After tea time, I didn’t go back to the mansion, but stayed with Miya, and after all the ladies left, we took a carriage and went somewhere.
After driving for quite some time, the place I arrived was in front of a small alley located on the southern outskirts of the capital.
‘You should remember it well.’
I went straight down the alley, opened the very small wooden door, and went down the stairs. When I thought I had descended quite deep, I passed through a narrow passage and arrived at a very large space.
It’s like a very large plaza, to the point where you wonder if it’s even possible to have such a large space underground. There, Ceria was running around with her hands raised as if she had been possessed by a god.
“Look, Celia. Lady Seria’s free appearance. “Isn’t it so beautiful to be liberated from physical and mental pain?”
Behind Lady Seria, who was jumping up and down, Miya held her hands with a somewhat ecstatic look on her face. She felt that her eyes had become blurred somehow since she got in the carriage, but when she came here, she was completely glassy. As if someone had taken medicine.
“haha. Yes.”
I appropriately agreed with Miya’s words and asked quietly.
“What are you all doing?”
There was a large dark red stone stuck in the center of the square, and people who appeared to be believers were in a circle around it, each doing something.
Some people were holding their hands together and reciting something similar to a prayer, while others were seen kneeling on the floor and crying. Among them, the one running was Seria.
Miya still looked at me with blurry eyes.
“I am praying to the God of Destruction for what I want after ‘complete liberation.’”
“… … Complete liberation?”
“yes.”
Miya smiled meaningfully and took a step toward me. She thought she had to save Miya until she came after her. When I look at her meaningful smile and her blurry eyes, I somehow feel like the distance between me and her in my mind has grown by about a hundred meters.
I asked, trying to hold on to the foot that wanted to go back.
“What is ‘complete liberation’?”
“that… … You will know when you serve the God of Destruction. Then, at some point, you will realize it yourself. That’s why Lady Seria also developed such a faithful attitude.”
“aha… … .”
In short, it is said that you will only be able to understand it if you join a religion.
This is a typical pseudo-religion method of evangelism.
She didn’t give me a specific answer, but I was able to guess it just in my head.
‘Perfect liberation is probably death.’
Since they are Ruben’s followers, they probably want Ruben to destroy the world… … .
It’s an irrational and nonsensical story, but ultimately it means that they are wishing for their own death.
‘I don’t know how I was tricked into wishing for my own death.’
Anyway, I happened to be taking the entrance course along with Miya. So, this was her answer to my question, what should I do to achieve that ‘complete liberation’?
Miya, like a very enthusiastic salesperson, dragged me around and showed me around, and there was quite a bit of space in the basement. It seems that some people live here, and there are places to sleep, eat, and exercise. After seeing that far, this underground area felt like a small urban community.
“He is the leader of our church.”
After traveling to many places, I reached the final stage of initiation.
Returning to the square where she first arrived, Miya pointed to the top of the dark red stone in the center of the square. There was a platform there that I had not seen before, and there was one person on it.
He covered his entire body so tightly that not a single fur was visible, and he looked gloomy, perhaps because of his black robe.
“Quite a few people brought new believers today.”
The voice of the person called the cult leader sounded awkward, as if it had been altered.
It was from this time that I noticed the strangeness of this space. As he started speaking, a very hazy black fog began to spread around him. To be exact, it was flowing from the dark red stone beneath him.
But everyone except me seemed to not see it and was only looking at the religious leader.
‘What is this fog? Something is strange… … .’
The black fog had a strange scent and a strange energy. It definitely had some effect.
Because I saw right before my eyes that the eyes of those who were touched by this fog became empty like dolls.
‘like… … It seems like this fog is controlling them.’
Everyone, including Miya and Seria, stood at a distance like a doll and only looked at the religious leader.
The leader glanced at the others, then his head stopped in my direction. I could feel it intuitively. The leader was watching me.
The moment I felt a chill on the back of my neck and the hair standing up, the leader suddenly came down from the stage and started walking towards me.
‘Ugh. ‘Why are you coming this way?’
For a moment, sweat poured down my face.
It wasn’t because he was scared. I was worried that it would be discovered that I was unaffected by that strange fog.
