LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 660
Chapter: 660
Thanks to the gods I took out one by one, perhaps?
The gods beneath seemed to communicate their willingness to cooperate through Ganshu and Erginius, even though I hadn’t said a word.
Just goes to show, whether human or god, it’s faster to show rather than tell.
When they found themselves in a situation where they might get fed, only then do they get quick*.
Hearing the reports coming in one after another with satisfaction, I soon found myself facing a huge dilemma.
“It seems Lady Allen should stand before the other apostles.”
Gathered were me, Ganshu, the Perverted Apostle, Phoebe, and others related to the gods, and Erginius boldly spat out something insane.
“Have you been addicted to the smell of a chicken coop? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
“I don’t want to put you in the spotlight either. I wouldn’t want you giving a speech in front of a crowd! I know what kind of nonsense you’d start blabbering if you stood in front of everyone! Are you crazy?!”
“Pfft. Such a foolish way of thinking. You think you’ve become something because you’ve been hugging a rotten girl for hundreds of years?”
“Listen up! Lucy Allen! I’ve been told I’m a sympathy loser, and my one and only lover says you smell like a chicken coop! Can I honestly claim I don’t know the disaster your tongue could bring!?”
I bit my lip at Erginius’s outburst, soaked in frustration.
Why, knowing all that, would he force me to take the forefront?
If things go wrong, the Pope won’t be the problem anymore! Thanks to the Mesugaki Skill, a religious war could break out!
“It’s truly miserable to have to say this, but this is the reality. Lucy Allen. You have no choice but to step forward.”
“First, let me just talk. Please, Employer. It’ll be damn convincing.”
Taking a step back at Karia’s words, I raised an eyebrow as if to say, “Go on!”
Erginius thanked Karia, lifting a map of the continent onto the table.
“Thanks to Lady Allen’s efforts recently, most of the gods have promised cooperation. I can’t say what lies beneath that, but at least on the surface, they’re pretending to cooperate. The problem, however, is that a god’s opinion cannot become the opinion of the world.”
Unlike in the past when gods dwelled beside humans, today’s gods hold no influence over common believers.
Transmitting intent through apostles and a few others is possible, but forcing their opinions onto the faithful is impossible.
“The excuse to unite in the face of the world’s crisis is good! But just because the excuse is good doesn’t mean everything is resolved!”
Until the Age of Myth ended, those who took refuge in religion tended to lack a sense of reality.
With gods always by their side solving problems, there was no reason to consider the reality.
However, with the end of the Age of Myth, the situation changed.
There was a lack of money. There was no land. Places to pray were disappearing. The number of believers was dwindling.
What was once taken for granted was no longer so with the gods absent from the land.
Maintaining faith in this context couldn’t be done solely by dedication; one by one, religions began to take on a commercial aspect to survive.
“The efforts they made to survive aren’t bad. But the problem is that as religion became commercialized, they began to see other religions as competitors.”
With the shock of the gods’ disappearance, chaos reigned, making coexistence a nonexistent word.
For a single religion to survive, it had to crush another.
“The many religions currently existing are not friendly to each other. Especially those in similar regions have serious conflicts. They’re shouting heresy at each other and trying to wipe each other out.”
You can’t resolve centuries of religious conflict with a god’s single word.
Even if the god’s apostle desperately advocates for peace, it’s impossible for conflicts to be resolved overnight.
Is this world in danger?
Is the Evil God trying to resurrect and destroy the continent?
Do you think centuries of peace will shatter overnight?
Who would believe such words?
They live in a place that is peaceful yesterday, today, and tomorrow, so why should they believe that their daily lives will be turned upside down overnight?
“Humans are far more clever than most think and also more foolish than many believe. They will never believe in a crisis until something absurd happens right in front of them. Unless, for example, the Apostle of God doesn’t just suddenly appear.”
My very existence is like proof that this world is in crisis.
So I have to stand before them and convince everyone.
Despite the fact that Lucy Allen and the word persuasion are worlds apart, there’s no other way.
After hearing everything Erginius had to say, I squeezed my face in frustration and sighed.
Ugh. Are all these gods just a bunch of shoddy people!?
Why can’t they even convince their own believers?!
You guys call yourselves gods?! Isn’t it shameful to be praised like that despite your failures?!
[If you say that, it’ll come back to you. Even Lord Jushin couldn’t persuade properly.]
“Well, that’s because Lord Jushin is a shoddy pervert!”
<…Uh. Uh? >
Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen a divine proxy not get persecuted, have I?!
Why do they inflict trials on those acting on their behalf!?
If you’ve hired someone, you should at least create a proper environment for them to work! Why put burdens on their backs first!?
“…Can’t the Sloppy Saintess do it in my place? She has a bit of the Shoddy God’s divine grace too, right?”
