Chapter 23

“Miss Elzer’s world?”

“Yes.”

The question that should have been asked here was, “Why?” As of now, Elzer had not done anything significant to Cecenia. It was the Elzer of the future who had tormented and made her suffer.

She had been shameless and had made every moment of her life painful.

Preparing for any questions, Cecenia clenched her skirt tightly. But no questions came. It was as if everything was already known.

“Lisbet.”

Was it because this was a temple where the words of the gods resided, demanding truth? Cecenia had sworn many times not to ask Lisbet anything and not to tell her anything. Yet, her lips moved slowly.

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you ask?”

“What?”

“You must be curious… Why don’t you ask anything? As if you already know everything.”

“…Well. I just want to trust you, my lady. I am just a maid who wants to make sure you are never in danger and always happy. Do I need a reason for that?”

The bright smile of her maid was quite different from the past image Cecenia remembered.

“I see.”

“Is there anything you wish to ask me?”

“No. I just… want you to believe in me. Even if something seems strange, even if something is hard to understand. Just believe in me, over and over again. Because in this world… even the gods do not know everything.”

Lisbet’s hand touched Cecenia’s, which was still clenched tightly around her skirt.

“Yes!”

Once again, Lisbet returned to the cheerful maid Cecenia knew. She was smiling brightly, and that smile eased Cecenia’s unease.

What truly mattered?

‘Rather than knowing everything, having someone stay by your side despite knowing the truth is more important.’

While thinking this, the two of them arrived at the prayer room of the third moon. Then, a priest who had gone to report to the High Priest came running toward them, his forehead covered in sweat.

“The High Priest will be here soon. But since he is the High Priest, he said other senior priests would be coming with him, so please wait.”

“That was faster than expected.”

“Ah! Yes, it was. I ran here to tell you as soon as possible, but the High Priest will take a little longer.”

“We’ll go inside.”

“Yes.”

With those words, Cecenia stepped into the prayer room. Inside was a relic of Lowric, the god said to take the form of a child. Since it was a prayer room, the relic was placed in front, appearing small, with about five chairs arranged inside.

Light filled the room through colorful stained-glass windows, giving the space a sacred atmosphere. Just being inside made it feel as if one’s faith was deepening.

“My lady.”

It was at that moment. As if to disrupt the divine mercy, Lisbet stood before her.

“Yes?”

“In your world, I wish you were the god.”

“What…?”

“This might be considered blasphemous… But I wanted to say it. That no one should be able to shake you, that your steps should shape the path, that your world should be formed, that each day should awaken because of you. That was all I wanted to say. In this world, the only truly free being is a god. That’s why I said it.”

Having spoken, Lisbet twisted her body awkwardly, as if embarrassed.

“Just… pretend I didn’t say anything.”

“Thank you. I really wish that could be true. A world where everything goes my way.”

In such a world, she could take her revenge freely. She wouldn’t need to hesitate or weigh her options—everything would happen as she desired. If she were a god… she could make it happen.

Just then—

As if to deny her very thoughts, a piece of the relic shaped after Lowric fell with a small thud. It was a trivial sound, but in the quiet prayer room, it echoed clearly.

“It seems the god is quite displeased.”

“…Will I be punished?”

“No. If such a small thing were punishable… then the god would be petty. Don’t worry. The god is not so idle as to watch over every single one of us. And if punishment is given… I will take it in your place.”

From the moment she vowed revenge, she had already expected divine punishment. Hurting someone went against the god’s will. No matter how much her sister had wronged her, the temple’s doctrine said she had to forgive everything.

But Cecenia had no intention of forgiving.

‘If the god ever reaches out to me, I only hope that moment is far in the future.’

What Cecenia feared was not the punishment itself but a future where she could do nothing before it arrived.

At that moment, someone knocked on the prayer room door.

“Yes.”

“Saintess Cecenia, the High Priest has arrived.”

“Come in.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the prayer room door opened. An old man, whose age was difficult to guess, entered. Recognizing him, Cecenia bowed her head.

“Cecenia Vestel greets the Apostle of the God, the High Priest.”

“It has been a while, Saintess Cecenia Vestel. Unlike others, you did not seek me out even after coming to the temple. I was feeling quite disappointed.”

With a chuckle, the man stepped inside. Despite his appearance, he was quite robust. He looked as though he could pass away at any moment, but in reality, he was not that old—only seventy.

Compared to past High Priests, who lived up to a hundred, he was still young. In fact, he had lived longer than Cecenia in her past life, and perhaps even beyond that. He was not as he seemed.

“I apologize.”

“What brings Lady Cecenia Vestel to the temple?”

“The god has granted me strength. Should I not at least offer prayers of gratitude?”

“For that, you seem quite eager to meet me directly.”

He smiled as he looked at her closely. His white hair and deeply wrinkled face carried the marks of age, but his expression was kind. And he was far sharper than he appeared.

“Is that so? Then, let’s get straight to the point. High Priest.”

“Oh? So there is a direct reason you sought me out.”

“Yes.”

Cecenia’s gaze turned to the senior priest beside him.

Among the temple priests, some followed the High Priest with extreme devotion. They rejected reforms, preferring the temple to remain as it was. Even after the presence of the gods had faded, they continued to believe. Among them, Senior Priest Ray was particularly stubborn.

He had grown up safely thanks to the High Priest and the temple, a story common to many. Because of that, he zealously protected the High Priest, cutting off anyone who could harm him.

And now, to him, Cecenia—who had abruptly requested a meeting—did not seem welcome.

“Rather than hiding and speaking in circles, I think it’s best to be direct.”

The High Priest’s lips curled slightly, as if intrigued.

“What do you intend to say?”

“I will be the voice of the temple. So please, help me.”