Chapter 24

The first time I died,

It was when Yurinel and I were still quite weak.

Separated from Yurinel, I fought a horde of goblins and fell off a cliff.

That was my first death.

-Apostle.

Isn’t it strange? Even though I died, I felt the call.

Along with the strange sensation of someone dragging my body.

When I woke up again, it was where I had last lit the candles in the sanctuary. Probably a remote cabin I had stumbled upon while wandering.

-Your life, devoted to the Lord, cannot be taken even by death.

That was the first time I saw the faceless Angel.

-One, do not take death lightly, believing in the Lord’s power.

A different servant of the Lord, not the Angel who gave me the Phylogenetic Seedling.

They warned me.

-The more you experience death, the more your body crumbles. The end is ascension. A fate that will inevitably come to you.

Not only through experiencing death, but every time I use miracles or powers beyond my capacity,

My body, unfit for such divine tasks, will continue to crumble.

There is no way to reverse it. Just as the past cannot be undone.

To delay the time of ascension and remain in this world as long as possible, I must never use all my abilities.

Anyway, meeting such a being again face-to-face was somewhat pleasant, somewhat embarrassing, and somewhat awkward.

But since we hadn’t seen each other for a long time, it felt a bit unfamiliar. Yeah.

Of course, that was only for a moment.

-Apostle. The day you join us is not far off.

The words that came next didn’t seem like a joke or a prank.

I looked at their face with a serious expression. Where a human face should have been, there was only an infinite abyss, but eyes, nose, and mouth are ultimately human organs.

An Angel can perceive the boundless world without such limitations.

-In truth, this is not just your story. Soon, a new cycle of this world will begin. More dramatic than any previous cycle, and perhaps the last.

“A cycle?”

-It is a term for the deepest secret of this world, one you do not yet know.

What I heard was, though it may be impious and regrettable,

For a brief moment, I doubted the message the Angel had delivered from the Lord.

The Angel waited for me, and when I regained my composure, they continued.

-As you know, our Lord does not require faith. Thus, He merely observes you mortals.

The Angel extended a slender finger, pointing into the void.

There, instead of our ceiling, I saw a clear night sky. Countless stars crossed the sky, filling it completely.

-Apostle. The number of possibilities is greater than the stars in that sky. But some possibilities are greater than the sum of all others. The chosen often call it fate.

Those stars are fading. From where the dawn breaks, they are swallowed by a brighter light and disappear.

The starlight is engulfed by the great sunlight, and the sun rises. The Angel pointed precisely at the sun and warned me.

-Look. No matter how desperately the stars shine, the moment the sun rises, no one sees their twinkle. What is to come in this world is like that. All the cries you humans make will become silent screams, disappearing forever.

-No matter what decisions you make, the outcome has already been determined in that distant place. Apostle. The Lord did not give you the Phylogenetic Seedling on a whim. You, and that miracle, are but a hope He has bestowed upon you.

The Lord, whom I serve,

Has foretold the destruction of this world. It was like hearing the sky would fall.

My legs gave out, and I staggered without realizing it. But I soon regained my composure.

“As a mere believer, I have come this far by the Lord’s grace. If the Lord has placed me in a position to decide the fate of this world, I will gladly obey.”

If that is what they saw, then at least for me, there is no room for objection.

They see things beyond my comprehension.

What matters is what I can do,

And what I must do. I asked the Angel.

“What is the source of the crisis? Could it be Grimudo?”

The Primal Demon King, whom we could never defeat.

Could it be that Yurinel and the Saintess ultimately failed to defeat him, and that is what will bring calamity to humanity?

But the Angel simply shook their head.

-It is a more primordial being. It holds no malice toward you.

“Can it be a calamity even without ill intent?”

-Because it has no reason to care for you.

The Angel did not answer further, and I could not ask more.

I knew it wasn’t that they wouldn’t tell me, but that they couldn’t.

