When the first night disappeared and the third day came, the people of the continent were delighted that the entire sky was filled with divine power.
“The opening ceremony is finally coming!”
The demons had already been caught, and the people were in a festive mood.
“May the blessings of God be with you!”
People were overflowing with leisure.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“To pray.”
“You?”
Those who coughed loudly and hurriedly left for the temple at the surprised response were those who were secretly pricked. They usually kept their distance from the gods, but they prayed as if they were doing overdue homework.
However, when the third night came, the atmosphere quickly became tense.
The night was pitch black. Even the time when the morning sun should have risen seemed to have stopped, and the people looked up at the pitch-black sky with anxious eyes.
"...Wasn’t the sky filled with divine power until recently?”
“That’s right. Is the god angry..?”
Among those who said that some remembered that Vine was the ‘realm of the night’, originally a region without daylight.
“Vine is like this almost every day. How do those people live?”
As their eyes turned to Vine again, awe and strange emotions welled up in them, Vine’s carriage carrying Saintess Beryl entered the area of the central temple.
“There really are a lot of knights.”
I looked outside from inside the carriage that moved with a thud.
My pure white fingertips, just like the Saintess’s appearance that people had expected, touched the window ledge.
Although it was clearly daytime, outside, dark as night, people walked around with anxious faces, holding torches and such.
And the long procession of priests and knights along the carriage road was the same.
“They’re coming from all over the continent, so there must be quite a lot of them. Of course...”
Belled said, holding my fingertips that were about to cool down in the cold air outside.
“Most of them will be those who serve the priests or the paladins, and there will be ordinary people who follow the will of the gods.”
It was not all troops, so you should be at ease. I, who understood the meaning, relaxed my shoulders.
“...It will be okay, right?”
However, when the central temple building came into view, I couldn’t help but tense up again.
It was pure white. As if night and light were fighting, people dressed in pure white were moving around under the pitch-black sky.
I could definitely blend in since I was wearing white.
No, in their eyes, I was the best among them, but I felt a terrible sense of alienation from them. I didn’t want to be with them. I didn’t want to be seen as one of the same crowd.
“It will be okay.”
Belled wrapped his arm around my shoulder. But I saw clearly.
The people of the temple passing by looked at me fiercely, then when they saw the family crest, their expressions softened in surprise.
And there were more than one or two of them.
Gah, I grabbed the hem of my clothes. I thought I knew why.
Just as when many priests gather, their holy power stands out, when many demons gather, their magical power will be felt.
They must be those who are sensitive to strange energy.
“Once this opening ceremony is over...”
Among them, ordinary people continued to chat.
“They say that when the gates of heaven open, there will be eternal happiness. Is that true?”
“When the gates open, do I have to leave for heaven?”
“No, this place will become heaven.”
Some people tilted their heads.
“What will change when it becomes heaven?”
“It will be a little easier to live... Oh, right.”
A man spoke clearly as if he knew.
“Won’t the demons disappear?”
I closed my eyes slightly at those words and then opened them again.
The gates of hell will open. However, it will be a little closer to the world they want.
In the long years when the temple was dominant, the temple did not intentionally exterminate the monsters.
Because they knew that the authority of the temple would be maintained when humans who were harmed by the monsters asked the temple for help.
However, the world after the gates of hell opened, led by the demons, would be different.
I was thinking of eliminating all the monsters. Besides the monsters, there were too many things in the world that tormented people.
It would be possible. When the gates of hell opened, there would be enough magic power.
Thump!
The carriage gradually slowed down. And before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance to the central temple.
Between the knights holding torches, I could clearly see bonfires that had been hastily set up.
The long bonfires brightly lit the path leading to the temple building. And beneath them was a white cloth.
Ah.
I thought I knew what the cloth was for.
It must have been to wish for me to step there with my feet in pure white stockings, just like when I left for Vine.
When I squinted my eyes,
“Are you here?”
The priests stood in a line and greeted me.
