Ch.16454. God… Is That You?

I try to predict the future.

Yet what can be predicted, what can be exemplified, is extremely limited.

As if someone has forcibly hidden all possibilities.

…What if.

Someone’s will is so intense that it cannot be compared to anything else.

If that will is so powerful and steadfast that it guides various futures into just one narrow path.

…Perhaps it’s only natural that my future would be influenced by it.

Even a mere human with determination can easily twist and change someone else’s future.

But if that being approaches divinity or is a divine entity,

Their will would naturally be incomparable to that of humans.

The reason my future has become dark, as if I’m wearing a blindfold,

Is probably because they want it that way.

“……”

The pain originating from around my shoulders disrupts my peace and concentration in various ways.

Though I’m used to unreasonable discomfort, this one was certainly unreasonable in a different sense.

The Demon Lord who somehow ended up circling around me knew better than anyone that pain is the most powerful weapon to break down intelligent beings.

In that false dream she created,

Throughout all those training processes I endured within it, there were countless situations where I had to endure and overcome pain.

If I hadn’t adapted back then, I would have collapsed long ago.

Just because one becomes stronger and more knowledgeable,

It doesn’t mean they develop a tolerance to pain.

“What are you doing?”

While Zora was away saying she had something else to check,

I was looking around the desolate surroundings to compose myself when I noticed the Demon Lord staring down at the distant ground below and asked.

-I find it interesting.

Unlike before, despite her somewhat serious expression, her answer came with the usual lack of sincerity.

“What do you mean?”

-…

Her attitude of not speaking when she didn’t want to remained unchanged.

-You should accomplish your purpose for coming here as quickly as possible.

“…Who told you that?”

-Hmm.

She’s uncharacteristically calm.

Perhaps “docile” would be the appropriate expression at times like this.

Since rest was essentially meaningless, I was contemplating various strategies, but due to the lingering effects of the curse left by the woman who was the Demon Lord of this era, concentration was hardly easy.

…Just when things seem to be improving, she always interferes like this.

-Once you get what you need, that too will naturally be resolved. Until then… endure it on your own.

“I was planning to do so even without you telling me.”

Seeing how even Zora threw up her hands at these symptoms, it must be one of those unavoidable things.

Even if there were someone nearby who knew how to properly use holy power or white magic, all they could do for Kariel would be… at most calming his mind rather than healing internal or external wounds.

…Come to think of it, didn’t Mines do something like that when I was on the verge of death in Somern village?

That, surprisingly, helped quite a bit.

For a thirsty traveler, even a few drops of water are precious.

To use an analogy, Kariel himself is like a vessel with a completely shattered bottom.

So while wiping the dust around the vessel wouldn’t be a problem, to fill the vessel, there’s essentially no method other than throwing it into a lake or sea.

…That’s probably why potions or medicines would be more effective.

…

By the time I was half-sick and adapting to my injuries, Zora returned.

Though it was still far from dawn… since waiting wouldn’t improve the situation, we decided to move immediately.

“……”

By the time we reached the entrance again, I checked the surroundings with my presence concealed, just in case.

Otherwise, would she appear again as soon as we entered, opening a space as if she’d been waiting?

And there was one more thing bothering me.

“You’re awake.”

The giant who was guarding the entrance, or rather waiting, was… conspicuously awake.

If we weren’t going to fight again, the only option was to quickly leave the area upon entering.

Whether he would follow or not was questionable, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

If it comes to it….

“I’ll show you the internal structure.”

Zora suddenly began forming something like a floor plan by floating light in the air.

“It took time to implement because the floors are complex, but it’s better than nothing.”

So that was the reason she was away.

It seems that once the door opened, she sent in a large number of familiars to indirectly examine the internal structure.

Come to think of it, it’s night now.

Though she claims to be comfortable even under the sun, she seemed more active after sunset, befitting a creature of the night.

“I’ve only recently adapted to the temperature difference between day and night.”

“…?”

Temperature difference?

“Ah, I misspoke. Time difference. Time difference.”

“……”

Time difference?

Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that even within the Empire’s territory, there are some time zone differences depending on location. Is that what she means?

Anyway, this time too, I entered the interior with her familiar in tow.

The giant at the entrance greeted us fiercely, but I blocked it with Aegis and counterattacked.

Then I fed Astrape to the disoriented giant again.

I poured out power at least 100 times weaker than what I used last time, but it was enough to momentarily paralyze the giant.

I escaped during that opening.

-This is probably what it was lent to you for.

Whether to block, neutralize, then enter or escape, whatever.

However, it seemed I was too fixated on completely neutralizing the threat rather than leaving a risk element behind, perhaps because I was accompanying Zora, or rather, she was accompanying me.

…But that’s just an excuse I just came up with.

It could simply have been competitive spirit, or the desire to test the power that had come into my hands.

Honestly, I’m not sure what my thoughts or intentions were at the time.

In other words, it means I lost myself, led by the divine object I borrowed.

Despite needing to control myself thoroughly.

So I must have lost my mind and let my hands burn up.

…Power and rights received for free are this dangerous.

Anyway, after entering the interior and reaching the place where I met the Demon Lord of that era… fortunately or unfortunately, she did not reappear.

[I was wondering what would happen if she showed up again.]

Indeed.

Thanks to Zora’s familiar illuminating a light map whenever needed, we avoided the misfortune of wandering through the vast interior.

…If we had gotten lost, it would have been because it took too much time to move around the enormous space.

My mobility was fairly helpful here too.

Even while avoiding stimulating the giants occupying the ground.

“……”

What’s certain is…

The interior was better preserved than I expected.

Even if the giants are immortal and indestructible, the structures themselves shouldn’t have been, and yet.

The interior was like that, but the exterior, while well-preserved in form, was still uninhabitable.

