Who is the Sinner?
“If you’ve got nothing to say, I’d like to just go. As you know, I have a ‘special’ mission from the Father God to carry out.”
“...”
At her deliberately grating tone, a crack appeared for a split second in Lisia’s icy expression. The vampire’s sharp senses didn’t miss it. There was no doubt—she was shaken by the bond between Belladys and the Father God.
That alone made Belladys feel her base, long-suppressed desire writhing deep inside.
“Wait.”
As she turned away, counting silently in her mind, a firm voice stopped Belladys in her tracks, as if she’d been waiting for it.
“What.”
Belladys glanced back indifferently. Lisia’s face, now facing her again, was darker and more irritable than before.
“Don’t get arrogant.”
“...Ha?”
“I said, don’t get arrogant.”
Belladys let out a hollow laugh at the sudden accusation.
“You, to me?”
When it came to faith in Him, she was confident she wouldn’t lose to anyone. That was why this arrogant tone, throwing around the word “arrogant” at her so ignorantly, grated so badly.
“Who was it that stayed by the Father God’s side, serving Him through all His possessions up until now? You?”
Pointing mockingly at Lisia, Belladys soon shook her head with a look of contempt.
“No. It was me. Unlike you, flailing around cluelessly back then, I was the only one worthy of His sole favor.”
“While standing by and letting the Father God shed blood?”
But Lisia had her own weapon for this verbal sparring—The first thing she’d done upon returning to the kingdom was get a full report from the order’s holy knights.
“...!”
The vampire of the order flinched at Lisia’s sharp retort. As a servant of the Father God, allowing an external attack was a grave sin—one that warranted having her head chopped off on the spot.
This was the first time the possessing Father God had been served, but everyone would agree it was unforgivable.
“Belladys was there. You weren’t alone.”
There had been countless witnesses, all shocked to their cores. The ambush by the priests of the Black Sun, empowered by their constellation. And Belladys, the closest aide, had done nothing.
Captured by baseless suspicion, she’d taken no action at all. Incompetence—despite vowing her body to serve the Father God, Belladys had committed a massive blunder.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Growling as she was struck right in her weak spot, Belladys fired back, but Lisia pressed on relentlessly.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“...That time, that was...!”
Belladys knew even as she spat it out that it was a ridiculous excuse. But she truly couldn’t help it. Back then, she’d been half-mad with vengeance.
“Couldn’t help it? You think that makes sense?”
“And you.”
Belladys’s resentful gaze turned on Lisia. The sinners weren’t just one person.
“Who was it that abandoned the order and went on a pilgrimage? Who shirked responsibility when the order was faltering and His sanctuary was threatened?”
The vampire’s fangs now turned toward this equally irresponsible devotee.
“...”
“We’re all sinners. Before Him, we’re all sinners bearing unforgivable guilt.”
Sheer audacity. Belladys vowed to face her master with dignified resolve in the face of the love she offered Him. He hadn’t abandoned them but returned—so now, all that remained was to worship Him with everything she had.
“That’s why I’ll devote every last breath of my life to worshiping Him. That’s what I wished for from the start.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
The Belladys from her Black Sun vampire days—Lisia knew that figure all too well, one that made her sick to recall.
“The Black Sun. And a bioweapon.”
“...! You...!”
“You should’ve been scrapped long ago, but the Father God’s mercy gave you new life. As a closest devotee, no less.”
Unlike Belladys, growing more agitated by the second, Lisia continued calmly.
“You think you’re better than me? That you understand the Father God more? Don’t make me laugh.”
“Shut up.”
“You’re still just a blood-crazed vampire. A monster who lusted for blood under the guise of revenge.”
She’d tried to wage a holy war. Driven by false information, suspicion, and personal vendetta. Back then, the other order members were too muddled to judge properly, so no one stopped Belladys’s stubborn insistence.
But one person. Exactly one had opposed her.
“I’ve been with the Father God from the very beginning, through everything.”
Back when she was the only devotee. Even in that harsh, impoverished environment, Lisia had been purely happy—because she could feel her Father God always dwelling within her.
“So don’t you dare. After swearing to serve Him—our Father God—act like you know everything.”
Our. Lisia gave Belladys one last chance at atonement with her final shred of patience.
-Crunch.
By now, Belladys was biting her lip in frustration. She couldn’t properly refute Lisia’s words—because it was true she’d tried to dodge responsibility.
Belladys, who loved her Father God more than anyone, could no longer betray her heart or her love for Him. A resentful tear trickled from her furrowed eyes.
“I’ll never make that mistake twice.”
She enunciated each word clearly to convey her resolve.
“Yeah.”
Lisia nodded simply, gradually dialing back her intensity. No matter what, the Father God would grieve over His devotees fighting.
No. Lisia couldn’t bear to face that sadness, even if it meant steeling her gaze.
That was why she’d yielded a step.
“I’ll go.”
As Lisia brushed past first, the woman left behind stood there for a long while, still steeped in sorrow and self-loathing.
└Do you think constellations give a shit lol
└If a constellation wants to invade, they invade ㅇㅇ
└Think you can just raid and dip? Now they want us to take responsibility too lol
└What responsibility
└Gotta station troops or whatever
└It’s obvious they just dumped useless scrubs there
└Whoa how??
