Ch.208The Sixth Entanglement – Bebop with the Sun God (6)

The detective examined the gun that Dr. Albert had brought. After pulling back the bolt to confirm it was empty, he inspected the interior made of an alloy that smelled of ozone.

All the metal components were made of mythril steel, heat-resistant but rarely used in firearms due to its high cost and lightness that made aiming unstable. But for a wealthy person’s hobby, it was understandable.

He also checked the elegantly packaged bullets, but found they were just ordinary ammunition. The gunsmith apparently hadn’t expected the heat-resistant gun to actually be used in fire.

The detective set the bullets aside. They were the same caliber and in pristine condition—at least twice as reliable as what one would find in gun shops.

Seeing no need for further inspection, the detective placed the gun in his duffel bag while gazing at the New York skyline through the window, which they had yet to leave behind.

“Was this made by Zamiel? I don’t see his signature, but the quality is certainly that good.”

At the detective’s mention of the famous gunsmith, Dr. Albert’s face brightened with a smile. It was a face that reflected the same goodwill seemingly imbued in the gun. The detective felt an instinctive aversion.

It was an even stronger aversion than what he’d felt seeing the happy, shining streets of Little Eire. At least Little Eire’s sparkle had been fake, but this old man’s goodwill was genuine, which made the revulsion impossible to avoid.

He didn’t openly show his disgust. He knew it was abnormal to feel such revulsion toward this, so he swallowed his words and simply looked away.

He had received too much praise that wasn’t his. He had gained too much honor for things he hadn’t done. What others saw wasn’t really him. That’s why the detective couldn’t appreciate goodwill that wasn’t meant for him.

So goodwill was something to be endured. Fortunately, while he was gritting his teeth, Dr. Albert continued speaking. Though still not a comfortable topic, at least it was a different one.

“I’d rather not talk more about guns as it might reveal my mistake, but do you know why I’m so devoted to the God-President?”

Honestly, the detective didn’t care much. All he had was a sense of betrayal, so he wanted nothing to do with it. Deciding to let the words go in one ear and out the other, he shook his head briefly.

Nevertheless, Dr. Albert said something that somewhat piqued the detective’s interest—words that seemed completely at odds with someone who appeared to be the embodiment of human goodwill.

“I’m devoted to the God-President because he is indecisive, makes choices we might consider mistakes, and regrets his decisions.”

“What would an omnipotent god have to be indecisive about? Omniscience means knowing everything. Shouldn’t that include knowing the right way?”

This time, the detective let slip a discourteous remark. It was quite rude, but Dr. Albert continued without taking offense.

“You really dislike the God-President, don’t you? Every method has its own merits. The God-President knows them all. This method is right in one aspect but wrong in another. That method is right in this way but wrong in that way. And the world always requires decisions to be made. He makes choices.”

Dr. Albert knew that a few words in a car heading to Centralia wouldn’t turn the detective into a devout believer. The man seemed like someone who didn’t need help.

Yet he spoke anyway… because it was clear no one had ever said such things to him. While it was fine for someone to dislike something, excessive hatred often ruined things.

The man hated the God-President. No, the essence wasn’t about the God-President. People who hate a non-responsive god typically hate themselves more for doing things that received no response.

This is a story of hatred and loathing, Dr. Albert defined to himself. Sol Invictus would die anyway. What mattered wasn’t the god but the person. So he continued speaking.

“Rather than making choices, he’s constantly placed in situations where he must choose. Do nothing? Intervene somehow? How much? Why? In what way? He must decide countless things. That’s why he’s indecisive. A god like Sol Invictus doesn’t make decisions, so he’s not indecisive.”

Sol Invictus was a beast. A beast chasing worship. A being who loved the name of war god yet willingly became a god of healing to gain worship.

Such a being doesn’t choose. He uses all his wisdom and cunning to obey those who will worship him. Free people couldn’t serve such a being.

The detective now seemed somewhat willing to listen to Dr. Albert. Someone who could speak with such pure goodwill toward people was… well, a good person. There was no harm in listening to a good person.

