Chapter 70: Child, Become Yeoui’s Apostle a Saint and Gather Followers to Exalt Yeoui’s Divinity. If You Do So, A Fitting Blessing Shall be Bestowed Upon You as Well…

“Goddess of the Machine.

Queen of Morning and Dawn.

Administrator of Fate and Cycles.

Mother of All Dragons.

And also….”

“That is enough.

The trivial titles.”

“However….”

“Is the child not bored?”

“…My apologies.”

‘What’s with this horned butler….’

‘His introduction has been going on forever.’

‘Just as I was thinking that, the Great Demon—no, the Archangel, who had finished a small piece of cake, stopped him.’

‘The pressure that weighed down not only my shoulders but my very soul somehow became more familiar.’

‘Rather than getting used to it, she probably applied that pressure intentionally at first just to announce her status.’

‘Anyway, the cream smeared around her mouth is bothering me.’

‘I took a handkerchief from my pocket and carefully wiped her mouth, just as I used to care for my one-year-younger brother.’

“Hm?”

‘Thankfully, the Supreme Archangel of the Wheel accepted my touch without any resistance.’

‘I could feel her cheek, as soft as my own, through the handkerchief.’

‘For reference, the “Wheel” refers to a chariot wheel or a cogwheel, not that disgusting creature of the world.’

‘I mean, the Archangel of that wheel….’

‘That would be too horrible.’

‘In the first place, that would be a demon, not an angel.’

“Huhu, what a kind child.”

‘The little Archangel, much smaller than me, smiled as if she was proud.’

‘An angel who praises me just for wiping her mouth.’

‘Her appearance and demeanor certainly seemed closer to an angel than a demon.’

‘But… I’m sure she was called the Archdemon of Sloth in the original story, wasn’t she?’

‘No matter how roughly I read the original, I remember this much.’

‘I’ll have to ask Cain at the next meeting.’

‘As the protagonist of the original story, he’s the most knowledgeable about its information and lore.’

“She is a child most suitable for raising my divinity in this era.
Do you not think so, Buer?”

“Indeed, that is so.”

‘Divinity?’

‘Didn’t they just call her an Archangel?’

‘Is she an angel, but also a god at the same time?’

‘Come to think of it, he did mention something about the Goddess of the Machine earlier.’

‘It seems that in this world, angels are also considered a type of god.’

‘I skimmed through the boring, brick-like exposition dumps….’

‘I bet it’s a detail I missed back then.’

‘Hmm, I’ll have to ask my encyclopedia Cain about this too.’

“Uhm….”

‘Heine spoke up cautiously from behind where I was sitting.’

“Your Grace, the Archangel… may I be so bold as to ask why you have personally descended upon Lady Lin?”

‘Has her fear not subsided yet, unlike me?’

‘She barely managed to ask the question, her voice trembling.’

‘It was understandable.’

‘This world actually has gods, angels, and demons.’

‘And the state religion of the Empire worships the ‘God of Light and Flame’—who is the highest among them, or so they claim—as the one true God.’

‘For the record, he has no name.’

‘He is simply called ‘Father,’ and common suffixes like ‘the Great,’ ‘the Omnipotent,’ or ‘Our’ are just attached to the front.’

‘Maybe that’s why.’

‘There’s even a legend that a devout follower who learns and can speak the Father’s name will be able to enter paradise after death.’

‘Hmm?’

‘What are my thoughts on it?’

‘I just think the author was too lazy to come up with a name….’

‘Anyway.’

‘Since an Archangel, who is practically an agent of this great ‘Father’—though I don’t know if that’s actually true—has personally descended, it was only natural for Heine to be trembling like that.’

‘If anything, it’s amazing that she’s keeping her wits about her in this situation.’

“Mm, I shall explain that now.”

‘Unlike the trembling Heine, Astaroth smiled sweetly.’

‘Perhaps not trusting her horned, dragon butler, she began to tell the story herself.’

“Archangels like myself, the immortals, possess something called divinity.”

‘Divinity is the element that forms the foundation of us immortals.’

‘By gathering numerous followers, we can raise our divinity and grow even more powerful.’

‘Conversely, if we lack followers and our divinity falls, the end of that path leads to annihilation.’

‘Or we might be absorbed by another immortal before that.’

‘Well, either way, it does not lead to a good end.’

“I have enough stored up that I don’t need to worry about annihilation, but some other fellows have been greatly expanding their power lately.”

“Which means….
Don’t tell me…”

‘As if reading my anxious thoughts, Astaroth smiled in response.’

“That is right.”

‘Become my apostle.’

‘Become my apostle, create a new doctrine, and gather followers by benefiting the people far and wide.’

‘When you thus raise my divinity, a blessing befitting your deeds shall be bestowed upon you.’

‘Astaroth’s words continued.’

‘What does all this mean?’

‘It’s simple.’

‘She was telling me to establish a cult and become its leader.’

