Chapter 191

Still, it was extremely fortunate that Jelsroin descended through the body of the possessed Pan.

Otherwise, a human body could never dare to withstand a deity’s divinity, and would have exploded and died.

Even right now, the majority of the people had already fainted.

At best, only the nameds were bowing their heads while shedding tears of blood.

Even they probably could not properly hear and understand Jelsroin’s voice.

‘…Is winning a duel such a big sin…?’

Only Roan, who possessed a transcendental resistance from his talent value of 100, held onto his consciousness.

Just like when he was subjected to Harden’s Sanctification in the principal’s office.

[Let the unqualified close their ears, let the cowardly close their eyes, let the unwise shut their mouths.]

Jelsroin separated only a single person out of dozens of humans.

Naturally, it was Roan, who was barely looking up at Pan while enduring with all his might along with False Divinity.

Grrrr—

The same space, yet a different space.

Roan felt a sensation as if he had entered a fragment of the divine realm.

Even from that moment, not even authorities like False Divinity or the Administrator of the Forbidden Library could intervene.

Flash—

[At this level, even with a trivial human body, we should be able to have a conversation, right?]

“…Yes.”

Fortunately, Roan became a bit more comfortable due to Jelsroin’s consideration—or lack thereof.

Although he still had to struggle to spit out even a single syllable, the burden was rapidly decreasing.

Pan, or rather Jelsroin, was now explosively emitting a sacred red light from every opening of his head.

‘Even if she is a heretical god, I didn’t expect her to descend at this point.’

It was still a long way off from when the gods would step forward in earnest.

The descent of a god was an event that usually occurred around the third year, which meant about two years had to pass.

Roan waited quietly to see what Jelsroin, who had appeared too early, would say.

The first thing the Goddess said was,

[!#$#@%%!@!!!]

“…?”

…Surprisingly, it was vulgar cursing.

‘She seems quite angry.’

In fact, looking closely, gods were not much different from humans.

As could be seen just by looking at Harden, who was said to be closest to a god in the human world.

At any rate, Jelsroin, who spat out a round of curses refreshingly, let out a deep sigh and spoke.

[Whew… What an insolent fellow.]

Roan quickly opened his mouth, not wanting to draw the Goddess’s anger for no reason.

“Goddess Jelsroin, please appease your anger. I only used a simple charm… no, Confusion holy magic.”

[Telling such a lie in front of me is what is insolent. You black mage and stale serpent-like authorities. Although the authorities won’t be able to hear.]

“…”

She knew?

Then again, no matter how much it was Roan, he could not dare escape the eyes of the Goddess.

Roan decided to just shut his mouth, thinking it would only create a counter-effect.

[If I even possessed him, you should have at least pretended to save face, but to blow Pan away with a single charm magic? And a simple charm magic? Do you have a conscience?]

It was true, but hearing it repeatedly, Roan felt irritation slowly rising.

‘Where do the gods learn their way of speaking?’

He couldn’t express it since he was in front of the Goddess.

[Don’t think arrogant thoughts. I can’t read your mind, but it’s obvious.]

“…Ah, my apologies.”

Roan decided not only to shut his mouth, but simply not to think either.

[In all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen someone show the Bottomless Dark with such a simple charm magic. Tell me honestly, you have no intention of hiding your identity, do you?]

“That is not true.”

There was probably no one else who lived as carefully as him!

Roan was extremely aggrieved.

He had used a weak magic just now to not stand out as much as possible, so what was he supposed to do about it flying to the Bottomless Dark on its own.

‘At any rate, to think it was the Bottomless Dark, there was indeed a reason he cried like that.’

The Bottomless Dark, known to be even lower than the demon realm, is said to explode a human’s inherent fear just by looking at it.

…Which meant, of course, it was not a place to show with a simple charm magic.

[Are you saying a guy trying to hide his identity doesn’t even hide his power and shows it off like that?]

A bit of dumbfoundedness had seeped into Jelsroin’s voice before he knew it.

Roan carefully protested.

“That… is not because I want to use it that way. The magic just goes that way on its own.”

Roan also wanted to use magic moderately weakly more than anyone.

But what was he to do when this thing called talent tactlessly inflated the performance.

With such a mind, when Roan looked up at Pan,

Flash—!

a light similar to what Harden did to Roan erupted instantly.

Only, it was different in that it was red, not white.

Ah, also in the aspect that his eyes didn’t get much better.

[Don’t talk back.]

‘You asked first!’

Once he became strong enough, he would never associate with the likes of gods!

Roan ground his teeth, covering his eyes with his hand, as he resolved.

[Nonsense should be within limits, magic goes out strongly on its own? Did you inherit some talent from the Age of Demigods… Mm?]

Jelsroin stop speaking while grumbling irritably.

When Roan carefully opened his eyes, she was quietly looking down at him through Pan’s body.

As if inspecting a highly fascinating object.

[Well, it is passable. Is it because the body cannot keep up with the talent?]

Jelsroin emitted a red light roughly a few times and then spoke to Roan in an enticing voice.

[You, have no intention of becoming my apostle? It would be much better than living in fear at that school.]

Roan’s eyes shook slightly.

‘Tempting…’

Certainly, just not having to worry about his head exploding every day from Professor Kaina’s Hammer of No-Kill…

Then, he quickly shook his head and snapped out of it.

