< 94. A Spousal Dispute Ends in Decapitation (1) >
"…This concludes my testimony. I swear on my faith that all the details are true."
In the world classified as Dimension #77-102 by the committee.
The highest-ranking clergy of the Ela-Hoo-Praga sect were shocked by the testimony. The witness was an inquisitor dispatched to Earth. Three were sent, but only two returned. The 'head' that was to be retrieved could not be brought back.
Seeing that they returned empty-handed, the council members feared the worst. However, the testimony that emerged during the hearing far surpassed their imagination, whether in good or bad ways.
"Let's summarize."
The eldest member of the council spoke.
"Inquisitor, are you truly certain? The being you encountered on Earth… is it an incarnation sent by the deity we worship?"
The inquisitor responded in a calm tone.
"I have conveyed everything I experienced without exaggeration."
He even swore that it was true on his faith.
If he had sworn by the deity, his words might have carried a bit more weight. While no one had witnessed a priest losing their power for breaking a promise to a deity, there were many cases where priests who broke their oaths of faith were unable to use divine power.
Given that the former is a promise to a transcendent being and the latter is a promise regarding one's own belief, it was significant.
As a result, some researchers argue that divine power is not a gift from a divine being but a latent ability that manifests when one deeply believes in something. Though such claims are not widely accepted due to the lack of divine power users among the proponents.
"I understand that it may be difficult to accept easily. However, there is evidence."
The gathered priests could not immediately acknowledge the incarnation based solely on his testimony.
So, the inquisitor presented the evidence. A clear and undeniable token.
"My object of faith has already expanded. I firmly believe that the incarnation I encountered on Earth has touched our deity. Thus, the faith I offer to the deity is equally directed towards that being. And… look."
With a flash!
The inquisitor's hand emitted holy light.
The bishops present fell silent. The inquisitor had already confessed his faith. Therefore, if the being he declared to serve was not related to the deity of Ela-Hoo-Praga, he should have lost his divine power. A deity would not bestow grace upon an apostate. Yet he still retained his power.
Thus, it was impossible for the priests to deny the incarnation in this situation. To do so would require revising doctrine to suggest that even those with false beliefs could wield divine power. This would support the claims of some skeptics who argue that divine power is based on mortal belief rather than the existence of the divine.
The inquisitor then spoke as if to dispel the last remaining doubts.
"I swear again on my faith. I know no deity other than the glorious being who slumbers in Ela-Hoo-Praga."
He boldly declared that he was not an apostate who acknowledges the existence of multiple gods simultaneously.
For the next few days, fervent doctrinal debates took place among the council. The result was as everyone had anticipated.
"By unanimous decision, the Ela-Hoo-Praga Council will amend certain doctrines."
At that moment, the prisoner, who had disguised himself as a contract agent, was elevated to the rank of an incarnation worshipped by a sect.
Having declared this, the bishops began to discuss the future. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation and joy. The descent of the incarnation was the first major event since the establishment of their sect.
"There will be many things to correct."
"Why, of all forms, did the incarnation reside in this world as a paper of the committee and a sinner in need of reform? And why was the place of manifestation in such a distant peripheral dimension…"
"Perhaps it is to observe the world from the lowest and most miserable state?"
"Indeed, it is a blessed and truly fortunate occurrence."
"The timing of the manifestation is also impeccable. It cannot be a coincidence. It must be a miracle accompanying the process of the gods' awakening."
It was clear what needed to be agreed upon first.
How should they serve him in the future? Should prayers dedicated to the deity also be offered to the incarnation separately? Are changes needed in the form of worship?
The inquisitor hesitated before speaking.
"I asked such questions, but… the incarnation responded."
Upon hearing the subsequent words, the bishops wore serious expressions. The original response from the incarnation was much shorter, but the inquisitor's dignified translation of the message was…
I don't care how you serve me.
The bishops began a heated debate. The conclusion they reached was as follows:
"It is not possible to gauge the deity's intentions and thoughts by mortal standards. The form of worship we have maintained for so long was not revealed by the prophet but developed by the sect itself. The deity has directly informed us that such forms are irrelevant."
"From the deity's perspective, we would be like ants crawling over drops of blood on the sand. Even if those ants circle around the trace or tear apart other insects, it would hold little significance for the divinity."
"Isn't the essence more important than the form? It is our pure faith."
"Moreover, the essence of the following words… is that showing such scenes does not cause nightmares for the deity? The most terrifying materials for nightmares are already in the deity's memory."
Due to a single word from the prisoner, signs of a fundamental reform in the bizarre worship practices of the Ela-Hoo-Praga sect, which had been transmitted for a long time, began to emerge.
As their discussion began to quiet down, the inquisitor spoke again.
"In fact, there is something even more important."
The inquisitor had presented every detail of the sect to the incarnation. He felt it was necessary to demonstrate how faithfully they had served the deity.
The incarnation showed the greatest interest in the fact that the sect had diligently siphoned off and accumulated talents, and was preparing to awaken the gods in line with the upcoming 'cycle.'
"The incarnation said to me…"
"It would be better to put that on hold for now."
In the hideout of Bremenhaven, now virtually abandoned, Minjun spoke to the inquisitors, feeling a throbbing in his head.
To describe the internal world he was aware of now, it felt as if his body had been torn in half and then forcibly stitched back together. The sudden return of memories and his identity as a prisoner were not aligning properly, causing a disjointed return.
Yet his fundamental self was still the prisoner. Therefore, he was Minjun.
'Is it because the returned memories are incomplete?'
Despite only receiving a few scenes and concepts, there was a significant difference in his abilities.
