---

Chapter 113

In a secluded valley village, a child was born without arms, legs, eyes, mouth, or nose.

The couple, thinking they had birthed a hideous lump of flesh, felt like they were about to lose their minds, but soon changed their perspective.

Though the child could not breathe, it breathed. Though it could not eat, it lived. Though it could not see, it saw everything. Though it could not speak, it spoke. When the child whispered words it had never learned into its parents’ ears, the couple’s gaze turned.

What else could it mean if a god wasn’t borrowing the child’s body?

Thinking this, the child’s grotesque form felt somehow like a symbol of divine intervention.

The couple first fled from the nameless village in the valley. The villagers had already learned of the couple’s pregnancy.

A god is always born alone. It exists naturally, as if it had always been there.

Thinking that way, they decided that the child was not theirs. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

Heading toward a nearby city, the couple exploited the child’s power. They created a cult. They made their child a god.

The child was pure. Despite having learned nothing from its parents, it instinctively knew they were its parents and followed their wishes.

If an answer was needed, it provided one. If questions were needed, it asked them. In other words, it prophesied. Everything matched perfectly. The cult thrived, and everyone called the child a “god.” The child accepted it as its name.

When everyone, even its own parents, called the child a “god,” that was when it was finally complete.

This was a story from a world where even the gods now no longer cast a glance.

*

“Gasp… Gasp…”

Covered in sand and dust, Killian rolled about on the sandy desert. The blood scattered across the desert was all his.

But it wasn’t blood from wounds he had received.

He had merely received dozens of strikes, holding back the sword without the intent to kill.

His body, weakened from just enduring the blows, was now bursting and spraying blood everywhere.

“…Hah.”

Claire, nervously brushing her hair behind her ear, looked up at the sky.

Even if she glared, it wouldn’t change the mind of a goddess with a good temperament, so what was the point?

“I’ll forgive you this time. You couldn’t help it, after all.”

Hearing this, Killian was about to lose his mind and jump around.

“Just this time? Just this?!”

Of course, he was thankful that she hadn’t swung the sword with the intent to kill, but he still had complaints.

“Why is it only me and not Ludiger…!!”

“If you had fought Ludiger, you’d have been killed immediately. I can’t just go around killing people for such reasons.”

“Damn it.”

Killian held back the curse he couldn’t say aloud.

Why did I even step in…!! If I hadn’t, Ludiger would have been beaten like a dog!

“…This.”

Leaving Killian, who was lamenting in the sand, Claire quickly turned her head.

Ludiger, startled because he thought she was looking at him, trembled. However, Claire was looking beyond Ludiger, at something across from him.

“Now, you two. I wasn’t here, okay? Do you understand what that means?”

“Does that mean you don’t want the person coming this way to find out you were here?”

“Correct. Well done, you’re quite perceptive, Killian.”

‘Should I say it outright?’

Though praised, Killian felt no joy at all. Meanwhile, Claire smiled brightly at him.

“Of course, I’ll be watching nearby, so don’t get any funny ideas, okay? Got it?”

With a smile so pretty it could sprout hearts beside her face, it was oddly ominous. Killian, who was just thinking about it and had no intention of carrying it out, nodded while hiding that thought.

At the same time, Claire’s manifestation disappeared, and Killian stood up with a grunt, approaching Ludiger.

“What happened here…? Hey, Ludiger, why aren’t you getting up?”

“Ugh, I got it…!”

You know you’re embarrassed, huh? Killian snickered and started fixing his clothes. He could roughly guess what was coming.

They knew why they had come, and because of what they came for, Claire had rushed in anger. But why would Claire have to hide in a flustered manner? There was only one reason.

‘So, let’s see the little brat the goddess Lunaria is fond of.’

He didn’t know why the commander of the knights cherished it, but Killian thought this candidate would have quite the struggle ahead.

Since ancient times, those who capture the hearts of multiple lovers have had to endure hardships as a matter of principle.

“…Huh.”

Chasing the familiar movements of the sword, Yeon-woo found two slightly weary-looking men.

They didn’t seem like just ordinary hunters, as they were wearing cloaks that proved they were knights of the Crescent Moon Cult.

It was strange to see men who obviously had superior skills looking so fatigued in this white sandy desert.

“Ah, glad to meet you. What brings you here, brother?”

“No, I came because it seemed like there was a fight… Have you seen a blonde elf around here? It should be a woman.”

“Hmm, we have a yellow-haired male elf, but I haven’t seen a female one.”