They all looked excited. Among them were the old priest who had first brought me as a Saintess, and Cladda who had helped capture the demons and brought in the troops to tie them up.
It was clear that they were standing in order of their ‘greatest contributions to the opening ceremony.’
I looked at them and then silently stepped out of the carriage door that had opened.
Thump.
Belled took my hand and escorted me.
Thanks to this, his pitch-black shoes stepped on the pure white silk road first, and then my heels stepped on it.
“...”
The priests seemed to hesitate. But was it because the god was pure white? Or was it because Belled still did not stand in the center of the Silk Road?
Or was it because I had a different status than before?
They bowed their heads and said nothing to her.
“Lord Naberus, distribute the troops as requested by the temple.”
I looked to the side as I was escorted. Naberus, who had been silently bowing beside me, bowed deeply.
“We accept your orders.”
It was an order that Belled could have given, but Belled waited for me to move my troops.
It was to clearly indicate who was in charge of this event, this procession.
As expected, the priests’ gazes, seemingly surprised, were fixed on me. They were mostly people from faraway places who had not heard much about Vine and the Saintess.
“This way, this way.”
Tap.
“The opening ceremony is finally coming!”
The demons had already been caught, and the people were in a festive mood.
“May the blessings of God be with you!”
People were overflowing with leisure.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“To pray.”
“You?”
Those who coughed loudly and hurriedly left for the temple at the surprised response were those who were secretly pricked. They usually kept their distance from the gods, but they prayed as if they were doing overdue homework.
However, when the third night came, the atmosphere quickly became tense.
The night was pitch black. Even the time when the morning sun should have risen seemed to have stopped, and the people looked up at the pitch-black sky with anxious eyes.
"...Wasn’t the sky filled with divine power until recently?”
“That’s right. Is the god angry..?”
Among those who said that some remembered that Vine was the ‘realm of the night’, originally a region without daylight.
“Vine is like this almost every day. How do those people live?”
As their eyes turned to Vine again, awe and strange emotions welled up in them, Vine’s carriage carrying Saintess Beryl entered the area of the central temple.
***
“There really are a lot of knights.”
I looked outside from inside the carriage that moved with a thud.
My pure white fingertips, just like the Saintess’s appearance that people had expected, touched the window ledge.
Although it was clearly daytime, outside, dark as night, people walked around with anxious faces, holding torches and such.
And the long procession of priests and knights along the carriage road was the same.
“They’re coming from all over the continent, so there must be quite a lot of them. Of course...”
Belled said, holding my fingertips that were about to cool down in the cold air outside.
“Most of them will be those who serve the priests or the paladins, and there will be ordinary people who follow the will of the gods.”
It was not all troops, so you should be at ease. I, who understood the meaning, relaxed my shoulders.
“...It will be okay, right?”
However, when the central temple building came into view, I couldn’t help but tense up again.
It was pure white. As if night and light were fighting, people dressed in pure white were moving around under the pitch-black sky.
I could definitely blend in since I was wearing white.
No, in their eyes, I was the best among them, but I felt a terrible sense of alienation from them. I didn’t want to be with them. I didn’t want to be seen as one of the same crowd.
“It will be okay.”
Belled wrapped his arm around my shoulder. But I saw clearly.
The people of the temple passing by looked at me fiercely, then when they saw the family crest, their expressions softened in surprise.
And there were more than one or two of them.
Gah, I grabbed the hem of my clothes. I thought I knew why.
Just as when many priests gather, their holy power stands out, when many demons gather, their magical power will be felt.
They must be those who are sensitive to strange energy.
“Once this opening ceremony is over...”
Among them, ordinary people continued to chat.
“They say that when the gates of heaven open, there will be eternal happiness. Is that true?”
“When the gates open, do I have to leave for heaven?”
“No, this place will become heaven.”
Some people tilted their heads.
“What will change when it becomes heaven?”
“It will be a little easier to live... Oh, right.”
A man spoke clearly as if he knew.
“Won’t the demons disappear?”
I closed my eyes slightly at those words and then opened them again.
