< 62 : Divine Protocol (3) >
“What is that device, and what is it used for?”
Peter, who was driving the carriage, asked Eutenia, who was sitting in the back seat.
Eutenia had Alpha on her lap, and in her hand was a blue jewel.
The blue jewel hanging from a string was emitting light and pointing in one direction.
It was clear that it had some special ability, but Peter had no idea what it was.
Eutenia answered Peter’s question with a gentle voice.
“It’s a device that can guide us to the location of the progenitor of the vampires.”
“The progenitor of the vampires…?”
The progenitor of the vampires.
Peter felt a chill run down his spine as he heard Eutenia’s words.
He had been startled when he met a real angel a while ago, but he was sure that the enemy was a terrible evil god.
I could tell by the way he was looking for the progenitor of the vampires, a name that struck fear into anyone who heard it.
There must have been some mistake when they sent down an angel.
Surely, the only beings that suited the evil god were vampires and demons.
That’s what Peter thought as he asked Eutenia, who nodded and answered him.
“Our goal is to find the relic that is with the progenitor of the vampires.”
“A relic? Are you telling me that you are using it to seal the progenitor of the vampires?”
“You know well, Peter.”
Peter shuddered as he saw Eutenia confirm his words.
He didn’t know what the relic was, but it seemed to be an important item that could seal a vampire.
And they were trying to get their hands on it and release the evil vampire from its seal.
That was a wicked idea that only a follower of the evil god would have.
Peter’s grip on the reins tightened involuntarily.
He heard Eutenia’s plan to do such a terrible thing and asked her why.
“Why… Why do you want to release the vampire from its seal?”
“Are you curious?”
“…Yes.”
“Do you still want to know even if it might put you in danger?”
Eutenia asked as if she was hiding a dreadful secret.
But even if he didn’t hear her secret, Peter’s life was already on the edge every day.
Under his bandaged arm, there was a mark that showed he was chosen by the goddess of honor.
The day he revealed this mark, he would be killed by Eutenia or the holy knights of the temple.
So far, Evan hadn’t said anything, so nothing had happened.
But he never knew when or why his secret would be exposed.
He didn’t think he would be in much more danger by hearing one more secret from her.
“I’m always ready… for that kind of risk.”
“Do you have some faith in me now, Peter?”
“…”
Peter’s face hardened at Eutenia’s question of faith.
He tried to force a smile, but his face didn’t move easily.
Eutenia was the one who wiped out his village.
And she asked him if he believed in the evil god who sent her to his village.
Unless something changed his mind drastically, he would never sincerely follow the evil god.
Even though he ate food from the cult every day.
He wanted to refuse even the food, but he couldn’t starve himself as a human being.
“Well, it’s okay. Someday you’ll understand the will of our great lord.”
“…I guess so.”
“Did you ask me why I’m looking for the vampire?”
“Yes.”
“The reason is… that it will help our lord’s advent.”
“Advent…!”
Peter felt like he couldn’t breathe at the word advent.
Releasing the progenitor of the vampires from its seal was a problem, but saying that they would bring down the evil god was an even bigger problem.
They wanted to summon the god who watched over the earth from the sky.
That could cause more trouble than now.
Eutenia didn’t care about Peter’s attitude and stroked Alpha’s head with her free hand as she spoke.
“Peter, aren’t you curious? If the heavenly god comes down to earth, what do you think he will do?”
“That is…”
“Will he judge the unbelievers? Or… will he create a paradise for us?”
“…”
Peter couldn’t relate to the word paradise that Eutenia said.
Could he call it a paradise where the whole world bowed under the cult?
Would there be happiness in a place where the evil god ruled directly?
He didn’t know much, but he could at least guess that it wouldn’t be a happy world.
As Peter looked at the distant wilderness, Eutenia continued her story.
“Maybe he will grant us some simple wishes.”
“Wishes?”
“If he asks me for a wish, I would ask him to bring back Peter’s villagers.”
Eutenia said she would make a wish if the god came down to earth.
A wish.
The wish that Eutenia said was completely different from what Peter expected.
It was about bringing back the villagers that she had taken away at their first meeting.
Peter asked Eutenia why she wanted such a wish.
“Why do you want… such a wish?”
“Because you worked hard for me.”
“What?”
“I don’t care if the whole world disappears, but… Peter is not like that, right?”
She said she would ask for the souls that she had taken with her own hands, with her own mouth.
It was an absurd idea to anyone who saw it.
It was none other than Eutenia herself who took everything away from Peter.
Yet she spoke sincerely to him.
She said she would ask for her wish to return his loved ones when everything was over.
His words that were about to come out of his mouth got stuck in his throat at her words.
“I…”
“So I think if we dedicate the whole world to our great lord, he might spare us a village or so.”
“…I see.”
It was a selfish idea.
She took everything from herself, from others, from the world, and offered it to the evil god.
And the last wish she wanted to ask for was something for someone else.
Peter couldn’t understand her.
“That’s what I think. Oh, we have to go right here.”
Zing.
The crystal with light in it moved in another direction.
