Chapter 03
“Really, why in the world…?”
Is this god really the ‘God of Creation’?
I spent the whole day listening to Arte’s long, detailed story.
I found out why he can’t currently reveal his presence in the human world, what he meant by his children getting tired of him and leaving, and everything else.
Along with that, I even learned the hidden secret of the novel I wrote, <Ezel: The Men of the Saintess>.
His lengthy complaints weren’t boring at all; in fact, they were informative. No, more than informative, they were shocking.
Yeah, so it’s only natural to react like this!
“So, to summarize, you *are* the God of Creation, but you’re saying you’re scared of humans?”
Even as I said it, it felt absurd. I mean, what kind of God of Creation is like this?!
“Y-you said you’d console me! You’re so mean….”
“Aren’t you the one who’s being mean, Lord Arte?”
The reason the venerable God of Creation remains as a mere religious faction, a mere shell, is because he’s scared of humans?
If the God of Creation’s mind and spirit are this fragile…
“It’s not like humans are some bomb button that’ll explode if you press it wrong….”
He says his desire to help is as great as a chimney, but even Arte himself seems unable to get a handle on it.
‘Does he see humans as fragile chicks, or as dynamite about to explode?’
“What’s the point of mustering up the courage to help? I can’t even say, ‘The god who helped you is me, Arte!’”
If Korea has Hong Gildong, then this world has Arte.
‘But at least Hong Gildong resented not being able to call his father ‘Father’.’
This god didn’t even have a shred of a reason to feel resentful. When humans asked, ‘Oh! Just who are you?’, he’d hem and haw and eventually blurt out the names of his own children to evade the question.
And as time passed, he even sent his children to help the humans who were begging for assistance.
What’s more, he’d grab the hem of the clothes of the children who said they didn’t want to go and cry his eyes out.
“*You guys are better at this than me! Eh, Envy-ya~. Can’t you go help them? Hiiing….*”
‘All just because he was afraid to step forward himself.’
And those children are the currently existing four gods.
“B-but, my children are governing well, aren’t they?”
“That’s the problem. The God of Creation should govern the world, so why are you pushing all the responsibility onto the other gods?”
After neglecting things like that, he started living as a recluse, a hikikomori?
And it’s not just being a recluse. Apparently, he felt lonely, so he started snooping around other dimensions. That’s how he discovered ‘Earth,’ he says.
He got hooked on Korean sub-culture, specifically novels, and after floundering for a while, he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
And that was…
“So, the novel I saw in my dream and wrote… it was all part of Lord Arte’s plan…?”
It was to start missionary work in another world.
Since he couldn’t intervene directly, he randomly showed the future through dreams to several humans, including me.
I was one of the ones who got caught, and I wrote a novel based on that content as if possessed.
‘No, wait. Since it’s something that will actually happen in the future, strictly speaking, it’s a memoir.’
A hollow laugh escaped me, and I couldn’t help the feeling of powerlessness that washed over me.
‘I thought I had finally succeeded on my own.’
To find out it was all part of a god’s plan… what a hollow, meaningless conclusion.
‘Well, it’s not like I’m some kind of genius or something.’
There’s no way I, who had only been an aspiring writer until then, could have concocted such a story in my dreams just like that.
‘Ugh, what good does feeling empty about it now do? I’m already dead, so I need to shake off these regrets quickly!’
Of course, it wasn’t that easy. The happiness I so desperately wanted, my novel’s huge success, was right within reach…
I forced back the tears that threatened to fall and let out a deep sigh.
A pointless feeling of irritation welled up. I glared at Arte with my slightly narrowed eyes.
“You can’t even approach the humans in your own world, but you conducted human surveillance in another dimension and even got a novel published based on it. You know that’s a human rights violation, right?”
“I-I told you. It was missionary work. And, Cierra… you… you enjoyed it too….”
I can’t deny it. But I had my own circumstances, you know!
“Of course, I thought it was my own creation! And why did you do missionary work in another world? You have your hands full right here.”
“…….”
I felt a little sorry for Arte, who immediately became sullen, but I steeled my heart. When you think about it, *I’m* the most pitiful one here.
“Lord Arte, you should change your mindset, even now. No wonder the four great gods abandoned you.”
