Chapter 180: Sacrifice for the Gods (2)

Maybelle's father seems to have foreseen the future or found a way through his exceptional knowledge, but there's no need to dwell on that right now.

"I understand the gist of what's happening, but there are parts I don't understand."

"What is it?"

I lightly snapped my fingers, and at the same time, Maybelle fell asleep.

After all, it wasn't appropriate for the child who was about to become a sacrifice to hear the story.

"The sacrifice to become the body of the deity. As far as I know, such a thing is not necessary to create a deity. Why did they demand that?"

"Huh?"

Ella, who was holding the suddenly sleeping Maybelle, had a greatly surprised expression.

I have experience manipulating public opinion and inciting to create or change many deities, but such sacrifices were never necessary.

No, there wasn't even a ritual to begin with. It was just a matter of manipulating public opinion and incitement to lead the beliefs of many people to establish the deity in the form I wanted.

Therefore, there is no such thing as a ritual to create a deity.

"The existence of a deity is born from the beliefs of countless humans. Therefore, a physical body is meaningless."

A deity is born from the beliefs of many people.

Except for a few special cases that have a physical body... Without the beliefs of such humans, it would be a weak existence that cannot even maintain its own existence.

Hmm. From that perspective... Isn't a deity a kind of mental parasite that is born by feeding on the faith of many humans, unable to exist without the beliefs of the majority of humans?

It's an interesting thought, but what's important now is not that.

"That's why the idea of a sacrifice to become the body of a deity in this ritual is... strange."

"Is that so? But how, Dragon's Priestess, know about this ritual?"

"Hmm. The details are a secret. But one thing is certain... There is no one who knows more about how to create a deity than I do."

That's how I used to make gods in the first place.

However, the ritual to create a deity that Ella explained... No matter how I think about it, it's different from the method I used.

It's as if...

“But if you perform the ritual, are you sure you're really creating a new diety?”

"Huh? That's..."

"I also know well the methods of creating deities. But the ritual you mentioned seems to be a completely different thing from the method I know."

Ella's face began to harden at my words.

"That's... but..."

Ella couldn't continue her words properly. Hmm...

"Perhaps the voice that taught them that ritual has deceived everyone?"

Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.

The unreasonable demands and the attempt to deceive the desperate rat beastmen to obtain what they want... If it's a trick,

then... what does that voice want?

"Explain the ritual that the rat beastmen are preparing as detailed as possible. I'll compare it to the method I know."

"Ah, I understand."

Ella began to explain the ritual to create a deity that she knew.

"First, the materials for the ritual are a child who will become the body of the deity, a large amount of mana stones, and the prayers and beliefs of the new deity's followers. Finally... to turn the prayers and beliefs of ordinary people into a pure deity, a large number of souls will be sacrificed for the deity's ascension."

Oh, this is bad! This ritual is suspicious!

"I can't just leave this be. This is..."

"Yes. For Maybelle's sake, the ritual must be prevented."

Ella stroked the sleeping Maybelle's head again. Her gentle touch was filled with deep affection.

"Not only for Maybelle, but I can't let the people of Armen be massacred either."

So, what's the best course of action?

The simplest method would be to storm the underground right now and destroy everything, but... Hmm, hmm.

While they've done wrong, completely massacring them all is a bit... Hmm...

If it was already done, it would be a different story, but they haven't done it yet, so killing them all is a bit... My heart is softening.

Well, the rat beastmen are just desperately trying to survive, so killing them all doesn't feel quite right. Sabotaging the ritual would not be enough.

Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.

That's it.

"What if we make Maybelle into a god?"

"Huh?"

Ella's eyes widened in surprise.

What, why are you looking at me like that?

"Uh, did you hear me correctly? This child, and the to sacrifice the people of Armen?"

"No, not that ritual."

If the rat beastmen needed a god, then if a god for the rat beastmen already existed, this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

So...

"Rather than that suspicious ritual, it's about properly creating a god."

"Properly, you say..."

Ella looked at me with eyes full of distrust. Well, I understand, but still.

Because of the suspicious ritual to create a gods, her daughter is in danger, and she even lost her husband. It's natural for her not to trust me.

But...

"Your daughter is not being sacrificed as an offering for the physical body of a god. By reversing the ritual that the rat beastmen are preparing, we can directly ascend this child to the position of a god."

"B-But..."

"If that happens... Your daughter will become a living human who has risen to the position of a god, and when her life as a living being ends, she will become the god of the rats and watch over the rat beastmen, so the future of your race will also be guaranteed, won't it?"

At my words, Ella fell into deep contemplation, and then spoke in a small voice.

"It is certainly tempting, but... But, becoming a god means taking on an immense responsibility, doesn't it?"

"That may be true. But she can become the most honored existence while still alive. Aren't you uncomfortable with your child becoming such an existence?"

Ella shook her head slightly.

"No, it's not that. I'm just... Worried that after becoming a god, an immortal being with immense responsibility, this child may be burdened and suffer from the weight of it."

I see. It's ultimately because she's worried about her child, isn't it?

Parents are always worrying about their children, but isn't this worry a bit too much?

In that case...

"How about asking her directly?"

I looked at the sleeping, or rather, pretending to sleep Maybelle.