Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

138 – Before He Awakens (End)

Meanwhile, as nearly everyone but

Jennison was

slowly stirring back to consciousness,

a frantic meeting

was unfolding within the Order.

“…So, it seems to me that

guarding her is no longer worth

the effort…”

“But isn’t this closer to an accident than an actual incident?!”

“Indeed, the Order’s

Holy Knight Order is still

largely intact…”

“Ahem, now listen here, you lot.

What if something like this

happens again, then what?!”

At a banquet, a formal banquet,

the Saintess was abducted

by someone.

Even under the guard

of the Holy Knight Order Captain.

But, in truth,

what was truly fortunate

was that the one

who was acting alongside the Saintess

was Jennison, the one called a Saint.

‘S…the Saintess has returned!!’

‘Wait…Everyone, step back…!’

‘The Saintess is currently

suffering from divine power exhaustion and needs

to rest immediately!!’

Though she couldn’t avoid fainting from forcibly drawing up her divine power,

the Saintess’s precious body

That she remained unharmed.

If her sacred form

had suffered even a scratch,

the Knight Commander entrusted with her protection would have surely faced death.

And all the Holy Knights

under his command would have been

forced to relocate,

so it truly was fortunate in many ways.

However.

This incident was not something that could be resolved so easily.

“..Haa, I believe the

Holy Knight Commander in charge of the escort

must be disciplined…”

“I concur. This could have

become a far greater calamity.”

“I agree as well.”

“Very well…let’s conclude

that matter…and now, let’s discuss…”

…the Demon.

That night, the church’s lights

remained on without ceasing.

*

The Saint opened her eyes.

In a place where everything was white.

“..Where am I?”

She spoke the question

aloud, hoping for a response,

but, as expected,

no answer came.

Because there was truly nothing there.

Only whiteness

filled the space.

Had her feet not touched the ground,

she wouldn’t have even known there

was a floor beneath her.

The horizon, which could

always be seen no matter the place,

was nowhere to be found.

Tilting back her head,

there was no blue sky to greet her,

nor could she even be sure

there was a ceiling at all.

She began to doubt if this place was truly reality.

“…Come to think of it, I

definitely exhausted my divine power…”

[Child.]

It was then.

That the voice of the One returned.

The source of her overflowing

devotion,

The One she would serve and

revere for all her days.

“…?”

Unexpectedly, though,

she showed

no reaction to the voice.

Neither overwhelmed nor grateful as she usually was.

Despite the clear sound of

her Goddess’s voice.

[Ah… Child?]

“…Is it a hallucination?

Her voice never

sounded like this before.”

The Saintess tilted her head.

Originally, the One’s voice

would resound within her mind,

but for some reason she couldn’t fathom,

it now reached her ears directly.

As if the One were truly

right beside her…

[Here I am, right here.]

“…?”

At that moment, a dazzling

golden light erupted

from directly beside her.

A warm aura so incredibly similar to

her own divine power.

[So, this is the first time we’ve seen each other like this.]

“…A…Goddess?”

And undeniably,

there she was.

Though the blinding halo of light made it hard to see clearly,

the form itself was achingly,

familiar.

“Your humble servant

dares to gaze upon your sacred countenance…!”

The statue of the Goddess,

seen countless times within the Order.

Bathed in a radiant aura,

it stood there, luminous.

With pristine white

eyes painted upon its forehead.

The moment her gaze met those eyes, what she felt was…

an overwhelming,

tidal wave of divine power.

‘This is…this is truly…God…!’

Until now, she had never

encountered a divine power

greater than her own.

Not the priest who found her,

long ago in the orphanage,

alone.

Nor the Holy Knight who,

afterwards, escorted her to the Order.

Not the priest who imparted

the teachings of the Goddess.

Not the bishops who occasionally came

to see her face, or

His Holiness the Pope, who noticed

her loneliness and hardship, separated from her friends,

and told her to call him Father.

No one had ever

surpassed her own divine power.

She had never

witnessed such divinity,

directly, before this moment.

“Lift your head, child.”

“…!”

“…Child?”

“Y-yes…?!”

For that single instant,

nothing came to mind.

Only a rapture, as if

it had filled her head,

was the only sensation.

Just that voice,

only that voice of hers,

was enough for her, now,

to savor the peak of

happiness in her entire life.

“You may lift your head, you are worthy.”

