The Evil God's Play, Part I

When the descent ritual was aborted with Miraj's death, and Seraphina gazed up at the sky in sorrow, Yeomyeong, who had been tormented by the curse, finally regained consciousness. Clutching his chest, he pushed himself up and looked around. In that brief span of time, his surroundings had completely transformed. The golden magic circle that had filled the laboratory had been swept away by a black dust, weathering into nothingness in an instant. The priestess who had been giggling so mockingly was now reduced to a wretched corpse. Yeomyeong asked urgently,

"Saintess, are you alright?"

"Ah, yes. It hurts, but... I am fine. More than fine."

Unlike Yeomyeong's agitated voice, Seraphina's reply was calm. Her flowing priestess robes were torn in places, and dried blood clung to her clasped hands, yet a serene, reassuring smile graced her face. It was a smile so sublime that even Yeomyeong, a novice in matters of faith, couldn't help but find it holy. The warrior nodded, somewhat dazed.

"That is a relief. It seems you have successfully dealt with Miraj as well."

"It was only possible through the grace of the God who watches over us from above."

"...Is that so?"

"Of course. Ah, and... Captain Yeomyeong? Please go downstairs and call Merlin and the other believers."

"Understood."

Yeomyeong quickly descended the stairs of the annex. An urgency that went beyond merely obeying the Saintess's command spurred him on. The warrior ran, praying that at least some of his comrades were still alive. Meanwhile, Seraphina paced the empty laboratory.

The descent ritual... I cannot perform it alone, but if there is ever an opportunity in the future—

Clack!

Something caught the tip of Seraphina's foot as she walked, making a sharp sound. Snapping out of her reverie, she bent down and picked up the object. Her eyes widened slightly at the unexpected find. She examined it closely.

This is...

It was rare, yet intimately familiar. A rosary. Melted from pure gold and infused with divine power, it was an item exclusive to high-ranking priests. Seraphina had seen them a few times during her days at the convent. Although Renatus rarely wore them due to his distaste for ornaments, several high priests who had served Order for decades wore such rosaries with immense pride. However, that was not why Seraphina was staring so intently at this particular one.

It is definitely His presence.

Between the individual beads of the rosary, which was designed to be worn as a double-wrap bracelet, she felt a familiar energy. A cold, silver sensation brushed against her skin. She watched black particles shimmering like mist. It was a heavy, profound gaze that she could never mistake.

...Could it be?

Seraphina belatedly scanned her surroundings. Immediately after the descent ritual, the black particles that had formed His body had been scattered across the floor like sand. Yet, those abundant fragments had vanished without a trace, and this rosary lay directly in the center of where they had been.

Squeezing her hand shut, Seraphina instinctively gripped the rosary tight. Without a moment's hesitation, she wrapped it around her wrist. Fearing that someone might take it away, she quickly hid it beneath the sleeve of her black priestess robes.

"Saintess, are you unharmed?"

By then, the other believers summoned by Yeomyeong had entered the laboratory. Merlin, leading the way, asked in a casual tone. It was a mere formality; knowing that the Saintess enjoyed the protection of their God, the old man had not doubted her safety for a second. Instead, it was Nisyona, who had been hiding behind Merlin, who reacted passionately.

"Unni! Are you okay?! Did it hurt a lot?!"

Seraphina could not understand the child's words. However, she was not so heartless as to push away a girl who threw herself into her arms with a face full of relief and longing. She was one of the few girls her age in the church. The Saintess gently embraced her and whispered, "You've really been through a lot so suddenly."

"Ugh..."

Nisyona, too, did not understand Seraphina's words. But Yeomyeong, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had been watching the scene from the side, suddenly cleared his throat. Nisyona turned her head at the sound. Releasing the embrace, she guided the weary Saintess toward the beastmen elders before walking over to Yeomyeong.

Stepping up to Yeomyeong, Nisyona silently reached out her hand. Though flustered, Yeomyeong went along with the mood. He bent one knee to lower himself to her height. Nisyona's small hand reached out and ruffled Yeomyeong's grey hair.

"...You too, Mister. Good job."

Despite the difference in height and size, and despite how clumsy and awkward her stroking hand was...

