Chapter 44

There are many gods on the continent. During the adventure I embarked on with Yurinel, I realized that gods are not as distant from us humans as one might think.

From small guardian deities protecting a single village, to mountain gods revered in sacred peaks, to the various local gods worshipped by different regions and races—where there is faith, there is also divinity.

Of course, the most populous race on the continent is us humans, and the five main gods worshipped by the majority of humans oversee all these divine beings, standing at the pinnacle of godhood.

The three goddesses often referred to as the Three Divine Gods are, in essence, like the queens of the gods.

And then there are the evil gods and celestial gods, so powerful that even they cannot be controlled by the Three Divine Gods.

All five of these deities care for humans. While they do not reject the faith of other races like beastfolk, they do not actively seek to bestow blessings upon them either.

‘Ancient God…’

The more I listened to Mr. Layton and the Princess’s explanations, the more my mind became tangled.

The explanations I heard made me wonder if my Lord was truly similar to them.

The vague feeling that my Lord was somehow different from other gods wasn’t something I had just started to feel. Though I’ve never encountered beings as grand as the Three Divine Gods, I have faced off against local evil gods and death gods a few times.

These gods, closer to malevolent spirits than true deities, gained their divinity through heinous methods like human sacrifice. They were calamity gods, plague gods—beings that needed to be eradicated.

Even if their power was inferior to that of strong humans, they were still gods, and dealing with such evil gods required extreme caution. They might even be more troublesome than the Demon King, and we’ve only ever encountered one.

Regardless, they all craved and demanded faith. They desired belief in some form. This was a stark contrast to my Lord’s indifference to faith.

If my Lord is indeed the Ancient God, the very Law of the Universe, and thus has no need for human faith, then it makes sense why He would accept only my faith and bestow divinity upon me. His power doesn’t come from faith but from Himself.

But is that truly the case?

“As I mentioned earlier, we must take this matter very seriously. If the god you serve is truly the Ancient God, I would pay any price to establish contact with Him.”

Mr. Layton couldn’t hide his impatience as he pressed me, but I couldn’t help but ask myself the same question. Is my Lord the Law of the Universe?

A law exists without intent or will—it simply is. Is my Lord like that? No matter how much I thought about it, the answer was no.

He may appear to maintain absolute neutrality, but in truth, He has helped many through me. He stands on our side, between this world and us humans.

Of course, there’s nothing more meaningless than trying to define who He is.

I shook my head. My Lord could be the Ancient God, or He might not be.

What’s important isn’t that, but whether His power can help these people. I thought He might answer if I asked.

“I see…”

Mr. Layton seemed to misinterpret my reaction, looking at me with a suspicious gaze. I explained that I didn’t know who my Lord was or why He helped us.

He never spoke of it, and I never asked. If it were truly important, He would have told me. Or perhaps an angel would have delivered a message.

“However, I can pray to my Lord and relay your request. If your goal is to break free from the Curse of the Sun, I will convey that to Him.”

Mr. Layton, who had been silent, finally reacted when I clasped my hands in prayer, his eyes widening as he watched me.

“Wait, if you’re really praying, could I ask one more favor?”

Now? In the middle of my prayer?

Ah… just say it quickly.

There are several angels passing by in front of me right now.

“Ah, of course, I don’t have any complaints about the Duke. Don’t misunderstand, okay? He’s a good person. Even if there are times when he’s hard to understand, it’s rare to find a superior like him.”

Please get to the point, in three sentences or less.

“But sometimes, very rarely, I wish I could have more autonomy in my work. And I’d like some privacy too.”

“But since we’re bound by the power of domination from birth, it’s difficult. Could you ask your Lord if He might consider this work-related grievance?”

Don’t beat around the bush! I have no idea what you’re talking about.

I’ll relay it word for word, but if my Lord ignores it, it’s not my fault. Just remember that I did my part…

Clunk.

But how long had I been praying? The carriage gradually slowed down and then came to a complete stop. Mr. Layton frowned and shouted at the coachman.

“Why did we stop suddenly? Is there an obstacle ahead?”

“T-the horses suddenly won’t listen. Hey, you stupid animals! Go! Move forward! Why are you staring at the sky? The sky… the sky…?! Aaaah!”

At the sudden scream, we all rushed out of the carriage without a second thought. Checking the unconscious coachman’s pulse, I could feel his heart still beating.

Fortunately, it seemed he had just fainted. Meanwhile, the four horses pulling the carriage were calmly staring at the sky without a hint of disturbance.

“The sky? What’s in the sky…”

I saw Mr. Layton’s face turn pale as he looked up at the sky.

He staggered as if he had seen something unbearable. Even after regaining his balance, his legs trembled uncontrollably. He seemed to want to say something, but no words came out—only his finger pointed frantically at the sky.

The usually composed and confident man had lost all composure, overwhelmed by terror.

“W-what is… this…”

The Princess bravely looked up at the sky but soon froze.

After a moment, she managed to speak, though her words were heavily stuttered. She tried to draw her sword but dropped the hilt several times due to her shaking hands. Suddenly, something gripped my leg tightly.

Roka’s tail, trembling violently, wrapped around my leg.

Roka, growling like a dog and glaring at the sky, was clearly frightened. Her ears were shaking uncontrollably.

