episode_0141

The stairs were quite long.

It was not a straight staircase, but a circular staircase going down, and Deltan calculated that the depth was roughly 10 floors.

What on earth is there that makes it so deep? It is natural to feel both curiosity and anticipation at the same time.

Deltan was convinced that he could get something here, and eventually he reached the end of the stairs.

That was the moment when the interface came to mind.

Deltan let out a laugh.

“There are so many different things to do. If you tell me not to do this or that without any help, should I listen to you?”

It’s not even funny.

Deltan immediately reached out and opened the door to the tomb.

From the name itself, it is clear that Lastoria is sleeping.

Even if she isn’t here, I’m sure we can find one big clue about her.

The interface collapsed.

Looking at the cracked interface, it is clearly an event that falls into the realm of ‘miracles’.

That was the scene that filled Deltan’s field of vision through the slightly opened door.

‘Painter?’

A flower garden where flowers bloom under a pure white ceiling.

It was a moment when I vaguely recognized it.

The interface crackled and a string popped up.

At the same time, Deltan’s vision turned white.

*

“Rotten… .”

He spits out swear words.

Deltan suddenly felt dizzy, clutching his head at the sensation of being flipped over in space.

My vision hasn’t returned yet.

It must have been because of the sudden burst of light as if a flashlight had been flashed in front of my eyes.

Deltan continued to take deep breaths and observed the state of his body, finally regaining his senses.

[Oh my, are you very surprised?]

The woman’s soothing voice pierced my ears.

Deltan looked up in surprise.

There was something in sight that still had a glimmer of light.

How should I express this life?

It had a shape that looked both like an angel and a devil.

There is a naked woman hanging upside down in the air. It had eight golden feather wings covering its body, its hair was golden, its eyes were pink, and its skin was shining white like a lump of salt.

Even though she had quite a holy color, the Deltans described her as devilish for no other reason.

The corner of the woman’s mouth was torn all the way down to her earlobe.

Instead of a tongue, there was a snake head in the mouth.

“… Lastoria?”

[Yes, nice to meet you, baby.]

said the snake head.

How on earth did this body structure come about?

A thought like that came to mind for a moment, but Deltan shook it off.

Whatever it is, Lastoria’s appearance is not that important to the Deltans.

“Can I think you were waiting for me? Like Palantir.”

[Well, that’s the point. It’s nice because it’s refreshing. Yes, I was waiting for you. For quite a long time.]

“Is it because of the contract?”

[To be exact, it’s because of the hall. We need to end the indulgence of those children.]

“Okay, let’s skip the awkward stuff. Palantir said they have installed something helpful in the interface. So he told me to focus on the quest.”

[That’s not wrong.]

“What that quest wants.”

Lastoria’s gaze was directed directly at Deltan.

It was like hanging upside down in the air, so it was quite creepy.

Deltan suppressed his emotions and continued.

“When I think about cancer, all I can think about is that Mahwa is Agnes’ fetus.”

[so?]

“And Ergoragia. I think that refers to your blood relatives. Is there anything wrong with this?”

[There is none.]

I was annoyed by his effeminate attitude.

Deltan did not hide his feelings.

“… So, sacrifice that woman to complete a quest?”

[I don’t remember saying that.]

“Then what… !”

[It looks like you gathered all the ingredients except purity and magic flowers?]

The Deltan paused.

The eyebrows were narrowing.

“… But what can I do?”

It was because I felt like she was trying to give me a clue.

No, it wasn’t like that.

‘I didn’t come to antagonize you.’

I came here to find out more accurate information about Ergoragia, how to awaken the divine blood, and the effect it would have on Agnes.

I had to calm down.

Getting swayed by emotions and doing things wrong was the worst option.

[You worked hard to collect it. Yes, it seems like the kids at the hall were good at picking people. As we intended.]

As we intended.

Those were meaningful words.

“Don’t measure, tell?”

[This means literally. Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to tell you before that.]

“Are you trying to at least turn the word around?”

[Think of it as prior information needed to understand that statement. It is important that you know this.]

“What.”

[What do you think a contract is? The shape, not the usage.]

Deltan closed his mouth and continued his thoughts.

No, actually, there was nothing to think about.

A series of causes and effects have already been completed within the Delta people.

“… The fetus will soon become a contract.”

[Why do you think so?]

“The other materials collected earlier are all organs of some kind. However, those organs alone cannot complete a living, breathing organism. But the fetus… So, if the demon was a living creature, the story would be different. All you have to do is insert the collected organs into the fetus.”

[That’s an accurate judgment. Any other basis?]

The Deltan glared dissatisfiedly at Lastoria.

Then he continued.

“… It is said that a contract can only be handled by the contractor.”

It was a remark that fit what I had once confirmed to what I had already learned.

