Chapter 267: With the Outer God
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: With the Outer God
I stepped out of Ryozo’s hospital room, which had been chaotic to say the least. Escaping that absolute mess had left me utterly drained.
Toward the end, Saki Hina had even brought up the idea of my wives entering double digits. Seeing no point in replying to that nonsense, I had beaten a hasty retreat.
"Phew..."
Patting my stiff shoulder muscles, I walked down the hallway.
Looking out the window, dusk was already bleeding into the horizon.
That whole commotion ate up way too much time.
Still, it was fine. Winter break started tomorrow, meaning I’d have much more time on my hands than during the semester. For the next two months, I could fully dedicate myself to Seven Stars duties and war preparations.
Though thinking about it that way makes break sound not so pleasant after all.
As I stood gazing out the window, someone approached my side. Assuming it was another patient or their visitor, I was about to step aside when the person abruptly spoke to me.
"I am Priest Welter of the Outer God Church. It is an honor to meet you, Heavenly Sword."
I turned to look beside me. A neat-looking man was placing his fist against his heart, offering a respectful greeting.
"If you are from the Outer God Church, did you come to escort Yoo Se-in?"
I returned the greeting with a casual nod and asked. The priest answered with a bright smile.
"In a broad sense, yes, but that is not our sole purpose. Even without the Saintess, our Outer God Church had already planned to visit the Academy during the break. So, along with escorting Her Holiness, we left only a skeleton crew back at the church and brought the entire order of knights with us."
"And what is the purpose of this visit?"
"You already know, do you not?"
I stared at him blankly before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Lead the way. Blocking the hallway like this is a nuisance to others."
"As expected of the Heavenly Sword, always so thoughtful."
Even though I spoke with an indifferent tone, the priest merely offered a polite smile. Was he genuinely good-natured, or just pretending?
He seemed like a devout believer, so I didn't bother adding anything more. I was too tired for that anyway.
"We have prepared a reception room. Please allow us to host you properly."
I followed the priest. As we approached the reception room he was leading me to, I caught sight of figures draped in white cloaks. It was the Templar Knights.
"""It is an honor to meet you, Heavenly Sword!"""
Upon spotting us, the knights offered a polite bow. It felt awkward to just walk past, so I gave them a brief nod.
Then my eyes caught the emblem on their cloaks—a cross-like shape stitched in vivid red.
"It is the Stigma of the Sinner."
As I observed the knights, the priest spoke up.
"The Outer God Church began with the denial of gods. A rebellion against deities who demanded nothing but blind faith from humanity—that was the origin of our faith. In a way, you could say it stems from the mindset of the Ancients."
"So you know about the Ancients."
"I do not know how this will sound to you, but there are few things our Outer God Church is unaware of."
Welter continued with an indifferent composure.
"The doctrines and core tenets of a religion are a compilation shaped by history. Finding answers for the present in the past, and hoping for the future from the present—for that reason, we must learn and study as much as possible. It is not merely for proselytizing. Gaining enlightenment from historical events—that is what our Outer God Church pursued to expand its reach."
"Hmm."
I got the gist of it. This priest had a knack for making simple things sound complicated.
"And to reflect upon the wrongful deeds humanity has committed throughout history, we embroider the 'Stigma of the Sinner' onto our holy vestments."
"If it's a stigma, shouldn't it be branded directly on the body? Like a tattoo?"
"They say that a long time ago, it truly was branded onto the body."
...What? Isn't this just a complete cult then?
"However, religion must adapt to the times. If we branded skin in this modern era, what would people think? They would view us as a total cult, wouldn't they?"
"..."
Even though we had practically arrived at the reception room, the priest kept pouring out his sermon.
"Religion must be flexible. Just because one is stubborn does not mean the public will view us as holy—"
"Quiet, you foolish scoundrel! Are you preaching even to Him?"
The door to the reception room swung open, revealing an old man. As if on cue, the knights bowed respectfully to him.
"""Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"""
So that old man was the Pope of the Outer God Church? I felt taken aback by the sudden appearance of such a monumental figure.
As the Pope drew near, Priest Welter bowed his head.