It seemed okay since no barriers or magic had any effect on me, but if it turned out that I wasn’t being manipulated, it would be quite embarrassing.
I quickly looked around with eagle eyes. In times like these, acting skills are life. I blurted my eyes out as much as possible and stood with all of my body relaxed, like a marionette whose strings had come undone.
I think this is roughly similar to Miya next to me.
“… … .”
As if the smoke had worked, the leader of the cult arrived in front of me in an instant, looked at me blankly and muttered.
“Has it finally come to us…?” … . Ruben’s guide. “I’ve been waiting this long.”
Ruben’s guide? What is that again?
I tried to keep my face from automatically crumpling.
The leader continued talking to himself as if he was thrilled. Miya was right next to me, but she said there was no way she could hear me.
“Only if you have your own will can you truly receive Ruben’s blessing. I’ve been waiting for you to appear here for a long time… … . “The day has finally arrived.”
“… … .”
If he does that as soon as he sees me, doesn’t that mean he already knew I was Ruben’s guide? So does this person know me?
While I was twirling my head, the leader turned around and climbed onto the stage.
Then he raised his hands high and shouted.
“Today is a happy day! Reuben, the God of Destruction, announces that ‘Day of Beginning’ is soon upon us!”
“Oh oh. “God of destruction!”
As soon as the religious leader finished speaking, the believers gathered here each shouted for the God of Destruction. The sound was so loud that it hurt my eardrums.
I almost reflexively covered my ears, but managed to stop myself. Because now I have been brainwashed by this fog. You can’t move as you please.
How many minutes have passed like that?
When it became difficult to stand still, it seemed like the whole ritual was finally over.
When you see the religious leader say this.
“We must now prepare for ‘Start Day.’ In the meantime, please everyone faithfully fulfill their roles in their respective positions. The next meeting will be ‘Startup Day.’”
With those words, those in the square quickly disappeared, like ants scattering to their homes in an instant. In the blink of an eye, only Miya, me, and Seria remained in the square.
“Shall we go back now, Celia?”
Miya, who had been standing there blankly, blinked several times as if she suddenly came to her senses, then smiled at me and led us back to the mansion.
I quickly left Count Holman’s townhouse and headed toward Siaster Street.
‘What on earth is Ruben’s guide? They said that the day of beginning is coming when I show up. I feel like something is going to happen. No, before that.’
Who on earth is that cult leader? The one who already knew me.
As soon as I arrived at the mansion, I rushed to Dazar’s room.
“Dazar! Dazar!”
While I was away, he seemed to have fallen asleep again today to see ‘her’. When I opened the door, he was in bed, sleeping like the dead with his eyes closed.
I hurriedly walked up to his bed, grabbed his shoulder, and shook him.
Noble manners and all, that wasn’t important right now. I’ve just come to see the leader of Ruben’s followers!
Plus, he seemed to know me!
“Uhm… … .”
“Wake up! hurry!”
Dazar’s black eyelashes fluttered, and then his golden eyes began to reveal themselves little by little. Blink, blink, slowly opening and closing my eyes gradually came into focus.
And then the moment I felt I could completely see the golden eyes.
“Hee… … ?”
“yes?”
Suddenly, the hand holding his shoulder was grabbed and a long finger touched his cheek. As if checking my face with his hands, he lightly touched and then moved away repeatedly.
‘uh? just now… … .’
Rather than seeing Dazar act like this, I was more taken aback by the word ‘hee-ah’ he had just said. That’s because it was a very familiar word to me. In a past life.
“what… … ? Celia? it’s you?”
At that moment, as if he had finally come to his senses, Dazar suddenly got away from me. The fingers that were stroking his face and the hand that was holding my hand were the same.
No, am I some kind of cockroach?
When I saw Dazar leaving in a hurry, I felt very embarrassed. I blurted out, forgetting that I had just heard a familiar word.
“Come to your senses, right? Mr. Transcendent, who slept soundly while I met with the leader of Ruben’s followers?”
“… … what?”
Dazar narrowed his eyes as if he had no idea what he had just heard.
“What did you just say?”
“I came here to meet the leader of Ruben’s followers.”
Only after repeating it once more did Dazar’s eyes open as round as trays.
he shouted.
“what-?!”
