I managed to dodge that situation somehow.
Right now, I’m holed up in a mansion a bit away from the royal castle. Perhaps it was originally built to confine someone, as the layout makes it hard to escape.
But that doesn’t mean I’m trapped.
More like… how should I explain this?
“O-Oh! My skin is smooth again! My body has turned back to my twenties!”
“I haven’t brushed my hair since becoming an adult, but what is this smoothness?”
“My skin, which was always itchy and irritated, isn’t itching anymore?”
Three people a day. I said I could bestow blessings, and now the kingdom has brought me hopeful candidates. It’s exactly the third day.
The first day was just a man who looked like a soldier, but somehow by the next day and the day after, there were more nobles showing up.
If I bless them, the older folks become younger, and those who are ill get better. Someone who had a condition similar to atopic dermatitis got healed too.
And the reactions? Well, you can see.
“I believe!”
I can’t deal with this.
No, believing is fine! I can see how this sets me up to increase my powers in the next world, getting blessed people on my side.
But right now, it’s a bit overwhelming.
The expression of Hyungkesuni, who has been diligently writing magic over in the corner, is getting worse and worse. If I stress her out too much, she might have some bad ideas halfway through.
Like, for example, sneaking in some strange magic into the summoning spell?
The result might have me bursting in laughter and then… boom!
So, once she finishes her book, I’ll need time for the experiments. But it takes time to finish the book, and sending it to someone else takes time too.
And it would be troublesome if my overly conspicuous actions lead to a clash with Seongsin Church.
“You don’t really need to change your faith, do you? I’m not here to pray for blessings for humanity.”
Every time I speak, faith deepens.
Why is that?
Just because you believe in me, I don’t gain anything. I’d rather just return to my daily life and do what I want!
Most people, when blessed, see a vast improvement in their appearance, so they can finally do what they’ve wanted to do.
“Don’t waste time believing in me; go do what you want! Your time to live is short.”
So why do you look at me with those sparkling eyes?
Faded Man goes, “Ah, do you not know? This is called humanism. The subject shifts from deity to mankind.” He goes on rambling.
Who doesn’t know about the Renaissance? We learned that it was a return to ancient Greece and Rome, but how do you misinterpret that to suit yourself? Back then, humanism arose during the plague when people became scarce; if it’s stated that God spoke from above now, it would only amplify faith in God.
So here, just see my blessing as an upgrade.
No need to clash with the existing divinity; it’ll only do more harm than good. Most importantly, the environment is too poor.
The Ansellus Kingdom is a nation ruled by a king, but it is rooted in the ceremonies of Seongsin Church like medieval Europe.
Especially since Tisah has even received blessings from the deity of Seongsin Church, there’s a sort of pride that Ansellus is the most devoted to God among the nearby nations.
But what happens if someone up top suddenly believes in another god?
It wouldn’t be surprising if a revolution occurred immediately.
In this age of magic, it wouldn’t be hard to suppress the rebellious people, but then neighboring countries would jump at the chance. When there’s a reason to attack a prosperous kingdom, who would hesitate?
Right now, the Ansellus Kingdom is experiencing a golden age under the reign of Tisah and his descendants.
A golden age for one nation is nothing but a disaster for surrounding nations. If they could bring it down, they’d jump at the chance.
So tell them instead of believing in me, to satisfy their desires.
“Go make excuses and do the things you’ve been putting off until now. That’s what I wish for humanity.”
No.
Even after telling them to live according to their desires, they joyfully rushed out, thinking they’ve heard the word of God. They’re saying they must convey it to the people immediately.
And they’re sharing how light their bodies feel now and that their skin no longer hurts. Seeing middle-aged men and women laughing and running around like children now makes them look like they’ve just come of age.
Thud.
“Now that’s a nice line to say.”
And just as the door closes, Hyungkesuni scoffs.
Hmm!
I feel alive.
Right? Elevating me to godhood feels weird. I’m not a god, so this attitude toward becoming a monster is healthy.
“Are you saying you want a blessing, Hyungkesuni?”
She flinched and stopped her writing at my words.
Oh no.
Did I poke too hard?
“Don’t worry. I won’t take your warmth. In fact, humans call it a blessing when they contain me. Containing me doesn’t take away warmth.”
Hyungkesuni glares at me.
“When exactly did you start using the term humanity? You never used it when confined in a place constructed by Yasle. You seemed more like a naive girl. Or was that all just an act?”
After spending half a year in the same room, you’d think I’d know better.
