158. Naivete
“For the sake of humanity, so that everyone will no longer suffer, so that you will not be deceived by lies.”
“…”
Before he could speak, Pesa slowly walked up to him.
Reina couldn’t see her expression, or rather, it was very difficult to tell what Pesa was feeling.
But in any case, it couldn’t be too good.
No one wanted to see their adoptive father turn out to be a disguised, villainous bastard.
Now, I have no right to criticize others.
Pesa gently glanced at Cardinal Paris, who was leaning against the wall, clutching her heart.
“So, what am I in your heart, Your Holiness?”
“You’re just a substitute.”
The Pope chuckled, as if he had given up all hope.
“You’re just a substitute I use to comfort myself… Pesa!”
The Pope said bluntly.
“You couldn’t face your own daughter, so you turned me into her likeness?”
“For the sake of your so-called ideals, you were going to sacrifice most people?”
“And then, you tried your best to kill the Goddess of Light…”
“Is that so…”
Pesa seemed to have entered a strange state.
But when a golden light began to shimmer from her body, Reina finally discovered that this might just be some kind of “inevitability.”
A blue robe and golden knight’s armor appeared behind her.
In an instant, the three guardian statues outside the castle vanished into thin air.
In their place, on Pesa’s body, was a light like the sun.
—Had she actually been recognized by the guardian gods?
No, was she actually the “Holy Swordsman” from the beginning?!
No wonder the statue had vanished into thin air.
No wonder she was chosen as the hero.
“Pope, it was you… you became an accomplice of the demons, letting the people of the whole world suffer, just to satisfy your own desires?”
“Is this your so-called justice?”
Pesa’s voice was hollow. At this moment, she had completely transformed into a holy warrior.
Mura also widened her eyes, carefully observing this strongest user of light attribute magic before her, who was emitting a powerful light.
A cunning glint flashed in the Pope’s eyes.
“Then kill me!”
“Can you do it, apostle of the goddess, holy hero?”
“Come on, I am a traitor to humanity. Now, observe the justice in your heart!”
But Pesa shook her head.
She hadn’t drawn her sword from the beginning.
“You doing this is a betrayal of the light.”
Suddenly, the light within the Pope’s body, as if completely drawn out, flew into Pesa’s hand and merged into her body. As the strongest user of light attribute magic, she could freely strip or bestow [light attribute].
“You… what kind of monster have you become?”
“I will not forgive a Pope who has betrayed the [Light].”
Before the Pope could continue speaking, his life force also vanished along with his light attribute magic. The battle with the Beast King had exhausted him, and he soon lost his support and fainted on the ground.
After doing all this, she actually turned around and walked up to Reina.
Her body also shone with a dazzling light.
Like a kitten craving praise, she knelt on one knee and looked at Reina with expectant eyes:
“Goddess~”
“Please, how should these sinners be dealt with?”
For a moment, Reina seemed to understand the meaning behind the Pope’s final struggle.
…
Dozens of kilometers away from the desert, the beautiful scenery of the snowfield was like a quiet scroll. The white snow that had fallen for two days spread out, as if it were a pure white carpet woven by nature itself.
The snow-capped mountains rose and fell, the silver-white peaks intertwined with the blue sky, and the snow on the mountaintops reflected a faint ice-blue luster under the sunlight. The wind blew gently, bringing a hint of coldness.
Two young women sat facing each other on a sofa.
“Agnes…”
“Decades ago, the Goddess and Calysia made a deal.”
“A soul trade.”
“Give your soul to the goddess, complete the forbidden magic, and this way, you can escape the shackles of the Gate of the Celestial Realm through [reincarnation].”
“To protect you, she didn’t choose me, who was a substitute for the [soul core], but chose Calysia. I believed in her choice.”
“…”
Although the goddess had no soul core.
However, she had integrated the souls of the Saintesses through the sacrificial ritual, becoming a [substitute], an existence called [Light]. Whenever a soul core was needed, she would use [Light] to complete it.
To receive the goddess’s protection, every Saintess would be “sacrificed” by the church.
The goddess had never absorbed a single soul. She took back a part of the Saintesses’ power and merged their souls, turning them into “assistants.”
Although they were “assistants,” in most cases, she wouldn’t use them.
But would place them aside, like a vase…
“That’s the current me.”
Light continued:
“She has never had a real soul core, suffering without knowing it.”
“Through Calysia, the goddess who had obtained emotions finally said those words at the last moment.”
“This world is wrong.”
“This world should be destroyed, so that the goddess will be happy.”
But what Light didn’t expect at all was that Agnes actually laughed.
She laughed very happily.
As if she had seen through something.
“Light… can I call you that? Or, can I give you a name~”
Agnes’s eyes were teasing. She stroked her chin, crossed her legs, and her tail also wagged.
“I don’t understand what you mean at all.”
“I mean, you’re so cute, Miss Light~”
“…”
“As a tool of the goddess, you exist as an assistant to her consciousness, but in the end, you weren’t given much importance. What a terrible mother… isn’t she?”
She felt that the woman before her was crazy.
But she still explained patiently:
“The goddess’s judgment is not wrong.”
“The goddess thinks there’s no problem, so do you think there’s a problem?”
“I think… ? I can’t interfere with the goddess’s decision.”
“I can help you, little sister Light~”
Light’s mind went blank.
Why was the other party still rejecting her, but after a completely incomprehensible argument, she chose to help her?
Since she agreed, there was no problem.
As long as she didn’t expose herself before the goddess recovered her memory, and then fulfilled the goddess’s wish.
The goddess was her everything…
But Agnes seemed to think differently.
“Hehe~ you’re such a dummy.”
“Mother’s angry words in a moment could turn you into this.”
“It seems Miss Light is still a naive and innocent little girl.”
“Light…”
“You just don’t want to be abandoned by your mother. Why do you have to think about things so complicatedly?”
“Just act spoiled, and the past will be forgiven.”
“I’ll talk to my mother about it.”
