Ch. 199

For a moment, I was a bit surprised by the message that appeared before my eyes. Because it was written that none other than that Diego might be angry.

But when I calmly read it carefully, it didn't seem I needed to worry greatly right away. If Diego were currently in a state of anger, the message would have written that he was already angry, not the possibility that he could be angry.

'Moreover, if Diego was going to be angry in the first place, he would have been angry from the point I kidnapped Rawin to our temple. Because he's an existence as greedy as a snake.'

No, there was no need to even go as far as recruiting Rawin. Diego was the incarnation of greed. If he truly found me disagreeable, he would have been angry from when Khalid attacked Rawin. Because Diego Church strictly forbids quarrels between apostles.

But from when Khalid harmed Rawin until now, nothing had happened to us including me.

If Diego had truly been angry at us, there was no way I wouldn't have noticed. But Diego hadn't done anything to us until now.

'The reason is definitely because of that.'

Because to Diego, who absorbed the Demon God Shamir's power, the human 'apostles' were no longer very important.

As an example, even though two apostles—Terdius and Rawin—came over to our Kyros Church, nothing happened.

If Diego had truly been angry, something bigger than when the demon god attacked Holden Territory would have already occurred.

'...It's really fortunate that didn't happen.'

With the current Diego, no matter how much I flew and crawled, it would have been hard to protect Holden Territory. No, but still, with Terdius and Rawin, maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

'Anyway... the number of remaining Diego Church apostles is now five.'

If I defeated all the apostles then struck Diego, wouldn't it be doable?

'Though Diego absorbed Shamir's power, if I increase the number of believers more than now, there's a chance.'

And if I could just secure all the remaining holy relics...

Before the main quest ended, perhaps I could settle Diego Church. And the time remaining until that happened was about one year and two or three months.

'The number of believers will soon... reach one million.'

Though the number of Kyros Church believers was still absurdly small compared to Diego Church's believer count. Still, there was still a chance left.

'Right. So surely... I can win.'

***

A night so deep that the surroundings were hardly visible.

At the southwestern edge of the Celeste Continent, there existed a small village not even on maps.

And now, a man was floating in the air above that place.

A boy who appeared to be about eighteen years old stood in the air looking down at that small village.

Though he wore a robe, the boy's skin was so white it looked pale. His pure white pupils and black irises made it feel like he wasn't human.

The boy looked around the small village and surroundings with eyes devoid of any emotion. Then he soon lightly waved his hand in the air.

Flash—!

At that moment, black aura flew at fast speed from the boy's fingertips. And that black aura headed straight for the small village.

"Keurk—!"

The house in the small village that the black aura touched, along with the people inside the house, were extinguished without even being able to scream.

The boy silently looked at the traces of the small village he had eliminated in an instant. Then he soon turned his gaze to his fingertips, and the boy's lips rose faintly.

"This much... isn't bad."

This boy was the 'Great Apostle' that Diego had directly created and crafted.

***

I opened my eyes in a completely dark space where I couldn't see anything ahead.

'I definitely... was asleep.'

Where exactly was this place? I let out a low sigh in a space where I couldn't see even an inch ahead.

This was something I had experienced several times since coming to this world. And the fact that I was here now when I hadn't done anything surely meant there was that person's intervention.

'I don't know why, but...'

When I was thinking so, a sphere of pure white light appeared in the space that had been filled only with darkness. The distance between me and the sphere wasn't very far. I immediately approached the sphere emitting white light.

Right then, images automatically began playing from the sphere.

'As expected...'

I immediately began examining the images flowing from the sphere. Then what I saw was—

'This is...!'

War. Its beginning was war between people and people—that is, kingdoms and kingdoms. But before long, the war changed into battles between monsters and humans.

And this war would soon swallow the entire continent. Because of that, countless people were sacrificed, and not much land remained where people could live.

When I was just watching the rapidly changing image contents...

[It's been a while.]

The now-familiar Administrator's voice was heard in my ears.

'Did you call me here... to show me this image?'

I looked at the sphere where image playback had stopped and asked the Administrator. Then the Administrator's serious voice was heard.

[Yes. Though some time still remains... soon, a great war will come to the continent.]

'When exactly is that?'

[I cannot tell you even that much. Just by speaking to you like this, I must abandon many things.]

