Chapter 46: O Prayer, Do Not Reach (2)
“I shall ask you, Lohengrin.”
Raphael de Arcturus, a professor of Cia-Harphe's Department of Divinity, opened his mouth.
“How much do you know about the Main Gods.”
“I don't know much.”
Monika responded in an indifferent tone.
Her life thus far had been unrelated to faith. She was not in a position to wish for anything from the Main Gods. Ask the Main Gods for what I lack in my livelihood? A ridiculous notion. Begging was better. Rather than hoping for bread that a god might bestow, it was better to wait for a passerby who might toss a coin.
“That is why you are insolent.”
Raphael crossed his arms.
“Creatures like you do not deserve to live in this country. You are but a lowly commoner, not a subject.”
“Slavery disappeared after the Mirror War ended. Why don't you stop your commoner talk and start the lecture?”
Monika stood facing Raphael.
The disgust on Raphael's face was vivid. I mustn't be crushed by his spirit. Monika opened her eyes wide. She captured the arrogant professor's outline within her amber eyes. She didn't want to cower beside a man like that.
“……You lowly thing.”
Raphael clicked his tongue.
He turned his back and started walking.
“Consider yourself lucky. I personally requested the Vice President to guide you. CIAR is the best educational institution in the Empire……. We cannot have a girl who cannot even read the scriptures as a student.”
What does he want me to do? Looking like the ass of a sardine.
Monika thought as she followed behind Raphael. A melted candle was lit, and sunlight, seeping in from beyond the glass ceiling, was etched onto the altar.
The structure of the prayer room was extremely simple. The lower floor of the cathedral, unlike the immaculately adorned main hall, only the altar was brilliant.
“Behold.”
Raphael said, gazing at the altar.
“The radiance of the Main Gods.”
Monika scratched the back of her neck.
Around the symbol of the Platinum Round Table, statues representing the five Main Gods were erected. Monika recalled her memories from her days as a janitor. She had sung songs of curses every time she had to wipe them. No matter how divine and holy they were, getting dirty and being buried in dust was the essence of all things.
- I can't do this shit. Why won't these footprints come off? Did someone step in dog poop and come in?
- Come to think of it, Melisha, did you clean up Thunderstorm's poop? It's your turn today.
- Cut the crap, Sasha. Melisha and I have no intention of calling that puppy Thunderstorm. It's Marx, or Kant.
- Mr. Fabien, don't just stand there idly, please help us. Golems can use household magic, can't they?
[Understood, Lady Trisha. But even with household magic, I cannot erase these footprints.]
Raphael’s eyebrow twitched.
The voices of the janitors, and Fabien, had gotten on his nerves. But he couldn't shout at them to get out. The prayer room had to be kept clean.
“Recite them, Lohengrin.”
Thus, Raphael growled at Monika.
“The revered names of the Main Gods.”
“Their revered names?”
Monika pursed her lips.
After thinking, she pointed to one of the statues.
“I think it was Ari……, something.”
“How insolent. You don't even know the revered names of the Main Gods?”
How did a commoner get into the Department of Divinity…….
Raphael, who was muttering so, slapped Monika's hand away. Pointing at the statues of the Main Gods. That in itself was wrong. Raphael placed his left hand on his chest and extended his right palm toward one of the statues. A truly smooth movement. To Monika, it looked like a begging gesture.
“It is the God of the Underworld ‘Aries’.”
The God of the Underworld ‘Aries’.
The Main God who presides over death, the mind, and reincarnation.
The God of the Underworld was personified as a man with a cold appearance. Between his shaggy hair, the eyeballs that should have been beyond his eyelids were absent. The God of the Underworld's eyes were elsewhere; countless pupils were engraved on the cloak that draped his body.
“The God of the Underworld taught the weight of illusion. Birth and death are both momentous and futile events. That is why the Underworld Theory is composed of casts that deal with illusions.”
Next, he said.
Raphael continued his explanation.
“It is the God of War ‘Clausewitz’.”
The God of War ‘Clausewitz’.
The Main God who presides over war, peace, and eternity.
The body of the God of War, personified as a young girl, was pierced by a sword. The one holding the hilt was none other than herself. The God of War was stabbing a sword into her own chest. Crying, screaming, with a face endlessly wracked with pain.
“The God of War taught of eternal tragedy. War and peace will repeat endlessly and destroy this world. The War Theory is composed of casts that deal with destruction.”
Next, he said.
Raphael continued his explanation.
