Ch.24Saintess Eirene (4)

# Saintess Eirene (4)

Actually, I hadn’t planned to bring him here. It just happened this way. My heart softened in front of Lug, that miracle-like existence.

Yes, he is the last evidence of the miracle that the Celestial God left in this world.

I thought that just being with him might provide clues about the vanished Celestial God.

Perhaps that’s why I felt excited.

After all, I was still the Saintess of the Celestial God’s Order. I desperately hoped that God would look upon the world again.

“This is where the previous Pope pulled down the Celestial God.”

It’s the worst disgrace of the Order.

This information, which would normally have been desperately concealed, has already become something of an open secret.

The Demon Lord’s army probably knows about it too.

After all, one of the main perpetrators was the Demon Lord himself.

The Pope of the Celestial God’s Order and the Demon Lord joined hands to pull down God and take His place. But they failed.

The aftermath of that event left this vast, desolate open space.

Though the traces have faded with time.

It’s only been about 7 years.

During those 7 years, the Celestial God’s Order was thrown into hell while still alive, and I struggled to restore it to this point.

How much blood was shed during that process? How much blood did I cause to be shed?

And how many wrongdoings did I have to turn a blind eye to during that process?

“After that day, the Celestial God disappeared. Regrettably, while He didn’t take back the divine power already bestowed, no more believers have been able to awaken divine power since then.”

It’s natural for an order to collapse when rejected by the object of its faith.

But if it just collapses like that…

Then everyone who lived for their faith without knowing anything would meet a meaningless end.

“Mr. Lug, do you think miracles exist in this world? Do you believe they do?”

The Celestial God’s Order was the strongest because the Celestial God was a being who bestowed miracles upon this world.

Because He was a being who made people hold onto hope even in the face of impossible situations.

But what about the world now that He’s gone? How will it change?

In the face of what’s deemed impossible, must we just hopelessly accept defeat, accept death, accept destruction?

Everyone deserves to dream of miracles. Even if they’re lies.

“Miracles…”

As always, Eirene waited for Lug’s answer with a false smile.

Honestly, it didn’t matter what answer he gave. His very existence represented God’s miracle, but that couldn’t be evidence that the Celestial God would return.

Yes, she knew it too.

The fact that she found comfort in Lug’s existence itself.

The fact that she was investigating and tormenting him by forcibly attaching reasons to something that was neither more nor less than what it was.

“They must exist.”

At his hopeful view, Eirene secretly sneered and asked again.

“What if it’s just coincidence that appears that way? Not a miracle that overturns the impossible, but merely finding a path for something that was possible all along?”

“Then I would consider regaining that path a miracle.”

“What?”

“Don’t you think so? Even if it’s coincidence, if it’s something that makes you momentarily think ‘a miracle has occurred!’, then it must have been an ingenious solution that I originally couldn’t have thought of.”

Lug was confident.

He confidently acknowledged his own inadequacies and affirmed miracles.

“Such a useless person like me has survived for over two years as part of the Hero’s party. If that’s not a miracle, what is? Haha.”

Eirene stared blankly at Lug before giving a bitter smile.

She would admit that she was almost swayed for a moment. His words that those events could be miracles depending on one’s perspective certainly tempted her heart.

But the example he added afterward brought her back to reality in an instant.

After all, Lug’s joining was planned from beginning to end.

There was no miracle, not even coincidence, in that.

‘Ah, but still…’

As Eirene was about to dismiss Lug’s opinion, she turned around again and examined the foolish expression on his face.

‘I suppose my finding you was at least a coincidence.’

For Lug and the Demon Lord’s army, everything was planned. But for Eirene, who discovered the half-demon, it was a miraculous coincidence.

Just thinking that way, Eirene somehow couldn’t stop the smile forming on her lips.

Not the artificial smile she always wore in front of people, but a naturally occurring smile.

A smile so beautiful it was sad.

“You’re right. Just thinking that way gives me some comfort. Thank you, Mr. Lug.”

“Haha! It’s nothing.”

There are still no miracles in this world.

What appears miraculous is just coincidence that was always possible.

