Arid accepted Lukas’ words and quickly fell into a deep sleep as if they had fainted. This showed that their fatigue had reached the limit.
From the looks of it, it was possible that they’d even sleep for a day or more.
Lukas carefully tucked them into bed before returning to his room.
Then, after glaring exasperatedly at Sedi, who had once again been playing with his body, Lukas sat in front of her.
“Sedi, what do you think the power rankings in this world currently are?”
This was something that had to be discussed in preparation for the future.
When she heard this question, Sedi immediately answered straightforwardly, showing no signs of thinking about it deeply.
“Father, then the Demon King, then Nodiesop, then Letip, and finally me?”
Her answer was just as he guessed.
Lukas shook his head, deciding to wake her from her delusion.
“Not quite.”
“Huh?”
“Your current strength is comparable to that of the Five Dukes’… or lower.”
“…”
Those words caused Sedi’s expression to change.
She pouted her lips in displeasure, appearing unconvinced. But after a bit of thought, her expression became a bit strange.
…She then asked in a solemn tone.
“…really?”
“Do you remember the Duke you saw in Africa?”
“Mhm.”
“You’re currently weaker than he was.”
“Mm…”
Sedi’s expression became contemplative for a moment. She never thought that he would consider her to be so weak.
Of course, from an objective perspective, Sedi was by no means weak. At the very least, there were few among the humans who could rival her. The only one Lukas could think of at the moment was Kran.
Unfortunately, there were many beings in this world who seemed to push the boundaries of mortals.
And the Five Dukes were among them.
“Not to mention the Absolutes, if you were to face off against one of the Five Dukes, the battle would certainly last quite a while. And if you were to ever die and your soul flowed into the afterlife of this universe, I would be unable to do anything about it.”
“Then what’s the point? It’s not like more time will increase my chances of winning.”
“You will win in the end. I will help you.”
“…”
Those words seemed to have caused Sedi to become speechless. She stared at Lukas with her mouth slightly ajar.
Lukas met her gaze and spoke in a solemn tone.
“Sedi, the one who survives to the end is the winner.”
This wasn’t a concept that Sedi was unfamiliar with. In fact, it was one of the many truths that she’d come to realise back on her home planet.
There, the one who survived till the end was the final victor, the strongest being.
However, at that time, Sedi did not live her life by relying on the protection or help of others.
That’s why it wasn’t strange when her expression faltered a bit.
“…that would be shameful.”
“That might be the case. But isn’t it better than dying?”
“…”
“Of course, if you are truly unable to accept it because of your pride. I will respect your decision.”
Lukas understood this fact well. After all, there were many things that he would never be able to accept.
There were times when you would be forced to make a choice and it would be better to die. That was why Lukas would never look down on those who chose to die in these types of situations.
Giving up your life in order to maintain your pride.
This might have appeared foolish to many people, but there were sometimes moments when such choices had to be made. Otherwise, while their bodies might survive, their spirits would die.
After thinking about it seriously for a moment, Sedi lifted her head.
“I will try.”
Lukas nodded.
That answer would be enough for now.
* * *
Every Wednesday would be the most exciting day for the members of the Church of Eternal Life.
This was because it was none other than the regular meeting day of the church.
“Only chosen members of the church are allowed to participate in this meeting.”
Min Ha-rin looked around as Kim Min-chul said those words.
…The place had changed a lot.
Once upon a time, this place had been a training ground. It was impossible for her to forget. After all, before she became a hunter, Min Ha-rin spent more time in this place than in her own room.
But now, she could see nothing of its old appearance.
The training ground had been transformed into a large underground auditorium, and the people who now filled it were not hunters but members of the Church of Eternal Life. All of them had dazed and slightly overwhelmed expressions on their faces, almost as if they had been drugged.
“You should be thankful to the Bishop for his generosity. If it wasn’t for his consideration, you wouldn’t have been able to attend.”
“Yeah.”
“Right.”
Kim Min-chul’s expression, which had been serious ever since they got there, finally softened a bit.
“And… you made a wise decision. Joining our church was the best choice you will ever make in your life.”
“…”
There was no reason for her to respond to that, so Min Ha-rin simply nodded slightly. Fortunately, Kim Min-chul did not point out her attitude.
Just in time, the side door to the hall opened and Slei, the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life, walked in.
“Ohhh….”
“Bishop.”
His appearance alone caused the faces of the believers to become filled with reverence and excitement.
“Hmm.”
Accepting their gazes, Slei walked up to the podium that sat in the center of the auditorium.
Then, all noise in the room disappeared in an instant as dozens of pairs of eyes focused on Slei.
“My dear brothers and sisters, I bring you good news.”
“Good news…?”
“N-, no way…”
Slei smiled warmly at the hope and expectation that became apparent in the gazes of the audience.
“Today, you will lay witness to a miracle firsthand.”
As he said this, the door behind the podium slowly opened and someone walked out.
In an instant, it felt like the underground auditorium had become brighter. No, it wasn’t a feeling. It had truly become brighter.
The reason for this was an amazingly beautiful woman.
She had white skin, white eyes, and white hair. Her cold appearance that revealed no emotion perfectly matched her startling appearance.
“Ohhh…”
As soon as this woman appeared, the people in the room chanted in adoration. Some of them even started to sob.
One by one, they all began lowering their heads with reverent expressions.
Kim Min-chul was no exception.
“Ha-rin, be polite.”
At that moment, Min Ha-rin felt that she knew who this woman was.
“That is the Saint of our Church of Eternal Life.”