“It is the God of Fate ‘Eckhart’.”
The God of Fate ‘Eckhart’.
The Main God who presides over fate, events, and chance.
The God of Fate had their entire body wrapped in a robe. In the gap of the robe adorned with splendid patterns, the form of the God of Fate visible beyond was nothing more than an endlessly tangled skein of thread. The clump of thread, chaotically entangled without any facial features, was the revered face of the God of Fate.
“The God of Fate taught the miracle of chance. Is not uncertainty the root of the miracle inherent in our lives? That is why the Fate Theory is composed of casts that deal with healing.”
Next, he said.
Raphael continued his explanation.
“It is the God of Oblivion ‘Fichte’.”
The God of Oblivion ‘Fichte’.
The Main God who presides over oblivion, civilization, and discovery.
The Main God with the most chaotic appearance was indeed the God of Oblivion. Amidst unknown beasts covering their naked body, they were sculpted in the form of a man with the heads of a frightened human, a sad elf, a happy dwarf, a sulking troll, and an angry orc.
“The God of Oblivion taught the significance of history. What disappears overnight is history, and what is remembered for eternity is also history. The Oblivion Theory deals with casts that summon forgotten things.”
Next, he said.
Raphael continued his explanation.
“It is the Mother God ‘Ivensina’.”
The Mother God ‘Ivensina’.
The head of the Pantheon who presides over circulation, necessity, and birth, and at the same time, represents the Main Gods. That is why the statue of the Mother God was located in the very center of the altar.
Symbolizing life and at the same time, the mother of all things, the appearance of such a Mother God was, for some reason, artificial. There was not a speck of life in her expression, and what covered her body was merely armor. Monika faced the inorganically sculpted eyes of the Mother God.
“The Mother God taught us how to develop this land. To us, this land is our home, and a task we must advance. That is why the Mother God Theory is composed of casts that promote change.”
And finally, he said.
Just as Raphael was about to continue his explanation,
“I know the revered name of the last god.”
Monika's gaze turned downward.
“……The World God ‘Epezeria’.”
The World God ‘Epezeria’.
The god of gods. A dead god, and a living world.
The World God symbolized this world itself. The reason this world was named Epezeria in the first place was to honor the god who bore that name.
That is why, although represented by the symbol of the Platinum Round Table, the World God had no distinct form. Epezeria, who had died with their body curled up, was the world itself; it is said that their skin became the earth, their tears became the sea, and their two eyes became the sun and the moon, becoming the home for all creatures.
“That is correct.”
Raphael nodded his head.
“The World God sacrificed themselves to cultivate this world. That is why they do not bestow power like the other Main Gods. However, the stars that adorn the night sky are the Outer Gods who revere the World God, and the Main Gods watch over this world according to the will of the World God.”
So I ask you, he said.
Raphael said to Monika.
“Have you ever prayed.”
“No.”
It was a lie.
She had sought a god just once.
It was the day her hometown disappeared.
Lying on the field with her right arm cut off, she squeezed out her fading consciousness and prayed.
Save me. Or kill me.
Either way was fine.
Since she didn't know the names of the other gods, she wished to the World God. Then, did she pray not to a god but wish to the world? Monika thought she didn't know for sure. In any case, it was a futile prayer. A dead god could not grant any wish.
“Then watch.”
Meanwhile, Raphael clasped his hands together.
He closed his eyes and bowed his head. It was the procedure for prayer.
“This is a true prayer.”
──Thrum.
A white halo of light permeated the altar.
It was the result of Raphael’s divine power resonating with the Pantheon.
“Those who possess divine power contact the Pantheon through prayer.”
Raphael muttered with his eyes closed.
“The edge of the sky, the realm of the Pantheon that cannot be reached with the physical body……. They send their souls there. The cursed apostates take prayers and consume souls, but a proper prayer is a procedure to visit the Pantheon for a moment.”
Divine magic is the result of borrowing power from the Pantheon.
That is why, the longer and deeper one resonates with the Pantheon, the greater the scale of their divine power becomes.
“Will you try it too.”
Raphael's eyes opened.
A hint of a smile was contained in his shadowed gaze.
He’s looking down on me. Thinking so, Monika nodded her head. She faced the altar and closed her eyes.
‘But…….’
She clasped her hands together,
‘……what should I pray for?’
Monika thought for a moment.
Was there anything to wish for from a god? I want to be good at divine magic too. Please help me. Should she wish for that?
