“Y-yes……”
Amid the deathly silence, only Ban answered with a sour expression. Well, they say a sister-in-law who intervenes is more hateful than a tormenting mother-in-law…… isn’t that how it is? Why are you stepping forward to give punishment when you just stood by and watched too? Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t a completely incomprehensible way of thinking.
“Then what kind of punishment would Orma-nim…… give?”
“Well, do I have to punish them?”
Oh…… It was an uncharacteristically merciful statement for Orma. However, whether Orma knew his apostle’s eyes had become bright and sparkling or not, he thought for a moment before starting to pull out things that weren’t even organized yet.
“How about just exterminating the race? By the way, for me, death is closer to a reward than punishment, you know? Yeah, that’s a bit annoying…… Trying to die comfortably, that’s quite brazen. But if we’re talking about confining them, isn’t the Black Wildwood too comfortable? It’s a good death, a peaceful death. Rather, I could confine them in the hell where I was, Rima……”
“……Th-then wouldn’t they die? Ordinary humans can’t withstand Rima’s temperature.”
“Ah, they can’t resurrect? Ha…… Giving punishment is also difficult and bothersome work.”
I don’t know. They’re already being punished by Muhwi anyway, so is there any need to think about it? Orma said that and shrugged his shoulders.
His tone was light, whether or not he knew that the faces of the snake tribe who had been listening to what he just said had lost all color, and they were trembling and looking at him with expressions like death row inmates awaiting execution.
However, it was still too early to feel relieved. Orma’s golden eyes gleamed as he chuckled again.
“You’ll soon realize that living and breathing is suffering. How enviable, being able to die when you want to die. Ah, yes. I thought of a good punishment. How about you all try living eternally in this state too? Even if hot, stinging flames burn your entire body, you won’t die. Like the black grass scattered around here! Your body that just burned and disappeared regenerates, and then the flames burn that spot again, the pain repeats. If you want to live eternally even like that, I’ll gladly bestow my blessing.”
……It was truly befitting the Evil God. Ban recalled that Orma had the power to maintain or fix things and hurriedly shook his head to stop him.
“D-do you really need to use your power to punish these people, Orma-nim? They’re already being punished by God Muhwi anyway…… and as Orma-nim can see, this place is already no different from a living hell, isn’t it?”
Fortunately, Orma shut his mouth at his apostle’s earnest plea while sweating profusely. You should know how lucky you are, I’m letting you off because my good apostle is pretty…… Thinking that to himself, he let out a sneer and turned his head away.
“……It’s not wrong. This place is already hell. It’s been well over a month since it became like this, and once someone touches the sacred fire, they ultimately burn to death on the spot.”
The snake tribe elder, who had been quietly listening to Orma and Ban’s conversation while still prostrate, spoke.
Their destruction was already predetermined. They say even a cornered rat will bite a person. If they were fated to die anyway, they wanted to try everything they could. Driven by desperation, they tried every method to survive.
Even discovering and kidnapping Jaena, who was unluckily passing nearby, was merely an action for that slim possibility. The snake tribe trapped in a field where eternally burning fire never goes out were no different from being placed in a hot pot waiting for death.
‘So…… well, it’s a pitiful situation.’
Ban let out a small sigh and thought that. Actually, he had intended to save Jaena, but he had no intention of clearing the ‘Hidden Quest’ itself that told him to save them through evangelization.
The reason was simple. The purpose of this journey he had set was solely to stop the destruction and end the calamity. And at the center of it was Orma.
Whether he had set foot in the game world or was newly born…… such things no longer mattered to Ban at all anymore. After cutting away all the unnecessary branches that needlessly complicated his mind, the only one remaining was Orma.
Thus he became the very reason Ban lived in this world.
But wasn’t that Orma longing for death and fearing becoming a complete god? Though he didn’t know how to make it happen, Ban worried about Orma. He hoped somehow that Orma would be happy and wished for Orma to act as he wanted.
Of course, if that process required unnecessary deaths or suffering of others, he would hesitate, but anyway, so far Orma had surprisingly listened well to Ban’s advice or requests and behaved obediently.
