The One Who Chooses
As is typical for someone with a self-centered way of thinking, Yoo Iseul is an atheist.
Even regarding the Great One, the Shining Stars.
Despite not denying the existence of Lee Jia, who is a fervent follower of the Shining Stars, she remains an atheist.
The reason is simple.
In Yoo Iseul's view, an entity called a 'Great One' merely possesses overwhelming power; it does not seem to be an omnipotent being worthy of being called a 'god.'
This belief of hers solidified even further after she cut down the 'Nameless Bug.'
How could a being described by the grandiose term 'god' fall to a mere human sword?
…However.
That massive eye floating in the sky.
If it were a being of such astronomical scale… perhaps.
Yoo Iseul thought that the word 'god' might actually be fitting.
"So."
So.
What changes?
"Let's assume that f*cking eye is the Great One. So what? What do you want me to do about it?"
"You're a fervent follower too, and you're perfectly fine."
"Don't change the subject, let's get to the point. According to you, I'm not even an audience member, so why did you bother putting me in the audience seats?"
"Is it like a trap to kill a third party?"
The director answered with silence.
Looks like that's it.
Well, what kind of uncomfortable audience seat would make it impossible to even move your body?
"So, what are you going to do? You can't kill me right here, can you?"
This isn't a guess; it's a certainty.
If they were going to kill her, they would have done it already.
The fact that Yoo Iseul is still alive and watching the play must mean there is a valid reason.
Indeed.
Yoo Iseul's conviction was spot on.
She understood.
An ordinary person.
No, if she were an 'ordinary living creature,' the moment she sat in this seat where she couldn't even move.
She would have been forced to witness that 'Great One' with her own eyes.
And the moment she witnessed the Great One, it seems it would have been normal for her to die—whether her brain exploded or her mind shattered.
However, Yoo Iseul is an Awakened who is 'immune to all mental attacks.'
Even if it were the mental attack of a Great One.
It wouldn't work on her.
It seems this 'director' fellow has no direct means of attack.
Yoo Iseul asked him.
"What is my role?"
"…Confirmed. Start the play."
Having no role means.
Yoo Iseul has become a being no longer bound by the 'rules of the play.'
Little by little, the direction she needed to move began to appear.
Soon, Scene 14 began.
The princess became one who fervently follows the knight, and the knight remains as blunt as ever.
Yoo Iseul is quick-witted.
Not just Yoo Iseul, but Awakened are generally very quick-witted.
It's only natural. To smoothly deal with anomalies where the situation changes by the second, one has no choice but to be quick-witted.
Yoo Iseul's brain raced.
That 'princess' decided to give up everything she had and love the 'knight.'
And at that moment, all of Lee Jia's racial traits as a fervent follower disappeared.
What this implies is something a quick-witted Yoo Iseul could guess, at least roughly.
Plays are bound to contain metaphorical expressions.
That knight is likely a metaphorical expression of existence itself.
This is not a beautiful love story between a princess and a knight.
This is.
A story where Lee Jia, a 'fervent follower of the Shining Stars.'
Abandons her god.
And becomes a 'fervent follower of the one who creates boundaries.'
Therefore, that faceless knight must be a metaphorical expression of the 'one who creates boundaries.'
Come to think of it.
Before that massive eye appeared, before the 'princess' loved that faceless knight.
There were countless swarms of stars… in other words, many stars.
Those stars were probably… foreshadowing symbolizing the Shining Stars.
And the moment the princess said she would give everything to the knight, the stars disappeared.
Of course, this is just Yoo Iseul's simple speculation, but using one's imagination to its fullest extent to speculate is a huge help in resolving anomalies.
Having reached a conclusion, Yoo Iseul thought.
'I have to ruin the stage somehow before the act ends.'
I don't know for sure, but by the time the act ends.
Wouldn't Lee Jia have completely abandoned her god and switched to a new one?
The best move is for Lee Jia to cancel the Sanctum summoning herself during the intermission.
If she just cancels the Sanctum summoning, everything will return to normal.
If there's one thing that bothers me.
It's the director's attitude and.
That massive eye floating in the sky, the Great One.
Is the director aware?
That 'Lee Jia,' not the princess, knows the information for the Sanctum summoning cancellation incantation.
They might be aware, or they might not.
However, they must have prepared something.
If they hadn't prepared, it wouldn't make sense for them to show such a composed attitude.
They probably… created some kind of safeguard so that Lee Jia cannot recite the Sanctum summoning cancellation incantation.
They are beings that transcend humans. One must consider every possible variable.
Even if.
Even if she can somehow deal with the director's 'safeguard.'
That massive eye.
How should she deal with that 'Great One'?
If the Sanctum summoning is canceled, will that massive eye disappear too?
Or, if the summoning is canceled, will that massive eye descend to Earth?
Yoo Iseul raced her brain.
But no matter how much she thought about it, no effective means came to mind.
'It's a gamble.'
She had no choice but to take a gamble.
No matter what the outcome, Lee Jia must cancel the Sanctum summoning during the intermission.
If… even after successfully canceling the summoning, that massive eye remains.
'Then I'll have no choice but to bet it all on the Shining Stars.'
She, who doesn't believe in gods.
Betting on a gamble by believing in a god.
…Even to Yoo Iseul, it was the worst kind of gamble, and it was absurd.
Scene 14 continued.
The princess, who had fallen properly for the 'knight,' became a slave who would carry out anything if it were the knight's command.
Can you call something like that love?
Yoo Iseul is someone who has never been in love, but she knows at least that that kind of thing isn't love.
That is.
A slave.
To put it another way.
It's a 'fervent follower.'
…It's because the Shining Stars is a particularly unique Great One that Lee Jia was able to maintain her humanity.
The fervent followers of other Great Ones… aren't they probably beings like slaves to the Great One, just like that 'princess'?
Scene 14 is coming to an end.
Soon, it will be intermission time.
The 'director' was already sitting next to Yoo Iseul, watching the play with her.
…No, wait.
They said the only audience member for this play was that massive eye.
The director isn't watching the play right now.
They are directing the play.
Suddenly.
The director spoke toward Yoo Iseul.
"Speak."
"Is this conversation we're having right now part of the play's script too?"
"Then just say it outright. Don't make the listener frustrated."
The director continued.
As expected, they knew everything.
…Yeah, it was strange from the start that it wasn't 'censored.'
I had also kept in mind the possibility that the other side had intentionally shown us the information.
Moreover, the Great One from the other side has even descended.
In this situation, hoping that the other side doesn't have information is the act of an idiot with a head full of flowers.
The 'bugs' this guy is talking about probably mean humans.
Thank goodness.
Just as I expected, it seems this guy cannot stop Lee Jia from reciting the Sanctum summoning cancellation incantation.
…However?