Became an Apostle of an Ancient God

Chapter 8

'I'm screwed.'

Haru looked down at the collapsed child after hearing Shub Noona's warning. Facing the orphanage child writhing as if he had seen something dreadful, Haru pressed his hand to his forehead.

To lose his temper so childishly in a situation like this.

Moreover, even if it was a mistake, to let his Divine Power leak and cause Shub Noona to manifest.

But what's done is done; there's no use crying over spilled milk.

What's needed is a solution.

Think, think. Lee Haru.

Set aside rational adult judgment for a moment and think like a young child again.

"Wh-what!?"

"T-teacher! L-Leo suddenly collapsed! Teacher!!!"

"What did you do to Leo! You monster!!"

The friends of the boy who had just collapsed, Leo, instantly surrounded Haru and grabbed him by the collar.

Some younger girls, likely seeing someone faint while foaming at the mouth and rolling their eyes back for the first time, looked terrified and slowly backed away.

No matter how you looked at it, it was Lee Haru's fault.

To somehow gain allies in this situation...

'It seems this is the only way.'

"Ugh. Waaaaah!!!"

Haru suddenly burst into tears on the spot. Hearing Haru's cries instantly, Amelia, who had been talking with the director inside the cabin, rushed out.

"Wait! What's wrong, children!?"

The orphanage director followed behind Amelia.

Unlike Amelia, who looked to be in her early to mid-20s, the orphanage director appeared to be at least in her 40s or 50s, with streaks of white in her hair.

Unlike Amelia, who checked on Haru first, the director attended to the collapsed boy first. After checking Leo's pulse, the director looked at Haru with a face mixed with surprise, bewilderment, and contempt.

"What is this. You. Did you do this?"

The director glared at Haru with a stern expression. In response, Haru shed false tears and shook his head.

"I-I don't know either... Suddenly. That child pushed me. *Hic*. Pushed me. And suddenly fell backwards...!"

"Lady Amelia, didn't I tell you? We cannot allow a Heretic sentenced to atonement into this orphanage. Look. Hasn't a curse already fallen!"

"No. This... Earlier. That was definitely."

But Amelia seemed to have noticed something else.

"Haru. You. Can you use a rite?"

"Ri...te? I don't know anything like that! I... *Sob*..."

'I see, Amelia is also a rite user.'

Although it was just a speck, Amelia seemed to have detected the Divine Power that momentarily dispersed from Haru's body. And, without a rite using Divine Power, something like this would have been impossible.

"That Divine Power just now. For a brief leak, it was an enormous amount. Not quite Bishop Luther's level, perhaps. But just below it. Haru. Could you possibly be."

'This is troublesome.'

Amelia had already heard from a nearby guard when she rescued Haru and Iron Mask on the coast, 'There's a Child of the Devil captured in Lisboa.'

If things continue like this, he might be branded as the Child of the Devil and sent not to the orphanage, but to a detention center. He would lose all the privileges he could receive within the Hall of Atonement for being a 'young child'.

'I need to come up with a new improvisation.'

Just as Haru clicked his tongue softly and racked his brain.

"My, my. The orphanage seems a bit noisy today. What is happening?"

Just then, a man visited the orphanage's yellow garden.

Slicked-back silver hair. Unusually, one eye was covered with a black eyepatch, and he was a giant man, several times Haru's size.

Around his neck, he wore a special golden-patterned pendant symbolizing Serre, and a thick scripture was tied to his waist.

Holding a colorful bouquet of flowers he must have gotten somewhere with both hands, he calmed the startled children with a gentle smile.

"Bishop Luther!!"

The children chorused the name 'Luther' and rushed towards him. His broad embrace was open to all the children.

"Yes. Yes. I'm here. Don't worry. Did the boys get into a fight?"

Bishop Luther briefly put down the bouquet and checked the collapsed boy's condition with his hands. He instantly exerted powerful Divine Power from his fingertips and used a Rite of Light.

Then, the boy who had collapsed instantly regained consciousness. Waking up as if nothing had happened, the boy looked at Luther and spoke with relief.

"Th-thank you. Bishop Luther."

"Fighting is not allowed. Children, what did the Bishop say? Only Heretics can be harmed, right? Now, now."

At that moment, Luther's gaze fixed on Haru.

Haru's eyes naturally went to Luther as well.

The reason Haru's eyes went to Luther wasn't particularly because he was moved by his kindness or anything like that. It was because of the formidable Divine Power flowing through his body.

Slightly below Haru's level, but the quantity and quality were dimensions apart from ordinary priests.

"Hmm. And this child is?"

"F-forgive me. Bishop. I intended to report after safely entrusting this child to the orphanage, but."

"No. It's alright. Guiding the young lambs is our job. Judging by the restraints, he seems to be a child who received the sentence of atonement. Come to think of it, I heard news that a child about this size was captured in Lisboa."

Luther stroked his chin slightly and smiled.

"The Child of the Devil. Was that it?"

"... I apologize. Because my supervision was inadequate. This situation."