Yeomyeong was deeply struck by her gesture. A warm, heavy emotion welled up in his chest. It certainly hadn't been like this at first. To Yeomyeong, Nisyona had merely been the epitome of an unfortunate victim—a weakling exposed to various forms of violence. To him, the girl was a crystallization of an unjust world, a symbol that forced him to admit his own righteousness was flawed. Or perhaps, she was a mirage in which he saw his lost family. Her existence had forced him to make many choices, ultimately leading him to devote himself to the church, but that had all been a tug-of-war with his own convictions.

"...Nisyona."

In that instant, the object of that tug-of-war shifted, if only slightly. It was a subtle crack that even Yeomyeong himself did not fully perceive, but a change was a change nonetheless. The man stared blankly at the girl.

"Hmph! Fine! Stop talking and give me a piggyback ride. My legs hurt."

Blushing, Nisyona scrambled onto Yeomyeong's back. Yeomyeong naturally supported her and offered his back. Seraphina watched them with a smile and spoke.

"Let us clean up this place later. For now, please gather only the items in the laboratory that seem immediately dangerous."

"Understood. But... Saintess, would you mind telling us what transpired here? I smell something incredibly potent."

"Fufu. Of course, Merlin."

"Excellent. I look forward to it."

Under Merlin's direction, the believers searched the laboratory, recovering several items left behind from Miraj's ritual preparations. Once the descent magic circle in the laboratory had completely lost its function, Seraphina turned to the believers and declared,

"Under the protection of our God, we have triumphed once again... Now, let us return home!"

At the same time, the girl looked up at the sky. A silvery gaze guided their path back to the church's headquarters.

The next few days passed in a blur. With the Haninhae dealt with, security concerns had vanished. Everyone near the main base had witnessed it: dozens of armed troops from the church ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠marching out to dismantle the Haninhae. Even Yeomyeong, who had been hailed as the symbol of military might throughout Seoul, had thrown himself into the church. No group was foolish enough to target them now. Those who were that stupid had already perished. Perhaps it would be different in the future once their immediate influence waned, but for now, the only threats were a few bold thieves or bandits. Such matters were easily handled by the believers themselves. Offering a modest amount of contribution points was enough to resolve the issue. Thanks to this, Seraphina could focus on putting things in order. She nursed her battered body, hiding her ruined hands beneath gloves, and cleared the backlog of work in her office. At the same time, she did not forget to gather the spoils of victory.

"Then, Saintess, we shall depart."

"Safe travels. If you find any delicious snacks like last time, please bring some back."

Within a few days, Yeomyeong had established himself as the church's troubleshooter. He played the role of a guardian knight and squire, executing the Saintess's personal missions. The believers did not object. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They had witnessed his martial prowess firsthand, and they dared not oppose the decisions of the Saintess, who acted as the proxy of their God's will. Seraphina frequently dispatched the warrior to the former Haninhae headquarters. She granted him the authority to dispose of and manage any important legacies left behind. Since he had been a part of the Haninhae, she expected him to easily categorize what was useful. Indeed, the snacks he brought back from the President's office were highly praised by Seraphina.

"Oh, Mister! What's this?"

"That is, well... a book of prophecies from the old world."

Nisyona was always by Yeomyeong's side. The girl clung to him as if he were her favorite stuffed animal. Merlin and the other beastmen wept tears of sorrow at this sight, but their pathetic displays only drove Nisyona further away. And there was one more person added to their dispatch team.

"...Come on, Captain. Isn't that just a novel? I knew you secretly read novels, but lying to a kid like that is—"

"Silence! Lying? You have no right to speak, especially when you haven't even read The Bird That Drinks Poison despite me recommending it so many times!"

"I told you, I don't read unfinished web novels. You said there were four brother birds, but there are only three books."

"Khum... No, it's just that the last one hasn't been found yet... Somewhere out there, there must be The Bird That Drinks Water...!"

The speaker was a young man named Kim Sanghyun. He had been Yeomyeong's subordinate since their days in the Haninhae, handling the paperwork for the Special Suppression Team.

"Sigh. I wish you had searched for me that hard when I turned into a monster."

"Hey, that was because you kept thrusting your yellow fangs at me!"

"Whatever. Let's just keep searching. Today we're checking the dormitory, right?"