The gates of hell will open. However, it will be a little closer to the world they want.
In the long years when the temple was dominant, the temple did not intentionally exterminate the monsters.
Because they knew that the authority of the temple would be maintained when humans who were harmed by the monsters asked the temple for help.
However, the world after the gates of hell opened, led by the demons, would be different.
I was thinking of eliminating all the monsters. Besides the monsters, there were too many things in the world that tormented people.
It would be possible. When the gates of hell opened, there would be enough magic power.
Thump!
The carriage gradually slowed down. And before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance to the central temple.
Between the knights holding torches, I could clearly see bonfires that had been hastily set up.
The long bonfires brightly lit the path leading to the temple building. And beneath them was a white cloth.
Ah.
I thought I knew what the cloth was for.
It must have been to wish for me to step there with my feet in pure white stockings, just like when I left for Vine.
When I squinted my eyes,
“Are you here?”
The priests stood in a line and greeted me.
They all looked excited. Among them were the old priest who had first brought me as a Saintess, and Cladda who had helped capture the demons and brought in the troops to tie them up.
It was clear that they were standing in order of their ‘greatest contributions to the opening ceremony.’
I looked at them and then silently stepped out of the carriage door that had opened.
Thump.
Belled took my hand and escorted me.
Thanks to this, his pitch-black shoes stepped on the pure white silk road first, and then my heels stepped on it.
“...”
The priests seemed to hesitate. But was it because the god was pure white? Or was it because Belled still did not stand in the center of the Silk Road?
Or was it because I had a different status than before?
They bowed their heads and said nothing to her.
“Lord Naberus, distribute the troops as requested by the temple.”
I looked to the side as I was escorted. Naberus, who had been silently bowing beside me, bowed deeply.
“We accept your orders.”
It was an order that Belled could have given, but Belled waited for me to move my troops.
It was to clearly indicate who was in charge of this event, this procession.
As expected, the priests’ gazes, seemingly surprised, were fixed on me. They were mostly people from faraway places who had not heard much about Vine and the Saintess.
“This way, this way.”
Tap.
Naberus and other Vine troops began to follow the priests’ guidance. They would tie up Orobas and Yubar’s troops as the priests had wanted.
“Ahem.”
Cladda’s head rose a little more proudly at that sight.
“Thanks to you, the opening ceremony will proceed more smoothly.”
The priests’ words were so small that it was unclear whether they were directed at Vine, who had provided the troops, or at Cladda, who had claimed to have brought them.
“...”
I looked at the troops leaving in unison. They responded with extremely trustworthy gazes.
They would move well as if the dozens of hours of meetings before coming here were worth it.
“Let’s go.”
I said softly. As if those words had shaken the earth, hundreds of people turned toward the temple at once.
My gaze turned to the sky.
They don’t know, but the red sky will come soon. It was just a natural phenomenon that happened right before the opening ceremony, like the sky turning black and white.
But the priests would react differently.
‘The god, the god is angry!’
Just like in my previous lives, they would make a fuss and ask to pray.
Unlike the temple people who would know the will of heaven and build up fatigue on their own, the demons who already knew that fact would be able to save up stamina.
And that would make a big difference in battle.
They should do well. No, they would do well.
I held Belled’s hand tightly. His warmth was transmitted to my tensely held hand. The only warmth that reassured me.
“How could this be?”
Paladin Talis was dumbfounded.
He thought he was smart enough.
After drinking the holy water, he gained an incredible amount of holy power.
He wanted to show it off to others, but he didn’t want to be caught stealing the holy water, so he even planned an absurd accident.
'Ugh!'
On his way to pray, he stumbled and fell down the stairs, and then pretended to collapse.
And then he acted like he had gained great spiritual power.
'Your sincerity must have been recognized by God!'
Since there were cases where spiritual power increased after some accident, his words were more convincing than expected.
Especially through those who knew how much he wanted spiritual power.
However, the people who were happily hovering around him were quiet for a moment, and his surroundings became quiet again.
