Living so easily in this world? Ban tilted his head as he looked at Orma.
“Why not just become a cult leader or something?”
“If you want to be precise, that’s probably how I’ll appear to others.”
“That sounds good. Let’s just go with being a cult. For the destruction of the world.”
By now it was close to a habitual curse, so Ban just smiled brightly with a face that didn’t care at all. Seeing that, Orma bit his lip and turned his head away, and at the same time, a system message appeared along with a clear notification sound.
[Quest Success!
Gaining a Believer (1/1)
Reward: Faith Points +5, Faith Gauge +5
Your Faith Level has increased!
The Faith Shop has been unlocked!
Current Status: Apostle of ‘Orma’ / Faith Points: 8 (Your god’s influence is minimal.)
Faith Level: 2
Faith Gauge: 0/12]
Oh, has something changed? With an excited heart, Ban closed the current status window, then checked the reward given for celebrating his Faith Level reaching 2. When he selected ‘Yes’ to the question asking if he wanted to check the gift, something immediately appeared on Ban’s hand.
Hmm… what’s this? Is it an earring?
“What’s that? Where did that thing suddenly come from?”
“Well…”
It’s the reward for making Jaena-ssi your believer. Ban desperately held back from saying that and only gave an awkward smile as he checked the earring’s information.
[With God / Unique Item (Bound – Untradeable)
A mysterious earring that allows you to use some of the god’s power when worn together with your god.
The range of the god’s power you can use is proportional to your Faith Points.
Charm +10, Strength +2, Agility +3]
It seems like a better item than I thought… but doesn’t this ultimately mean I have to wear it together with Orma to use it?
“Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?”
Hesitating, faltering. As if malfunctioning, Ban looked at Orma then held out one earring with an awkward smile.
“Why are you giving that to me now?”
“I’ll wear one. The other one…”
“…”
So he’s saying let’s split these earrings and wear them? Orma looked back and forth between Ban and the earrings with an absurd expression.
Except for the round black gemstone, the earring had no other decorations and wasn’t particularly repulsive-looking, but it was a suspicious object that had suddenly appeared on Ban’s hand.
Moreover, it felt oddly unsettling, as if it wasn’t an ordinary item at all… it seemed like an object imbued with divine power, though very faintly. Orma stared at the earring with a blank face for a long while. While he was reluctant, Jaena suddenly jumped in excitedly.
“Me! Don’t I get one? Aren’t you supposed to give something when someone becomes a believer? If Orma-nim doesn’t want it, I want it!”
“Ah, well…”
This ill-mannered bastard who doesn’t act his age. The moment Orma saw Jaena coveting the earring Ban held out, he snatched one as if grabbing it away and immediately stuck it in his own ear. He didn’t particularly want to wear it, but it was better for him to wear it than for Ban and Jaena to share them. The moment a surprised Ban looked at him with wide eyes, Orma felt mischievous and forcibly inserted the other one into Ban’s pretty ear.
Even though it bled a little, Ban curved his eyes gently without showing any sign of pain.
“Thank you.”
What on earth is there to be thankful for? Even when he acted this roughly, those words came out, so Orma felt rather deflated instead. The story of how it was not the rough gust of wind but the warm sunlight that removed the traveler’s coat suddenly crossed his mind.
Somehow, Orma was seized by the strange feeling that he was being tamed by Ban, and he stared blankly at Ban who was touching the ear he had pierced. Then his mind was once again covered with fierce curses, self-deprecation, and reproach. The target was all himself.
Fuck, I’m completely bewitched, aren’t I? With that face, smiling prettily while saying apostle or whatever… seducing me with strange words saying he’ll make me not lonely. In that Hell… when I wasn’t in my right mind… Anyway, of course I’d fall for it.
Besides, it’s not just me, is it? Even this beastman bastard who pretends to be a child and clings to Ban is black-hearted inside… Ah, this is annoying. I don’t know why I’m annoyed but I’m annoyed. Why do I keep feeling these shitty impulses? Die, just die. I want to die. Everyone should die and be destroyed…
“How is it? Do you feel anything different?”
“Oh, oh! Wh-what did you do? Suddenly the sunlight isn’t harsh and I feel very refreshed!”
“I tried using Orma-nim’s divine authority. I’m glad it’s effective. The earring’s power is better than I thought…”
What are those two doing again? Orma, who had been lost in strange thoughts, came to his senses at that sound. Annoyed by the sight of them stuck together, he charged over with fire in his eyes and pulled them apart. But Jaena didn’t care at all and rather clung tightly to Orma.
