I Became the Evil God’s Apostle 22

Ban’s eyes flew open after barely managing to put Orma to sleep and ending up falling asleep together with him. As if that earlier commotion had never happened, everything around them was quiet, and faint sunlight leaked through the curtains from outside the window.

‘……Is it morning?’

Ban carefully checked on Orma, who was still sleeping. Last evening, he couldn’t help but be shocked by that sudden self-harm. He had known all along that the reason Orma had been trapped in Hell was because he longed for death, but he hadn’t known that whenever Orma trembled with anxiety, he would try to prove he was alive through self-harm.

Unable to die, but bleeding and leaving scars…… an imperfect body between god and human. When Ban slightly turned his head to look, the wounds that contained divine power were still not fully healed.

“Haah……”

Ban, who let out a small sigh, hesitated after trying to get up. He remembered how Orma had woken up immediately the moment they separated before. He wanted to treat the wounds, but he was worried Orma might wake up and cause another rampage.

‘Then…… does it work as long as we’re touching?’

Since it seemed the skill called “Human Sleep Therapy” would apply as long as there was some kind of contact, Ban, after pondering, pushed Orma—who was holding him down like a blanket—to the side with effort. After positioning him comfortably on his back looking at the ceiling and pulling back the blanket…… Ban climbed on top of Orma. The position was a bit embarrassing, but this was the only way to examine the wounds without separating.

Fortunately, aside from Orma furrowing his brow very slightly, there was no sign of him waking up yet.

‘His arms are a complete mess…… He slashed them to pieces, didn’t he? The wounds on his abdomen are quite deep too, and the chest area connects to his neck……’

Of course, his body regenerated quickly, but at this rate, it seemed like the wounds would remain for at least a week. To think that what would be fatal wounds leading to death for someone else were only this much for Orma.

It was hard to explain, but he felt very upset. Perhaps it was because Orma, who had been raging before his eyes like that, closely resembled the completely broken appearance he had when they met as the Final Boss in the game.

As Ban was carefully running his hand down Orma’s wounds, he suddenly remembered the effect of the earring he was wearing. It had said he could use some of God’s power, right? Until now, he had used it to block the calamitous sunlight pouring down on Jaena, but would it work to heal a god’s body too? In a way, it would be like Orma healing his own body, so it might be more effective than using human medicine.

Let’s try it first. Having made up his mind, Ban gathered power at his fingertips as he had done for Jaena. Black and gold colors symbolizing Orma sparkled and mixed together, creating a mysterious atmosphere, and Ban unhesitatingly covered Orma’s wounds with that power. The power with its subtle glow fell like powder, healing the wounds and making new flesh grow.

Relieved that it was working well, Ban then carefully traced even the wounds on his abdomen with his fingertips. To think he turned such a body with perfectly positioned muscles into rags…… With sorrowful feelings, Ban’s eyelashes trembled and drooped pitifully.

Finally, as he was healing the wound connecting from chest to neck, when the pain disappeared and the wound area only tickled, Orma eventually woke from his light sleep.

What he saw first when he slowly opened his eyes was Ban. And with quite a pitiful face looking down at him at that.

‘Is this a dream……? Why is Ban sitting on top of me……’

Unable to believe reality, Orma blinked slowly again. But the vision of Ban carefully tracing his body showed no signs of disappearing. Finally, after healing the wound extending to his neck, Ban’s eyes met with Orma, who had woken up.

“Ah, you’re awake?”

“……What are you doing?”

“I was trying to treat your wounds……”

Ban smiled awkwardly and watched for signs that Orma might cause another rampage. However, Orma squinted one eye, let out a light breath, then closed his eyes tightly and moved his lips. His voice was so small it was hard to hear.

“……Get off.”

“Pardon?”

“G-get off……”

As if it was so difficult to spit out that short word, Orma blushed and bit his lips repeatedly. Why is he suddenly acting like this? Just as Ban was thinking that, he felt something heavy poking the end of his buttocks. What is this? Did an awl suddenly grow in Orma-nim’s pants?

……Realizing the identity of that awl a beat too late, Ban gasped in surprise and hurriedly rolled away from Orma as if falling. The corners of Orma’s eyes, heated with shame, were red. Orma couldn’t even say anything and looked up and down at Ban, who had moved far away, with eyes full of resentment, then pulled the blanket and hastily covered his lower body.

“Um, Orma-nim……”

“Get out.”

“I was trying to treat your wounds…… Yes, I’m sorry. I’ll go outside.”

This time Ban also cleanly admitted fault and fled outside the room. Even though that wasn’t his intention, the result was that he had ended up molesting his god.

