“Hiiiing…….”
The child had no strength to move, their posture resembling that of someone collapsed. Ban carefully lifted the child up with both hands. The inside of the cave was so dark that it was hard to see clearly, but they seemed to be about ten years old. When he adjusted his hold to support their bottom and hold them more comfortably, the whimpering child burrowed their head into Ban’s embrace. Ban patted and soothed the child’s back as if to say it was okay, and came out of the cave.
“What’s that?”
“As you can see, it’s a young child.”
Orma’s gaze was sharp, as if asking what he’d picked up. Orma desperately held back the urge to demand why this thing was clinging to him like he was its mother, and instead placed his hand on the child’s shoulder as if to pull them away from Ban. However, the child’s appearance revealed in the bright sunlight was quite different from a typical human. The perky ears, the swishing tail…… were clearly those of an animal no matter how you looked at them.
“What, it’s a beastfolk?”
“Ah…… there was such a race. I see, so this child is a beastfolk? This is my first time seeing a beastfolk. Hmm…… could they be a cat tribe?”
In <MOX NOX>, besides humans, there were other races similar to humans. There was a race that people commonly classified as ‘beastfolk,’ saying they looked like a mix of animals and humans, and this child seemed to be one of those beastfolk. Seeing the pointed ears and spotted tail, they appeared to be from the cat tribe, known as ‘cat humans.’ However, at Ban’s words, the child suddenly raised their head, glared with bright yellow eyes, and shouted sharply.
“I am not a cat tribe! I’m not a cat but a tiger!”
“……I, I see. My apologies.”
“Ha, Ban. Put this brat down. How dare you act like a child when you’re old enough to know better?”
“Hiiing! S-spare me!”
Age? Ah, come to think of it, beastfolk were said to be older than they appeared and had long lifespans. But they looked about eight or nine years old, so if they were old enough to know better, just how old were they?
“Must be at least thirty. Want to act spoiled at that age?”
“What? Thirty?”
Did I hear wrong? Ban doubted his own ears while looking down at the whimpering child in his arms. There must be something to it, because while they had barked that they were a tiger not a cat, now they were busy avoiding Ban’s gaze. Then they mumbled hesitantly in a voice that grew smaller.
“It’s not quite that much…… I’m 25.”
“What?”
25 years old? That was 3 years older than the physical age of Ban’s reincarnated body. A boy, he said……?
[Hidden Quest: Make the poor ‘young man’ captured by bandits into a believer who worships your god.]
The system shamelessly suddenly changed the text from boy to young man. Feeling uncomfortable, Ban finally carefully put the child…… no, his hyung down on the ground. Still, seeing how he clung tightly to Ban’s leg, it seemed that made him feel safer, so he decided to leave it alone.
“Not letting go?”
“Hiiik! Y-you’re too much. Could it be that your benefactor is your lover?”
“Talking about lovers. He’s mine.”
“……First of all, I’m neither a lover nor Orma-nim’s possession.”
“Ha! You said you’re my Apostle!”
Why is he being so childish? Although the beastfolk’s age was older than Ban’s, his outward appearance was that of a young child, so Orma bickering over him looked immature. Moreover, for someone who had been stuck in a bandit’s lair, the beastfolk looked quite intact.
Curious about what kind of story there was, Ban tidied the orange hair of the beastfolk who was still clinging to him and trembling, and asked.
“What is your name?”
“I’m called Jaena. Y-your benefactor’s name is?”
“I am called Ban.”
“Ban! Oooh…… what a pretty name.”
The sparkling eyes were kind of cute. Ban’s face naturally softened and drew a faint smile, and watching this, Orma grew irritated. He didn’t know why he felt so disgusted, but it was an obvious fact that this beastfolk bastard was playing tricks on Ban with his young-looking appearance!
“You’ve been saved, right? Now go on your way. Let’s go, Ban.”
“Eh? Wh-where are you going?”
“What’s it to you?”
At Orma’s words spoken with fiercely wide eyes, Jaena flinched. But this time, he didn’t stay quiet either. Orma, who had been showing displeasure about him at every turn since earlier, didn’t please him either.
“But who are you to keep interfering and picking fights at every turn? Uh…… th-then why are your eyes…… why are they gold?”
Why are his eyes glittering golden? Come to think of it, his hair is black too…… didn’t Ban call him ‘Orma-nim’ earlier? Jaena groaned and mumbled while lowering his head at the ominous energy emanating from the one glaring at him.
