Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The God That Doesn't Answer (3)
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"Eh, Ellen? What's wrong?"
The woman standing before her had the exact same face as her handmaiden.
The innocent girl who always wiped her body clean and fussed over her health.
She'd put up with the saintess's occasional temper tantrums, yet never once left her side. A woman she was truly grateful for.
The person Erzena Selaph was looking at right now was undoubtedly Ellen.
"Ellen... What a nice name. It was a pretty useful body, too."
Only one thing was different.
Her eyes weren't brown—they were purple.
"Who... who are you?"
Without realizing it, she staggered back as she spoke.
"What did you do to my handmaiden? What have you done to Ellen!?"
"Oh, so your first thought is for the owner of this husk, not yourself."
As the saintess retreated, the intruder advanced with precise steps.
"That's a fine mindset. No wonder you're a saintess. Or... well, not anymore."
With a light sneer, she flicked open the lid of a vial with her fingertip.
"Not that it'll matter soon enough."
The moment Erzena saw that, she realized the dire situation she was in.
The saintess screamed.
"G-Guard! Paladins! Intruder!"
But no response came.
The footsteps of the paladins and others who should have been nearby were nowhere to be heard.
Instead, a reply came from ahead.
"You called?"
This time, it was a man's voice.
In place of the being that had been Ellen, a burly paladin appeared before her.
A familiar face. Different eye color.
Once more, purple eyes gleamed.
"Saintess. There are no intruders around here."
Mockery and contempt laced the man's words.
"No need to worry about a thing. It'll all be... over soon."
Then, the face changed several more times.
An awkward young man, a sleek fellow, a kindly-looking woman, and back to Ellen's form.
All faces she'd seen around the pilgrimage group from time to time.
Erzena murmured in horror at the sight.
"A... a shapeshifter...!"
"That's what they call us out in the world. Not exactly a profession, though."
With a gruesome crunch of twisting bones, the intruder reverted to their original form.
This bizarre spectacle made one thing clear to Erzena.
There was no one she could call for help.
No one at all.
'Of all times, why now!?'
Fear and bewilderment colored Erzena's face.
She'd finally figured out why her holy power had vanished.
She finally understood His will.
Why did it have to be now, of all times?
"It's time, Erzena Selaph."
The intruder took a step forward.
"I-If you come near me, the Lord God won't forgive you!"
"The Lord God?"
"Yes! I am the Saintess of the Holy Church, Erzena Selaph! Servant of His will!"
She shouted as if to convince herself.
But now, things were different.
'I've finally learned what the Lord God desires.'
Until now, she'd thought she knew, acting arrogantly and wrongly—but now it was different.
She dropped to her knees right there and began to pray.
"Father in heaven, grant me the strength to repel this impious intruder..."
Once more,
grant me Your holy power.
"Grant me the power to overcome this trial, to defeat my foe and truly comprehend Your will."
She prayed with unprecedented fervor, pouring all her hope into it.
Gazing at that glorious, beautiful golden haze.
"Grant me one more chance to correct my wrongs, that Your glory may shine once more upon this land...!"
This time would be different.
I am truly renewed now.
She finished her pious prayer.
Silence.
The god gave no answer.
"...Huh?"
Confusion seeped into her voice.
"Looks like your lord has no interest in you."
"N-No! Don't try to trick me! Th-This is... the Lord God testing me! And I've passed His test!"
Even as she said it, Erzena's mind grew chaotic.
'I... I truly awakened. I understood.'
The Lord God had taken her holy power.
To grant her enlightenment.
And now,
she knew what was wrong.
She knew what she'd done wrong.
So why wouldn't He restore her holy power?
"A god who ignores you even after you carve scripture into your flesh until it bleeds. How heartless."
Erzena slowly raised her head.
The intruder's purple eyes looked down at her with amusement.
"Hey. I'll let you in on something nice, since it was quite the show."
She spoke as if chatting with a friend.
"You were supposed to meet me when you first crossed into the north through the Crossroad Kingdom."
"...What?"
"That was part of my employer's request."
Employer.
At that word, Erzena realized this woman had someone behind her.
"Who... who ordered you to abduct me? Who the hell is it!?"
What bold soul in this world would command the kidnapping of a saintess?
"Ahahaha. Can't tell you that."
The intruder laughed.
In that moment, Erzena quickly scanned for anything she could use as a weapon.
Without holy power, she had to defend herself.
But the only thing within reach was the pen she'd thrown aside earlier.
The instant she reached for it—
-Crunch!
"Aaaagh!"
The intruder's foot crushed Erzena's right hand.
A heavy pain shot up her arm.
The pen rolled slowly away, just out of reach.
"Nice try. But no."
"Get... off, ugh!"
Pinned by a grip far stronger than her frame suggested, Erzena gasped for breath.
Undeterred, the intruder continued while grinding down on her hand.
"Give up. Whatever you were planning, it's too late."
Her purple eyes gleamed coldly.
"Any schemes you had, you should've finished them before I got here."
