“So what now?”
[Why are you asking me again?]
“There’s nothing to do until the test results come out.”
I had already walked around the town here and there. The only place left was underground.
But I was not stupid enough to recklessly go underground alone.
‘I don’t even know what’s down there.’
One way or another, there was an apostle here. If I went alone, I would probably get beaten like a dog.
‘Of course, I won’t lose.’
I could avoid losing. That was all.
I could not win.
‘No, wait. Could I win?’
I was an apostle now too.
Not even an ordinary apostle, but the apostle of an ancient god.
“Tsk.”
If she was an ancient god, maybe her divine power was weak because she had few believers.
And.
[Why are you staring at me?]
‘How strong could she be?’
This evil god was far too different from what was written in the ancient books.
‘If I had to describe her......’
A brat.
That was exactly the right expression.
“......Ah, fuck.”
[Hmm? Apostle, what is wrong?]
Because of that bastard, I almost naturally accepted the fact that I was an apostle too.
[So what are you going to do now?]
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be lying around like this.”
Right now, I was lying on a church bench and rolling around.
It was a long bench made for several people to sit on, and I had simply stretched out across it.
“Why are you doing that, brother?”
The priest of Rakar was looking at me and sighing deeply.
“It’s fine. No one comes at this hour anyway.”
“That is not the prob...... Haa. No. Never mind. Never mind.”
What was the problem?
‘I slept as much as I could too......’
I had slept for quite a while to pass the time.
I fell asleep while the sun floated high in the sky, and when I woke, its light was slowly fading.
“Ugh......!”
I stretched once. Cracking sounds came from my waist and arms, but I did not particularly care.
“What should I do?”
Even if I thought about it roughly, there were still about five hours left until the analysis of the brainwashing drug was finished.
‘It’ll probably be late at night......’
It was fortunate that it was the brainwashing drug of that Evil God of War, Resha.
If it had been the Evil God of Lust, the analysis would have taken at least a week.
[Apostle, apostle! Let us go outside!]
The bastard shoved her face toward me and shouted.
“Ah, shut up already!”
Do not make so much noi—
“Pardon? What kind of language is that in a sacred church!”
“Ah...... I’m sorry......”
At the priest’s words, I had no choice but to close my mouth.
‘But this feels unfair......’
The one making noise was not me, but that evil god bitch. My only sin was answering her......
[Puhahaha! He says you are noisy! It seems you are the one who needs to shut up, does it not?]
Argh, seriously.
“Hoo......”
I could not just keep waiting like this.
[If you are going to be scolded for being noisy, let us go outside!]
Go outside?
“Where?”
[Is it not better than staying in the territory of that damned bitch Aria?]
“I am a believer of Aria.”
[You are my apostle!]
Infuriating.
“Haa......”
As always, after a meaningless conversation, it seemed I was the one who gave in.
[Oh! Have you finally decided to go somewhere? As expected of my apostle!]
‘Because it’s annoying when something keeps buzzing in my ear.’
Since I could hear her even if I covered my ears, just listening to her was easier on my mind.
“Where are you going?”
“Just, well......”
I had not decided.
“Since they said they would tell me through the communication orb anyway, it does not matter, but......”
If it did not matter, why was he looking at me with such suspicious eyes?
“Please do not break anything.”
......Would he curse at me if I said I had already broken one door?
***
[Wow......]
The evil god bitch let out an exclamation. Of course, it was not an exclamation of admiration.
[How can a market be this quiet?]
There was not even the first letter of liveliness to be found in Rakar’s market.
“Hoo......”
The merchants, who should have been loudly shouting as they sold goods, were merely sighing.
‘This really can’t be because of that star cat.’
Those damned War bastards must have done something to the brainwashing drug.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, yes......”
Wow. Listen to that voice.
[Apostle, are you trying to buy something?]
I had only spoken because I wanted to buy one apple.
‘He’s practically dying.’
The man’s voice drooped like that of someone who was truly about to die.
“What do you need......?”
“Ah, that...... I wanted to buy one apple......?”
“Yes......”
The merchant weakly took one apple from the box and handed it to me.
“Go on......”
“Pardon? No, you have to take the money.”
“Ah...... right.”
What in the world was this, for a merchant to forget to take money?
“What exactly happened in Rakar?”
I could not even guess what the War bastards had done.
‘Could it be......’
Had that foul smell I had sensed from the moment I entered this place been brainwashing too?
Not just the drug?
‘......No way.’
It was probably just because those damned bastards had hidden underground.
They were surely in the sewers or something.
“Ah...... Well, nothing much happened. Just a few stray cats...... and a few dogs disappearing?”
If you say nothing much happened, then why does your face look like that?
“I’ve been feeling bad lately for some reason. Uneasy for no reason. The children seem a little strange too.”
“The children?”
“Should I say there are many children who have oddly started liking home lately? It feels like their personalities have changed a little too......”
The children?
‘Those damned bastards touched children?’
Do not expect even a chance to repent.
“In any case...... money.”
“Ah. Yes.”
I took a coin from my pocket and handed it over.
“Hope you sell a lot.”
“......”
He did not react even to that.
[You were ignored.]
Could this really be called being ignored......?
“It certainly is strange.”
Because.
