The World I Was Supporting Was Real - Chapter 41



Episode 41. If You Don’t Understand God’s Words

“Um… that is…”

“…???”

Erin placed the Bible back a few more times, bestowing the simple truth of God.

Ophelia closed her eyes each time the light appeared, but that was all. She didn’t seem to experience anything in particular.

After doing this about three times without any result, a confused Erin hugged the Bible to her chest, her eyes wide with confusion.

‘What… could it be that the simple truth is lacking…?’

Erin quickly patted her own belly.

…No. It’s not lacking. As the saint who carries God’s truth, Erin could clearly feel it.

When she touched her belly, the warm grace of God… the simple truth was still there in abundance.

Then why… why can’t Lady Ophelia feel anything?

“Um… Saint?”

“Ah… well, um… it seems that today, for some reason, my condition isn’t very good…”

Trailing off, she couldn’t complete her sentence properly.

An ordinary person would have noticed Erin’s embarrassment, but― Ophelia, who took words at face value without considering their deeper meaning, easily accepted this and nodded.

“I see, Saint. It’s alright. Please ask again when you feel better. Rather, I feel bad for troubling you when you’re not well.”

“Ah, understood… I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to apologize for, Saint? Please don’t worry too much and take a good rest. Then.”

After leaving behind a somewhat ambiguous farewell.

Erin returned to the saint’s room with slightly uneasy steps.

* * *

The next morning.

‘I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep properly…’

Luca yawned lightly and was heading to the large bath prepared exclusively for the Holy Knights to take a bath.

What he encountered in the process was-

“……!!”

For some reason, the red-haired female knight, Ophelia, was lying on the floor.

“O-Ophelia! Are you alright?!”

“……”

With Luca’s help, Ophelia slowly got up from the floor.

Ophelia took a long breath and said in a hoarse voice.

“Thank you, Luca.”

“Are you hurt? You were lying on the floor…”

“No. I just fell. I… tend to fall quite often.”

“Really? If that’s the case, I’m relieved, but you seemed to have been lying there for a while. Your ears are bright red, are you sure you don’t have a fever?”

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Ophelia thought. She couldn’t tell Luca the truth.

That the marble floor she fell on was so different from the wooden floor that it hurt too much to get up and gather herself!

“By the way, I was on my way to the large bath… but I can’t quite remember the exact location. Luca, do you remember?”

“Oh, I was just on my way there too.”

“Oh, really?!”

Ophelia quickly regained her energy and looked at Luca with sparkling golden eyes.

“Please guide me there!”

* * *

Splash-

The two women immersed themselves in the luxurious bath prepared exclusively for them.

A few flower petals floated on the water, exuding a calming fragrance just by smelling it.

It was the same as what was used in the royal family, a small luxury that Eirene had provided for the Holy Knights this time.

“Come to think of it, instead of asking for guidance, I could just take a bath with you. It seems I hadn’t thought that far.”

“It’s alright. That could happen.”

“Then allow me to be rude. Soaking in water after exercise is also a form of practice.”

Ophelia said this and closed her eyes, entering into meditation.

What a truly dedicated person. As the rumors suggested, she was clearly the type who didn’t rest on her talents but constantly strove to improve.

Luca carefully watched Ophelia as she meditated.

Should I really call her ‘the leader of the knights of our era,’ Ophelia Translente? Even from a knight’s perspective like mine, she had a body that was beyond reproach.

With such a solid physique, she would surely excel even in situations swarming with monsters.

Moreover, her chest was quite impressive, and it struck me that anyone would see her as a holy knight protecting the saint of the Gwedon Church.

Yes, the chest.

Since being appointed as a holy knight, Luca had diligently studied the scriptures. As a result, he learned that the Gwedon Church placed great importance on the chest.

Lord Gwedon had said that a large divine power pouch was pleasing to His eyes.

Luca gently caressed his own chest.

… Compared to Ophelia, it was woefully lacking.

Objectively speaking, Luca’s chest was by no means small. If compared to fruit, it might be liked to a well-ripened peach.

The problem was that Ophelia had two hefty melons. The saint herself had an even more colossal divine power pouch than Ophelia.

‘The divine power pouch is something one is born with, and if it’s lacking, one can study the words of Lord Gwedon even more… ‘

What worried him most was that he might not fully grasp the teachings of Lord Gwedon due to his insufficient divine power pouch.

After all, Lord Gwedon was a gracious figure who always watched over him. The only being who loved him and supported his decisions.

Being appointed as a holy knight was almost a destiny for her. Therefore, it was true that he wanted to do even the smallest things with greater effort.

‘Right. Let’s not be discouraged. What does it matter if the divine power pouch is lacking? Despite that, following the will of Lord Gwedon must surely hold some significance.’

Luca steadied his heart as a holy knight in his own way.

* * *

After breakfast.

Saint Erin looked at the holy knight and spoke.

“As I mentioned, there are numerous testimonies suggesting that the demons are becoming stronger, and the entrance to the dungeon may soon reopen.”

“Does that mean the monsters will roam the continent again, to the point where they cannot be dealt with by the guards as before?”

“I don’t think it will come to that… but even if it does, it’s alright. Lord Gwedon will surely not abandon us and will hold us dear.”

Historically, whenever the saint descended, the demons had also grown stronger.

Whether it was a mere coincidence or if the demons grew strong enough for God to send down the saint, one could not tell… but what was certain was that during such times, the authority of the religious realm increased.

