It’s the seventh day since I returned to this world.
Currently, Hyungkesuni and I are still stuck in a mansion on the outskirts of the capital.
However, today, we are just lying around doing nothing.
Why? Because the Ansellus Kingdom is holding Tisah’s funeral.
The coffin goes around the capital for three days before heading to the graveyard and getting buried.
Of course, there’s no corpse in the coffin.
It’s just that I can’t show those cracks, which look like blooming flowers, on a male’s lower body.
But that’s not the reason.
On the day I returned to this world, just as I finished talking with the King, suddenly, the black hole in the cracks widened and swallowed all the remaining corpses, disappearing into thin air like a flower in the sky.
When I was asked if I knew anything, I replied that I didn’t.
No, I truly have no idea.
It was my first time coming out through those cracks, and it’s also the first time I’ve seen this many children of a blessed person.
So, who would know the cracks would shrink again and suck in the corpses?
But since then, my body has strangely felt heavier. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but now, a week later, it’s pretty heavy.
The good news is, since Hyungkesuni rarely moved anyway, she probably won’t notice.
I’m guessing it’s like I’ve pulled out a charging cable.
For now, since I can still grant blessings, I guess it’s fine.
More than that, while Hyungkesuni is busy writing her book, I’m wondering if I can somehow create a blessing representative.
The issue is whether the person who grants the blessing can also receive the blessing themselves.
To experiment with this, I need an environment to conduct the experiment, but it’s hard to make progress in our current situation.
I’ve already given a rather passive impression so far, and with Hyungkesuni still not finished writing the book, if I end up doing something dangerous and the King changes his mind and suddenly gives an order to kill us all…
I really hope Hyungkesuni finishes her book soon.
Anyway, today is the funeral, so there’s no opportunity to grant blessings.
The entire Ansellus Kingdom is in mourning.
Tisah’s funeral started yesterday, so it should end tomorrow.
In other words, it’s not a good time to do anything productive until tomorrow.
Also, since the funeral started yesterday, I wasn’t called. It’s only natural, as the priest from Seongsin Church is here conducting the ceremony.
Tomorrow. Or the day after.
They might discuss my fate after the funeral is over. By that time, we’ll see what happens to me. There’s a high chance my life will be in danger, but I don’t really care about that.
If I die, I’ll probably just fall back down.
What if I completely die?
Then, I won’t feel the cold that penetrates deep into my bones anymore, so that’s a relief.
“When will you finish the book?”
“Don’t rush me.”
Beside Hyungkesuni, there’s a pile of paper stacked up to about elbow height from my fingertips, and since she’s still writing, it seems like a lot to write.
Or maybe she’s thinking of something else.
I can’t really figure out what the content is, even if I look at it.
Considering the time it takes to get this into someone’s head and then learn to use it, it’ll take a long time.
But if we do it here, then yes.
We can experiment somewhere else.
I can make time flow differently.
It’s like watching multiple movies at the same time.
If you pull up several screens and hit play simultaneously, time goes by the same for all. But if you pause one, the time there stops while everything else keeps flowing, right? If necessary, I can even change the speed of time.
Unfortunately, however, I can’t rewind.
If I could do that, I would interfere with the past, and I understand why that’s not possible.
Unable to disregard time, there’s no way I could be a god.
When talking about gods, we mainly point out their immutability and omnipresence; while I could somehow manage the immutability with my playback ability, omnipresence is impossible.
I can view multiple people simultaneously, but I can’t see one person in multiple timelines.
However, I’m surprised that “Outsider” is the name you came up with.
Anyway, I can utilize this.
After viewing the book, I can conduct experiments in another world.
As long as there are many people in one world, one person can receive my blessing.
In other words, it means it will take a long time for that person to learn the summoning technique from me.
The chance of success is also pretty low.
But there are countless opportunities. And a lot of time too.
So, I wait for Hyungkesuni’s book to be completed.
I hope the time comes soon. Once I memorize the summoning technique, I can experiment right away in another world.
And if I get summoned, I can just grant blessings there again.
Now that I think about it, honestly, I don’t know how this is even possible.
I might not reach divine technology, but it’s difficult to see it as mere human technology.
If it were five or six screens, maybe. But watching hundreds or thousands of people at once is odd, right?
There are times I feel like I’m something other than human.
But even more than that feeling, the cold is harsher. It just keeps getting colder, without end. If I stop, it’s not that I can endure it; rather, the pain escalates.
There’s no limit to it.
If I get a little warmth, that feeling fades slightly, then it gets cold again.
Yes.
So, I would do anything for warmth.
If Hyungkesuni does something bad to me, I genuinely wouldn’t know how to deal with her.
What if she writes a proper book?