Eutenia looked at the direction where the crystal turned and told Peter who was driving the carriage.
Peter started to turn his horse around after hearing Eutenia’s words.
From the dusty cobblestone road, Peter’s low voice echoed.
“I understand.”
A complicated feeling rose in Peter’s heart as he held the reins.
The ones he faced were always selfish.
The heavenly gods, and the apostles on the ground.
They were always self-centered beings.
***
The headquarters of the Order, located in the Centrius region.
Eliot, a layman of the Order, was praying there.
Since he joined the Order, he repeated the routine of visiting the chapel every day and offering prayers.
From the moment he first learned of the great being, Eliot decided to dedicate his body and mind to him.
The ruler of the sky and his powerful apostles who followed him.
Not to mention the growing influence of the Order’s teachings.
There was nothing lacking to accept the existence of God.
Eliot, who understood the existence of a real God, became an enthusiastic believer of the Order.
Even the executives of the Order admired Eliot’s daily faithful prayers.
“——We thank you for watching over us today, O great one.”
As always, Eliot opened his eyes after finishing his 30-minute prayer.
In his sight, he saw a picture hanging on the wall of the chapel.
A huge silhouette of a person drawn on a large canvas.
The picture did not have any hands, feet, or facial features, but everyone in this place knew who it was meant to represent.
A picture of a believer praising the great being who looked down on the ground.
They dared not draw the face of the great being, so they only depicted him with an outline.
Eliot wiped away the tears in his eyes and got up from his seat as he looked at the majestic silhouette.
“Ha… What would have happened to us if it weren’t for you…”
The image of Cloud’s raid flashed through Eliot’s mind.
The day when many investigators led by Agent Period raided the Order, it was their God who saved them.
The great being dropped a powerful lightning bolt like a divine punishment and annihilated their enemies.
Thanks to that, the surviving believers of the Order were living a safe life today.
Moreover, some of the believers were now spreading the teachings of the great being in a large city called Lithua-Centrius.
They could never be grateful enough for the grace of the great being.
“I will serve you and spread your will to the world.”
As he was about to get up from his seat, Eliot felt a warm light wrapping around his body.
A sensation that something transcendent was with him.
There was only one thought in Eliot’s mind as he felt the light of unknown origin wrapping around him.
The great being was watching over him.
The reason why the light wrapped around him right after his prayer ended was nothing else but that.
“This is…”
Eliot raised his trembling hand to the sky as he marveled at the light that wrapped around him.
A holy light sparkled in Eliot’s palm.
What kind of outcome this small sparkle could create.
Eliot could intuitively realize the outcome just by looking at the light.
He grabbed the light that wrapped around his hand.
And then he shot the light towards his eyes.
“————!”
Bang!
A bolt of lightning struck in front of Eliot’s eyes with a loud noise.
A powerful lightning bolt flashed through the ceiling of the chapel.
The light that burst out in front of his eyes was no different from the vivid lightning he had seen before.
At that moment, Eliot was amazed by the miracle he had created with his own hands.
One of the executives of the Order who was with him in the chapel approached Eliot and said.
“You had a faithful belief, and you finally succeeded in manifesting a miracle.”
“A miracle…?”
Eliot looked at his palm as if he couldn’t believe it.
He dropped lightning with his tiny palm.
He had never learned magic, nor did he have any tools to use magic.
It was Eliot who said that.
The executive of the Order said this to him.
The miracle that Eliot had caused.
It was a sight that could not be explained otherwise.
“Yes. A miracle.”
“Did I… create a miracle?”
“Your strong faith reached the great one. The great one gave you a strong power.”
Eliot’s heart started to beat wildly as he heard the executive’s words.
Eliot. He was recognized by the great being.
The heavenly being gave him the power to create miracles.
He, who was nothing but an ordinary human, was recognized by the great being.
It was undoubtedly the most monumental moment in Eliot’s life.
“O great one…”
“You even pray to him at this moment, you have a truly admirable faith.”
“There is no greater honor for me than being recognized by the great one.”
The executive laughed out loud at Eliot’s moved expression.
He looked like he understood everything.
Thud. Thud.
The executive walked a few more steps towards Eliot and put his hand on his shoulder.
And then he patted Eliot’s shoulder and said.
“By the way, we can’t leave someone as talented as you as a layman.”
“…Yes?”
Eliot opened his eyes wide and looked at him.
It was because of the ominous words that came out of the executive’s mouth.
The face of the executive that Eliot looked up to was full of firm determination.
He looked at Eliot and continued his words.
“I have to personally suggest to the archbishop that he should use you well.”
“That, that is…”
“A person with a great faith needs a place that suits him, right?”
“James…!”
He would personally talk to the archbishop about Eliot.
In other words, he meant to place Eliot in an important position in the Order.
Eliot’s eyes moistened again as he heard the executive’s words.
He was directly recognized by the great being, and moreover, he heard that they would use him greatly.
For Eliot, today was the best day of his life.
“Hehe… It’s not confirmed yet, so don’t get your hopes up too much.”
He looked at Eliot with a kind smile.
Behind him, a faint halo was shining.