The situation where even the emperor became an ally. There would be no better opportunity to widely spread the plain facts of Lord Igwogwo.

“For the time being, there won’t be any special events until then, so please focus on organizing your personal affairs. Lady Linea, you might be familiar with this, but Lord Luca, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take “Some time to get used to this city by looking around the cathedral.”

“Understood.”

“Over there, it seems like something is happening at the cathedral…”

At Linea’s words, Erin nodded.

“They are probably in the midst of replacing the old with the new.”

“If possible, I would like to go and help with that.”

“That would be wonderful, Lady Linea. If the priests see a paladin starting their activities in earnest, they will gain more strength than just your help.”

“Ah, in that case, I will help too.”

“Then I will also assist you, Linea.”

At that moment.

Erin looked at Ophelia and spoke in a slightly firm tone.

“Lady Ophelia, I would like you to stay for a moment.”

“I will follow the saint’s words.”

After Linea and Luca left to help with the cathedral work.

In the situation where only the two of them were left, Erin cautiously looked at Ophelia and spoke.

“Lady Ophelia, about what happened yesterday…”

“Ah, you mean that… the sticky… of the god…”

“It’s the plain facts of the god.”

“Ah, that’s right. I apologize. Is the saint feeling well today?”

“Yes. So, I would like to try again.”

As the only one who could communicate with the god, Erin knew. The words of the god were infallible, an absolute and unchanging law.

But those words of the god did not come through. From her perspective, it was naturally her own problem, as it could not possibly be the fault of the one and only Lord Igwogwo.

Erin woke up early in the morning, prayed to Lord Igwogwo, and finished her purification rituals to refine her body and mind as much as possible.

With this, she should be able to convey the plain facts of Lord Igwogwo to the chosen Ophelia.

“Then, please. Grant me the plain facts of Lord Igwogwo…”

As Ophelia knelt on one knee, Erin slowly approached…

As always, she placed the bible with the words of the god close to her forehead.

Then, closing her eyes, she conveyed the words of the god. Hoping that a plain and plain fact of the god would reach her—

With Erin’s determination, a flash of light once again shone with the intensity to devour Ophelia.

This time, please let it succeed.

As a saint, may I convey the words of God…

A few minutes later.

After the light faded, Ophelia slowly opened her eyes.

“I…”

As soon as Erin saw Ophelia’s eyes, she knew.

―Once again, God’s plain truth had not reached her.

As Erin broke into a cold sweat, it was Ophelia who broke the silence first.

“It seems my training is insufficient.”

“Pardon…?”

“It must be that I haven’t studied enough to receive God’s plain truth. It can’t be the saint’s fault, so it must be mine.”

No.

Regardless of how much one has learned, whether one affirms or denies God – God’s plain truth exists on its own.

Just because one doesn’t perceive it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

However-

“Please give me just one week. I will study the words of the mighty Lord with my fellow knights and surely bring a bowl of plain truth to the saint.”

Erin couldn’t open her mouth recklessly.

Ophelia’s eyes, as she spoke, were burning so clearly.

* * *

After parting with Ophelia.

Returning to the saint’s room, Erin sat in a chair and recalled what had just happened.

…Even upon reconsideration, there was no problem in the process of conveying the plain truth.

Ophelia had certainly received the plain truth. Four times, in fact.

Yet nothing happened, and Ophelia could not gain enlightenment.

‘Why? God’s plain truth, just by receiving it, should become a bowl of truth, leading to a natural enlightenment about the mighty Lord. No one should be an exception; Everyone should feel the grace of the mighty Lord. God’s words are never wrong. So why…’

Why can’t Lady Ophelia realize anything?

Thump, thump.

Erin’s heart, unsettled by the unexpected situation, initially thought of praying-

‘…No. I decided to become a saint who doesn’t rely solely on the mighty Lord, so how can I seek the mighty Lord as soon as something difficult happens, Erin…!’

Scolding herself, she hugged the Bible, which contained the words of the mighty Lord, tightly to her chest.

By doing this, it felt as if Lord Igwogoden’s words were soothing his heart, and he felt at ease.

Lord Igwogoden… my master, my everything… The one and only being I want to serve with my body and soul…

At the moment when he was rubbing the Bible, with each word of Igwogoden engraved in it, against his enormous divine power pouch as if to bury it.

‘…!!’

Suddenly.

So suddenly, as he recalled the Bible verses he always read, a possibility flashed through Erin’s mind.

Erin immediately opened the Bible.

The verses of Genesis, which he had read tens, hundreds, no, thousands of times, came into Erin’s view.

Just by reciting from Genesis 1:1, Erin’s voice became the holy sound of God.

“A plain fact. God’s name is Igwogoden…”

Starting with that, he slowly skimmed through Genesis with his pink lips.

Plain fact two. The proof that Igwogoden is the only God is all in the ‘donation history.’

Plain fact three. If someone claims to be God but their name is not Igwogoden, they are a fraud to be torn apart.

Bundling the three plain facts into one ‘plate of plain facts.’

“If you can’t understand God’s words even after eating a plate――”

――Then it’s just a matter of intelligence from that point on.

“That is, it’s very embarrassing to say… but I learn much slower than others.”

“It must be that I lack the study to receive God’s plain facts, right? It can’t be the saint’s problem, so it must be my problem.”

‘No way…!’

When he finished reading Genesis 1:5.

Thud, Erin’s heart sank.