Then, Hyungkesuni is free.
She said she wouldn’t take away my warmth once she writes the book. She keeps her promises.
To make a contract, at least the person must have the trust that they can’t lie, whether through law or power. If I lie, then that slim chance of trust would immediately drop to minus.
In other words, if I lose the already scarce trust, no one would try to make a contract with me.
They say a drizzle can soak you to the bone, right?
If I lie in one world, then what’s next?
Since I did it once, and there are many worlds anyway.
So, what if all worlds become like that?
It’s foolish to cut open the belly of a goose that lays golden eggs. Even if that patience is terribly painful, if you have no golden eggs, you are destined to starve, so you have to grit your teeth and endure.
Therefore, I prevent it beforehand.
“Hyungkesuni.”
“What is it?”
Hyungkesuni’s tone holds some annoyance. I suppose it’s because I kept poking her when she got bored.
Hehe.
You’re doing well. Even if you get annoyed, realize that you’re okay.
Until you feel okay doing anything, I’ll keep bothering you and wait for you to show a negative reaction before I do nothing.
Of course, I’ll need to adjust so that it doesn’t drive you crazy.
Usually, someone who bothers others doesn’t realize they are doing it, so you have to be careful.
Especially if they’re not very intelligent.
The ability to think from someone else’s perspective requires intelligence more than you might think. It’s like a dumb animal that can’t even recognize itself in the mirror.
The cognitive ability to distinguish oneself from others.
The predictive ability to imagine the consequences of one’s actions.
The empathetic ability to think from another’s perspective.
Without sufficient intelligence, none of these are possible.
For someone not particularly smart like me, analyzing a person at a glance is difficult. But I have a collection of masterpieces of unfortunate people.
They say the number of happy moments is few, while the number of unhappy ones is countless, right?
The most resigned and despairing individuals can be considered masterpieces.
I’ll use that to carefully observe Hyungkesuni’s state.
While poking here and there.
Then Hyungkesuni gets annoyed, angry.
But if I don’t get annoyed, the sense of urgency will decrease.
And that’s better for when she finishes writing the book.
But what if Hyungkesuni has different thoughts and continues to disrupt my summoning?
The contract is about writing the book and not taking warmth away. These two things were exchanged.
If she writes a proper book, but then tries to kill a blessed person to prevent my summoning like before, I wouldn’t have the strength to stop her.
Don’t think that if I torture her too much, she’ll decide to take revenge even if I die.
But if I do nothing, and Hyungkesuni moves to set up her countermeasures, I’ll regret it.
So, I’ll stick close to her, smile brightly, and poke her cheek or side, urging her to write quickly.
“With such a hurried personality, how did you manage to hold on for the last six months?”
In the end, Hyungkesuni tightened her grip on her writing instrument, breaking it in frustration and glaring at me while asking again. It’s hilariously amusing when she realizes it after speaking.
So, I decided to speak the truth.
“Do you think I can be at ease after being summoned into a cult that kills people to summon deities?”
Her expression turns to one of disbelief, like “What nonsense is this monster spouting?” I mean, I understand, but…
Still, I did tell Hyungkesuni before that I once was human, right?
I carry a human’s perspective too.
“You deceived Yasle and stole his knowledge, and yet you dare say that? You think I’ll fall for it?”
“When have I ever lied?”
“Lying is a privilege of humans.”
Not specifically true.
Many animals can imitate and deceive other animals as well. But we don’t need to say that. If I put it that way, it’s like confessing I deceived others.
Instead, I’ll poke.
“You’re the one who named it ‘Outsider.’”
I say it one more time.
It’s all your responsibility.
Hyungkesuni frowned.
Then she flung away the broken writing tool she held in her hand and picked up a backup tool to continue writing.
Silence.
After some time spent writing, Hyungkesuni finally spoke.
“What plan are you making this time?”
Now that’s a proper question.
True, Hyungkesuni is a coward, but she’s not stupid.
“I’m making a plan to obtain more warmth. Because I’m still very cold.”
So I explained the truth.
From beginning to end, my objective hasn’t changed. Back when I was with Future Hope Church, I kept silent because it was dangerous; now, I can speak freely.
And I watch from afar as the King meets with the Grand Priest of Seongsin Church in the royal castle, discussing my treatment.
I don’t think I’ll be here much longer.
I need to strategize a bit faster with Hyungkesuni.
I placed my hand over hers.
She doesn’t flinch anymore.
There’s educational training that gives frequent stimulation to a puppy, so they later react calmly to anything that happens.
Hehe.
“But I won’t take your warmth, you know?”
Hyungkesuni raised her hand, making a gesture that meant a curse, then moved her writing tool again.
The desensitization training is a success.