Let’s push back a little to take the lead.
“Your hands are stopped, Hyungkesuni.”
At my words, Hyungkesuni gives a smile filled with fear and lowers her gaze again.
Good. Let’s keep this up. Writing her book is the priority. I’m here solely for that purpose.
“To answer your curiosity, it’s because that’s what you wished for, Hyungkesuni.”
“What?”
Hyungkesuni looks at me, startled. Why the surprise? It’s not rocket science.
“You called me an outsider, didn’t you? So, I did that. In this world, you know me the best, right?”
You wished for a god.
Since you called me a god, I’m just joking around.
What’s a good thing to hammer home guilt with?
Oh, I know.
It really has no meaning to me, but regular folks tend to believe names have significant meanings. It’s just a symbol to call out to one person among many, yet they place too much value on it.
Believing a name has power exists in every culture. It’s one of the common cultural traits.
So it must exist here too; let’s make use of it.
“You just gave me a title I can be called.”
Hehe.
Her expression turns pale rapidly.
It’s like she realizes I became an outsider because of her.
In reality, I’m just a monster that needs human warmth.
Did she forget what I told her when she asked about my identity? If she remembered, she’d know I was just teasing her to bother her.
I’ve forgiven her.
Since I said it, that’s the truth.
If I were to lie there, all the efforts I made to not lie till now would disappear. It’s common for one single lie to bring down everything.
Unless you’re a genius who can organically connect all lies, but I’m not that capable. I have to acknowledge what’s impossible to look forward to the next step.
So I forgave her. But bothering someone I like? That’s allowed, right?
Look at this.
She’s writing a book that could release me into all worlds!
How could I not be happy about that?
Right?
Hyungkesuni fell silent.
Since she’s writing well, I waved to cheer her on and sat down in my chair.
I’m feeling uneasy about the Ansellus Kingdom’s actions.
The king sent someone to inquire at the Seongsin Church branch in the capital of the Ansellus Kingdom.
Along with the story about Tisah, he noted how the contract he made hasn’t disappeared. He even wrote about how the original deity criticized it.
Good thing this isn’t a place with electronic administration.
The king inquired by letter yesterday, and there hasn’t been a reply yet.
Since it’s the king’s handwritten letter, it’s not impossible for a response to come immediately, but most likely, it should go to the headquarters of Seongsin Church instead of a branch.
And they know this, the king and his ministers.
They’re thinking differently.
Of course, I can’t read their minds, so I can only infer from what they say, but I guess they found my statement about humanity needing freedom very striking.
They gathered many people for discussions.
And among them, they chose someone who liked me and sent them to me.
So today marks the third day. I’ve blessed a total of nine people.
Of course, this doesn’t include the royalty.
Receiving blessings means quite a few changes.
Purple hair, fair skin, enhanced physical abilities. And then there’s one person. A special ability.
When I return to the royal castle, I’ll check how they’ve changed and verify the differences. I already know the results concerning the six individuals in front of me.
Those will be reported to the king.
They’ve changed actively, likely due to their strengthened bodies.
No signs of mental corruption.
They’re being quite thorough in their checks.
Right.
The ruler of a nation can’t be a fool. But it’s hard for someone creating a good nation to be foolish.
And the more they inspect, the more entrenched they’ll get. Because I’m not actually twisting people’s consciousness while I’m bestowing blessings.
At most, I’m just slipping in a little bit about how to summon me.
That’s right. I’m implanting Yasle’s memories into everyone I bless. For anyone not sensitive, many won’t even realize I’ve done anything.
So the book is crucial.
Yasle’s memories are dangerous. If I’m not careful, Yasle’s hatred could manifest, and the very capacity of that emotion is immense.
We need a diet on that capacity. Moreover, we need to eliminate any potential risks.
You might wonder if having people being reckless isn’t a good thing?
No.
People need to think rationally. Acting based on emotions only leads to being hindered by them. Only when one uses reason to commit madness can they take things to the limit. Because we think rationally, emotions can follow suit comfortably.
In the memories of the Faded Man, there are many like that.
From the World Wars to the Cold War. And it continues onward.
Yeah.
So I don’t make any mental adjustments to the people I bless.
I believe that once they gain strength, they will definitely share their warmth with me.
So I hope you don’t see me as a god but merely as a packaging for blessings. That way, after using me more efficiently, they’ll see the blood on their hands.
Hehe.
I poked her like an editor waiting for her to wrap up next to Hyungkesuni.
Hurry up and write. Quickly!