The talent that emitted light like a torch from his palm was evidence of this. And the 'intuition' rising from the depths of his being upon hearing the inquisitors' stories was different from the misaligned premonitions of the prisoner.
'This is based on memory and experience.'
Thus, Minjun was certain.
Their methods were wrong.
Whether the prophet initially provided incorrect methods, or if the timing was problematic, or if the records had been distorted over time, he didn't know… but…
This way, they would not awaken those who were asleep.
Suppressing his headache, Minjun said.
"Put the ceremony on hold for now."
The inquisitors, initially perplexed, bowed their heads and agreed to share that.
Then Minjun pointed out the most concerning part of the story he had heard so far.
"About the talents that were siphoned off bit by bit from Ela-Hoo-Praga for that time."
Until now, Minjun had assumed that his obsession with cosmic currency was just a natural tendency.
Because he was a prisoner. And talents were the only key promising freedom.
He never imagined that this obsession was due to the fact that it was his blood, or the blood of his slumbering kin.
Although he was mistaken, what Minjun had actually yearned for was not the 'numbers' of talents recorded in the prisoner's account. He desired the physical form of the talents. It was only natural. Because it originally belonged to him. To them.
What had originally belonged to them had been seized by the committee.
"So, how much has been collected so far?"
Minjun's eyes widened when he heard the answer.
The inquisitor stammered as he spoke.
=If the incarnation desires, I will offer it at any time! I'll report to the council immediately…!=
"No, wait. If such a large amount of talents were transferred to the launch pad, the committee would notice right away. We need to think of a different method."
It was also risky to continue discussing this in the open. The committee must not learn that they had made contact. After erasing any traces, Minjun and the inquisitor agreed to synchronize their stories. The alibi for Johaim, who had mysteriously died instead of using divine magic, would be adjusted accordingly.
"I'll say that I fought Johaim before you arrived and obtained his head."
=So when we arrived here, all that remained was his corpse.=
Now that memories had begun to return, more might come back. Minjun decided to give precise instructions once he confirmed this. Given their current attitude, they seemed ready to follow any instructions faithfully.
'What exactly is the prophet's identity? Ultimately, their actions that led them to worship the 'primordial race' as gods… have resulted in a situation that's favorable to me now. It's almost as if they had foreseen the future.'
In keeping with the title of prophet.
'It's a bit too much to dismiss as coincidence…'
Minjun suggested they part ways for now and contact each other secretly. The inquisitor responded:
=In that case, one of us will stay behind to secretly serve you. We'll use the excuse of continuing to track the archbishop's corpse. Officially, our sect is unaware of the corpse's whereabouts.=
Inter-dimensional communication was at risk of being intercepted by the committee. However, if one priest remained behind, it would be possible to exchange messages with other priests in a way that would not be detected by them.
"So we should meet in Ela-Hoo-Praga through astral projection."
=Yes, since it's such a vast place, it would be impossible to encounter each other without prearranging a location and time, but we have set markers for such situations.=
Minjun thought he would need to inquire further about how to enter Ela-Hoo-Praga in an astral state. His gaze shifted to Ha-eun Seong, who had a nervous expression.
Noticing that their conversation was coming to an end, the dragon urgently shouted:
=Wait a moment! I have one more question…!=
The question the dragon had been holding onto was also a point of curiosity for Minjun.
=The dagger!=
The inquisitors were holding a sword that perfectly matched the one embedded in Ha-eun Seong's neck. It was clear that the murderer was connected to the Dreamland sect.
=There are people among Earthlings who have one of these swords, right? Who are they?=
In response to their confusion, Ha-eun Seong briefly explained that he had seen someone wielding the sword on Earth, but he left out the details.
However, the inquisitors shook their heads.
=The Holy Sword is a sacred artifact that is only permitted for use by our kind. Even among the Lepatam, it is forbidden to handle it without the proper qualifications, and in ordinary circumstances, it cannot be transported outside this dimension.=
They continued to provide answers that did not meet Ha-eun Seong's expectations.
=Divine Dragon, it seems you are mistaken. Since the death of the one just now, we are the first Lepatam to visit this dimension. Therefore, no one could have wielded the Holy Sword here a few months ago across all dimensions.=
Despite the rapid promotion from a mentally deficient dragon to a divine dragon in a single day, Ha-eun Seong was far from pleased. In his icy and angry state, he shouted.
=That's impossible! That person definitely…!=
Minjun, who had been listening silently, waved his hand.
"Let's leave the rest for later. Decide quickly which one of you three will accompany me. Since we can't travel together on the plane, let me know where we'll meet again."
Then he turned to Ha-eun Seong.
"I'm also concerned about your story. What did the murderer who killed you look like?"
=What did they look like…=
As Ha-eun Seong began to answer, he suddenly felt his mind go blank.
"What? I'm asking what they looked like?"
Ha-eun Seong had just realized, for the first time since his death, how unpleasant it was to recall his final moments. He had intentionally avoided remembering them, but the memories still clawed at him occasionally, like now when he saw the alien swords.
In those brief recollections, the sensations were always the same. Himself desperately fleeing. The shadow of the murderer calmly pursuing. The sharp blade soaring through the air. The low whispering.
But among them… none of it was there.
=How come I never found it strange until now?=
He muttered in astonishment.
=It can't be. I… I saw it. I definitely saw it!=
Even though he was sure he had seen it, there remained a blank spot as if it had been carved out.
Ha-eun Seong could not recall the face of the person who had killed him.
< 94. 부부싸움은 칼로 목베기 (1) > End