But still…… he seemed healthy. Hmm, though he only felt it briefly, it seemed very big…… Uh…… isn’t it good if that’s healthy too? It’s a very human physiological response…… what he had been hoping for……

After making such excuses, Ban eventually banged his head against the wall hard enough to make a thud. His head was full of curses like ‘Fuck……’. Self-loathing rushed in like a raging wave and engulfed Ban. His god would probably feel similar, so he likely wouldn’t bring up this matter out loud again, but……

“Ban-gong? What are you doing here?”

“……Jaena-ssi.”

Come to think of it, yesterday Orma’s rampage seemed to have caused his power to spread outside the room. Were Jaena and the other people okay? Ban caught his breath as calmly as possible and turned to look at Jaena. Then Jaena tilted his head as if Ban was the one who wasn’t fine and said,

“Are you sick somewhere? Your face is very red!”

“……No, I’m fine.”

“Don’t you have a fever? If it’s because of Orma-nim, come rest in my room!”

He was grateful but declined. Rather, wandering around a bit would probably help him forget that embarrassing situation just now. Then Jaena nodded and, as if remembering something, smiled brightly and said,

“We’re going to the sanctuary today, right? I want to go too! I heard Banan God’s sanctuary is that beautiful……”

“Ah, the sanctuary……”

After all that commotion yesterday, a sanctuary. Since they came to Siol, they should go, but…… would it be okay to take Orma? What if he fought with Banan God? Or he was worried Orma might rampage again and arbitrarily wound his body. Just what happened with Banan that makes Orma break down like this?

However, he couldn’t ask easily like before. Seeing Orma break down had become a new fear for Ban. After pondering, Ban abruptly got up and opened the luggage bag in Jaena’s room to take out the notebook Gail had given him. Then he borrowed an old pen from the innkeeper and began to call Gail and exchange written conversation.

-Gailust Khan-nim, are you awake?

-Orma’s apostle? Your name was Ban…… right?

-Yes, that’s correct.

-I see. Is the journey going well?

-We just arrived in Siol yesterday.

-Siol, huh. How’s the situation there?

-Unworthy of its nickname as the City of Water, the waterways are all dried up. Only a few fountains are barely working, and people are carrying parasols or huddled together around temporarily set up parasols and fountains.

-The situation isn’t good. But the reason you’re suddenly talking to me like this…… Orma’s condition must not be very good?

Gail noticed like a ghost. Ban pressed his lips tightly together and began to slowly write down what happened yesterday. The fact that he met Banan, the conversation he had with Banan, and after returning to the inn, Orma noticed this and…… even the rampage and self-harm. After writing down the entire sequence of events, an elegant handwriting that seemed scribbled but wasn’t replied.

-Thank you. It’s thanks to you that it ended at just that much.

Just that much? Ban’s sky-blue eyes filled with gloom. Then what had the Orma that Gail knows done?

-He’s the only one who goes crazy wanting to commit suicide. Enough to bet with a human king who didn’t recognize him, even leaving behind records of being a demon who doesn’t die even when killed, right?

-……Does this happen often?

-When it involves gods.

-Banan God seemed to quite like Orma-nim. But why does Orma-nim detest it so much? Does he hate other gods too, and everything related to gods, because he doesn’t want to become a god?

-It’s a bit different. Banan is…… did Orma tell you anything about the Sky Island?

-He did say that the treasures piled up there are a kind of inheritance.

-That’s it. Well, you could call it an inheritance…… should I say it’s closer to a gift given out of apology.

-Apologize? Didn’t you say it was an island gifted by Banan God?

-Right. I don’t know if it’s right to call it a gift, though. It might be more appropriate to say it was thrust upon him saying “at least take this” out of unbearable guilt.

After exchanging written conversation up to that point, the hypothesis he had set up in his head seemed to become increasingly clear. Ban hesitated and carefully wrote down his question.

-By any chance, is Banan God Orma-nim’s mother?

The answer didn’t come right away. Perhaps even Gail didn’t know how to explain such a complicated relationship.

-Both yes and no. It was Banan who first denied the relationship between the two, saying she had no relation to Orma whatsoever.

-I don’t quite understand what you mean.

-……Ban, do you know about the “God’s Play”?

God’s Play. At those words, the strength left Ban’s hand holding the pen.

Looking at the jewel embedded in his ring, Ban recalled Banan’s eyes he saw yesterday. I see. Those eyes too weren’t gold, and it was nothing more than a light dream without any value…… Yet my god broke down helplessly from that brief encounter.

When his thoughts reached that point, a sharp resentment toward Banan quietly rose and settled in Ban’s heart.