The Evil God's Play, Part II

The underground headquarters of the church. The private quarters and office of the Saintess. A deep voice echoed from outside the door.

"Saintess. Do you have a moment?"

It was the voice of Yeomyeong, whom she had sent to scout the Haninhae headquarters. However, his tone was unusually grave. The same went for Nisyona, who was chattering excitedly beside him.

Sensing that they had something important to discuss, Seraphina closed her contribution ledger and replied.

"Yes, come in. What is the matter? Did you find something at the Haninhae?"

"No, Saintess. It is not that. However..."

Entering the room with Nisyona, Yeomyeong carefully extended his hand, showing her what he had been holding so protectively. It was a slip of paper with characters from the other world written on it. The crookedly scribbled sentences looked more like drawings than actual script.

Seraphina still did not know what the words meant, but she recognized the paper instantly. After all, she had written it herself. Following her God's apparent desire to win Yeomyeong over, she had painstakingly copied the characters stroke by stroke from a book of the other world.

Seraphina tilted her head in confusion. "You still have that. Hmm. Do you have a question regarding its contents?"

"Ah, no, it is not that. It is just... Nisyona came up with a rather clever idea."

Yeomyeong gave Nisyona a gentle pat on the back. Taking the cue, the young girl proudly stepped forward, holding out a sheet of paper with both hands for Seraphina to see.

The paper was divided into twenty-four squares, each containing a different character from the other world.

"...What is this?"

Seraphina tilted her head at the mysterious invention. Yeomyeong explained.

"Saintess, in our world, we have something called a 'Ouija board.'"

It was an occult tool designed to communicate with spirits, allowing one to divine their intentions through spiritual movements rather than direct speech. Normally, it required a board with letters and a planchette to point to them, but if they were dealing with the gaze of a god, the board alone would suffice.

Yeomyeong pointed to various spots on the board as he continued his explanation.

"You only need to tell me which letters the God's gaze rests upon, Saintess. I can handle the arrangement and translation."

"..."

"With this method, we will be able to understand the God's will much more clearly. We will know exactly what He desires from us!"

Yeomyeong spoke with a hint of excitement in his eyes. Nisyona, too, marched forward with a triumphant stride and placed the Ouija board on Seraphina's desk.

Their confidence was well-founded. They both had a rough idea of how Seraphina received the divine will.

The God did not grant direct revelations, even to His own Saintess. His will was conveyed solely through His gaze, emotions, and metaphors, never through spoken words. Consequently, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while Seraphina could grasp the general direction of His intent, she was often frustrated by her inability to decipher the finer details.

Nisyona hoped this would solve the Saintess's dilemma. Yeomyeong, too, yearned to communicate with the exalted being whose true identity remained shrouded in mystery.

But contrary to their eager expectations, Seraphina merely stared down at the Ouija board with a chillingly cold gaze.

"...Is that all?"

Her voice was icy. There was no joy or anticipation in it—only a heavy, complicated weight.

Faced with this unexpected reaction, Yeomyeong spoke cautiously.

"Yes, Saintess... Do you believe there is a problem with this method? If so, would you mind telling me?"

"Whew..." Seraphina let out a soft sigh before replying.

"No. The method itself is fine. It would probably work. It has been inconvenient without such a tool, and I have tried similar things a few times before."

The Saintess pressed her right hand to her forehead. She leaned back into her office chair and continued.

"But... I do not know. I do not know if the God would appreciate such a method."

"...!!"

"If the God—if that great being in the heavens—truly wished to converse with us, would He not have provided another way already?"

Yeomyeong was left speechless by her words.

"That means..."

Having only recently joined the church, he still knew very little about the God he served. He held only a vague, abstract image of a colossal, omniscient, and exalted entity.

Yet, Yeomyeong had heard the rumors. Over the past few days, acting as a member of the church and speaking with Merlin, he had learned of certain incidents.

He had heard of a grand design far beyond the comprehension of the mere insects crawling upon the earth. He had heard of the meticulous preparations laid out over years to execute that design, and of Merlin, who had been saved as a result.

