Chapter 28: A Lesson in Fate

Lema Valkite said he would be a good sacrifice, but he didn’t even keep his word.

In the end, Bel returned to the castle empty-handed.

She had thought she could receive a sacrifice in exchange for solving the territory’s problems, but it seemed this was what the problem of the territory’s poor situation meant.

There were no young men, only old people, and the knights who could at least use their strength were women, so there seemed to be some problem.

If I had a summoner, I wouldn’t have this problem.

Belmias still didn’t know exactly what the wish to destroy the world was.

If it was to reenact that past event, it wasn’t impossible.

Perhaps “destruction” was a metaphorical expression, and it meant to end the era ruled by Luxlon, the god of good and justice.

If it was to single-handedly rush in and annihilate Lucilonia, that wasn’t impossible either.

It would just take a little longer.

In this era, the humans called apostles also seemed to have powerful abilities.

Left alone, Bel fiddled with what was in her hand.

It was the pebble Beata Mirgas had given her.

It looked ordinary at first glance, but if you looked closely, you could see two characters painted over it.

Bel rolled the pebble in her hand and was lost in thought.

They said this place has a lot of Pranazenis’s legacy…

All the humans had died back then.

It was interesting that the events of that time were still being passed down.

In any case, if Pranazenis’s legacy remained, it might be there.

Then she could roughly guess what had happened in the territory.

If only old people remained, that’s what it would mean.

She was thinking of resting a little and then going to the place this guided her to when the sun rose.

But would this body last until then?

Bel thought so and looked down at her own hand.

She touched her soft skin and repeatedly clenched and opened her fist.

If she continued to receive no sacrifices like this, she would really go around killing humans.

What should I do?

Knock, knock, knock.

Bel, who had been lost in thought, was startled.

It was a sound from behind the door.

“Uhm… it’s Lema Valkite, Master.”

A sacrifice.

Without delay, Bel opened the door.

“I apologize for the late hour…”

Lema Valkite, whom she met at the door, had a pale face, as if he had been caught in the rain.

“This is a continuation of the conversation from dinner… I came because there is something I would dare to ask.”

“Come in.”

“Thank you.”

Lema, whom she saw alone, did not have the sharp and serious appearance he had when he was dealing with Axel Mirgas.

He couldn’t feign the same iron-clad strength as he did then, and he had crumbled so much in front of her.

In fact, she had expected this much.

Lema Valkite had been showing signs of agitation ever since he learned why he had been designated as a heretic.

Although it seemed he hadn’t quite accepted the story of how many moons there were in the past.

“They said they saw the future with a holy law in Lucilonia, is that possible?”

His true intention was probably to ask if it was justified for him to be designated as a heretic for something like that.

So he had come to ask a transcendent being.

This was information Lema Valkite had learned for the first time.

Lucilonia had seen the future, and because of that, they had more actively carried out the heretic hunt.

There was a possibility that Valkite had been caught up in that.

If not that, Lucilonia might have seen Valkite becoming a heretic, or even something worse.

Perhaps they had seen the destruction she would bring, and the possibility that the apostle Valkite was standing next to her was not zero.

To sum it all up—was it possible to see the future?

“It is possible.”

“Then does that mean they knew in advance that I, Valkite, would become a heretic?”

“…”

“Does that mean my fate was decided? That no matter how much I struggled, I was destined to become a heretic?”

“…”

“Please… say something.”

Lema Valkite, who had designated himself as a heretic by following Belmias, seemed to still be wandering.

But explaining this was complicated.

She didn’t know if a human of this era like Lema Valkite would be able to understand even if she did.

“The answer, uh.” Bel still gave a short answer.

“It is decided.”

“Ha.”

Lema lamented and covered his face.

“It was useless to believe in and train for Luxlon. It would have turned out like this anyway. I was a human who would be swayed by fate without any free will… is that what you mean? Since everything is decided, I don’t need to strive for anything. Since it will happen according to the predetermined future anyway.”