I don't know. Please let me eat well. My stomach has been upset lately. Please don't let me get into any fights. There are many guys who bump into me as they pass. Damn it, God. Are you even listening?
“──Hah! How pathetic.”
Raphael laughed.
Monika opened her eyes a crack.
The altar was shrouded in silence.
It had not responded to Monika's prayer.
“Just as I expected. There's no way the Main Gods would bestow power upon the likes of you. You can use Aura? That in itself is a deplorable disaster.”
Know this, Lohengrin.
The soul of a commoner is insolent.
It is because it is insolent that they were born a commoner.
The soul of a noble is brilliant.
It is because it is brilliant that they were born a noble.
Raphael whispered so.
“So, to reach the Pantheon in the body of a commoner……”
Grip, he went.
Raphael pressed down on Monika's head.
“Bow your head with all your sincerity.”
Thud!
Monika’s body bent down.
Her knees hit the ground and her bones rang. It felt as if she was being pressed down by a thousand pounds. The peer janitors who were sweeping gasped, and Monika, wracked with pain, looked up at Raphael.
“What do you think you're doing……”
“Educating you.”
Raphael’s gaze flashed.
“Kneel before the altar and touch your forehead to the ground. That is the way to pray with all your sincerity. Do not misunderstand. I am not discriminating against you. I too pray while harming my body.”
Monika tensed her neck.
It was no use. Her gaze, which had been directed at the altar, gradually tilted.
The divine power that had formed in Raphael's hand. The monstrous strength stemming from it was pressing Monika down.
The stone floor, covered in footprints, loomed before her. Monika's forehead touched the floor material, scattered with small stones. Her vision went black and a musty smell filled her nose.
“Wish. For your wretched life to be saved.”
Raphael whispered so.
“Pray, Lohengrin. For hope to dwell in your lowly life. You wouldn't want to be expelled from CIAR, would you? Like that commoner you used to hang out with……, Dante Marchisio. So, with all your sincerity, to the Main Gods……”
“──Ahah!”
Monika burst into laughter.
Raphael's hand flinched. The halo of light created by his divine power scattered, and Monika got up from her spot.
“Of course, Professor Arcturus.”
An innocent smile spread across Monika's lips.
However, her eyes were dry, without a hint of laughter.
“Professor, you are a truly considerate person. To personally teach me the proper procedure for prayer that suits me. Thank you so much. This wretched and lowly Monika Lohengrin does not want to be expelled from CIAR. But……”
Thud, she went.
Monika knelt down as if she were collapsing.
The joints of her bones that hit the stone floor throbbed.
“From now on, I will do it myself.”
Again, thud, she went.
Monika slammed her forehead into the ground.
Raphael’s gaze twitched slightly. Thud, thud, thud. The sound of impact echoed through the prayer room. Monika repeated the action Raphael had instructed her to do several times. Her knees were scraped and blood flowed, and the skin on her reddened forehead peeled off.
In her head, she thought of God.
Go eat shit. She poured out endless curses.
- Hey, guys…….
In the midst of that, the peer janitors began to whisper.
- Shouldn't we stop her? Monika's going to get hurt at this rate.
- Sasha, are your eyes on your ass? She’s already hurt! What the hell is that professor bastard doing?
- Mr. Fabien, what are you doing? Please do something. We can't leave her like that.
The peer janitors' gazes turned to Fabien.
[……Is this a serious situation?]
Fabien tilted his head.
- What kind of question is that? Monika got hurt.
- Wow, guys. I think Mr. Fabien is a tin can golem.
- Even tin is a waste. If you're a golem, try using some strength!
Hmm, he went.
Fabien crossed his arms.
The Mana Reactor attached to his chest sparkled. Several calculations were made. Monika's action was, so to speak, self-harm. It would cause damage to her body. But it wouldn't be life-threatening. Even so, self-harm cannot be considered education. Fabien, who had judged so, opened his mouth,
[Professor Arcturus, with all due respect, your method of education is extremely…….]
Wrong.
Just as Fabien was about to say it,
“Stay out of it, golem.”
Hair like a stream brushed past Fabien's nose.
The sound of footsteps followed. It was Fleur. Fleur, who had suddenly appeared, crossed the prayer room. The front heel of her flat shoes, striking the stone floor, seemed somewhat rushed.
“Professor Raphael de Arcturus.”
Fleur called out Raphael’s name.
Her tone was delicate, like a flower bud swaying.
