God exists, and He is called 'Iggokden'—
Erin had never forgotten that moment.
The first time, when the sky split open and the spear of judgment flew, slaughtering the band of thieves to the letter.
'God exists...!'
Now, she no longer doubted the existence of God.
After all, she had heard His voice. To doubt His existence at this point would be the height of sacrilege, wouldn't it?
There were times when phrases that couldn't be interpreted by any sentence, like 'Thank you for the 10,000 won donation', were heard—but how could a mere human, a creation, fully understand the will of God?
Erin remembered what the nun who looked after the village children when she was young used to say:
"The Saintess is the only one on the continent who can hear the voice of God. Or rather, she becomes the Saintess because she heard His voice."
When Erin was a child, in times when the village was still relatively peaceful, she was a girl full of curiosity. An ordinary girl of her age, often showing interest in the seemingly trivial.
"What happens if someone hears the voice but doesn't become the Saintess?"
When she asked this thoughtless question, the nun gently patted her head with a very kind expression.
Perhaps because her touch was so warm, or maybe because of what she said next, that moment became one of the most memorable pieces of peace in Erin's life.
"The moment you hear the voice, everyone realizes their destiny to become the Saintess. And humans cannot defy this fate. They naturally come to know it."
Like water flows from high to low.
Like morning naturally turns into noon, then into night with its silent darkness, and then back to morning when the moon disappears...
One naturally accepts that fate, she said.
I see.
I think I understand now.
Now, Erin felt she understood what the nun meant.
The boundless grace of Iggokden filled her once-empty heart.
Becoming God's apostle meant simply 'knowing'—it was an automatic understanding.
'Become the Saintess.'
'Go to the Pope and tell him you've heard God's voice'
To do nothing after hearing God's voice would be a sin against herself, the great God, and even all the people of the continent.
The village, devastated by the plague.
Leaving behind her family and friends, all dead... Erin started her long journey.
The journey was a bizarre spectacle to any third party.
Throughout her travel, she did only two things.
Walking towards the direction of the Papal See, and praying.
If there were troubles, ask God for help.
If God favors you, everything will be accomplished—
From the moment she heard God's voice, this sentence felt like an absolute truth in her mind.
"Our only God, Iggokden. I humbly ask of you, please have mercy on this young lamb once more. Allow me the opportunity to overcome trials and deliver your words...!!"
When she prayed like this and slowly opened her eyes... all problems were solved.
A series of miracles!
Erin always prayed when she needed food and water, or a place to sleep.
When she closed her eyes and prayed sincerely, then slowly opened them—hot food and clean water would appear before her.
When she needed a safe place to sleep, a cave would suddenly appear where there was nothing.
Food and shelter were essential for her journey to become the Saintess, so she had no hesitation in praying for them.
The problem was something else— wanting to bathe.
'I feel so dirty...'
Although she managed to get clean clothes through prayer, her body wasn't in the best state, having fled from the village.
She would wash her face and hands and feet when she encountered rivers along the way, but as long as she was in human flesh, the desire to bathe was inevitable.
However, how absurd would it be to pray to God, who was already taking care of her, just to ask for a bath!
While food and shelter were necessary for survival and could be requested without hesitation, for other things, she preferred to solve them with her own strength, as that was her honest feeling.
But... she was still just a young girl, barely twenty.
A normal girl who, until recently, nearly died at the hands of bandits.
Even though she had declared to walk the path of asceticism after receiving divine inspiration, she couldn't easily shake off such a basic desire as wanting to be clean.
'For someone serving the One True God, Iggokden, keeping oneself pure must be important... maybe He would understand this small request...?'
With that thought, she closed her eyes tightly and made her first personal request in prayer.
"Iggokden, please, I would like the chance to bathe. I will serve you with a cleaner body. Please...!"
And the result... a hot spring was bubbling before her.
'Iggokden...! He granted my wish...!!'
Her first bath since returning from the village.
Without any hesitation, she undressed and entered the hot spring. She didn't worry about someone finding her; Iggokden wouldn't allow such a thing.
As she expected, her bath time was peaceful and quiet.
While soaking in the water, easing her fatigue, Erin naturally pondered:
'Does Iggokden find me endearing...?'
But she soon regretted that thought.
Even so, to think that God might find her cute was far too irreverent.
The reason He granted her this whim must be because she is destined to become the Saintess. With that in mind, as she was about to immerse herself again in the hot water—
<
'This is...!!!'
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.
This was the voice of God...?
'No.'
It wasn't Iggokden voice, but she naturally knew it was someone speaking on His behalf.
As if she had always known.
<
'...!!!'
Pleased with her...?
That word felt different from a simple 'divine message'.
<<
"Wait, just a moment!"
She shouted without realizing, but of course, there was no response.
The voice in her head had already faded away.
Wait a minute.
What exactly does it mean to be 'pleased'?
Wasn't it just because I'm destined to be the Saintess that my prayers were answered?
But what troubled her more was the latter part.
'To remember that I am a woman even after becoming the Saintess... what does that mean...?'
Her heart was pounding.
Erin, as if pushed by her heartbeat, submerged herself deeper into the bath.
Only when she was neck-deep in the water did she realize her face was flushed.
And this heartbeat... it felt different from when she first received Iggokden's miracle.
Not the sacred resolve to face her savior, but rather, the feelings of a woman, literally.
Since deciding to walk the path of the Saintess, she had never harbored such an irreverent thought.
'Calm down, Erin... calm down...'
Maybe I misheard... no, that's impossible.
Let's not deny ourselves now.
From the moment she was saved, her life was no longer her own but belonged to Iggokden, who saved her.
Deciding to walk the path of the Saintess was also out of a sense of duty, but more so because she wanted to dedicate her remaining life to Iggokden without hesitation.
Yes. It was foolish to question the words of Iggokden to begin with.
'If Iggokden wishes for me to be a woman, then I shall be one. There's nothing more to it. My body and soul are already His.'
To serve with all her heart and soul.
That is what it means to devote oneself to God.
And so, Erin's once empty heart was slowly, but surely, being colored by the presence of 'Iggokden'.