NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 89
The prophecy of the Demon King’s return.
A declaration announcing the birth of a new hero.
The oracle of the Earth Mother declared at the Alliance Conference sent shockwaves through the kings of each nation.
This can’t be happening.
We must prepare for the prophecy without delay.
The intense reactions plunged the previously silent conference hall into chaos. Even the Emperor of the Empire twisted his face in distress and shouted at the Holy Kingdom’s leader.
“What cunning plot are you up to, Holy King?”
“How can the Emperor of the Empire be so angry? The benevolent Earth Mother has merely foreseen the impending crisis for the unfortunate humans.”
Using fear to compel faith.
The Holy Kingdom wielded the power of the Creator Deity to exert its influence every time.
The Emperor of the Valtarian Empire was certainly aware of this.
This time would be no different.
They would attempt to start a war under the guise of the Demon King’s resurrection.
Barbarossa grimaced as he glared at Boerun, who wore a meaningful smile.
“Our continent is already filled with corpses from the continuous wars… Is the benevolent Earth Mother still complaining about a lack of sacrifices?”
“……”
The Emperor’s remark was the epitome of the audacity that questioned and cursed the divine power of the Earth Mother.
However, the Holy King made no rebuttal.
How could a human comprehend divine trust?
A devout believer who listened to the voice of the Creator Deity accepted that trust without a moment’s hesitation.
“Without a doubt, the Undying Demon King was believed to have been cast into eternal rest by the Saintess Party…!”
“The Demon King is coming back! What has the Saintess Party been doing?!”
The fear invoked by the Disaster God wielded by the Ruler of Death was still vividly present. Thus, the kings of various countries began to doubt the achievements of the Saintess Party and recalled the terror of death.
He will return soon.
It was natural for the kings, who had just precariously attained peace, to feel fear.
And then-
Attention turned to the new hero declared by the Earth Mother.
*
For the sake of divine trust, is a bit of hypocrisy unavoidable?
Hiccup
The schemes of the Creator Deity were truly dreadful.
To declare an apostle of the Disaster God of War as a hero of the Holy Kingdom was an act that deceived even the devout believers worshiping him.
What could their true intentions be?
If I were to meet the Earth Mother’s vessel again, I would like to grab him by the collar and ask.
“Edanant…! Edanant!”
“…Yes.”
As soon as I left the conference hall, Ludmilla rushed toward me with an urgent tone. Perhaps she had heard the resonating voices of the kings expressing their discontent, as she seemed to have perceived the oracle of the Earth Mother.
I could guess from the worried look on Ludmilla’s face.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine.”
I replied, forcing down the anger and confusion toward the Earth Mother.
I clenched my fists, trying to remain calm lest it deepen Ludmilla’s worries.
“Like Maximilian, I was chosen by the Holy Sword, so it’s only natural I was selected as a hero of the Holy Kingdom. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“But you….”
Shaking her head, Ludmilla trailed off with a sigh.
I knew.
An untenable situation had unfolded.
If I was dragged along by the Earth Mother like this, I would inevitably face the worst situation against the Saintess Party, which aimed to resurrect the Disaster God of Death.
Of course, I had no intention of obediently following the will of that damned Creator Deity.
Even if it meant resorting to extreme measures to summon the Disaster God of War into this world, I would stop it at all costs.
“Shall we take a stroll around?”
“Of course.”
It was a rather forced request.
To ask for companionship while guarding the conference hall where the kings had gathered—naturally, it would be refused.
But to my surprise, Ludmilla accepted it without hesitation.
I momentarily fell into shock as I watched Ludmilla step away, commanding her subordinates to lead the troops. I had never imagined that this woman, who valued duty above all, would show such an audaciously irresponsible side.
“Out of nowhere, a new hero of the Holy Kingdom… What an absurd situation we have here.”
“I see now why the Holy Kingdom kept things so confidential.”
Fomentation indeed has greater impact when it bursts all at once.
The oracle of the Earth Mother erupted at the Alliance Conference where the kings had gathered. Truly a cunning scheme befitting the sly minion of the Earth Mother.
“By now, the kings at the Alliance Conference must be frantically searching for me.”
“Ha ha, then I must be monopolizing the spotlight as the protagonist of the oracle.”
Perhaps to relieve the heavy tension, Ludmilla smiled gently and said it playfully.
Monopolizing…
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
In my eyes, the only person visible was the beautiful princess with golden hair.
“What should I say to Zebeline?”
“Edanant.”
With a heavy sigh, I recalled Zebeline’s face.
At that, the gentle smile on Ludmilla’s face turned severe all at once.
I must have spoken out of turn.
How dare I mention the White Dragon in front of the Red Dragon?
