Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Great Flood - 1
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When we came to our senses, we were back in the cave.
Everyone wore dazed expressions.
We had uncovered quite a few secrets this time around.
We'd even gotten a clue on converting fame into power.
But despite all that, no one looked particularly pleased.
Serein glanced around cautiously before speaking up.
"Uh, um. We don't have to take it quite that seriously, do we?"
"What are you talking about?"
"It said we'd need to be prepared to give something up to convert all our fame into power... but does it have to be something serious?"
"......"
"For example, Adwin could just give up that cringeworthy way of talking without having to abandon his father. It'd be killing two birds with one stone."
Jenia shook her head.
"Impellium said it has to be our 'greatest' desire."
"Ugh."
"If we use Serein as an example, it'd mean handing over her entire fortune."
"I'm not particularly attached to money anyway. Wealth only muddies the mind."
"I doubt we can fool the laws of the world like that. It didn't work on me, at least."
Everyone let out a deep sigh in unison, as if on cue.
But.
[But?]
'Who knows. My gut is telling me otherwise.'
[What do you mean? Are you saying Impellium lied?]
'No. But he might not have told us everything.'
[What makes you say that?]
'Impellium himself.'
Impellium must have given something up, too.
It would have been his greatest desire, something he'd stake his soul to protect.
Yet despite that sacrifice, there had been a distinct sense of satisfaction on Impellium's face just moments ago.
As if he were content with the life he was living now.
[Maybe he just has a big heart?]
'Could be. Anyway, let's move past it for now. Nothing's certain yet.'
That was when it happened.
A sudden shift pierced the heavy atmosphere.
A forced reversal.
"Huh? E-everyone, look over there."
Adwin pointed toward the cave entrance.
The entrance was filled with golden light.
A world so dazzling it was hard to look at directly.
We rushed outside.
And stood there in shock.
"The world's gone golden."
"This feels familiar."
"No way? Nah, it can't be."
"The oracle......"
Serein's final mutter hit the nail on the head.
Yes. This was an oracle.
Soon, a voice boomed from the heavens.
-Hear me, my children.
Why does Maide Mohan still walk the earth?
Why do you believe that limb of the Demon King to be a hero?
The more you believe Maide to be a hero, the stronger the Demon King of Lies and Deceit, Idria, becomes.
Maide has now become a threat to humanity by his very existence.
I can no longer stand by.
Those of you who still harbor doubts in your hearts.
I shall now bring down "heaven's punishment" upon you.
I will lift the punishment on the day all my children cease to believe in Maide.
This is what you have brought upon yourselves.
And also for your own good.
Free yourselves at once from Maide's three-inch tongue.
That was it.
The voice fell silent, and the cracked sky began to heal.
We stood speechless for a long while.
Much later, Serein summed up everyone's feelings in a single word.
"Whoa."
We headed home first to sort things out.
Step one: figure out who issued this oracle.
Impellium had warned that Bellosian might pull some dirty trick.
And there was no doubt this oracle was that dirty trick.
So......
'Let's check Idria and Bellosian's secrets. Anything related to this oracle.'
[Hold on.]
A screen soon appeared.
[No related secrets found. Access denied.]
I see.
Not Idria's doing.
Which leaves process of elimination......
"It's Adin. He issued this oracle."
"You confirmed it with the Eye of Omniscience?"
"Yeah."
"Why would he issue something like that?"
Neril replied in a tone that said it was obvious.
"Isn't it obvious? To tarnish Maide's reputation."
"I know that much. What I'm asking is, why would Adin—who's obsessed with faith—issue an oracle like this?"
Jenia had zeroed in on the key point.
She looked at me and continued.
"If Maide's guess last time was right, then faith is basically the hero's fame to Adin."
"Hmm."
"Oracles have come down twice already. One from Idria, one from Adin."
"Right. This makes the third."
"Three oracles in one era? Back-to-back events like that won't help Adin's reputation at all."
She had a point.
This went beyond "passive cooperation" from the start.
Adin had already weakened tremendously just from stealing Agril.
Was he really issuing a half-baked oracle knowing it'd weaken him again?
It didn't add up logically.
Neril chimed in next.
"Yeah. And look at the content. This so-called heavenly god is threatening humanity."
"......"
"If we don't obey, he'll bring down heaven's punishment? It's no different from pruning humanity to his tastes. What kind of god does that?"
"......"
"It's total self-sabotage. No sane god would issue an oracle like—"
"He's insane."
"Oh. Right."
Everyone nodded as Neril trailed off.
Tap.
A screen popped up.
A red one.
'Is Idria watching?'
[Yeah. We agreed to a truce, but looks like she's breaking it.]
'No.'
[Huh?]
'If Idria doesn't know the truth behind this oracle, she's probably panicking right now. This is a signal.'
[A signal?]
'A signal that she wants to talk to me.'
I took a deep breath.
Then shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Idria! Come out!"
"......! Maide?"
The moment Neril's question ended.
Crackle.
Space tore open.
An arm emerged from the rift.
Idria spoke in a somewhat subdued voice.
"I figured you'd notice. Maide Mohan."
"......"
"Mind lending me a communication orb while we're at it? Bion's already making my skin itch."
"Cut the crap and get to the point. You have something to say, right?"
She replied calmly.
