Free Web Novel“Even if our god had not been completely annihilated, there was no method until now. That is why those fragments remained scattered like this.”
A being that had unquestionably died.
Yet considering the level of that existence—
“But now things are different.”
Stories of resurrection after death were hardly uncommon.
“After enough time passed, descendants capable of awakening that being’s divinity finally appeared... us!”
Her eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“We who can carry out our god’s commands and act in place of its power!”
With those words.
She knelt before the fragment.
“Our merciful parent, O System. Your children have come before you.”
The corpse was still rotting.
Shin Youngjun stared blankly at it and thought.
‘Their doctrine.’
That doctrine.
Naturally, he had assumed they had created it themselves.
“As you commanded... I have brought the child you cherish most.”
A faith that had not existed before the apocalypse.
Since it was a newly formed religion, he had thought its followers must have established the doctrine on their own.
But he had been wrong.
Ding.
A sound rang in his ears.
And.
[Excellent.]
A small rectangular window floated before his eyes.
—Excellent... indeed.
Along with it.
Came the struggling voice of the dying corpse.
Making the highest-level awakened individual their leader.
All those doctrines and rituals.
—You have carried out a difficult request admirably....
Every single one of them.
Had possessed an unmistakably clear reason behind them.
The fallen corpse’s mouth never moved at all.
Yet the voice was unquestionably coming from within it.
—You have rendered great service....
And then.
Part of that decayed body suddenly swelled enormously.
The flesh bulged grotesquely like a festering boil.
Pop....
Then.
A chunk dropped from the body with a wet thud.
—I shall reward you....
That grotesque lump of flesh repeatedly twisted and reshaped itself in midair.
Before gradually taking on a definite form.
And the completed shape was—
[Legatus Dagger]
An antique dagger.
[Legatus Dagger]
[A relic imbued with sacred power, a holy relic.]
[The meaning carried within this dagger, granted as a reward for deep faith, is that of the highest-ranking representative.]
[It proves that the wielder of this dagger is a ruler entrusted with sacred authority.]
The dagger slowly descended to the floor before settling into Lee Haein’s hands.
To Shin Youngjun.
The description attached to that item felt all too familiar.
Items he had seen not long ago.
Objects with effects so powerful they bordered on incomprehensible.
And the phrase they had all shared in common.
‘Holy relic....’
A sacred relic.
The origin of such objects.
Was none other than the flesh of the god they worshipped.
—My child.
And then.
Its voice turned toward Shin Youngjun.
—I know the suffering you have endured. Because I was inadequate, my descendants were forced to suffer pain they should never have experienced.
“.......”
—I am glad you have chosen to stand beside your brothers and sisters. Lead your siblings well. I am sorry to place such a heavy burden upon you... but I promise you this much.
And then.
The voice quietly faded away.
—One day I shall return... and bring your suffering to an end.
***
That final sentence.
Marked the end of the voice.
Return?
As Shin Youngjun stood there blankly with his mouth slightly open at those words.
Lee Haein, who had kept her head bowed, slowly rose to her feet.
“Unfortunately... our Lord System is currently in a greatly weakened state.”
With a sorrowful expression.
She looked toward the fragment that had fallen silent.
“The more faith we gather and the more offerings we present, the more its power slowly recovers. However, most of that recovered power is then spent creating holy relics for our sake.”
“.......”
“Because of that, even holding a long conversation is difficult. It only briefly grants audiences to important individuals destined to become executives of the Order, instructing us on the doctrines and duties we must fulfill.”
At those words.
Shin Youngjun blankly stared at the corpse.
The items that possessed strength beyond comprehension.
The memories he had felt the moment he entered this place.
And even—
[One day I shall return... and bring your suffering to an end.]
The translucent rectangular windows floating before his eyes.
The identity and origin of this being.
And even the way it had been helping them.
The evidence was overwhelmingly clear.
“...Still, this time it spoke unusually long.”
And that very being.
“Perhaps it forced out what little strength remained simply to leave words of encouragement for Your Holiness.”
Had promised to return to him.
“This also seems to be something prepared for Your Holiness.”
As she spoke.
Lee Haein handed the dagger in her grasp to Shin Youngjun.
“As Lord System recovered its strength, it created relics for our sake. It supports our survival with everything it has.”
Which made it all the more understandable.
Why the believers had reacted with such horror when the holy relics were lost.
Those relics were proof that their god loved them.
“Of course, these are not items that can be created endlessly. They are granted only after accomplishing great achievements that aid in its recovery.”
She pressed the dagger into Shin Youngjun’s hand.
“The power contained within this dagger seems to rank among the strongest holy relics we have ever received.”
“In other words.”
Smile.
“It means Lord System considers the mere fact that Your Holiness joined us to be an achievement of immense value.”
They had lost countless holy relics.
