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Chapter 1241: Return of the Beast-Bug God

We flew out of the window of Klimt’s room and gazed northward from the sky.

The enormous barrier that had exuded such a distinct presence was completely gone.

And in its place, we sensed an intense amount of evil energy.

Had a fragment of the Evil God truly been revived, as Potima claimed? The ridiculous amount of power in the air certainly gave me that impression.

「Mrgh?」

『This place is…』

Fran and I were focused on the northern skies, but then we found ourselves in a familiar white space.

Neither Fran nor I made a fuss about this. We instinctively understood what was going on.

「Qualified one.」

Suddenly, an inhuman giant revealed itself in front of us. He looked like some bizarre mix of beasts and insects, giving him an appearance befitting the last boss of a video game. However, this was no enemy.

He was the Beast-Bug God.

「A fragment of the Evil God has awakened in the northern lands.」

「!」

So that ominous wave of evil energy was exactly what we suspected. I had many questions, but I could neither speak nor move. It seems I was considered little more than an accessory to Fran right now.

「Did the gods set up the barrier… uh, your grace?」

「Qualified one, you may speak as you do normally. Mere choice of words will not affect your standing.」

「Okay.」

「That barrier is not ours. It was created by borrowing the power of the Evil God, after offering the people of the land as sacrifices.」

In other words, Laranflura must have set up the barrier with the power of the Evil God Fragment?

「Only one fragment is active at the moment, but the other three fragments are on the verge of awakening.」

「There are four Evil God Fragments sealed in Raydoss?」

「Correct. They have awakened the first fragment by gathering power through mass sacrifices, which they used to create the barrier. Then, they plan to break the seal on the other fragments with the life energy drained from those within the barrier.」

So the East Conquest Duke massacred all those people in order to gain enough power to resurrect the Evil God! Then, he must have used whatever was left to create the barrier.

More importantly, we just learned that the other fragments were about to awaken. If Raydoss dismissed the barrier, does that mean they’ve already broken the seal?

No, that can’t be it. The Beast-Bug God said they were still on the verge of awakening, which means Raydoss has yet to achieve a full resurrection.

While I was worried about the details, Fran seemed to be more concerned about a different subject.

「Are you telling me to defeat the Evil God?」

The Beast-Bug God must have an important reason for visiting us directly like this. Fran thought this might be a divine command to defeat the Evil God Fragment.

It seems that was her main concern.

Despite how strong we’ve grown, a fragment of the Evil God is still out of the question. That said, I doubt Fran would refuse a direct order from her god.

I waited anxiously for the Beast-Bug God’s answer, but it wasn’t what I expected.

「You are free to do as you wish. Fight or retreat; it’s your choice.」

「…? Then why are you telling me about this?」

「You have my divine blessing, and the Apostle of the Chaos Goddess is comparable to a divine sword. Thus, you have the right to hear my words. However, unlike those who possess a true divine sword, you have no obligation to challenge the fragments of the Evil God.」

「Those with a divine sword have to fight?」

「They do. Such is the mission of those who wield them. The three wielders in the northern lands have already received their revelations.」

Three? By the “northern lands”, he must mean the Kingdom of Raydoss. So there’s three divine sword wielders nearby? Maleficent has Hell, and Phyllius has Diabolos. Is there another?

Fran attempted to ask about the third divine sword, but we were unable to get a straight answer. I doubt the gods care much about confidentiality, though it seems they put the divine sword wielders a level above the rest.

「Isn’t it best if we all join forces to beat the Evil God?」

「As someone bound to the Evil God through a contract, you have the right to an answer… We have never told anyone to destroy the Evil God. It is impossible for mankind to defeat a god in the first place. Mortals can merely defeat the fragments, thus returning their souls to the divine realm.」

As I suspected, the gods have no intention of destroying the Evil God.

「Aren’t the gods angry at the Evil God?」

「We are indeed angry, which is why we deliberately sealed the Evil God on the surface world as a form of punishment. However, this was not the unanimous decision of all gods.」

So they had no intent to kill despite their anger. Splitting a god into pieces and sealing them away might be their way of giving a timeout or something.

「It is about time for my departure. Farewell.」

「Wait! Just one more question!」

「…Very well.」

「Why didn’t you speak to Potima? She believed in you.」

「Potima, you say. She was a girl brimming with talent and faith.」

I never thought the Beast-Bug God would actually remember Potima’s name, but it seems I was wrong. Does he remember every single beastman? Or maybe she was recognized as an exceptional individual?

「However, her heart was weak.」

「Her heart?」

「That’s right. Her reverence for the gods was impeccable, but clinging to the divine is a sign of weakness. No matter how much faith one places in us, those who can hear our voices must try and fulfill their wishes with their own power. Maintain a strong heart. Such is the most important factor in bringing out the power of the gods.」

Wow, so the gods themselves say that relying on them too much leads to weakness. What he says sounds true, faith and strength of heart are completely different things.

Unlike Earth, the existence of this world’s gods is a proven fact. The people here place much more faith in them as a result. However, relying on the gods for everything only leads to weakness.

In that sense, I can’t say that Potima had a particularly strong heart. Meanwhile, Fran’s mental toughness still amazes me to this day.

「I attempted to bestow my divine blessing on her, but my voice never reached her.」

「I see…」

「That is why I invited her to my side after her death.」

「Eh?」

As the Beast-Bug God said that, we noticed a snake at his feet. It was a beautiful snake with green and purple scales sparkling like gemstones.

Despite the lack of a human form, Fran and I understood the snake’s identity.

「Potima?」