“Lady, I’d like to ease your burdens, but currently, my status is far too symbolic as the face of the Jushin Church. Standing in the center as the representative of the Jushin Church that has earned the hatred of other religions will only breed resentment.”
Am I really the only one who can do this? As I pressed my forehead worried about what was to come, the Perverted Apostle grinned.
“Don’t worry. Young Lady. We’ll help you.”
Not a bit trustworthy at all.
“Ganshu will also actively cooperate.”
“Personally, I want to see him struggle, though.”
“You may say that, but I know you’ll do well.”
Still not a bit trustworthy at all.
*
As I swung my mace to dispel my worries about what was to come, Erginius’s plan moved forward bit by bit.
Under the orders of various gods, apostles from powerful religions across the land arrived at the kingdom.
They claimed it was due to the symbolism of being the first to face the attack of Evil God Agra, but the truth was it was simply more convenient to manage.
Originally, apostles despised stepping outside their territory, but this time was an exception.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Saintess of the Jushin Church with the apostles of the Artistic Church and Magic Church, plus the command from their gods.
Even so, there were those who did not cooperate; Erginius would handle that, so it wasn’t my concern.
Not that there was any energy to spare on that.
The real issue was what was right in front of me.
“You look beautiful as always, Young Lady.”
After dismissing the grinning Perverted Apostle, I entrusted my body to Erin.
I had worn my usual armor and cloak, but with someone else’s touch, it felt somehow different.
“I hope for a good outcome, Miss.”
After Erin’s farewell, I stepped outside, and the Perverted Apostle and Phoebe escorted me.
One side was the Saintess praised across the continent. The other was an artist sought after by countless nobles.
It was a sight everyone would find admirable, but the only thought in my head was:
I want to run away right now!
I feel like my disguise is going to rip!
Ever since I took a break from the academy, I hadn’t felt this kind of feeling, and now I have to walk into hell again!
“Lady Allen. I will open the door.”
“…Wait a moment.”
Blocking the Perverted Apostle as he reached for the door, I took a deep breath.
It’s okay. There’s nothing to worry about. I just have to step in there and prove I’m the Apostle of God.
The rest can be left to the pervert who made a little girl an apostle! After all, I made a plan with Grandpa yesterday!
“Alright. Young Lady. Let’s go.”
Seeing Phoebe’s bright smile, I returned a stiff grin.
Ugh. Can’t I just knock everyone inside out and force them to recognize me?!
It feels like it’d be easier to crush all the apostles rather than persuade them with words!
– Whoa-ho-ho. So Lady Allen can be this cute too?
Furrowing my brow at the voice from above, I was met with the tiny figure of the Fairy Queen.
– If only you showed this side of you more often.
“I’d prefer not to see you often. I feel like that chicken coop smell might rub off on me.”
– That’s just too much! You’ve changed the title for Lord Erginius, but why not for me?!
Well, I guess I’ll have to ask that slobby god.
Perhaps even asking him won’t yield answers. The Mesugaki Skill seems to swallow even the skills given by gods.
– Don’t be so stiff! I’ve come to help, you know? Despite how I look, I’m a pretty big deal, remember? I’ll endure some unpleasantness as long as I’m by your side!
Bang!
“Chit-chat, are we? Aren’t you coming in, kid? I didn’t come here to waste time because of you.”
Charging out was a red-haired boy with a cropped haircut.
He had a few noteworthy scars on his face, but I didn’t remember him.
Just a mob character that didn’t even appear in the game.
In Mesugaki lingo, he’s a zako, right?
“Does this look like it’s me suffering? Is that how it looks, a loser who can barely hold it together?”
– Oh my, would it be okay for me to talk about his passionate nights?
“Hey. Do you not see people here?”
Seeing the boy glaring at me, I thought to myself.
Because of this mob, I’ve already ruined a good atmosphere before it could even start.
So I guess it’s fine if I do things my way a little.
It ain’t my fault! This guy started it!
Right?
“What unnecessary chatter, I don’t know.”
I scattered fairies around. My view shifted.
“Just get to the point…”
The opponent ignored me. Also, didn’t even consider that he’d get attacked.
Confirming that, I reached out.
The muscular guy didn’t seem like a decoration, as he tried to react to my move, but my new vision was already on it.
My hand twisted in trajectory, catching his face.
He is an apostle, so even if I go a bit rough, he probably won’t die.
Applying force, I slammed his face into the ground, then stepped on the flailing guy’s manhood.
“Hey♡ Is this what you wanted?♡ You seem to enjoy the twitching, huh?♡ You disgusting pervert♡”
I finished by kicking his chin up, then, grinning in response to the wary gazes of the apostles.
“Pfft♡ What’s up, shoddies? Are you scared?♡”
This side really suits me.