#020

“…Is there something wrong with my name?”

Only after the Saintess spoke did I snap back to my senses.

“O-Oh, no! I mean, I wondered if I should even dare to utter the Saintess’s name….”

“Did I not tell you to do so?”

“T-That is true. Ah….”

I started breaking out in a cold sweat ten times worse than before.

‘Fuck, who names a person something like that!’

I know those who become the Saintess must remain pure for their entire lives, but still….

Still….

I couldn’t control my expression.

I mean, in this Dark Realm, it probably doesn’t carry that kind of meaning at all, but still….

“…Alternatively, you may call me Adna.”

“Yes, yes! Lady Adna!”

‘I’m saved.’

I honestly didn’t think I could say the other name out loud without spitting it out.

‘Wow, there was a reason the previous Saintess’s name was never mentioned in the game.’

It seemed similar to why a certain person—the closest friend of Chok Jun-gyeong—is rarely mentioned.

That person whose surname was Wang and whose name had a positive meaning of “knowing oneself.””

Compared to that, Saintess Ada was…

‘No, Adna… it’s Adna. Her name is Adna.’

I struggled to erase the word popping up in my head.

However, every time I looked at the Saintess, that indifferent voice uttering the name played on a loop in my mind, making it incredibly difficult to keep a straight face.

“U-Um, may I ask the apostle’s name?”

In the end, I chose to turn my head to the right and avoid eye contact.

‘It couldn’t possibly be a weirder name than the Saintess’s.’

But the apostle didn’t answer and instead said something out of the blue.

“…Did I look like an apostle to you?”

“Huh? Oh, you’re not? My apologies!”

“No, I am an apostle. I was simply curious as to why you presumed so.”

They have almost the same hair color as the Saintess and similar adornments; of course I’d recognize them.

“W-Well, the Saintess is the foremost among the apostles, isn’t she? Since your attire is almost identical to the Saintess’s, I presumed you were an apostle.”

“…I see. Then how did you know which of the two was the foremost?”

‘The Saintess is a woman, so I picked the woman.’

Why are they asking something so obvious?

And so seriously, at that?

‘Wait a minute.’

I looked closely at the apostle I had assumed was a man.

‘They’re tall and have a flat chest, so I reflexively thought they were a man….’

Looking closer, they could also be seen as a slender woman, like a model.

Since both were wearing priestly robes that covered up to the neck, the Adam’s apple wasn’t visible.

‘If I listen to the voice thinking it’s a woman’s, it’s a husky, beautiful voice.’

Did I just commit a massive faux pas?

“…U-Um, by any chance, your gender is…?”

“I am a man.”

‘I knew it!’

Why the fuck are you making it confusing?

“So, how did you know who was the foremost?”

“Since the Saintess would be a woman, isn’t it natural to think Lady Adna is the Saintess?”

“…I see.”

‘Why the lukewarm expression?’

Do they get mistaken for a woman so often that they’re used to being called “Saintess”?

And now they’re annoyed because I recognized them as a man immediately?

‘No, still, they’re an apostle of God; surely they aren’t some pervert who enjoys being mistaken for a woman.’

“You asked for my name earlier.”

“Ah, yes.”

“My name is Pelagia.”

“What?”

“You may call me by the first part of my name.”

“…What?”

The apostle spoke that word in a beautiful voice, with pronunciation as precise as a news anchor.

‘Fuck.’

I realized it.

This… is a trap.

It was definitely a trap.

It had to be a trap.

The name is Ada? That’s possible. It looks fine written in English. Adna, Ada. Those are plausible names.

But a person’s name is Pelagia?

And they’re telling me to shorten it? Are they mocking me right now?

‘This is a fucking trap designed to confirm if the person who spits out their drink is Korean.’

I had to admit, it was a truly cunning method.

‘It seems they’ve already caught and tormented other prospective Contractors and prepared 99 ways to distinguish them.’

“I see, Pel….”

“Pelagia.”

“Pel… Apostle.”

‘Fuck, I’m screwed.’

Even though I knew it was a trap, I couldn’t avoid it.

I completely failed to control my expression.

