episode_0044

“Kkkk! Kkkk!”

It’s an unfamiliar voice.

Where does it come from?

There’s no one around that seems popular.

You have to bark.

It can be dangerous.

Young demon, it still hurts.

You have to protect it.

“Kkekekekekekekeke! Kkkk!”

My captain, my only captain.

Anything that could endanger young demons should not be left behind.

But I have no strength.

So you have to bark.

“Kkekekekekekeong! Kkkk!”

ouch.

My throat feels sore.

It’s because he’s been barking too much lately.

But, you can’t stop here.

You shouldn’t hesitate either.

We need to drive out that unidentified voice as soon as possible… .

[heel-.]

Hwaaah-!

uh?

It’s bright everywhere.

My throat doesn’t hurt.

My heart is warm.

It’s cozy.

*****

[Joker, can you hear me?]

She is a saint.

I knew it instinctively as soon as I heard it. I’ve heard it countless times in Tartarus, but I’ve never once thought I’d get tired of it.

That plain voice.

“Who is this?”

I said that on purpose. It was a kind of test.

These are the first words of the first conversation the saint and I had when we first met, while being guided by Kelt, the jailer of Tartarus.

If the owner of the sound coming from that rosary is really a saint, then she would be able to fully understand these words… .

[nice to see you. i look forward to.]

“… ! Ahaha! Isn’t she the great Saint of the Sun!”

right. right. right. right. right!

This is a saint I know. Saint Mary, who will not be born until 500 years later, is talking to me right now.

The hair on my entire body stood up as if dancing. A wave of electricity rises throughout the body, exhilarating the senses. Especially hearing.

[So, isn’t that Joker, the second-in-command of the Demon King’s army?]

“Puhahahaha! Holy woman! How on earth did this happen? I couldn’t even imagine!”

[Haha, it’s been a while. [I don’t know how much I missed Joker’s voice.]

The ideal, goal, and Lord of this second session is Saint Mary.

With joy that I couldn’t hide, I burst into laughter. I thought we would have to wait 500 years before we could meet, but I never thought we would meet again in this way.

Of course, we haven’t met face to face yet.

It is an undeniable fact that just being able to communicate like this is miraculous enough.

“Kkekekekekekeong! An unfamiliar voice! Kkkk!”

Aru barks after hearing the saint’s words. The guy who was eating meat next to me while I was cooking the rosary is now pretending to protect me.

“Kkkk! Cough, Cough! Kkkk!”

A harsh cough is interspersed with a fierce howl. Oh, I was worried about the condition of my neck, but it looks really bad.

Well, he’s been barking too often lately. Should I take him to the animal hospital?

[Joker, what is that sound?]

The saint’s voice flowing from the rosary penetrates my ears. I answered giggling.

“Rang King Lua. No, aru.”

[Are you saying that this chirping sound belongs to King Lang?]

“Yes, I tricked him. With the love that the saint taught us. Did I do well?”

I, your apostle, seduced you with the love you taught me.

Are you going to compliment me?

[…] You seduced me, huh?]

The saintly woman’s soft voice became quite cold. what? Why are you like that? I just faithfully put into practice what the saint told me?

“Uh, is there a problem?”

[…] it’s nothing. But… The condition of your neck doesn’t look that good, does it?]

“That’s what the saintess says, right? It’s a big problem because they bark so much. What should I do if something like a vocal cord nodule occurs?”

[Is it okay if I try to help you a little?]

“Help? Do whatever you feel like. Because I’m not the type of person to do something like what a saint would do.”

[You don’t have to worry about that. Please shine the rosary in the direction of Langwang.]

I obediently followed the saint’s words. In my experience, I have never once suffered a loss by listening to the words of a saint.

Well, it was only a week-long experience, but the title of being the wisest person on the continent never goes away.

[heel-.]

As the saint recited the incantation in a calm voice, pure white divine power grew from the rosary like a flower. The divine power looked around for a moment, found Aru squeaking, and went towards him.

It looks the same as when the saint healed my throat in Tartarus. It looks like he is trying to use divine healing power.

A cloud of white light seeps into the wolf girl’s mouth. Aru didn’t know what to do at first, but his body naturally relaxed as he felt his body and mind becoming more stable.

“Woo-eup… .”

And then, the saint opens her mouth.

[I pray to the good and merciful Lord.]

iced coffee.

[Please grant your mercy to this poor, pitiful sheep. Please give me your great strength so that your servant can fill the world with clear singing voice.]

That’s me.

