NOVEL FROG Chapter 47
Suddenly, I don’t know why the king bowed, but luckily he understood my words and accepted them well. Woop!
I’m scared of when his delusion shatters. How will he change? Dun dun duuun!
So I have to somehow keep this state going. Tick-tock!
“I have blessed the descendants of Tisah who were here. There will be someone who gains special abilities like Tisah, so keep your eyes on them.” Sparkle!
This is unnecessary talk for someone with power to go wild and ultimately end up killing people. Because if they think there might be special strength, they’ll try to control it, right? Woosh!
If it’s managed, the chaos decreases. Whoosh!
Then, the warmth I gain decreases. Brrr!
But in this situation, it’s a necessary statement. It’s about looking not just at the immediate future but at a bit beyond. Glimmer!
Gaining a blessing means gaining benefits.
If someone who received the blessing does something strange, it means that’s not my responsibility but entirely yours. Bam!
That’s actually true, but people never miss an opportunity to blame others, right? Hehe!
We have to block it in advance. Whoosh!
Moreover, among the royals who have been here until now, almost no one knows about the Future Hope Church. Even if they learned, it’s all about how the heretics attacked the capital, and then Tisah appeared and became king after defeating the remaining heretics. Zap!
Of course, there’s a line about receiving blessings from the Holy Spirit and performing miracles. Shimmer!
I’m so glad I can actually know the memories. Phew!
It means there’s no one who knows me in detail. Gulp!
The one who knows me best is the king. But since he bowed his head, the rest of the people are likely to be fine. Woohoo!
The warmth I just gained from Tisah feels even less than when I first saw Tisah. The warmest time was around the time he became king. Swish!
Back then, the light was filled with warmth. It shone like a wildfire, and in the last moments, it was like a candle flame. Flicker!
So it feels like a loss, but it’s not. Hmm!
How many people have died by Tisah’s hands? Duh!
A boy who tried to judge right from wrong walked his path without aging. The warmth taken from the lives cut off on that path is undoubtedly far more than the warmth from that brightest moment. Whoosh!
Yes. Nod!
People give warmth when they gain power, regardless of good or evil. Zap!
The investment was successful. Cha-ching!
So it’s better for more people to receive blessings. Even if the mark of evil god’s power is stamped on them, they might kill each other right away, but the blessed ones will eventually die. Bam!
Moreover, since they will have purple hair as a feature, it’ll be easy to find and kill them. Whoosh!
How can you be so sure, you ask? Ponder!
At least, among the information I have, ethnic conflicts have never been solved. Hmm!
Hostility towards beings that look different from us is unimaginably brutal and persistent, right? Oof!
Wide thought of himself as a new race. Of course, he didn’t explicitly say he was a new race, but considering he bragged about blessed people being special, the essence is the same, just the expression varies. Hehe!
Racial discrimination soon turns into ethnic cleansing. Uh-oh!
My blessed ones cannot become a target for cleansing. Nope!
While I was thinking that, the king raised his head. Zoom!
“What should I call you?” Curious!
My name? Rebecca. Ding!
No, that’s not right. She’s in her form now, but she once died and came back to live her life. Boom!
So let’s speak honestly. Truth!
“I have no name to speak of. I sink below the cold surface, gazing at the distant night sky. While waiting for countless lights to come to my side.” Sparkle!
At my words, the king looks at me with a face of realization. What did he think, considering I skipped the whole part about seeking warmth in the light? Hmm?
The Faded Man whispers. Shh!
The god of the afterlife. Eek!
Yuck. Bleh!
I don’t want to be that. Nope!
I don’t care what happens if the light guessing my soul takes away its warmth… Sigh!
But still, I can guess what might happen. Ponder!
I’ve never left warmth as it is, so I don’t know what will happen, but I might have seen what happens to someone who fell beneath the surface. Hmm!
Something that was there when I went to the bottom after a long time. Splash!
Considering that someone who stole warmth while still alive turned into a monster seeking warmth, I can expect what happened. Uh-oh!
But I’m not the reason for that. Nope!
I still remember it deep in my bones. Thud!
One day, I woke up to find myself in an endlessly cold darkness. Chill!
I was there for a very, very, very long time. Yawn!
Only after an incredibly long time did I finally see the separation of sky and sea. The day the first light appeared. Shimmer!
I still remember that time. Nostalgic!
There was actually only one light in the sky. Woo!
And gradually, the light increased. Sparkle!
I didn’t change into the light. Nope!
Someone must have thrown me into the cold sea. Splash!
Yes. Someone. Tap!
And it can only be someone who you could call a god, right? Uh-oh!
Hehe. Giggle!
The reason I hate gods, however, is… Frown!
The witch who broke the glass and invaded the prince’s private space is truly dangerous. No, of course, it wouldn’t matter after I finish writing the book, but that’s not now. Burp!
If… Hmm!
If, let’s say, the people in front of me think of me as the god of death… Gulp!
I can concoct a story about why Hyungkesuni came running here. Whoosh!
To do that, I need certainty. Confident!
If I shout without a plan and there’s a plot hole, they’ll stab me again saying I deceived them! No thanks!