“I-I’ll, protect, pro…”

Who’s protecting whom?

The figure up there is probably someone I know.

Thinking that, I looked up. Indeed, it was someone I had met before.

The sky hadn’t changed at all. The vast night sky stretched from horizon to horizon.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that there were no moons or clouds in that night sky. Only stars and the Milky Way filled the sky, which wasn’t our sky at all.

A colossal giant of the night stood towering over us, covering the entire sky.

-Apostle. The Lord has received your prayer.

Another servant of the Lord.

The Angel of the Night had come to deliver a message from the Lord.

I had met her once before when I received my most powerful miracle, “The Night the Milky Way Blooms,” and this was our second meeting. The first time, she had appeared suddenly during my night watch, startling me.

I hadn’t expected to see her again like this.

Her entrance was as dramatic as ever. Unlike other angels, she manifests through the night sky.

-First, I must inform you that the Lord has rejected one of your two requests.

Yes. Even I thought the second request was likely to be rejected.

I couldn’t even understand what I was asking for.

-The Lord’s response to your first request is as follows.

But that was just my thought.

The Lord’s will was something my small mind couldn’t comprehend.

-This matter is within your power to resolve, so do not rely on Me. Thus says the Lord. Apostle, the Lord believes you already possess the capability to solve this problem.

In the end, the Lord granted the second prayer, the one I didn’t even understand.

-To the one who seeks freedom. If you are willing to respect the freedom of others as much as your own, I shall gladly grant you freedom.

Mr. Layton’s expression changed. He made a complicated face and closed his mouth.

-Apostle. The Lord has bestowed upon you a new miracle. Whether you use it or not is up to you.

The miracle, the Bell of Enlightenment.

Ring it once to open the light. Ring it twice to enlighten the living. Ring it thrice to bring freedom. The miracle bell that shatters any chains of bondage.

A new miracle’s power had settled within me.

…Though I’m not sure why.

Fsssh.

The giant’s body, as vast as the night sky, began to crumble like a mirage. It likely wasn’t a physical form but a projection or illusion, and now that its task was done, it was disappearing.

Even as it vanished, the night sky remained dark and unchanged.

As if nothing had happened. As if nothing had changed.

But it was clear that it wasn’t just an illusion. All four of us, as well as the coachman and horses, had seen it.

-Apostle. Sometimes, before seeking the Lord’s guidance, look within yourself. You are the Lord’s appointed representative on this earth, and you are capable of more than you think.

After hearing the angel’s final words, I offered my thanks and finally looked around.

Everyone was staring at me in a daze. As I quietly offered a prayer of gratitude, Mr. Layton hesitantly spoke.

“Priest.”

For some reason, his voice was trembling.

“What exactly are you serving…?”

Haha.

I don’t know either.

*****

In that brief moment when hope appeared, how joyful the woman must have been.

But now, she was overwhelmed with regret for the past. A rising sense of guilt seemed to whisper to her. As the light began to shine, the shadows that had been hidden in the darkness became visible.

‘You sent so many children to hell, yet you only wish for your own son to be saved?’ It felt as if someone was whispering in her ear. No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

It wasn’t a hallucination or a delusion. Someone was truly whispering. All she could do was apologize.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Duke Shimira had ordered the culling of deformed children, and she and her husband had not refused.

When ordinary vampires gave birth to deformed children, who was it that snatched the babies from their parents’ arms and abandoned them in the mountains? Who was it that suppressed the wailing parents with the power of domination?

Only after giving birth to a deformed child herself did she begin to understand their pain. She understood the heartbreak of parents forced to part with their newborn child forever. The memories of sending those children to hell and burying their cries in the mountains came flooding back.

Selfishly, she didn’t want her own son to suffer the same fate.

She held her son and wept silently, ensuring her cries didn’t reach his ears.

Humans turn to gods in such times, but vampires have no such refuge. No god answers their prayers; they can only rely on themselves.

Knock knock.

The knocking on the door didn’t grow louder or softer—it remained constant.

No, now it was right in front of her. Whatever had been knocking on the front door was now at her bedroom door. One thing was certain.

This was definitely not a vampire. There was no trace of blood resonance.

-Not welcome?

As Laila realized this, she was on the verge of panic.

The knocking stopped, and a voice came from beyond the door. It was one voice, yet not one.

-Then. And now?

It felt as if countless babies were chattering at her. The voices continued endlessly. Only then did she understand what had come for her.

“It’s you…”

Karma had come for her, taking the form of a god.

A knocking sound began in her head. Something was on top of her, knocking on her skull. Tears of blood flowed against her will, and fear paralyzed her mind.

‘Evil God…’

A malevolent, calamity-bringing god.

A god born not from faith but from malice and resentment.

A fundamental calamity of sentient beings, feared and hated by all religions, including the Three God Faith, more than even demons. When and how had such a thing come to be?

There’s no point in asking.

What happens will happen.

‘A god we created…’

The woman, clutching her child in fear, finally noticed that the child had opened its eyes and was looking at her. Those eyes were no longer blind. The child was no longer a vampire.

“Mom.”

Seeing the babbling creature, Laila screamed and dropped the child.

But it landed lightly on its feet and toddled toward her. The thing within the child slowly approached.

“Why did you kill us?”

The lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.

In the darkness, only the eyes of the evil god glowed calmly.