‘As I said before, the Empire is a religious nation that believes in a single god.’

‘As proof, the official name of the Empire is the Ignisia ‘Holy’ Empire, which was the biggest reason a Saintess like Ria could appear.’

‘And yet.’

‘In this environment, she wants me to suddenly create another religion and gather believers?’

‘…Is that even possible!?’

‘Does she want me to get tied to a wooden cross and burned at the stake!?’

‘I’m a wicked villainess, not a cult leader!!’

“…Would it be difficult?”

“Of course it would be!?

It’s obviously impossible!!!”

‘Ah.’

‘I feel like I just made a massive mistake….’

‘The story was so absurd that I ended up shouting.’

‘And not just at anyone, but at an ‘Archangel’.’

‘Fearing divine punishment might strike me down, I gulped and glanced at Astaroth, but she just crossed her arms and tilted her head, looking puzzled.’

“…Fine.

Then do this.”

‘Having finished her thought, Astaroth raised her small index finger.’

“Parasite the state religion of the empire to which you belong.

That is how you will establish a new denomination.”

“…What?”

“You will steal the believers who have already been gathered, the followers who have already been made.”

“No, no, no.
Wait a minute.”

“With your abilities, it should be more than possible, so you need not be so modest.”

“In the first place, I never agreed to do it!?”

“Hm?”

‘I haven’t even said I’d do it.’

‘Yet Astaroth is just telling me how to steal a religion.’

‘When I protested that I never nodded in agreement, she looked at me as if she couldn’t comprehend it at all.’

“Buer.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Has there ever been a child who refused my revelation?”

“There has not been, Your Grace.

This is believed to be the first time.”

“Hrmmm….”

‘Eh?’

‘You’re telling me no one in history has ever refused this kind of unreasonable demand?’

‘…Does that even make sense?’

“La-Lady Lin…?”

“Hmm?”

‘Heine’s eyes are trembling violently.’

‘Just like Astaroth, her gaze seems to ask why on earth I’m refusing the Archangel’s revelation.’

“…Ah.”

‘In that moment, I realized.’

‘In this world where gods, angels, and demons exist.’

‘It seems to be common sense to readily obey when an angel descends and gives a command.’

‘Even if the future of being tied to a wooden cross and burned to death flashes through your mind.’

‘No, that’s not right.’

‘Judging by the fact that Heine, an imperial citizen, isn’t denouncing it as heresy… maybe it’s not quite heresy?’

‘Perhaps it’s fine if I claim to be an angel, not a new god?’

‘She did descend in that manner, after all.’

‘…Wait.’

‘I’m already thinking on the premise that I’ll accept the revelation.’

‘No, no.

This won’t do.’

‘I’m just a noble lady who wants to play the part of a villainess.’

‘I vehemently refuse to establish a denomination that looks dangerous at first glance.’

“To think I had found the right child, in the right environment, at the right moment, in the right era….”

“I’m sorry.

Please, I hope you find someone else.”

“I am reluctant… but it seems I have no choice but to fasten the Ring of Domination.”

“I, too, am of the same opinion.”

“Domination… eh?”

‘Astaroth slowly waved her index finger in the air.’

‘After twirling it around as if spinning something, a ring exuding an ominous light appeared.’

‘Judging by the talk of domination, it was very easy to guess how it worked.’

“W-w-w-wait a moment…!”

“Yes, child.

You will also be somewhat uncomfortable once the ring is fastened.”

‘I don’t think it’ll end with just ‘somewhat uncomfortable’…!’

‘As soon as the so-called Ring of Domination appeared, Heine also realized Astaroth’s true nature and became wary.’

‘But… it was pointless.’

‘According to my knowledge from the original story, the Archdemons (Archangels) were beings that mere humans, no matter how strong, could not dare to resist.’

‘Even their avatars, possessing only a tiny fraction of that immense power, were on a level that human strength could not hope to match.’

‘It’s said that only the so-called strongest in the world could barely manage a mutual kill with an avatar, so that says it all.’

‘And yet… the Astaroth before my eyes clearly seemed to have descended in her main body.’

‘A being that only existed as lore in the original story, descending in her main body?’

‘Does that even make sense?’

‘It felt no different from encountering a massive natural disaster.’

“I, too, was about to wait another hundred years or so, but I happened to find a suitable child by chance, so I intend to accommodate you as much as possible.”

‘Along with Astaroth’s benevolent smile, the ominous ring was withdrawn.’

‘It seemed it was a last resort that she wasn’t too fond of using either.’

“Worry not.

On the day you are accused of heresy and burned at the stake, I will personally step in and save you.”

“But….”

‘She was desperately trying to persuade me, even thoroughly promising after-death insurance.’

‘Considering the authority an Archangel possessed, this was undoubtedly a very humble posture.’

“Can I ask just one thing?”

“Mm, I permit it, as much as you like.”

“Among all the many people, why me?”