"No. It's not particularly Lady Amelia's fault."

Bishop Luther used the title 'Lady' even though Amelia was below him in rank.

"The fact that there was a survivor from the Holy Maiden Jeanne, I too just learned of it. If only I had handled things a bit more properly. Something like this wouldn't have happened.

Lady Amelia. In Lisboa, this child. Uh, that is. His name?"

"Haru, he said."

"Right. In Lisboa, they treated Haru as the Child of the Devil. But I have no intention of doing so. You must have felt it too, right? This child's Divine Power. That he's no ordinary child."

"Yes."

"Hmm. Good. Lady Amelia? As the Master Bishop of the Hall of Atonement, I command you. Treat him not as a prisoner, but as an ordinary child.

And please stay by his side as much as possible.

He must have been very startled. Everything must be new to him, so please soothe him well. He could potentially become our vanguard, a capable talent."

"Then... the restraints."

"The restraints are necessary. His power is top-notch, but he's still young. His control over Divine Power is immature, so it can't be helped.

Well then, Lady Amelia. I shall invite Haru personally to my church in two days. Haru, let's see each other again then."

Luther gently patted Haru's head. His rough touch, wearing half-gloves made of leather, felt inwardly burdensome to Haru.

"Now, now, children. Be nice to Haru."

"But, everyone wearing an iron necklace around their neck is bad!"

"That's right!"

"Haru is not a bad child. This Bishop promises you. So, be kind to him. Understand?"

Luther made a pinky promise with the children.

Master Bishop of the Hall of Atonement

This man was essentially the gravekeeper of Heretics.

"Yeees."

Just then, as everyone's attention was focused on Luther, Haru quietly asked Shub so others wouldn't hear.

"Shub Noona."

[Yes. I felt it too.]

The source of Bishop Luther's Divine Power was the left eye he covered with an eyepatch.

'Power' flowing out from beneath the eyepatch.

It was, surprisingly, a power very similar in nature to the Beast's Holy Relic that Shub Noona was currently keeping.

[Looks like he's the one. Controlling the prisoners' leashes with the Holy Relic.]

* * *

[Finally, we're alone.]

Although Luther had said to treat him the same as the other children, perhaps because of what happened today, Haru ended up sleeping not in the children's bedroom, but in Amelia's bedroom.

And thanks to Amelia being temporarily away for evening mass, Haru and Shub finally had time alone together.

Shub manifested again in human form.

However, her appearance was quite different from usual.

"Ah...!"

Usually, Shub wore a white one-piece dress and sandals, clothes that strongly evoked a summer feeling. Her black hair cascading down below her shoulders and her purple eyes added a touch of mystery to her innocent look.

But today's appearance was different.

Shub was wearing a 'habit'.

The same kind of habit that Amelia was wearing.

[I see, so this is what it feels like. Maybe it's not bad.]

"Amelia's habit?"

[Yes. Unfortunately, the aesthetic sense of mortals is a bit difficult for me to grasp,]

Shub said, sounding lonely, and glanced sideways at Haru.

[So all I can do, Haru. Is mimic the attire of another female that caught your eye. I tried my best to recreate it. How is it?]

Looking closely, it seemed to be an imitation based purely on external observation, as there were clumsy parts here and there.

It looked perfect on the outside, but should I say there was a strange oddness in the minor details?

However, Haru actually liked that aspect of Shub. Even if she wasn't perfect, he felt that she genuinely cared for him.

"Yeah. It suits you well. The original model is Shub Noona, after all. It'd be weird if it didn't suit you. Thanks for being considerate."

[Huhu. Thanks for the compliment. I don't dislike honest praise.]

Shub shyly smiled, brushing back her black hair that fell below her shoulders.

The aesthetic sense of mortals is incomprehensible, Shub had said.

But the smile Shub showed at that moment was more beautiful than any human smile Haru had ever seen, filled with affection, pure, and yet felt cute.

"So. Noona. There's something I want to ask."

Haru, sitting on the bed, turned to Shub, who sat shyly with her legs together, and asked. If he had his way, he would have wanted to bury his face in her thighs and fall asleep, but unfortunately, the Noona now could only exist as an illusion.

"Noona..."

Before Haru could finish his question, Shub spoke first with a serious face, different from before.

[The question is, who exactly am I, right?]

"Yeah. Let me say this first. Whatever Noona is. I don't care. Because Noona is Noona. However. There are too many questions. About this world. And about Noona."

The repeated word 'mortals'. A hazy form visible to Haru's eyes, but not to others.

And, on the Holy Maiden Jeanne, power rivaling, no. Surpassing that of a priest.

Everything was a mystery.

[It's hard to tell you much, but.]

Shub touched her lips with her index finger, thinking for a moment.

Then, she answered with a smile.

[Well, it should be okay. If it's Haru.]

Shub placed her hand on top of Haru's hand.

He couldn't feel a warm touch, but the warmth of her heart was conveyed.

[I am... an 'Alien God' from beyond the night sky, who watches only you.]