The next day.
After finishing the task of bestowing blessings in exchange for warmth, I returned to my room.
Hieronymus, who always wears similar attire, didn’t leave immediately unlike usual. Instead, he sat at the table and chairs in one corner of the quite spacious room.
It means he wants to have a conversation.
So I sat across from him.
But he doesn’t start the conversation right away, instead ordering Joanna to bring something to drink. Joanna bowed her head and left, and Hyunkeshuni wasn’t here.
And Hieronymus remained silent until Joanna returned.
I don’t know if this is a meaningless waste of time or a way to put pressure on people. But if he intended to put pressure, he got the method wrong, Hieronymus.
Because there’s no such thing as meaningless time for me.
I’m always watching the movements of people who received my blessing.
Of course, I didn’t mention that fact.
Because he didn’t ask.
So Hieronymus remained silent until Joanna brought the drinks and set them down in front. And as soon as Joanna put down the cups, Hieronymus opened his mouth.
“Miss Rebecca. I heard you tried to go outside yesterday.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I said that while drinking the beverage placed in front of me.
Oh? A hint of contempt flashes across Hieronymus’s expression. Did I do something that violates etiquette?
That’s good. I’ve gained more ways to poke at him using ignorance as a shield.
Basically, although I made a contract with Hieronymus, we’re close to enemies.
A relationship where we use each other.
The contract was full of lies from the beginning. It’s as good as non-existent. And probably not just me, but Hieronymus knows that too.
So I’m on guard. Of course, compared to the beginning, his expression is changing from seeing a dangerous opponent to seeing a fool who just has power.
In any case, it’s still dangerous. Therefore, while wishing he would lower his guard level a bit more, I drank the beverage in the cup. It’s sweet but tastes like a mix between tropical fruit and bitter root.
Looking at when Joanna took out the drink, it’s probably close to a matured liquor. Maybe that’s why Hieronymus isn’t touching his drink.
Me?
I drank it in one go.
Hieronymus carefully examines my face at my answer, looking for my intention. Then he makes a disappointed expression.
“Are you not satisfied with this place?”
“A human body weakens if it doesn’t walk. This body needs to walk.”
Yes. Many videos actually say it’s good for health when people walk. That’s because people who could walk far and for a long time survived.
It seems the path of evolution wasn’t much different here either, as muscles start to waste away if you don’t move your body.
Then Hieronymus nodded as if he had some idea.
“If that’s the case, I’ll prepare a place for you.”
“I need to walk for a long time. Not a flat place, but an irregular place. This body can maintain its functions only if it walks there.”
It’s just what the body needs. This is true. I don’t lie. Originally, if you want to lose weight, you watch health videos, right?
When I was human once, I watched several such videos. But that didn’t make me start exercising in earnest.
Hieronymus was silent at my request. Well, such a place is around here. Not inside the building, but outside.
It means I need to walk outside.
There will be more encounters.
My reputation within the Future Hope Church has already risen quite high. What changes will the people who meet me cause?
Come on, think and restrict my actions, Hieronymus.
Because I’ll sow seeds through rules you haven’t set.
Hehe.
* * *
The pseudo-religious leader using the name Hieronymus. Yasle looked at the outer god standing in front of him without any expression.
There’s truth in the words.
The outer god tries to maintain the body it inhabits one way or another. So it orders meals and demands body training.
Once, the body inhabited by the outer god suffered serious damage.
A weapon made using various techniques remembered from the Luminous Theocratic State days.
Even though its head was blown off by that, it ate the attacker and recovered its wounds.
Contrary to Hieronymus’s thoughts, it was the power of the outer god inside that regenerated Rebecca’s body, but that’s what Hieronymus saw as fact.
In the first place, the fact that it’s constantly craving warmth also seemed necessary to maintain the body.
Well, from a human perspective, it can’t be helped.
Because it’s strange to act diligently to maintain one’s own body while having the ability to change others’ bodies so powerfully in an instant.
It’s too insignificant to be seen as a god.
Long ago, when Yasle was the leader of the Luminous Theocratic State. Among the gods he faced, there was a god that acted like a beast.
That god, which had the form of a wild beast, unlike its appearance, didn’t actually live by eating something.
After performing the act of hunting, it often didn’t eat the remaining carcass.
The god Yasle directly faced was like that.
Not just that god. The data the Luminous Theocratic State had accumulated from facing gods since much earlier times recorded that things called gods didn’t have biological characteristics.
It also recorded that when they took over human bodies, the subject no longer behaved in a human-like manner. Especially acts like defecating as Rebecca is doing now.
At best, it was just drinking delicious food and alcohol.
But strangely, the body of a person possessed by a god was maintained until that god left. And if the god left properly, the person was still alive even after the god left.
Such information gathered, leading to the conclusion that Rebecca isn’t such a great being.
However, because of this, Yasle judged like this.
If he stops Rebecca here, he doesn’t know what she’ll do. Because blocking her from maintaining her body could be seen as hostile action.
He guessed it’s similar to taking away the nest where a beast is living.
“I understand, Miss Rebecca. Then if Joanna and Hyunkeshuni go together, you may do as you wish.”
He attached two people who could move in case of emergency.
And additionally, he judged that he should attach two warriors under the pretext of protecting Rebecca.
He thought that would be enough to control any situation that might occur. This area is all Future Hope Church territory anyway.
And due to the show that continued for 45 days, there’s no one who doesn’t know that Rebecca is an important figure.