‘What a wicked heretic! I almost fell for it!’

Come to think of it, Jelsroin was a heresy.

Even if he became the apostle of a heretical god, wouldn’t his head still get exploded by Professor Kaina all the same!

Rather, during his student days he just had to not get caught, but if he became Jelsroin’s apostle, he couldn’t even make excuses.

And instead of becoming an average god’s apostle, it might be better to become teaching assistant at Akerandir.

‘…Or not?’

He was a bit confused, but Roan spoke firmly anyway.

“I am a black mage, though.”

[That’s true. But what of it, you have two authorities, and you can just convert like that McGodal fellow.]

Although she said so, Jelsroin also seemed to think it was quite a stretch.

A saint designated by humans and an apostle directly appointed by a god were on different dimensions.

She smacked lips a few times and finished with regret.

[Tsk, if only I hadn’t been designated as heresy, I would have exerted some power.]

“…Thank you.”

Roan answered stiffly and businesslike, like a machine.

At that, Jelsroin asked questioningly.

[But why are you so confident? Aren’t you afraid even with an angry god before your eyes?]

Of course, Roan was also afraid every moment.

Even though he said all he had to say, that was strictly close to a desperate struggle to hold onto his consciousness.

Because if he was killed by a god who resolved to do so, there was a possibility it would end right there, Grey Fetter of Life or not.

‘If Jelsroin were truly angry, that is.’

However, Roan had grasped Jelsroin’s intention from a certain point.

The conversation had no substance, and wasn’t it being delayed quite a bit.

Roan shook his head and replied.

“No. Just… aren’t you waiting for someone?”

At that, Jelsroin was silent for a moment.

[…You are truly an incomparably insolent fellow. Yes, it should be about time to arrive.]

It was a confession of being hit on the mark.

The place they were in now was a space separated by the deity’s divinity.

To enter this space, a divinity of equal or higher level than Jelsroin was naturally required.

‘Harden’s blessing.’

In fact, come to think of it, it was nonsense for the Goddess herself to descend just because a possessed novice priest was defeated.

Seeing her curse refreshingly, she did seem angry, but that level didn’t even count as anger to gods.

Meaning, it was a justification for descent but not the reason.

In other words, Jelsroin descended pretending to be angry and separated Roan, in order to deliberately draw Harden, whom she loved to no end, to this place.

Since she must have already grasped that the blessing of Harden bestowed on Roan was special.

However,

“The Holy Spirit won’t come.”

[…What?]

“Since Jelsroin is here, the Holy Spirit won’t come.”

Jelsroin revealed her uncomfortable feelings at Roan’s calm tone.

[Even if I kill you?]

“You cannot kill me.”

[Explain. It should be easier for me to kill you than for you to kill an ant. Do you really act up relying only on that passable talent? Excessive confidence calls death!]

Rumble—

The Goddess’s anger manifested once again, lurking all around Roan.

It was indeed the will of the world.

At least at this moment, the entire world had resolved to glare at Roan as if to kill him…

Even Roan was in a situation terrifying enough to make his hands tremble, but he had to say what needed to be said.

“Because that is who the Goddess of Deep Love is.”

[… ]

Swoosh…

Then, as if a lie, the Goddess’s anger quieted down again.

Jelsroin’s love was like that.

Even if the opponent does not accept the love, she would rather die herself than harm others.

Similarly, though she could threaten to kill Roan, she could not lure Harden by truly killing him.

Since gods control the order that constitutes the world, they cannot act contrary to their own order either.

If they insisted on doing so, they had to pay an enormous price even by the standards of gods.

Harden, who knew that, would never move according to Jelsroin’s wishes.

Since nothing would happen anyway.

And Roan also knew her limits.

Jelsroin, who was silent for a while, spoke in a bitterly laughing tone.

It was a lonely voice, unlike the deity of deep love.

[Yes… your words are correct.]

“Thank you for understanding.”

[You are truly a presumptuous fellow. Do you know what you have just done?]

You have appeased the Goddess’s anger with just a few words.

Jelsroin didn’t add further remarks, but didn’t feel the need to either.

Because that arrogant brat of a black mage would have understood everything anyway.

[Do not think of it as undignified. Love can become infinitely younger or infinitely older.]

“Of course I know.”

[Hahaha!]

Jelsroin laughed refreshingly, just as she had cursed refreshingly at first.

[There is a reason he treasures you? You look quite similar. I’m at the point where even I am starting to like you. Might this be the power of true love.]

…But at the subsequent words, Roan became quite displeased.

Who treasures whom?

Who resembles whom?

However, Jelsroin, who had now completely stopped acting, gradually began to finish her descent.

The pillars of blood that had exploded like volcanoes subsided, and the sun that had dyed the entire world dark red also gradually began to regain its light.

Swoosh…

The fragment of the world made only of Jelsroin’s order once again mixed into the embrace of all gods.

[The result of the duel is God’s will. I will no longer care.]

When the light of Jelsroin completely left Pan’s body, Roan knelt on one knee and paid respects to the Goddess.

“It was an honor to meet you, Goddess of Blood and Deep Love.”

And.

“““Fuaaah!”””

Jelsroin’s descent, which had seemed eternal, ended.