A quote of sincere sincerity that only a saint could utter that I missed so much.

[…] Even though there is a wall of a distant dimension between us, please grant me the power of holy love through your almighty power and allow me precious healing.]

Woe!

Aru’s face becomes tired. The white light is slowly fading away. When the work was finished, Aru groped his neck a few times and said ‘ahhh’ and was very surprised. Because the voice was so clear.

I wasn’t surprised.

Instead, he spoke quietly through the rosary.

“She is the saint I know.”

[haha… .]

Aru played with his now healthy neck with a curious expression. Fortunately, the wariness about the saint heard through the rosary seems to have faded considerably.

It’s worth it. The saint is a close friend of all beings. It’s the embodiment of love, where just being together makes your heart feel full.

But I can’t help my wounded pride. It took several days for him to let down his guard towards me, but he immediately remained silent towards the saint. You’re like a spineless wolf child.

What can I do, this is the fate of villains. I have to bear it.

The saintess exhaled, sounding more tired. I kissed her like a whisper.

“Now, let’s talk about it.”

[Uhm… .]

“I still have a lot of things I want to ask. How did I return, how did the saint’s rosary come to me, and what did the saint know? and… … .”

The most important thing.

“Where on earth is the saint now? I’m so curious.”

In response to the rapid-fire barrage of countless questions, the saint was silent for a moment before answering.

[I will answer each question slowly. But… .]

“But?”

[I, too, have a lot of questions I want to ask Joker. For example, where are you now, what have you been through so far, and have you met the devil? and… … .]

“And?”

[…] I would like to ask for a quick explanation as to what kind of relationship you have with that king. Since Joker asked first, I will answer first. Joker, please take your time and think about the answer to the question.]

What, why are you emphasizing Aru like that?

We are just a captain and a subordinate made by love.

[First of all, when it comes to Joker’s return… Do you know about Kronos, the god of time?]

“Yes, I somehow found out about it.”

[Kronos is the god who controls time, but no matter how good he is, he cannot rewind time at will. They say it takes 111 days of preparation.]

“I already know that too. So they suspect the devil is behind the return. But I don’t know the motive.”

[Uhm… The Demon Lord probably won’t do this alone.]

“Are you saying there is another conspirator besides the devil? That’s kind of fun, isn’t it?”

[…] There is one person who is suspicious. I can’t tell you because I’m not sure yet.]

A saint who speaks in an infinitely serious voice. My limbs would have been freed, and if there was a saint in front of me, I would have pinched her cute cheeks to relieve my seriousness, but it was a pity.

by the way… Haven’t we had this conversation once?

“In the past, when I asked a saint about the devil’s intentions.”

[yes.]

“You didn’t answer that time either, right? He said he wasn’t sure. I think I knew from then on that the Demon King would bring me back.”

[Yes, but I was not confident at the time.]

“But in the end, I was right. Holy woman, just tell me. Because I believe in the saint.”

[If you do that and are wrong, won’t it be a bother to you?]

I blinked at the saintess’ cautious tone. What, was it because they were afraid that they would cause me some kind of harm?

Anyway, she is a truly stubborn woman. That’s why I was fascinated.

“What if even one little thing is wrong? All you have to do is set the premise that ‘this could happen~’.”

[But… .]

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. I’ll listen as if I’m being fooled, so let me know quickly.”

[…] Well then, let me tell you.]

The saint’s loud breathing can be heard through the rosary.

I guess I needed to take a deep breath. It may sound a bit harsh.

[…] … I’m sorry. I don’t think I should argue carelessly.]

“?? Oh my, saint. Is it okay to be wrong?”

[It’s not because of Joker, but because it seems like it could cause harm to ‘him’. Please understand.]

The saint is a person with firm beliefs. Even if you force your stubbornness, you won’t get an answer.

“Tsk, then there’s nothing we can do.”

[sorry.]

“It is out of the saintess’s heart that I tell you, so there is nothing to be sorry about. Just tell me about this rosary. How did you do it? You made me come back to the past with you.”

To the next question, the saint answered immediately. I guess he felt quite a bit guilty for not answering my question.

[At the last moment, do you remember when we climbed the guillotine together?]

“Of course. How can I forget that time? It’s the most powerful memory. Do you know that the experience of having your head cut off with the woman you love is common?”

[…] I became convinced when I heard Joker say that the Demon King did not participate in the execution ceremony. Now that the 111-day incarceration period has ended, it is time to bring Joker back.]

“Ho… .”

