Chapter 398: Karmic Fire (Part 8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 398: Karmic Fire (Part 8)
"Who... is Emiel?"
In the pitch-black subterranean space, the only light came from the faint glimmer of the Illumination Spell Muen had conjured. There was no wind; the lack of air circulation made the atmosphere stifling and oppressive.
Yet, at that moment, Muen felt an inexplicable chill surge from the soles of his feet, racing up his spine to the back of his neck and straight into his skull. It felt like a venomous snake hissing atop his head.
"What... do you mean?"
Muen stared fixedly at Rabbit, enunciating every word:
"Isn't Emiel the honorable name of the Goddess of Life?"
"I only know that we worship the Goddess," Rabbit said, shaking her head. "But we truly do not know of any name like 'Emiel' for her."
"You don't know?"
Muen couldn't help but frown.
How could they not know?
Generally speaking, as a deity, one wouldn't typically have a name that sounded as "humanized" as Emiel.
However, as the deity with the most believers across the entire continent, it was said that before the Church was founded, the Goddess of Life descended in the mortal form of "Emiel." She had walked the world as a young girl, spreading the gospel, which led to the birth and growth of the Church as it existed today.
Therefore, the name Emiel was absolutely synonymous with the Goddess of Life for believers and non-believers alike.
Just as people instinctively look up at the blazing sun when they hear the word "sun," the two had become an inseparable whole.
Emiel was the Goddess of Life.
But now, the Goddess of Life Rabbit spoke of... didn't seem to be Emiel?
"Could it be... a matter of timing?"
The Lost Homeland was an exiled nation. If they had been forced into isolation before the Goddess descended to the mortal realm as Emiel to spread the gospel, it would be normal for them not to know the name...
No, that wasn't right.
That scenario was impossible.
Freya had mentioned before that the person who exiled this nation was the First Generation Saintess of the Life Church!
Before Cantville was exiled, the Goddess had already descended as Emiel. Thus, the name Emiel should have already been widespread by then!
As an anchor for the power of faith, it was impossible for any follower of the Goddess not to know that sacred name!
Yet Rabbit said they didn't know.
And she used the word "we," not "I."
"Come to think of it, why the First Generation Saintess exiled this nation has always been a mystery. I previously thought it was because the people here abused the Goddess's power and were rejected by the Church, but now it seems that's not the case."
That tangled mess of yarn resurfaced in Muen's mind. It was as if several mischievous kittens had ravaged the threads, leaving them so densely knotted that the end was nowhere to be found.
No, perhaps Muen had caught a glimpse of the thread's end before, but because the thought was too fantastical, too preposterous, he had chosen to let it go every time before pulling it out.
But now, that thread was right before his eyes. It had surfaced because of Rabbit's casual question, and like a lurking viper, it watched him, its hissing growing clearer and bone-chillingly cold.
"We always assumed the people of the Lost Homeland were followers of the Goddess who were invaded by an Evil God, and that we were here to save them.
"But that seems to be nothing more than our one-sided assumption, an illusion pieced together from fragments. The Goddess statues in this world... from beginning to end, they have no faces..."
They... the indigenous people of this nation... might not have been worshipping the Goddess at all. Or rather... not the Goddess of Life.
But if they didn't worship the Goddess Emiel, then what was the truth behind the story that unfolded here?
"Similar... yet opposite."
Inexplicably, Muen suddenly remembered these words Freya had spoken when he saw her in the mirror.
He murmured under his breath, as if possessed:
"Opposite, opposite, opposite... Right. Everything makes sense if you just look at it in reverse.
"For example... that rot."
On their first night in this country, the most memorable and soul-chilling thing—aside from the twisted flesh monsters—was the rot that pervaded the entire world, seemingly intent on consuming every living thing.
Anyone seeing that horrific scene would instinctively associate it with the source of chaos and disorder in the world.
But thinking carefully now, that rot... was just rot.
And so-called rot... is also a part of life, representing its final wilting and end.
It was something far more "normal" than this world full of bizarre flesh, plants growing beef and mutton, and rivers flowing with milk.
"So, the one who invaded this nation was actually the true Goddess Emiel. Rot is a part of that Goddess of Life's authority.
"And that moon... I wondered why it felt familiar. It must have come from the remnants of the Silent Moon. The Old Loli said the remnants of the Silent Moon were carved up by various factions; there's no way the Church didn't take a piece.
"In that diary, the 'Evil God' invasion happened in the last few decades, but 'that round thing' only appeared in the final entries. Based on the dates, everything lines up.
"What the Church has been busy with all these years isn't 'breaking' the so-called wall, but infiltrating the Goddess's power into this Lost Homeland. However, the process was slow, giving the indigenous people... or something here... time to react."