└I lost five allied nations that way
└lololololololol
└Take some responsibility for once pls
└Does daily quest completion bring back your ancestors?
└If you don’t need allies gimme pls;;
└Said the old me
└If you ditch allied orders, other constellations will just eat them up—think you can handle that?
└Nah fuck no you dumbass
└Why the sudden rage sb
└OP lost all allies to NTR and is pissed lolololol
└lolololololol
└Got everything stolen, no resources to expand, and bored constellations holy war with holy water nonstop—feelsbadman
└Lmao
└Shoulda done better when you had em
└When you feel it’s too late, shout ‘Reset’!
└Fuck off
“F-Father God... What is this...?”
I’d gathered the king and other key figures for a demonstration of my handiwork, leading them to a vast open field. I just smiled silently at Edmund’s question.
-Shoooo...
A sacred aura rose from the ground, soon taking vivid form.
“...!”
Holy Spirits. The purified undead forces I’d tamed before. I didn’t like using them myself, but they were perfect to station in Regarium while I was away.
Deploy the summoned Holy Spirits to the Regarium Kingdom?
Yeah.
I accepted via the prompt window in my mind and turned to Edmund beside me.
Troop deployment. It unlocked after maxing favor with the king and entering mutual cooperation. The world was a playground for constellations—a fact not lost on anyone, including me.
To protect a nation, you needed a stronger constellation’s power. Even Edmund, who’d once despised them, knew that well.
“We must always prepare maximally for foreign invasions.”
“...!”
“This undead crisis taught me that. So I’ll order all these new Holy Spirits to dedicate themselves to Regarium’s defense.”
“F-Father God...!”
Edmund tried to prostrate his frail body in worship.
“Don’t.”
Thanks, but I wasn’t into torture. I’d gratefully accept the sentiment.
“Such excessive grace... I can’t accept it...!”
“Take it.”
“B-But—”
“I said take it.”
Just take it already. It’s useless to me. As the king stubbornly refused with all sincerity, I matched it with my own earnest plea.
Finally, the old king relented. They were high-tier undead sacrifices, after all—mid-game stage pushovers in the game.
“Please accept without worry and use them for your nation’s safety.”
“F-Father God...! Hic...!”
Unable to hold back, the king bowed his head, shoulders shaking for a long while. The solemn moment dragged on again.
I brushed off the overreaction and checked my status window. Regarium’s defense safety was green—very secure. Partly my name value, but these upgraded undead seemed reliable.
I hadn’t seen them fight yet, but they were worth expecting.
Next—
Miss her already.
Thinking of Belladys, now fully departed from the kingdom, made me want to rush over and stroke her head. Possession would let me meet her instantly, but relying on one devotee wasn’t ideal.
So for now, I’d wait calmly until she reached the holy city safely and wrap up unfinished business here.
I still had incomplete tasks, after all.
“...”
My gaze drifted to the two devotees with new markers.
Sword Saintess. She’d bonded deeply with our little hero, but I hadn’t properly met the new newbie devotee stuck to her side.
I’d go myself.
Heir of the Lost Star: Take care of her.
But you know?
Heir of the Lost Star: ...?
I’m obviously stationing the Hero here.
Heir of the Lost Star: What.
No, it’s obvious. Who knows when shit hits the fan—can’t drag a kid around.
Constellations lacked human empathy. They just wanted to throw Heroes to the frontlines.
You’re not doing that to other Heroes too, right?
No reply for a long time. That was answer enough.
Family runs real smooth over there. Not my house, but seeing the neighbors like that didn’t sit well. There was the Hero personality glitch issue.
Anyway, I scheduled a new meeting and wrapped up with the king.
#
“H-He’s here! That guy’s coming!”
In the deep lair of some shadowy faction, a man with iron rods piercing both temples frothed at the mouth, screaming. He didn’t look sane at all.
A sacrifice. A disposable tool for constellation communication.
So who inhabited this man’s body? A being terrified in a way unbefitting a constellation, fearing a specific entity.
Fleshless Prophet of Death.
-Calm yourself.
A deep voice echoed in the prepared audience chamber.
“H-How can I calm d-down...! He’s, he’s heeeere!”
The man suddenly collapsed mid-sentence. Lifespan expended.
-Poor cost-performance.
Handle it more carefully.
No response. No one left to convey the constellation’s words.
The space’s master ordered a new sacrifice via devotee to voice his will.
-The Absolute has returned, but lowered Himself to human level, freely communing with devotees without restrictions. Possession, from what I hear.
That horrific, base, chilling act—unfathomable to the two constellations’ minds.
A constellation, a lofty heavenly being, meeting humans eye-to-eye? What humiliation, what curse!
-There must be something to it. Refusing sacrifices too—this chamber’s master felt his doubts about the Absolute swelling uncontrollably.
-We should advance the timing.
In the darkness, the instigator smiled quietly.
All-out war was hopeless. Even gauging the divine power he’d amassed, it was impossible.
So, use a shield. A fallen devotee once in his order.
-If you love your devotees so much, can you overlook this too?
The darkness deepened.