The Trembling of a Forgotten Deity
The Holy Capital Justia was a basin-shaped city, with gentle slopes rising from its outer edges to its center. In contrast, the underground passage where the two men had arrived was almost entirely flat—proof of just how deep beneath the surface they had descended.
Yohan and Judas waded forward, splashing through murky water that completely hid the floor. Yohan had expected something a bit more grand for a "secret passage," but the reality of this path to the Papal Palace was nothing more than a sewer filled to the knees with wastewater.
No matter how pristine its surface appeared, the Holy Capital was still a city inhabited by humans, meaning its sewers were bound to be filthy. The pungent stench was so overwhelming that within minutes of stepping inside, their sense of smell had gone completely numb.
The squalor reminded Yohan of the story Annie had once shared about her past. She had barely survived day by day in the slums of the Holy Capital, slowly starving to death, until a priest finally saved her.
"Hey. You're absolutely sure this route leads to the Papal Palace?" Yohan asked.
"Of course," Judas replied, nodding vigorously.
If they had suffered through this cramped, foul-smelling tunnel only to find it was a dead end, it would be an absolute disaster. Still, it was far easier than trying to dodge the Holy Knights patrolling the surface day and night.
"I overheard my uncle discussing it with another cardinal," Judas added. "Though, to be honest, I only confirmed its actual existence just now."
Yohan wasn't just complaining for the sake of it. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had several drainage channels, each covered by a wooden trapdoor. The fact that one was hidden beneath that damn torture chair wasn't entirely surprising, all things considered.
"By the way, what was that cramped, room-like space earlier? I've never seen that kind of Miracle Art in my life."
"..."
What do you think it was? It's the product of my poor imagination, you punk. Yohan couldn't bring himself to say that, so he kept his mouth shut. Fortunately, Judas didn't press for details. Yohan figured that if the guy had been a Heresy Inquisitor instead of a Holy Knight, he would have badgered him for an answer until his ears bled.
"The distance from the Congregation to the Papal Palace is roughly..."
"I've been keeping a steady pace, so I can estimate it. We should be about halfway there. Street 13 is likely right above our heads."
"Oh."
Though his first impression of Judas was that of an incredibly punchable, arrogant prick, the knight was surprisingly competent. All that was left was to reach the point directly beneath the Papal Palace. The thought made Yohan's foul mood lift slightly.
"Actually, I've been wondering about something..." Judas said.
"What?"
"Have we met before? Your face looks strangely familiar."
"Who knows," Yohan replied evasively.
He deliberately gave a vague answer. Once he dragged this guy back to the Nameless Village, Judas would probably jump out of his skin the moment he saw Annie.
"Anyway, I just hope that barrier doesn't extend all the way down here."
"Sigh... I hope so too."
Before long, they arrived in front of the secret entrance leading to the Papal Palace.
"Goddammit."
A heartfelt curse slipped from Yohan's lips, and Judas, following close behind, let out a heavy sigh. Their worst fears had been realized; the sealing barrier indeed reached all the way down into the subterranean sewers.
"Looking closely... this seems to be the exact same type of defensive barrier that surrounds the city walls," Judas remarked.
"Ah, no wonder the barrier went down when we scaled the wall earlier. Talk about foreshadowing."
Though the ladder leading to the Papal Palace was right in front of them, a solid barrier blocked the path directly above it, preventing them from climbing up.
"Should we... try to force our way through?" Judas asked, staring up at the barrier covering the ladder.
Yohan shook his head. "Don't even think about it. If you unleash that kind of force here, the whole place will collapse and bury us both alive."
Besides, this wasn't a barrier a mere Holy Knight could break with brute force anyway. It was originally designed to cover the entire Holy Capital in a dome to block external invasions. How could a normal human break such a powerful barrier alone?
"This is where I come in."
But Yohan was no ordinary human. He reshaped the orb of light he had been using as a flashlight into the form of a sword. Apparently, his dimwitted Goddess could see perfectly fine in pitch-black darkness, but unfortunately, Yohan didn't have that luxury. Meanwhile, Judas looked utterly shocked to see Yohan draw the Light Sword. Before Yohan could even say a word, the knight quickly stepped back to give him space.
—If they simply relocated a barrier meant for city defense, then at its core, it is still a Miracle Art powered by divine energy, is it not?
"Exactly. Which means..."
It seemed the Goddess was on the same page. Though they were now revered by two different religions, the Main God Justia and the Unnamed Goddess were originally one and the same—the Goddess of Justice. Therefore, the Apostle's Authority wielded by Yohan was essentially a superior version of their Miracle Arts...
Screeech—
Yohan carefully thrust the Light Sword upward. The moment the blade made contact with the barrier, a strange resonance echoed, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. If they had produced this much noise and light on the streets above, the patrolling Holy Knights would have swarmed them instantly.
Centered around the point of contact, the opaque barrier began to thin and blur. There was no need to destroy the entire thing. They just needed to carve out a hole large enough for the two of them to squeeze through. You think I spent all that precious time training to control my authority for nothing? Yohan skillfully gathered the divine power within his body, neutralizing a section of the barrier.
"It—it worked!"
Finally, a gap opened in the barrier blocking the path upward.
