Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Muddy Fight - 1
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I said,
“Even if we claim it’s from the Demon King, this downpour won’t let up.”
“Huh?”
“You know this. This torrent is Adin unleashing the power of the Celestial God. It won’t stop until we chip away at that power.”
“…….”
“Shouting that Idria’s false oracle doesn’t deny the Celestial God. The rain will keep falling until humanity brands me a fake out of desperation.”
Everyone’s faces grew grim.
I continued in a soothing tone.
“For now, let’s start like this. The Celestial God is driving humanity in the direction it wants through this divine punishment of a great flood.”
“…….”
“Call it divine punishment all you want—it’s just blackmail in the end. A god blackmailing humans.”
They all nodded.
Neril picked up my words.
“So, something like, ‘Is blackmailing humanity proper conduct for a god?’”
“Yeah. With rain like this, crops are already taking damage. Barns are collapsing, logistics are stalled— the economic hit must be massive.”
“…….”
“They won’t say it out loud, but resentment must be boiling over. I’m just scratching that itch for them. And then…”
I felt a sudden thirst and swallowed.
My voice came out a bit dry as I went on.
“Next, I’ll ask everyone to believe in me—not the Celestial God.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll tell them to believe I can stop this rain.”
“You think that’ll work?”
I nodded firmly.
“Of course. The oracle called me a fake hero. It said the punishment would continue as long as humanity believes I’m the real one.”
“…….”
“If humans believe a mere mortal like me can dispel the rain, that in itself denies the oracle. And that…”
“Means they don’t believe in the Celestial God.”
Exactly.
No need to outright declare the Celestial God isn’t real.
Humanity denies it simply by believing in me as the hero.
Without even realizing it.
[That’s some clever logic. But it’s persuasive.]
‘Yeah. The question is how many people need to believe I’m the hero for the rain to stop.’
[…….]
‘Come to think of it, I can check others’ fame through my status window, right? Can I see the Celestial God’s?’
[You can’t.]
Trail said that and pulled up a screen.
It read:
[Celestial God Cumulative Fame: Immeasurable]
I clicked my tongue.
Then a spark hit me.
‘Don’t check as Celestial God—try Adin Press instead.’
[Oh? Ah, right!]
Fame piled before the Celestial God is called faith.
What piles before that name isn’t fame.
The screen refreshed.
[Adin Press Cumulative Fame: 1,210,000]
“Gasp.”
I inhaled sharply without thinking.
Everyone’s eyes turned to me.
“Maide, what’s wrong?”
“I was wondering how much of the god’s fame I need to erode for the rain to stop. So I checked Adin’s fame first.”
“And?”
“It’s over 1.2 million.”
“……Maide, you must be…”
Yeah.
My current fame is 430,400.
Serein groaned.
“It’s almost three times as much.”
“I didn’t expect it to be even, but I thought it’d be under double.”
“No helping it. A god’s name carries that much weight.”
I calmed the muttering group.
Then I said resolutely,
“I’ve got a hunch.”
“Huh?”
“When my fame surpasses Adin’s, the rain will stop for sure.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Why is a god a god? Because it’s the one irreplaceable existence.”
But if my fame overtakes the god’s?
The god is no longer unique.
Someone’s placed above it.
The moment I surpass Adin’s fame, Adin loses its power as a god.
And the downpour ends.
“This crisis is also the perfect opportunity.”
“…….”
“Nothing short of the entire continent flooding could topple Adin’s fame.”
“…….”
“It’s a gamble, sure. But the stakes are huge.”
I looked each one in the eye and continued.
“Let’s do it.”
Berman Territory lay along the coast, where most residents were fishermen.
It boasted the continent’s highest catch, which was practically the territory’s main revenue.
But no ships from Berman had set sail yesterday or today.
Norman, a skilled fisherman renowned in the territory, had nothing to do but drink in broad daylight.
Gulp.
He downed a shot of strong liquor and peered out the window.
Whoosh.
An insane downpour that obscured even a few meters ahead.
“Damn it. Worst rain I’ve seen in my life.”
His friend across the table, also knocking back drinks, replied,
“Looks like tomorrow’s a wash too.”
“Tomorrow? Might never stop.”
“No way.”
“You forget yesterday’s oracle already?”
His friend went quiet as a clam.
Norman raised his voice.
“It’s all that northern continent’s fault.”
“Hmm.”
“I believed in Kaild as the hero from the start. Maide’s a minion of the Demon King of Lies, right? The first oracle said as much.”
“The second oracle…”
“The second one’s obviously the Demon King’s fabrication. Northerners prop up Maide, so the Celestial God’s pissed.”
It was a gripe straight from Norman’s perspective.
He and the territory folk faithfully followed the Celestial God’s oracle—they were the victims.