Perhaps she was out of breath after speaking for so long, the saint took a moment to catch her breath and continued.

[But, I couldn’t let Joker go like this. It wasn’t just because of the mission, but because I sincerely wanted to enlighten Joker. But I didn’t know how long Joker would go back. I thought that if you go back for a very long time, the resolution that Joker made at the guillotine may fade over a long period of time.]

“I understand now. 500 years.”

[So, I gathered as much of the divine power that was left at the time and infused it into the rosary that I gave to Joker. Sort of… Could it be that a passage was created? To be precise, it synchronized me with the rosary.]

“Huh? Sync?”

[I was able to do this because it was something I had with me my whole life. Because it was done in a hurry, constant synchronization was impossible, and it was only possible for about 20 minutes a day. Right now we can only communicate like this, but… If Joker uses more magic, I will be able to see and feel things through this rosary.]

“, did you take such measures in that short moment? The saint is very talented.”

[It is a humble talent.]

Then, when even your senses become synchronized… Oh, it means that all of the saint’s senses are channeled through this rosary. When that day comes, I’ll have to try tickling a saint. Since the cross resembles the shape of a person, you can just fiddle with the part where the horizontal and vertical meet.

I really wonder how the neat saint will react.

“So, you are saying that you prepared a plan because you were afraid that I might get sidetracked? With this rosary?”

[yes.]

“I guess it was a useless thing? I was doing well on my own. He also saved the poor wolf king. It means that now I know how to trust in the Lord.”

[Oh, is that true?]

With a small exclamation, the saintess asked a question in a voice of infinite joy.

“Of course, why would I lie to the saint?”

Soon, as if I remembered something, I immediately became suspicious.

[But… Joker, even when you believed in demon gods, didn’t you make lame jokes about demon gods?]

“Giggle, of course! There is nothing more thrilling than committing blasphemy!”

[…] This is why I want to meet you. I don’t think Joker will be able to reform easily on his own. I was worried that Joker might change his mind over the next 500 years, so I decided to at least share my voice like this.]

“Ahaha, good job. good job. As expected, the saint is wise. I said it in passing, but I remember it well.”

I laughed out loud. Hey, you shouldn’t think of me as an ordinary apostle of the Lord!

“I’m also curious about the meaning of the last words you said. I told you to come to Eden Academy.”

[The meaning remains the same. I would like Joker to come to Eden Academy and meet me.]

“So, why?”

[Joker said you wanted to learn about love. I want to help you with your noble cause, but right now I can only communicate with Joker through voodoo. In fact, even this would have been ignored if Joker hadn’t recognized the password I had set.]

“Giggles, it was nice to see Morse code for the first time in a while.”

[that… And again… .]

“Hmm?”

The saintess trailed off, which was uncharacteristic of her. My voice trembled shyly. As if she were an adolescent girl.

[Going to an academy and having a secret relationship… Isn’t this the dream everyone had when they were girls?]

“Puhahahaha!”

As soon as I heard the saint’s shameful confession, I burst into laughter. The saint seemed to be embarrassed and did not say anything.

“That’s right, that’s right! Everyone has that dream as a boy or girl! But, I didn’t know that the old maid I knew would do that!”

[In my past life, I had no interest in such romantic behavior. Until I met Joker.]

“The saint is blind. Does a confession made without even knowing my face have any meaning? What should I do if I am disappointed when I see my face in this life?”

[I fell in love with Joker, not with his appearance. In particular, I heard that Joker is a master of transformation, so what does his appearance mean?]

“Giggle, there’s nothing wrong with what you said.”

This is an extremely saintly answer. I don’t know if it’s okay for a priest, who serves God and must keep his body and mind pure, to say something like that.

“There’s something else I want to ask, can I ask?”

[As much as you want.]

“Saint, where are you now?”

[…] .]

Actually, the most important question.

The saint is a person born 500 years later.

In other words, existence itself is impossible in this era. Even if he returned with me.

[I am with the Lord.]

“No, no, where is it? How do I know where you live?”

[I can’t tell you where I am right now because I don’t know.]

“Really? I thought the Lord lived in heaven, but this is so amazing.”

[Is that so?]

“Or, should I travel around the entire continent? Wouldn’t there be a saint in one of them?”

[It won’t be of any use. Since I am currently in a state where only my soul exists without a body, there is no way I can be in the underworld.]

“Really? But it’s a little strange, isn’t it?”

I felt it from the first time I heard the saint’s voice.

I keep trying to hide it, but it is difficult to hide in the end.