But meeting that coincidence itself could be a miracle.

Eirene maintained her smile at such a conclusion, which was like wordplay that didn’t change anything, and lost interest in Lug.

“Thank you, Mr. Lug. Thanks to you, I feel relieved.”

Miracles don’t come.

What we think of as miracles are ultimately just coincidences.

If Lug would say that the arrival of that coincidence is a miracle…

‘I will move forward to create miracles myself.’

Eirene wanted to create miracles, even if by cruel methods.

So people could pray with peace of mind. So they wouldn’t give up even in the face of impossibility. The sacrifice of the few for the many.

Peace, even if it’s false.

“…Shall we go back now? You’ve just arrived, and I feel like I’ve been acting too naive.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I got to see many good sights thanks to you.”

“I’m grateful you say so. Then I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

Eirene no longer pulled Lug’s hand. She no longer waits, relying on miracles.

She intended to bring miracles back to this world even if she had to move herself.

Yes, it doesn’t matter if she has to use any means necessary. Because she doesn’t want people to die in vain.

She was thinking of crossing the line.

The last bit of the line she had been keeping.

“Ah…”

Turning around, Eirene saw it.

The place where the previous Pope tried to pull down the Celestial God and usurp His divinity.

That place which became the Order’s disgrace. In the past, this place had become virtually a wasteland due to the aftermath of that incident. Everyone in the Celestial God’s Order had to bear that huge scar.

But now, what she saw was just an ambiguous piece of land where both the wounds and the lessons had faded away with the flow of time.

***

Esmeralda flailed as she opened her eyes in the hospital room.

“Huh?!”

She remembered the last moment.

She recalled Eirene sticking a syringe in her neck and thinking about taking her to the laboratory.

That’s why Esmeralda felt all over her body, looking for any problems.

After a while of lifting her top and feeling her body to check for issues, Esmeralda belatedly noticed the gaze directed at her.

[Note: I’m just focusing on the scene unfolding before my eyes right now.]

“Ah…”

Lug was watching Esmeralda with an extremely serious face.

He was staring as if trying to engrave this moment in his mind.

“Would you mind looking away?”

“Ah, excuse me. Hero, I came to visit you. I’m really glad to see you’re healthy. The divine magic of the Celestial God’s Order is truly amazing.”

“…”

Esmeralda glared at Lug, who turned his gaze away with an extremely calm attitude, before sighing.

He’s usually terrible at acting, but at times like this, he’s no joke.

[Note: I’m feeling disappointed.]

If Esmeralda couldn’t read Lug’s true thoughts, she might have thought she was overreacting.

Esmeralda looked at Lug, whose sexual desire had noticeably increased recently, with half-closed eyes before letting out a deep sigh.

‘The root cause is me, so I can’t really complain about this…’

Even now, the problem was that Esmeralda didn’t check her surroundings while overreacting and checking her body.

Lug just had lustful thoughts about a situation he encountered by chance.

Esmeralda had no reason to be angry. If she were to be angry, shouldn’t it be at her own carelessness?

Of course, it’s unpleasant that he keeps glancing at her even after she pointed it out.

But well…

‘I can’t help being attractive. Hmm.’

Esmeralda felt better.

Recently, she had been under extreme mental fatigue, so she could be happy with such a small sense of achievement.

It was a sad thing.

“Mr. Lug, nothing unusual happened while I was asleep, right?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Is that so? Then how long have I been asleep?”

“Haha, I don’t know that either. I was also asleep until recently. I just woke up today.”

“…?”

Something’s strange.

Before Esmeralda could ask, having belatedly realized this, Lug shrugged and said:

“We’re being detained.”

“I thought you came to visit me?”

“We’re isolated in this entire building. I’m in the next room.”

Only after hearing Lug’s words did Esmeralda look toward the window.

She could see sturdy iron bars.

In that bewildering situation, Esmeralda had something she needed to confirm first.

“You didn’t do anything weird to me while I was asleep, did you?!”

It was a very important issue.

“Um… what exactly counts as ‘weird’ in this context?”

“You crazy bastard!”