By Zephyria 
Perhaps it was due to my lewd prayer. I couldn’t look directly at the statue with an awkward feeling.
Those who had finished their prayers carefully surveyed their surroundings. Some mentioned that the sand piled up above had come with the wind, while others dug out a shallow stone table, placed there by someone in front of the Goddess statue, from the sand.
The Sylphs were unable to enter within a 50m radius of the Goddess’s head statue. I pondered how large the domain of the third god, the Oasis, was, but at the time, it was vague because Sylphs, Undines, and various other Spirits had skipped across the domain to play.
The Goddess’s gaze was directed towards the Yuil Mountains.
I found it strange that her position did not face the Empire, which she cherished so dearly, but then again, depending on the myth, it was possible she was busy creating the gorge between the Yuil Mountains and the continent of humans. Regardless, that was not important.
The party, having meticulously examined the area in a circle from the front to the back of the Goddess statue, gathered in one spot.
“Well, there’s nothing much here. It’s just a sanctuary, as the name suggests. There isn’t a single speck of Contaminated Mana within the ‘domain.’ It was so clean I almost fell asleep looking at it.”
“Naturally, but as far as I can see, nothing has changed. It’s just the same Goddess statue we always see.”
Marianne nodded in agreement with Peter. Hugh Benson’s reprimand followed immediately.
“Didn’t they say the First Goddess is in the Magic territory? Well, I didn’t expect much anyway.”
“Ah, I should have asked more details about what the Goddess is doing right now. I was too surprised at the time.”
“I don’t understand what they mean by ‘miscellaneous beings’ crossing over either.”
“Are you curious? I’m not curious at all.”
“Why?”
“Because I never want to see them again.”
…It was an ominous statement.
In truth, I didn’t think much about the few souls who had been dragged over with me. If it was the natural order for humans and beasts alike to die and be reborn, then whether they were born in that world or this one, it wouldn’t make much difference.
Rather, since they had all lived such harsh lives in their previous world, I hoped they would live well, eat well, and be well in this world, perhaps in a good family.
However, unlike the ordinary ones, I couldn’t fathom the identity of the ‘miscellaneous beings’ who had crossed over with them.
The Evil Sect members, after all, had merely committed atrocities and killed people; in terms of eating, sleeping, and living, they were still human. Was their soul so wicked?
Considering the Demonic Cult members who gathered blood and sowed despair, claiming to create zombies or demons, it was possible they had crossed over. To balance their souls… It wouldn’t be the Heavenly Demon. Those with strength similar to my pre-death self would not be a great threat.
No, it wasn’t.
I hoped it wasn’t the Demonic Cult members. Their actions were too suspicious.
Mana could attach itself to the soul, and if they had endured for over ten years in the northern part of the Yuil Mountains, steeped in high-concentration Mana, just like me, how could their power be insignificant? As the old saying goes, ‘forewarned is forearmed,’ so it would be wise to be prepared, both mentally and physically, and not underestimate the opponent.
Amidst these various thoughts that troubled me greatly, Ruben subtly raised his left hand, quieting the children’s commotion.
“So, have you given it some thought?”
“…Mm… That’s…”
Leon hesitated like someone facing an unwanted homework assignment.
That’s right. We had wasted two days deciding our next course of action. The Sierran Empire had called it the domain of the First Goddess, so perhaps there was a sliver of hope, but in truth, we didn’t want the mercenaries who would accompany us to be forced into it. We wanted them to deliberate and decide their future path.
It was difficult to think calmly in the noisy Oasis filled with Spirits. Moreover, Ruben hadn’t spoken much with the mercenaries, having been quiet until now. Therefore, he must have spent these two days asking about their lives, their ways of living, and contemplating their future.
Some choices needed to be left to age to avoid regret. Ruben enjoyed taking his time to think deeply when he had something to say, allowing the other party ample time to organize their thoughts before conversing. It was an attitude I, who was always hasty in my eagerness to cut down the enemy before me, desperately needed to learn.
“I want to decide with this.”
“…This?”
Leon suddenly pulled out the battle axe he had strapped to his back.
Now, the mercenaries no longer asked for permission before drawing their weapons in front of us. Our party now trusted that they would not attack us, and they knew that we trusted them.
Leon leveled the ground with his toe and gently placed the axe head on it.
Leon’s axe was large and rugged, enough to be mistaken for a shield. It had two blades, one in the front and one in the back; the front one was thicker and larger, while the back one was thinner and smaller. At its pommel was a small, thin ornament shaped like a spear.