"My apologies, Your Holiness."
"Why apologize to me? The one you should apologize to is the Heavenly Sword, who patiently listened to your rambling."
"Ah, yes."
Welter turned from the Pope back to me.
"I have committed a discourtesy."
"This fellow Welter is a fan of yours, Heavenly Sword. That is likely why he was talkative beyond his usual measure."
The Pope patted Welter lightly on the back.
"Ah, of course, not just Welter. Everyone in the Outer God Church, including myself, is a fan of the Heavenly Sword."
"I see..."
I fumbled for an answer, unsure how to react. Every single word and all those focused gazes felt overwhelmingly burdensome. Moreover, coming from the Pope, the weight of those words felt heavy as lead.
"I have kept such a distinguished guest standing in the cold draft for too long. Please, come inside. I have prepared some light refreshments."
The Pope took over the baton from the priest.
* * *
My first impression of the Pope was completely different from what I might have imagined. Frankly, I had never really pictured him, but I certainly didn't expect him to look so ordinary.
He looks like he'd be really good at Go.
His presence, however, was anything but ordinary. Beneath his grizzled, silver-streaked eyebrows, his eyes shone with a sharp, brilliant light.
"It is modest, but please help yourself, Heavenly Sword. You must be hungry after keeping your friend company so late into the evening."
"Thank you, I will."
Since I was feeling peckish, I didn't politely refuse. I stuffed a piece of bread from the tea table into my mouth.
"Haha, had I known you had such a healthy appetite, I would have prepared more."
Sitting opposite me, the Pope watched with a gentle smile, almost like a grandfather looking at his grandson.
That warm gaze made me inadvertently hiccup. That look filled with deep nostalgia—it gave off the distinct impression that he knew exactly who I was.
"You are correct. I am a man who knows that both the Heavenly Sword and the Saintess are outsiders. I shall speak first, so please continue eating as you listen."
The Pope handed me a bottle of water. Taking a quick gulp to quench my throat, I listened attentively.
"Where should I begin... Ah, it would be best to briefly explain the god our Outer God Church serves."
I had always been curious. I was suspicious about whether the 'Outer God' Se-in kept talking about was the same entity I had in mind.
However, Se-in seemed unable to tell me due to external constraints, and unless one knew our inner circumstances, it would be difficult to comprehend anyway.
A possessed, a reincarnator, and a regressor. The entity that gathered them together and brought them to this world.
I thought Se-in and I were the only two who knew that secret history...
Which was why I concluded it was right to get the answers to the questions I’d held onto right here.
"This world is a multiverse. 'Outer God' literally means a god from the outside. An entity that oversees the multiverse."
The multiverse. I had heard Yoo Se-in mention it once in passing.
I set down the bread I was holding. Taking a breath, the Pope truly began his explanation.
"Worldlines branch out infinitely, and this world we tread upon is merely one among those infinite universes. The world the Heavenly Sword came from and the world the Saintess came from are no different. Even the universe we believed to be infinite is merely a part of a higher dimension."
His voice was soothing, placing the listener at ease. As I quietly listened to his gentle tone, my head felt light and floaty. Perhaps because the conversation touched upon infinity, the floating sensation felt even more pronounced.
"And the Outer God is the deity who resides in that higher dimension. That does not mean He is superior when compared to other gods, however. It is simply that the scale He oversees is different. Divinity has no high or low rank. There is only difference."
"So you're saying that governing a vast domain doesn't make a being inherently more majestic."
"Precisely. However, there can be tiers of strength. For instance, an entity like the 'God of Sword' was far stronger than the false gods that existed in this world. But that does not make him the greatest. It was merely possible because the concept of the sword lies in 'cutting and severing.' Is there anything up to this point you do not understand? Or if you have any questions, please speak, Heavenly Sword. I shall answer wholeheartedly."
"Are the 'God of Sword' and the 'Outer God' separate deities then?"
"Hmm."
The Pope hummed thoughtfully, seemingly trying to explain it in a way that would be easy for me to digest. Massaging the bridge of his nose, he spoke again.