Even his own story was no different. For Yeomyeong of the Haninhae to join the church and slay President Lee Seokin with his own hands—no one in Seoul could have ever foreseen such an outcome.

Yet the being in the heavens had done exactly that. He had looked far beyond simple prediction, guiding events with His own hand to make them reality.

Would such a being guide them through mere gazes simply because He lacked the ability to do otherwise?

"...Are you saying that even this silence is part of a grander design?"

At Yeomyeong's question, Seraphina nodded.

"Yes. Though we may never comprehend it, there must be a reason. For us to take the initiative and pry into His will, rather than waiting for Him to command us... feels somewhat impious. At least to me."

"...You are correct."

"Even if the God were to express His thoughts, it would be the same. Since we cannot possibly fathom His true intentions, I have no intention of carelessly sharing the contents of any such revelation with the other believers."

"...Yes. That is indeed the proper way. I was short-sighted."

Yeomyeong had no choice but to agree with Seraphina's reasoning.

A brief silence fell between them. Seizing the moment, Nisyona chimed in.

"Maybe the God just doesn't know how to speak the Angel Sister's language! Since He's a God of Earth..."

The young girl offered her opinion with a bold voice. She, too, had understood the conversation. Thanks to Yeomyeong's tutoring, her proficiency in the Continent's common tongue had improved, and Yeomyeong had been translating for her in real-time during their talk.

Thus, she had been able to voice her thoughts at the right moment, but—

"Nisyona. An omniscient God could never suffer from such a limitation. Even the biggest fool on the Continent can master our language."

Her theory was instantly crushed by Seraphina's firm assertion. An omniscient god unable to learn a single language? Such a thing was utterly absurd.

Nisyona slumped, looking thoroughly dejected. Seraphina gently hugged the girl to comfort her, patted her back, and ushered her out of the office.

"Still, thank you for sharing your thoughts, Nisyona. I will be relying on you in the future as well."

"...Yes, Sister!"

Cheering up instantly, the young girl marched out of the office with lively steps. Seraphina waved goodbye, then turned back to Yeomyeong.

"You may leave as well, Yeomyeong."

"Yes, Saintess. What should I do with this board?"

"Hmm... Could you leave it here for now? Just in case the God's gaze descends upon it in the future."

"Understood... Ah, and if I may be so bold—"

Clack.

After a moment of hesitation, Yeomyeong pulled a thick book from his coat. Its craftsmanship fell far short of the mass-produced books of the old world, but it was a volume bound with meticulous care, compiling hand-written pages.

"I compiled this book myself. It organizes words that share the same meaning in both the Continent's common tongue and Korean."

"...?"

"I made it as a textbook to teach Nisyona the common tongue. This is a copy. Though it only contains vocabulary, it should allow you to perform a basic translation if you ever end up using the Ouija board."

"...Thank you. This will indeed be of great help."

Seraphina offered a small smile. Currently, Yeomyeong was the only person in the entire church who could speak both the Continent's common tongue and the language of this other world. Although Nisyona was studying hard and improving rapidly, she was still far from fluent. Under these circumstances, a translation guide would be an invaluable asset.

Beyond deciphering the God's gaze, it could also be used to mediate between the people of this other world and the believers from the Continent.

Seraphina placed the book Yeomyeong had given her into her desk drawer. She folded the Ouija board Nisyona had made and stored it alongside the book. Seeing this, Yeomyeong bowed deeply.

"Then, Saintess, I shall take my leave. May the God's grace be with you."

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Yeomyeong."

Yeomyeong quickly departed. Once again alone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in her office, Seraphina stared at the closed door before turning her gaze toward the empty air. She felt the silver gaze still lingering upon her, prickling against her skin.

"No, now is not the time. I still have work to do..."

After a moment, Seraphina muttered to herself, deliberately trying to break her own train of thought. Though her flow had been interrupted by the sudden visit, her duties remained. She reopened the contribution ledger and reviewed the documents, checking the numbers for errors and applying the latest updates.

