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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Gr-Gr-Gr… Great… Great Sage…?”
Iris was flustered, a rare sight indeed.
Her mouth hung open.
She seemed to be unaware of the words she was uttering.
It was understandable.
She was standing before the Great Sage, a figure revered by all followers of Aegis.
“You can talk to him if you want.”
“N-no, but… He seems to be praying… I wouldn’t want to interrupt…”
“It’s alright, go ahead and be rude. He’s not petty enough to be offended by that.”
“Ah… Yes… That’s right…”
As if in a trance, Iris slowly started walking forward.
She moved stiffly, like a malfunctioning robot, until she was standing right behind Tirpitz.
Yet, Iris still seemed unable to accept the reality of the situation, hesitating to touch or speak to Tirpitz.
“Gr-Great Sage…?”
“Yes?”
Finally, Tirpitz seemed to notice our presence.
Or perhaps he had been pretending not to notice and then decided to acknowledge us.
Either way, he abruptly turned around and looked at us with a beatific smile.
Iris’s expression…
It was as if she could die happy right then and there.
It was somewhat understandable, considering Tirpitz was even more elusive than the Pope.
“Ar-are you really the Great Sage?”
“Great Sage… My official title is Sage, but yes, I am the one people refer to as the Great Sage.”
“I-I… My name is Iris… I was recently appointed as a Saintess… Ah, Great Sage, no, Sir Sage, you have been a Sage for a long time, right? So it feels incredibly disrespectful for a fledgling like me to be addressing you like this…”
It was hard to believe this was the same confident, composed Iris.
I had assumed she had foreseen this future as well, but it seemed she had truly been caught off guard.
This was the first time I had ever seen Iris so flustered and at a loss for words.
Both in the original novel and in this world.
“Hehe, calm down, Iris. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’ve done many great things. I believe you are a worthy Saintess.”
“I-I-I’m so honored… I-I heard that the Sage… no, the Great Sage, no, no, Sir Sage… was still young… But even after all these years, you still look so young…”
Iris, constantly bowing, hadn’t noticed, but I saw it.
Tirpitz’s wry smile.
It was clear that he had become sensitive about his age after spending so much time among humans.
Well, it was hard to imagine him caring about his age after living for tens of thousands of years…
I decided to attribute it to the limitations of my, the author’s, shallow experience.
Ah, my heart suddenly ached.
“And you are…?”
“Schlus Hainkel.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, it’s an honor to meet you, Sage-nim.”
I shook Tirpitz’s hand, my tone neutral.
There were no unnecessary pleasantries like ‘You’re a commoner?’ or ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’
I felt like he was looking at me, Schlus, as an individual, not swayed by rumors or hearsay.
It was a strange feeling.
This was the first time I had met a character from my novel who felt so… transcendent.
Of course, there were plenty of physically powerful characters, but this was the first time I had encountered someone who felt so mentally mature.
Perhaps the title of Great Sage was well-deserved.
Honestly, I had dismissed him as just a fictional character, but now I couldn’t do that anymore.
“Um… I-I’m sorry if we interrupted your prayers…”
“We interrupted because we have a favor to ask.”
“Schlus! How dare you be so disrespectful to the Great Sage…!”
“Hehe… It’s alright. What is it? Listening is free… for now.”
“We would like to receive your blessings. We’re heading to the battlefield. We would be grateful if you would pray to Aegis for our safe return.”
“Of course. Prayers for the preservation of life can never be too many. I will pray with all my heart for your safe return.”
“Actually, it’s not just the two of us. There are three more people waiting outside.”
“Schlusss…!”
Iris, seemingly anxious, was tugging at my sleeve frantically.
Her face was pale, as if she had witnessed someone committing blasphemy before the Emperor.
To Iris, Tirpitz was even more important than the Emperor.
In terms of religious influence, Tirpitz, the Great Sage, held more power than the Emperor or even the Pope.
The Pope could command the bishops, but Tirpitz had the power to sway the hearts of the believers.
“Alright. I’ll include them in my prayers. What are their names?”
“Erica von dem Lichtenburg, Edengart Trie von dem Schultzenburg, and Ainz von Weigenstein.”
“I’ve memorized them. Now, I will bestow my blessings upon all five of you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Iris clasped her hands together and knelt down.
It was as if she was competing for the title of ‘Most Devout Believer in this World.’
The Pope was unfit to be called a man of God, and even Tirpitz, the Great Sage, didn’t truly believe in Aegis.
So by default, Iris became the most devout.
Though she probably wasn’t aware of it.
Anyway, I stood beside Iris, my eyes slightly closed, as I received the blessing.