“No, why is it that you have such great power?”
No matter how many monsters he slaughtered and defeated, it was no use.
Even when he went to the central temple under the pretext of clearing out the surrounding monsters before people gathered at the central altar, the situation was the same.
“Sir Talis has come?”
The powerful priests of the central temple, who seemed to welcome him, sent him out to hunt monsters as if it were nothing.
There was no place for a meal with a high-ranking priest, which seemed to be given to someone with such great power. After failing repeatedly and failing, he finally learned the secret of the temple.
“It was all... a set-up?”
Somehow, people who didn’t seem to have much power were in higher positions than him!
He ground his teeth. What good would it do to have power? Only those who were close to them could take the position!
He thought that if he could get to a high position, it didn’t matter whether he hunted monsters or demons. He had the power to do so.
But they didn’t even give him the chance.
He had no way of knowing that Vine had been aiming for all of that and had fed him the holy water, so he was going to grind hard.
However, even for him, his chance had come. No, he thought it had.
“Ah, Sir Talis. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you.”
The one who spoke to him was Nian, who was called the right-hand man of the high priestess Alinica.
Talis felt as if he had been dazzled by his voice.
“Ah, it’s an honor.”
“What honor? All honor lies before Him.”
Nian said, raising both hands toward the sky.
“But why is a knight with such outstanding skills like yours alone in a place like this? At least there should be people who recommended you to teach knights.”
Of course, it’s because they didn’t recommend me!
Talis smiled, holding back his feelings.
“I think my skills are still lacking.”
“No way!”
Nian whispered, seeming startled.
“Do you know Lady Alinica? She wants to see you.”
She’s not the kind of person who would just watch talent rot away in a place like this.
At those words, Talis held back a smirk and listened.
“If you need me, I’ll go wherever you need me.”
At those words, Nian waved his hand.
“I wonder if it’s what Lady Alinica needs. Everything is needed by the god.”
Nian said, speaking in a sophisticated manner, that he had no intention of taking his hand until he judged he useful.
“However, since you are a priest who serves him so closely, it’s not easy to meet someone who isn’t someone the god cherishes.”
Nian coughed after saying that.
“You have to show a little sincerity, that’s what I’m saying.”
Talis paused at those words.
“If it’s sincerity...”
Nian smiled faintly.
“You know that soon, after the opening ceremony, the world order will be reorganized with those he cherishes as the priority.”
He spread his hand.
“But since those who did not worship God are in that precious place, Lady Alinica is worried.”
As she said that, she pointed to Vine’s carriage. It was the moment when Talis opened his eyes wide.
Nian whispered.
“In the era of those who worship God, it is impossible for someone who did not worship God to lead.”
“...!”
“So watch over Vine.”
Talis clenched his fists.
In short, Alinica did not want Vine to have such great power in a world where order was reorganized by God.
In that case.
“What if they do something blasphemous?”
He was to bring any evidence or loophole that could dethrone Vine. So that they would not become the central figure in the new era.
“Lady Alinica will contact you.”
“Ahem.”
Cladda’s head rose a little more proudly at that sight.
“Thanks to you, the opening ceremony will proceed more smoothly.”
The priests’ words were so small that it was unclear whether they were directed at Vine, who had provided the troops, or at Cladda, who had claimed to have brought them.
“...”
I looked at the troops leaving in unison. They responded with extremely trustworthy gazes.
They would move well as if the dozens of hours of meetings before coming here were worth it.
“Let’s go.”
I said softly. As if those words had shaken the earth, hundreds of people turned toward the temple at once.
My gaze turned to the sky.
They don’t know, but the red sky will come soon. It was just a natural phenomenon that happened right before the opening ceremony, like the sky turning black and white.
But the priests would react differently.
‘The god, the god is angry!’
Just like in my previous lives, they would make a fuss and ask to pray.
Unlike the temple people who would know the will of heaven and build up fatigue on their own, the demons who already knew that fact would be able to save up stamina.
And that would make a big difference in battle.
They should do well. No, they would do well.