"Shut... up! What do you know...!"
She gritted her teeth in denial, but deep down, Erzena knew she was right.
She recalled the prayer she'd just made.
-Grant me one more chance to correct my wrongs...!
'A chance.'
There had been a chance.
For four whole days.
Since her entry was denied and her holy power vanished.
'What... what was I doing all that time?'
Just endless prayers and wails.
It was too late.
She'd realized far too late.
If only she'd known the moment her holy power was taken.
If only she'd reflected on herself even once amid all that praying and lamenting.
If only she'd grasped their situation five minutes sooner.
She wouldn't have met this intruder.
Ellen and the others wouldn't have been sacrificed in vain.
And she could have halted the pilgrimage, spoken with the Central Officer, and uncovered the truth.
But,
it was too late.
"A saintess abandoned by her god... This oughta be good."
The shapeshifter mocked her in a gentle tone.
"The most unique commission I've ever taken."
There was no one to help her.
She couldn't save herself.
Not even He answered.
Despair, barely overcome, clawed at her heart once more.
Yet even so, Erzena clenched her teeth and said,
"No... that's not it...!"
He wouldn't abandon me.
Even if He took my power, even if His daughter suffers,
He would never abandon me.
"I still have to tell the Central Officer the truth...!"
There was still hope.
Even if it was too late for her, it wasn't for him.
She had to tell that man everything.
At the very least, even if all this was denied, something had to be set right.
"It has to be me...!"
She struggled desperately to push back the despair the shapeshifter inflicted.
Flailing to escape her helplessness and regret.
If only she had one more chance.
Just once.
Then, a voice came from somewhere.
"Saintess? Are you there?"
It was Mohaim's voice.
The help she'd longed for.
"Moha—, mmph!!"
-Thud, slam!
The moment she tried to scream with all her might at this salvation,
the intruder's hand clamped over her mouth and slammed her against the tent wall.
"Shh."
For the first time, the shapeshifter looked flustered.
"I could've sworn I took care of everyone nearby."
"Mmph, mmph! Mmmph!!"
Mohaim's tent was a little ways off.
Far enough that she'd only handled the immediate area and overlooked it.
"Saintess? I just heard a loud noise..."
"Mmmph!!!!"
Erzena screamed desperately, but the iron grip muffled it, and Mohaim didn't hear.
After waiting a moment with no reply, he asked cautiously,
"May I come in for a moment?"
With that, Mohaim's hand began slowly parting the tent flap to enter.
"Damn. No choice."
The shapeshifter immediately set down the vial and drew a dagger.
-Scrape.
The honed blade grazed the saintess's throat, slicing off a few strands of hair behind it.
Then, in one swift motion, she shoved the hair into Erzena's mouth.
-Crunch, grind.
Erzena watched the horror unfold before her in stunned disbelief.
About five seconds later,
as Mohaim pushed aside the flap to enter,
"Don't come in!!!"
The saintess's voice rang out sharply.
"I'm changing clothes right now. Ellen's resting, so I'm doing it alone."
"Ah, s-sorry! I didn't hear a reply, so..."
Mohaim's hand quickly withdrew.
Erzena glared at the woman before her, mouth still covered.
"Saintess. How are you feeling? You haven't shown yourself lately, and people are worried."
Erzena couldn't speak.
Instead, the purple-eyed saintess replied.
"...Mohaim. I'm fine."
The voice was identical.
"No problems at all. Everything's okay."
"I-Is that so? I thought you were upset over what the Pope said..."
"What are you saying."
Even the laugh was perfect.
"You know, I think I've finally realized something."
"Pardon? Realized what?"
"What God truly desires... I understand now."
A sharp intake of breath came from beyond the tent.
"R-Really!? So this holy war must proceed after all!"
"...Holy war."
The fake whispered into the real one's ear.
"So that's the pilgrimage group's true purpose?"
Then, she turned and said to Mohaim,
"Yes. Proceed with the holy war. Our grand purpose will surely come to pass."
No.
That's not it.
It's not.
She screamed inwardly.
Please stop.
Mohaim. Please stop.
Don't listen to this fake.
This isn't God's will.
But her pleas never reached him.
Instead, the knight captain's joyous voice returned.
"Saintess, I believed in you! I'll inform the Pope and the Order right away."
"May God lead us to victory."
"I believe!"
With that, the sound of firm footsteps faded into the distance.
A moment later, only silence remained by her side.
Tears streamed endlessly from her golden eyes.
Tears stained with helplessness, fear, and regret.
"You can't stop this massive tide, former saintess."
The shapeshifter picked up the vial again.
And forcibly pried open the saintess's mouth.
"You can only get swept away."
She poured it straight down her throat.
As her consciousness faded, Erzena closed her eyes.
'Lord... God... Central Officer...'
Too late.
"Central Officer, sir, we're not too late, are we?"
I shook my head at the Gustatory Officer's worried question.
"No, not at all. If anything..."
I gazed confidently at the fully stocked [Evidence Storage Box].
"The timing is perfect."