I really don’t want that. Nuh-uh!
Hearing whispers among the soldiers around me, I catch bits about an amazing god conversing with the king. Gasp!
And there’s also doubt if it’s really a god. Hmm?
There are some smart ones. Nudge!
Hmm. Thoughtful!
Then, I need to show clear proof. Something that makes me look like a god. Shiny!
Like reviving after having my head blown off? Boom!
That would be perfect for the “You’ve shown your true colors, you monster!” kind of shout. Yikes!
My abilities are regeneration, item creation, and the ability to bless. Shimmer!
The most plausible is the ability to bless. And it’s something I’ve been consistently mentioning. Ding!
I need an older man. Uh-huh!
I pointed to the knight in front of me. Point!
“I give blessings to the insufficient.” Bless!
Suddenly, the knight looked at me as if I were saying something absurd, and the king had a look of realization. Then, with a trembling voice, he asked me. Curious!
“Will I get better if I receive a blessing?” Hopeful!
Um? A trembling voice? Was there anything touching in here? Tickle!
“I’ll return to my prime physical state.” Ta-da!
In fact, up until now, everyone who received the blessing has done just that. Boom!
The knight then straightened up and looked at the king before speaking. Salute!
“May I?” Questioning!
“Do it.” Sure!
The knight approached me and removed his sturdy iron helmet. He held it at his side as he came forward. He is a typical older man with hair left only on the sides. Bald!
As a knight, he should have worn a helmet for a long time, but that means his hair would quickly die, right? If he becomes younger, everything is solved… Woohoo!
“I hope to receive a blessing.” Wish!
Hehe. Snicker!
Yes. Great. Blinded by immediate gains, it’s gotten dull for him to judge what’s happening here. When there are too many surreal stories, it’s hard to tell if this is reality, right? Hmm!
Let’s make it even more confusing. Boom!
I said my usual line. Standard!
“I will give myself to you. Instead, when you finish everything afterward, I’ll take all that I had at that moment. How about it?” Deal!
He nodded. Yes!
I reached out and touched his light. Then I pushed myself into it. The light turned black, and the skin on his face started cracking like pottery. Crack!
And then the old, worn skin fell away, revealing a man with white skin and purple hair. Shiny!
Nice! Yay!
Youth is an easy miracle to understand. Aww!
Then he awkwardly placed his hand on top of his new head. Tap!
Boom! Crash!
The helmet he had on his side fell. Yet, he didn’t care and started to play with his new hair. Flick!
And immediately bowed his head. Bend!
“Oh God, I have just realized your presence.” Praise!
No, wait a minute. Freeze!
Is he bowing because he rejuvenated, or is he doing this for having grown hair? If a person from a country where the Holy Spirit is the national religion suddenly changes gods, I’d become a bad god! Yikes!
What if they executed him for becoming infatuated with heretics? Uh-oh!
I glanced at the king desperately, and for some reason, the king looked at the man with a misty expression. Then he looked at me and bowed his head again. Gulp!
“Thank you for the blessing. However, what should we call you? What should we refer to you as?” Curious!
Although his focus was slightly off, he’s completely dazed by the incredible miracle. If that’s the case, now’s my chance. It’s a perfect opportunity to weave Hyungkesuni into this. Go, go!
I pointed at Hyungkesuni. Point!
The audience who had been sitting on the floor, watching this ridiculous theater, was startled when I pointed. Gasp!
“The one who has lived for hundreds of years has called me Outsider. Please call me that.” Sassy!
This name was given by her. It leaves room to pass the responsibility. Hmm!
And also sows doubt that she might dislike me. In reality, she probably does dislike me, but this makes it official. Snap!
It means she can think later that it’s not from a malicious intent that someone tried to twist my image. Hmm!
“The Witch of Delight, Hyungkesuni.” Ta-da!
They probably won’t recall just from a name, so I mention quite a famous title first. Fame!
Why is the Witch of Delight famous, you ask? Curious!
Well, this person occasionally shows up, curses villages while pillaging and then escapes, and it’s whispered around. Gossip!
Most people among the royals who have been in the military for a long time know. Secrets!
“I will forgive you.” Pardon!
Yes. I threw the indulgence onto the witch’s face. Splash!
With this, Hyungkesuni is a defeated witch that came to attack me, and our matters are wrapped up with my forgiveness. Woohoo!
With a bit of common sense, there’s a low chance they’ll say anything about something that has ended, right? Nod!
If they think of me as a god, the likelihood of Hyungkesuni surviving has increased. Phew!
Oh dear, troublesome witch. Sigh!
“There’s no way I’ll take warmth from you.” Nope!
To those who don’t know, this may just sound like a strange statement, but Hyungkesuni should understand that I’m telling her to keep the contract. Deal!
Hehe. Giggle!
Now that the big things are over, I look to the king to wrap this up and say, Cheers!
“Then, I’ll wait until an answer comes from the Seongsin Church.” Waiting mode!
Going all the way back, I brought up the previously contracted matters related to Tisah. Rewind!
I’ll make them misunderstand that this has been my purpose all along. Sly!
Consistency adds more persuasiveness, right? Zeal!