Chapter 25: My dream

A cheerful face.

A woman, hardly believable as a saint, gulped down beer.

“Ahh… alcohol is always the answer.”

A beautiful woman with long white hair, dressed in an open-shoulder kimono.

A picturesque scene.

The gentle breeze from the window made her hair flutter.

A sight that would normally evoke admiration…

“Cheers! Have a drink, Isabel! Come on! Today’s toast is ‘jeans’! Jeans!”

‘If only she’d keep her mouth shut…’

I gave a small smile to this slightly flawed beauty.

“You should stop drinking. You’ve had enough.”
“Why, why?! I’m drinking all night! No one can bother me tomorrow!”

Belladriel chugged her beer.

Thanks to her feigned exhaustion earlier, she had the next day off.

She’d put on quite a performance, so it was believable.

“Come on! Bottoms up!”

…But this woman was different.

She wasn’t one to tire from a prayer and a bit of acting.

She was, after all, a saint with unparalleled prayer power.

A saint with overflowing holy power, one of the greatest in history.

And that saint was Belladriel, right before my eyes.

“Ahhh! Refreshing!”

I’d lost count of how many tankards she’d emptied.

I murmured, “You’ll get a beer belly if you drink too much.”
“A beer belly?”

She looked down at her stomach and grinned.

“I’m fine. I’m a super beauty. I don’t gain weight, no matter how much I eat. I’m a super cute~☆ saint.”

‘So annoying.’

I sighed and shook my head.

“Don’t let your guard down.”
“You should worry about your own waistline.”
“Why my waistline?”
“You know why~”

Belladriel winked playfully.

‘Know what?!’

‘This saint…!’

“Come on, Isabel! Cheers!”

Belladriel raised her tankard and drank.

At this rate, she’d definitely make me fetch more alcohol.

Should I teach her another lesson?

“No wagers today?”
“Hmm.”

Belladriel set down her tankard and looked at me intently.

“I want to have a serious talk, instead of a wager.”
“A talk?”
“Yes, a serious talk.”

She smiled faintly.

“Black Hound… listen closely.”
“I’m listening.”
“There once was a girl who lived in Luminous Garden.”

Belladriel gazed at her reflection in the window.

“From a young age, this girl yearned to hear God’s voice. She cleaned the temple, scrubbed the floors…”

She was talking about her past.

Curious, I listened quietly.

“She believed she could communicate with God if he truly existed. So she cleaned and prayed every single day, dedicating herself to the temple… Years later, she became an adult, and her vast prayer-granted power made her worthy of becoming a saint. She was overjoyed. She believed she could finally speak with God.”

Belladriel raised her tankard.

“She healed many people, saved many lives. She cured the sick and helped those in need.”
“…A true saint.”

Belladriel chuckled. “Really?”

“But… it didn’t last. Another woman, also called a saint, appeared and framed her, trying to drive her out. Do you know what the people did?”
“…?”

Belladriel looked at me seriously.

“They called her a witch, mocked her, and chased her with swords, clubs, and pickaxes, trying to kill her.”

Her expression was complex.

A mixture of anger, sadness, and bitterness.

Her eyes were narrowed, her face drawn, and a faint smile hinted at her pain.

I didn’t know how to comfort her.

Luminous Garden.

Once known as the city where God communicated with humans.

Saints were always born in this city, each one exceptionally gifted.

But as she said, a wicked woman, posing as a saint, drove the true saint out.

‘A wicked witch has descended upon this land, bewitching and killing the citizens of Luminous Garden. Believe my words.’

That’s what she’d claimed.

And strangely, everyone believed her and followed her.

Later, it was revealed that the instigator was indeed a witch.

She devastated Luminous Garden, corrupting the land and transforming it into a city devoted to her own cult.

A false religion.

She turned it into a place of heresy.

Now, Luminous Garden’s radiant light was extinguished, replaced by darkness.

An unholy city, untouched by God.

It could never regain its former glory.

“Black Hound, let me ask you. Should we heal and save such people? Should we deliver God’s message and give them hope?”
“…Well, I…”

Belladriel’s expression turned serious.

“You don’t understand how I feel. Why I drink and created this filthy cult. I hate humans. I want to kill them all. I wanted to massacre the Bubble Gang, but I held back.”

Her eyes narrowed, filled with malice.

“Held back… those criminal
… humans never repay kindness.”
“Why are you saying this all of a sudden…?”

…Things were getting serious.

The system displayed a warning.

[Belladriel Dresia is about to commit an evil act!]
[Belladriel Dresia intends to massacre the villagers with her prayer!]
[Belladriel Dresia’s Malice Gauge is at 20%.]

Belladriel’s prayer.

