Under the Gaze of the Evil God
Seraphina faithfully obeyed the commands. She searched every corner of the gloomy shop, gathering everything that caught the deity's gaze. First was the massive metal rod that the god's gaze had initially lingered upon. Next was a hollowed-out object curved like an old man's back. Finally, a massive belt linking dozens of metal pegs no larger than a pinky finger. Though she had absolutely no idea what these bizarrely shaped tools were used for, Seraphina did not question them. She only needed to do as she was told.
Before long, Seraphina was practically covered in cold metal. The pockets of her black priestess robe bulged with the metal pegs, and her hands were so full of rods that she couldn't even clasp them in prayer. A conventional constellation would never make their priestess do such menial labor, but the Evil God only shifted his gaze after forcing her to carry a few more items. Seraphina followed behind with waddling, clumsy steps.
Thud, thud, thud. The silver pillars of light drew her deeper into the city. The urban expanse seemed to swallow her whole. Due to the dust-choked atmosphere, she hadn't realized it when she was on the outskirts, but the city—which she had assumed to be the size of an ordinary town—was far larger than expected. As her steps led her toward the heart of the city, Seraphina's mouth slowly fell open. It was because of the buildings soaring endlessly into the sky.
"..." She had known that humans and civilization existed in this world. There was the existence of the Iron Masks, who occasionally emerged from the Gates alongside the monsters. There were also the artificial marks left on the bodies of certain beasts. With so many clues, rumors about the civilization beyond the Gates had been quietly spreading across the Continent. In the first place, Seraphina herself had already discovered several unmistakable man-made artifacts while traveling under the Evil God's guidance.
For that reason, Seraphina hadn't been particularly shocked yesterday. While it was fascinating that expensive glass was used even in the homes of ordinary citizens and for unidentified raw materials, it was trivial compared to what she had experienced beyond the Gates. She had even let out a silent, self-deprecating chuckle, thinking she had grown too numb to be surprised by such things anymore.
But now, Seraphina had no choice but to admit that her assumptions had been incredibly arrogant. To think I believed the civilization of this world would be inferior to the Continent's...! Everywhere she looked, colossal buildings of a scale rarely seen on the Continent stood firm. Structures taller than any magic tower or holy cathedral blocked out the sky. Though they were heavily worn and ruined, seemingly abandoned for a long time, their majestic presence still weighed heavily on Seraphina.
And what of the other structures? The ground was paved so perfectly that it put the royal roads of the Continent to shame, and countless metal carriages were lined up in numbers beyond reckoning. Neither the stains on the roads and buildings nor the strange, distant rustling sounds could diminish the city's grandeur. If anything, it felt like discovering a forgotten ancient civilization, only adding to the sense of mystery.
To think such a civilization could exist...! Even the most developed city on the Continent could not compare to a mere speck of this place. The thrill of discovering a historical truth in an unknown world washed over her. It was an achievement that would shock the entire Continent if revealed, and even Seraphina, who possessed not a single drop of adventurer's blood, felt her heart race for a moment.
—And yet, even a civilization like this... ultimately became a playground for monsters. Her fleeting excitement sank heavily as she felt the silver gaze urging her forward once more. Even a civilization with such advanced technology could not withstand the intervention of the Evil God. In this city that must have once flourished in golden prosperity, not a single trace of human presence remained. In the sky where constellations should have looked down with blessings, only the gaze of a single Evil God remained. Reality caught up with her belatedly. Nothing had changed, yet she felt her blood run cold.
Whether the silver gaze was aware of Seraphina's melancholy or not, it merely pointed toward her destination with cold indifference. "...Sigh." Letting out a soft sigh, Seraphina pressed forward once more. She began to carry out the commands delivered through the Evil God's gaze, one by one.
She entered a ruined building and settled down. She laid out the metal objects she had been carrying all over her body. She manipulated the pieces according to the deity's gaze. She poured her heart into it, personally wiping away the rust that had accumulated on various parts. Since she knew neither the purpose nor the method, it was a grueling process. The only way the Evil God conveyed information was through that chilly gaze. The gaps in between had to be filled by Seraphina's own trial and error. The girl busied her hands, desperately trying to decipher the intent behind the eyes. For some reason, she could sense a hint of frustration in the Evil God's gaze, which made her feel equally rushed.
After several failures, she finally filled the curved container with the finger-sized metal pieces. The moment she inserted it into the bottom of the large metal rod—clack. A crisp, satisfying sound echoed. Seraphina knew instinctively. She had finally succeeded in assembling it correctly. Feeling a wave of relief, the girl lifted the steel rod. She pressed the wooden stock against her shoulder, aiming the hole of the rod forward as guided. Then, without much thought, she hooked her index finger around the trigger. She still had no idea what this tool was used for, but the Evil God's gaze was directing her to do so.
Seraphina's finger naturally pulled the trigger. At that exact moment—BANG!!!—thunder struck.
"...Aaaah!" Seraphina screamed, clutching her ringing ears.
Even after that, the Evil God's guidance did not end. Her ears, which had initially felt so deafened she thought they might bleed, soon grew numb. She also began to understand the rod that summoned thunder. Or rather, she accepted it. Is it like a mage's wand? With these finger-sized pieces acting as the catalyst. A demonic tool that brought about roaring thunder and destruction with the mere pull of a finger. She felt it was indeed an item worthy of the Evil God's attention.