“They didn’t abandon me! They just went away for a bit so I could pull myself together!”
‘Abandoned or went away for a bit…’
Ugh, my desire to flatter him vanished, and I shook my head side to side.
I saw Arte, *Hiiing*, trying to cry again, but I no longer felt like comforting him.
With a ‘*You cry. I’m going to have some tea*’ mindset, I picked up my teacup.
But this god, for some scheme of his, sneakily grabbed hold of my sleeve and pleaded for sympathy.
‘…Ugh.’
The problem was that his face was incredibly beautiful. I instinctively paused, putting the teacup down, and Arte hurriedly spoke up.
“M-me too! I’ve really made up my mind now. I, I want to gather my courage and nurture the world properly, and… and I want to see my children too….”
“Wow, that’s a great mindset!”
Then you should just perform your duties as the God of Creation as soon as possible!
Smiling brightly at the simple solution, I looked at Arte, and that’s when he finally revealed his ulterior motive.
“B-but… the kids are doing well, so it’s awkward for me to step in now, and there’s no proper channel….”
Huh? You have a whole religious faction right there, what are you talking about—?
“So, that’s why, Cierra? Would you, by any chance, be willing to become the Saintess and take care of the world on my behalf? W-would that be impossible?”
……What?
“Whaaaat?!”
Why is the plot suddenly veering in that direction?!
I was speechless for a moment, my lips just moving soundlessly, before I hurriedly waved my hands in refusal.
“How could I possibly become your Saintess, Lord Arte? Besides, I’m already dead!”
“But I’ve made up my mind, hehe.”
“The person in question, me, hasn’t made up her mind!”
Sorry to say, but I have a sense of self too, you know?
Just what does he plan to do with someone who suffered nothing but pain their whole life and then died?
I expressed my refusal with all my might, but Arte easily ignored me and instead made a tearful face.
“But, sob, Cierra, it won’t work without you. O-other humans, their souls melt when they see me, but you’re different, sob. Y-you’re the only one who can withstand my power!”
Finally, Arte grabbed my sleeve and burst into tears, wailing.
He was crying so sorrowfully and loudly that it became difficult to refuse him firmly.
Unable to do anything else, I patted Arte’s back to soothe him and muttered as if sighing.
“What kind of cliché plot development is this? Why is it always me….”
I wasn’t expecting an answer. I was just lamenting my pitiful situation, being harassed by work even after death.
But Arte’s reaction was strange.
He stopped his *Heoheoeng!* wailing abruptly and slowly detached himself from me.
And then he said.
“W-well. Actually, that novel is the cause of everything. Bringing you here to be reborn, everything. Hehe.”
“……What?”
Wait a minute. What is *this* supposed to mean now?
“So, my reincarnation was because of you, Lord Arte?”
“W-well, precisely, it was because of the novel. B-but I didn’t know you’d die of an incurable disease at 20!”
Don’t make that wronged expression. *I’m* the one who should find this the most absurd and unfair…
“B-but! But! Thanks to you dying, you realized your past life and got to meet me! If Cierra, you hadn’t remembered your past life, we never would have met!”
Is that something to say with such a bright smile?
He’s timid, but to that extent, he’s also shameless… I’m at a loss for words.
I couldn’t even muster a hollow laugh, and my mouth stiffened. Sensing my mood keenly, Arte finally came up with a tempting offer.
“A-hem. So what I mean is! Cierra, won’t you become my Saintess? T-then, you can live again.”
“……!”
Live again?
At this unexpected proposal, my anger momentarily faded.
My mind went blank, and I almost reflexively said ‘Yes.’
However.
‘A Saintess? Just what would I have to do?’
My body was sick, and I had never properly accomplished anything in my 20 years. Could I, someone like me, really handle the duties of a Saintess who takes care of the world?
Right at that moment, as if reading my thoughts, he continued.
“I will bestow upon you my divine authority, ‘Healing’. With that authority, all you need to do is peel away the image of the other religions.”
It was a fairly reasonable request. Hesitantly, I opened my mouth to speak to him, who was looking at me with pleading eyes.
“If I just do that… you’ll really let me ‘continue’ living?”