I bowed my head deeply and declared my defeat.

“…May I just call you Apostle Pel?”

My life was destined for the stake anyway.

What difference did it make whether I succeeded or failed in controlling my expression?

‘Please just burn me without pain.’

“…It does not matter.”

Perhaps since the identification was already successful and there was no need to torment me further, the apostle let it slide.

With my head bowed low, I awaited the impending death sentence.

“Raise your head.”

Ada… no, Adna spoke.

“Why did you wish to come here?”

I wonder, fuck.

Why did I do that?

I would have had a longer lifespan just living as a serf, but I insisted on riding the Order Sect coin.

“What did you hope to gain from this place?”

Originally, I wanted protection.

Because Mother Aellusia wouldn’t be able to come here.

But I was an idiot who forgot that I was also a bug and crawled right next to the mosquito coil to avoid the mosquitoes.

“…What is it that you fear so much?”

Of course I’m afraid of dying, fuck.

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

What the fuck.

I looked to my right.

The apostle had quietly placed a hand on my shoulder.

‘If you know it doesn’t work after one try, stop doing it.’

The intention was good, but in this situation, it was just irritating.

“…Why are you so certain of your own death?”

The Saintess continued to gaze at me.

‘Are they asking “Do you know your sins”?’

Since I was already screwed, I just wanted to get this over with.

“I… I could not even accept the Blessing used by the apostle.”

“Is that a sin?”

“…It is evidence that I am outside the Order.”

“And?”

“…And I could not speak your names properly.”

Fuck, if there are any dead Korean players in the afterlife, I’m going to grab them by the collar.

“Is that a sin?”

“…That too is evidence that I am outside the Order.”

“And?”

Fuck, what else do you want?

Aren’t these two things enough?

Stop asking, you question-mark murderer.

“And… I fabricated a dream to make it feel like a Revelation.”

“Why did you do so?”

“Because I wanted to come to the Order Sect before winter arrived.”

“And the reason for that?”

“The reason is….”

Because I wanted to live.

But those words wouldn’t come out.

Because if I said them, the mental victory I had forced myself to build would crumble.

“What were you so afraid of?”

My vision blurred.

Suddenly, a wave of anger and unfairness surged, and tears began to flow.

‘Ah, fuck.’

“Fabio.”

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

‘No, seriously, stop it if you know it’s useless.’

This is really getting on my nerves.

“If it is difficult to speak, you need not. The Lord will know even if you do not speak it.”

The Saintess rose from her seat.

The apostle also stood up and drew the sword they were carrying.

Sring.

“This sword is the Holy Sword of Judgment, forged with a Blessing. Those with sin will suffer terrible pain when cut, while those without sin will feel nothing.”

Saintess Ada spoke.

‘So it’s not the stake, it’s beheading.’

“Commander Casimir. Assist with the preparations.”

“…Understood.”

Casimir unbuckled her belt and tied my hands behind the chair.

‘Are they really going straight to summary execution?’

I thought they should just do it quickly, but these primitive medieval fucks, seriously, follow some procedure!

Even for an execution! You only experience it once in your life! Do it properly! Give a warning! In an appropriate place! Let me prepare myself first!

As the cold blade touched the back of my neck, goosebumps broke out all over my body.

After seeing the apostle raise the sword high, I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘…….’

But even after waiting for what felt like ten minutes, nothing happened.

‘What the fuck.’

When I peeked with one eye, Casimir was wearing an incredibly annoying expression, like someone who had just seen something very amusing.

“…What is it?”

“What do you mean? It’s over.”

“What do you mean over….”

“This sword cannot harm those without sin.”

The apostle said as they sheathed the sword.

“The fact that you are unharmed is the most certain proof that you are a person without sin.”

“…But.”

“Fabio. I think you are misunderstanding something, but we are not a place that kills people just because they received an unknown Blessing.”

…Misunderstanding?

“The Order Sect will protect you. No matter what it is you fear.”

“…But.”

The apostle removed the adornment covering their face and looked at me.

As my eyes met those silver-white pupils, I momentarily forgot everything I was thinking.

