gods! It’s saying it’s not human business, right?
Anyway, let’s scratch the surface.
“Do you think humanity doesn’t have precedence over a prior contract? I didn’t think that would be the case. But I have never revoked the contract. He believes in another god? But there was no clause in the contract that says he has to believe in me. I merely shared myself until his life ended, and now that his life is over, I’m here to claim what’s mine. Yet this holy god is getting in my way.”
If you listen to it, it sounds like I shared my powers and came to reclaim them, right? But as I said, I didn’t slice myself and give a part away. It’s just contained within.
The payment, of course, is warmth.
But won’t they think that I came to claim what I gave after sharing my power?
Praying they think that, I check my surroundings from the perspective of the blessed one.
Soldiers are sneaking in while the royalty is sending soldiers to discreetly take the children away.
Hehe.
This is all according to plan.
Yes. They have become subjects that need protection. The enemy here is just me alone. Or perhaps me and the Hyungkesuni.
Should I make the Hyungkesuni a different target than me? Since there are several blessed ones, if things go well, even if I get kicked out of this world, as long as I can read the books…
No, if I get expelled like this, they’ll say the contract is void and might not let me write.
What a troublesome person.
Killing the blessed ones one by one, now I have to think hard in this already unfavorable situation.
“So what do you ask of us by appearing in this place?”
The king seems annoyingly experienced.
Avoiding all talk regarding the holy god, he’s cut down to the chase, asking what I want.
Ugh, what should I say? What can I ask for?
I’m sure if I express a desire, they’ll retaliate with all sorts of reasons. Can I win against him with just words?
Just because I know all of his memories and have the ability to view them from his perspective doesn’t mean I can stand over him.
Viewing from the perspective just means knowing what has been seen, heard, and felt. It doesn’t mean I know what he’s thinking like some psychic.
Shock. I need to shock him first. I have to take the initiative or I’ll get swept away. What’s there?
The only one present here is the one with purple hair.
Purple?
Ah, right. The contract.
Yeah. That was there. I pointed at his hair with my index finger. Strictly speaking, it’s his purple hair.
As I reached out my hand, the king flinched.
Then two knights drew their swords. But as I stayed still with my hand out, the king quickly stopped them and asked me.
“What does that hand mean?”
“The hair.”
Huh? He had a confused expression while grabbing his own hair. For some reason, the knight next to him, who was lacking in hair, was staring at me with a look of horror.
“Do you mean you desire hair?”
Suddenly? I’m not into bald-headed types. That’s a bit much.
Oh, so he understood that I wanted hair?
“No. The color of the hair. Humanity. You inherited Tisah’s contract.”
I guess he’s assuming it automatically renewed. That’s why it was so easy to contract. And since he was born that way, I might be able to control him.
But seeing the two men relax is quite amusing. The other knight has a look of total confusion, which is hilariously extra, as he has a lot of hair.
“So I gave you blessings.”
I’ve already filled them up completely.
At my words, the king’s expression grew very sharp.
“Does that mean you want us to trust you?”
“No. It’s unpleasant to trust the holy god, who is trying to arbitrarily obstruct our contract, but if you want to believe in that god, feel free. Humanity should believe in religion freely.”
Huh?
Why is he looking at me with such a shocked face?
“Are you telling us to believe in a religion freely? As a god?”
Is that so strange? Ah, is it because I’m not a god, so I don’t understand the nature of gods? Right. I’m not a god. So I’ll respond more lightly.
“Isn’t that humanity’s freedom?”
That should be obvious.
Ah. Wait, I just received a rebuke for messing up inside the memory of the Faded Man. It seems the lives of modern humans were originally subjugated to gods.
But isn’t the world different now?
This must’ve been quite shocking, as the king fell silent for a while. During that time, the blessed ones successfully disappeared. That means they were safely protected. At least they left some blessings.
Meanwhile, soldiers are standing around the Hyungkesuni, weapons drawn, holding their breath.
That’s not good…
The Hyungkesuni has to write a book.
“Oh great god who comes here, what do you desire as the price for your blessings?”
I do have something I want. Specifically, I want the Hyungkesuni next to me to write a book. But that doesn’t seem like something to ask for right now.
The Faded Man is pulling out a plan. It feels like I’m about to have a mental breakdown any moment now. I feel utterly detached.
So what should I say?
Freedom?
Something like that doesn’t really matter.
“Why are you asking me that? I’ve offered myself. And in the end, I just need to take everything back.”
No, right now, the king’s expression is showing a determination? It’s like he’s aflame with a mission to kill the evil in front of him?
Did I say something wrong? Again? Like this?
“Humanity should do whatever it wishes and die as it pleases. I’ll come to greet you when you die.”
As soon as I finished my statement, suddenly his resolve vanished without a trace.
It really vanished.
And the king bowed his head.
Why?
