The Outer God Needs Warmth – Chapter 12

I pulled my hand away when I saw all the fine hair on Hyunkeshuni’s face stand up.

It’s the meta of a wild animal that eats whatever food is given. I should be sensitive like a wild animal.

While backing away, I focused my gaze on the huge staff that didn’t match Hyunkeshuni’s small body. There’s a sticky energy imbued in it.

It’s similar to what was on the weapons used by the Future Hope Church’s warriors, but the feeling is subtly different. The Future Hope Church’s standard weapons are a bit dry, while this one is sticky.

But I don’t like either of them.

In fantasy, I think there would be people who know about magic, but Cheki and Patricia, whom I first licked, lack knowledge as they were raised from the beginning as warriors of faith.

The person in front of me seems to know various things.

I still have to be patient.

Let’s go a little slower.

I need patience to obtain warmth.

I went back to my place. The beast is in a safe place.

I’ll protest if they don’t give me warmth! The manners of a democratic citizen go as far as the guillotine, but there’s no one here who’s their own master, so it can’t be helped.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”

At my question, Hyunkeshuni hesitated, then pulled the cloth she had thrown back over her head, covering it completely.

“Aha, ha. No. Nothing. It’s enough that I know your identity. This witch will withdraw now.”

Saying that, Hyunkeshuni left through the door while constantly being aware of me.

That girl, or person who might just have the appearance of a girl, is one of the four who were inside the circle. One of the highest-ranking people.

If it’s four people, are they the Four Heavenly Kings?

There might be people who couldn’t attend, so let’s tentatively call them high-ranking executives.

Someday I want to make them like Joanna next to me too.

And when I turned my head, Joanna was looking at me with a frightened expression.

Oh?

Hmm, was there a part that looked so scary? I told Hyunkeshuni what she wanted to know as she asked, and I even said thank you for bringing me to this world.

You pulled me up from where I was stagnant like an endless sea.

So I conveyed my gratitude, saying there are no bad people and that I’m thankful, but should I have spoken more directly?

I thought it would be bad to speak so simply because it reveals too much of the bottom. Again, I can’t read thoughts.

Joanna was just watching the conversation between Hyunkeshuni and me, so I only know from which point she became scared.

I thought she was excited because her heart was moving violently, but considering the sympathetic nervous system, there’s not much difference.

And that was when Hyunkeshuni muttered quietly about what we had done. From that moment, Joanna’s condition wasn’t good.

If that’s the point where she started to be seriously afraid of me, did she empathize with that fear?

I don’t know.

Then what can I do? If I don’t know, I should ask.

“Joanna. Are you afraid of me?”

At my question, Joanna’s heart beat loudly. No, I’m telling you I won’t eat you. Joanna slowly started nodding, then stopped and suddenly tensed her stomach.

“I am afraid.”

“Why?”

Let’s say it’s not a scary event when she tensed up. Joanna wasn’t afraid when I absorbed the warmth of the poor victim.

But if she felt fear during this event now, I need to ask why.

Joanna hesitates a lot.

No, of course if someone you serve asks “Are you afraid of me? Where?”, you might think “Is this person trying to set me up?”, but I haven’t shown any authoritative behavior.

It might just be burdensome because I’m a superior.

Endure it.

Satisfying my curiosity takes priority.

I stood quietly in front of her until she finally gave up rolling her darkened eyes around and looked at me.

“I just realized what kind of person you are, Miss Rebecca, so that’s why.”

“Is that so? I’m just like stagnant water at the bottom. A sea that’s just quietly stagnant, watching stars being born under an eternally endless night sky.”

Oh? Come to think of it, since I’ve been pulled up like this, there’s a possibility that my subspecies might be born if I go back down.

The one whose warmth I took yesterday twisted and mutated. And the blue blood that came out when his neck was cut.

I think I saw that when the light fell and plunged into my body.

I might get robbed when I go down. Even in the wild, empty territories are eventually occupied by someone.

Then I should do my best in the current world.

Wild animals are scary.

Especially in that they can attack others, whether they’re carnivores or herbivores.

People who dislike them, dislike them. At least to the extent of eradicating them in advance due to feeling threatened.

I should have acted more like a pet than a wild animal. If it were something like a cat, I could cultivate specific animal enthusiasts by saying I’m cute! But Rebecca Rolfe isn’t such a young girl.

At this rate, it seems like I could grow to have three heads. I’m already this size despite being short.

Or there’s a possibility that I won’t grow because I’m already dead.

Ambiguous threats are only worth stomping to death. Either completely forbid it because it’s too dangerous, or make it harmless.

Being dangerous is impossible. What am I supposed to do with this body? At best I could take about a dozen companions, but then I’d be stuck at the bottom again.

If I’m unlucky, I might even disappear from the bottom.

That wouldn’t be bad in its own way, but anyway, to obtain warmth, I want to use this group a bit more. I’ve already made plans to create harvesters!

It would be better to be more harmless.

“I’ve entered this body and am diligently doing what I’m asked to do. Why would there be a need to be afraid of me?”

Joanna didn’t answer my question. But as if a word had come to the tip of her tongue, she swallowed.

This means it’s an ambiguous thing for me to hear.