“That’s not it.”

“What’s not?”

“It’s not decided like that.”

“Didn’t you just say that the future is decided?”

Lema looked frustrated.

But Bel was just as frustrated.

This was a concept that was difficult to make the other person understand even if she spoke a proper language.

Still, since the one seeking an answer was in front of her, Bel told him.

“It became that way because they saw it.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“It became that way because they saw the future.”

“…”

Lema frowned, then acknowledged his own shortcomings and asked again, step by step.

“I am a foolish human, so I do not understand. You are saying that it was decided that I would follow Lady Belmias in the future, and that they saw that future. Doesn’t that mean it was already decided?”

“No, it’s not decided in that way.”

“Didn’t you just say that the future is decided?”

“It is decided, but it is not decided.”

“…?”

“But if you see it, it becomes decided.”

“Yes…?”

Lema’s eyes trembled greatly, and then he grabbed his hair with both hands and knelt on the spot.

The eyes that looked up at her were full of defiance and confusion.

It was the same as when he was waiting to be sold at the s*ave auction.

“Supreme God, I am already your servant. You don’t have to mock me.”

“It’s not a mockery.”

Lema took a deep breath once and then caught his breath again.

He must have recalled everything—from hearing the story of the prophecy, having his beliefs denied by it, and living as a fugitive while dealing with the apostles.

Perhaps he had even recalled his family dying and being chased.

He was probably upset, and perhaps even angry.

Yet, the god who should be giving him an answer was just repeating what seemed like wordplay, so he must be frustrated.

But Lema tried to have a conversation calmly again.

“Once, just once more, please tell me.”

And Lema pointed out the window.

In the clear night sky, unlike in the past, a single bright moon was floating.

“Do you see that moon? Or do you not see it?”

“I see it.”

“The moon exists. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Then if I close my eyes and don’t see that moon, does that mean the moon doesn’t exist?”

“…Yes.”

“…”

“…You didn’t understand.”

“I think I can’t understand because I’m just a human.”

“Yes. Because you’re just a human.”

“…”

Lema Valkite was asking a typical question that comes out when one doesn’t understand.

“…Master, you said the future is decided.”

“Yes. But until you see it, it is decided, but it is not decided.”

Lema covered his face with both hands as if praying.

He seemed to be taking a deep breath because he didn’t know how to express his frustration.

In the end, after repeating the same question and answer a few more times, Bel also sighed.

“Lema, until they saw the future, you could have become a heretic or not. It became that way because they saw that future.”

“…Then does that mean that if there had been no prophecy, I might not be here?”

“That could be.”

“Master, so…”

Lema Valkite was a very persistent human, and it seemed he intended to continue this Q&A all night.

“Stop. You won’t know even if I tell you.”

“Then what should I do?”

But as expected of a persistent human, Lema did not give up there.

Lema, who had been looking down at the floor with his head bowed, raised his head and undid his collar with both hands.

“Master, you said that every time you eat a sacrifice, you become accustomed to the current language and culture.”

Having taken off his top first, he knelt and, claiming that he was at the lowest place, grabbed Bel’s legs.

“Will it be okay if you eat me again this time?”

This guy was starting to use his body as bait.

“Now, now I can do it well enough to satisfy you.”

Thick fingers swept over her ankles and came up, fiddling with the sensitive skin.

With his lips pressed to her knee, he looked up at her ardently and said,

“Please give me an answer.”

Would it be possible?

They had started off badly, and since then, the only good sacrifice had been Lema, so it didn’t seem like it would have that much of an effect.

But she needed a sacrifice right now, so there was no reason to refuse.

“Alright.”

Bel pulled her leg away from him, lowered her posture, and pulled his chin to kiss him.

As their lips met, Lema urgently inhaled.

Soon, the body that Bel had tamed leaned in pliantly.

As expected.

It tasted good.

Because desperate emotions can also be a good fuel.