However, Fleur's gaze was coldly honed.
“What do you think you're doing right now? Stop it at once.”
Monika looked back at Fleur.
Why did she show up again? Thinking so, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. A thick stream of blood was etched onto the stone floor.
“F-Fleur……”
Suddenly, a chill ran through Raphael's expression.
His arrogantly slit eyes twitched. It was not the gaze of a professor facing a student. It was the humble gaze of someone looking up at a superior.
“……Lady Fleur de Saint-Pierre.”
Thus, Raphael politely bowed his head.
“I greet the young lady of the main family……”
His spirited voice was subserviently lowered.
* * *
“──Ah, what a relief!”
Fleur shouted, putting the side of her hand to her mouth.
“The Arcturus family is a branch of the Saint-Pierre family! That’s why Professor Arcturus has to be polite to Fleur. What a coincidence, isn't it?”
Monika let out a sigh.
Fleur was following from a distance. She was merely chattering away while maintaining a certain distance. And so, it was all the more unsettling. Why is this damn hallway so long? Monika thought, staring straight ahead. She had to cross this place to attend her next class. Her leg bones creaked with every step.
“Oh my! Fleur has long since mastered the third chapter of the Fate Theory. That means she can use recovery magic! How about asking Fleur for treatment?”
What is really in her head?
Flowers? Or poop? Either way, it’s unpleasant.
Monika bit her lower lip. She tousled her bangs to cover the wound on her forehead. Then she looked back at Fleur. Fleur, who had noticed Monika's gaze, stood stock still, took off her floral wreath, and gave a slight nod.
“How about it, Monika? Should I heal you?”
[That is a good method, Lady Monika.]
Fabien, who was standing next to Monika, nodded his head.
[Because I am a golem, I cannot use divine magic. Only Lady Fleur will be able to help with Lady Monika's recovery. Furthermore, the next class is 「Basics of Imperial Swordsmanship」……. In your current state, it will be difficult for you to attend the lecture.]
“That's right, Monika. That golem is useless.”
[But my cooking skills are excellent.]
“Shut up, lump of iron.”
Tch, she went.
Fleur clicked her tongue.
“In any case, Monika, will you allow me to approach?”
“So what is this all about now?”
Monika's brows furrowed.
“Why are you suddenly asking for permission? You’ve been snooping around as you pleased until now.”
“That’s right. But after hearing what you said, I had a change of heart. We're classmates, but you're scared of me, and you even hate me. So we have to maintain a distance. So that you can be safe. Wouldn't this much distance be appropriate?”
Let’s see.
One step, two steps, three steps……, she said.
Fleur, who was pointing at the ground, continued speaking.
“There's a gap of about thirteen steps between you and me. Of course, if you allow it, I can get closer.”
“Oh, just go fuck yourself.”
How absurd.
Just as Monika muttered so and turned her back,
<God of Fate, Recover.>
A hand on Monika’s forehead.
For a moment, a halo of light erupted, and beyond it, Abel's face was cast.
“What happened, Monika.”
Abel asked with a blunt expression.
“Not only is your skin peeled off, but your kneecap is cracked. How did you end up like this?”
“Ah, Teacher Abel……”
Monika’s eyes widened.
She stared at Abel with wide eyes, then quickly shook her head. It was just a petty squabble. There's no need to report something like this. Thinking so, Monika backed away. Her body felt light all of a sudden. The wound on her forehead, as well as the pain in her leg, were gone.
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”
Monika ran off just like that.
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the hallway, and,
“Fleur de Saint-Pierre.”
Abel's gaze tilted toward Fleur.
“Do you know? What happened to Monika……”
“I cannot tell you.”
Fleur passed by Abel with her hands behind her back.
Lightly skipping as if she were dancing…….
“But, Professor Argento.”
Then she suddenly stopped and looked back at Abel.
“Please remember. This time, I won.”
Fleur’s humming spread through the hallway.
Abel stared at the receding Fleur, then,
“……Fabien.”
He called Fabien's name in a voice mixed with a sigh.
“I hope you at least know.”
[Of course, Professor Argento.]
A mechanical smile spread across Fabien's lips.
[A great many things have happened. But please be at ease. I am the latest model golem. I will summarize it for you in just two sentences.]
First, he said.
Fabien said, extending his right index finger.
[Lady Monika was abused by Professor Arcturus.]
And second, he said.
Fabien said, extending his left index finger.
[Lady Fleur is jealous of my cooking skills.]