The Administrator having no choice but to be this sparing with words was surely because of 'causality' that exists everywhere, always.

[So prepare. To not lose what's precious to you.]

'Wait! I want to ask more...!'

Feeling like the Administrator's voice was fading, I urgently tried to hold onto him. But light gradually began filling the dark space, and soon I woke from the dream.

"Gasp...!"

I sat up abruptly and immediately washed my face dry. Then I could feel cold sweat flowing from my forehead.

'Was it a dream? No, that can't be.'

Until now, when the Administrator appeared in my dreams, what had happened? This sensation that was vivid to excess was definitely not a dream.

'And that war I saw...'

The scene the Administrator showed me in the darkness was the 'Celeste Continent Great War' that appears in the original.

A war appearing at the end of the original that should originally start at the end of next year. But the Administrator told me 'soon.'

'Though some time still remains, but still "soon" means...'

Surely, it meant that timing would be earlier than in the original. Then it couldn't possibly mean it would start within this year.

Because I couldn't know exactly when the timing the Administrator mentioned was, my mind became even more complicated.

The reason I was this anxious was because this 'Continental War' was difficult to easily prevent.

The Continental War's beginning started from a war between two kingdoms entangled in various circumstances and history.

But as time passed, that war changed from war between humans into war between monsters and humans. Because of that, monsters throughout the entire continent ran wild, causing countless people to die... transforming into a war no different from a great catastrophe.

And even when playing the original, this was an event I tried to change direction several times but almost always failed.

'Moreover, it's even more difficult because it's hard to predict the exact timing.'

Even when playing the original, I tried to prevent the war from happening according to the exact timing, but it ended in failure every time.

Moreover, from the middle of the war, 'Diego Church' also got involved, so if things went wrong, it could spread into war between religions.

Of course, if I showed performance in this war, I could create countless believers.

'But even so, I don't want to make many people lose their lives.'

Because this was now the world I lived in, and war was always terrible.

'So first, I need to acquire information.'

After gathering as much information as possible, if I could, I had to prevent the Continental War from breaking out before the war.

'Even if I can't prevent it, I need information to minimize damage.'

After finishing organizing my thoughts, I first checked the current time. Since it was just entering morning, they would surely be awake now. I decided to immediately summon two people.

***

"What? You want us to go where now?"

Due to my summons from early morning, Zain and Troy entered my office in their pajamas. And at my words, Zain asked back with a quite dumbfounded face.

"Zain, are your ears blocked? The Church Leader just said this. For us to visit 'Beron Kingdom' and 'Hanlim Kingdom' and closely examine both kingdoms' current movements."

Troy recited what I had said while looking at Zain with pitying eyes.

Right. I was now entrusting Zain and Troy, these two people, with investigating the two kingdoms that would be the starting point of the Continental War.

'Beron Kingdom' in the continent's southeast, and 'Hanlim Kingdom,' a maritime kingdom in the continent's east founded by foreigners from the Eastern Continent.

Because investigation of these two kingdoms was necessary. And since I told the two to go to these two kingdoms without any detailed explanation, Zain had no choice but to be full of complaints.

"No, master. Those kingdoms aren't even right nearby, and it takes days and days... how can you say this so easily?"

Zain exhaled deeply while expressing complaints. But I looked at him seriously and took out many money pouches from my pocket. It was nearly ten times more money than the amount I used to give him.

"Th-this is...!"

Seeing the amount of money pouches, Zain was terrified for a moment.

"Don't tell me you're pushing us into a deadly place?"

I quickly shook my head toward Zain, who was beginning to feel fear.

"No. It's not like that. This matter is important enough for that."

"What? Why exactly those two countries? Well, the two countries don't get along well with each other... but will a war break out or something?"

Zain asked nonchalantly. I spoke lowly to such Zain.

"...If we can't prevent this matter, countless people will die."

At those words, both Zain and Troy kept their mouths shut.

"I don't know how far the casualties will spread, but... I heard from Lord Kyros. So you stay in those two countries and closely grasp the movements and report to me."

Only then did Zain, realizing the seriousness, nod reluctantly. And he collected the money pouches.

"If you speak to that extent, Master, I understand."

"Right. Then come back to my office as soon as you finish preparing. I'll pack necessary things for you."

I silently watched Zain and Troy leaving. And opened my inventory.

Hoping I could prevent this war.

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