“What must I do? What can I do?”

I clasped my hands together and simply asked.

I asked the Angel, who surely possesses wisdom far greater than mine.

-Just do what you desire.

They simply reached out and gently touched my head.

After a moment, they withdrew their hand and disappeared. Whether it was a dream, an illusion, the walls and ceiling vanished, leaving only a void around them.

-The Lord will guide you to your fate. The Lord will guide you to your choice.

As they grew distant, I felt my consciousness fading as well. Am I about to faint? Or have I already fainted?

Either way, one thing was certain: this was not a dream. It was no mere illusion.

Apostle. Save your world.

Before you can no longer endure and come to our side.

That was the last words left in my ears.

*****

“…Master. Master!”

“Saint, are you alright?”

I blinked awake to find Roka on top of me, desperately calling out.

Leidain stood before me, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“You must have exerted yourself greatly to heal me, Saint. I am deeply sorry that I cannot repay such a great favor immediately. Are you very tired?”

“I’m not tired. My body feels light.”

I stretched lightly and answered while patting Roka’s head, who sighed in relief.

You were worried I was in danger, weren’t you? Thank you.

“Miss Leidain, is your real name Ardein von Illumina?”

“Yes, I am Ardein… How?!!”

“I received a revelation. I hoped it was all a joke, but of course, the Angel wouldn’t lie to someone like me.”

Even if she is a princess, she is still a guest who has come seeking the Lord.

There’s no need to kneel and treat her with utmost reverence. My knees aren’t made of steel, and I would kneel if asked, but I don’t need to bow first.

I’ve heard many stories about Princess Ardein von Illumina.

The Iron Princess of the Empire. The undefeated war hero. But cursed by the gods, afflicted with a rotting disease, she fell from grace under the scorn of the people.

All of that is just rhetoric.

One cannot know a person until they see them for themselves, and I erased those prejudices from my mind.

She is none other than the Lord’s guest, Miss Leidain. Nothing more, nothing less. I will treat her with courtesy.

“A revelation… From the Lord you serve?”

“No. From another of His servants. One of the many Angels He commands. A revelation I didn’t want to believe.”

What is this cycle? Can Yurinel stop it? How, and by what means, will it threaten this world?

I know nothing now. That’s why my mind is in chaos.

“Princess, does the word ‘cycle’ bring anything to mind?”

“Cycle…? No, nothing.”

“Roka, what about you?”

“Roka doesn’t know about that.”

Roka hugged me so tightly for a moment that it hurt a little.

“I only know about Master.”

“Yeah, yeah, thank you.”

I should teach her some things.

Anyway, realizing that the three of us couldn’t find an answer, it was time to seek wisdom from outside.

But who should I ask? Who can I ask?

If there were the wisest person in the world, I could ask them, but there’s no such person. So, do I have to embark on a new journey to find someone who knows about the cycle?

“Cycle… No matter how much I think about it, nothing comes to mind. Since you’ve already figured it out, I’ll be frank. I am Ardein von Illumina. Once, I acted as the second-in-command of the empire, surpassing even my brother. I’ve seen and heard much, but I don’t recall the word ‘cycle’ being used in any other context than its dictionary meaning.”

I see.

But the princess continued.

“If the word ‘cycle’ has a special meaning, perhaps only the oldest Demon King, Grimudo, would know. At least, it would be difficult to find an answer within the empire.”

It seemed like just a casual remark,

But there was certainly a possibility.

‘If it’s Grimudo, he might really know.’

Countless heroes have tried to defeat him, but none have survived. The ancient Demon King who has lived through countless ages.

The one most hated by Yurinel’s party, and by me as well.

With his many secrets, he might know the true meaning of the cycle.

‘Perhaps I should go to Grimudo’s Polaris Fortress again.’

If I can just understand the meaning of the cycle, I won’t fear even if he kills me.

He may break my small body, but he cannot break me.