I held Belled’s hand tightly. His warmth was transmitted to my tensely held hand. The only warmth that reassured me.
***
“How could this be?”
Paladin Talis was dumbfounded.
He thought he was smart enough.
After drinking the holy water, he gained an incredible amount of holy power.
He wanted to show it off to others, but he didn’t want to be caught stealing the holy water, so he even planned an absurd accident.
'Ugh!'
On his way to pray, he stumbled and fell down the stairs, and then pretended to collapse.
And then he acted like he had gained great spiritual power.
'Your sincerity must have been recognized by God!'
Since there were cases where spiritual power increased after some accident, his words were more convincing than expected.
Especially through those who knew how much he wanted spiritual power.
However, the people who were happily hovering around him were quiet for a moment, and his surroundings became quiet again.
“No, why is it that you have such great power?”
No matter how many monsters he slaughtered and defeated, it was no use.
Even when he went to the central temple under the pretext of clearing out the surrounding monsters before people gathered at the central altar, the situation was the same.
“Sir Talis has come?”
The powerful priests of the central temple, who seemed to welcome him, sent him out to hunt monsters as if it were nothing.
There was no place for a meal with a high-ranking priest, which seemed to be given to someone with such great power. After failing repeatedly and failing, he finally learned the secret of the temple.
“It was all... a set-up?”
Somehow, people who didn’t seem to have much power were in higher positions than him!
He ground his teeth. What good would it do to have power? Only those who were close to them could take the position!
He thought that if he could get to a high position, it didn’t matter whether he hunted monsters or demons. He had the power to do so.
But they didn’t even give him the chance.
He had no way of knowing that Vine had been aiming for all of that and had fed him the holy water, so he was going to grind hard.
However, even for him, his chance had come. No, he thought it had.
“Ah, Sir Talis. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you.”
The one who spoke to him was Nian, who was called the right-hand man of the high priestess Alinica.
Talis felt as if he had been dazzled by his voice.
“Ah, it’s an honor.”
“What honor? All honor lies before Him.”
Nian said, raising both hands toward the sky.
“But why is a knight with such outstanding skills like yours alone in a place like this? At least there should be people who recommended you to teach knights.”
Of course, it’s because they didn’t recommend me!
Talis smiled, holding back his feelings.
“I think my skills are still lacking.”
“No way!”
Nian whispered, seeming startled.
“Do you know Lady Alinica? She wants to see you.”
She’s not the kind of person who would just watch talent rot away in a place like this.
At those words, Talis held back a smirk and listened.
“If you need me, I’ll go wherever you need me.”
At those words, Nian waved his hand.
“I wonder if it’s what Lady Alinica needs. Everything is needed by the god.”
Nian said, speaking in a sophisticated manner, that he had no intention of taking his hand until he judged he useful.
“However, since you are a priest who serves him so closely, it’s not easy to meet someone who isn’t someone the god cherishes.”
Nian coughed after saying that.
“You have to show a little sincerity, that’s what I’m saying.”
Talis paused at those words.
“If it’s sincerity...”
Nian smiled faintly.
“You know that soon, after the opening ceremony, the world order will be reorganized with those he cherishes as the priority.”
He spread his hand.
“But since those who did not worship God are in that precious place, Lady Alinica is worried.”
As she said that, she pointed to Vine’s carriage. It was the moment when Talis opened his eyes wide.
Nian whispered.
“In the era of those who worship God, it is impossible for someone who did not worship God to lead.”
“...!”
“So watch over Vine.”
Talis clenched his fists.
In short, Alinica did not want Vine to have such great power in a world where order was reorganized by God.
In that case.
“What if they do something blasphemous?”
He was to bring any evidence or loophole that could dethrone Vine. So that they would not become the central figure in the new era.
“Lady Alinica will contact you.”
Once the opening ceremony begins and a new power order is established, there will be no place for me to stand.
This was his last chance.
Talis nodded.
“Understood.”
This was his last chance.
Talis nodded.
“Understood.”
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