Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Sponsored World Was Real
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――I'm watching you.
After the voice echoing in her head proclaimed that it was watching her, and right on cue, the ground split open with a pristine spring of water gushing forth—a miracle of sorts—
Erin's life, which had been nothing short of bizarre up to that point, began to fall into place as if to reward her for all the hardships she'd endured.
From stumbling upon perfectly preserved food in the underbrush out of nowhere, to escaping the threats of wild beasts unscathed—whatever she did, everything resolved itself with uncanny luck, as if it had all been predestined. Who wouldn't believe it?
'Watching me……?'
Could it have been the voice of a god?
……No, that was ridiculous. She'd been taught that only chosen saintess candidates could hear a god's voice, and even then, only after fulfilling strict conditions.
It must have been her imagination. On the verge of death, it wasn't strange to hear phantom sounds.
That's what she told herself, so the emotion Erin ultimately felt— was closer to fear than joy.
'What in the world is happening……?'
She'd definitely been happy while gulping down the suddenly appeared water, replenishing the hydration she'd lacked for so long. She'd thought it was a miracle.
But afterward, every time she witnessed the world subtly "twisting," every time unnatural events kept piling up, a fear she couldn't ignore began to rise from the depths of her heart.
Think about it. Sure, it sounded nice to say she'd escaped wild beasts unscathed, but watching wolves that had been pursuing her with clear hostility suddenly flee in terror was an unsettling sensation.
It felt like everything was an artificially constructed world.
Even so, she decided to accept it. No more hallucinations followed the initial one, but whatever it was, it had kept her alive this far.
This indescribable stroke of extreme good fortune continued to provide her with clean water, meals, stable shelter, and removed the inevitable dangers of wandering alone through ruins littered with corpses dead from plague.
As a result, she'd reached these days of relative safety, stockpiling water and food in a spot she could call a makeshift home.
'When the hell can I go back to how things were…….'
An entire village lay in ruins.
Erin naturally believed imperial soldiers would come to restore order.
She had no way of knowing the empire's internal affairs were too chaotic to spare attention for a remote hamlet.
Still, whenever she went scavenging, she found water and food with eerie ease…… If she just held out like this, the peacekeeping forces would eventually come to drive out the Bandits occupying the village, and then she could go home and retrieve her mother's body.
If what she'd heard wasn't a hallucination but truly the voice of something godlike…… she could definitely survive.
That single thought was carrying her through these nightmare days.
But unfortunately, the first to find her wasn't an imperial knight bearing the empire's crest—
"You little bitch, hiding out here while abandoning your family?"
"L-Let go!"
—but the Bandit Gang that had seized the village and ravaged her friends and family.
"No way in hell! What's that in your hand? Hand it over!"
"Th-This is mine……!"
"Bullshit!"
"Kyaa!"
One punch, and Erin dropped the food she'd been clutching.
"How the hell did this bitch Erin get her hands on fresh food in a mess like this?"
"……Huh?"
This guy…… knows my name?
She hadn't noticed because of the mask, but mulling over the voice brought someone to mind.
"You…… Karon?"
"Took you long enough, you dumb bitch?"
Her face fell into despair upon realizing an acquaintance had joined the Bandit Gang—and of all people, Karon, the village drifter.
"You…… How could you…… How could you turn to banditry? How is this possible! You're from our village! We were like family……! My mother was so kind to you……!"
"Bullshit! Family? Don't make me puke! All those bastards, without parents like me, looked down on me and treated me like dirt!"
"What are you talking about? No one looked down on you. Who provides bed and board to someone they despise?!"
"They used me like a slave in return!"
"You were the one who said you felt bad doing nothing and asked for chores!"
"Shut up!"
Thud!
Karon trampled Erin's fallen hand repeatedly.
"Ah…… Aaaah…… It hurts……!"
"Those eyes! I hate those eyes! You're looking down on me! You, your family, everyone! The whole village! They all saw me as nothing but a slave!"
Why was that?
At that moment, what hurt wasn't her stomped hand.
Her heart ached. It was just sad that he'd thought that way.
"You…… That's…… an inferiority complex…… The villagers……."
"Shut up! I said shut up!"
Thud!
Thud!
Just then, three or four masked men noticed the commotion from afar and came running.
"You retarded fuck, what the hell are you doing alone? Making all this noise?"
"Ah…… Sorry."
"Got any grub?"
"Right here, boss."
The tallest of the bandits whistled as he scooped up the dropped food.
"Damn, what the fuck is all this? Why's it in such perfect shape? Where'd you get this?"
"This bitch had it."
"What?"
The masked men approached the fallen Erin one by one.
"What? You know her?"
"……Nah."
"K-Karon……."
"This one seems to know your name?"
One man crouched down, locking eyes with the fallen Erin.
"Hey. Where'd you get the food? And you're a girl, too."
"Looks like someone's taking care of her. Pretty face like that, wouldn't be hard to mooch meals."
"Fucking crazy bitch. Hey, be honest. Food this good? Must've gotten it from some normal person."
