Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: It's Okay (1)
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-Isn't it me?
The woman's voice asked once more.
Jamie felt something hot surging up from within. At the same time, a question arose.
'How did this one descend?'
It was just a voice, but one of the 12 Gods had descended to this land.
Gods could not come down to the earth just because they wished it. Their overwhelming power would shatter the laws of this place.
For a god to descend to the earth, certain conditions were required.
Of course, conditions that were nearly impossible to meet under normal circumstances. That's why it didn't make sense.
It couldn't be just to stop Riki from becoming undead.
'I noticed the light coming from Riki was Pyro's divinity.'
Though unusual, it wasn't impossible if he was considered to have priestly talent.
But for a god to descend to earth—even if only as a voice—for a mere priest? That was absurd.
All the resulting karma would have to be borne by her followers.
-Can't you hear me?
His head rang sharply.
Jamie nearly shouted from the emotions boiling up inside him.
The 12 Gods were his sworn enemies. Every word she spoke fueled his rage.
However, he held back.
Exploding now could lead to consequences he couldn't handle.
'For the greater cause.'
He couldn't let everything go to waste before he even got a proper start.
"I knew the divinity he possessed was yours... that's why."
He hated speaking politely to one of the 12 Gods more than death itself, but he hated the failure of his plans even more.
Jamie clenched his small fists tightly.
-A perceptive child. I don't approve of wielding evil power, but it's different from the crude black sorcery of those hacks. It's... somewhat familiar, somehow.
Of course it was familiar.
It was the power that had cornered them long ago.
The words rose to the tip of his tongue, but Jamie swallowed them down with effort.
-But tell me.
Pyro's voice grew grave.
-Why did you try to turn mine into an undead?
She seemed quite angry about his attempt to turn Riki into one of the departed.
"Because I didn't want this guy to die."
-Foolish. Becoming undead isn't death? Don't you know what your kind does is ultimately an insult to the dead?
Pyro drew in a breath.
-Why is it that vermin like you refuse to grasp the preciousness of life!
Jamie, who had been listening silently, felt like he would explode at those words.
The preciousness of life.
He never imagined one of the 12 Gods would utter such hypocrisy.
"Who doesn't know the preciousness of life?"
-What did you say?
"It's you lot who don't know the preciousness of life."
Pyro didn't respond immediately.
Who was lecturing whom about preciousness?
They, who had sacrificed countless lives for their own goals.
-No.
Pyro's voice trembled slightly.
-I... I do not regard life as trivial!
'What?'
Her tone carried a hint of guilt.
Then, as if interrogating him, Pyro asked Jamie.
-You. What do you know? Are you saying that because you know something?
But she soon muttered that it couldn't be.
-No human now could know that. Right. How could a mere human possibly know?
"What are you..."
-Enough. You don't need to know.
Pyro hastily cut off Jamie's words.
It was a warning not to pursue the topic further.
Jamie was dumbfounded.
But her next words made even him forget their prior exchange.
-In any case, this child will become my apostle. If you try to make him undead, I won't forgive you.
Apostle!
Jamie's eyes widened.
Was Riki Pyro's apostle?
He hadn't sensed any divinity from him, so he'd thought he was just an ordinary boy. Even today, he'd assumed the divinity had awakened late due to Ras's influence.
What was an apostle?
A type of saint, but far closer to a god than an ordinary one.
Simply by existing, they held pope-level status in their church, and their combat prowess rivaled the mightiest paladins.
The most perfect cleric.
That was a god's apostle.
'Riki's an apostle.'
To think the orphan boy who only cared for his little sister had such potential.
Of course. That's why Pyro could descend, even if only as a voice.
The corners of Jamie's mouth twitched upward.
This was turning out more interesting than expected.
Suppressing his laughter as much as possible, Jamie said to Pyro.
"But what do I do? I'm sorry."
-Sorry?
"The 'dark energy' has already seeped in. Into Riki."
-What?!
Before Pyro intervened, the ancient incantation had already reached its conclusion.
Unfortunately, her interference right before completion left it in an awkward state, but Riki was now at a level where he could be called undead to some extent.
-Do you even realize what you've done!!
"Kuh!"
Even her shout alone felt like it would burst his brain.
Jamie activated his Full Body Breathing Method to its maximum to protect himself.
'Damn. From something like this.'
In the past, he would have dismissed her shout as mere noise.
But now, the headache was so severe it made him dizzy.
A god was a god.
It was impossible to endure in this child's body.
Blood poured from his nose. Tears of blood streamed down. His eardrums must have burst; sounds were muffled.
Yet Pyro's voice rang directly in his head, unaffected by his eardrums.
-You filthy worm. You must be mad with the desire to die. Do you think I can't kill you just because I've descended as a voice?
She could kill him a hundred times over.
Humans were ants she could crush with a flick of her finger.
That was a god.
But Jamie laughed.
"That would be a problem for me."
-You insolent little...!
"If you kill me, Riki dies too."
-......
The partial undeading meant control had already shifted to Jamie.
Of course, the apostle's power was strong, so it wasn't complete, but he had no intention of revealing that vulnerability.
"You don't want to lose your apostle, right?"
-Think a threat will work on me?
"I know quite a bit. An apostle is a god's most powerful weapon, but only one can exist at a time. And replacing a lost apostle takes a very long time. But more than that..."
Jamie delivered his final blow to solidify his leverage.