So he revealed a bit of emotion. He spoke with a voice that betrayed the eerie feeling Dr. Albert had sensed from the beginning.

“So, because he made difficult choices too, I should forgive him?”

Willis’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He had felt something similar when driving with Mafia guns pointed at the back of his head.

Dr. Albert shook his head. He said what the young, inexperienced reporter couldn’t—words that would have been useless coming from the reporter.

“No, I never said you should forgive him. I’m asking you to understand him. His most inhuman aspect is his most human one.”

“That’s not going to happen, Doctor.”

To Dr. Albert, the detective seemed to have regained some composure. The eerie feeling emanating from him had subsided somewhat. So he tried to lighten the mood.

“From what I’ve seen since being called to the extermination team, you seem like someone who would understand the God-President rather than ruin things. Is that really not the case?”

It was quite an irreverent statement for such a devout person. Whether the detective had decided to understand the doctor’s words somewhat or had simply resigned himself, he laughed.

“Like god, like follower. You both have uncomfortably penetrating insight.”

Willis felt relieved that the atmosphere was thawing. As it was always his job to further lighten the mood in such situations, he did so again.

“Isn’t that why we’re going to fight something bright and radiant with our uncomfortably penetrating insight? Um… we’re on the good side despite being a bit dark, right?”

This is a story of salvation, Willis defined to himself as he quietly listened to the two men’s conversation. The God-President is trying to save this hate-filled man, he thought, like any ordinary person would.

The car continued out of New York. They had departed at noon, so they would arrive in the evening. The fact that it would be quite dark didn’t bother the three men.

In fact, it might be fortunate that it would be after sunset.

After the sun—rightfully his—had set, he could regain his power, feeling it rise in the darkness. He might even see the sun rise in the middle of the night, defying the celestial sphere’s movement.

The problem was that they didn’t even know if they could arrive before sunset. He needed to go where worship awaited him, but there were no trains to the place where his worshiper waited.

Had that demon deceived him? No, that couldn’t be. Sol Invictus snorted as he walked along the roadside. That demon wouldn’t have such courage.

But how could there not be a single car? If he walked, it would take a full day. Sol Invictus was a fast walker and wouldn’t tire easily as he approached worship, but it would take too long.

Now he began to run. If he ran for about ten hours, he could arrive. It would take a long time, but he could run that far if worship awaited him.

Sol Invictus began to reveal the instincts he had hidden until now. There was no need to hide them anymore. These weren’t instincts he needed to conceal even on a deserted road.

In fact, it was the most natural thing! Sol Invictus could feel his skin crackling. He could feel the layers underneath trying to emerge. It feels like shedding a decade-old skin.

This is a story of freedom and liberation! Sol Invictus defined to himself. He was going to reclaim what was rightfully his after being isolated from all this refreshing pleasure.

So he continued running. He wasn’t as fast as a car, but Sol Invictus wasn’t slow either. When he felt out of breath, he reminded himself that once he regained worship, he wouldn’t need breath at all.

There truly wasn’t a single car on the road. Could humans not move without cars? That wouldn’t be possible unless someone intervened. Besides, he was coming up from a large city in Pennsylvania.

Even if nothing had happened, there should have been cars coming down in the direction he had come from, and even if someone had warned people about his approach, most people would… That man must have interfered again.

Knowledge and Action could certainly orchestrate such things. He had clearly directed the evacuation to delay him by however many hours.

So had his devotee also been moved from the city to somewhere else? No, that wasn’t the case. Sol Invictus could still smell the scent of worship. His devotee was still there.

Why just to delay him by a few hours… Ah, yes. He’s preparing an extermination team. Gaia, who had sought liberation like himself, had once been exterminated by the soldiers of the Divine Guard. He’s up to the same tricks again.

Sol Invictus stumbled over many modern obstacles he didn’t recognize, but he was still a war god. A war god who had survived unchanged for so long.

If Knowledge and Action was pursuing him, he couldn’t be choosy about his methods. Sol Invictus drew the gladius he had hidden in a dirty leather scabbard. He threw the scabbard away.