"I was curious if you lot had anything to do with that oracle just now. It was against your interests, sure... but you, Maide—I can never quite read you. Wanted to see if you were scheming something again."
"Hah. Even if it was my doing, you think I'd spill our plans to you?"
"Fine, not involved then. Truce over. This is already killing me."
Sure enough, cracks began spreading across Idria's skin, just as she said.
That arm always seemed to have it rough.
Sliced off by me twice, always bleeding black blood whenever we met.
That was when.
"Wait."
Neril boldly cut in.
"Were you talking to me? Wizard."
"Yeah. It wouldn't be fair if you got your info and left without answering our questions."
"You're insane. Do you even realize who you're talking to?"
"We're on truce. We can have a light chat."
I was surprised by Neril's boldness, but also impressed.
This was definitely the heavenly god's doing.
But no matter how much he favored Kaild, there was no way he'd willingly sabotage himself like this.
Which meant......
Neril asked.
"Did Bellosian steal Kaild from you by any chance?"
The party members all gasped in unison.
Idria chuckled and turned to me.
"You've got some sharp companions, Maide."
"What does that mean?"
"Yeah. It was a secret that would've come out eventually with Bion's power anyway, so I'll be straightforward. Bellosian took Kaild."
"......!"
"Not 'stolen' exactly—I handed him over, if you want to nitpick. Point is, Kaild's not with us anymore."
Good news or bad?
I noted that Idria didn't sound particularly regretful.
Too calm for someone handing over Kaild, whom she'd poured her all into raising.
I asked.
"Don't you regret it?"
"Hmm. Bellosian's on my side, for one. And that oracle actually worked in my favor. Whatever he does with Kaild, it can't hurt me."
"But this is out of your control."
"Does the direction matter if the result's good?"
"You really think that? Are you Kaild now?"
"That's harsh, Maide. Anyway, our truce still holds. I won't interfere in this."
Swoosh.
The rift began to close.
Idria added one last thing before vanishing.
"I'll be watching how you overcome this mess. Won't cheer you on, though."
The space sealed shut completely.
Risel rolled her eyes and spoke.
"That settles it. Adin issuing the oracle was Bellosian's scheme."
"Hmm."
"Bellosian's much stronger than Adin, right? Did he threaten him with raw power?"
"Who knows. But comparing full-power Adin to Bellosian outside his sanctum, Adin would win handily."
I'd fought both; I could say that confidently.
Bellosian outside his sanctum was strong, but not on the level of Adin in his true form as the heavenly god.
That's when Offense spoke up.
"Not necessarily a show of force."
"Huh?"
"Maybe he didn't crush him with power—could've used another method. Like exploiting a weakness."
Lightning struck my mind.
Cold sweat trickled down my back; goosebumps rose all over.
"That's it."
"Right... Wait, what is?"
"Bellosian has Adin's weakness."
"Yeah, just throwing it out there."
"What's Adin's weakness? What does he fear most?"
Serein grumbled her answer.
"What else? Losing his godhood."
"That's it."
"Yeah... What is? This is the second time."
"Bellosian dragged Adin down from his divine throne. Nothing else could threaten him."
"Even if Bellosian's impressive, how do you pull a god from his seat?"
Serein, who had asked that, soon figured it out herself.
Her face drained of color.
The expression spread to the rest of the group.
I praised my quick-thinking party members inwardly and spoke.
"Bellosian was the one who made Adin a god from the start."
We shelved that deduction for now.
Adin's backstory wasn't what mattered at the moment.
"What kind of heaven's punishment will it be?"
At my words, everyone crossed their arms.
And pondered deeply.
But there were too many possibilities to guess.
In the end, I spoke again.
"Let's head to the starting line first."
"What? No, hold on."
"Don't worry. Adin's weakened right now for going beyond passive cooperation. Just like when he kidnapped Agril last time."
"......"
"And I'm stronger than back then."
"Because you gave up retirement?"
I flinched.
Neril said worriedly.
"You really gave it up?"
"Hmm. We'll talk about that later."
"......"
"Anyway, we'll smash him before he can unleash this heaven's punishment. And if possible, force another oracle to nullify this one. That's the plan."
Jenia cautiously interjected then.
"What if Bellosian's there too?"
The mood soured instantly.
Jenia shook her head, as if regretting her words.
"Ah, well, no other options anyway. I'll call Agril right now."
"Please do. With Mime's help......"
"Should take less than two hours."
Good. We might arrive before the punishment even starts.
We left the house.
Just as Jenia was about to summon Agril.
Plip.
A water drop fell on the bridge of my nose.
"......"
I touched my nose.
"Rain?"
The moment Neril muttered that.
Whoosh! Boom!
A massive downpour erupted in the blink of an eye.
What the hell?
It had been a clear sky without a single cloud.
That's when Risel cried out in alarm.
"The water spirits......"
"Spirits?"
"There are so many water spirits."
What?
As I started to ask for details.
Swoosh.
Mime appeared.
He shrank his body down like before and perched on Risel's shoulder.
Then whispered urgently into her ear.
"N-No way? Is that true?!"
"Yes. And if you shout it like that, the point of whispering......"
"Explain in detail. So the whole party can hear."
"Sigh."
Mime paused briefly before speaking.
"Adin has blanketed every sky on the continent with water spirits."