Something like “You have a bad temper”?

I’m fine with hearing anything, but if I press any further here, Joanna looks like she’ll collapse from stress. Let’s stop here for today.

Since Hyunkeshuni has figured me out and left, she’ll probably go talk to Hieronymus now, right? Then I should try to press him a bit the next time we meet. When he makes his choice there, I’ll make my choice too.

If possible, I hope he comes before dinner tonight.

Thinking like that, I sat quietly on the bed.

* * *

Hieronymus was currently in a difficult situation.

An instructor who teaches the warriors of faith. The man called Witga, who is in the highest position among them, came to see him.

He’s slightly smaller than Hieronymus, but that’s only because Hieronymus is so large, he’s by no means small.

This muscular man, like most people who have devoted themselves to this religion, has no light in his eyes at all. He’s the kind of person who is so full of despair and hatred that he can’t live without venting on something.

And he was also one of the four people who were at the bottom of the stepped pyramid.

“Hieronymus. Yesterday, one of those under me asked for a blessing for himself too.”

“Refuse, Witga. That turns people into monsters. We need to start changing from those a bit lower down.”

Hieronymus is considering various possibilities. Among them, the worst case is that it can perfectly control all those it has made like Joanna.

So they need to test gradually, starting with those who are okay to sacrifice.

“I thought so too. But that guy was talking. That woman called Joanna who it blessed. He said she completely became a monster. An old woman who knew nothing suddenly became young, and in just a few hours was about to catch up to him who had trained for decades.”

Witga looked at Hieronymus with a serious face and folded his arms.

“Hey, Hieronymus. Our leader. If we can use it, that will bring us tremendous power. We won’t have to do terrible rituals like calling death gods while hiding in this remote mountain valley.”

“It said three a day. And there’s a possibility of explosion.”

At those words, Witga chuckled.

“Hey, Hieronymus. Where in the Future Hope Church would there be a human afraid of that? That’s the blessing of the god the Future Hope Church believes in.”

A human who falls into terrible despair turns into a bomb that causes a huge explosion. There’s such a law in this world.

After it was completely revealed that such phenomena exist, ironically, the number of people who exploit others until death decreased.

Instead, they give hope by saying they’ll give a lot of money at a young age, work them hard, and then immediately kick them out when they get old.

To a far place where it’s okay even if an explosion occurs.

Ironically, as a result, looking at the whole, the total amount of unhappiness decreased. Still, special cities like capitals are thoroughly protected, and the smaller the size, the more inadequate that system becomes.

Therefore, there are always people who inevitably become unhappy.

One of the results is the Future Hope Church.

It exploits and consumes humans who have become soaked in unhappiness and unable to think properly. It’s doing exactly the same thing that any country does.

To take revenge on those who made them like that. Therefore, it’s good if they can just take revenge no matter what happens. Because they don’t think about their lives in the first place.

That’s how they become twisted here.

“We need the blessing. If you’re really worried, let’s send three young ones first. The two with the best skills and the one with the least skill. This should be easy to understand, right?”

At Witga’s words, Hieronymus thought for a moment. Anyway, he can’t leave that thing alone like this. Then let’s experiment to see how useful that something that introduced itself as Rebecca Rolfe is.

Hieronymus goes one step further.

If those who have changed like that are useful, let’s give them appropriate titles saying they’re apostles of the false god Cruxshibal he created and use them.

“Alright, Witga. I’ll prepare the blessing. You prepare the children to receive the blessing. If we’re lucky, we might be able to advance our plan by a few years.”

“You mean the plan to escape this wretched underground life. I like it. Although I wonder what the full picture is. You’d create a country, wouldn’t you? Right? Former king of the religious country.”

At Witga’s words, Hieronymus didn’t bat an eye.

“The religious country doesn’t have a king.”

“I know. But a leader or a king, it’s all the same, isn’t it? If you create a country, give me a position too. So that I can have a say when you do something.”

Witga said, chuckling but calculating the shift of power with cold eyes. Witga also has a group he must take revenge on. And that’s not something that can be finished by just letting loose a few monsters.

The bigger the Future Hope Church becomes, the higher the possibility of revenge. That’s why, knowing Hieronymus’s identity, he thought of teaching warriors in this pseudo-religion.

After all, he’s a person Hieronymus recruited for such a purpose.

“If I create a country, I promise one of the highest positions.”

“Excellent. I know it’s an empty promise, but you’ll keep it. Because you’ll need me for revenge. Well then, I’ll be going back now. Hieronymus.”

As he said this, Witga stood up. To his back, Hieronymus threw one question.

“Do you want to return as the Grand General?”

Witga waved his hand in denial and was about to go out the door when he stopped, grabbing the doorframe.

“Give me a higher position. It would be pitiful for the Grand General of a fallen country to be a Grand General again.”

And after he completely left, he closed the door so quietly that it made no sound. Hieronymus considered pointing out Hyunkeshuni’s unauthorized contact with it while looking at it sitting blankly on the bed through magic.

An obedient and childlike girl.

Considering that the original personality of that shell was quite rough, it’s rather chilling.

Hieronymus continued his surveillance while starting to organize the plans the church should carry out in the future.