I broke into a cold sweat as Ludmilla reacted sensitively, as if I had touched a sore spot. Finally, she grabbed my hand and said in a commanding voice,
“Right now, I have you all to myself. Did I not say so?”
“Yes, of course…”
“So focus on me. Don’t mind others. Especially the First Saintess—none at all!”
“……”
She displayed a decidedly mature demeanor.
Yet on the other hand, she showed a childish side, brimming with jealousy.
Every side of her was endearing.
Maybe I was already under her spell.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that if this continued, I would find myself married by this year’s end, as the Emperor intended.
“This afternoon… I believe I encountered the Earth Mother’s vessel.”
“What? Is that true?!”
I mentioned the candidate saintess of the Holy Kingdom whom I had crossed paths with while strolling with Elizaveta.
To be precise, it was the Earth Mother Gael, who had possessed the body of the candidate saintess.
The Creator Deity of the continent.
A supreme being at the pinnacle of all creator deities.
Ludmilla showed a violent reaction at the mention of the Earth Mother. Since most countries, including the Valtarian Empire, revered the Creator Deity, it was natural for her to widen her eyes in shock.
“It’s not certain. I only felt a small amount of divine power from the vessel that was presumed to be the Earth Mother.”
“But your hunches have never been wrong so far, have they?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. I make mistakes sometimes too.”
“Hmmm….”
I could only hope my hunch was wrong.
Whenever my intuition was right, bad outcomes followed.
However, much like what Ludmilla said, my hunches were often correct, so I couldn’t let my guard down regarding the Earth Mother’s vessel. Furthermore, since she had shown great interest in Elizaveta, she was bound to reveal herself again.
“Ah.”
“What is it?”
Was I simply infatuated with Elizaveta’s beautiful appearance?
Or perhaps,
Was there another reason?
As numerous questions clouded my mind, an ominous premonition hit me like a lightning bolt.
*
Could there truly be a vessel capable of wholly containing the divine power of the Creator Deity?
No,
A nearly perfect vessel would be impossible to find.
Apart from Beatrice, who had betrayed the Creator Deity that favored her.
Even though they had strictly selected pure maidens specialized in divine power and trained them as candidate saintesses at the Saintess Academy, they ultimately failed to secure a perfect vessel. Thus, Gael firmly believed that except for Beatrice, no suitable vessel existed to accept his divinity.
However, this bias shattered when he encountered the Third Imperial Princess of the Valtarian Empire.
Elizaveta von Valtaria.
A rival of Beatrice, who was in opposition with Maximilian.
Having focused solely on the growth of Beatrice, the most suitable vessel, I had completely forgotten about Elizaveta’s existence. Gael acknowledged his mistake and began to consider Elizaveta as a substitute for Beatrice.
“Darn that little pest! If it hadn’t butted in…!”
If only I had just held onto the beautiful princess’s hand, I would have succeeded in the possession.
A meddler had intervened.
The soul that flowed in from outside, a mutant harboring the Disaster God of War, was the culprit.
Edanant von Hohenberc.
The source threatening the throne of the Creator Deity.
The disaster that would mercilessly destroy the sanctuary of the Creator Deity.
It was a blunder to leave him be just because Beatrice, whom I had cherished like a precious gem among my faithful believers, tearfully pleaded. I should have dealt with him, even if he meant earning Beatrice’s lifelong hatred.
“How dare you oppose the supreme Creator Deity twice. Know your place, outsider.”
“When it’s your first time, it’s always the hardest.”
The candidate saintess with orange hair took a step forward.
A gray-haired young man blocked her path, poised to confront her.
“If you activate divine power here, the truth of your vile worship will be revealed! So stop your pathetic posturing and retreat to the mortal realm. You belong in the dark, lonely abyss. Consider it as my final mercy that I haven’t exposed your identity using the oracle of the Holy Kingdom.”
“……”
He hit the nail on the head.
That was indeed his fatal weakness.
As Edanant fell silent, sealing his lips, Gael smiled with satisfaction.
However,
Regrettably, the foe before me was a rare breed even capable of shocking the Creator Deity.
“If I detonate here, all the cherished candidates left would die en masse, right?”
“…What? You’re going to self-destruct?”
The palace where the envoy of the Holy Kingdom was residing was not far off.
If Edanant, armed with high explosives all over his body, executed a self-detonation, the Holy Kingdom and the candidates would undoubtedly turn to ash, leaving no trace behind.
“Until now, I’ve been busy hiding my identity like a fool. In the end, it only mattered that there were no witnesses, right? So you dared to feed me that oracle? Come on, let’s see how you handle it, you damned Creator Deity.”
Edanant spread his arms, as if realizing the truth like a philosopher.
At that, Gael swallowed his astonishment and took a step back.