A single prayer could summon a devastating light capable of destroying the village.

Now that her holy power was restored, it wouldn’t be difficult.

I’d restored her holy power for her redemption, but…

This was also a possibility I’d anticipated.

I had to act carefully.

I chuckled nervously.

“Calm down! That’s just a story about a girl you know, isn’t it?”
“Don’t play dumb. You know whose story it is. Your wish from the wager… it was like poison to me.”
“…”

Belladriel hugged her knees, her voice filled with sadness.

“I don’t hear God’s voice. I don’t want to hear it. Do you know what I heard when I prayed for that villain today?”
“What…?”
“‘Oh, the only saint in this land… purify the world.’ That’s what that damned heaven said… and it really pissed me off.”

‘So, she did hear it…?’

In Lilith Tycoon, Belladriel heard God’s voice.

I thought she hadn’t, since she didn’t mention it…

‘As expected of a saint.’

“I knew it from the moment I created Etherion. God is nothing but trash. A weak being created by humans. But because of you… because of you… I felt God’s presence again…”

‘Good.’

‘If she heard God’s voice…’

‘I have to appeal to her heart and persuade her.’

‘If that doesn’t work…’

‘This village is doomed.’

I smiled faintly.

“Is that so? Then, isn’t that a good thing?”
“…What’s good about it?”
“You can prove that there’s a being far greater than Etherion.”
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? I’ll never… do that for humans…”
“You idiot. It’s not for humans. It’s for you.”
“…What?”

I grinned and sat beside her.

“You worked hard to regain your holy power. Why use it for humans? God would tell you to use it for yourself.”
“God would say that…?”
“Of course.”

That was the true intention of the god Belladriel once believed in.

He wanted her happiness, which is why he made her a saint.

Knowing this, I pressed further.

“Even if someone begs for your grace, it’s your choice to give it. Why do you think God gave you free will? He would have taken your will and given you only power, wouldn’t he?”
“…”
“The decision is yours. Whether to save them or not.”
“My decision…?”

Belladriel’s eyes widened.

She’d probably never thought of it that way.

She believed sacrificing and saving others was her duty as a saint.

Telling her to act freely was like…

Unlocking her shackles.

Belladriel looked at me intently, then whispered, “…Is that true?”
“Of course. God must be dumbfounded. Stressing and agonizing alone. Is that why you drink every day? Why you punish people in the name of God? It’s ridiculous.”
“Then…! Why did he make me suffer!? Why Luminous Garden…!”

I chuckled at her outburst.

“Ask God.”
“…What?”
“Ask God. How would I know?”
“You…”

She was speechless.

I shrugged.

“Then ask God for guidance. But to do that, you need to become the strongest saint again.”
“…The strongest saint?”
“Yes! A divine high priest who can resurrect the dead and deliver God’s message.”

I placed my hand on her head.

“Belladriel Dresia, you’re not a cult leader. You’re a saint. Communicate with God and hear his words. Don’t be bound by humans. Live for yourself. Why live for others?”
“…”
“Today, you used your holy power because you lost a wager, not for humans. Who told you to save them out of some sense of duty?”
“…”

Belladriel didn’t respond.

The clock ticked, and a heavy silence filled the room.

I watched her expression.

Her eyes were sharp.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

‘Should I have been gentler?’

‘Doesn’t matter, the outcome will be the same.’

I looked at her calmly.

“Haha… hahahahaha…”
“…?”

Belladriel chuckled softly.

“So that’s it… I’ve been a fool… hah, is that really it?! Hahahaha!”

I tilted my head, confused by her sudden laughter.

“What’s so funny?”
“Hahaha…! Nothing, it’s just funny… Did you just call me a fool?”
“Aren’t you? A fool agonizing over such trivial things.”
“…You’ve got guts. I’ll punish you.”
“………”

Punishment.

What kind of punishment?

As I waited, Belladriel suddenly linked arms with me.

“…Belladriel?”
“Tch… being lectured by an assistant priest… sigh.”

She sighed, then smiled faintly and looked up at me.

“Your words… they’re impertinent, but I’ll forgive you. Because I made my decision for myself, not for humans. Thank me. Understood?”
“Y-Yes! Hahaha…”
“You’re always overstepping your boundaries, yet you seem to guide me on the right path.”

She leaned her head against my shoulder and murmured, “If God exists… it might be you.”

Belladriel snuggled closer.

‘I thought I’d messed up.’

‘Glad it worked out.’

[Belladriel Dresia has refrained from committing an evil act!]
[Belladriel Dresia’s Malice Gauge has decreased by 10%.]
[Belladriel Dresia’s Malice Gauge is at 10%.]

The system confirmed my success.