“Th-those are the eyes of a god……”
“You know well.”
“Then could it be…… you’re Orma? Y-you mean you’re the Evil God?!”
Hiiik, he gasped in surprise. His cheeks, which had been pleasantly colored like peach blossoms, turned pale, and as if proving his shock, his pupils stretched long vertically. Orma looked at this sight triumphantly. It seemed he was determined to raise his notoriety even higher. Whether Ban sighed softly or not, Orma didn’t care.
“If you recognize me, scram.”
“How are you here? Is this actually Hell? Then is Ban-gong an angel……?”
“What are you talking about?”
It seemed like the word ‘damn’ was mixed in there, but Ban deleted it on his own. However, before Ban could mediate, Jaena screamed first and threw himself into his arms.
“Why has the Evil God come out of Hell! Hwaang, Ban-gong! Save me!”
“Has this guy gone crazy? Let go!”
My head hurts. No, I do think this is the typical reaction of people facing Orma……
Why is he clinging to me as if asking for help? No matter how you look at it, aren’t they on the same side? Jaena’s appearance with tears welling up was truly cute, but regrettably, having learned his age, Ban didn’t let his guard down.
“Jaena-ssi, Orma-nim is my god.”
“……Wh-what?”
Jaena doubted his ears, but Ban firmly shook his head. As if to say what you just heard is correct.
“I won’t ask for what reason you were captured by bandits and in this lair, but it probably wasn’t voluntary, right? Where are you planning to go now?”
“Naturally I intend to return to my hometown……”
The beastfolk’s hometown would mean a neighborhood on another continent across the sea, right? Strictly speaking, it was close to the temple of God Muhwi, where Ban planned to go next after Siol, the sanctuary of God Banan. He didn’t know how Jaena ended up here, but Ban decided to persuade him step by step. Since Orma didn’t seem to find him agreeable either, he had to persuade him too.
“Please listen, Jaena-ssi. We are currently traveling to save the world from destruction.”
“From destruction……?”
“Hasn’t disaster befallen the world?”
“That’s right. Actually, I also came to meet the ascetic mentioned in the prophecy to find a way to deal with it.”
“The ascetic in the prophecy?”
“That…… I heard they’re at a temple that worships Serka near here.”
……Is that me? Ban hesitated and glanced at Orma. Orma just glared at Jaena with his arms crossed, making it abundantly clear he had no interest in this conversation. It does seem like what Jaena is looking for is me, but was I such a celebrity that rumors spread all the way to that distant continent across the sea?
“I was on a journey to find that person, but I lost my luggage, couldn’t drink water, and was kidnapped by bandits while unconscious.”
“……I see.”
“Recently there were even rumors that the ascetic had died…… I was so scared I was going to return to my hometown.”
It seems persuading Jaena will be easy. As for Orma…… should I cause trouble first and think about it later? Since he’s been favorable to me since earlier, if I grovel and beg nicely, he might let it slide.
“Jaena-ssi, the person you’re looking for seems to be me.”
“Gasp! Ban-gong is the ascetic in the prophecy?”
“The ascetic part seems to be a wrong rumor, but I am the protagonist of that rumor.”
“Wow…… no wonder……”
Jaena looked up at Ban with sparkling eyes. Mysterious, beautiful, and kind ascetic. It was exactly as Jaena had imagined.
“But how…… ah, how are you with the Evil God?”
“As I mentioned earlier, Orma-nim is my god. I am his Apostle.”
“Ban is mine.”
He didn’t know how that meant the same thing, but anyway, Ban hesitated and nodded. Then Jaena’s face changed as if the sky had fallen. At that very moment, Ban grasped both of Jaena’s hands and spoke with serious eyes.
“You said you came to find me to stop the disaster, right? Then how about joining us?”
“……Together?”
“Wait, what are you saying right now?”
“Yes, together. If the number of believers who worship Orma-nim increases, we’ll be able to purify the disaster faster.”
Ban was so poor with words that his reasoning and explanation for joining together were lacking, but even at the unconditional demand to believe in Orma, Jaena stared blankly at Ban’s sparkling sky-blue eyes with his mouth hanging open like a fool. And soon he ended up nodding.
Only Orma, who had been watching this entire scene from the side, was dumbfounded and muttered with a hollow laugh.
“Ha, this guy really lives life so easily……”
