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. nOveLb1n
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?
「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?」