Chapter 6 - Bel Zuma

For a while after the evil goddess disappeared, we remained frozen in place, unable to speak.

We were afraid that if we uttered any unnecessary words, that being might return.

The worst-case scenarios stemming from that "what if" paralyzed our muscles and fixed our thoughts in one direction.

As time passed and noon approached, the seemingly endless wailing stopped, and the thing that was once the Hero fell unconscious. Then, Meria spoke.

"...What on earth was that?"

Her question, which probably only she could answer, floated in the air, reaching nowhere.

A being whose true nature we couldn't understand, beyond just a name or species.

If anyone knew the answer, it would be the Hero himself, who first encountered it directly...

"Holy Saint, do you know anything?"

At my words, everyone's attention turned to her, but the Holy Saint didn't stop praying.

Her behavior, as if her life depended on this meaningless act, seemed less like madness and more like a desperate struggle to survive.

It probably wasn't far from the truth.

I'd heard she was an orphan who had lived her entire life serving God in His embrace.

That's why the Holy Saint was the least resistant to being with the Hero.

Denying God's existence in her mind was tantamount to denying her entire worldview that she had built up until now.

I understood her circumstances, but we didn't have time to listen to prayers that might never end.

"Excuse me."

I extended my hand towards the Holy Saint and activated a spell.

<Beast's Heart>

This spell, originally developed to forcibly calm panicked armies, was banned due to a minor side effect.

Depending on the magician's skill, the calming effect could be so strong that it was practically like a drug.

I adjusted its power as much as possible to forcibly calm the Holy Saint's mind and body.

For a moment, her pupils dilated and then returned to normal. She seemed to regain her senses, but her hands still trembled slightly.

But she had recovered enough to talk.

We gathered around the now composed Holy Saint and asked gently, trying not to sound like we were interrogating her.

"...Holy Saint. What was that just now?"

As a Holy Saint, she should have some knowledge about pagan gods that's forbidden to ordinary believers.

She clearly knew something; the light in her trembling eyes was that of someone who knows but is desperately trying to hide it.

"I-I can't—"

"This isn't the time to worry about the temple's secrets. Whatever that was, we've empowered it. You remember what it said at first, right?"

Words hinting at victory in a match against another being called the Goddess of Night.

If it's true that this world will be governed by her laws, we don't know what will happen next.

"We need to know exactly what we've done so we can do our best to manage the situation. So please, tell us. What was that?"

"If you're afraid of punishment from the temple, our family will do our best to mitigate the circumstances. So please, tell us. What was that thing that appeared before us?"

Our persuasion must have been quite sincere, as the slight trembling controlling her hands began to subside.

Fear still remained, but even as everything seemed to be heading towards catastrophe, she wasn't so wicked as to worry only about her own safety.

"B-Bell..."

"Bell?"

"I-Its name is B-Bel Zuma..."

The name of that being came from her trembling lips.

Its name was Bel Zuma.

A god of calamity that actually existed, still exists, and has never lost its power for a single moment.

"A-And it's the original form of the goddess we worship."

*****

The ancient document that the temple named the God Codex was first discovered by a nameless farmer.

Bel Zuma.

Ancient documents recording the name and deeds of some evil god from antiquity were found everywhere.

The name might vary slightly by region, like Bell Zema, Bell Juma, or Bell Jima, but the common deeds indicated it was the same being.

"...At first, we thought it was a document recording a pagan god. So everyone didn't think much of it. Every region has its own local beliefs, and there are plenty of documents about such gods."

That's right.

Before the Goddess faith fully took root on the continent, there were countless local beliefs—so many that counting them would be meaningless.

At first, Bel Zuma was considered one of these cases, so the God Codex was seen as just another ordinary ancient document by the standards of the time.

"...Was there a reason it became special?"

"I told you. It was found everywhere. From the northernmost to the southernmost parts of the continent. Even on islands that had no contact with the mainland for a long time, documents related to Bel Zuma were discovered."

There's only one thing this could mean.

Unless someone intentionally spread this around, this being must have actually existed.