Staying itself wasn’t a problem, but there was absolutely no area to obtain resources.

And there were many uninvited guests, knowingly or unknowingly.

I didn’t set up camp on top of a statue out of boredom.

Still, since the area was so vast, we wouldn’t easily encounter those things unless we deliberately sought them out or they were hunting us.

[I didn’t look in detail, but I didn’t see any treasure chambers or vaults. Unless they’re hidden somewhere.]

“If people from previous eras explored or examined this place and discovered them, wouldn’t it be natural for them to be empty?”

[If that’s the case, then we were wrong to come here looking for something in the first place, right? Or are you satisfied just examining a giant ruin, something like that?]

“Of course not.”

I enjoy exploring, examining, and discovering.

Simple sightseeing isn’t bad either, but if that were the purpose, this area would be far too dangerous.

[And according to what you said, those who visited here before also confronted those giants, right? Even if they found treasures, would it have been possible to escape with all that gold and silver?]

“Not unless there were secret passages or shortcuts.”

[That’s true. But we have no way of knowing at present.]

So what should we do?

[What was this place like in the past, I wonder?]

“……”

We’ll see.

Even without mentioning it to remind me, I was planning to try as soon as we secured some safety.

If we got ambushed while attempting it, who would benefit?

Strictly speaking, I was even suspicious of Zora’s familiar in this situation.

Since all possibilities regarding future prediction had been closed off since entering this area,

I couldn’t guarantee anything now.

Moreover,

Zora’s existence was an exceptional being not originally included in my future predictions.

…The fact that I found this strange only belatedly is probably because I’m still inexperienced in this area.

In other words, she’s no ordinary person either.

According to her, she was human when she was in the demon realm, and was already extraordinary then.

After that, she joined the vampire clan through a proper contract.

Now she’s the 3rd Princess.

Though not a king or princess in the human sense, it means she’s third in rank within the Asubunara clan.

By that logic, the 2nd Prince Filbar must be impressive too.

Though there seemed to be clear differences in abilities and roles.

“This should be good enough.”

Following the rough map shown by the familiar, I found a relatively stable space.

An area where I could wait with my presence concealed in case something happened.

A space with some structures reminiscent of a bed and what appeared to be broken statues or divine images.

Looking at the damaged and collapsed interior space, it was difficult to judge what purpose this place was built for.

At the point where the ceiling met the pillars,

There was a space adequate enough for a child to move around.

One misstep could lead to a fall and a major accident, but at least if one stayed put, one could not only sit but even lie down to sleep.

However, there didn’t seem to be a ladder, so it wasn’t possible to climb up and down freely.

Instead, the space was filled with dense spider webs, and the spiders hanging on them looked quite fierce.

“Hmm….”

I felt a bit creeped out, but killing them seemed a pity, and leaving them alone was concerning.

…As I fell into this very wholesome yet unwholesome dilemma, the familiar suddenly caught and ate a spider.

[Why is it that someone who readily strikes down magical beasts always hesitates with small creatures?]

“……”

Indeed.

Somehow I feel sorry. It feels like I’m being tyrannical.

If I hadn’t appeared, they would have lived just fine.

And it’s not like they’re attacking me with hostility or killing intent.

[How about keeping them as emergency rations?]

“……”

I’m not desperate enough to eat bugs.

If I had to, I certainly would, but.

“I’m about to proceed, so if I start moving in a strange direction, warn me immediately.”

[As far as I can.]

I tried to compose my mind, though concentration was difficult due to the pain I had forcibly pushed to the edge of my consciousness.

Anyway, I composed my consciousness to examine the past scenery of this place.

…

…

At the center of this room stood a massive golden divine statue.

A male deity wearing an elongated crown and thick beard.

A deity standing with a long garment covering his entire body and holding a short staff.

From the abdomen to the lower body,

The patterns drawn on the clothes were simple but had a distinct form.

In the first circle was engraved a flower with five petals.

In the second circle below was something with four sharp, blade-like leaves.

Finally, in the third circle formed at the very bottom, a flower with three round, eye-like petals was placed.

Though now the wall had no form, with nothing intact,

The intact wall of that time was composed of stone material with a blue luster, and based on that, gold filled the walls of the room all the way to the ceiling.

Turning my gaze, familiar and unfamiliar fruits were placed on the altar in front of the divine statue.

And,

The space where the bed might have been was certainly different in scale.

Considering the physical structure of giants, it was at least several times the size of what humans use.

The canopy was also quite high.

Four ceiling pillars.

Arranged in a rectangle, they clearly weren’t meant to hide or conceal the interior of the bed, with only a ceiling.

Everything from the pillars to the bed was gold, with only the blanket having a blue background with patterns that seemed woven with gold thread, richly engraved with repeating motifs.

It was the epitome of splendor.

And it was delicate too, with even steps serving as footrests for the bed.

If the bed was on the right, on the left was a small pond and fountain.

Seeing how lavish and well-constructed it was, too extravagant to be called quarters…

‘An indoor shrine?’

Building a shrine or temple for deities inside a building is actually quite common.

All buildings tend to have relatively important facilities or purposes at their center, and it seems this was correct in that respect.

However, the interior of this place was extremely quiet.

That’s why I almost overlooked it.

Behind the divine statue, there was a young girl wiping the statue with a wet cloth.

“Huh?”

Did she sense my gaze?

The young girl suddenly looked up at me.

Her two sand-colored eyes were wide open, as if witnessing a miracle.

“C-Could it be… L-Lord… God?”

Still…

…This seems like too much of a stretch for a guess.

The girl was still staring intently at me.

Rubbing her eyes repeatedly as if to check whether what she saw was an illusion.

And suddenly I realized.

Due to her childlike appearance, it took me a while to notice.

That the girl’s appearance was quite familiar.