The voice of the saint I heard that day in Tartarus could be described as faded. It was because of the harsh hardships and the dark environment of Tartarus.

However, the voice of the saint that is heard now.

“Why are you panting like this?”

[…] .]

“It feels like I’m forcing myself to endure pain every time I open my mouth. Holy woman, are you being tortured by that ‘Lord’ guy? Just say the word and I will beat you up. I will beat you up very thoroughly.”

[I am okay.]

“I’m not okay. How can I feel reassured when my voice is so strained?”

[No problem. You just have to endure it.]

“Again, I grit my teeth and hold on. Don’t your lips hurt? And what? endure? What are you enduring?”

[…] .]

“Saint, please let me know what’s around you. There is no need to wait until five hundred years later. I’ll just go find it.”

[…] .]

“The book said that if you want to go back in time, you have to offer something to Kronos. Be honest, what did you give? You didn’t offer something strange, right?”

[…] .]

“Speak quickly, saint. Otherwise, I will wander around looking for a saint for five hundred years. If you want to see me doing stupid things for five hundred years, why don’t you keep your mouth shut?”

The words are spoken with firm determination, as if making a threat.

It’s also because I’m a little angry.

This is because the saint is showing pain. Just like when I got angry when coming out of Tartarus and the guards grabbed the saint’s wrist too hard.

[To Joker, it doesn’t matter because someone else paid the price for him.]

“Probably the Demon King or the helper mentioned by the saint.”

[Not me. In order to join Joker’s return from the guillotine, I had to pay my own price.]

“So what is that?”

[Freedom for the next five hundred years.]

“… .”

[I am now hanging on a cross made of causality. Both wrists are pierced with spikes derived from causality. If Joker comes to me and tries to liberate me, I will be destroyed as I have violated the law of cause and effect.]

The saint herself spoke a few words very calmly.

These are a few words that are extremely weighty to me.

[Joker, do you want that?]

“… Damn.”

[For the next five hundred years, I will help Joker through this rosary. After that, I will be reborn, and I will be reunited with Joker at Eden Academy.]

“Ha… Doesn’t it hurt? It is said that both wrists are pierced with spikes and hung on a cross.”

[This is the path I chose. We have to endure it.]

“Fuck… Is that what it means to be with the Lord? Because you are hanging on the cross?”

[That is not necessarily the case. Because the Lord is always in my heart.]

Causality refers to the providence of giving and receiving.

If there is yang, there is yin, and when something is plus, something becomes minus.

To make bread, you need to consume flour and grains. We get bread by paying for flour and grain.

What the saint did was of the same type.

By paying for freedom, I bought memories.

“Ha, hahahaha. It’s really absurd.”

I don’t want to forget my memories. Just for that reason.

To help educate an enemy with whom we had only been together for a week, with whom we had previously had a hostile relationship.

“Saint, do you know what you have done?”

[Please let me know.]

“The saint was 28 years old in her previous life, right? You dedicated nearly 20 times your entire life just to talk to me for 20 minutes a day. Can you imagine how painful it must be?”

[it’s okay. You just have to endure it.]

“If a saint gives birth to a child, that child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child’s child will die. Time! It doesn’t matter since I am a demon and have a long lifespan, but the saintess is just a human! Weak humans who live for at most a hundred years! Do you know how foolish the saint has done just now?”

I got angry and asked harshly.

There’s no way I can endure it.

The miserable race of humans, even humans who have only lived for twenty-eight years.

How can it be that he endured being crucified for others for so many years… .

[If you endure, it will be okay.]

“… .”

[Still, I can talk to Joker for about twenty minutes a day. It’s a time like honey for me where I can talk with the person I love, so I hope you’ll be a little kind to me. If I hear harsh words from Joker, the remaining 23 hours and 40 minutes will be very difficult.]

“… .”

[I feel like I’m forcing this because of my greed, and it just feels inconvenient and sinful.]

It was arrogant.

I mistakenly thought that I knew everything about a saint because we only spent seven days and nights together.

I overlooked the fact that I was a human who stood alone for twenty days against hundreds of thousands of demon king armies at a time when all races had surrendered to the demon king army.

Nara looked down on the fact that she was a woman who even cut off half of her own meal and gave it to Akjong.

I dared to forget how sincere and dedicated the saint was to my enlightenment.

The price is this current throbbing pain. A throbbing pain that comes from feeling anxious.

Never once in my life have I felt sympathy for Adela, not even when she died for me.

Only a saint makes me feel this strange feeling.

I still don’t understand the saint.