"An apostle is essential for a god to descend to earth without conditions. Isn't that right?"
-You!!!
Pyro's voice trembled with rage.
A pleasant thrill ran through him at offending her.
It was nothing compared to his ultimate goal, but for the current Jamie, even this petty revenge was enjoyable.
"As I said, I don't want to kill Riki either. He's my friend."
-Cunning one. You've racked your brains hard to survive.
Jamie snorted derisively.
Such a response came naturally without needing to think.
But there was one thing that didn't add up.
'Why did she create an apostle?'
Apostles only appeared when their church faced a dire crisis.
Was the Pyro Church in such a crisis now?
He knew relations with the Zenith Church were poor. They were even using chimera creators to extract Pyro's divinity.
But he didn't think it warranted creating an apostle.
An apostle was born precisely when cornered.
Without hesitation, Jamie asked Pyro directly.
"But. Does creating an apostle mean your position is quite precarious?"
-You don't need to know!
As expected, Pyro had no intention of answering.
She didn't stop there, issuing a chilling warning in a low voice.
-If you pry into that, you'll truly face a god's wrath.
Jamie felt a chill. He instinctively knew her warning was genuine.
At the same time, he sensed something off in it.
No, the incongruity had struck him earlier.
'She said I don't regard life lightly.'
She spoke of herself, not the 12 Gods as a whole.
The discord with Zenith Church.
And now, the apostle.
'I can't be certain.'
What if he asked about the apostle again? How would she react?
She wouldn't kill him. But she might leave him as good as dead.
He wasn't sure if she had that power now, but her shout alone had shaken him.
'High risk, high return.'
Pyro was considered mild among the 12 Gods.
But that was relative; fundamentally, she was still a god.
If her mood soured, she might just kill him outright.
So, he needed a hook to pique her curiosity.
'Damn. Why am I catering to that bastard.'
In the past, she should have been fleeing from him.
Who knew when he'd get another chance to converse with one of the 12 Gods like this.
He couldn't let this opportunity slip.
He needed to extract as much information as possible.
"Why did you create an apostle?"
-You really want to die...!
"The 12 Gods united to perfect their system. For the peace you speak of. Right?"
-How do you...?
"There's no reason to create an apostle in this world. It's a world that operates within the system you 12 Gods built. Isn't it?"
Pyro fell silent.
She didn't try to kill him like before.
It was a dangerous gamble. If the 12 Gods' alliance held, she would have slain him instantly.
But since she didn't, he could draw one conclusion.
'The discord is real.'
Jamie felt laughter bubbling up.
They had acted like eternal allies.
Look at them now.
'That much time has passed, huh.'
He didn't know exactly how many years, but at least tens of thousands.
Even for gods, that was a long time.
Enough for relationships to fracture over clashing ideals.
Then, the silent Pyro finally spoke.
-You. How do you know all this? No human today could possibly know. And above all, getting too close to that secret will make you regret it for real.
The so-called goddess of mercy and punishment was giving advice to a black sorcerer.
"You're as kind as the rumors say."
-What do you know about me?
"The most benevolent of the 12 Gods. The one who loves all things. So much so that you established your authority to redeem the wicked."
-You! How much do you know!
Jamie had no interest in her consideration.
Nor in her true nature.
He just needed to confirm one thing.
"Have you been isolated?"
-......
Silence was her answer once more.
Pyro couldn't lie. To her, lying was evil. Doing so would contradict her own divinity.
She could no longer maintain her godhood.
That was the nature of a god.
'Her time must be almost up.'
Estimating based on past experience.
A fair amount of time had passed, so Pyro would return to the heavens.
Now was the moment.
Jamie decided to drop the most crucial—and dangerous—keyword he'd been pondering.
"Do you remember the mighty black sorcerer from long ago?"
-......Watch your words.
"The one who fought against the system you tried to create."
-What are you? You're no ordinary human. But even so... it doesn't make sense. It can't be.
"I'll lend you power."
-Power from the likes of you would be...
"What if it's the power of Diablo Volpir's successor?"
A brief silence.
Then Pyro muttered in a trembling voice.
-Impossible. Volpir... he definitely!
At that instant, the presence filling his mind began to fade.
-Damn. Of all times!
'Bingo.'
Not even a complete apostle, and only a voice—she couldn't maintain it long in the mortal realm.
Jamie smiled faintly and added one last line.
"Ally with me."
-But I...
"If you truly don't regard life as trivial, then you must join hands with me."
Jamie's eyes tinted purple.
Pyro had no words for his final statement.
-I...
Just before her presence vanished completely.
Pyro spoke urgently.
-Come to Upton! Then we can talk prop...
With that, Pyro's presence disappeared entirely.
"Hm. This has turned into quite a favorable situation."
He wasn't sure if revealing his true name was wise, but having confirmed her reaction, there was no hesitation.
'Pyro is the weakest of the 12 Gods, but she's plenty useful.'
Especially in terms of raw power—terrifying despite her gentle nature.
It wasn't for nothing she symbolized mercy and punishment.
'If this goes well, I'll have a very handy tool.'
He didn't care about means or methods.
That mindset hadn't changed from past to present.
Enemies demanded such ruthlessness.
But he wouldn't repeat past mistakes. He'd learned from failure.
'An alliance with a god.'
Not sure if it was wise.
At that moment.
Riki opened his eyes.