“Wait for me!”
The children were running around so energetically like that.
Seeing the adults like this while some children looked lively felt somehow bizarre.
“Purr......”
What was with the children sleeping on the bench?
[What a mess. This is an utter mess.]
“Kid?”
“......?”
When I tapped the child, he rubbed his eyes, yawned widely, and glared at me.
“......”
Then he lay back down on the bench and fell asleep with a purr.
[Puhaha!]
No, damn it.
“Do not laugh.”
[How could I...... not laugh at this?! Now even this child is ignoring you?!]
Argh, seriously.
“If you sleep here......”
When I shook him slightly to touch him, the child opened his eyes halfway, got down from the bench, stared at me, and stuck out his tongue.
“No...... Hey! What are you!”
Watching him simply go on his way made me feel incredibly annoyed.
“That insane......!”
[Puhaha!]
I had merely said something obvious to the child, and he suddenly stuck his tongue out at me?
[You should be glad he did not flip you off!]
“As if a child would do that......”
He had looked only about eight at most......
‘Or not? Do children learn fast these days?’
Things were very different from my time. Back in my day, if I cursed once, Grandpa hit me.
‘What a memory.’
It seemed like a heavily beautified memory, but still.
“Mm......”
But what exactly was the problem?
There was no way everyone in this city had taken the medicine.
Then there were only a few possibilities.
‘......The town itself has become an evil god’s den, perhaps......’
It was a chilling assumption just to think about.
[There is no way. Aside from Kai and that boy, there was no child from whom I sensed the aura of an evil god.]
“Why? Maybe you just can’t feel it.”
Depending on how well one handled divine power, one could conceal that aura as well.
“I don’t know.”
In any case, no matter how many things I thought of and hypotheses I formed now, the result would come out late tonight anyway.
[Oh! Apostle! Over there! Look over there!]
The bastard slapped my side.
[Ah, apostle! Let us go see that!]
It was an ordinary street performance.
[Apostle!]
Now she was even trying to grab my hand and drag me along.
However, for an evil god, her physical strength was apparently garbage, because my hand did not move in the slightest.
[That! It looks fun!]
How should I put it?
“No.”
It felt like raising a child.
And not just any]
How should I put it?
“No child, but a brat who truly did not listen.
[Tch! Whose apostle are you?]
I decided to simply ignore her.
[Hmm...... If you do not like this, then let us go see those children again!]
“Why them?”
I had already given a rough warning about the apostles, so nothing should happen.
[What? Are you truly not going?]
“Why are you saying it like that?”
This was strange.
[Am I? Hmm......?]
“Do not smile so disgustingly.”
That expression was filled with anticipation, as if she was scheming something.
‘Hoo......’
That expression felt as though it was shaving away even more of my mental strength for no reason.
[Well, it is even better if you do not go! That will be amusing in its own way.]
Why did her saying it like that make me even more uneasy?
“Did you do something? To the children?”
[Which children?]
“Who else?”
At my words, the bastard tilted her head as though she truly did not know.
[The children who come to mind are Harkan, and the child named Pell......]
“No, the children.”
[Yes. Children.]
Ah, right.
‘This bastard even calls Grandpa Harkan a child, doesn’t she?’
It was my own fault for trying to understand the way this damned evil god spoke.
“Kai, Lina, and that boy.”
I had not called the children by name either.
Maybe I should have asked his name.
[Ah! Kai and that boy? Why would I touch them? Even if I leave them alone, something amusing enough will come out.]
Amusing?
“Is there something you didn’t tell me?”
[Hmm? There is.]
“......?”
She admitted it this easily?
[There are not just one or two things I am hiding. You have not told me whom you want to revive either, have you?]
That was true.
“Everyone has things they don’t particularly want to talk about.”
[That is how it is.]
That was right......
‘Was I obsessing too much over something trivial?’
[Why? If my apostle is truly that curious, I can tell you.]
The bastard poked my cheek with a mischievous expression.
“Move.”
I knocked her hand away with my arm.
[So, are you truly not going?]
“What exactly do you want? Do you want me to go, or not?”
[Who knows? What do you think? Heehee!]
I could not get a grasp on her at all.
‘Is it because she has few emotions?’
It felt like I could not read what was inside her. Or like she had the mindset that it did not matter either way.
Wooooong—
“Huh?”
The communication orb in my pocket was ringing even faster than I expected.
[Apostle. Before you answer, I will ask you again.]
The bastard was smiling excitedly.
“What?”
[Are you truly fine with not going?]
I did not know why she was so fixated on this.
Thinking that, I decided to simply ignore her.
What mattered right now was not anything else, but the contact.
“Garon. It ended faster than I thought......”
—That medicine! Where did you get it!—
Why was he like this the moment I answered?
“Why? What is its effect?”
—Perception alteration!—
Perception what?
—It makes one unconditionally believe the target!—
“......What?”
Who?
—So! It makes them trust an evil god’s apostle completely!—
“Fuck!”
A curse flowed from my mouth before I even realized it.
Then my eyes went back to the bastard.
[Apostle.]
The bastard was merely smiling.
[Are you truly sure you do not have to go?]
In other words, I had been thinking about it wrong.
There was no way something like her was merely a brat.