Killian teased and lowered his hood, confirming the yellow-haired elf.

What is it? Was I mistaken? That shouldn’t be…

As if to show it, the elf took out a paper from his pocket and addressed Yeon-woo.

“Huh… What a coincidence. You must be Choi Yeon-woo, right? We came to find you. I’m Killian.”

“Eh? Me?”

“What are you doing, Ludiger? You should introduce yourself.”

“Nice to meet you, Choi Yeon-woo. I’m Ludiger, a knight of the Crescent Moon Order.”

The two men introduced themselves to Yeon-woo, who stood there bewildered. They must be real since impersonators wouldn’t have acquired the knights’ cloaks, but why would they come looking for him?

“Umm… Should I pray or something?”

“Haha, that’s a funny joke. No, it’s not that. It’s because the goddess wants to bless you.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Yeah, quite arbitrary, right?”

Killian said this while shivering a bit. Was it cold? And it wasn’t even a joke.

“Since it’s a major decision, it would be best to discuss it later… Is there something bothering you?”

“Excuse me, but… may I take the mana stones from these sandworms?”

Many thoughts crossed his mind, but the first one was whether he could take three sandworm carcasses lying on the hill.

Thinking while extracting teeth and mana stones from the two, Yeon-woo found time to sort through his thoughts.

Technically, he was also a member of the Crescent Moon Cult, and the goddess Lunaria wanted to bless him.

And that probably entailed discussions about the Stigmata. Acquired Stigmata. It was something impossible to receive easily from any god, just as it lay before Yeon-woo now.

But the problem was that Yeon-woo knew a great deal about Lunaria, the goddess of the Crescent Moon Cult.

Before his regression, he had never received such excessive attention, but he had learned enough to be a nominal believer.

‘Of all things, that Lunaria is asking for love…’

[Huh!?]

[Love…!!]

Did she think he needed to react to whatever he said?

Hearing the intense reaction of the children, Yeon-woo patted his waist.

Lunaria sometimes falls in love with entities from the mortal realm. She bestows blessings on those she loves, wanting to make them her own.

Many people, swayed by the words of divine blessing and love, accepted them.

‘There must be a proper end to it, right? Naturally, I should refuse, but that would be troublesome.’

Yeon-woo had Nea.

As his first and last love in this life, he had zero desire to become someone else’s lover.

Thus, rejecting was the only option, but the problem was that the other party was a god.

If it were an ordinary woman’s confession, he could prepare for a knife stabbing and just refuse, but the other party was a god. And a pretty well-known goddess with a considerable cult.

Refusing the favor of such an entity… the consequences were easy to imagine.

‘Will they come to kill me?’

He believed there was no assassin group operated separately by the Crescent Moon cult.

But what did an assassin really mean?

If those two behind him were set on killing him, they too would be assassins.

‘For now, let’s hear them out. It might not be about Stigmata, and they may not coerce me while bestowing it.’

[Dad, do you really think so?]

‘No. Not at all.’

If only Solaris, who happens to be Lunaria’s sibling, were to make demands, he wouldn’t have to worry about such things.

From a divine viewpoint, most possessed a mental universe akin to madness by human standards, while Solaris was relatively moderate. Lunaria, being her younger sister, was much more chaotic.

It wasn’t unreasonable to think that asking to share love with a goddess, who inflicted severe penalties to shoot her lover dead, was too much to ask.

“Have you finished?”

“Gasp, yes!”

Lost in complaints and grievances, Yeon-woo hadn’t even noticed when Killian came up behind him, startling him with his response. At this, Killian smirked.

“What will you do now? You can return to the city, or if you have unfinished business in this desert, I could assist you a bit.”

“Uh, I plan to return…”

Yeon-woo sparked an idea in his mind from Killian’s friendly inquiry. Ludiger was higher than C-rank, situated somewhere in mid-B rank, and Killian was obviously an A-rank level expert.

‘Hmm, should I ask these two for help?’

[…Is that alright?]

Upon hearing Shar’s affirmation, Yeon-woo turned to look at Killian. He raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

“Could you help me with something?”

With those words, an inexplicable cunning flowed from Yeon-woo’s eyes. Killian chuckled.

‘Looks like he’s trying to use us…’

“Of course, candidate for my beloved. What can I assist you with?”

If only the sword at hand hadn’t been scarier than the god far away, he might have scolded him…

Killian rubbed his hands, with an air of unease.

(To be continued…)

 

---