[END]Side Story 9: The Last Wish
After the battle with Estelle, I granted each of the apostles one wish.
The six apostles told me their wishes.
Some of them wished for something very small.
Others wished for something very grand.
And finally, someone wished for something very troublesome.
“I still have some quota left today.”
The first apostle, Eutenia Hyrost.
Her wish was of that kind.
It was a rather audacious request, to say the least.
She wished for me, the god she served, to tell her that I loved her once a day.
Even a fanatic would not dare to ask for such a wish.
-“When do you want to hear it?”
“I think it would be better to save it for today.”
-“If that’s your wish.”
Of course, if she were an ordinary person, she might have tried to make such a wish.
The problem was that I was a god who had to maintain dignity in front of her.
I could show some emotions from time to time, but if I seemed too frivolous, it would be troublesome.
Faith and prayer come from authority and dignity.
If I did not even keep the minimum decorum as a god, I would have difficulties of my own.
At least in the holy land, I had to try to keep my dignity as much as possible.
“You are always so majestic, sir.”
My confession to Eutenia was also not out of the rigid form.
Eutenia seemed to like even that kind of confession.
Yesterday’s confession would have elicited the same reaction from her.
If she were the usual Eutenia.
-“You seem to be disappointed.”
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t, but I’m satisfied enough that you granted my whim.”
But today’s Eutenia was different from usual.
Her attitude had become colder than before.
Maybe she got tired of hearing the same cold confession every day, no matter how much she liked me.
Eutenia had a forced smile on her face, full of thoughts and worries.
-“That’s a lie.”
“…”
-“You can tell me the truth. I’ll allow it.”
I couldn’t just let it go, knowing that she had a complaint.
Especially if the cause was me.
So I asked her to tell me the truth.
“I tried to tie you down with my wish, knowing that you would hate it.”
-“…”
“But now I wonder if it wasn’t a disrespectful and selfish thought.”
-“You were thinking that?”
“So I was wondering, what if today’s wish was the last one, if you were uncomfortable.”
In other words, she was saying that she would give up her wish from today if I was having a hard time.
It was her own way of caring for the object of her faith.
I looked at her with mixed feelings and asked her.
-“Are you okay with that?”
“Your will is my wish.”
If I asked her if her wish was troublesome for me, I couldn’t completely deny it.
But if I asked her if her wish was unpleasant for me, that wasn’t true.
I could face her true feelings from her wish.
It wasn’t a bad thing to see a precious being longing for love.
Besides, after repeating the same words over and over, I even felt something like affection for her lately.
-“It seems like you have a big misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding… was it?”
-“Yes. A misunderstanding.”
I said that and picked up the letter I received from Acliff in the island.
The letter from Acliff, the crown prince of the empire, said that the founding day festival would start from today in the island.
The festival that transformed the whole island into a lively place was held under the support of the royal palace and the tower.
And the last of the festival would end with a ceremony for me, along with fireworks.
“Get ready, Eutenia. We have to go to the island right away.”
But what I paid attention to in Acliff’s words was, none other than the fact that the festival started from today.
The word festival had magic.
The magic that made people’s hearts flutter.
It wouldn’t be hard to untangle the complicated feelings of the two people in such a place.
“The island…?”
“Today, we’ll spend some time alone there.”
“…Yes?”
That was the hasty plan I prepared to appease Eutenia.
A one-day date in the island.
***
The island, called the heart of the empire, had countless shops and people.
And today, especially since it was the time of the festival, the crowd was unusually busy.
I was walking along the street with Eutenia, just the two of us.
And that was with Eutenia, who had completely let go of the divine artifact I gave her.
“I’ve never seen you dressed up like this, Eutenia.”
“It’s a bit… awkward without the divine artifact.”
Eutenia was holding a parasol, dressed in a splendid outfit.
She was showing the opposite of her usual appearance in the holy land.
And I was also wearing a suitably refined outfit to match Eutenia’s appearance.
If the people of the island saw us, they would think we were a gentleman and a lady who came to enjoy the festival.
“You look good, don’t worry.”
“Is, is that so?”
“Yes. It wouldn’t be bad to walk around the city with this outfit sometimes.”
Eutenia still looked awkward, but I grabbed her hand and led her to the festival site.
This was not the holy land, but the middle of the island.
It would be a waste not to enjoy it, since we came this far.
Today, for one day, we could have fun and eat, without being bound by the roles of god and apostle.
-“If there is anything you want to see, feel free to tell me. It’s not hard for me to take you there.”
“…”
-“It would be a waste if you don’t enjoy yourself at the festival.”
Eutenia’s eyes followed me for a long time, feeling uneasy.
She had not enjoyed a proper social life for a long time.
For her, who had only been to battlefields and temples, all these sights must have been very unfamiliar.
But I still hoped that she could enjoy all these sights as much as she wanted today.
That would be the best date I could give her.
“Ah, there…!”