Even though I knew that the God Aegis didn’t exist, and this was all meaningless, I couldn’t ignore the placebo effect.
The psychological comfort and reassurance it provided, especially to Iris and Erica, would be a powerful force.
“May Aegis, the God of the Sword, grant peace and safety upon the five of you…”
I had to suppress my laughter as Tirpitz placed his hand on our heads and prayed.
But Tiirpitz, glancing at me from time to time, seemed to have noticed.
Damn it.
If I got on Tirpitz’s bad side, it would be troublesome.
The surprise gift I had prepared for Iris was now backfiring.
“The blessing is complete. May glory and happiness be upon your path.”
“I-it’s such an honor, Sir Great Sage! No, Sir Sage! Ah… h-how should I address you? How can I address you without being disrespectful… Eek!”
Watching Iris, I couldn’t help but think she was like an obsessive idol fan.
If I left her alone, she would gush endlessly.
So I pushed her aside and stepped forward.
I had brought Iris to meet Tirpitz as a surprise gift, but I also had my own motives.
I wanted to secure him as an ally.
“Sir Sage, I have a question.”
“Ask away.”
“Have you heard about the current civil war? The one where Duke Lorraine has declared independence as the Southern Republic and is fighting against the Empire…”
“Yes, of course. Just because I remain hidden from the world doesn’t mean I’m unaware of its happenings.”
“Then which side is righteous?”
“…”
Tirpitz, who had been answering readily, suddenly fell silent.
He needed time to think.
“It’s… difficult to determine righteousness.”
“Isn’t the side that inherits the will of Aegis the righteous side? In your opinion, Sir Sage, which side is more devout in their faith towards Aegis?”
“…”
Tirpitz closed his mouth tightly.
We had reached the inherent contradiction of this world’s monotheistic religion.
It was an inevitable result, considering it was a world created by an author who knew nothing about religion.
Iris, standing beside me, fidgeted nervously and tugged at my sleeve, but I ignored her and stared at Tirpitz.
“Do you believe that the side with deeper faith in Aegis is the righteous side?”
“According to the scriptures, that would be the case.”
“That’s wrong.”
At that single, resolute statement, I couldn’t help but frown.
I was the author of this story.
Who was he to tell me I was wrong?
“Aegis does bestow his power upon those with greater faith. But that doesn’t mean they are righteous.”
“So you’re saying that Aegis could bestow his power upon the unrighteous?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then are you saying Aegis is not righteous?”
“Yes. That is what I believe. Aegis simply governs the world. He has no interest in its well-being or righteousness… That is my interpretation.”
“…”
I had intended to provoke him with my aggressive questioning, but it had backfired.
It seemed Tirpitz had contemplated these theological questions far more than I could have ever imagined.
I was particularly surprised by his bold statement that Aegis might not be righteous.
If the Pope had heard that, he probably would have fainted.
“Schlus! What are you doing! How dare you ask such disrespectful questions…!”
“It’s alright. It was actually helpful. By encountering a new perspective on Aegis, I have gained more food for thought.”
‘What a joke,’
I thought to myself, but I held my tongue.
Tirpitz didn’t actually believe in Aegis.
He was simply using religion as a tool to control and stabilize those fragile creatures called humans.
Out of all of Aegis’s teachings, the only one Tirpitz probably truly agreed with was the one that stated:
‘Humans are foolish and greedy creatures.’
“I never thought I’d actually meet you, Sir Sage. You look so young… and… young… and… young…”
Iris had finally malfunctioned.
Just say he looks like a child.
In the original work, I had often described Tirpitz as a child trapped in an adult’s body.
So it made sense that he had a youthful appearance.
But his blue hair, a color impossible for humans, was a reminder that he was no ordinary child.
“Anyway, it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve read all the books you’ve written, ever since I was a child.”
“Huh? I haven’t written any books…”
“There are many books that compile your teachings, Sir Sage. A whole series!”
“Ah… I see…”
Tirpitz looked troubled.
It seemed he was overwhelmed by meeting such an ardent fan.
Endure it, Tirpitz.
This is the religion you chose.
It’s your responsibility to deal with its fanatics.
“It was a pleasure meeting you both. It’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors.”
“Ah! Yes! Yes!”
Tirpitz was wrapping things up.
It seemed we were unwelcome, or perhaps just a nuisance.
But I couldn’t leave just yet.
I stepped forward and deployed a perception-blocking barrier between Iris and me.
“Mr. Schlus?”
“Tirpitz, I have something to tell you.”
“…?”
I was going to tell him something he had been wanting to know for thousands of years.
That would surely win me his favor.
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Madfaka still yapping about being author