He had once been swept up in Miraj's research and turned into a monster. However, with Miraj's death, the curse had vanished, and he had returned to human form. This was because the shackles placed on his body were not as powerful as those on the President. Not only Kim Sanghyun, but most of their Haninhae comrades who had turned into monsters had regained their human shapes. Of course, some had lost their lives as monsters during the battle with the church, and those who returned to human form had not yet fully regained their sanity. But Kim Sanghyun was an exception. He was a high-output Awakened. The day after the curse was lifted, he regained his senses, and upon confirming Yeomyeong's intentions, he immediately requested to join the church.

"Captain, we need to salvage something decent from here. That's the only way to improve our standing in the church."

"...Uncle Sanghyun, Angel Unni isn't a bad person who discriminates against people for things like that!"

"Nisyona, it's not about visible discrimination... It's more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about showing that I'm useful. Strong people like Captain Yeomyeong don't have to worry, but office workers like me have to make an appeal."

"An appeal?"

Hearing Kim Sanghyun's words, Nisyona tilted her head and reached out. To her, there was only one kind of "appeal" she knew. She began to stroke Yeomyeong's stomach, sliding her fingers between his defined abs to tickle him. Her touch was more possessive than innocent. Flustered, Yeomyeong glared at Kim Sanghyun. Kim Sanghyun also looked taken aback and quickly spoke up.

"No, I didn't mean it in that way!"

"Then what did you mean?" Nisyona asked, her fingers continuing their relentless poking.

Kim Sanghyun stammered, trying to figure out how to explain it to a child, before finally giving up.

"...Just! If we find lots of good stuff! It'll help the church! Won't that make your beloved Angel Unni happy too?!"

"Hehe, I guess so."

Accepting his surrender, Nisyona smiled and finally withdrew her tickling fingers. A clear sense of victory was written all over her face. Only then did Kim Sanghyun realize he had been played, but the three of them had already arrived at the target dormitory building.

"Let's split up and search. Sanghyun, you'll be fine on your own, right?"

"Yes, of course. Especially since they've allowed me to carry a weapon again."

Kim Sanghyun pulled a loaded pistol from his pocket. A K5 pistol—the very first thing he had salvaged from the ruins of the Haninhae.

"I'll go check the east wing, then."

"Alright. I'll check this side."

The two split up in different directions. Nisyona naturally grabbed Yeomyeong's hand and clung to his side.

"Fufu, I never thought I'd come back here again."

"Ahem..."

"I was with you back then too, Mister, and here we are again. Well, at least this time I'm walking on my own two feet, so it's fine."

"Cough, ahem!"

Yeomyeong desperately pretended not to hear Nisyona's words as he moved. He inspected the rooms, checking for any hazardous materials that needed immediate disposal. However, given the nature of a dormitory, dangerous items were not easily found. Just as their concentration began to wane, they arrived in front of a familiar door.

"Oh? Mister, isn't this—"

"...Yes. It's my room. And right next door is the room where you stayed."

Yeomyeong hesitated before opening the door to his room. Since he wasn't one to keep many personal belongings, the room looked rather barren. A bed, a desk, and a bookshelf lined with novels from the old world on one wall were all that occupied the space.

Nisyona looked around the room and muttered, "Heh, you live cleaner than I thought. I expected it to smell bad."

"Smell bad...?"

"Ahaha, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I actually don't dislike your smell, Mister... Oh?"

Laughing playfully, Nisyona's eyes caught a slip of paper with her name written on it, and she reached out for it.

"Mister? What's this?"

A single note, written in awkward, crooked handwriting. Perhaps the very first variable that had set this entire sequence of events in motion.

Yeomyeong chose his words carefully before calmly explaining what had happened. Receiving the note, going to confront the President, and learning the truth afterward. Because these could be painful memories for the girl, Yeomyeong's tone was exceedingly gentle... but Nisyona's mind was completely elsewhere as she listened.

"Wait a minute. You're saying this was written according to God's will?"

"The Saintess may have physically written the words, but the content itself was guided by His will."

"...!!"

The girl's eyes widened in sheer shock. Sensing that something was amiss, Yeomyeong asked what was wrong. The girl answered cautiously.

"Mister... I heard this from a customer a long time ago... but do you happen to know what a Ouija board is?"