“If we reason based on what has been revealed now, we can only conclude that the reason only the contractee can handle the contract is because he is the hereditary father of the contract.”

Blood, or genes.

Deltan decided that this was the key to controlling the contract.

And it was soon proven that that judgment was correct.

[Be smart too.]

Even though it was something I was already sure of, I felt like I couldn’t say it was a good idea to get caught up in it, even as a joke.

Deltan’s patience increased as he recalled what he had not yet heard.

“… Well then let me tell you now. What does it mean to be as intended?”

[It’s not a difficult story. That contract was ultimately a method that Palantir and I came up with. A long time ago, it was made as insurance to prepare for unexpected situations.]

“But?”

[The hall children were trying to exploit that. So Palantir and I thought. What would it take to prevent them from using this contract?]

An arm stretched out between Lastoria’s golden wings.

The index finger pointed exactly at Deltan.

[What do you mean, it’s a contract that resists the temple? This is because we can assist any child who has the will and ability to resist the hall.]

Lastoria’s long, torn cheeks drew an arc.

Probably a smile.

[So before we went to sleep, we added a little lie to the blueprint of the contract. A contractor must be a stubborn person and at the same time be capable.]

“… .”

[Didn’t you enjoy the devil’s cry?]

Deltan took a deep breath.

It refers to the devil’s cry, the game [Ebloor] that became the culprit of all incidents.

[It was a guideline we presented. We made the game in quite a few different ways. In your world, it would have been a game inserted into a machine. Is not it?]

How do you know all that?

Deltan became puzzled and looked at Lastoria.

She answered right away.

[Everyone says I am asleep. In fact, it may be true that he is asleep. Since you are stuck in the same place and unable to do anything, forgetting the passage of time, it is no different from falling asleep. But there is something to remember. The eyes of those who believe in me will soon become my eyes.]

It could be said that they were watching the world through the eyes of church members.

Deltan quickly understood.

“I guess you guessed it from the things I made.”

The civilizations of Earth that the Deltans had recreated on this land must have been a pretty good clue to her.

Lastoria smiled.

[Anyway, looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem like it was a bad attempt. Since you cleared the game, your abilities are guaranteed. Also, when it comes to personality, the entire hall believes in the blueprint completely, so there is no doubt about it. Well, here comes a boy who is very stubborn and doesn’t seem to listen to others.]

Is it an insult?

Deltan recalled his annoyance.

Lastoria seemed to be satisfied with the sight, shaking her shoulders and laughing, and then added.

[Now, I have to tell you about what I have arranged.]

The chatter was quite long.

With the main point finally coming out, Deltan focused more on her.

“What I want is… .”

[The child of divine blood is safe. And don’t you have any reservations about using the fetus?]

“… .”

[I expected it. Stubborn human children lose their temper when something is taken away from them.]

Should I say thank you for knowing? Otherwise, should I scold them and tell them not to make arbitrary judgments?

Whatever it was, I needed to hear the story.

Lastoria said.

[Once the new blood is awakened, no other changes will occur in the child.]

“There is no change in awakening as a devil? Sounds like it makes sense… .”

[It’s a story about ego. Aren’t you worried that the child will no longer be the child you knew?]

“External things are also important. Because that woman is very proud of her appearance.”

[You think the devil is just deformed.]

“Because that’s what the devil I’ve met up to this point is like.”

[That’s why those kids want that image. It’s a matter of taste.]

“You have trashy taste.”

[Do it too much.]

“… Let’s go back to what we were talking about. So the ego remains intact. The exterior will remain the same if Agnes wants it. So what on earth is changing?”

[The value of existence.]

Deltan frowned.

“What?”

[The value of existence changes. A devil is a creature that transcends the boundaries of dimension and time and lives forever as long as there are beings who remember it. So are the demons you killed. Even those children will someday come back to life with the nourishment of someone’s emotions.]

It was a statement with many implications.

“… Wait a minute.”

Deltan’s head lifted up.

Lastoria’s smile deepened.

[Yes, as long as Mahua does not destroy the child’s existence, the child will live forever. As long as there are lives that remember that child.]

The wings covering Lastoria’s waist spread out.

Suddenly, his wings broke and he fell to the ground.

However, Lastoria still had 8 wings.

she said

[In this way, while maintaining the same appearance.]

“… .”

[Now then, let’s talk about magic. I will also tell you about the awakening of divine blood and what you must do afterward.]

Lastoria continued chatteringly.

It was a word that could not be ignored.

The Delta people listened to the story that followed, sometimes holding their breath and sometimes frowning.

That was the moment the whole story ended.

[…] So, see you again.]

Lastoria expelled the Deltans from space.

The interface has been restored.

Afterwards, the Deltans were able to determine Lastoria’s true name, just as they did during their meeting with Palantir.

The place where I came to my senses was the library.