"……I just…… picked it up……."
"What? Picked it up? Off the ground?"
"Bullshit!"
The bandits laughed heartily as if it were hilarious, then changed their tone to question her again.
"Hey. Tell the truth, and we'll let you live. Who was it? I'm not asking for money or anything. Just tell us who gave you this food. We'll let you go."
She wanted to speak, but she couldn't.
Out of loyalty to her benefactor? Hardly.
All this food really had just been things that "sprang up" on the ground.
Erin squeezed out the words with all her might.
"Th-There…… was no one…… Really……."
"Ha…… Fucking bitch."
"Boss. What now? Looks like her lips are sealed tight."
The man they called boss seemed to hold some authority, as he'd been leading the questioning.
Erin pleaded with him again.
"I-I'll give you the food! But really, no one helped me…… I swear…… I found it on the road. Please believe me……."
"……."
The man silently looked down at the pleading Erin.
His gaze slithered over her body like a snake.
"……Hey, Karon. When'd the boss say to be back?"
"By 5, I think."
"Tch. Shame, but time's short. Whatever. Kill her."
"You're killing her?"
"Dumbass, she knows who you are! You wanna let her live? Your brain that fried? Or you playing good guy now?"
"N-No! I'll kill her."
"W-Wait……! Pl-Please don't kill me. Sp-Spare me……."
Erin's pleas no longer reached the men.
Was she going to die like this? Like her mother, the villagers, her friends…… so pointlessly?
She'd thought maybe miracles happened.
Perhaps.
She'd even thought maybe gods existed.
Was it all just delusion?
Were all those events mere coincidence?
The "watching" was just a hallucination…… And finding food so easily was just lucky chance?
'If it was all coincidence, then…… I might've been surviving by stealing someone else's food…….'
Yeah.
Better to die.
Better a clean death than suffer horrors alive.
With that resolve, she let go of her last attachment to life—or so she thought.
'I don't want to…….'
Tears streamed from her eyes.
Lying to herself was pointless.
She didn't want to die.
She wanted to live.
The true feelings she'd buried deep in her heart refused to stay hidden any longer, bursting forth to cry out for freedom.
I don't want to die. I want to survive.
I want to live somehow……! I don't want to die…… I don't want to die……!!
Please.
Let a miracle happen this time, too.
If gods really exist.
If what I heard wasn't a hallucination, please, grant my plea.
Save me.
Save me……!
'Save me……!!!!!!'
If there's a god, please hear me……!!!!!!!!!!!
"Finish her."
"Yes, sir!"
Erin opened her eyes and saw the blade poised above her head.
That'll pierce my body.
I'll bleed. Like all the corpses I'd seen.
She squeezed her eyes shut. If death came, she prayed it would be quick.
But.
'……?'
No pain came. After a long moment, nothing happened, so she slowly opened her eyes to check.
The man gripped the sword poised to strike…… but didn't move.
No, it wasn't just him. The whole world seemed frozen; nothing stirred.
'What……?'
Erin's genuine bewilderment lasted only a moment.
<<[God exists.]>>
'!!!!!!'
The voice again.
'L-Lord God……?!"
<<[Shout God's 'name' at the top of your lungs.]>>
It was utterly miraculous.
Hearing the hallucination command to "shout God's name" made her instantly know what it was.
Like a revelation from the heavens. That something the divinely possessed always claimed.
'Lord God's name……!'
Erin took a small breath.
Then, with all her might, she shouted the name that had crystallized in her mind.
―――
Igugwoden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That instant.
Rumble rumble rumble!!!
'The sky…… The sky is tearing apart……??'
Yes, a scene that could only be described as "the sky tearing open."
The rift spewed blinding, overwhelming light.
The beam enveloped Erin like a divine messenger…… and the men suddenly reacted.
"Wh-What?!"
"What's going—"
—Splurt.
But their death cries went unfinished.
Gigantic spears of light from the sky— plunged straight into every bandit's chest.
It was divine judgment incarnate.
'!!!!!!'
"Guh…… Ack……!"
—Thud.
The spears vanished as if they'd never been—
And the bandits, alive and breathing moments ago, collapsed with massive holes in their chests.
A gruesome sight. Guts, bones, chunks of what made humans— reduced to ash.
As Erin stared in stunned silence, God's voice echoed in her mind once more.
As if to prove it wasn't a dream.
<<[God exists, and He—]>>
—has manifested in this world as 'Igugwoden.'
Another voice soon resounded in her head.
Festive, sacrificial, or like some forbidden sorcerer— an eerie chant.
Ten thousand won sponsorship, hurrah!
Ten thousand won sponsorship, hurrah!
!!! Ten thousand won sponsorship hurrah !!!
Ignoring the nonsensical voices…… Erin slowly rose to her feet.
She quietly recited the divine providence she'd come to understand.
—God exists.
He is 'Igugwoden.'
Erin's eyes, murmuring this, held the truth of one enlightened.