"Up we go. It's going to close back up soon."
"Right behind you!"
Splash! The two men finally dragged themselves out of the sewage. Though they had been soaked in filth up to their waists for a while now, escaping that disgusting water was all that mattered. Yohan climbed the ladder with brisk, powerful movements. After scaling what felt like twenty meters, a tightly shut trapdoor finally came into view.
"Hup."
Creeeak—
Yohan pushed the heavy trapdoor upward with all his might. Having remained shut for ages, the door groaned in protest, slowly swinging open with a grating screech.
Thud!
The trapdoor swung all the way back, slamming against the floor on the other side.
"..."
Just to be safe, Yohan poked only his head out to scan the surroundings.
"Hey, Goddess."
—I do not sense anyone nearby. However, I can feel a faint presence directly above us.
That faint presence was undoubtedly Justia, who was on the verge of starving to death. Yohan quickly scrambled out of the trapdoor and reached down to pull Judas up.
"Ugh... You've been talking to someone for a while now. I assume that's the Unnamed Goddess you mentioned?"
"Yeah. Cut the chatter and let's move. Your Main God is right above us."
At the mention of his "Main God," Judas's expression turned incredibly solemn, and he nodded. Say what you want about him, but he was still a devout Holy Knight. Knowing he was about to stand before the very deity he worshipped, it was only natural for him to be tense.
"Ugh..."
Emotions were truly fickle things. After her brief contact with Yohan, Justia had managed to calm her racing thoughts. Though she was still on the brink of fading away due to her depleted divine power, knowing that someone was risking their life to rescue her brought a profound sense of relief.
But that relief was short-lived. As if she had never felt a shred of comfort, her mind was quickly flooded with anxiety and dread once more. She was terrified. And she was so, so lonely. Her other half, the Unnamed Goddess contracted to Yohan, had been imprisoned all alone for thousands of years.
"How on earth did she..."
How had her other half managed to endure such bone-chilling solitude for thousands of years while keeping her sanity intact? Justia couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of awe for her counterpart. At the same time, a heavy wave of guilt washed over her for having exiled her in the first place.
Back when she had sealed her other half away, Justia had believed without a shadow of a doubt that it was the right thing to do. A single entity split in two, only to become whole and perfect once reunited—she had truly believed it was a necessary step to become the complete Goddess of Justice.
But what did any of that matter now? Instead, she had lost her followers, her divinity was completely drained, and she was on the verge of fading into nothingness.
"Yo... han..."
Justia whispered the name of the Apostle who served her other half, her voice barely a breath. She curled her body like a shrimp, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. A few more minutes ticked by in the silence.
"..."
Suddenly, Justia felt something approaching the Pope's office where she was confined. At the same time, she realized her divine power was beginning to recover, if only by a fraction. There was no need to wonder what that meant. A faint trace of color returned to her hollow, deathly pale face.
Squelch, squelch—
The sound of wet footsteps drew closer.
Rattle—
The handle of the tightly locked office door jiggled.
"Dammit. Why the hell did they wrap chains around this too?"
Crash!
Along with a colorful curse, the door handle shattered with a loud bang. A brilliant light spilled through the newly made hole. Then, the door swung wide open.
"Whew. Made it in time."
"Is... is that really..."
Two men stepped into the room, looking as if they had just rolled through a mud pit, their entire bodies covered in filth.
"Hey. Kept you waiting, didn't I? I came to rescue you, just like I promised."
Holding the Light Sword in one hand, Yohan looked at Justia and spoke.
"I... I humbly pay my respects to the revered Main God."
Beside Yohan, Judas immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head in deep reverence.
"Y... Yes."
Justia managed to squeeze out a reply, her voice trembling as she looked at the two starkly contrasting men.
For a brief moment, she felt an almost irresistible urge. She wanted to leap out of bed, run over, and throw her arms around the man who had come to save her. If she did, she felt she could finally shake off the lingering, deep-seated chill that had plagued her. It was a weakness born of falling from a perfect, absolute existence into an imperfect one.
But... she had to endure. Though Justia had not yet fully mastered her newly awakened emotions, she understood the weight of her existence. The man accompanying Yohan was undoubtedly a Holy Knight of the Central Church. Before a loyal believer, she had to maintain a dignity befitting her status.
Justia slowly stepped off the bed and approached them. While Yohan casually scratched his damp hair, Judas remained frozen on one knee, his head bowed low.
"I... I have been waiting for your arrival."
"Yeah, got it. Just hold on a second."
Justia spoke in a trembling voice, yet she managed to inject it with a deity's solemn authority. Yohan, however, brushed her off with a half-hearted reply, suddenly opening a Dimensional Portal and stepping inside. Even Judas, who had his head bowed, couldn't help but peek up in sheer bewilderment.
Before long, Yohan stepped back out of the portal. In his hands, he held a massive, thick book. It was the Original Scriptures of the Central Church.
"Here. You're on the verge of starving to death, right?"
"T-That is true. But what does that have to do with the Original Scriptures...?"
"Eat it. Technically, this counts as a Sacred Relic, doesn't it?"
"..."
Just when she had finally managed to put on a dignified front before her loyal believer, she was now expected to chew on a book.