Chapter Twenty-Two: The Existence of Deities
“Ugh!”
I widened my eyes, panicking as I gulped down everything in my mouth, shouting in shock: “Abyss cough! Uh…”
Oh no, I swallowed too fast and choked…
Food was stuck in my throat, making me feel like I was about to perish. I thumped my chest with a loud “thump thump,” tossing the half-eaten custard tart onto the tea table, and hastily scrambled off the sofa, completely ignoring the expressions on the faces of the two women. I dashed towards the kitchen to find something to drink.
Uncomfortable, uncomfortable, uncomfortable…
“What a dumb Pope Knight in history.”
I could hear Victoria berating me from a distance.
Not like I wanted to be like this…
I rushed into the kitchen and leaned over the ceramic basin, burying my head and gulping down a few big mouthfuls of water.
The underground water system of the Royal City is fantastically elaborate, making it an advanced design that’s even more convenient than Winter City in this era. The drinking water flows from a spring forty kilometers outside the city, crystal clear and odorless. On Longdoll Street, it directly connects to various residences, so there’s no need to trek out to fetch water. After a few gulps, I finally felt relief in my chest and wiped my mouth with satisfaction.
“Ah—”
I sighed, feeling so much better.
Then, I hurried back, pretending that nothing had happened, afraid to look at Victoria’s face as I plopped down next to Margaret, asking her, “You just mentioned, the new Abyss…”
If that damned monster was finally arriving after all this time.
Margaret looked at me with a complex expression. She didn’t immediately answer but suddenly asked a completely irrelevant question.
“Miss Silvya, do you often feel unsatisfied after eating? Like, you always want to eat when you see food?”
As she asked, her sparkling eyes were fixed on me, making me feel all kinds of awkward, and I instinctively glanced sideways at the blue wall.
What is with the direct approach…
“N-no, not really.”
“But I’ve been thinking since just now… You seem to have an unusual obsession with food.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“… I don’t.”
“You’re lying.” Margaret frowned, looking somewhat dissatisfied. “A knight cannot lie.”
“……”
What is this woman’s deal?
Who just bluntly interrogates someone like this? What’s the point? If you already know I’m lying, what do you want me to say?!
I’m a lady—wait, no, I’m a macho guy. Macho guys have pride, okay?
But the problem was, Margaret seemed dead serious, and it didn’t look like I could just brush it off.
So I slowly turned my face away. “No, Margaret. Why are you asking this? Let’s just focus on the topic at hand.”
She wasn’t Carlos; I couldn’t just mess around with her or say something rude. I had to divert the conversation awkwardly.
But then I saw Margaret shake her head.
“Your physical condition is also very important to me.”
Oh, now I finally understood what she was getting at.
Margaret was worried about me as the Abyss, afraid I might show some unusual symptoms. After seeing me this time, she probably needed to report back to Angel about something… Thinking about it that way, her question suddenly felt quite subtle.
“I-I quite like eating. Back in the day…”
I wanted to mention that before I became the Abyss, I used to be like this. But I thought better of it and gently shook my head instead: “No. I’ve always been like this; I haven’t changed.”
The real changes? I wouldn’t tell her about those here.
Margaret seemed like she wanted to pry further, her mouth slightly open but was cut off by Victoria.
“Your Majesty, why are you suddenly concerned about her health?”
That sounded a bit odd…
I turned and saw Victoria leaning back with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at us. Her seemingly puzzled gaze had a hint of something… I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Our time is limited; let’s not waste it.” She added.
Margaret was silent for a moment.
“True,” she replied, politely lowering her head. “I apologize, Your Majesty. I was being discourteous.”
Saying this, Margaret smiled brightly, wrapping up the bizarre conversation about my eating habits. Then, she finally got serious and began explaining the specifics regarding the Abyss.
It turns out that a few months ago, the Holy Church received reports from the public stating that there was a violent tremor in the Rabeli Valley region in the northern part of Ethanbel. Out of nowhere, a massive chasm suddenly appeared, spanning across the Wisteria River, and dark muck began bubbling in the depths of the chasm.
The local bishop, who first received the report, realized after checking the situation with a group of Church Knights that this was a new Abyss. He hurriedly wrote to Pope Angel that very night, and that had happened several months ago.
Due to the treacherous terrain of the valley, which was mostly deserted for hundreds of kilometers around, the church hadn’t announced this news publicly; they had simply continued to observe it quietly. Just recently, the muck in the Abyss began frothing. Once Margaret got wind of this, knowing the time for the Abyss to hatch was approaching, she hurried over to see me, hence her appearance in the Order Royal City.
The distance from the Rabeli Valley to the Royal City was quite short. If you took a War Chariot, you’d reach the valley’s entrance in about three days. Margaret’s rushed visit today was mainly for this matter. Soon, she would head out with a few clergymen to scout the area. I wanted to go with her, but she firmly rejected me.
“There are about two thousand Church Knights from the Second Army stationed there. More clergymen will be arriving in the next few days too. Among them, there are some…” Margaret paused briefly as if she were choosing her words carefully, “there are some individuals who are not very easy to deal with. Miss Silvya, it’s best if you stay in the Royal City for now. I’ll handle things up front, and once another Pope Knight arrives, you can go together with him.”
…Another Pope Knight?
I raised my eyebrows in confusion.
Isn’t that Victoria?
So I turned to ask her, “Aren’t you going?”
Before Victoria could open her mouth, Margaret answered for her.
“Her Majesty has other matters to attend to.”
“What matters?”
This answer left me even more puzzled. With the Abyss on our doorstep, what could possibly be more important than this?
Then I saw Victoria wink at me.
“Clive Family, Gate of Truth.” She said.
………
And just like that, decisions were made.
As Margaret was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something.
“Margaret.”
“Hmm?”
“Have you ever met a deity… Sir?”
With a hopeful mindset, I asked this long-pondered question.
Having already stepped out of the courtyard, the Saint turned back, her curly hair glistening in the sunlight.
“I have.”
Her answer was clear and straightforward, without a hint of hesitation.
!!!
I stared, eyes wide with disbelief, gaping at her figure in the sunlight.
I didn’t expect to get a definitive answer from her. Up till now, no one had been able to give me a certain answer. I once doubted that the so-called “deity” was just a narrative spun by the church.
But now, Margaret told me… she had seen one.
She didn’t look like she was lying.
In fact, it was hard for me to imagine Margaret ever lying. She’s the type who says what she thinks. With her confirmation, I immediately believed her.
This world has real deities; Margaret has seen them.
“What were they like?” I asked, on the edge of my seat.
“Sorry, no comment.” Margaret smiled lightly. “How can a small human describe the appearance of a deity? That would be blasphemy against such a great existence, inviting divine punishment upon humanity, which the church regards as taboo, so please understand.”
I stood there, dumbfounded as I watched her step out of the residence and get onto the waiting War Chariot.
“But I think… Miss Silvya will have the chance to meet them one day.”
Even after the carriage turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Margaret’s words continued to echo in my mind, lingering far longer than I expected.
