The Broken Possessors of the Infinite Regression Academy - Chapter 169



Chapter 169 – Faith

“The Goddess is dead?! How?!”

Rosaria, who was wearing an ordinary nun’s habit instead of the starlight-woven saint’s habit she usually wore, asked in shock. It was because the holy relic had lost its power as the divine power disappeared.

Fortunately, the only people around her were other possessed people, so those three were the only ones who saw her naked body.

The three people who suddenly saw Rosaria’s naked body also had similar reactions. They were all shocked and bewildered by the news that the goddess had died.

Leona couldn’t involve herself in this conversation, so she apologized and sent her away first.

“It’s literally true.”

As my explanation continued, the other four people’s shock grew deeper.

Of course, there were many things that were equally unbelievable. The fact that the goddess was bound in chains, that her personality was actually separated, and that she died because of an unidentified creature that burst through her chest.

But every single one of them was true.

“… … I killed that guy and buried the goddess’s body, but the heaven itself collapsed. Thinking back now, I think it was because the goddess died and the divine power disappeared.”

As the explanation ended that the heavens had collapsed and he had returned to the earth, the next gaze naturally turned to Laura. Laura, who had been gazed at, flinched.

“I’ve never put in such a setting. Why would I put such a setting in a novel that isn’t even a dark fantasy? If it were my previous work, it might be different… … I wouldn’t make a cloned creature that pierces the heart of a goddess and comes out in a romance novel, right?”

“Think of the deaths we’ve experienced, Laura. Don’t you think that’s pretty gory for a romance novel?”

“Aren’t there more romance novels than that?”

Laura glared at Elisier with a furious expression. Elisier waved her hand roughly as if trying to let the words go in one ear and out the other.

“Mira. What does it mean that the world has been absorbed?”

While Rosaria was trying to stop the two people who were starting to argue, Priscilla asked a question cautiously.

“I don’t know either. I don’t know who the woman who absorbed the world I was in is. She must be no ordinary person since she dragged me here. Maybe she’s the one who dragged you all here too.”

It would be more natural to think that way. If the woman who brought me here and the person who brought those four people here are different, then that is questionable in its own right.

After hearing the answer, Priscilla hesitated for a while, then looked up at me cautiously.

“I… … I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Since the goddess emphasized it so much, doesn’t it mean that one of the people you, Mira, trust is that woman? You wouldn’t warn someone not to trust someone you have no relationship with, right?”

Suddenly, Laura and Elisier, who had been bickering with each other, stopped fighting, and Rosaria, who had been getting pushed around in the middle of them, turned her head around.

“I’ve thought about that too.”

He sighed and accepted the words. Priscilla’s body trembled at the answer that was no different from saying that she had doubted it. Her body began to tremble little by little as if it were representing the anxious feelings in her head.

He hugged her slightly trembling body and patted her lightly.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to suspect you of something like that. We’re on the same level. You’re on my side. You’ve always been that way, and you always will be.”

They are all the same people, but they have also tried to tightrope walk here and there, just without crossing the line. At least, I didn’t want to be suspicious of such people.

“The people of this world won’t be suspicious just because of that.”

It just makes me tired to not trust everyone. It was crazy to be paranoid and ruin every relationship I had built just because of the possibility that something like that might happen.

It would be different if the people of this world were treated as mere characters in a novel, like the four here, but for me, that was impossible because of my old memories.

“But if that’s true… … .”

I couldn’t finish saying that I would need to prepare. It was because I was wondering how I should prepare in the first place.

A woman whom a goddess would warn not to trust, even using the last bit of her remaining time. Who on earth would be such a woman?

“Ah, anyway! That’s not what’s important right now! The divine power is gone! We have to do something about that first!”

As if trying to lighten the mood, Rosaria clapped her hands and stammered as she opened her mouth. The chest area of ​​her fully stretched nun’s habit shook dangerously.

“But what should we do? The goddess is dead… … .”

The voice gradually became smaller and smaller. It really seemed like it was just a passing remark. The red eyes filled with pity looked at me as if they were asking me to do something.

“… … Mira. Is there any way… … ?”

“maybe.”

“Oh, really?!”

His red eyes widened as if he had not expected the answer to be yes. He summoned a light spear in his left hand. As a golden light source burst out and illuminated it, his wide eyes became quiet again.

“Here it is. The method.”

“… … .”

There was an ambiguous silence. Perhaps because everyone knew what this object meant to me.