Unjustly suffering divine punishment because of fools who believed Maide was the hero.
His friend just gave a wry smile.
That’s when it happened.
-Everyone, hello.
I’m Maide Mohan.
A voice suddenly filled the tavern.
Not just Norman and his friend—everyone idling with drinks froze.
Norman stared at his friend with trembling eyes.
“What the hell? That was Maide Mohan, right?”
“Yeah, I heard it too.”
“N-No way he heard what I just said? You know, the backtalk.”
His friend stifled a laugh and spoke.
“Didn’t you get the lord’s notice this morning?”
“What?”
“Maide has a message about the flood crisis. They’ve set it up so his voice reaches everywhere in the territory—listen closely.”
“…….”
“And here you were badmouthing Maide like crazy, now you’re shaking.”
“Hey, everyone curses the emperor behind his back.”
Norman flushed, embarrassed, and lifted his glass again.
Meanwhile, Maide’s voice echoed.
-You’re all probably worried about this rain lasting a full day.
But what you should really focus on is the oracle that came before it.
The Celestial God called me, Maide Mohan, a fake hero.
Fine up to there.
But it punishes those who don’t believe with this rain ruining your lives and happiness.
Even a week of this would doom humanity’s future.
How should we interpret this?
How do we interpret a god driving humanity to ruin?
Even if the Celestial God truly believes I’m fake, this method is deeply wrong.
It could descend and deal with me directly without tormenting you.
Why doesn’t it?
Why punish innocent you instead of me?
Norman nearly nodded without thinking.
He caught himself at the last second, but couldn’t erase the creeping doubt in his heart.
‘He’s right. If Maide’s really fake, why not punish him directly? Why us?’
-Some might say,
How could lowly humans fathom the Celestial God’s supreme will?
True. We don’t know a god’s will.
But doesn’t that cut both ways?
Does the Celestial God even know human suffering?
The agony of those losing jobs to the rain.
The farmer weeping over flooded fields.
The fisherman helpless, sucking his thumb, staring at the distant sea unable to launch.
That last one struck Norman deep.
Maide’s next words didn’t just touch his heart—they shook it.
-I will stop this rain.
Norman and his friend exchanged looks.
“D-Did you hear? The hero said he’ll stop the rain!”
“You were calling Maide fake until a second ago…”
“Fuck it. If he stops the rain, who cares if he’s fake.”
“Hmm. Let’s hear more first.”
-No, correction.
You will stop the rain.
Your earnest wishes will clear those heavy clouds. I’m not asking much.
No need to resent the Celestial God.
No need to deny it.
Just believe I can dispel this downpour.
And witness it.
How you save yourselves from crisis!
Rejoice!
In the power you wield to protect yourselves!
Maide’s speech ended there.
“…….”
“…….”
Norman and his friend fell silent for a moment.
Not just them.
The entire tavern was hushed.
They glanced around cautiously.
Whoosh.
Only the rain pounding the ground outside.
Having finished my speech, I turned around.
The group greeted me with soft smiles.
Swoosh.
Neril deactivated the communication orb.
I asked,
“How was it?”
“Pretty good, for me.”
“Neril sis likes everything Maide bro does.”
“Adwin, your smirks are getting smug lately. You were so cute as a baby.”
“You’ve never even seen me as a baby.”
Jenia said,
“Honestly, hard to tell how well it landed.”
“…….”
“No, it was a good strategy. Doesn’t force humanity to deny the Celestial God outright. From a commoner’s view, no burden of blasphemy means freer thinking.”
“Hmm.”
“But not the best.”
She was right.
My speech wasn’t the best.
Serein nailed the point next.
“The best would be for Maide to stop the rain first.”
“…….”
“No debate needed—if you did it with your power, humanity would exalt your name.”
“That’s why we’re trying this instead.”
“Yeah. Just wishful thinking.”
I shrugged.
“Didn’t expect to flip the fame in one go anyway.”
“Huh?”
“Same speech tomorrow, day after. Refine it each time, make it sharper.”
“Ah.”
“You can’t uproot the Celestial God—ingrained in history overnight.”
Everyone nodded.
I asked Trail,
‘How’s the fame now?’
[You think one speech flips it?]
‘Not expecting a huge jump. Just the trend.’
[Hmm. One sec.]
Pop.
A screen appeared.
“……?”
I had to rub my eyes.
My body shivered, heat rising to my face.
Ophense saw my expression and asked tensely,
“W-What’s wrong?”
“…….”
“You checked fame, right? Why the face?”
Instead of answering, I scanned the screen again.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 450,400]
[Adin Press Cumulative Fame: 1,100,000]
My fame rose.
Adin’s fell.
Still a yawning gap.
But right now, the gap wasn’t the point.
Trail spoke in deep relief.
[Direction’s right, at least.]