It doesn't even seem to require mana. How on earth do they make something like this... No, never mind. A being like him could easily do it. From then on, Seraphina gradually learned how to use the Thunder Staff. She learned by feel how to control the recoil after firing and how to aim the thunder accurately. Around that time, the sun began to set. The Evil God's gaze also receded. Only then did the girl relax and lie down on the ground. Closing her eyes, she comforted herself, knowing she had somehow survived another day.
And the next day. Seraphina woke up feeling a fierce gaze unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Until now, the deity's gaze had descended in multiple split beams. It should have been impossible unless he had dozens of eyes, but since her patron was an Evil God, she simply accepted it. It had actually made navigation much easier, as a dozen silver pillars of light would guide her path one after another. Hadn't it been the same yesterday when she was testing the Thunder Staff? While a few beams meticulously guided her fingertips, the remaining dozens of pillars moved around, illuminating various parts of the city.
But now, it was different. Countless gazes were all focused entirely on her small body. A massive, overlapping gaze of dozens of eyes licked across Seraphina's skin. "Ugh..." Seraphina sat up reflexively. Forcing her sleepy eyes open, she saw the first light of dawn breaking. What does he want me to do at this hour... Though she felt disgruntled deep down, she didn't let it show on her face as she knelt. It was a posture that had become a habit over the past week. Then, she turned her eyes to where the massive gaze was pointing. Toward the central road of the city.
Wait, what is that...? Seraphina squinted, following the direction of the gaze. Sure enough, a bizarre shadow was flickering in the distance. The shadow was retracing the exact path Seraphina had walked yesterday. With the dawn sun at its back, it rapidly traversed the central road littered with ruined buildings and steel carriages. For a moment, Seraphina thought it was just a common monster. Thanks to the Evil God's guidance, she had never faced a monster head-on, but she had occasionally bypassed them from a distance. However, as the figure drew closer, her thoughts changed. A haughty stride with swinging arms and legs. Pure white robes. A balding head. And crucially, a golden light radiating from his fingertips. That was not how a monster behaved. It possessed a purity that could never be permitted to a twisted, monstrous creature. If so—
—A human?! The moment that thought crossed her mind, whoosh! Seraphina ducked between the buildings. She concealed herself, holding her breath. There was no joy in encountering another human after so long. Instead, the crisis-detection instincts she had honed under the Evil God's gaze set off emergency sirens in her mind. It was only natural. Whether that person was a resident of this ancient city or an exile who had crossed the Gate like her, they were an incredibly dangerous existence to the girl. Who on earth is that? How did they get all the way here? Keeping her body pressed flat, she slowly raised her head just enough to peek. She observed the figure through a crack in the wall. The shadow was approaching rapidly. A distance so vast she wouldn't have even noticed it without the deity's gaze shrank in an instant, bringing the figure close enough for her to make out their face. As the human form became clear, the moment Seraphina realized the entity's identity—
"...!!!" Seraphina felt a torrent of emotion that made her blood boil. How could she not recognize him? Even setting aside the pristine priestly robes that looked so out of place in this ruined world. Even ignoring the crest symbolizing a Cardinal of the Order of Order. That wrinkled face. That hypocritical expression acting out fatherly benevolence. The memories of false love, sanctuary, and betrayal. How could she ever forget? It was a face she had chewed over every single time she tried to sleep in the cathedral's dungeons and beyond the Gates.
Renatus... He was the 18th Cardinal of the Order of Order, the head of the nunnery where Seraphina grew up, and the godfather of the orphans. At the same time, he was the man whom the past Seraphina had trusted and followed like an adoptive father—and "Renatus Morteon!"—he was also the very person who had kidnapped and imprisoned her when she refused to become a priestess.
Filled with hatred, Seraphina spat out the Cardinal's name. Memories rushed back like a tsunami. The torture she had suffered at the hands of the Heretic Inquisitors. The hardships in the cathedral's dungeons. A month of endless agony. Renatus had watched and enjoyed her suffering, calling the brainwashing forced upon the girl "faith correction." Even after she had managed to escape with the help of her mentor, he had been the most active in supporting the Heretic Inquisitors to hunt her down. In truth, every single hardship she had faced, up to crossing the Gate, had originated from that man. The betrayal of an elder she had once looked up to. How deeply that fact had driven Seraphina into despair.
...Kill him. I have to kill him. Seraphina made her decision in an instant. There was no hesitation. It was a conclusion she had already resolved to execute dozens of times in the cathedral's correction room. She sublimated the overflowing memories of pain into resentment and murderous intent. At this moment, even the gaze of the god shining down from the heavens did not register in her mind. She didn't even notice the four pillars of light shining near Renatus. There was only one thing. Looking at the relaxed face of that old Cardinal, the sole thought of wreaking her vengeance upon him surged from the depths of her heart.
Seraphina reached out and picked up the Thunder Staff. In an instant, she shouldered the weapon. Firmly securing the stock, she aimed at the old man through the sights. As a result of practicing until she was sick of it yesterday, the girl's posture was perfectly stable. Seraphina held her breath for a moment, then pulled the trigger. *Bang!* Thunder struck. The weapon bestowed by the Evil God pierced through the old man's chest.