Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Lord's Epistle
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Imagine stepping out into the dark night, heading into a wasteland devoid of light and human presence.
Lying down in that vast plain and gazing up at the stars in the sky, you'd witness a painting more beautiful than any human creation, sprawled across the canvas of the night heavens.
'Star Dream Observatory.'
The night in the small city of Larphentia was both dark and bright. The ground was shrouded in darkness, while the sky blazed with light.
The moon, queen of the night sky, proudly took center stage, adorned by countless clusters of stars. As I beheld them, I thought of the child who was likely asleep by now. A beastkin child whose name I didn't even know.
'The miracle was taken away simply because I fell short in serving the Lord.'
At a glance, the stars in the night sky seemed to wander freely as they pleased.
But those with keen eyes and powers of observation could discern the rules governing their movements. If I were to sit here with a notebook and sketchbook for several days, charting the stars' paths from the same spot, I would realize that even they moved according to a greater order.
If I could fully comprehend that grand order,
it would mean I could predict how the stars would move in the future.
Beyond the orderly procession of stars, even the playful approach of comets or shooting stars would follow the same heavenly laws, as they too were celestial bodies.
The Star Dream Observatory was precisely such a miracle. Not one that prophesied the future, but one that predicted it.
Thus, the future the Lord beheld always had its foundations. Having insight into the entire process leading to that future, He could alter parts of it to select the desired outcome.
'To begin with, it was a miracle beyond what a human like me deserved.'
From the most probable futures to the infinitely vast array of improbable ones.
My Lord interpreted the future as a tangle of all those possibilities. He simply observed them calmly and conveyed to me only the most likely one.
'Like a pearl necklace around a pig's neck, I couldn't even use it properly.'
The farther into the future the observed prediction extended, the lower the chance it would become reality. Even trying to glimpse just a day ahead yielded only a fragment of the future, not a certainty.
With my power, I could barely see a mere inch ahead.
Yet that single inch was more than enough to shift the tide of battle.
In every perilous moment, I could predict the future and thus change it. Once observed, a future could be altered. That was why I could remain in the hero's party.
Now that miracle had been taken away. I could no longer see the future.
But while I could not, the Lord—then and now—beheld and heard things beyond my comparison. His intuition and cognition reached realms I couldn't even fathom.
"Lord. This servant, who has betrayed Your faith, has one question to ask."
And so I knelt and prayed. I simply inquired of the Lord.
What I should do for that child He had guided to me.
"Did You foresee, Lord, from the moment I plucked that apple, that I would meet that child?"
The Lord gave no answer,
but instead, my eyes slowly drifted shut. Yes, I was familiar with this by now.
My Lord was calling for me.
*****
Where was this place? It lacked the contours to call it a maze,
and it was too clear ahead to deem it darkness. It was simply a colorless space.
In that achromatic void, I saw a light. A golden flicker approaching, the only thing bearing color in this world without hue. Yes, I knew who it was.
"I greet you, Angel."
The one I simply called the Light Angel.
It seemed she had come to me this time as the Lord's messenger.
One among the many attendants who served the Lord.
The angel circled me before coming to a halt. A solemn, dignified will flowed into my mind.
Apostle. Raise your head. We are but fellow servants of the Lord.
Following the angel's intent, I lifted my gaze to her. No matter how I looked, she appeared only as light to me, for her true form was beyond my perception.
My mind, unable to comprehend her essence even when seeing it, interpreted her merely as light.
Blessed apostle, do you harbor any resentment toward the Lord?
"How could I?"
I heard the Lord reclaimed one of the miracles He had bestowed upon you. Can you truly claim to feel no resentment whatsoever?
"I harbor not the slightest resentment. It wasn't mine to begin with."
The Lord had merely lent me the miracle and then taken it back.
It had never truly been mine, not even for a moment, so I couldn't say I had lost it. How, then, could I resent the Lord?
All divinity emanates from the gods, merely passing through me.
This lowly one had received grace beyond his station, and the Lord had merely withdrawn a portion of it. I felt only regret for failing to meet His expectations, with no trace of regret.
Even though it meant you could no longer travel with your companions?
"If it is His will, then there must be a reason."
I was but a fool who, despite having eyes, could not pierce the angel's true form standing right there. The Lord beheld far more than I, encountering things utterly beyond my grasp.
If such a being made that decision, it must have its purpose. As His servant, I could only live according to His will.
The angel glowed silently for a moment before continuing.
Apostle. Though you do not remember, you doubted the Lord during the battle against the ancient demon king.
"Me? Such a thing..."
I wanted to say no such thing had happened, but
ultimately, I could not. My memories of that fight against the ancient demon king were, honestly, incomplete.
I remembered seeing something through the miracle,
but not what it was. Perhaps the Lord had taken that memory as well.
You thought hope was meaningless, like a flickering lantern on the verge of extinction. You believed even the Lord could not protect you and your comrades.
"So that's why..."
That is why the Lord sent you this trial and stripped you of the power to see the future.
The miracle, Star Dream Observatory.
What future had I seen with that power to predict the future?
What future had led me to doubt the Lord? No matter how hard I racked my brain, nothing came to mind. I couldn't understand why the angel was rebuking me; it only frustrated me.
Apostle. The Lord wishes for you to realize one thing.
The angel solemnly conveyed His command.
Why hope is not futile. You may already know the answer, but you have not truly awakened to it. Apostle. On the day you awaken to this truth, the Lord will return what He temporarily took from you.
"I shall act according to His will."
So I swore, with faith welling from the depths of my heart, and the angel regarded me before speaking.
The process of seeking that answer will not save you yourself.
"I wish to hear the angel's wisdom."
Hear me, apostle. Simply live your own life.
Simply live the life I desired.
The life I wished for.
In doing so, you will one day comprehend His will.
"Is that enough?"
It is enough.
The lights adorning my surroundings began to flicker more rapidly.
The angel was preparing to depart. I bowed my head in gratitude.
As she turned to leave, the angel looked back at me with one final message.
We await the day you stand beside us.
Flicker. The light vanished completely. I awoke from my slumber and gazed at the dawning sky. The blazing sun was slowly rising from the eastern horizon.
'Apostle. She always calls me that whenever she sees me.'
As I recalled her words, a small question arose in my mind.
It wasn't limited to her alone.
'The others always called me apostle too whenever they saw me. What does it mean?'
I had met various angels up to now, some so frequently that their faces were familiar.
Even when I wanted to ask what "apostle" meant, hearing their holy voices made me keep forgetting to do so. And so, I still didn't know what it signified.
'It sounds a bit like priest or believer...'
Maybe it's just a combination of the two?
I wasn't sure. And it wasn't important anyway.
What mattered was how to treat the guest the Lord had brought into our home.
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