Yet merely bringing Shin Youngjun here had resulted in another being bestowed. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Meaning that the “System” placed tremendous value upon him.
“I too... believe that Your Holiness will live up to that faith.”
At those words.
Shin Youngjun looked down at her quietly for a moment.
“I’ll do my best.”
Then.
He took hold of the dagger.
***
“You said the army composed of those monsters was created through the ‘crown’?”
“Yes, that is correct. We refer to them as the divine army.”
After that.
The new pope of the Order officially began his activities.
“And you also said the power within that crown requires recharging.”
“Yes. At present, all stored power was consumed in the process of guiding Your Holiness into the faith, so it is currently recharging.”
Deep within the inner sanctuary.
Before the entrance leading to the chamber where the “System” resided.
A massive throne stood.
A pure white throne so enormous it seemed capable of touching the ceiling of the vast hall itself.
Countless people gathered within the hall gazed toward the figure seated upon it as though worshipping a god.
“Then does that mean the crown is unnecessary for now?”
“That is not the case. There are still certain monsters we believe can be transformed into soldiers for the System through the crown.”
Then.
The old man furrowed his brow regretfully as he continued.
“Originally, they should already have been reborn as members of the divine army through the crown long ago, however....”
At that.
The pope, resting his chin against one hand as he listened, glanced sideways at the old man and let out a faint chuckle.
“So it was delayed because of me.”
“...Pardon?”
At once.
The old man answering his questions.
Cardinal Jung Suhwan hurriedly lowered his head in panic.
“T-That was not my intention at all...!”
Cold sweat poured down the old man’s face.
Until only recently, he had stood at the top of the Order as its supreme leader.
Now that this pope had emerged as the new ruler.
He was also the person most familiar with all the information the new leader required.
Which was why he currently stood here answering questions as part of a transfer of authority.
However.
“I absolutely did not mean to insult Your Holiness...!”
He was not only a former leader of the Order.
He was also the very man who had once cut off the current pope’s head.
Even if faith had been implanted into them.
Their personalities and memories themselves had not changed drastically.
Nobody could know what feelings that pope might harbor toward the cardinal who had severed his neck.
“To think the cardinal would dare speak in a manner disrespectful to His Holiness.”
“How arrogant.”
The surrounding believers murmured among themselves.
Hearing them, the cardinal inwardly cried out in disbelief.
‘As if they themselves weren’t planning to do far worse than I did...!’
Every believer who had lost a holy relic harbored immense fury toward Shin Youngjun.
Had anyone else found him instead, they likely would not have hesitated to treat him even more brutally.
The cardinal felt utterly wronged.
‘If he wishes to punish me... I cannot refuse.’
According to their doctrine.
They were obligated to obey the commands of the new leader.
No matter what punishment was handed down using those words as justification, he had no right to resist.
And so, drenched in cold sweat with his eyes squeezed shut—
“Do not blame the cardinal.”
A voice rang out from atop the throne.
“And Cardinal, raise your head.”
“...?”
“One cannot even make a joke anymore. There is no need to be so terrified. I did not speak to humiliate you.”
The figure seated upon the throne.
Shin Youngjun looked down at him and spoke.
“Though we may have experienced unfortunate events in the past, those are merely matters of the past. Now we are brothers serving the same being, are we not?”
“Ah....”
“Whether what you did back then was truly correct may be debatable. However, it was not enough to make me question your faith. If your actions did not violate doctrine, then ultimately it becomes a matter between you and me alone.”
A faint smile spread across Shin Youngjun’s face.
“I shall say this clearly here and now—I hold absolutely no grudge over what happened back then.”
“...!”
“No one is to condemn the cardinal over that incident.”
At his words.
The believers bowed their heads.
“As Your Holiness commands....”
And.
Watching that scene, the cardinal blankly parted his lips in astonishment.
‘To show mercy to the man who severed his head.’
No matter what had happened in the past.
The cardinal too now acted in accordance with faith in the System.
Though he had once opposed Shin Youngjun.
That had only been because Shin Youngjun was not yet a believer.
And opposing an awakened outsider was not particularly contrary to doctrine.
‘How merciful...!’
Now things were different.
A hero deeply loved by the System and a brother within the faith.
Such a person was an object of admiration and respect to all believers.
“Thank you...!”
Yet that very man had shown him mercy.
And openly declared he would not hold the past against him.
The old man lowered his head with an expression full of emotion.
“Anyway, hm....”
Then.
The merciful pope, Shin Youngjun, quietly muttered:
“So the crown originally had somewhere else it was meant to be used.”
“Yes, that is correct. But why do you ask...?”
“In that case.”
And then.
The pope smiled lightly.
“You’ve been collecting the corpses of the monsters you hunted, haven’t you?”
“...?”
“Could you guide me there?”