“N-no…how could I,

a humble one, dare to meet the Goddess alone…”

Not a single lie

was mixed within the Saintess’ words.

Rather, even just

being able to face

the one she’d always dreamt of,

just this, was awe-inspiring.

“H…humble, you say…?”

“…?”

But when that voice,

that voice of hers, rang out again,

the halo that had steadily

emanated from behind her

dimmed ever so slightly,

and at the same time,

the Saintess felt a strangeness.

That quiet mutter just now,

that voice of hers, was not

the warm voice she was used to,

but rather, it felt as if it held

an irrecoverable grief.

And in that instant,

within her mind,

A thousand thoughts bloomed in her mind.

Why are you sorrowing?

Are you unwell in spirits?

Why? What troubles you so?

Is there aught I can do to aid you?

Yet after sifting through that endless throng of

thoughts, the answer she salvaged was:

“I am not worthy to offer aid to Her.”

For we, mere creations of Her hand,

could never truly grasp the burdens

of Her divine consideration.

All that remains for me now is

to remain silent in Her presence.

That, she thought, must be all.

[Yes…I thought it obvious for me to believe so too…]

“…Pardon?”

[…Haha, it is nothing, child.]

Inquiries crowded

her eager mind,

but she refrained from voicing them.

Nor, indeed, did she intend

to ever pose them in the future.

[…Have you no questions for me?]

“…Pardon?”

[Such as, where you find yourself,

or perhaps, why I have summoned you.]

Questions arose

like mountains on the horizon,

and her desire for understanding

stretched forth like an endless sea,

but after only a fleeting

moment of deliberation, she,

she decided to pose but a single

query to Her presence.

“My Goddess.”

[Yes, child, ask me whatsoever your heart desires.]

“My Goddess…Jenison─”

And indeed, it was

an exceptionally fine question.

*

It is dark.

Clammy.

I don’t want to move.

My whole body is soaked

and sticky with sweat,

my legs heavy,

like they’re chained to the earth.

How did it come to this?

I try to recall the moments before.

I was definitely clocked.

And sent flying,

into a wall.

That much was certain.

I could feel the fragments

of brick digging into my back

as clearly as anything.

And then, my eyes just closed.

…God damn it, got jumped again.

“…Alright, I remember that much.”

But what is this now?

No matter how much

I look around,

all I see is black.

At first glance, it felt similar to a mindscape,

but the atmosphere radiating

from this place

was something else entirely.

Splash, splash,

I could hear the sound of water under my feet,

and each time,

I would stumble on something,

but all I did was keep muttering

complaints and curses.

I couldn’t avoid whatever it was

that kept snagging my feet.

As if wading through murky water,

everything beneath me

was veiled in black,

I couldn’t see a thing.

“Can’t see a damn thing, that’s for sure.”

Never before had I craved the sun to light my way with such desperation as in that moment,

yet in this obsidian space, there existed not even a sliver of sunlight or moonlight,

not a single point of light at all.

I was left to rely solely on instinct

to push forward,

but soon, I simply crumbled to the ground.

What use was there in pressing on, anyway?

Not when I couldn’t see an inch in front of me,

when continuing onward felt utterly pointless.

“…Usually, in situations like this,

someone would jump out and, like,

give an explanation, righ—”

*Shwooosh*

“Oh.”

Before I could even finish,

something made of crimson

liquid suddenly

swirled into existence before me.

In this place so devoid of color,

so saturated only in black.

*Shwooosh*

Unconcerned with my presence,

the liquid relentlessly

continued to rotate in place.

Spinning,

mingling,

round and round it went.

Until, at last, it coalesced into a sphere.

A sphere of unnerving,

ominous form.

“…What is this?”

[@#$!@&?!]

*CRACK*

Accompanied by a jumble of

unintelligible languages,

the sphere, so proud in its crimson glow, split in two,

revealing what lay slumbering

inside.

A golden circle turned its gaze toward me.

*Tto-reur-reuk, tto-reur-reuk.*

The sound of an eyeball rolling.

*Jji-reur-reuk, jji-reur-reuk.*

The chirping of insects in the deep night.

*Hwiii-eeeeeeng─*

The sound of wind tearing through the clouds of the night sky.

All those sounds,

gathering and gathering in one place,

[@#!&..You’ve..come?]

A single night sky was completed.

A deep night sky with a crimson moon,

hanging full and bright.