The show where you could see real miracles in the Future Hope Church has been a big hit so far.
Let’s say offering sacrifices and receiving blessings is one thing. It was a repulsive act to people in the Future Hope Church who weren’t sufficiently insane.
But then.
Under Yasle’s lead, they saw people who dedicated themselves to the Future Hope Church receive blessings without sacrifices. Those who had no limbs or had fatal injuries returned in perfect form.
No, rather, they became much stronger and cooler or more beautiful.
And Yasle worked like this.
Those who dedicated themselves to the Future Hope Church received better blessings.
Rather than offering sacrifices, following his orders makes you a better person.
Sacrifice faction and Dedication faction.
He deliberately divided sides and guided them in a direction favorable to him.
In the midst of that, Rebecca wasn’t just a simple tool, but the blessing itself. Easy to use, good-looking, and above all, not having violent power.
As if created to be used, she became a great power for Yasle.
Therefore, Yasle could allow Rebecca to wander around in this territory that the Future Hope Church firmly holds.
No, he had no worries about Rebecca acting itself.
Rather, what was problematic was worrying about strange people clinging to Rebecca.
For example, there’s Andrew who tried to gain Rebecca’s favor.
His real name is Andrew Jackson.
He was one of the people who ruled the religion before the Future Hope Church took on that name. Of course, that doesn’t mean he was the former number one.
Originally, the Future Hope Church was a cell organization. Strictly speaking, it was close to a folk religion that hadn’t yet been centralized.
To explain easily, Andrew’s position was similar to that of a Korean Protestant pastor. Having his own church, a form that was complete within that church.
Therefore, even excluding Andrew, there were countless others who were leaders.
It was Yasle who systematically organized this and built it into the form of a pseudo-religion.
If Yasle had no malice, it could be said he raised a folk religion to a universal religion.
But it’s interesting that without that malice, it would have been almost impossible to become such a huge organization.
Anyway, due to too rapid reforms, there remained church members who viewed Yasle unfavorably.
Originally, he should educate children to remove such elements, and form a cartel for them to grow up and occupy high positions.
That’s an action that should be carried out over several generations.
But Yasle didn’t intend to look that far ahead to achieve his revenge.
So he roughly wove together, stripped out only the fanatical elements, maliciously expanded them, mixed them up, and created the current pseudo-religion called the Future Hope Church.
Therefore, Yasle’s gaze was directed not at Rebecca, but at the people who would approach Rebecca.
Yasle released Rebecca into the Future Hope Church without placing any restrictions.
Because he thought she was a beast that obeys well when ordered.
No, rather, he thought to use this opportunity to catch subversive elements. Direct punishment is a double-edged sword, but he can easily remove them under the pretext of blasphemy for touching the apostle.
When the sacred is blasphemed, people easily lose their reason.
Because they think their most important value has been taken away. Even more so because people react painfully to being robbed.
“Then can I go out from today?”
So Yasle nodded at the outer god’s question.
“Yes, of course, Miss Rebecca. But you must go out with Joanna and Hyunkeshuni, the two of them.”
“Yes. I understand, Hieronymus. I’ll do that.”
Hieronymus didn’t touch his drink until the end and stood up. Then he greeted Rebecca and immediately opened the door and came out.
As he closed the door, from one side of the corridor. From a shadowed place, a girl with grayish white hair. Hyunkeshuni walked over.
Thud.
A dark blue curtain covered this place. A silent curtain through which neither light nor sound escapes. Inside it, Hyunkeshuni opened her mouth.
“Did you allow it?”
“Yes. No matter how much of a beast it is, if we try to destroy its house, it might react dangerously, so it’s rather dangerous not to allow it.”
“House?”
For a moment, Hyunkeshuni didn’t understand Yasle’s words. But soon she realized he meant that the outer god is living in Rebecca Rolfe’s body as its house.
“That body could be seen as a nest. But don’t you think it will run away as is?”
“If it runs away, then we can catch it and put it in a cage. But since it has worked diligently so far, this much reward should be fine.”
Yasle looked at his accomplice. She’s a person who has done various jobs like killing targets that threatened when creating this pseudo-religious group, and controlling killed targets to dismantle hostile organizations.
The Witch of Joy.
Originally, when she was in the Luminous Theocratic State, she was an enemy who shouldn’t live under the same sky according to doctrine. From Yasle’s point of view, a woman who moves by simple pleasure.
But she was also a witch powerful enough to survive against the order. So when the Luminous Theocratic State fell, he sought her out. He thought if the head of the order said he would abandon his god and create a pseudo-religion to take revenge, the Witch of Joy would gladly help him.
And as he expected, she lent him her power.
She’s an opponent who might betray at any time. But as long as he keeps her entertained, she will lend her power until he takes his revenge. And that was the contract.
Such a person looked at Yasle with turbid eyes without a speck of light and said.
“Don’t regret it.”
“Rather, I’m thinking of using this opportunity to catch subversive elements, Hyunkeshuni. I’ve ordered Rebecca to always take you and Joanna when she goes out, so go with her and watch the people who approach.”
At those words, Hyunkeshuni was about to say something but nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll follow the order. Leader of the Future Hope Church.”
With a thud, she flicked her staff and the dark blue curtain disappeared.
And Hyunkeshuni moved her steps and went inside. Yasle saw that, put on the Hieronymus mask again, and moved his steps.
There was too much to do to take revenge.