Images of those twisted monsters flashed through Muen's mind. The diary initially suggested those monsters came from an Outer God's pollution, but that wasn't it. They simply appeared alongside the 'Outer God's' pollution.
They were more like a defense mechanism of this nation.
"Until the Church obtained a medium—the remnants of the Silent Moon. Through those remnants, the infiltration of the Goddess's power accelerated rapidly.
"But perhaps because of the previous Divine War or some other reason, the situation took an unexpected turn. The Church couldn't wait any longer, which is why they initiated this extremely risky Holy Ceremony trial."
Muen's mind raced. Once his perspective shifted and he found that hidden thread, everything seemed so logical.
Of course, most of this was speculation without concrete evidence.
Yet Muen felt that this guess was not far from the truth.
"Then, following that logic, it's equally obvious what kind of existence this 'Goddess'—the one truly worshipped by the locals—actually is."
To be exiled by the First Generation Saintess.
To be viewed with such vigilance by the Church.
To prompt the Goddess Emiel to personally descend her power for an invasion.
It certainly wasn't because this nation hid literal mountains of gold and jewels, nor was it because this place was so beautiful that even the Goddess Emiel had to come and admire it.
There was only one possibility.
"Something so simple, yet I only thought of it now. Just like back then with Ellag, I was deceived from the start by a certain mindset..."
Muen gave a self-deprecating laugh.
He had assumed a land without hunger, filled with happiness, was a blessing from the Goddess.
He had assumed the nauseating rot and the collapse of the world were an invasion by an Evil God.
But the truth was exactly the opposite.
"If the one invading this place is the Goddess Emiel, then the one who has been providing power and turning this place into a Golden Kingdom without hunger... is, unsurprisingly, an Evil God."
Muen looked up. His gaze first swept over Rabbit's small, soot-covered face, then turned away, as if trying to pierce through the thick layers of earth to take in the entire nation.
In that moment, he finally understood the significance of those high walls.
"So, this place... was never actually a Golden Kingdom."
In his memories, the fruits were so plump, the milk looked so sweet, and the people here could grow freely and without worry.
But that was only natural, wasn't it?
If you want your livestock to grow fat and tender, you naturally provide the best fodder.
"This is... the Evil God's pasture."
*
"It's time."
In the Supreme Place, the Pope, who had seemed to be napping, opened his eyes. He stood ready, looking toward the edge of the sky.
The sun, moon, and stars following their astral tracks suddenly ground to a halt. As if suffering a mechanical failure, they all began to tremble slightly.
At the edge of the sky, a color as dark as ink began to bleed out silently.
Flowers bloomed.
One by one, flowers of various colors and exquisite allure took root in the void, swaying in the wind.
Then came plump fruits, lush trees, and inexhaustible food. In an instant, half the sky was filled with vibrant vitality. Yet, beneath the skin of this vegetation, vein-like patterns pulsed faintly, looking like human blood vessels.
A pair of fair, jade feet stepped out from the darkness. Following them was a dress as deep as the night, adorned with countless dim stars. Above the hem was the voluptuous figure of a young matron, her breasts full and maternal.
Then came... a void, a face without features.
The woman cradled a bundle in her arms. The inside of the swaddling clothes was pitch black, but two chubby little hands reached out, clutching a fragment of the moon and happily gnawing on it.
But it was only a small piece—the last piece.
Thus, when the final fragment disappeared into the swaddle, a piercing cry rang out, nearly tearing through the soul. It conveyed a message anyone could understand:
—Hungry.
The woman lowered her head, seemingly gazing tenderly at the infant in her arms. Behind her, however, a massive shadow writhed constantly, as if it intended to cover the entire sky.
Evil God · Mother of Abundance.
"Resorting to force when theft failed? Heh. You want to take back what belongs to you? No, it isn't yours. And what you want is far more than that."
The Pope wore a cold smile.
"Unfortunately, old things like me who have lived a long time tend to be very stingy. So... you're not getting it!"
The Pope swept his sleeve. Behind him, a magnificent, holy light erupted.
Amidst a solemn roar, the Gate of the Holy Domain swung wide!
Behind the gate, majestic knights stood ready. High-pitched Iron Whales had already ascended into the sky. White-robed elders, each looking so ancient they seemed to have just been dug out of a grave, stood there—yet every one of them possessed the power to shake the world.
At the front of them all was the current Saintess in her white skirt-armor, and beside her... a bewildered, trembling Pink Bear.
Ignoring the pathetic creature beside her, the Saintess held a holy scroll and recited loudly:
"This is the oracle from the Goddess. She says... expel all that is impure!"
"For the Goddess!"
"Long live the Goddess!"
The fanatical shouts drowned out the infant's wailing. The Pope gripped his scepter and, amidst the light and fire sweeping through the world, whispered the second half of his sentence:
"For... humanity."