---

God exists, and we call Him ‘Igguoqueden’――

Erin has never forgotten that moment, not even once.

The very first time she tore through the sky and hurled the spear of judgment, literally slaughtering the thieves’ group.

‘God exists…!’

She no longer doubts the existence of the Divine.

After all, she heard the voice of God. To doubt that fact in such a situation would be utterly blasphemous, wouldn’t it?

Sure, there were moments when she heard sentences that couldn’t be interpreted by any phrase, like “Thank you for the 10,000 won support,” but how could a mere creation like a human fully interpret the will of God?

Erin recalled the words of a sister who used to take care of the village children when she was young.

“The Saintess is the only one on the continent who can hear the voice of God. No, to be precise, it’s because she heard the voice of God that she becomes a Saintess.”

As a child, when the village was still quite peaceful, Erin was a more curious girl than she is now. A typical girl who displayed curiosity about even the most trivial things.

“What happens if someone hears the voice but doesn’t become a Saintess?”

At my thoughtless question, the sister smiled warmly and patted my head.

Was it the warmth of that touch, or the next words she told me that left such an impression?

That moment was the most memorable piece of a peaceful time that Erin would never forget.

“The moment you hear the voice, everyone realizes it. The destiny that you must become a Saintess. And, humans cannot defy that destiny. It’s something you come to know very naturally.”

Like water flowing downwards.

As morning dawns, before long it turns to day, and then with the stillness, night arrives, and when the moon hides away, morning dawns once more…

Accepting that fate very naturally―― she said.

I see.

I think I understand.

Now, I feel like I get what the sister was saying.

The boundless grace of God Igguoqueden fills her once empty heart.

What it means to become the Apostle of God― it was simply something that you “come to know” on its own.

To become a Saintess.

She must go to the Papal Basilica and tell them that she hears the voice of God.

Doing nothing despite having heard the Divine voice would be an offense to herself, to the great God, and even to all the people of the continent.

A village devastated by a plague.

Leaving behind her hometown, where all her family and friends had perished… Erin took her first steps on a long journey.

* * *

The journey looked grotesque from a third person’s perspective.

The only two actions she performed throughout her travels were walking towards the direction of the Papal Basilica and praying.

If you encounter difficulties, ask God.

If God takes pity on you, everything will be fulfilled―

From the moment she heard the voice of God, that phrase had felt like an absolute truth within her mind.

“Our only God, Lord Igguoqueden. I beseech you, please have mercy on this little lamb one more time. Grant me the opportunity to overcome the trials and convey the words of Lord Igguoqueden…!!”

And as she prayed and slowly opened her eyes… all her problems were solved.

A series of miracles!

Whenever Erin needed food and water or a place to sleep, she always prayed.

After sincerely praying with her eyes closed, when she slowly opened them— hot food and clean water appeared before her.

When she needed a safe place to sleep, suddenly a cave materialized in a spot where there was nothing.

Food and shelter. These two were essential for her journey to become a Saintess, so she didn’t hesitate to pray for them.

The problem lay elsewhere. ――It was that she wanted to bathe.

‘I feel so dirty…’

Thanks to her prayers, she could find neat clothes, but having escaped from the village, her body was far from clean.

Along the way, she would wash her face and clean her hands and feet whenever she came across a river… but how could she not have the desire to take a bath, being in a human body?

Even so, wasn’t it utterly ridiculous to pray to the God, who is taking care of her, asking, “I want to wash!”?

She could ask without hesitation for food and shelter, as her life could be at risk without them, but she wanted to solve everything else by herself, which was her honest heart.

However… she was still just a young maiden who had just turned twenty.

After all, she was an ordinary girl who narrowly escaped death at the hands of a thieves’ group not long ago.

Even though she declared her intention to take on the path of monasticism, suppressing desires received from God, she couldn’t easily shake off the very basic desire to be clean.

‘Being served by the one true God Igguoqueden, it must be important to keep my body clean… so surely, this small request would be understood by Lord Igguoqueden…?’

So she closed her eyes, and for the first time, sent forth a personal request in prayer.

“Igguoqueden, I hope you grant me the opportunity to bathe. I will serve you with an even cleaner body. Please…!”

And the result… in front of her, hot spring water began to spring forth.

‘Igguoqueden…! You’ve granted my request…!!’

Just after returning from the village, her first bath was realized.

Without hesitation, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the hot spring. She didn’t worry about someone coming. It was clear that in such a situation, Lord Igguoqueden would not allow it.

As she had thought, her bathing time was incredibly peaceful and quiet.

Erin, soaking in the water for the first time in a while, naturally began to think.

‘Could it be that Igguoqueden finds me cute…?’

But then she regretted that thought.

No matter what, thinking about being seen as cute by a God was such an utterly blasphemous thought.

The reason He granted her the childish request was because she was destined to be a Saintess. Thinking so, just as she was about to wet her body again with the hot water—

<<<God has spoken.>>>

‘This is…!!!’

Suddenly, a voice echoed within her head.

Is this the voice of God…?

‘No.’

It wasn’t the voice of Lord Igguoqueden, but rather, without a doubt, the voice of someone representing Him.

As if she had known it from the beginning.

<<<Lord Igguoqueden finds you very much to his liking.>>>

‘…!!!’

He… likes me…?

That word, for some reason, was something entirely different from a simple ‘revelation.’

<<<Even after becoming a Saintess, remember that you are still simply a ‘woman’ to Lord Igguoqueden, and keep yourself clean so you won’t be ashamed before Him.>>>

“Wait, hold on!”

She cried out without realizing it, but naturally, there was no response.

The voice echoing in her head faded away.

Wait a minute.

What exactly does it mean that He finds her to his liking?

Wasn’t it simply because she is destined to be a Saintess that He answered her prayers?

What worried her even more was the latter part.

‘To remember that I am a woman, what does that mean…?’

Thump, thump.

Erin, as if pushed by the sound of her own heartbeat, submerged her body deeply into the tub.

Only after dunking her body to her neck did she realize that her face was burning.

Additionally, this heartbeat… was a little different from the emotion she felt when she initially received the miracle from Igguoqueden.

It was not that of a sacred mindset filled with determination when facing the God who saved her… but rather, it felt like just a mere woman.

Since deciding to become a Saintess, she had never harbored such impure thoughts.

‘Calm down, Erin… calm down…’

It could be a mishearing… No, that can’t be.

Let’s not deny it now.

After all, from the moment her life was saved, this life belonged not to her but to the God who saved her— Lord Igguoqueden.

Choosing the path of a Saintess was also due to her sense of duty, but above all, it was a decision made without hesitation because she wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to Igguoqueden.

Yes. It was silly to even deliberate on the words of Lord Igguoqueden.

‘If Igguoqueden wants me to be like a woman, then that’s all there is to it. No different. My body and mind already belong completely to Igguoqueden.’

To serve wholeheartedly with both body and soul.

That is what it means to return to the Divine.

Thus, Erin’s once empty heart was slowly… but surely, being painted with the colors of ‘Igguoqueden.’