‘If she intended to create a religion and gather followers, there were surely many other suitable people besides me.’

‘The closest example was Ria, who was destined to become a Saintess.’

‘Ria wouldn’t just be accused of heresy; she would devour the existing religion whole and still have room for more.’

‘In the original story, she does indeed return the corrupt state religion of the Empire to its original principles.’

‘With someone like Ria right next door.’

‘Why on earth did she pick me, the heinous villainess?’

‘A question was bound to arise.’

“Hmm….”

“It appears the child Mother has chosen is unaware of her own abilities.”

“Indeed.

It would be faster to show her directly.”

‘Snap!’

‘Astaroth snapped her fingers.’

‘Simultaneously, a strange sensation, as if I were flying to the far side of the universe, overwhelmed my mind.’

“Th-this is….”

‘Inside my head, scenes of people praying at Raphael’s tomb before the expedition played out in succession.’

‘Besides that, countless images of adventurers who barely survived thanks to the potions and gunpowder weapons I created, thanking me, flashed by before my vision returned to normal.’

“Do you feel it?

All of this is the devotion that forms the basis of divinity.

All of it, child, is something you have accomplished.”

“…….”

“A child who has gathered this many followers in such a short time is rare, even in a long history.”

‘The ingredients for divinity were already prepared.’

‘Of course.’

‘A child from whom she could reap a harvest the moment she was made an apostle had to be precious.’

‘Now I finally understood why Astaroth was being so kind to me.’

‘To her, I was no different from a shortcake topped with two strawberries.’

“I am not telling you to create a new religion.

Of course, that would be best for me, but it would be somewhat difficult in your environment.”

‘If I say I don’t want to, I become a s*ave with a leash around my neck.’

‘If I say I will, that’s the beginning of a hard life I never signed up for.’

‘My head spun at this hellish two-choice question.’

‘Actually, it wasn’t even a two-choice question.’

‘The answer was practically already decided.’

“…Fine!
I accept!”

“Mm-hm, good child.
As expected of the child I chose!”

“But in return!
I’m going to do it my way, however I want!”

“That is fine.

I chose you after seeing the results you have achieved so far.

Rather, doing so will likely yield the best results.”

‘A smile bloomed on Astaroth’s face.’

‘She was an Archangel in name only.
Considering her actions were no different from a gangster’s, I couldn’t find her purely cute.’

‘Still, is she better than a demon…?’

‘…It seems there’s not much of a difference.’

‘As the natural-disaster-like revelation descended, I extended my hand toward Astaroth.’

‘Astaroth tilted her head, a question mark appearing above it.’

‘She glanced back and forth between my palm and my face for a moment, then, having read my thoughts, she rummaged through the air for something.’

“Ahem….

Yes, yes.

It is right to bestow at least one holy relic upon a good, obedient child.”

‘And so, Astaroth gently placed something tiny onto my palm.’

“…A pocket watch?”

“For you, who cannot use magic.

It will be a useful alternative.”

‘In my hand was a small, white machine that resembled a half-broken pocket watch.’

‘Hey, if you’re going to give me something, give me a new one!’

‘Why a worn-out, second-hand item…!’

“That is what holy relics are originally like.”

‘And to be honest.’

‘My divinity has recently become more precarious than expected, so I cannot give you a better holy relic even if I wanted to.’

“Eheheh….”

“What do you mean, ‘Eheheh’!?

Don’t try to gloss it over by acting cute just because you’re an Archangel!”

‘But Astaroth, scratching the back of her head, paid no heed to my protest and vanished into thin air.’

“Ah, wait…!

I forgot one important thing.”

‘Then, as if she’d just remembered something, our cute Lady Astaroth peeked her face back out.’

‘Mhm, mhm.
That’s right.’

‘It wouldn’t make sense for an Archangel to just hand over a broken pocket watch and disappear.’

‘Surely she’ll give me a holy sword or something.

A cooler, better item for sure….’

“From today, you are my apostle.

That is, a saintess.

So once a week, you must offer plenty of delicious tribute.

It does not matter if others offer it instead of you.

The more it is made from grains grown from the earth, the better.”

“…And the reward?”

“Did I not already give it to you?

And there is no sword.

That kind of holy relic can only be received from the Archangel of the Sword.”

“Then could you introduce me to them?”

“D-do you not like me…?”

‘In the end, I couldn’t get any more holy relics.’

‘All I got in return for this natural-disaster-like volunteer work was a half-broken pocket watch.’

***

“Uhm, Lady Lin…?”

“Yes, Heine.
What is it?”

“Is it really alright with just these tributes?
What if you incur the Archangel’s wrath….”

“Of course not.
There’s no way our dear Archangel would dislike a gift from her precious child, right?”

‘And so, on the last day of the Harvest Festival.’

‘Lin offered a grand tribute to Astaroth.’

‘On her impromptu altar, it is said that a countless number of sardine pies were piled high.’