“Anyway, it’s divine power. At least, Rosaria, you can still claim to have divine power without any problems. Whether the other priests can’t use it or not, if you can use it alone, that’s enough.”

Although the emotional bonds that were accepted were different, this light window was also an object of awakening through faith. There was no law that said it could not become an object of faith.

“… … I don’t know if it will even affect the Holy Sword.”

That was exactly the problem. Since the priests had healing magic anyway, if they just used a trick, the chaos would gradually subside. However, the fact that the holy sword did not return was a very fatal incident.

The Holy Sword is the symbol of the Goddess, and the symbol of the Goddess is the Holy Sword, so its light went out? There was no point in Rosaria getting her power back. The eyes of suspicion will never subside.

“Even if the Holy Sword is secondary… … Is it really okay to do that? What about you, Mira?”

Rosaria watched me carefully.

“I don’t care. At least it’s better than leaving the entire continent in chaos. Even the Emperor is panicking.”

Even as the Starlight Order fell into corruption, its divine power never disappeared, and it continued to this day, even after the Order fell and Rosaria became a saint.

Even to those who were not part of a religious order, the belief in divine power was virtually the truth.

But the symbol of truth disappeared overnight. People who did not know the truth could not help but panic, and even the emperor was no exception.

The only exception is that he is still suffering from madness. Of course, it is far from a good thing since his madness is so severe that he is not even aware of the current situation.

“With the situation like this, it’s only natural that it’ll be difficult to maintain the front line. How could people who were born and lived in the era of the goddess fight without divine power?”

In the past, it would have been a hellishly hopeless situation, since the only cure was gone. But now, divine healing was absolutely not irreplaceable.

The only problem is that the morale that has been broken by the thought that the Goddess has abandoned humanity cannot be cured by healing magic.

“The more the rumor spreads, the more chaos there will be. Not only those in the religious community, but even ordinary people will panic. It will be incomparable to the past.”

“……I know.”

Rosaria nodded gloomily, as it was a fact that could be easily guessed. A shadow fell on one side of her face, perhaps due to the light emitted by the light window.

“Don’t look at me. How many times has this happened? And now you’re here. Have you forgotten what you did to me?”

Everyone flinched as if they were recalling old memories, and they slowly avoided my gaze. Even so, the corners of their lips were slightly twitching. It seemed like my words were having an effect.

“And, Rosaria, is it harder for you than for me?”

“Huh? Me?”

Rosaria blinked.

“why?”

Less than half a day after the divine power disappeared, all the people of the empire witnessed the saint ascending the steps of light and heading to the battlefield.

All the other humans who saw the light scattering around it burning the demons and healing the humans it touched bowed their heads and knelt beside it.

Although the saint’s face was covered in light and her expression could not be seen, it was clear that she was filled with joy at having performed a miracle.

Despite the fact that Rosaria was on the verge of death as she used the power of the light to become a medium for miracles, the people were quickly regaining their stability. This was thanks to the rapid spread of rumors about the saintess.

It was also because the priests had their divine powers returned.

‘… …Is it because the worlds have merged?’

I didn’t know why the divine power returned. When Rosaria, who had borrowed the light spear and performed a fake miracle, returned and was able to use the thread that connects the starlight again, I too watched her in a trembling manner.

It was as if he was saying that no matter what the process of gathering faith was, the result would be no different.

‘It’s a good thing that the confusion has subsided.’

I just told Rosaria to keep quiet about why her divine powers disappeared. If she kept quiet, people would make up their own guesses.

All we had to do was pick out the most plausible guess, polish it, and publish it. Why should we bother to rack our brains and figure it out ourselves? It’s annoying.

However, a somewhat unique problem arose.

“The Emperor is seriously considering officially declaring Rosaria’s religion as the state religion.”

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“… … .”

The emperor, who had been in a state of panic after witnessing the miracle and regaining his sanity, began to seriously consider the idea that this event was the goddess’s punishment for the non-believers.

The country was in danger of turning from an empire into a holy nation.

“… … I went to see the saint first.”

After finishing his thoughts, he met Leona’s gaze, who was sitting across from him. There was something more important right now. Leona smiled awkwardly, holding the holy sword that had regained its light.

“He said he couldn’t answer that.”

‘I guess so.’

How can I tell you when I never thought about the reason in the first place?

“So, Mira.”

Leona put the holy sword down on the table and looked at me calmly.

“What do you have to say to me?”