~Chapter 14~
Golden earrings with intricate engravings dangled from his ears, and his eyes, like finely cut golden crystal, shifted color depending on the light.
Though surely over a thousand years old, the man had the face of a striking young beauty, his skin so pale and clear it could only be called translucent.
It was as if a celestial sculptor had poured all their skill into shaping him.
And with his gentle, compassionate voice, he was the very picture of perfection.
[Hello. Still wearing that stupid face, I see. I suppose it comes with being head of hypocritical gods.]
Of course, I hated him. Bitterly.
[And you’re still foul-mouthed. Even while starving, despised by mere humans, you remain the same.]
His tender voice dripped with mockery, but it barely scratched me.
With fingers as short as cocktail sausages, I pretended to dig my ear and let out a sharp laugh before flopping to the floor.
Propping my chin on one hand, I grinned as he studied me closely.
[What, gonna claim you’re clean? After tricking me, rousing humans to war, and stabbing a knife into the back of a kind Demon King?]
[I don’t know what you’re talking about.]
Feigning ignorance.
That benevolent expression pasted over his beautiful face only made me want to spit.
[Are gods chosen for stupidity? You and that idiot earlier—why so dumb?]
[They are not dumb. They are pure—altruistic, willing to sacrifice themselves. It only makes them more vulnerable to lies.]
[Right. That’s called stupid. Or in human terms: a sucker.]
At that, he fell silent.
[Enough. Give me the conditions to break this curse. And a way to see them.]
[That’s all you want?]
[What else? You expect me to beg through tears?]
His golden eyes narrowed, intrigued that I wasn’t dragging it out.
[In the past, you’d have torn half my hair out by now.]
[Didn’t know baldness was your dream. Fine. When I get my strength back, I’ll make it come true—starting with you.]
I smirked. His face soured.
Not that it mattered. Picking a fight now would only waste energy.
If I wanted to really shake these bastards, smashing their temples one by one was far more effective.
[And for the record, once I regain my power, you’ll be the first I kill.]
[Oh? You really think you can, in that state?]
He looked me up and down, then gave a mocking chuckle.
[Yes. You’re beneath me.]
His face hardened instantly.
[Big words from such a tiny mouth.]
[Struck a nerve?]
There were ranks to souls.
Some could be destroyed; some couldn’t.
Gods could annihilate human souls, but humans could never touch a god’s.
Lesser gods couldn’t harm greater ones, though greater could erase lesser.
Rank was either innate at birth or earned through relentless effort.
Dragons and other high beings sometimes reached the level of gods by killing one and destroying its soul.
Even that fool earlier had climbed from lesser to greater god.
And yet—this so-called Supreme God, master of the heavens, had failed to destroy my soul.
The meaning was clear.
[Even if you’re right, then you know I don’t need to help you break your curse.]
He hadn’t killed me. Couldn’t have reincarnated me either.
‘That forced summons…’
Most likely, he was the one who meddled.
And since the summoning circle had activated without my will, it meant I’d been forced into a contract.
[Michael Enoch.]
My childish lisp didn’t stop him from recognizing the name.
His pupils widened. He turned slowly.
[You’re just curious, aren’t you? Curious how one you couldn’t kill or save fares in the body of a weakling scorned even by the lowest humans.]
[…]
He’d always been like that—pretending to be good, yet never able to resist curiosity, no matter how dangerous.
But he never risked himself.
He’d trick others into stepping into danger, manipulating them with that flawless face and silver tongue.
[You meddled, forced me to contract with this half-pint demon brat, and now you ask why?]
He never moved without purpose.
He’d shoved me into this useless body for a reason.
And he’d come here today for a reason.
[My demand is simple. Show me the curse-breaking conditions, the standard for ‘good deeds,’ and my progress.]
He sighed softly.
[You always hated me.]
[Why not recall the filth in your own heart?]
[You were the only one. Everyone else loves me, reveres me, worships me.]
[Love? You hung around me pretending to be my lover, only to use humans to stab me in the back. That’s your ‘love’?]
Black miasma surged around me.
As I growled, he gave me a peculiar look, then laid a hand on my shoulder and whispered divine words.
[What now?]
[I’ve sent the information to your contracted beast. You’ll see your progress and conditions there.]
Made sense.
Better to give it to my familiar than me, since I couldn’t use magic properly.
Besides, the familiar was basically my secretary.
[Also, if you focus magic in your eyes, you’ll see marks on those in need of help. That will guide you.]
[…Marks? And how am I supposed to recognize those?]
I snapped, my voice slipping fully into childish tones.
He widened his eyes slightly, then smirked and set a large hand atop my head.
The black aura vanished, suppressed by divine power.
[The urgency of their need will show by color. Since I gave you what you wanted, I’ll also give you a handicap.]
[What?]
[To keep your identity hidden, you’ll need to act the part of a child. Obedient. Affectionate. Cute and lovable. Don’t you agree?]
[What nonsense are you spewing?]
I scowled. He whispered more divine words and chuckled mischievously.
[The door will open soon. I’ll take my leave.]
I slapped his hand off my head and waved dismissively, telling him to scram.
He slipped a bracelet onto my wrist, smiling.
[I can’t brand a demon’s body with a mark, so take this instead. When you enter a temple, I’ll sense you. Call my name if you wish.]
The bracelet glittered with divine power. I grimaced.
At least it wasn’t a half-baked relic like last time.
And it didn’t harm Esther.
[What’s your angle?]
[Who knows…]
[Fine. I’ll find out myself.]
He smiled benevolently again before strolling back into the pillar of light.
It vanished at once.
“Ugh, annoying bastard.”
Exhausted, I flopped onto the floor with a grumble.
BANG!
“The door! It opened!”
I’d barely sat down when priests in robes rushed in. They froze at the sight of me.
“A child? Why is a child here…?”
“But the bells, the power, the brilliant light—it matched the scriptures’ descriptions of a divine descent…”
“Wasn’t this a private prayer room? Why would such a child…”
“No, look! Her wrist!”
Murmurs spread as they spotted the bracelet.
The very one he’d given me.
“…A new relic.”
The words stunned them. Then excitement erupted.
“She received a divine revelation! Her prayer reached the heavens!”
“The Child of God has descended. A Saint has been born!”
“…What?”
Who’s saint? Me? You mean his saint? That sly, two-faced snake of a bastard…
“No, I’m not—”
“Saint! I’m from the First Temple—”
“I’m from the Second Temple! Saint, please—!”
…Me. A Demon King of a thousand years, just declared a Saint blessed by God.
Unbelievable.