Leon, standing it upright so that only the sharp ornament was barely buried in the sand, closed his eyes and mouth into a straight line. He had a rather determined expression.
“…What does this mean?”
“Well, if we’re being precise… we’re going on a path related to the will of the gods… a spiritual… kind of path, aren’t we?”
“…Mm.”
“Still, this weapon has protected my life for years, so whenever I’m completely lost, I always make my decision with this.”
With this, how?
But before I could ask further, the answer flowed out smoothly.
“If I let go of this axe handle, it will fall only to the sides due to the ornaments protruding on both sides of the blade. So, if I do this… if it falls to the east, we return to Owen; if it falls to the west, we go to find the Divine object.”
“You can’t find a god?”
At my sudden question, Leon furrowed and un-furrowed his brow. I assumed that was him blinking, so I acknowledged it appropriately. The boy seemed to think that no one would notice his blinking, so he nodded vigorously and answered with force.
“They say gods help gods, and humans help humans, don’t they? And the Divine object was originally meant for humans. Well, Your Highness is Your Highness… I think there might be a way… but I’m just too worried about the mercenaries, the Owen mercenaries…”
“…Ah.”
“…Is it strange?”
“No, it’s rational. Alright, let’s do that.”
Rubel’s permission was granted.
The rest of the party also agreed in silence.
It was not much different from flipping a coin, but it sounded acceptable.
Even if we went to Owen immediately, what great help could we offer? And if we went to find the Divine object, it wasn’t as if the Divine objects would suddenly appear before us. Although I was often worried about matters in the capital, Rubel had assured me everything would be fine until the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, so I decided to forget about it.
Although not as much as the mountains, the Shatun Desert also had a higher Mana Concentration than the Sierran Empire. We had caught the tail of something suspicious, so we had to do something; it was a pilgrimage, so it didn’t matter what we did first.
It was natural to rely on superstition when living a wandering life.
Some physicians would observe a day of mourning if a patient died at dawn, and some swordsmen would not venture out on humid days.
I also had something like that. I would not board a ship on nights when the water was too calm. This was because I had been attacked by half-rotten pirates in a place so quiet that not even the sound of water lapping could be heard.
We watched Leon, who had placed his hand on the axe handle and was praying.
The mercenaries standing behind Leon did not pray. They simply stood idly, making small bets on whether the axe handle would fall east or west. As the silver coins were gathered among them, the wind stopped. Leon released the axe handle.
Thump.
The axe lay limply on the ground. The axe handle pointed southwest.
Everyone was speechless.
Leon had clearly stated that this axe was designed to fall only east and west. How many tens or hundreds of times had Leon divined the future with this axe? Leon released the axe handle without imparting any special power, and the sand-made ground had been leveled flat in all directions.
Seeing it fall not to the sides where it was supposed to fall, not vertically along the direction of the blade, but as if an unprecedented force had acted upon it, overcoming the weight of the axe ornament and even changing direction mid-fall, sent shivers down my spine.
“…Excuse me.”
Marianne’s muffled voice broke the silence.
“Is the Sanctuary of the Sun in this direction?”
“…Uh, uh… Yes? Yes…”
Leon, who had been holding the axe handle, stood with a blank expression. His hand hovered in the air, seemingly unsure where to go, as if he had no intention of righting the fallen axe. Ann covered her mouth, and Benjamin repeatedly rubbed his face with one hand. Peter had completely collapsed onto the ground.
I quietly watched Rubel’s back as he gazed down at the axe. Beyond the child’s head, a faint radiance shone from the back of the Goddess statue lying with her back to us. It was a bright, clear midday. A cool breeze blew again in this sacred place, devoid of any ominous signs.
They said humans should do human affairs, but was it all a lie?
Where were the gods of this world pushing us and trying to drag us?
“…Ha, shit…”
Hugh Benson, who swore as always, clapped his hands loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Let’s take a short break. Everyone, let’s drink some water and collect ourselves.”
“Yes.”
“…Yes.”
Only then could I wrap my arm around Rubel’s shoulder.
The child leaned into my embrace without any resistance. As he did, he slowly blinked and then glanced up at me. His pale face seemed to be searching for a place to lean on. I tightened my grip on him and pulled him closer.
I was confident I could stand by him, no matter what choice he made.
Yet, I felt increasingly afraid. It felt as if everything was my fault. I wondered if something had gone awry while I tore through the world and reveled in a new life. Even though I felt I had said everything that needed to be said, my heart felt heavy, and I had the urge to confess something.