However, since Ban had this mysterious system window, Orma’s changes occurred by force majeure. Until now he had only observed carefully, but now it was certain. When faith rises, Orma gradually gets closer to becoming a ‘god.’
Saving the snake tribe through evangelization? At a glance, it would be simply solved by removing the prohibition on them and extinguishing the sacred fire. But if that happened, faith would rise saying he’d cleared the quest, and Orma would face another change.
He didn’t know what kind of change it would be. Perhaps it could be a positive change. Like the prayers of apostles and believers reaching him that Orma thinks nothing of, he might consider it nothing special. But if by any chance that change made Orma anxious……
“Look at this, Ban. Look at what my body is like now.”
The image of Orma, who had been soaked in blood after creating sharp darkness himself and cutting his own flesh and even carving out bone, was branded deeply like a seal in Ban’s mind. He had a sad face as if no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t deny that he had become a monster. How heartbreaking and dizzying that sight was. Ban never wanted to see that shocking and terrible state again.
Trauma…… Yes, that incident had become trauma. Now Orma’s anxiety was Ban’s anxiety.
So it was unfortunate for the snake tribe, but he had no intention of helping them. If only they hadn’t been related to the quest, or if the quest content had simply been to find Jaena, it might have been different. If that were the case, he would have pitied them and asked Orma if he could save them.
He knew that leaving them like this meant they would die, and so he felt guilty, but still……
Everything visible around was pitch black and bright red. The snake tribe all seemed to have accepted death and resigned themselves to it. No one drew even a point of hope, but since they had done everything they could and it just hadn’t worked out, they seemed to have no regrets.
……Uum. Ban couldn’t bear to look until the end at the guilt that welled up again and bowed his head deeply. He tried to think of any excuse to ignore and pass by these people.
Mm, yes. His god was merciless anyway. A terrible pessimist, full of only pessimistic thoughts…… He envied and was jealous of everything that could die. Even now, all he was probably thinking about was envying the death that would befall them. So if I don’t ask him to save them, he absolutely won’t……
“So what should we do, Ban?”
“……What?”
“How should I save these things? Should I break the prohibition that trapped them here? Or should I extinguish the sacred fire?”
Surprisingly, Orma asked how to save the snake tribe with an annoyed face. Asking how he should save them.
……Orma! His god! Was thinking of saving them first without Ban even saying anything!
Ban was so shocked that he couldn’t even answer and just gasped “Huk” while staring blankly at Orma.
“……What, why are you staring like that?”
Who are you, you’re not Orma! Ban desperately held back wanting to shout that and swallowed his saliva.
Shock soon led to emotion. ……My child, a-ah no, my god…… has become kind. He said he’d save humans first without even being asked! Unable to say such things to anyone, he just cried out inwardly in emotion. Orma suggesting to save humans first. This is the miracle, what else could be a miracle?
“No, why……”
Orma himself was flustered and didn’t know what to do when Ban’s clear sky-blue eyes sparkled and tears welled up.
Did I say something wrong? Seeing him bow his head deeply while listening to the snake tribe’s story, it was clear he felt sorry for and pitied them. He thought Ban had been worrying about what to say to get the ill-tempered Evil God to save them. Tsk tsk, my needlessly kind and gentle apostle……
Orma simply spoke first after recalling Ban’s face that had turned pale this morning saying he had a nightmare. One way or another, Ban would surely be willing to help them.
“Orma-nim……”
But why is he like this? What’s with this burdensome gaze? At first, he looked like he was about to cry, so his thinking stopped for a moment. But then Ban clasped both hands as if in prayer and looked at him with an expression full of emotion.
Orma blinked blankly in bewilderment, not knowing that during this time Ban had been thinking inwardly ‘Have I been tainted by Orma? Is it right to ignore them and leave? Did I fall into corruption as the Evil God’s apostle……’ before falling into belated self-reflection. Eventually, Ban, who had finished his contemplation and repentance, spoke with a determined face.
“If Orma-nim will only permit it, I will personally save these people.”
“……”
Overwhelmed by that blindly upright gaze, Orma couldn’t even answer and only nodded.