About ten minutes after we started walking around the island, Eutenia suddenly stopped in her tracks, having found something.
She seemed to have discovered something that caught her eye as she looked around the festival.
I also stopped and looked in the direction of her finger.
I wanted to see what had captivated Eutenia’s attention.
-“…”
“Look, they are erecting a statue of the Great One!”
I was shocked when I saw what Eutenia was pointing at.
There was a statue being erected in my likeness.
It was a very large statue.
The clothes were pious robes, but if you looked closely at the face, you would recognize it.
I tried to hide my flustered expression and pulled my hat down deeper.
I did not forget to distort the perception of the people around me.
-“That’s what Eicliffe was talking about. It’s so big that it catches your eye…”
“I like it because it’s big. It must mean that the prince’s faith in the Great One is as huge as that.”
How does that make sense?
I was bewildered by her overly leap of logic, and when I looked at her, Eutenia had a faint smile on her lips.
I tried to say something to her, but then I smiled back and held her hand again.
The festival had just begun.
There were still plenty of things to see on the island, even without that statue.
“Uh, uh…?”
-“There are still many things to see today, princess.”
“Wait a minute…!”
I didn’t have time to waste on a statue.
At least not in my opinion.
It was very unpleasant to see a huge statue of myself being erected.
I didn’t think it was a fitting attitude for a god.
***
I led Eutenia around the festival and showed her various attractions.
We admired the crudely made sculptures, or watched the knights marching on the streets.
There were also people who made chickens fight, and drunkards who drank beer while watching them.
There were also magicians who showed magic to the people and attracted everyone’s attention.
On the outskirts of the shopping district, there was an old woman who tried to lure passers-by by offering to tell their fortunes.
“You two are a match made in heaven.”
The woman who took us to the front of the god’s throne blasphemed about fate.
Of course, she did not receive any divine punishment.
What she faced was not a god and an apostle, but a couple who came to enjoy the festival.
But Eutenia’s face was redder than before after the fortune-telling.
-“Let’s go eat some skewers this time.”
-“Let’s do that.”
We also ordered some skewers from a stall when we felt hungry after seeing the sights.
The skewers we bought from the stall were sold by a man named Melson, who said they were made by his mother with great care for the festival.
He praised his mother’s skewers until his mouth was sore.
I didn’t know if he was sincere or just trying to sell, but the skewers were decent.
They tasted good and filled our stomachs.
-“I heard from Perin that there is a famous cake shop on the island.”
After we finished the skewers, we went to eat some cake together, which Eutenia liked.
It was a cake shop that was famous on the island.
Perin’s words were not empty, as the shop we were introduced to had quite a lot of nobles.
Eutenia and I were able to enjoy the cake and tea that came to the table after a long wait.
The combination of sweet cake and bitter tea was not bad.
“Hehe…”
Maybe it was because of the taste that matched the fame.
Eutenia’s expression was quite a sight as she ate the cake.
She savored the sweetness of the cake, then looked embarrassed for a moment, and then ate the cake again while looking at me.
She seemed to really like the cake.
-“Don’t mind me and eat as much as you want.”
-“…Yes.”
I ordered more for Eutenia without hesitation.
Eutenia also accepted my offer without refusing.
That was understandable, since there were six plates of cake stacked up when we left the shop.
Of course, I only ate one piece, so Eutenia ate almost all of the six pieces by herself.
“It’s delicious.”
I wondered what made her a cake monster.
When I looked back at the past, the first thing that came to my mind was the cake I gave her for the first time.
Maybe the culprit was me in the past.
***
When we left the shop after enjoying the cake with Eutenia, the sun was almost setting.
The darkening sky was filled with shining stars, one by one.
The end of our date was approaching, as if to tell us that.
The sunset was disappearing beyond the horizon.
The people who crowded around the fountain also disappeared almost all of them.
It was getting close to dinner time, so they all seemed to be going to eat.
-“It’s quieter than before.”
“I like it. It feels like a place for just the two of us.”
Eutenia, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain, said that with a bright smile.
She seemed to like today’s date.
Maybe even this moment was being engraved in her heart.
The fountain we were sitting on would always be there, but today was only once for us.
The same day would not have the same excitement as today, even if we repeated it.
-“Are you feeling better?”
“I’ve been feeling fine from the beginning.”
-“…”
“Just a little worry, that’s all.”
Euteneia said with a face that looked somewhat refreshed.
She looked like she had found the answer to her dilemma in her own heart.
Euteneia smiled and got up from her seat, looking at me.
Behind her, faintly shining constellations were drawn in the night sky.
“I think it’s okay to ask for one last wish from the great one now.”
Under the sky where billions of stars were spread.
The apostle with ash-colored hair fluttering looked at me.
Her eyes were full of firm determination.
Euteneia, who had finished her own resolution, told me her wish.
“Please tell me that you love me for the last time.”
-“Euteneia.”