‘Whoa, what a beauty!’

The moment I saw the face, I was certain that this apostle was someone who was already dead by the time of the Heretic Slayer’s perspective.

If they had been alive, it was a face that would have been impossible not to know.

‘If this face had appeared, the sales of Die Heretic! would have increased by about 1.2 times….’

Even in battle, if they threw off their helmet halfway through, they could probably take off the opponent’s head while the enemy was momentarily dazed by the view.

No, that’s not what’s important right now.

‘I almost lost my mind even with Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme.’

That meant it was a purely visual shock coming from seeing someone incredibly handsome.

It was a truly terrifying level of beauty.

“I know what it is you fear.”

‘They know?’

I didn’t think they would.

“What you fear is the existence beyond the stars.”

‘Wait, fuck, they actually know?’

Casimir untied the belt binding my hands.

I rubbed both wrists and looked up at the apostle in a daze.

“T-Then, regarding that existence beyond the stars….”

“Yes. I saw that the Blessing you possess originated from him.”

Wow.

Fuck, the apostle-class really can see everything.

But why?

“Is it… still okay?”

The Othergod is the ultimate taboo.

Even if you didn’t commit a sin, the Order Sect is the kind of place that would congratulate you by saying you can go to heaven since you’ll be purified even without sin, and then burn you at the stake.

“What do you mean by ‘okay’?”

“…I mean, is it okay for me to be alive?”

“Did that existence tell you so? That you would die if you came here.”

The apostle looked at me with a gaze of pity.

‘No, fuck, you guys were the ones who said that in the game.’

“No, it’s not that….”

I bowed my head slightly to avoid eye contact, but because the apostle knelt before me, our eyes met again.

“Fabio. It is alright.”

The apostle spoke while holding both of my hands.

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

‘Does this guy have no learning ability?’

Stop it if you know it doesn’t work.

The pop-up windows are annoying.

“You… may live.”

“…….”

“Because the Order exists to protect those without sin.”

But what was more annoying than the pop-up windows was the fact that I ended up tearing up after hearing those words.

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.

]

No, seriously, knock it off.

Thanks to that, the tears stopped.

Pretending to wipe my tears with my sleeve, I pulled my hands away.

“R-Really, you’re not just trying to make me let my guard down, it’s really okay?”

“I speak in the name of the Lord I serve with all my being, Loclem. There is not a single lie in my words.”

“…Then what is the Saintess’s real name?”

It can’t be Ada.

“Ah.”

The silver-white eyes were momentarily clouded with embarrassment.

“My apologies. You noticed.”

‘Of course I noticed, you moron! How could a person’s name be Ada or Pella?’

I wonder if the person who came up with this idea is still alive and in the sect.

If I meet them, I’m going to punch them right in the face.

The apostle smiled awkwardly, looking a bit shy.

“Actually, I am the Saintess.”

…What?

“It is simply that the first foremost apostle was a woman, so the title of the foremost apostle became ‘Saintess’…. Gender is not important in becoming the Saintess.”

Ah, you don’t have to be embarrassed. There is no one here who will scold you, Fabio, for not having studied the history of the Order deeply.

The apostle… no, the Saintess (male) continued with a smiling face.

“To honor the first Saintess, there is a tradition where the Saintess receives a Baptismal Name in the feminine form, so I believe it is truly easy to be confused.”

“Though anyone who has received the Baptism of Order would know the Saintess upon seeing her, so only a heretic would be confused.”

“Haha, come to think of it, the Commander made a similar mistake before her Baptism.”

The Saintess… is a man?

I endured the dizziness in my head and asked a truly, truly important question.

“Then, what is the Saintess’s… name?”

“Pardon? Are you asking for the name I had before becoming the Saintess?”

The Saintess (male) tilted his head slightly.

Long silver hair flowed down smoothly, like a video rendered at 60fps.

“The name I received as the Saintess is simply my Baptismal Name changed to the feminine form… so it is not much different.”

‘Wait a minute.’

“My original name is….”

‘No way…’

“Pelagio.”

‘His name is actually that?’

Seriously?

21 – #021