"It would be unreasonable to view the two as the exact same entity. To begin with, the 'God of Sword' was one of the fragments of the 'Outer God.' However, he soon grew into a distinct divine entity of his own. Thus, they are the same yet distinct, a whole yet a part."
"So the 'God of Sword' originated from the 'Outer God.' That's how I understand it."
"Simply put, yes, but it is also different. It is not a domain that can be explained or understood from a human perspective. Even I have merely grown accustomed to the concept, rather than truly understanding it. Rather than a limitation of humanity, it is unavoidable simply because we exist on different dimensions. Perhaps it is easier to just regard the two gods as one and the same. At any rate, that is how it is."
"..."
"To summarize: the reason the Outer God sent you, the Saintess, and one other person to this world is likely because He viewed this world as a broken cogwheel. He detached a part of Himself and sent the 'God of Sword' to adjust it, but deemed that a failure. And so, He seeks to perform the adjustments anew—spending a staggering seven hundred years to do so."
From Balor Joaquin to the ultimate conclusion. The Outer God was attempting to fix this world through a grand scheme spanning centuries.
Why? There was no way to know. But just as the Pope said, if this world collapsed, the worldlines would tangle in a chain reaction—symbolizing total annihilation.
"Was my explanation difficult to follow?"
"Not as much as Priest Welter's."
I shook my head. The Pope burst into hearty laughter.
"Welter comes from nobility, so his speech and vocabulary tend to be dense. He converted to our church ten years ago, but old habits die hard."
"He abandoned his noble title to become a priest."
"Do you know the first thing that young man said to me when he saw me? It was, 'God is dead!' His voice was so thunderous that I nearly had a heart attack on the spot."
"How did someone like that become such a fanat—er, devout priest? Persuading him couldn't have been easy."
The Pope recalled the memory with a gentle smile.
"I did not try to convince him. Nor did I force him to understand. Doing so would only fuel greater resistance. Instead, I assigned him to clean the archives. One day, I found his broom tossed aside while he huddled in a corner, engrossed in an ancient text. I snatched it away, telling him he shouldn't read it. He practically grabbed my pant legs, begging to read more. Pretending to give in, I returned it to him. That young man, who rejoiced like a child, eventually became our most devout believer."
In short, he had played the young man like a fiddle. The Pope was a master of push-and-pull.
"While I am here, I brought a few items from our church for you, Heavenly Sword. I had them delivered to your office, so please check them when you return. They should offer some small assistance in what lies ahead."
"You really didn't have to... but thank you."
"Hahaha, I do appreciate that you don't stand on ceremony, Heavenly Sword. Had you adamantly refused, I was planning to take them back."
I stand corrected. The Pope was a grandmaster of push-and-pull.
"Well then, let us wrap this up. The hour is late. Our order of knights will cooperate with the Association to guard the Academy for the time being."
"Ah."
I marveled inwardly. So that was why he brought the Templar Knights along.
"Furthermore, if anything happens moving forward, do not hesitate to ask our church for aid. We will step up to assist without hesitation. Though our core doctrines state we should not intervene in worldly affairs, what does that matter? We all do what we must to survive. Religion must adapt as well."
I nodded obediently, letting gratitude show in my eyes.
The Pope personally opened the door for me.
"Go inside and rest well, Heavenly Sword. The difference between mortals and gods is that humans must sleep. During those hours, we become infinitely vulnerable, but in exchange, we are granted dreams. That is a privilege unique to humanity—one even gods envy."
As I took my leave, I suddenly paused and turned back to the Pope. I asked him,
"Your Holiness, how did you come to join the Outer God Church?"
"So the Heavenly Sword is curious about this old body's past."
After a brief laugh, the Pope murmured with a bitter expression.
"The woman I admired was trying to become a nun in our church. Once a woman becomes a nun, she can no longer form ties with a man. I tried to whisk her away—an elopement out of love. But she turned around and married another man altogether. In the end, it was simply that she didn't like me."
Oof...
"After that, it is the cliche tale of a man consumed by revenge. Standing here today, I believe even that was the will of the Outer God."
I gave him a quiet nod. It was the best comfort I could offer him.