“That’s enough for now.”
She was always doing whatever she wanted, except for me.
And today, she was acting like a spoiled child to me.
She was here not as the guardian of the cult and the first apostle of Euteneia, but as a noble girl who longed for a fleeting romance.
She seemed to want to show me that this was her true self.
-“But before that, let me ask you one thing.”
So I had to listen to her now.
What she thought when she harbored such feelings.
Why she had such longing.
I had to hear her sincere thoughts about me.
“Of course, you can ask me anything.”
-“Do you think that the feeling you have is love?”
Euteneia made a subtle expression when she heard my question.
There are things that you have to hear even if you know.
And there are things that you have to hear because you don’t know.
What Euteneia was about to tell me was all of that.
Euteneia clasped her hands on her chest and opened her mouth to me.
“Do you remember the day when the great one extended his hand of salvation to me?”
I couldn’t forget.
The small story that started from the other side of the small smartphone screen.
I moved my finger for a moment of amusement and saved her from danger.
Without even knowing what it meant to her.
“I think there are many people in the world who are like me that day.”
Yeah. It was just a moment of entertainment.
It was the satisfaction that came from the thought that I was superior to the existence beyond the screen.
“A situation where you can’t see even an inch ahead, and you can’t find any hope at all.”
“And even in that situation, you can’t do anything, you are incompetent and weak.”
“The sense of loss that nothing is left to you in the last moment.”
But it had more value than that.
What Euteneia showed me that day was her past self.
The time when she was deceived by someone and fell to the bottom of the abyss.
The loneliness of living alone in a world where no one was.
And above all, the powerlessness that came from the fact that she had no power to overcome all those situations.
“As I hated the world that had dropped me to the bottom of the abyss, I only hoped for a blind salvation, and I felt so pathetic.”
Maybe it was natural that I was drawn to her.
What Euteneia, who was broken, showed me was her self that had already collapsed.
She was the one who fell into a momentary dream by being deceived by Estelle, and had to kill her own people with her own hands while drunk.
“I was just so scared and desperate, and I waited for the last moment to come to me, feeling frustrated.”
“Then you showed me mercy, the great one.”
The cheap price of salvation was blind faith.
Faith.
It was a faith that was strong enough to be scorned by the name of fanaticism, but twisted.
Euteneia had been giving me sincere faith ever since that day.
“So I decided from then on.”
“It doesn’t matter to me why the great one saved me.”
It was just a moment of fun.
That was the whole reason.
“I decided not to wonder why you made me, who was weak, your first apostle.”
It was just a coincidence that she had a chance.
There was no deep reason for that order.
“I don’t care if the whole world points fingers at the great one and criticizes him as an evil god.”
Still, she gave me blind faith.
Even if it was a being that demanded blood and flesh from humans, and ruled over them with fear under the name of the evil god.
Even if everyone condemned her as a witch, and criticized her soaked in blood.
Her faith never wavered.
Eutenia chose to be with me of her own will.
She decided to stand by my side, no matter how much blood stained her hands.
“Because… you are the only salvation for me.”
She was always on my side, even without threatening her with magic and power.
Eutenia always moved for my sake, even without tempting her with gold and glory.
That was the way of life she chose.
That was the absolute rule that reigned over everything she loved.
Eutenia made her choice with her own will.
There was nothing I had to pay for that choice.
“What do you call this feeling?”
Eutenia Hyrost.
She looked at me with a faint smile on her face.
She was the one who asked the question now.
She handed me a question that was simple and difficult, more than anything in the world.
“Is it longing? Is it awe? Or is it love?”
“I’m still immature, so I don’t know.”
Bang!
A cannon sounded behind her, announcing the end of the festival.
The magic created by the mages of the tower turned into a splendid fireworks that decorated the sky.
Eutenia reached out her hand to the sky in the deafening roar.
Her figure became a picture under the blooming flowers of light.
“But I think you must know, since you are so great.”
It was longing.
It was also awe for the celestial being.
She still had the sky she looked up to in her weak days in her heart.
“So, what do you think is the answer, my lord?”
-“I love you, Eutenia.”
But the answer that came out of my mouth was the opposite.
She still had one wish left.
What I had to tell her now was a dry confession.
Eutenia knew that too, so she smiled bitterly and spoke to me.
“What a pity. This is the end of the last wish.”
Under the dark sky where countless fireworks burst out.
I looked at my apostle who shone more than anyone else.
She stained her hands with the blood of many, and wore the stigma that everyone shunned.
My first apostle was still shining brightly.
More than the fleeting fireworks behind her.
And more than the countless stars that adorned the night sky above her.
-“I still love you, Eutenia.”
“······Yes?”
-“I’m sure it will be the same tomorrow.”
“······.”
Even after the last wish was over, I still smiled and looked at her.
Eutenia Hyrost.
She had her own radiance.
A radiance that could steal the heart of even a god who lived forever.