“Oh oh, Evil God! Please bestow your divine authority upon me too!”
“Get off, unless you want to die.”
Tch, it works on Ban though. Jaena mumbled with his lips and grumbled. Earlier he had been so afraid of Orma, but he noticed like a ghost that Orma was weak toward Ban and grinned widely.
“Isn’t this too much for a believer who decided to believe in the Evil God?”
“I don’t need a believer like you.”
“But didn’t Orma-nim become an Evil God by massacring people and coveting what belongs to the gods?”
“That’s right.”
Orma nodded his head as if to show the corpses of bandits scattered around. It was meant to boast of his fearfulness as if to say, you see I shed blood this time too, but Jaena was tougher than expected. Rather, wasn’t he clapping his hands in delight with sparkling eyes?
“Really? How amazing! The one who killed all these wicked bandits was the Evil God… Believing in the Evil God seems kind of cool.”
“…Think about it again.”
“What?”
“It’s normal to be scared.”
What kind of bastard is this? He pretended to be young and clumsy in front of Ban, but in the end, he was someone who didn’t bat an eye even in a place full of blood and corpses. Orma clicked his tongue and grabbed Jaena by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.
Seeing this, a startled Ban hurriedly approached and stopped Orma, but Jaena himself was calm even while dangling with his toes not touching the ground.
“Don’t bully him…”
“You think I’m bullying him right now? Look at his expression.”
“Uh…”
“Aha! You’re worried about me? I’m fine, Ban-gong! We feline folk lift our children by grabbing them like this.”
But you’re not a child, are you…? Ban desperately held back from saying that and smiled awkwardly. Perhaps because he had characteristics of felines, it seemed that being grabbed by the scruff of his neck reassured him.
“Whether you believe in me or not, that’s up to you, and go to your hometown on your own.”
“How can you say that! Are you trying to abandon a believer…? Sniff, Ban-gong!”
“Why are you looking for Ban? He’s my apostle, you know? Can’t you understand? He’s mine, mine.”
When Orma revealed his strong possessiveness and snapped, Jaena also began to struggle as if asking to be put down. It seemed that mediation was Ban’s job this time as well. Ban eventually shook his head and carefully took Jaena from Orma and held him in his arms. And he said firmly.
“Stop it and let’s hurry and go.”
Behind them, Orma burst out in frustration yelling, “Put that bastard down right now. Your god is telling you!” but Ban silently mounted the horse and sat Jaena in front of him. Then, with a stern face, he removed Jaena’s tail that was swaying and wrapping around his waist and said.
“We’re first going to Siol, the sanctuary of God Banan. If you want to go straight to your hometown, it would be better to go together only to the nearest village and then part ways.”
“N-no… I want to do that too, the journey to save the world.”
“Then don’t be rude to Orma-nim. He’s our god, isn’t he? Please don’t call him Evil God either.”
“…Understood.”
Jaena’s tiger ears drooped listlessly. Orma, who had been charging over with fire in his eyes, became triumphant again after hearing that. He looked at Jaena with his chin raised as if he had won, but seeing Jaena looking dejected while clinging to Ban, he shouted angrily.
“My horse is bigger! What are you riding together with him for? Just hand that bastard over to me instead.”
“N-no! I don’t want that!”
“You don’t want it? Then we’ll leave you behind.”
Ban was worried that Orma might throw Jaena, but knowing that he was being considerate enough, he eventually smiled awkwardly and handed Jaena over to Orma. Jaena, whose small body couldn’t win by strength, burst into pitiful tears, but before long, seeing Orma looking at him with fierce eyes, he shut his mouth tight.
If he bothered him one more time, he might be thrown out or killed immediately – such a deadly premonition came over him. The beastman Jaena, who was good at sensing killing intent, could tell that Orma truly wanted to kill him more than anyone else. He also knew well that the only reason those unrestrained impulses were being held back and endured was thanks to Ban over there, tilting his head with a pretty face all by himself.
Hiing… Is there no choice? In the end, Jaena gently wrapped his tail around Orma’s arm that held the reins as a sign of surrender. Shall we get along?
But…
Smack!
“I told you not to try any tricks.”
The Evil God mercilessly removed it and warned him quietly so Ban couldn’t hear, but fiercely like a growl.
…It doesn’t work.