"..."

But before long, she realized she was making absolutely no progress. Compared to before Yeomyeong and Nisyona's arrival, her pace of processing the paperwork had plummeted.

Sigh... I cannot concentrate.

Seraphina buried her face in the contribution ledger. She was no stranger to paperwork. Priests were considered part of the educated class, and all children ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the convent were taught administrative work to prepare them for assignments in rural areas. Seraphina had never once lost her top rank in those clerical subjects. Although her workload had surged after the Haninhae incident, she had been managing it well—until now.

Her concentration had shattered in an instant. The numbers on the documents blurred like shifting waves, and her mind was flooded with stray thoughts.

She knew the reason all too well.

The Ouija board. An opportunity to directly receive the God's will.

In front of Yeomyeong and Nisyona, she had rejected it, calling it impious. Her conviction had not changed. How dare a mere human attempt to measure the will of a god? Moreover, her God was no ordinary constellation. If He were a constellation ascended from humanity, perhaps it would be different, but this otherworldly deity was an exalted being whose very origins were unfathomable. One could not lightly presume to ask for His opinion. Besides, even if the God did answer, she had no confidence that she could fully comprehend His true intent.

And yet. Despite knowing all of this with absolute certainty...

"Ugh..."

Seraphina wavered. The memory kept resurfacing, making it impossible to focus on her paperwork. The moment from a few days ago flashed through her mind—the moment when the God, cloaked in black mist, had gently stroked her hair.

It had been a wondrous sensation. A profound sense of relief that melted away her frozen doubts. A comfort she had never experienced before, as if she had finally found her true family. A deep sense of dependency.

That touch now disrupted her focus. No matter how many times she tried to force her eyes back to the documents, the characters on the page only served as a medium to remind her of His black particles.

It was not just her mind that had gone awry. Her body, too, was slipping from her control. A feverish warmth spread through her, reminiscent of when Miraj had struck her in the abdomen. But this time, there was no pain. Though the heat spreading through her body grew more intense, what she felt in her lower stomach was not pain, but a ticklish, inexplicable sensation.

What had the God been thinking then? With what emotions had He touched her? Had the pity and affection she sensed in His gaze been real?

Questions spiraled endlessly, one after another. Until now, she had pushed them aside under the pretext of having no way to verify them, but she could no longer use that excuse.

...I cannot go on like this.

Clatter!

Ultimately, Seraphina made her decision. This could not continue. She was merely wasting time, unable to focus on her work.

Seraphina pulled two items from her desk drawer: the Ouija board Nisyona had given her, and the translation book Yeomyeong had compiled. She pushed her ledgers aside and unfolded the board.

Just ten minutes. I will wait for exactly ten minutes.

Having unfolded the board, the young girl blankly awaited the God's gaze. Refraining from offering a prayer was her final shred of restraint, lest she displease Him. She simply waited in silence.

One minute passed, then two. By the time nine minutes had ticked away, there was still no sign. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Though she could feel His gaze lingering nearby, it did not touch the board.

Seraphina actually felt relieved by this. If there was no answer, she could accept that. The lack of a response was a manifestation of His will in itself. She could shake off her stray thoughts and return to her duties.

Right. Let us finish the paperwork first.

But just as Seraphina was about to put the board away and refocus on her documents—

"...Ah?!"

His gaze swept across the board. Reflexively, Seraphina picked up her pen and began scribbling down the letters.

A moment later, the sequence was complete. Seraphina hurriedly began flipping through Yeomyeong's translation book.

"Exemption, license, visitation, sterilization... Ah! Is it this one? Ruin? Destruction?"

It was impossible to translate the entire sentence. However, as she continued to search through the book, she managed to salvage a few distinct words.

After a considerable amount of time, six words remained in Seraphina's hands.

Words whose word order she could not even begin to guess. Using them as building blocks, Seraphina pieced together the most plausible sentence she could construct.

Seraphina whispered in a trembling voice.