Belatedly realizing the danger of this document, the Order designated it as a forbidden book and ordered its immediate destruction.

This is the work of the devil.

It must be someone's machination, so the culprit must be found and punished.

While searching for traces of the God Codex like this.

At some point, even the act of searching for the God Codex was prohibited, and all information was destroyed.

"...Bel Zuma's name gradually changed by region and era. While organizing and analyzing this, we ended up learning something we shouldn't have known."

Bel Zuma's name was gradually changing.

Into a form similar to Bel Jema, the monotheistic deity of the Goddess faith now worshipped across the continent.

The current goddess is a deity created by erasing the evil parts of Bel Zuma, and sometimes purifying them.

All of this was a closely guarded secret of the Order, passed down only to the Pope, some cardinals, and the Holy Saint through generations.

"Of course, I didn't believe it. I maintained my faith, thinking it was the devil's work, information fabricated by forces that opposed the Order long ago."

But when Bel Zuma revealed herself, for the first time, she realized the existence of a god and understood.

Her god was false.

The real god was not gentle or merciful like the goddess, but a cruel evil god.

"...I see."

Although she had revealed an incredible fact, it didn't matter much to me, as I wasn't particularly devout.

Meria didn't seem too shocked either.

Karin's expression hardened, but she didn't seem particularly concerned.

"...What kind of god is this Bel Zuma?"

"According to the ancient documents, she was born as an evil god but longed for a good heart. That's why it's said her eyes have the power to discern people's goodness."

She can distinguish good people, but being essentially evil, she doesn't know what goodness is.

That's why she imposes trials on people.

If they lose their goodness at the end of the trial, they are evil and receive Bel Zuma's punishment.

Those who maintain their goodness to the end are considered to have a noble character and receive Bel Zuma's reward.

A contradictory god who loves and craves goodness more than anyone, yet hurts good people and spreads evil in the world more than anyone.

The god who tests people, that is Bel Zuma.

"...So you're saying the Hero's existence was a kind of trial?"

I've never once thought of myself as a good person, but certainly, not losing one's goodness while being near that man can only be described as a great achievement.

The trial imposed on humanity was now unconscious after crying for a long time.

We have a lot to ask him too.

But I felt there was no need to wake an unconscious person right now.

"Let's move to a different location first. We can interrogate him after he wakes up."

"Let's do that..."

Perhaps because an evil god even more wicked than the Hero had appeared, I didn't feel like scolding him harshly right now.

In the first place, if he has any crimes to answer for, it's not us but the kingdom's judicial system that should question him.

I too have personal grudges against him, but if I were to punish him here, I'd be denying justice to his other victims.

Of course, the kingdom might care more about saving face than the victims' grievances, but they might make a different choice if they realize everything has gone to hell.

Everyone agreed on this.

As we were about to lift the Hero to move him, my eyes met Karin's, who was lingering nearby.

Her eyes, how should I describe them?

They were filled with a unique sense of regret, like someone who had crossed an irreversible river and belatedly looked back, as if her world had crumbled.

And her feelings towards me.

So many emotions were mixed in her eyes that she probably couldn't even name them all.

I deliberately ignored her as we lifted the Hero to move him.

I couldn't understand what Karin was thinking or what she wanted from me.

If that's the case, I have no choice but to pretend not to notice.

Once outside, we discreetly moved our base while watching the demons evacuate from the air.

Fortunately, because the Demon King's army was so large, their marching route was clearly visible, allowing us to safely set up camp in a secluded forest that didn't overlap with their route.

"...What should we do now?"

No one could answer the Holy Saint's question.

How should we conduct ourselves in a world where an evil god holds the reins?

As everyone remained silent and the endlessly gloomy atmosphere continued...

"Hey, you know."

Suddenly, Karin spoke up, and everyone's attention turned to her.

"Can't we just cover it all up?"

"...What?"

"Only we know about the evil god's meddling, right? So wouldn't it be good to just kill this guy and cover everything up?"

"......"

Good grief.

What the...