Now he began to smell humans. There was a place where people lived nearby. If it was set up in these woods, was it a sanatorium? Even so, there would be cars. Sol Invictus made an immediate decision.

He began running through the forest, leaving the road that cut through it. He turned in the direction of the human scent. It wasn’t far. Even if it was in a remote location, it wouldn’t be far from the road.

Before long, Sol Invictus could see a tall stone wall. Yes, this is it. He jumped up lightly. If it was some kind of sanatorium, there would be many people, but how would he find a driver?

If he killed one or two, the rest would comply. Humans were weak creatures. Before he gave them weapons to fight with, they were incredibly fragile beings who easily submitted.

He climbed the brick wall skillfully and jumped down inside. It wasn’t a sanatorium. It was a villa. There was one car parked on the road in front, but that was all.

If there was only one person, intimidation would be difficult. Still, finding a car in a situation where Knowledge and Action had interfered was a great joy. He walked toward the building as if it were his own.

Hearing someone approaching, a man inside the house came out. He was old but seemed to be the type who hadn’t accomplished much in life. Just a caretaker of the villa? He shouted at the large Sol Invictus.

“This is private property! I have a shotgun inside, so don’t come any closer! This is no place for vagrants like you…”

Sol Invictus was no longer rational enough to use deception. He kicked off the ground and ran. After three steps, he landed right in front of the man. He pointed his gladius.

“Is there a place for a god who isn’t worshipped? I have no interest in this hut anyway. I just need a driver and a car. Will you provide them?”

Sol Invictus withdrew the gladius he had pointed at the man’s neck and stabbed the wooden pillar of the villa’s entrance. He poured into it the remnants of fire he had distributed to many. Embers rose from within the wooden pillar.

The embers spread instantly and began to burn the entrance pillar. Sol Invictus’s rough hand grabbed the caretaker’s neck and shook him as if threatening to throw him into the villa that was about to catch fire.

If a fire broke out in a house in such a situation and location, Knowledge and Action would notice, but he seemed to have no intention of stopping him. He seems to think everything will go his way again this time.

The caretaker, whose arm had touched the flames, screamed in premature fear. He doesn’t even know that humans don’t burn so easily. Sol Invictus sneered.

“Ah, aagh! I’ll do it! Just don’t throw me inside…”

Only then did Sol Invictus throw him onto the villa’s yard. A sun that got too close to people only caused unpleasant heat and burns. Sol Invictus was the same.

He began heading toward Centralia, comfortable except for keeping his sword pointed at the caretaker’s neck. If Knowledge and Action was omniscient and omnipotent, this too must be his will, so there could be no complaints.

Blood flowed from the caretaker’s neck whenever his body trembled and touched the blade of Sol Invictus’s gladius, but fortunately, since the caretaker was alone there, no one had to die.

The villa caretaker somewhat regretted filling the car’s tank with gasoline that morning. If he hadn’t, this barbaric god might have threatened him, but the car would have stopped after a short distance.

The car ran smoothly until it reached the war god’s destination. For some reason, there wasn’t a single car on the road, so they drove relentlessly without any way to delay.

Finally, their car reached Centralia just after early evening. It was a place where not a single person remained. No, two remained. Sol Invictus smelled humans again.

At the road sign welcoming them to Centralia, Sol Invictus sheathed his gladius. He flung open the car door and made the caretaker get out first. No bullets came flying.

Only then did he exit. Thinking he must have arrived first, he happily approached the caretaker with the gladius in one hand.

Should I kill him to prevent future trouble? No, there’s no need. Once he regained his divinity, it wouldn’t matter. Sol Invictus was so confident of victory that he spared the man.

If he had felt even slightly insecure, he would have dealt with him cleanly, but he didn’t. Finally lowering his blade, he laughed maniacally at the caretaker.

“Go! Return and announce that Sol Invictus has returned. I will no longer hide. There is no reason to hide, nothing to hide. The fallen sun shall rise again! Do you understand?”

Sol Invictus stepped into the city as if entering a pantheon. With each gust of wind, layers of his skin crackled and turned to powder, scattering away.