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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“…So…”
[…■■…■■…]
“…If…then…”
It was noisy. A voice echoed in my mind, a constant, unintelligible murmur.
I tried to open my eyes, to move, but I was paralyzed.
I wasn’t bound or restrained. This wasn’t real.
I stopped struggling, accepting my paralysis, waiting for this dream, or whatever it was, to end.
Then, the voice resonated again, louder this time.
“…This…is…”
[…■■…■■…]
One voice was melodic, almost beautiful. The other, however, sounded… inhuman.
I heard the words, but they were unintelligible, a jumble of sounds, a chaotic symphony of noise.
I couldn’t understand the context, but they were arguing. The voices grew louder, their emotions intensifying.
“….!!”
“….!”
The words became even more distorted, until the inhuman voice let out a mocking laugh, then vanished.
The melodic voice fell silent, and I felt a presence approaching.
“…”
“…”
I tried to speak, but my mouth wouldn’t move.
The melodic voice seemed to have no ill intentions. It simply stood beside me, a silent guardian.
Then, it moved. I felt a hand on my head.
“…?”
It was a warm, comforting touch, like my mother’s. Like the gentle caress of the morning sun, the soft chirping of birds.
The hand stroked my hair, then moved down to my forehead. The melodic voice spoke.
“I’m sorry…”
Sorry? For what? Did it feel guilty?
I’d never heard this voice before. A voice this beautiful, I would have remembered.
“…I’m… so sorry…”
But the voice was filled with such sadness, such remorse, that it only confused me further.
What was it so sorry for? What was it so sad about?
I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t speak.
The hand retreated, and the darkness around me began to recede. Light flooded in, and my eyes fluttered open.
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I saw the moon, a full, luminous orb hanging in the night sky.
I was lying on the ground, covered with a thin blanket. Another blanket lay beneath me.
“Mmm…”
A sound beside me. I instinctively reached for a dagger, then relaxed when I saw who it was.
Lianna, sleeping peacefully. Other students slept nearby, their bodies curled up in makeshift beds.
The sounds of nocturnal animals echoed through the forest, but bonfires, strategically placed around the perimeter of their camp, kept them at bay.
Lianna shivered slightly, despite the fire nearby. I covered her with my blanket and stood up.
Someone had to be awake, keeping watch. I needed to talk to them.
As I searched for the other students, I replayed the events that had led to my sudden sleep. Albert’s plea for help. The Goddess’ agreement to meet me.
He’d only meet me if I protected the Saint. But that was enough. I’d never encountered a divine being in all my lives.
This might be my only chance. I had to make the most of it.
Defeating a Mid-Rank monster wouldn’t be easy, but I could at least ensure the Saint’s safety. Even if it meant sacrificing myself. As long as she survived, I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain. I’d get to meet Them.
My task was simple: protect the Saint, even if it cost me my life.
I spotted a few students who were still awake, including Isabella.
She sat by the fire, staring into the flames, a look of loneliness in her eyes.
I approached her, ignoring her melancholy. Albert sat beside her, his face pale with exhaustion. They were silent, lost in their own thoughts, but they both looked up as I approached.
“Are you alright?”
“Are you… feeling better…?”
I was slightly surprised that they’d both asked the same question, but I nodded and sat down beside them.
“…So, what’s the plan?”
“…?”
“…Are you just going to charge in without a strategy?”
“…I have a plan.”
Albert seemed surprised that I’d volunteered a plan.
“…Are you going to help us?”
“You heard my conversation with the Saint.”
“…Right. It’s… unusual. The Goddess meeting with a mortal…”
“…”
“Is there a reason They want to meet with you? Otherwise…”
“Enough.”
I cut him off before he could start rambling. It was an old habit of his. When he was deep in thought, his thoughts tended to spill out.
He seemed to snap back to reality, his expression turning serious.
“Jenison.”
“…?”
“Are you a demon?”
I forced myself to remain calm, my expression unchanged.
He was staring at me with an intensity I’d never seen before. Even Isabella, who’d been silent until now, seemed intrigued, her ears perked up, though she didn’t turn to look at us.
“…Why do you ask?”
“There’s plenty of evidence. You refused the Saint’s healing.”
“…”
“You questioned the identity of the being she referred to as ‘Them.’”
“…”
“And you requested a meeting with Them.”
He ticked off each point on his fingers, and I couldn’t argue with his logic.
“The Saint’s power is holy power, the power of the Goddess. You refused it.”
“…”
“That suggests you harbor resentment or animosity towards holy power, or towards the Goddess Herself.”
“…”
“You questioned Their identity to confirm your target of hatred.”
“…”
“And your request for a meeting… it all makes sense.”
He folded his fingers, one by one, and I watched him, speechless. He was right.
“In short, you resent the Goddess and holy power, and you hate Them for some reason.”
“…”
“As far as I know, there’s only one being who fits that description, a being capable of taking human form, a being of immense power.”
“…A demon?”
“Yes.”
The Goddess was always right. Everyone knew that.
Demons were always evil. Everyone knew that, too.
Therefore, the Goddess and demons were enemies. That’s what people believed.
But what if…
What if there was a being who hated the Goddess so much, who desired Their destruction so intensely, that they’d stop at nothing to achieve it?
What would people call such a being?
“…So? What’s your answer?”
Albert’s question snapped me out of my thoughts. He cleared his throat, waiting for my response.
I denied it, of course. I wasn’t a demon.
He seemed to accept my answer surprisingly easily. I’d expected more skepticism.
“I believe you. The Saint would have sensed it if you were a demon.”
He was right. Hildegarde, a devout follower and the Saint, would have sensed any demonic presence. Holy power was incredibly effective against demons, and devout followers possessed a certain… intuition. She would have known.
“So… what’s the plan?”
Isabella, tired of our serious conversation, changed the subject.
I was curious, too, so I looked at Albert expectantly.
He cleared his throat and said he’d explain when everyone was awake. He didn’t want to repeat himself.
She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, and stood up, heading towards her sleeping area.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I’ve had enough rest. And someone needs to keep watch.”
He thanked me and left, leaving me alone by the fire.
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