Chapter 3

Imagine stepping out on a dark night, heading to a desolate field with no light or people in sight.


Lying down on that vast plain and gazing at the stars in the sky, you’ll see a painting more beautiful than anything humans could ever create, spread across the night sky as its canvas.

‘Observatory of Star’s Dream.’

The night in the small city of Larpentia is both dark and bright. The ground is dark, but the sky is bright.


The moon, the queen of the night sky, flaunts herself like a protagonist, while countless stars embroider the heavens. Looking at those stars, I thought of a child who must be asleep by now—a child whose name I don’t even know.

‘The miracle was taken away because I was unworthy before the Lord.’

At first glance, the stars in the night sky seem to wander as they please.


But those with keen eyes and observational skills can discern a pattern in their movements. If I were to sit here with a notebook and sketchbook for days, observing the stars from the same spot, I’d realize that even the stars move according to a greater order.

If I could fully understand that great order,


I could predict how the stars would move in the future.


Beyond the orderly movement of the stars, even the playful comets and meteors, as celestial bodies, follow the rules of the heavens.

The Observatory of Star’s Dream is precisely that kind of miracle. It doesn’t prophesize the future—it predicts it.


That’s why the Lord’s vision of the future is always grounded. He sees the entire process leading to the future, and by altering part of that process, He can choose a different future.

‘From the start, it wasn’t a miracle meant for a human like me.’

From the most probable future to the nearly infinite possibilities of the improbable,


my Lord interprets the future as a mix of countless possibilities. He quietly observes and only reveals the most likely future to me.

‘Like a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck, I couldn’t even use it properly.’

The further into the future I observe, the less likely the most probable future becomes. Even trying to observe a day ahead, it’s only a fragment of the future, not a certainty.

With my power, I could only see a mere inch into the future.


But even that inch was enough to change the flow of battle.


In dangerous moments, I could predict the future and alter it. That’s why I was able to stay with the Hero Party.

Now, the miracle has been taken away. I can no longer see the future.


But just because I can’t, the Lord sees and hears things beyond my comprehension. His intuition and thoughts are in a realm I can’t even begin to fathom.

“Lord. This unworthy servant has one question to ask.”

So I knelt and prayed. I simply asked the Lord:


What should I do for the child You led me to?

“Did You foresee that I would meet that child from the moment I picked the apple?”

The Lord did not answer,


but instead, my eyes grew heavy. Yes, I’m used to it now.


My Lord is calling me.

*****

Where is this place? It’s not a maze, for there’s no terrain,


nor is it darkness, for I can see clearly ahead. It’s just a colorless space.


In this colorless void, I saw a light. A golden, flickering light approached—the only thing with color in this colorless world. Yes, I know who that is.

“I greet the Angel.”

I simply call them the Light Angel.


It seems they’ve come to me this time as the Lord’s messenger.

Among the many servants who defy the Lord,


the Angel circled around me before stopping. A stern and solemn will flowed into my mind.

– Apostle. Lift your head. We are both servants who serve the Lord.

Following the Angel’s will, I raised my head and looked at them. From every angle, they appeared as nothing but light to me, but their true form is beyond my understanding.


My mind can’t comprehend the Angel’s true form, so it interprets them as light.

– Chosen Apostle, do you resent the Lord?


“How could I?”


– I heard the Lord took back one of the miracles He bestowed upon you. Can you truly say you hold no resentment?


“I hold no resentment. It was never mine to begin with.”

The Lord lent me the miracle and simply took it back.


It was never truly mine, so I can’t say I lost it. How could I resent the Lord?

All divinity comes from God, and it merely passes through me.


I received an undeserved grace, and He simply took back a part of it. I’m only sorry for failing to meet His expectations, but I feel no regret.

– Even though it means you can no longer be with your comrades?


“If it’s His will, there must be a reason.”

I am but a foolish being with eyes yet unable to perceive the true form of the Angel before me. The Lord sees far more than I do, and I can’t begin to understand the things He encounters.

If that’s the decision He made, there must be a purpose. As His servant, I simply live according to His will.

The Angel glowed silently for a moment before continuing.

– Apostle. You may not remember, but during the battle with the Primal Demon King, you doubted the Lord.


“Me? That couldn’t be…”

I wanted to say it never happened,


but I couldn’t. Honestly, my memories of the battle with the Primal Demon King are incomplete.

I remember seeing something through the miracle,


but I don’t remember what it was. Perhaps the Lord took that memory away.

– You thought hope was meaningless, like a dying flame. You thought even the Lord couldn’t protect you and your friends.


“So…”


– That’s why the Lord tested you and took away your power to see the future.

The miracle, the Observatory of Star’s Dream.


What future did I see with that miracle?


What future did I see that made me doubt the Lord? No matter how hard I thought, nothing came to mind. I felt frustrated, unable to understand why the Angel was scolding me.

– Apostle. The Lord wants you to realize one thing.

The Angel sternly delivered His message.

– Why hope is not futile. You may already know the answer, but you haven’t truly understood it. Apostle. On the day you truly grasp the answer to this question, the Lord will return what He temporarily took from you.


“I will act according to the Lord’s will.”

I swear with the faith deep within my heart, and the Angel, seeing me, spoke.

– The process of seeking that answer will not be the process of saving yourself.


“I wish to hear the Angel’s wise counsel.”


– Simply live your life as you wish.

Just live the life I want to live.


Only live the life I desire.

– In doing so, you will one day come to understand the Lord’s will.


“Is that enough?”


– That alone is enough.

The light surrounding me began to flicker faster.


The Angel was preparing to leave. I bowed my head in gratitude.

As the Angel was about to depart, they left me with one final message.

– I will await the day you stand beside us in the future.

Blink. The flame completely vanished. I awoke from my slumber and gazed at the brightening dawn sky. The blazing sun slowly rose from the eastern horizon.

‘Apostle. They always call me that.’

A small question arose in my mind as I reflected on the message.


It wasn’t just about them.

‘Others always call me Apostle too. What does it mean?’

I’ve met many Angels, some so often they’ve become familiar.


Even though I wanted to ask them about the term “Apostle,” whenever I heard their holy voices, I kept forgetting to ask. So, I still don’t know what it means.

‘It sounds similar to Priest and Believer…’

Maybe it’s just a combination of the two?


I’m not sure. And it’s not really important.


What’s important is how to treat the Lord’s guest who has come to our home.